#besides vague gesturing and sounds of excitement

[tkaulitzlvr]

can you make a tom!sub? also i am INLOVE with all your writings💓💓

i was thinking if you could write tom being submissive and the (female) reader not letting him finish untill she says so?also if the story could contain some stuff like handcuffs and you know you know... ( only if your comfortable! )

thank you again and no rush! take your time💓

PLEASE - T. KAULITZ

synopsis: after tom loses a bet that the two of you had made, as promised he has to face his consequence - which involves the roles you usually have in bed completely reversing for the first time.

content: smut

a/n: sub tom has been requested soooo much on my account and honestly i’ve avoided it cause in my eyes he’s like the most obvious dom and that’s all i see him as…but him as a sub is just as hot so i finally decided to write it - i hope it lives up to ur expectations🙏

my eyes light up when i watch tom look down with a cheesy grin plastered on his face, no longer able to hold eye contact after i had blown him a kiss and winked from behind the barrier. i can just about distinguish his features from the dull flashing lights of the venue, and most importantly, the way his cheeks turn a light shade of pink. i made him blush. the bet which, in any other circumstance would be completely ridiculous, had never meant so much until now. the whole idea is somewhat stupid, tom deciding that it would be fun to see who could make the other blush first - clearly under the impression that he would win. the reward, though not explicitly discussed, is the thing that excites me the most, the endless possibilities from the vague prize of ‘getting whatever you want from the other person’ too good to pass up.

and by the way tom shoots me a quick glance, a defeated smile tugging on his lips, he knows that he has lost too. he shakes his head and mutters something under his breath - not that i can hear it, the speakers blasting out the band’s music paired with psychotic fans’ screams stop me from hearing even what the person next to me is saying. his fingers resume their fast-paced strumming on the guitar splayed across his lap, eyes occasionally darting in my direction until he stands on the stage above me, in line with the rest of his band.

“thank you so much for coming tonight paris. we love you all and hope to see you again soon, goodbye!” bill’s voice is followed by thousands of high-pitched screams, the irritating sound only seeming to get louder when tom snatches the microphone from his brother, shouting ‘thankyou’ to the crowd in his thick german accent.

i make my way to the backstage area whilst tom and the rest of the band say goodbye to the fans, throwing drum sticks and guitar picks into the crowd as they would after every show. i flop down onto one of the couches, the loud screaming still not slowing down as i wait for tom to exit the stage, knowing that he won’t be thrilled after losing the bet he was so eager to initiate.

“you did so good baby, i’m so proud of you!” i smile widely when tom walks through the door, standing up from the sofa and engulfing him in a tight hug, burying my head into his shoulder. he smiles weakly, planting a soft kiss into my hair and wrapping his arms around my waist.

“thank you schatz.” he mumbles, his voice somewhat sad despite the wide smiles that remain etched on the rest of his band members faces - the show they have just performed being one of their best so far, practically flawless. tom pulls away and moves to sit on the couch behind me, sighing frustratedly and spreading his body across it. i don’t need to ask why he is so upset - not only because the reason is totally obvious, but he decides to express his annoyance himself.

“i can’t believe you won.” he groans, tilting his head back and letting it rest against the back of the couch. he gives me a small smile, not intending to seem mad with me, instead he seems annoyed with himself. he opens his arms out, gesturing for me to join him on the couch. i move over, sitting beside him as he wraps an arm around me.

“have you thought of anything yet? for your reward, i mean.” the pads of his fingertips run along my arm, his chin resting on my head as i smile slowly, knowing the answer to his question the second he had asked it - hell, i had known exactly what i would do if i won the second he proposed the bet.

“i think i have something in mind.”

“you want to be in control?” his face displays a mix of confusion and interest, his eyebrows raised, slight smirk on his lips. i nod my head, moving closer forward as i already straddle his lap with my hair disheveled and lips swollen - tom having initiated something the second we had entered the hotel room. things didn’t turn out the way he had expected though, my hand resting firmly on his chest when he had attempted to climb on top, as he did every other time.

he tilts his head to the side, seeing that i am completely serious about this. his hands find my waist, fingers threading through the loops in my jeans as he grinds my hips over his already prominent erection. i shake my head when he tries to manoeuvre my hips again, placing my hands over his and stopping his movements entirely. his eyes widen, body stuck in place as he seems startled by my sudden change in attitude, knowing that usually i would be underneath him in this moment. he shifts around a little, squirming beneath me and sitting up slightly, his back now resting against the headboard as my legs are wrapped around his waist.

“stay still.” i rest my hands flat against his chest, watching as his mouth falls open a little, lips parted as he looks up at me, his gaze bordering desperate as i can tell that he wants me to do something, though he doesn’t know how to say it.

i shift my hips to get closer to him, a low groan leaving his lips in the process, soon cut off when i press my lips to his own, his noises muffled into my mouth. and when i begin to grind against him at a more consistent pace, his ability to kiss back seems to diminish by the second, his breath hitching in his throat. i pull away, watching as his face falls in disappointment, clearly wanting more than just a kiss. and i plan on giving him that, as long as he uses his words, just as he tells me to.

though words can wait for now, my actions taking control as i reach forward, my hands finding the hem of his t-shirt as i lift the material upward and off of his frame, revealing his toned upper half. i throw it to the floor somewhere, returning my attention to tom as his hands reach out, attempting to pull my own small crop top off. he doesn’t get far though, his hands roughly returned to his side as i shake my head.

“no touching. not unless i say so.” he seems to understand that he has next to no control right now, that he can do nothing but wait on me, and i can tell that it irritates him, a low groan sounding from his lips. my eyes never tear away from his own, watching the way he stares intently at my cleavage, eyes drinking it all in as i lift my top over my head, revealing the small lace bra holding my breasts in place. his tongue comes out to flick the small metal piercing that rests on his bottom lip, eyes quickly darkening.

“fuck baby…let me touch you- please.” his voice is barely above a whisper, bordering between frustrated and desperate, both causing him to go next to insane as i deprive him of the one thing he relies on to show affection - touch. he begins to squirm beneath me, attempting to create some sort of friction between us, his hips moving up and down along my clothed heat.

“sit still or you won’t get to touch me at all. you have to be patient.” i scold, watching as he nods his head, his movements soon slowing, cut off by his breath hitching in his throat when my hands make contact with the small metal button of his jeans, undoing it slowly. his eyes stay locked on my fingers, watching as i tug the zipper down, showing no resistance and instead bucking his hips upward and allowing me to slide the denim off of his body when i tug it downward, the material pooling at his feet. i quickly slip out of my mini-skirt, our underwear now the only thing separating us, and i can tell that it drives him crazy.

his chest rises up and down, a thin coat of sweat lining his forehead as his entire body jolts with even the slightest of movements, desperate whines leaving his lips when my hands finally palm him through his boxers, the first bit of attention i give towards the place where he craves it most.

“fuck…oh god, oh my god.” his head falls backward, teeth sinking into his bottom lip when i run the palm of my hand up and down his length, still separated by the thin fabric of his boxers. his erection seems to get more and more painful with each second, every gentle touch i press to his clothed dick generating more sounds from his parted lips - small whines soon turning to loud groans, to the point where he can’t handle it any longer.

“please schatz…do something…need it so bad-shit!” his eyes squeeze shut, wincing slightly when i touch his tip through his boxers, this area more sensitive than the rest of him. despite his pleas, i decide to go that little bit further, knowing how crazy it will drive him.

“what do you want me to do tom?” my voice is low, crossing the line between innocent and seductive, creating a sickly mix of the two that seems to drive him crazy. my head moves downward, lips directly against his ear as i take his lobe in my mouth, biting it lightly before releasing it, feeling the way his whole body shivers below me. my lips make contact with his neck, placing slow kisses, just enough to tease him a little more. “you have to tell me what you want baby.”

“you want my hands?” i whisper into his ear, my hand trailing to palm him once again, yet another groan falling from his lips. “or my mouth, maybe?” i take the skin of his neck between my teeth, sucking slowly before letting it go, my tongue running over it momentarily. he stays quiet, his breathing heavy and body becoming more restless.

“or…” i add, pausing for a few seconds, buying time to leave him guessing, pulling back to study his face, the sight enough to resemble heaven on earth - or at least something pretty damn close to it. his eyes are half-lidded, eyebrows furrowed slightly, tongue poking out of his mouth. he watches me intently, eyes fixed on my hand as it moves to grab his own, trailing downward to my clothed heat, placing it flat against my panties. “do you want this?”

he nods his head rapidly, fingers trying to pull the lace from my lower half, not getting far as i pull them back, leaving him even more desperate than he was seconds ago.

“need to be inside you.” he whines, sighing under his breath and adjusting himself once again, thrusting his hips ever so slightly in the hopes that he will feel any contact, even if it is only for a second. but when i smile weakly above him, sitting up a little and reaching for my panties, his eyes visibly light up, thrilled by the possibility of finally getting what he wants. i step out of my underwear, fingers finding the clasp of my bra and removing it from my frame. tom’s eyes scan my body hungrily, starting at my now exposed breasts, moving down to my lower half. his hands reach outward, making contact with my waist as he pulls me closer to him. i let him this time, watching the way relief takes over his expression from being granted the simple permission of touching my body.

the pads of his fingertips trail upward, moving along my stomach, just about to touch my breasts before i stop him, much to his frustration.

“please baby…can’t take it- need you so bad, need to touch you…” he is practically begging at this point, his body tired and sweaty beneath me, desperate for any sort of relief.

“wait.” i state simply, showing him no sympathy, though my actions seem to act as some consolation as my hands make contact with the waistband of his boxers, fingers dipping underneath them teasingly. his breath catches in his throat, breathing becoming even more erratic as i get closer and closer to giving him what he wants, before tearing away his hope and moving my fingers almost completely away. i tug on the waistband, slipping my fingers in once again, inching closer to his dick, the presence of his boxers frustrating to him as i can only do so much with them there. my hand finds his length as i run a single finger down it, a loud moan pouring from tom’s lips as his head falls backward. i struggle to fit another finger into his boxers, the fabric restricting my movements too much - and it drives him insane.

“fuck schatz…take ‘em off, please…just take them off.” he whines loudly, groaning when i slip my hand out of his boxers, only to tug them down ever so slowly, almost too slowly for tom as he bucks his hips slightly. his dick springs free, hitting his lower abdomen and god, the sight is enough to make me cum on the spot. it is almost painfully hard, the veins within it more prominent than ever, the tip red as pre-cum spills out of it. i almost pity him, watching how he grunts at the slight touch of my fingers wrapping their way around the base.

he hisses when i pump him a few times, my thumb moving to swirl around his tip, his mouth falling open whenever i apply pressure. i don’t give him too much, though, nothing that brings him anywhere close to his release, just enough to show him what he can receive, and he craves for more.

“please just sit on it, please schatz…i can’t, want you so bad- fuck!” he attempts to bring one hand to his hard dick, stroking it once before i pull him away roughly, swatting his hand and placing it by his side.

“what did i say, hm? you have to listen to me to get what you want.” all he can do is nod his head, far too focused on my actions as i speak his eyes glued to my heat as i begin to move forward, lifting my hips upward so that his tip is aligned directly with my entrance. my hands place themselves on his shoulders, maintaining a firm hold before slowly sliding downward, taking just the tip inside of me. he whines loudly, hands flying to rest on my waist, his fingers already digging into the skin, bound to leave marks.

i lift my hips upward after a few seconds, his tip sliding out of me as he whines in frustration, desperate for something, anything, besides from being teased like this. he knows that there is no point in trying to do anything himself - realising that i will just stop him. instead, he watches impatiently as i shift my hips downward again, taking a little more inside me than i did last time. i moan quietly at the sensation, his dick slowly stretching me out as i stop when he is around halfway.

his eyes are now completely closed, squeezing shut as his mouth is now wide open, chest rising and falling at a fast pace, clearly far too lost in pleasure from my minimal acts to think about anything else.

“tell me what you want baby.” my voice is more forgiving this time, lacking the harsh tone it had when i scolded him all those times. now he knows better than to initiate anything, his eyes slowly opening when he registers what i say.

“keep going.” he pleads, his hands trailing to my hips, squeezing the flesh roughly. he clears his throat, though his ability to sound even a little bit composed is long gone, and he knows it too, soon realising when he opens his mouth to speak again, his voice low and whiny. “take all of me, please baby…”

i lean my face closer to his own, lips ghosting over the corner of his mouth. “open your eyes…watch me.” i smile when his eyes flutter open, dark and tired, their gaze flickering to watch where we are connected, struggling to stay open when his dick begins to slowly disappear inside of me, inch my inch.

“oh god-fuck…feels so good…” i haven’t even moved yet, staying sat completely on top of him, not circling my hips and instead adjusting to his size, my walls stretched out as i wait for the pain to turn to pleasure. it doesn’t matter that i haven’t done anything yet, not to tom, anyway. the evident euphoria on his face tells me enough, the continuous teasing i had put him through meaning that literally anything is enough to leave him a moaning mess.

and when i begin to circle my hips, grinding them over his pelvis, the noises that sound from his parted lips become louder and more inaudible, once clear attempts to say my name now barely understandable, lost in the whines that take over any speech. his body shines with a thick layer of sweat, highlighting each defined muscle from beneath me as they contract with each harsh squeeze of my hips. i lift them up, almost all the way off of tom’s dick, before slamming back onto it, soft curses spilling from his lips when i repeat my motions, soon finding a fast rhythm. somehow his hands don’t leave my waist, taking advantage of how i allow them to rest there, afraid that i will tear them away if he decides to move them anywhere else. but i see the way his eyes are fixated on my breasts, fighting the urge to close them purely so he can watch the way they bounce up and down with each movement of my hips. there are times when he jerks his hand upward, seeming to hesitate and return it to its position on my waist, though it doesn’t take long for the urge to become too strong.

“let me touch them liebe…please- just wanna touch them.” a string of pleas follow his request, his voice returning to a low whisper as he awaits my response, his head falling backward when i angle my hips a certain way, his tip brushing directly against my g-spot. i moan loudly at the feeling, eyes rolling to the back of my head as i repeat my movement, his tip drilling against it repeatedly. i am far too lost in pleasure to refuse his ask, nodding my head and mumbling a quick and almost inaudible “go ahead baby”.

and he wastes no time, his hands rushing to cup my breasts, his thumbs running over the hardened nipples as he lets out a satisfied groan. he squeezes the flesh harshly, mesmerised by the feeling as the movements of his hands become more feverish, his need seeming to increase as he moves his head forward, allowing his lips to make contact with them. he places rough and open-mouthed kisses onto the flesh, kneading what isn’t in his mouth, sucking on my breast for a few seconds before running his tongue over the skin, his lips leaving a trail of purple marks scattered across my chest.

“i’m so close…please don’t stop baby- fuck, don’t stop- please!” his voice vibrates against my breast as he continues to kiss the skin, often cut off momentarily by a loud groan whenever i clench around him. and i can tell that he means it, his dick twitching inside of me every few seconds, the frequency of his moans increasing with each movement of my hips.

“you’re not cumming yet.” i state through breathy moans, circling my hips and digging my hails into his shoulders. he whines in response, pulling his head away from my breast to look upward at me. “hold it, you have to wait for me, mhm?”

“can’t baby- i can’t…fuck- it hurts so bad…” if i weren’t to desperate to chase my own release, i would probably pity him and let him cum out of sympathy, though now all i can focus on is finding my own climax, my bounces becoming more sloppy and feverish, craving nothing more than to release the knot in my stomach that begins to build.

“yes you can.” i breathe out, taking my hands and pressing them to the back of his head, bringing his lips closer to my breasts and moaning when his tongue swipes across my nipple. “you can cum when i say so.”

the knot in my stomach becomes more noticeable, my free hand moving downward to rub soft circles on my clit, my head falling backward at the overwhelming pleasure, knowing that it won’t be long until i get to my release. i don’t tell tom that, though, watching intently as he can no longer plant firm kisses to my breasts, instead he falls backward to rest his upper half against the headboard, soft and frequent curses pouring from his lips as he holds back his release, the task becoming harder and harder for him as each second passes.

my own head falls backward, eyes rolling back as i finally let go, feeling my release wash over me. i clutch onto tom’s back for support, rocking my hips back and forth slowly as i ride out my high, still aware that tom hasn’t come yet. and i can tell that he can’t hold on much longer.

“please baby…please let me cum- it hurts so bad schatz, shit!” tears begin to roll down his cheeks, soft whines spilling from his lips far more often than before. the slow roll of my hips on his dick doesn’t help - the angle allowing him to hit the deepest spots inside of me, my walls unconsciously clenching around him when the pleasure gets too much. “need it so bad baby, just wanna cum, please…”

my lips collide with his softly as he still tries to kiss back, the taste of tears on his mouth as i move against him slowly. “c’mon, cum baby…” he sighs loudly once he registers that he has my permission, no longer able to kiss back as his head falls backwards, eyes squeezing shut and eyebrows furrowing, loud and elongated groans elicited from his lips as i feel his hot cum shoot into me, coating my walls as i ride out his high.

“shitshitshit…oh my fucking god!” he begins to lazily thrust upward into me, anything to increase the pleasure he already feels, his movements somehow matching mine as he moans into my mouth, his hands glued to my hips. his nails dig into the skin, leaving harsh marks there. eventually, both our movements slow down, tom’s body trembling as it lays against the headboard, his breathing fast and heavy. i collapse on top of him, his dick still inside of me as i rest my head on his chest. he rubs my back up and down, fingers tracing random patterns there.

“fuck me.” he mumbles into the now silent room, my head whipping upward to look at him, his fucked out expression enough to leave me mesmerised, taking in every feature on his face - the way his eyes struggle to stay open, slight wrinkles on his forehead from his furrowed brows, his lips remaining slightly parted, he somehow looks perfect. “you need to be on top more baby, that’s the best sex we’ve had.”

his hand tiredly reaches to cup my cheek, drawing my face nearer to his as he connects our lips. the kiss is lazy and sloppy, still filled with passion as i press my lips firmly onto his own. he pecks them a few more times before pulling away, standing up and pulling me toward the bathroom to clean up.

requests are open! keep sending them in!!

#tomkaulitz #tokiohotel #tom kaulitz x reader #kaulitz twins #tom kaulitz smut #tom kaulitz #tom kaulitz angst #kaulitz #tom kaulitz fluff #bill kaulitz

[aresthelostboy]

Yautja X Male!Scientist!Reader

[I’m using Wolf as the Yautja and this doesn’t follow the story in any way. If any facts are wrong, ignore it because I last watched the predator films at least three years ago. Can be read as GN!Reader.]

Summary: When the group of Yautja boarded your crews ship amongst the many stars of Galactica Primara, it was intended as a visit of a coming assistance. Gathered in the mess hall, partially converted for your human captain to present to the Yautja, he speaks of testing new subjects. They’re interested, so you get a visit, though you aren’t too worried. That is, until you realise just how attracted to one in particular you are…

You sigh, eyes closing for a moment as bitter disappointment sighs on you. The movements on the slide to the microscopes had slowly stopped and you find yourself reaching for the tape recorder once more. The rubber gloves squeaking against its plastic, you speak close to the microphone, an edge to your voice that follows a wasted sample.

“Test subject B57: Failed. Presumable death over the temperature and humidity. Resuming tests at 0800 hours on Friday 13, April, 2029. This is (y/n) signing out.”

You place the recorder down and, grabbing each edge of the gloves, you strip them from your skin and place them in the nearly overflowing bin beside you. Taking a few minutes to discard of the sample and disinfect everything, you look at your work station, slightly less annoyed now that it’s clean and tidy.

A loud beep sounds out, making you jump for a moment before you realise that it’s your personal communication cell that’s alerting you to an incoming message. Soon enough, the face of your second in command appears, as stern as ever. A grin tugs at your face, always tempted to rile up the easily angered man. It’s just too funny. Yet, today, he seems in brighter spirits so you wait to hear what he has to tell you.

“Ah Dr. (L/n)… finally. The message to the Yautja tribe was successful and their ship is inbound, ETA 3 minutes.”

You can’t help the genuine smile that pulls at your lips, knowing that it was a long-awaited meeting that had every higher up in floods of excitement.

“Congrats. If you need anything, you know I’ll be here. I’d rather stay out of the way and let you all deal with this,”

You gesture vaguely.

“and I’ll start a few other tests. B57 was a failure so I’ll be moving to C14 and going back to B tomorrow.”

All he does is nod before someone seems to shout him, his head snapping in the other direction before giving you a quick nod. Before you know it, the comms have been severed and you are left alone once more. Shrugging, it’s soon realised that the alien tribe must have arrived and you understand that they’re much more important than a time-wasting conversation.

Removing another pair of gloves from the packet, you put them on and ready up a new sample of an unknown organism, readying your scalpels and tweezers in order to soon pick apart the cell matter and individually study it. Placing the microphone of your recorder up to your mouth, you press at the button on the side. “Subject C14 test begins. Friday 12, April 2029. Time is currently 5:46pm.”

You don’t know how long has passed, only that the number of unseen messages from your commander on your comms has grown over the time. Only once the new source of matter has failed, as you had expected, you find yourself looking through the ignored remarks.

‘They want to look through your lab, is that alright?’ 5:59pm

‘Hello?’ 6:12pm

‘Y/n, they’re curious about the tests you do. Please?’ 6:17pm

Wincing while you read them, you deftly remove your gloves and shoot a response back hoping that, over the course of 39 minutes, you hadn’t majorly screwed up.

‘Should’ve called, was busy with tests. You can come by now if you’d like?’

Deciding to wait for the response, you don’t receive one, even after you’ve seen that he had read it. Once this is noticed, your heart rate increases, realising that speaking to your superior in such a way may not be the smartest idea. That is, until, there’s a knock at your door.

(A steel door that was only provided after you threw a fit about having dangerous subjects in an easily contaminated space. The crew didn’t care about the tests or the safety, they just wanted you to leave them alone so you finally got what you wanted.)

After checking yourself over, smoothing down your lab coat and making sure your hair wasn’t askew, your hand finds the automated doorway and it opens.

For all of your mind, the wish that you could’ve hid your reaction is high. Seeing a Yautja in a dark grey mask shouldn’t affect you in such a way, and you definitely shouldn’t be thinking what you are… The way your eyes widen slightly, not from fear but from curiosity and the way your breath catches in your throat, something they could definitely hear… it makes you flush slightly. Taking a breath, you look at your commander, nodding slightly before turning to the Yautja. Dark grey mask watches you with a tilted head and once it notices your gaze on it, his head snaps to look in the other direction.

Never had you believed an alien race to show such a predominantly human trait as embarrassment. It’s almost… cute? Shaking your head, you rid yourself of the thoughts and focus on the three in front of you.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I assume you have translators?”

The largest one nods, it’s mask a light, titanium coloured grey and you smile slightly, hovering in the doorway. There’s one beside him, looking away and down, his posture slanted as if not wanting to be notice, this one’s mask is a darker grey. The others mask is black. These men… these creatures, surely they know basic rules of a lab. You sigh, shaking your head and addressing each one in turn.

“Please, don’t touch anything. And if your curious, ask. I’m Y/n, by the way.”

Flashing a smile at the unknown aliens seems out of place but you do so anyway, stepping back and allowing them into your space. One of them stops at the doorway, a darker grey mask on, watching you with great interest. A few clicks and trills catch your attention but, as the others don’t react, you don’t either. You watch back, curious as to who will break the eye contact first. He - would it be right to call it a he? - tilts his head slightly before stepping into the lab, following the others. It takes you a moment to notice your commander left but, oddly enough, you felt safe with the Yautja group. A few sharp clicks grab your attention and you turn to the light grey masked one, wondering about it’s attention grabbing sounds.

“This?”

A raspy and distorted voice comes from the mask, the creature pointing at one of your experiments. You can’t help the appreciation that paints your face as you step over, closer than most humans would feel comfortable, and begin explaining the intricacies. Throughout your speech, you feel eyes on you and, as you are seeing two of them looking at your experiments, there’s only one left to be doing so. Without breaking sentence, you turn to look at him and grin as you see him whip his head away in a tense, feigned interest in a sheet of paper… a blank sheet of paper. A slight laugh escapes you, only for him to look back, shoulders visibly dropping into relaxation. A quick smile is flashed his way and, believing you could trust the Yautja, you turn your back to continue your explanation.

You’d barely finished explaining what each component did, the two Yautja painfully invested in your words, when a quiet screech echoes through the metal room. The three of you turn to the last of their group, a hand in front of their greyed mask and a light green blood like substance sliding from their finger. Your frown, walking over quickly and finding he had touched one of the alien blades you had been studying earlier. “Are you alright?”

You can’t disguise the concern in your voice as you walk over, hesitating to touch him. Though, when he doesn’t pull away, you gently take his hand and inspect the wound. Hearing a few clicks and trills no longer bothers you, understanding it’s the same as humans humming or making basic noise. You look up at him, noticing that he hadn’t followed your one rule and has touched something. Shaking your head, the Yautja stills, watching you with interest.

“Silly Yautja.”

Though the words are said with amusement, there’s an underlying tone of worry and care. It makes the yautjas stare and stand as if petrified by Medusa herself. You continue to mutter to yourself, finding a bandage and wrapping up the bleeding cut. He tilts his head as you do so and when your ministration have been completed, he flexes his hand, only to look at you with a deep interest.

“Wolf.”

The deep growl comes from the one in front of you and you can easily tell what he had said. Though in the context it confused you.

“Sorry?”

It gestures to itself, repeating the word. After a moment you nod, smiling softly.

“Wolf? That’s your name?”

He nods, hesitating for a mere moment before tapping his bandage then on your chest, where your heart should be. It was easy enough to guess what he had meant, knowing that the courtesy of thanks had been passed throughout the galaxy. Smiling at him, you nod, tapping your own chest then his in turn. This seems to make him rumble quietly, an appreciative sound that vibrates through your bones as you touch his skin gently.

A quiet hum comes from behind and you jump, realising that you had enacted such an intimate (to their species, at least) moment in front of his clan mates. A light flush takes over your face as you pull away but Wolf lightly places his hands over yours, keeping you skin to skin with him. You bow your head slightly, aware that in may alien species, it was a sign of respect. It seems to be accurate as he gives another quiet rumble.

You find yourself wanting to hear that more and you stop yourself in your tracks. How could you fall for an alien race? It just wasn’t normal and shouldn’t happen… but he is cute. And you just know that behind the mask, he’ll still be better than the humans on this ship.

“Y/n.”

At the direct address, your head snaps up and you pull away from Wolf, much to the Yautjas displeasure. Your captain stands in the doorway, a slightly confused expression present yet he seems to shrug it off quickly.

“Whatever. The others say it’s time to leave and they are gathering in the common. So say goodbye to your… acquaintances.”

He watches you for a moment more and walks off, shaking his head with an amused chuckle. Turning away, you look back to the three Yautja and smile.

“I’ll walk you back?”

All eyes are on Wolf as he nods and clicks quietly, head tilted. The other two lead ahead and you walk with him, watching as he barely makes a sound, the hunter genes shining through. It interests you and, as your gaze becomes more focused, his body becomes more tense.

“You’re beautiful.”

You speak as if reading off facts from a list, stating it in such an obvious way that his mind stutterers for a second, causing his head to snap to your gaze in such a way that you don’t need to see him to wonder what he’s thinking.

“I mean, I love your mask and I can’t help but wonder what’s behind it. I bet you look cool. And your skin is gorgeous, like a snake, not to mention these claws!”

Your hand is in his, bringing them both up so you can trace a gentle finger across each of his sharp talons. He doesn’t pull away, relishing in the contact of such soft, warm skin and in such an innocently romantic way. Your eyes meet the ones of his mask and they shine, a bright smile filling your face.

“I hope we can communicate soon. Perhaps you all wish to come back and look around some more?”

The two of you are stood in the lobby, the other Yautja waiting by the ships entrance for him with a few warning growls and clicks following. Wolf nods, tapping his heart with his free hand and then tapping over yours. Though you don’t speak in such a language, you understand the meaning well enough, given the context. As you,let go of him, a sad smile paints your face.

“I hope you all return safely. We will welcome you back soon. Goodbye.”

The doors shut and you hold onto the fact he looked at you till the very last moment, you hold it with all your heart.

When you get back to your lab, you begin to tidy away the papers and left over rubbish that you had forgotten to put away only for something to catch your eye. Something that hadn’t been there before. Something as a… gift?

A pristine, off-white skull of a seemingly alien creature had been positioned carefully on the side of your desk and you find yourself smiling as you realise that was where Wolf had been stood. Though you had never been in contact with the race before, the message of such a gift was clear enough and you find yourself awaiting the next visit.

As for the skull, you place it on your emptied ledge over your desk. After all, there had to be plenty of space for the rest of the courting gifts, right?

#Predator #predator x reader #yautja x reader #yautja x male reader #yautja x human #predator x human #predator x male reader #x male reader #reader #male reader #x reader

[amyispxnk]

Sometimes, home is a person.

Summary: Joel loves music and so do you, and he finds the perfect thing for it on patrol

A/N: I wanna dance with Joel AGHHH GOD. Also I'm putting the song I'd put in my apocalypse record player here. Which would you pick??

Pairing: Joel Miller x gn!reader

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: fluff, language, a vague suicide mention, established relationship

DO NOT COPY THIS WORK IN ANY WAY PLS AND TY.

"Joel! Get your ass over here!" Tommy's voice echoed throughout the large house they'd just cleared out, nearing the end of their patrol for the day.

The stairs creaked beneath his feet as he trudged up them, turning the corner and walking into the room Tommy was stood in, hands outstretched in front of him as he looked at Joel, before gesturing to the space in front of him. "Look!" He said expectantly as Joel turned and let his eyes rove over the items before him.

A blue record player, weathered with age and apocalypse, with a case of records on the floor beside it. There were also posters from some musical bands which were a little damaged too, but a few were still recognisable.

"Well, shit." Joel chuckled, fingertips lightly brushing against the case of the record player as he turned back to face Tommy. "You takin' any of this or 's it a gift for me?"

"All for you, brother. Meet me outside in 10, yeah?"

Joel nodded before turning back around and checking the record player for damage, deciding it would probably still work and moving onto the records. He picked out a few he liked and some more he knew you'd like too, putting them in his pack and finally looking to the posters. He swiftly pocketed the Pearl Jam one and looked for some more, finally ending up with Tommy a little more than 10 minutes later.

"You sure took your time." He had teased as Joel walked out, pack close to bursting by now with all the shit he was trying to bring back. He didn't really get excited over stuff anymore, but he hadn't come across a single record player in.. ever, so it was a pretty big thing for him. Not only that, but you loved music just as much as he did, and he knew you'd be over the moon when he brought everything back.

"Had to make sure I wasn't leavin' anythin' good behind." Joel explained as he mounted his horse, the pair kicking off and starting the journey back to Jackson.

You watched the swirls of stock and water blend together in the pot as you cooked dinner when the telltale sound of heavy footsteps plodding up the porch and the key turning in the lock graced your ears.

"'m home!" Joel called as you turned the heat down on the stove and walked over to the entryway.

"Hey." You smiled, going over to him and giving him a small kiss. "How was patrol?"

"Was good, nothin' special really." He replied, wanting to keep the record player a secret so he could surprise you later.

"No infected?" You asked as you reached to help get his jacket off, before reaching for his pack too. He quickly stopped you from taking it with his hand, causing you to look at him confusedly.

"What? You hidin' something from me?" You questioned with a little smile, before retreating and hanging his jacket up.

"Not hidin' anythin'." He told you in a gruff voice as he took off his boots and followed you into the kitchen.

You gave him an 'ookay then' look, and he knew you'd seen straight through him, but you chose to just let it go. "Dinner'll be ready in a bit, then. You should go shower, you're all stinky." You teased as you wrinkled your nose slightly, making him let out a low chuckle as he walked upstairs.

"Yes ma'am."

That evening, the two of you ate and after you both finished, you were resting on the couch when Joel gently took the book you were reading from your hands.

"Wanted t'show you somethin'." He said, trying to suppress the smile that wanted to etch itself onto his face but ultimately failing.

"I knew you were hiding something!" You immediately responded with a grin as you sat up off the couch and looked at him expectedly.

"Yeah, ya always gotta be right, don't cha?" He smirked as he stood up and reached down into the pack.

"Now close your eyes." He told you, making you let out a small laugh as you did.

"Okay this better be the coolest thing ever Joel, you're really making it seem that way." You said as he stood in front of you.

"It is. Open your eyes."

You did, and when you saw the record player in his hands, you let out a little gasp and looked from him to the record player and back to him again.

"Is this.." you began, before reaching for the little clasp on it and popping it open.

He watched your eyes sparkle like they'd never done before as his heart positively melted.

"Yeah, found it on patrol." He explained as he put the record player on a table then took your hand and pulled you up from the couch.

"Y'gonna keep gawkin' at it or you wanna dance with me?" He smirked as you looked back at him and smiled.

"Yeah- Let's dance."

He put a record on that he knew you'd love and put his hand on your waist, pulling you a little closer as your hands joined behind his neck and the two of you danced slowly, swaying to the music. You looked up at his face and let your left hand trail across his jaw, cupping it as your thumb raked over the coarse stubble that littered along the bottom of his face. Your gaze shifted to his eyes, a deep warm brown which stared back at you with such love that was only reserved for a select few people in Joel's life. His face, scarred from the many battles he'd fought - physical and mental - and from age. A face which you adored regardless of any 'imperfection'. A particular scar on his temple came into view and you lingered on it for a minute. If he had been successful that day, you wouldn't be here, alive even, let alone living the best life you reckoned you could in the apocalyptic world with the man you loved. You shook the thought away and let your eyes finally fall on his lips. Slightly chapped, pink and pouty, just begging to be kissed.

Of course, you oblige as you lean in and press your lips to his, the song coming to a slow end even though you didn't notice since you were so lost in thought, in admiration for the man you were so blessed to call yours. You poured everything into the kiss, wanting to emphasise just how much you loved him without even needing words. He needed to know it, and you'd come to realise that, so you showed him as much as you could every single day.

Thank you SM for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated and requests are open 💞

#joel miller tlou #joel miller imagine #joel miller x reader #joel miller smut #joel tlou #joel miller #joel miller angst #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fic #joel miller fluff #joel miller one shot #joel miller x you #joel x reader #tlou hbo #the last of us #joel miller hbo #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #ppcu #ppcu fanfiction #amyispxnk fics

[acewithapaintbrush]

I'm in love with @ashwii Celestial AU. I wanted to write something poetic and beautiful but instead it turned into silly shenanigans between astronaut April and the Disaster Twins. I hope you get a good chuckle out of it at least.

*****************************

"Wait! Hold on! Rewind! Humans do what?" 

April grins and adjusts her grip on the outer hull. She briefly gestures with the screwdriver before plunging it back into the innards of the space station she is going to call her home for the next few years. 

No matter how much she'd trained for and anticipated this mission, the idea of spending years alone on a space station to research the effects of long term exposure to low gravity had been as exciting as it had been scary. All that scientific and psychological mumbo jumbo aside, she'd been convinced that 'going space crazy' would be a given and had noted it down in her mission log on the very first day (something Ground Control hadn't found very funny, weirdly enough). 

She thought the loneliness might kill her before any asteroid or technical failure could. But now here she is, floating in her super advanced space suit in the vast nothingness of space and talking to a floating humanoid turtle who is also apparently an embodiment of all the stars in all the galaxies and who is named like a renaissance painter even though April had to explain what a renaissance painter even is and… 

Maybe she has gone space crazy after all? 

Leonardo proves that he is not merely a figment of her imagination by tapping one of his fingers against the face shield of her helmet, an action that had scared the crap out of her the first time he'd done it. Not anymore though. Her new friends won't let anything happen to her. 

"Hello? Stars to April!" 

"Yes Leo, I heard you." She can hear him loud and clear. She wonders if he can too or if her voice sounds muffled to him through the helmet. "Don't know what to tell you, dude. It's just a silly thing humans do. There are websites where you can buy a star and give it a name and then give it away as a gift." 

"A gift?" Leo clutches at his chest like an old lady might clutch at her pearls. He floats backwards a few feet. The trails of his mask flare and tiny stars follow his movement, surrounding him and sparking briefly like small explosions before fading away again. 

Oh, how April wishes she could touch them. Would they be cold or hot? Would they pass right through her or settle on her skin like a thousand little fireflies?

They don't know if Leo and his brothers can enter the station without harm to them or the ship and April knows that they are too wary to try. Yet. 

Which, yeah. Fair enough. Maybe one day. 

"A gift!" he repeats. His voice cracks and he looks genuinely distressed. April would feel bad for him if she wasn't trying so hard not to laugh. "How dare you humans sell pieces of me as a gift!" 

"Hey hey, calm down. It's not real. No one can really buy a star. It's just… make believe." 

"That's besides the point!" 

In that moment Donatello joins them, alerted by his brother's shouting and gesticulating. He's been keeping an eye on the two of them from a distance. The moon turtle is the slowest to warm up to April, although her willingness to show and explain to him the various uses of her NASA approved equipment has gone a long way. April is determined to win the celestial being over with her charm and wit, just like she did with his brothers. 

"What's all this racket about?" Don looks and sounds tired. It's a waning moon and his arms are already more black than green, his eyes vaguely distant. The black mass traveling up and down his arms like the insides of a lava lamp should look creepy but it's actually quite mesmerizing. April could watch the dance of darkness and light for hours, but Donnie gets testy when he catches her staring so she refrains. Barely. 

"Donnieeeee!" Leo wails and throws his arms around his brother's neck. Immediately the stars on his skin brighten. It's fascinating: The darker Donnie is, the brighter Leo shines. The closer they are to a full moon, the more subdued Leo's glow becomes. Neither state seems to affect the other negatively. Rather, they seem to gravitate towards each other even more frequently during full and new moons. 

Donnie smiles softly in the face of his brother's antics and April catches herself thinking that it's probably a good thing both of them don't shine at the same time. That might just blind her. 

The moon turtle catches her staring and just like a switch being flipped his smile turns into a scowl and he pushes his brother away. 

April smirks. So predictable. 

"Nardo! What is it?" 

Leonardo waves his arms around. Streaks of light paint waves into the space between them. "April just told me that humans buy stars as gifts!" He shudders and hugs himself. "I feel so violated." 

Okay, that is so not fair. Now April feels really bad. And it's got nothing to do with the glare Don sends her. 

"Hey man!", she says and gently bumps her fist lightly against Leo's shoulder. It feels just like any other shoulder. Corporal and squishy. She wonders if it would feel different without the glove in the way. "They only do that because stars are beautiful. You buy a star for your loved ones, to show them how important they are to you and because you want to give them something unique and lovely. Gifting someone a star is like, the most wonderful thing you can do on earth, y'know?"

She is mostly talking out of her ass right now. April never got the whole 'gifting a star' business. To her it's mostly a scam, just a very expensive piece of paper. No one owns stars so no one can sell them either. But she does acknowledge that it's a cute idea at least and that lots of people are really digging it. 

Leo stares at her with, excuse the pun, stars in his eyes. "Really?" His attitude does a complete 180. He twirls in a circle, throws his glowing mask trails around and blows his brother an exaggerated kiss. "You hear that, Dee? I'm the most wonderful gift, ever. Humans pay lots of money for a piece of me. You all get my company for free, be thankful." 

Donatello rolls his eyes. "Oh, joy. Though I  wish I had paid some money. At least then I'd have a receipt and could return you for something cooler." 

Leo only laughs good-naturedly, but April mentally rubs her hands like a villain. 

She really shouldn't aggravate the guy. She does want him to like her, after all. But Donnie just offered her the perfect opportunity for some light teasing. And she did promise to teach the boys everything she knows about earth and human customs. She's got a duty to fulfill, doesn't she? 

Ah, well. They can become best friends later. After all, she'll be around them for many years to come. 

"Oh Donnie!" she drawls and floats closer to him. He eyes her with the usual distrust and she smirks in anticipation. "Did I ever tell you about this thing humans do, where they buy land on the moon?" 

#rottmnt #rottmnt fanfiction #rottmnt celestial au #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise leo #rise april #rise donnie #rottmnt leo #rottmnt april #rottmnt donnie #I will write something beautiful and poetic for this au #mark my words #But for now have some shenanigans #I love this au so much

[ivy-loves-chocolate]

・❥・ You met him in a club and instantly linked. Not only did you rub your bodies against each other all night long, but you also made great conversation once outside. He didn't smoke, but he gladly lit up your cigarette.

・❥・ After that night, he was the first one to text you, asking if you were alright and if you were hangover. He got pretty hammered too, and you ended up exchanging hangover recipes all day.

・❥・ When the night came, he called you and you talked for hours, about your hobbies, your life plan, and the last movie you watched, and among all of those topics, he slipped in an invitation to a date.

・❥・ The first date goes well, and you get to talk about your common interests. All that horniness from the night before was gone as soon as you both were sober. Still, you find each other very attractive. He gets to hold your hands so smoothly, by swinging his arm a little before grabbing your hand, his fingers gently intertwining with yours.

・❥・ You smiled and told him he was adorable.

・❥・ Not only did you bond instantly on the first date, but he was also a gentleman. He paid for everything and asked if you were alright with physical contact, like hugging. How could you say no? You felt safe in those big, strong arms of his.

・❥・ Sex happens very fast because, c'mon, you both are sexy people and very into each other, and second, he is touch starved. He calls you to his place, puts on a movie, makes some popcorn, and then playful little fingers begin to slide underneath your shirt, tickling your hot skin.

・❥・ Moving on, after your first night together, he asked if you could stay, and you found it impossible to say no. He looked at you with those big blue eyes of his and you instantly melted.

・❥・ He cooked you a delicious breakfast, and then he drove you home.

・❥・ After that, you bonded even more, but because of his job, he couldn’t spend a lot of time with you. Like, he tried, he wished he could stay a whole week with you, but that was impossible. Still, you assured him that you would wait patiently for him. You call him during missions to make sure he is okay, even at inappropriate times, but he appreciates the gesture either way.

・❥・ You’re the first one to say "I love you" which shocks him completely. He loves you too, but he didn’t find the right moment to tell you. He wanted to say it during a romantic night, but this works too. Leon is very happy to hear that, and he begins to place small kisses all over your face as he pulls you closer to him.

・❥・ Speaking of his job, you were very excited when you heard that he worked for the government. It sounded so thrilling, but he assured you that there was nothing to be excited about. He doesn’t talk often about what he’s doing at work, and when he does, he is very vague about it.

・❥・ Visits to the shooting range are a must. In fact, you went on one during your first dates. He helps you with the aim, and he watches you proudly as you become better and better. He also teaches you how to fight with a knife.

・❥・ When it comes to spending time together, he is okay with PDA and won’t hesitate to hug and kiss his partner if he feels like it. Besides, he loves to watch you even if you do simple tasks like wash the dishes or play on your phone. He loves every inch of you, from head to toe, and he will tell you that any chance he gets.

・❥・ Leon likes to make eye contact with you because it feels…intimate? I don’t know how to explain it, he feels safe around you, he feels relaxed, and he feels like he can be himself. He is also very romantic and will surprise you with spontaneous dinner dates, holidays, or special nights.

・❥・ He is very clingy once he is with you due to the fact that he is mostly gone on missions. Leon would hug you from behind, snuggle on your lap while you were watching a movie, and also like to be a little spoon while sleeping.

・❥・ Overall, he is a sweet guy, and he feels lucky to have found you. He will treat you right like no one else has before. Just hug him tight and tell him how much you love him, because he desperately needs it.

Taglist: @rokurodokuro @lunarastrobabe @alewesker @shadow-wolf510 @skylar-todd @lunarastrobabe @ravenrune

I hope you liked these! Reblogs and comments are always welcomed, and if you want to request something my ask box is open ☺️

#resident evil #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy fic #leok fluff

[marvelmusing]

Total Eclipse

Chapter Two

Pairing: Darklina x Fem!Reader

Summary: After retrieving the candles for your saint, you join Mikhael and Dubrov at the market, only to meet someone unexpected.

Word Count: 3.1K

My Masterlist

“You know, these sure could fetch a pretty penny,” Mikhael remarks, hooking a finger over the edge of the leather satchel sitting beside you.

Not looking away from your book, you swat his hand away before he can reveal the contents of your bag to the prying eyes of the market.

As night faded from the sky early this morning, you had visited the nearest meeting point for the Cult of the Starless One. In exchange for the black candles for your church’s altar, you paint your Saint’s symbol over their candles and wooden icons in shimmering silver.

Due to an old superstition in Keramzin, only the Cult uses black candles. Everyone else believes that lighting one would summon a nichevo’ya – one of the monsters created by the Darkling during the Ravkan Civil War over a century ago.

“I know. Hands off.”

Mikhael shrugs.

“Suit yourself.”

At the sound of his smug nonchalance, you glance up from where you’ve perched yourself on a low stone wall. Dubrov lowers a box onto their makeshift table, the wood creaking as the weight of the box thuds against it. As he opens it up, you spot something vaguely familiar glistening in the late morning sun.  

“What the hell are you doing with that?” you ask sharply.

He grins at you, cradling one of the necklaces from Lord Morozova’s house in his palm.

“Setting up shop.” He gestures to the necklace before he elaborates, “Handmade jewellery.”

You gape at him in half horror, half amusement.

“There isn’t a single person in Keramzin who will believe that you made that.”

He scowls at you.

“Rude.”

Before you can continue to tell him what a terrible idea this is, Mikhael turns to you.

“Your fellow fanatic’s here.”

Eyes scanning through the throngs of people, you smile widely when you spot a familiar face.

“Yuri!”

His smile is equally as wide, excitement evident on his face as he lifts up a book to show you the deep red cover.

“It’s here!” he calls out.

Two simple words, yet you understand his excitement immediately. The new copy of Istorii Sankt’ya has arrived at Keramzin’s only bookshop.

“Already? Show me.”

Shuffling over the wall, you allow Yuri enough room to sit next to you. He’s wearing his usual robes of black, with his token of the Starless One hanging around his neck, visible to everyone. Your own token lies against your chest, hidden safely underneath the layers of your shirt and jacket, accompanied by the token of Sankta Alina.

He sits down beside you, opening up the book and settling it in your lap. Entranced by the glossy pages, you smooth your fingertips over the words printed on the first page. With careful motions, you begin to turn through the pages.

“It’s beautiful,” you whisper.

The faces staring out at you are familiar ones. All painted in vibrant colours, detailing their most holy acts. Continuing through the pages, you soon find your own Saints. The breath catches in your throat as you admire the image of them.

“To your liking?” Yuri prompts with a knowing smile.

The two of you had snuck into the local archive once. All night, you had read through every edition of the Istorii Sankt’ya in their collection.

As an artist yourself, you take the depiction of your Saints very seriously. There is always something not quite right about the paintings you have seen of them, though you are only allowed to paint your Saints to the church’s liking, and you’ve never had enough money for paints of your own to truly capture their likeness as you believe them to be.

“Almost perfect.”

He nods.

“I had a good feeling about this edition. They hired an iconographer from the Os Alta cathedral.”

“That’s the height of devotion,” you murmur softly, tracing the golden rays of sunlight illuminating the face of Sankta Alina.

“Let’s see it then,” Mikhael says, swallowing down the last of an iced pastry. He licks his fingers clean before he reaches for the book. Instinctively, you close the book, folding your arms around it protectively as you press it against your chest.

“Keep your sticky fingers away.” 

He feigns offense, grumbling as he wipes his fingers on the dust covered front of his jacket. There is no chance of you letting him touch this book.

“What are you doing for the summer solstice?” Yuri asks you. Mikhael answers before you can give your own response any thought.

“Same as every year, getting as drunk as we can before they throw us out of the pub.”

“Then move onto the next one,” Dubrov adds with a grin. You shake your head at the two of them with a fond smile.

At times, you feel like the odd one out among them, but you had been raised together in the orphanage on the edge of town and they are practically your brothers.

“I’m not sure,” you say to Yuri. “It falls on an eclipse doesn’t it?”

He nods.

Total eclipses happen once every two years in Ravka, and are a day of celebration for followers of the Starless One. This year you’re rather conflicted as it coincides with the summer solstice – the Saintsday of Sankta Alina.

You have never met someone who follows your two Saints. The majority of Ravka will celebrate Sankta Alina on the solstice as usual, while the Cult of the Starless One will celebrate the eclipse.

“I might just do something by myself.”

Yuri nods again, though you can tell he doesn’t like the idea of you spending such a joyous day alone.

“You know you’re always welcome with us.” You shake your head slightly, looking down at your boots.

“I know I’m welcome with you. The others I’m not so sure about.”

He looks down too, watching as you swing your legs gently, heel scraping against the stone wall.

“You know how it is. They aren’t many of us here in Keramzin. The fact that you follow two opposing Saints worries them.”

As always, you bristle internally at the thought of your Saints being opposed to one another. All of Ravka sees Sankta Alina and the Starless One as polar opposite, you however see them as two perfect halves of a whole - incomplete without the other. Which is why you feel so conflicted about celebrating one of them, whilst neglecting the other.

“I know…” You sigh. “I just…”

As your eyes scan over the crowd, your gaze locks onto a familiar face and your heart beat pounds frantically in a flurry of panic.

“Dubrov. Put the jewels away.”

Mikhael frowns at the shift in your tone, sensing something is wrong. Dubrov isn’t as perceptive.

“You see, this is why we don’t like to involve you in this sort of stuff. We know you feel bad, but he really won’t miss this stuff,” Dubrov says, trying to reassure you.

“Lord Morozova is here.”

“What?” He turns quickly, following the direction of your eyes. “Fuck.”

The two of them scramble to shove the jewels back into the box. Some fall on the ground, some land awkwardly in the box, preventing him from shutting the lid properly. They cram brooches and strings of pearls into their pockets. Mikhael kicks a diamond ring under the table.

Once they’ve finished, their table of trinkets looks rather bare but at least they won’t be arrested – or worse. A man like Lord Morozova has the power to turn heads in the opposite direction should he want to punish someone personally.

Whilst the Morozova line has been known to be ruthless during times of war, the man you had met yesterday wasn’t anything like the rumours you had heard about him. Nevertheless, you still think he might react harshly at the thought of you breaking into his house.

Yuri raises a questioning brow, but you shake your head, and he accepts your lack of explanation as he observes the way your fingers run nervously over the spine of Istorii Sankt’ya, subconsciously seeking the comfort of your Saints.

Too busy worrying about what Lord Morozova’s presence here means, you don’t notice the woman by his side at first. When you do, you can’t take your eyes from her.

Her dark hair is pulled back, neatly woven into a series of braids and her eyes are wide as she takes in every sight and sound around her. Occasionally she will pull lightly on Lord Morozova’s arm, pointing something out to him when he ducks his head down to give her his full attention.

When his eyes lock on yours the breath catches in your throat. He tilts his head as recognition sparks in his eyes, then he says something to his wife, and you’re unaware of anything except the pounding of blood in your ears.

“He’s heading this way. Please be normal,” you plead, looking at the two boys who currently look like the most awkward pair of actors thrust up onto stage with only half a script.

Dubrov ducks under the table, pretending he’s lost something, while Mikhael counts their meagre profits of the day so far, fidgeting with the coins to the point in which he drops a few onto Dubrov’s head. With a small sigh, you send a quick prayer to your Saints to protect your idiot friends. 

“Lord Morozova,” you greet him with a smile. Hopefully he is too focused on you to pay them any attention. He says your name softly with a nod of acknowledgement.

“This is my wife - Alina.”

For a moment you’re too busy staring at the way her dark lashes brush over her cheekbones and the way her skin glows soft in the sunlight as she smiles at you. Luckily, you manage a reasonably polite response.

“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Morozova.”

She shakes her head lightly.

“Just Alina is fine, please.”

Clearly Lord Morozova disapproves, his brows creasing slightly as he glances at his wife. Looking down, you wonder how you can agree to her wish without upsetting him.

“Can we compromise on Lady Alina?” you suggest.

She smiles as she hums teasingly, butterflies fluttering in your stomach at the playful glint in her dark eyes.

“I suppose.”

Rather shyly, you smile back at her. Lord Morozova takes this as an opportunity to step back into the conversation.

“We’ve been looking for the local paint shop, and I wondered whether you might be able to point us in the right direction.” You nod.

“I can take you there now. If you would like?” you offer, already pushing away from the wall before they can answer.

“We don’t want to trouble you,” Lady Alina insists. You shake your head, picking up your satchel and shrugging the strap over your shoulder. The candles are a little heavy to be carrying, but you don’t trust the boys not to steal a few.

“It’s no trouble.”

As you go to hand Istorii Sankt’ya back to Yuri, he shakes his head.

“Keep it.”

“Yuri-”

“You deserve it.”

Swallowing hard, you smile gratefully at him. He knows what this means to you. Yuri is one of the only people who accepts your unconventional beliefs. Standing on tiptoe, you press a kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you.”

A shy smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

When you turn back to Lord Morozova and his wife, you find them both watching you intently and warmth flushes over your cheeks. Adjusting the strap of your satchel, you gesture towards a narrow street.

“It’s just down here.”

They both keep pace with you as you stroll leisurely through the small gathering of townspeople. The streets aren’t too busy, which makes you feel less conscious about the attention the two of them gain. Ignoring the eyes, you decide to make some conversation with them.

“Are you enjoying Keramzin so far?”

Lady Alina nods.

“It’s a lot different from the last time I was here.”

Her arm slides from where it had been wrapped around her husband’s elbow, her hand settling into his and you see him offer her fingers a small squeeze. Looking away from the pair quickly, you glance down at the route you’re taking them on before you nod and say,

“It’s still a quiet town, but the market was expanded down to the next two streets last year.”

“Did you grow up here?” Lord Morozova asks you. You nod again.

“There’s an orphanage on the edge of town. Me, Dubrov and Mikhael – the two boys at the stall – we grew up there together and live further in town now.”

“And the other boy?”

“Yuri. His parents own a farm not far from the orphanage.”

A small smile tugs at your lips as you remember how Yuri had been the one to encourage your painting. The look of awe on his face, when you had gifted him the first ever candle you had painted – black of course with golden brushstrokes detailing the creation of the Fold – still keeps you motivated even now.

Before he can ask any further questions, you reach the paint shop.

The shop owner – a sharp eyed old woman with an equally sharp temper – scowls the moment you enter the shop, the bell ringing overhead as you hold the door open.

“If you’re not buying anything, get-“ Her words are halted by the presence of Lord Morozova, and she looks back down at the embroidery she’s been working on.

As always, the shop is silent, and you slide your bag off your shoulder to prevent any unintentional damage to the displays.

Lady Alina eyes the art supplies eagerly, gaze falling all the way to the back of the shop, where the shelves weave out of sight into a labyrinth of paints, brushes and canvases. An artists haven. She glances back at her husband, but he shakes his head.

“Take your time, Alinochka. I’ll wait here.”

She doesn’t hesitate for long before she’s disappearing among the shelves. As silence descends between you and Lord Morozova, you rub your thumb over the cover of Istorii Sankt’ya. You had only offered to take them to the paint shop, now that you had done that you could go. But you don’t want to.

This isn’t your first time in this shop, but it is most definitely the longest period of time spent here. Usually, the owner gets cranky over the fact that you only visit as an opportunity to browse and breathe in the scent of paint. Everything in this shop is far too expensive for you.

Luckily, Lord Morozova tilts his head in your direction as he looks passively at a selection of canvases and decides to initiate a conversation quiet enough to escape the scrutiny of the old woman who keeps shooting looks of suspicion at you.

“I’ve been searching for some black candles, Alina and I have them in our bedroom at Os Alta, but I can’t seem to find any here.”

At the mention of their bedroom, warmth blooms over your cheeks. That feels like intimate knowledge, something you shouldn’t know, and yet now every time you light a candle for the Starless Saint, you will think about how a similar candle might simultaneously be burning at their bedside.

“They are rather hard to find,” you admit. He studies your expression, and you wonder whether he can see how flustered the idea of their bedroom makes you.

“You told the minister you would find some at the market.”

“I didn’t say that.” Before he can disagree, you add, “I told him I would visit the market today. I never said I would get the candles from the market.”

He pauses. The corner of his mouth twitches and you wonder whether you had just impressed him. A thrill runs through you at such a thought. He nods in concession.

“Then where do you get your candles from?”

“It’s a secret.”

He smiles with a twinkle in his eyes as he leans closer to you.

“I won’t tell.”

The warmth of your cheeks runs down your body at his conspiratorial whisper, but you shake your head despite the smile on your face.

“I can’t. But I can give you some of mine.”

At that, he almost looks concerned.

“Don’t you need them?”

You shake your head.

“I don’t let them burn long. Just during prayer.”

When you realise what you’ve said, what you’ve just admitted, you freeze, smile dropping from your face. Black candles are only used for prayer to one Saint – the one that he is supposedly descended from. Concerned about his reaction, it takes you a moment to pull your eyes back to his face.

He nods slowly, his smile softening.

“You’re certain? I don’t want to take them from you if you need them.”

You shake your head.

“I’m just under halfway through my last one. I can spare a few.”

Unless you have an exceptionally lonely night.  After a particularly hard day, when rest alludes you no matter what you do, lighting the Starless One’s candle always helps soothe you. Its scent is the soft creaminess of candle wax and the crisp berries they use to stain the candle black.

There’s nothing that compares to it, though in such proximity to Lord Morozova, you can’t help but observe that he smells remarkably similar to the candles. He must be wearing some sort of cologne. You don’t think you’ve ever met a man who wears cologne, and you’re tempted to turn your face into him and breathe it in.

Lady Alina returns with an armful of paints and longing fills you at the sight of such high quality supplies. The church give you what they can for your work, but it certainly isn’t the best.

At the prospect of a purchase, the old woman at the counter seems more amicable, though you do your best to remain unnoticed.

Once you’re back on the street, you open up your satchel pulling out a worn cloth bag which you shyly offer to Lady Alina. It isn’t the sort of quality a noble would be used to, but it will help her carry her supplies. She thanks you with a genuine smile and you open up your satchel once again and pick up the first candle you can grasp at.

“Will three be enough?” you ask Lord Morozova. 

Amusement touches at his features as he observes you continuing to rifle through your bag in search of more candles. He shakes his head.

“Two will suffice.”

As you’re placing the candles into Lady Alina’s bag, she pulls out a small tin filled with paints – a travel set. She offers it to you.

“Here.”

Looking down at them, your fingers freeze mid-air.

“Lady Alina, I couldn’t-”

“Please, I wanted them for you.”

You blink at her in momentary confusion.

“Really?”

She nods, smiling kindly. You can hardly believe your luck – your own copy of Istorii Sankt’ya and your very first set of paints.

“Thank you, so much.” Your voice breaks a little as you thank her and for a moment you’re tempted to hug her. Then you remember who you’re talking to and step back slightly. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

There’s something sharp that glimmers in her eyes, as if your words had brought back a forgotten memory and she understands your reaction.

“You’re welcome,” she says softly.

-

marvelmusing Tag List: @dreamlandcreations @blanchedelioncourt @idaofinfinity @slytherheign @ellooo0ooo @vixenofcourse @dumb-fawkin-bitch @jane-arthur @ilikefictionmen @budugu @watersquirtpewpewboomm @mysweetlittledesire @dhampiravidi

S&B Tag List: @motheroffae

TE Tag List: @tartiflvtte

Aleksander M Tag List: @nyctophiliiiiaaa @jazmin2211 @wooya1224 @seronsalk @housekeeperjjswife

BB Characters Tag List: @rachlovesactors @noortsshift @aikeia @weallhaveadestiny @two-unbeatable-beaters

#darklina x reader #aleksander morozova x reader x alina starkov #aleksander morozova x reader #alina starkov x reader #darklina au #shadow and bone au #shadow and bone x reader #aleksander morozova #alina starkov

[buckys-little-belle]

k i know you don’t write for them, but you reblog the marauder boys so much 👀 so i was wondering if you would write for them? i have this idea that the reader has a bad relationship with their family 😭, like never goes home on holidays and never gets mail, never wants to talk about their childhood, and the boys ALWAYS wonder why. remus, because he’s so smart 😌, reads lots of books, and he has heard of regression, and realizes that the reader is one because they want to remember being happy as a kid and when little they feel happy and then maybe the boys ask to be their care giver and let them be a happy baby all the time and remus is happy because he feels so out of control when turned and now he feels good and maybe james is a little? and sirius is the fun dad? and it’s like a little family at hog waters and they just all alllllll are happy?

Happy Family

The Marauders x Little!Reader (They/Them pronouns) (Cg! Remus, Cg!Sirius, Little!James, Little!Reader)

Warnings - Vague talks about family issues, vague talks about childhood trauma, they all eat meals, food, crying, angst, but very much fluff and comfort as well!

Notes - I did change this up a little, just time wise, it’s the same thing, I just know your ask could be decoded and analyzed a different way for a different storyline, this is just what I came up with! I did try my best, I’m super new to writing these three, and I’m very sorry if it’s not good!

SFW - Please keep all interactions with this post, and with this blog, SFW.

- - - - - -

The grand hall was loud, conversations coming from each angle as students ate, the murmur of plates moving, and the sound of footsteps seeming to be constant. The first dinner of the year was always a wild one, new students buzzing, old students getting back together, and people eating as if they had never seen a bread roll before. “Hi, could I sit here?” A voice called out, Remus, Sirius, and James looking up towards the person.

Y/n stood frozen, a deer in the headlights sort of moment, their robes tousled, their eyes panicked. Remus spoke first. “Yah sure.” He said, gesturing to the seat beside himself, James and Sirius opposite of him on the other bench, both shocked that someone was asking to sit instead of just sitting, after all it is one big table full of people. “You’re.” Remus began. “Sorry I forgot your name.” He adds, genuinely embarrassed at his lack of information.

“Um, I’m Y/n, yah I kind of keep to the back of the class, so I don’t expect you to know me.” They hurriedly said, sitting down and reaching for a bread roll, their eyes immediately searching the room.

“Are you okay?” James asked, his eyes following where Y/n had gone, now looking at the Ravenclaw table.

“Oh, Yeah, don’t mind me, sorry for sitting here, I missed the train and someone sat in my usual seat.” They rambled, stuffing the bread roll in their mouth hurriedly.

“Slow down there.” Sirius laughed, watching Y/n eat as if it was their last meal on earth.

“I just want to get out of your way quickly is all.” They muffled, mouth stuffed, looking at Sirius with panicked eyes, hoping they weren’t bothering him.

“If you leave quickly how are we gonna be friends?” James asked, his smile suddenly replaced with a frown, his mind slowly going foggy, wondering if he was doing something wrong.

“Oh.” Y/n said, realizing they hadn’t even taken a second to recognize that the boys weren’t angry at them, that they actually enjoyed their company for some reason.

Remus picked up Y/n’s plate, looking down at them. “What do you want to eat?” He asked, Y/n’s expression growing confused before James interrupted.

“He has long arms s’ he gets our food.” James smiled, digging back in to his dinner.

“I like everything, can you just make sure the foods don’t touch please?” Y/n asked, looking over the different dishes placed along the table as Remus began platting the different foods.

“Hey that’s ten points!” James shouted excitedly, looking at Y/n with pure excitement. “Do I get to share points with them?” He asked, turning to Sirius.

Sirius whispered to James, the boy now back to eating, dropping the prior topic. “Here.” Remus said, handing Y/n the plate, all the foods separated, a good few millimetres between each different one.

“Thank you.” They said as hey began eating too.

“Ten more points.” James whispered, hardly above hearing level.

“So Y/n, what classes do you have this semester?” Sirius asked, the three boys turning their attention to them.

Y/n reached into their pocket, pulling out a tattered piece of paper, one that was wrinkled and had a few rips. “This term I have potions, Apparitions, Herbology, and then.” They paused, pulling the page closer to their face. “I actually don’t know what class I have last, sorry.” They sighed, a wave of defeat washing over them.

“That’s okay, I can get you another paper for tomorrow morning.” Remus said in between his own bites. “Sorry, I don’t think we introduced ourselves I’m-“

“Remus, Gryffindor prefect, your James, Gryffindor’s Quidditch captain, and your Sirius, you-“

“You can stop there.” Sirius smiled, not wanting to know what label he had been given by the general public.

Y/n nodded, placing a bite of food in their mouth and then looked across the room. “Are you looking for someone?” Remus asked, the three boys now looking at the Ravenclaw table, scanning it for whatever Y/n was scanning it for.

“I have a younger cousin, Henry, it’s his first year I just want to make sure he’s okay.” Y/n laughed, the first genuine laugh they had heard from them. “He’s fine, he’s the one standing on the bench there.” Y/n pointed, their finger pointing to a young boy standing on a bench, telling a story very dramatically.

“I wonder what he’s saying.” James asked.

“He’s probably just talking about his dad, he works with dragons.” Y/n mumbled.

“No way!” James yelled. “Actually?”

“Mhm.” Y/n said, clearly not wanting to talk about it, James looking to Sirius when Y/n didn’t perk up at the mention of dragons. “I actually have to go, I have a thing to do.” They stood up, putting their piece of paper back in their pocket and giving a weak smile. “Thanks for the company.”

Before the boys could say anything Y/n had run off, Sirius and Remus sharing an all knowing glance, James just getting back to dinner, knowing ten points awaited him if he ate all of his vegetables.

- - - - - -

“Y/n!” Sirius shouted down the hallway, trying to catch Y/n to give them a new schedule. Y/n finally stopping and turning, looking surprised to see him. “Here.” He said, handing them the paper. “I put a protection spell on it so it shouldn’t get ripped again.” He smiled, slightly out of breath. “Well, Remus did, but he’s not here so I can say I did.” He laughed, making Y/n smile and chuckle in response.

“Thank you, tell him thank you.” Y/n said before turning around again, walking away.

“Why don’t you?” Sirius asked.

“What?” Y/n turned back around.

“At dinner, sit with us again.” Sirius said, standing in the middle of the hallways like a fool, a slight plead evident in his voice.

“I don’t want to-“

“You aren’t going to bother us I promise.” He smiled. “Just think about, okay?” Y/n nodded in response, finally leaving to get to class.

- - - - - -

“Are they coming?” James asked Remus, the boy just shrugging his shoulders as a silent answer.

“Hi.” Y/n said, sitting down beside Remus, just like they had the first night.

“Hi.” The three boys said in unison. Remus talking alone next. “What do you want tonight?” He asked, picking up Y/n’s plate.

“You know you don’t have to put the food on my plate right?” Y/n smiled, the smile not quite reaching their eyes, but seemingly getting the job done.

“I know, I just.” He paused and sighed. “I like taking care of people, so just let me do this.” He smiled, putting food on the plate, making sure the food was separated from each other.

“Wait can you-“ Before Y/n could ask for the food to be separated their plate was put in front of them on the table, the food separated perfectly. “Thanks.” They confusedly mumbled.

“So what did you do last night?” James asked, the two other boys cringing, they wanted to know, sure, but they knew there was a time and a place to ask such personal questions.

“Um, I just read a bit before bed.” They smiled, picking around at the food on their plate.

“Don’t play with your food, darling.” Remus said nonchalantly, as if it was second nature, the nickname shocking Y/n slightly.

“Sorry.” Y/n apologized, looking at their plate to figure out where to start.

“I always eat my veggies first, because then I get ten points.” James whispered loudly, trying to keep his words hidden from Sirius and Remus, but failing to do so.

“What are points?” Y/n asked. “Like house points?” They looked to both Sirius and Remus, flipping between the two, both boys giving each other a look, seemingly arguing with their eyes.

“No, Um.” Remus tried to begin, trying to explain their situation without making Y/n confused.

“What did you read last night?” James blurts out, having checked out of the current conversation a while ago, now just asking whats on his mind.

Y/n, who was mid bite, mouth full of vegetables, eating them because they desperately wanted know what the points meant, something both Sirius and Remus picked up on, paused, their eyes going wide. How do you tell three nice people who are maybe your friends that you read childrens books in your spare time. “Just some short stories.” Y/n answered, proud of their cover up.

Remus chuckled, the excuse exactly what James used to say, before they boys knew he was a little. As if on cue, James began speaking. “Oh, I like short stories too, my favourite is the muggle book ‘Frog and Toad are Friends’!” He smiled before shouting. “Toad Toad!”

“Wake up. It is Spring!” Y/n shouted back, laughing with James, them locking eyes before shouting in unison. “Blah!”

“So you read kids books, in your free time?” Sirius questioned, trying to make sure what he was hearing was right, Y/n immediately shrinking into their seat at the question.

Remus placed his hand reassuringly on Y/n’s back, a gestured allowed by the bench seats having no back rest. “He’s not making fun of you.” Remus gave a quiet chuckle. “Maybe you can borrow some of James’ books.” He offered. “Which books do you have?”

Y/n’s eyes lit up at his words, feeling accepted for the first time. Their mind swirling, finally figuring out that Sirius and Remus were caregivers, James just like Y/n an oddly comforting fact. Quickly though they once again sank back into themselves, their mind telling them they won’t be welcome back after this, the boys most likely not wanting another person to care for. “Um, just the toad one, but I don’t want any others.” Y/n quickly stood up, a few tears gathering in their eyes. “I really don’t want to bother you, thank you for dinner.” They said, before running off once again.

“Why do they do that?” James asked as he saw Y/n practically run out of the grand hall for a second time.

Remus turned his attention back to James, Y/n figure now out of sight. “Well.” He began. “You regress because you had a good childhood and want to feel that happiness again, where Y/n regresses because they had a bad childhood and want to experience being happy when being a kid. It might be hard for them to be happy with us because we remind them of a family and the bad memories of their own.” Remus explained, sounding like he read the words out of a book, because in all actuality most of it did come from a book.

“That’s really sad.” James confessed, laying his head on Sirius’ shoulder. “I hope we get to see them again.” He said, missing the person he had met two days ago, their company already something he longed for.

“Why don’t we buy them a book tomorrow when we go to Hogsmeade?” Sirius suggested, trying to cheer James up, which he successfully did.

- - - - - -

Y/n sat in their dorm room, the castle just gaining back it’s noise, the rest of the students away all day, off shopping, while Y/n did homework and read a book, sad that they couldn’t go, no permission slip signed in sight, but happy for some silence, and no roommates nosing their way around their stuff. “Y/n?” A voice called from behind their bedroom door, a hesitant knock following it.

Y/n stood up, their wand in hand, not sure who would be calling on them, especially since everyone had two more hours left on their trip. Y/n opened the door, peeking from behind the wood, met with the three boys, James upfront, a large bag in his hand, Sirius stood behind him, his hands on the boy’s shoulders, and Remus stood behind the two of them, slightly out of sight.

“Hi?” Y/n cautioned, opening the door more so they could be fully seen.

“Can we come in? We have gifts!” James beamed, walking past Y/n before they could answer, sitting on the floor contently, waiting for everyone else.

“Sorry about him, he’s excited.” Sirius said, walking in, sitting behind James on the floor, his arms going around the boy, whispering something in his ear.

“I’m sorry about the both of them, can we come in?” Remus chuckled, still stood outside of the room, his eyes sincere.

Y/n just nodded, a weary smile on their face, unsure of the reason for the visit. “Sit! Sit!” James cheered, gesturing to the floor in front of him and Sirius, Y/n sitting down quickly opposite of him, Remus sitting beside Sirius instead, the three practically viewing Y/n as if they were on display.

Y/n placed their hands in their lap, their fingers immediately intertwining with each other, fumbling over one another. “How was your trip?” Y/n questioned, trying to ease the awkward silence that had settled.

“It w‘s great!” James began. “We got you this.” He said, handing the paper bag to Y/n, who just placed it in front of themselves, unsure if they should open it right away, their focus stuck on the bag.

“Darling?” Remus questioned, causing Y/n to look up at him, a few tears threatening to spill. Remus frowned, shuffling to sit next to Y/n, his hand now placed on their back. “Why don’t you open it?” He suggested, Y/n nodding.

Y/n reached in, their hands hitting something hard, their fingers grasping a book. “ ‘s the second Frog and Toad book!” James beamed, a large smile plastered on his face. “You din’ want to borrow m’ books, so we got you one.” He mumbled, his back falling further into Sirius’ torso.

Y/n didn’t answer, their sniffle the only sound heard in the room. “I don’ want it.” They whispered, a few tears now rolling down their cheeks as they stood up. “I know you’re jus’ bein’ nice, i’s not fair.” They cried, stepping away from the boys to create distance.

“What do you mean ‘it’s not fair’?” Sirius questioned, sitting up straight, his eyes fixed on Y/n.

“You have James, you don’ want me, an’ you jus’.” Y/n sputtered. “I really like the book, and i’s jus’.”

“Y/n.” Remus began, cutting them off.

“No, i’s unfair, you’re jus’ feelin’ bad f’r me.” They cried, tears streaming down their cheeks as their bottom lip quivered uncontrollably.

“We don’t pity you Love.” Sirius said, his eyes genuine, his tone filled with sorrow. “Me and Remus want to take care of you, you’re sweet, you have great manners, and you get along with James.” He added.

Remus gestured Y/n to sit back down, them taking up the spot right next to him, no longer wanting distance from them. Remus’s hand went to their back, a gesture Y/n had grown to love and look forward to, the feeling comforting. “I know you’re unsure, it’s scary to trust new people.” Y/n nodded their head. “So why don’t we just take it one day at a time, okay?” He asked, his hand rubbing comforting circles on their back.

“C’n I eat wif’ yous at dinner then?” They asked, their gaze meeting each of them, as if asking them each individually.

“YES!” James cheered, genuinely excited for someone to play with. “Please.” He added.

“You can stick by our sides all you want Love, you’re apart of the family now.” Serious smiled, the rest of them following, the four of them sat their like a bunch of fools, smiling at each other, excited to start the new journey, excited for dinner that night. The little family taking things one day at a time from now on.

#buckys little belle #age regression fic #little!reader #age regression #marauders x little!reader #marauders x reader #marauders #remus x little!reader #remus x reader #remus lupin #sirius x little!reader #sirius x reader #sirius black #james x reader #james x little!reader #little!james #james potter

[pentechnics]

Part 3: Assignment | Series Masterlist

Pairing: boss!Din Djarin x secretary!f reader

Rating: E, 18+ only

Chapter Content: office work environment, power dynamics, dom!Din, sexy phone times, hand kink, praise kink, vaginal fingering, nicknames/pet names, implied orgasm denial Please let me know if I missed anything!

Notes: As always I'm so sorry to make y'all wait, but I hope you feel as though it was worth it! I'm still so excited about this story and can't wait to continue it for us all. Please drop me a line to tell me what you thought -- there is nothing more motivating than hearing from you all! Sending love to you all!

~~~~

“Well, that’s a change of pace. You’ve never taken anyone with you.” 

Din waved off the comment and returned his attention to the window beside Boba’s desk, which took up the entire wall and looked out to the bustling city below.  

“Have you told her yet?” 

“Our check-in is tomorrow. I’ll do it then.” 

Boba hummed and wrote a note. 

“Make sure you book those arrangements soon. The conference is in only a month.” 

Din nodded. 

“So what is it about this one? I’ve never seen you this…” 

He paused to vaguely gesture at Din, making him turn back. 

“... tolerable.” 

Din sighed and shook his head. 

“Oh, come on,” Boba pressed, a grin breaking out on his face. “She must be some kind of miracle worker.” 

Oh, you could work miracles, all right. A memory of you on your knees flashed in Din’s mind: your eyes wide, mouth stuffed to the brim with his cock, curious hands clawing at his thighs. 

Perfection. His fisted hand clenched tighter around the air. 

“She’s good at her job,” he said through gritted teeth. “Has no problem keeping up, gets along with everyone-”

“So that you don’t have to,” Boba cut him off with a chuckle. Din couldn’t help the small grin creeping onto his face. 

“Exactly.” 

“Well, that’s good, then,” Boba turned back to his monitor. “She can help you actually network at this thing and get us some more diverse clients. We don’t want a repeat of what happened last time you went.” 

“Fett, for the millionth time,” Din sat up in his chair. “That guy punched me first.” 

Boba’s thunderous laughter bounced off the office walls. 

~~~~

Dinner consumed and dishes put away, you slipped under the covers of your bed and let out a sigh. 

Your muscles ached with exhaustion as they seeped into the plush comfort beneath them, the inevitable stress of the week finally showing itself. It was as though you were a puddle and the bed was a sponge, fully soaking you into its soft embrace. What you wouldn’t give for a back rub. 

You turned on your laptop and clicked onto some mindless television, setting it down beside you and letting the dialogue fill your brain with its static. You took a deep breath and sunk down against the headboard, attempting to regain some of the energy the day had drained out of you. 

The harsh vibrations of your phone had other plans.

You jumped at the sudden noise, a tingle of surprise emanating from your heart, and reached over to grab it from your nightstand with a grunt. 

An unknown number illuminated your screen. Damn telemarketers. Why in the world would they even be making phone calls at this time of night? You plopped it back onto the nightstand with a bit more force than necessary and tried once more to get comfortable. 

Moments later another vibration sounded, this time from a text. 

You sat up again and looked over at your phone, apprehensive. Telemarketers didn’t typically text, especially when a phone call was ignored. If that wasn’t who called you, who the hell could it have been?

You slowly unlocked your phone and opened the message feed, your eyes bulging out when you saw the singular gray bubble with the short – yet powerful – text:

Pick up, Cupcake.

The number called again. Your phone buzzed away in your hand while your mind flooded with questions. You’d never given anyone at work your personal number, how did Mr. Djarin get it? And why would he call you so late at night?

With a shaky breath, you pressed ‘accept.’

“... Hello?” 

“Surprise.”

You let out a little laugh as his deep, modulated voice sent a shiver through you. 

“How’d you get my number?”

“Yeah… I may or may not have snuck a peek at your file. Don’t tell HR.” 

That got a more genuine laugh out of you. You propped yourself onto your elbows and readjusted the phone against your ear. 

“I should get to look at your file, then,” you said. “It’s only fair.” 

“Be my guest. Nothing exciting in there, anyway.” 

Something about his tone sounded off. It was slightly strained and gruff, as if he were holding something heavy. “So…” you started, unsure of how to proceed. “What made you want to call me?” 

“Well… I wanted you to know something.” 

“Something that couldn’t wait until morning?” 

“Exactly.”

A shaky exhale made its way to your ears. Your confusion only grew. 

“What are you doing over there? You sound like you’re working out or something.”

“Ah… Let’s go with ‘or something,’” he chuckled. “Care to take another guess?” 

You shook your head. What was going on? What kind of game was he trying to play? 

“Um…” you trailed off, your mind going blank. 

“Let’s just say I can’t stop thinking about that pretty mouth of yours.” 

Your jaw dropped. Your thighs clenched together as more of his breathy sighs caressed your ear. 

He… he was touching himself. To the thought of you. 

Once the initial shock of it dissipated, a more sinister instinct began to boil within you. You smirked into the receiver while more labored breathing reached your ears. 

“Is that so?” you asked, putting extra texture onto your voice. 

“Wish you could see the proof.” 

“Convince me, then. Let me hear it.” 

“Filthy little thing.” he rasped. “Lay down and join me, and I just might.” 

Your eyes rolled back, your body immediately flipping over and sinking down into a lying position. 

“You’re lucky I was already in bed,” you said with a smile, your hand already grazing down your chest. 

He hummed. It was like sweet honey, making you let out a small gasp as your body filled with warmth. 

“You ready, sweetheart? You’re gonna do exactly as I say.” 

“Fuck, yes,” you breathed, slick already beginning to collect between your legs.  

“Good. Grab one of those tits for me.” 

You did as he said, wrapping your hand as far around it as you could and gently kneading the flesh with your fingers. You sighed and let yourself get lost in the feeling, the vague memory of his hand cupping them flashing through your mind.

“They’re so perfect,” he mumbled, “Need more time with them. Keep going, Cupcake.”  

You bit your lip and picked up the pace, humming into the phone. 

“Aw, are you wishing you could touch them?” 

“Watch it, Princess,” he hissed. “You won’t get more with that attitude.” 

Something about the prospect of him denying your pleasure turned you on all the more. A small whimper escaped your lips, making him snicker. 

“Rub that nipple.” 

You moved your finger up and slowly caressed the little nub, already hard and sensitive. You threw your head back and moaned as each stroke of it sent a jolt straight to your core. 

“Just like that,” he groaned. “Bet you’re already soaking for me.”

He was right. You could feel the pooling between your legs, no doubt soiling your panties. 

“Put me on speaker, honey. Want both hands on your tits. Now.”  

You let out a little hum and did as he said, setting the phone down beside your pillow and gripping yourself with both hands. 

“Atta girl,” he cooed. “So good at listening.” 

His praise only served to make you wetter. You teased and flicked at your nipples, relishing in each ripple of pleasure that cascaded through you. 

“Lower now, touch those thighs for me.” 

Your hands snaked down the length of your torso, gently dragging your nails against your skin on their way, until you reached your thighs. 

“Claw at them.” 

You did. Shivers erupted through your nerves, making your back arch.

“Oh my god,” you breathed. 

“Yeah? Feeling good?” 

“So good,” you smiled. “I need more.” 

“Beg for it, then.”

More curses spilled from your lips while your hands continued to massage the skin of your thighs, slowly moving further in and up. 

“Please, sir,” you whined, not a single ounce of shame behind it. “Please give me more.” 

“That’s my girl,” you could hear the grin in his voice. “Go on. Rub that clit for me.” 

The relief and pleasure that threatened to drown you as your fingers finally made contact had you moaning out loud. 

“Fuck, you make such pretty sounds, Cupcake-” he cut himself off with deep noises of his own. “Get louder for me. Rub it faster.” 

As if his voice was the sole conductor of your actions, your body sang at its demand, crying out as your fingers worked themselves ragged. The wave was beginning to build below your belly, releasing a firm heat that wrapped around you like a snake and squeezed until your limbs began to flail. 

“Yes, fuck, just like that. Don’t stop.” 

“Fuck,” you shouted, back arching. “Fuck fuck fuck-” 

“Aw,” his tone was almost condescending. “Is it already too much for you, baby? You missing my hands? Poor thing.” 

His words had you gushing, despite the small bead of annoyance sprouting within you. 

“Now you need to fucking watch it,” you said through your heavy breathing. “I could just hang up on you.”

“Hehe, come on,” he cooed, “Don’t you wanna cum?” 

Your breath hitched. 

“I can tell you’re close, baby. Let me get you there.” 

You let out a grunt of frustration. He was right – even if you did hang up, you already had a taste of what it was like for him to be in control. You had never reached such a high on your own; just the once and you were already addicted to him. 

“Stop rubbing.” 

“What?” 

“Now.” 

Your fingers paused. You heaved breath after breath, your racing heart threatening to burst from your chest. Like you were forced to hold in a sneeze, your body was teetering on the edge. 

“Why?” your voice cracked. “I was so close-” 

“I said this already, sweetheart, you’re not gonna get anywhere with that attitude. Now stick those fingers inside, nice and slow.” 

The combination of your body’s needs with your brain’s annoyance was deadly; you were clawing at the bed with your free hand, your breath coming in heaves as the other followed his command. You were coating the bed with your slick at this point, evident by the cold, damp patch coming into contact with your thigh. 

You sighed. Your fingers were so small compared to his, only able to go so deep and stretch so far. But you weren’t about to tell him that. 

“That’s it,” he rasped, voice growing less stable. “Faster.” 

You increased your speed, moan after moan spilling from your lips. The tension in your belly grew, blooming to life and making your whole body curl in. Sweat began to break out on your forehead.

“Din,” you started, “Please, I can’t-” 

You gasped and stopped in your tracks. You hadn’t meant to use his name. The silence that followed was tortuous; part of you was worried he would be angry, maybe even hang up on you. Would he actually do that, you asked yourself. It was hard to say. 

You were about to break the painful lull with an apology when you heard a feral moan rip from his throat. 

“Say my name again, baby. Say it while you’re rubbing that fucking clit.” 

You whimpered as you returned your attention to your clit, now in need of restimulating. 

Luckily, his encouragement was even more intense than before and had your high returning in no time. You bit down hard on your lip as each of his shaky gasps and harsh commands sent a shiver down your spine. 

“Din,” you breathed. 

“Yes.” 

“Din.” 

“Fuck, just like that-” 

“Din, it’s coming,” you all but yelled.  

“YES, do it, Cupcake, fucking cum for me.” 

His voice was almost animalistic, his growling demand being the final straw that sent you careening into a supernova of an orgasm: loud, explosive, all-encompassing. Your throat felt more hoarse with each shout of pleasure he dragged out of you. 

He wasn’t too far behind, labored grunts turning into deep, symphonic moans that you were sure would be the end of you. They ricocheted through your ears, filtered through the phone which made them somehow sound even sexier.  

You thought back to that day in the office to picture how he might be looking while he came: the scrunched up eyes with his head thrown back, slacked jaw, and bounce of his chest with heavy panting. 

Simply beautiful. You wished you could see him now. 

You squirmed as the last remnants of your orgasm petered out, his breathing calming down with yours. He released a throaty chuckle. 

“Such a good girl.” 

Oh. 

Shit. 

Oh, shit.

Every inch of you froze, your breath catching in your throat. A fresh wave of slick poured out of you as you slowly turned your head to face the phone. Your ears tingled, your fingers gripping anything they could reach. It was like someone had poured ice down your back then dunked you into a hot tub. Your mind felt fuzzy as it replayed those two words over and over. 

You wanted– no, needed to hear them again. 

“W-... what was that?” 

“Hm? Did you like it?” 

You bit down a ‘yes.’ Part of you didn’t want to admit it yet your body began to writhe in protest, the itch now present in your brain begging to be scratched, like a pesky bug bite you were meant to leave alone. 

But temptation won you over in the end. 

“... Maybe.” 

He chortled. You could hear the snarky smirk within it, and scowled in response. 

“Ask nicely, and maybe I’ll say it again.”  

You humphed and fully turned to lie on your side. 

“Meanie.” 

“Well, now you’re not being very good, are you?” 

“Oh, hush,” you said through a giggle. “I’ve just never… heard that before.” 

Talking this much during sex was something only one past partner of yours had been into. He was the first one to actually use dirty talk towards you, though it was leagues milder compared to anything Din had been saying. 

“No one’s told you that?” 

He sounded surprised, almost upset. You chewed on your lip in lieu of answering, unsure of how to proceed. 

“Did you want them to?” 

You gave a quiet hum, your nerves still unwilling to let you admit to it out loud. Evidently, that was enough for him.

“Well,” he started, voice deliciously low and cloaked in silk, “I guess we have lost time to make up for…”  

Your brows perked upward as you waited for him to go on. 

“... Because you’ve been a Very. Good. Girl.” 

The way he accentuated the last three words – gravely, dry, blissfully slow – would’ve made your knees buckle if you were standing. You couldn’t help whimpering as your head hit the pillow once more, your body drowning in a rush of adrenaline and cool pleasure. 

You were a withering leaf clinging to the branch with all you had, and Mr. Djarin’s husky, slightly staticy voice through the phone was the gust of wind that sent you floating down to the ground. 

Your breathy ‘fuck’ was muffled by the pillow, but made him hum nonetheless. 

~~~~

Din was typing up an email when your soft knocking reached his ears. Your grinning face made multiple waves of sensation pulse through him: excitement, desire, curiosity. 

And something else. Something… gentler. It made him let out a sigh, like he was relaxing for the first time that day. 

“Ready for our check-in?” you asked, pad and pen in hand. 

Din nodded and waved you in. He finished up his email as you shut the door and took a seat. He let out a breath as he folded his arms before him, taking in your visage. 

“How’s your day going?” 

“Good,” you said, brows quirking up. “And yours?” 

He shrugged.

“Better now.” 

Watching your eyes widen and your lips disappear made his throat dry out. He drummed his fingers on his desk, willing his eyes to move up from your cute little mouth to no avail. Damn, he wanted to bite it.  

“So,” he cleared his throat and glanced at the paper beside his keyboard. “I only have a few things to discuss with you today.” 

In his scribbly writing, he’d written a few small, almost illegible bullet points. He squinted at the paper in an attempt to make out the words. 

“First thing, have we heard back about the Sanderson account?” 

You nodded and shuffled through your own notes, reciting them to him. Ever impressed at your ability to stay so organized, Din hung onto every word, the soft inflection of your voice like a sweet kiss to his ears. 

He couldn’t help the divergence of his thoughts: picturing your delicate words rising in pitch at the beck of his hand, forming pants and words of pleading instead of contractual details and concerns, moans of pleasure in place of last steps before getting a signature. He imagined your active mouth wrapping around his cock once more, which was now twitching in his pants at the very idea. 

“... so I scheduled a meeting with them next week to finalize.”

“Perfect, thank you,” he gave you a nod. 

You flipped through your notes once more to discuss the other tentative contracts of the month, each move of your lips capturing Din’s full attention. He hardly dared to look away, even as he took his own notes. 

You spoke of your work with a fluidity he’d only known himself to have. From the get-go it had thrown him off; you always had exact answers to his questions, knew every aspect of each account, and on occasion even gave some insight into improving a deal. It was magical to see. 

This meeting was no exception. When he dove into the nitty gritty details you followed with no hesitation, ready to meet any and all inquiry he might have. He almost didn’t want the work talk to end – he didn’t remember a time where he actually enjoyed discussing such boring things. 

But regardless, the final topic was sure to be the best one of the day. 

“Last item on the agenda,” he began, learning forward onto his desk. “There’s a little… assignment coming up next month. And I’d like for you to come with me.” 

“Assignment?” you asked, tilting your head to the side. 

“A conference, actually. In Croatia.” 

“Croatia?!” you sat up so fast, Din worried you’d fall out of the chair. 

He chuckled and gave you the details of the trip: five days total, with three of them spent at the conference, during which Din would give a talk and in general try to increase the company’s clientele overseas. Your job would be to manage his calendar and keep track of things, as always, but also to help him make those connections. 

“Wait,” you started, brow scrunching up in thought. “If you’ve gone to this conference before, how come you haven’t already secured some foreign clients?” 

With a sigh, Din leaned back in his chair. He told the story of what happened last time he went, of overhearing a verbal confrontation and getting hit in an attempt to break it up. 

“It really wasn’t as big a scene as it seems. Some people just can’t handle being wrong. And apparently I’m not much of a ‘people person,’ meaning I wasn’t nice about telling him the hard truth.” Din said with a shrug, sass dripping from his tone. 

Your giggle set his soul aflame. 

“Well, don’t worry, Mr. Djarin,” you started, “I’ll make sure you don’t get yourself banned or injured.” 

“So you’re on board?” 

“Of course. No reason not to be. Plus, Croatia’s on my travel list.” 

“Is it now?” 

Din rested his chin into his palm, his other hand drumming on the desk. You nodded, a gentle grin pulling your cheeks up.  

“Where else do you want to go?” 

Your eyes lit up as you fully leaned into the tangent, mentioning multiple countries, including Greece, Morocco, and South Korea, among others. 

“That’s a pretty nice list,” Din said. 

“Yeah,” you laughed, “There’s a lot I want to see.” 

“Well then, all the more reason to bring you along. Gotta start checking those off.” 

Your smile could brighten the night sky. Your expression was so warm, so innocently golden, it had Din’s heart cartwheeling in his chest. It made him want to learn more about you, give you anything you wanted — as long as he’d get to see that again. 

He gulped. 

These sensations… It was as though he were being forced to breathe concrete instead of oxygen. Thick and heavy, it made his lungs sting. 

No one else had ever inspired anything like this from his heart. Yet here you were, doing it with just a smile. His breath quickened the more he dwelled on it; what did it mean? What was he supposed to do about it? 

He sat up in his chair and refocused on the topic at hand, trying with all his might to ignore the sudden clamminess of his palms.

~~~~

One month later, you were packing your suitcase in the evening glow of your room’s desk lamp. 

You were to be jetting off with Mr. Djarin directly after the following workday, and you couldn’t help the slight jitteriness of your movements. 

All month long he had been bringing up this trip, but besides the team-wide meetings about it, business seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind. 

Yes, every now and then he’d talk you through his presentation or give you information about other companies that would be there, but more than anything, he was a constant tease. 

Any chance he got he would wind and unwind your every nerve with a few mere words or touches of his hand, velvet promises of what was to come dripping from his lips at each turn. The past week had been the most brutal; he’d build you up and up at his desk, or in the supply closet, or even in the kitchen when the rest of your coworkers had already left for the night.

He’d do as little as whisper in your ear or as much as rub your clit through your panties – all while his sleeves were rolled up to the elbow because he knew, he knew how much you liked that – but not once did he finish the job. Nor did he grace your ears with your favorite words. 

You’d shriek into the empty space and plead for it, clawing at his arms and shoulders, tugging at his tie, staring into his golden brown eyes with desperation as they grinned back at you with satisfaction. He’d shake his head and grab hold of the back of your neck, forcing your squirming form to still at his command. 

‘Oh, don’t worry, I know exactly what you want. But the next time you cum will be right before I fuck you, Cupcake. Not. A moment. Sooner. Is that understood?’  

The memory alone was enough to make you quiver and nod to no one. The phantom touch of his hands crawled up and down your body, making your muscles fall slack and reduce to liquid. You groaned and flopped over your clothes. What the hell, Mr. Djarin. 

But even though you were sexually frustrated beyond belief, to his credit, he was right there with you; he didn’t let you finish him off a single time. He didn’t let you call him Din. He didn’t even let you touch his cock without at least his briefs to separate your skin from his. Ah, to see him in a crumbled state such as your own, how sweet it would be. You stole a glance at the new panties you bought specifically for this trip; he’d get his penance for making you wait this long. 

You wondered what he was doing right then as you recovered your composure and shoved a sweater into your suitcase with more force than was necessary. Was he also packing? Or was he pacing around, impatient with his own waiting game? Maybe something else entirely?

Now that you thought about it, you had no idea what that man did for fun. Who he was outside of that office. You’d been working for him for eight months, and even though you’d seen some of the most intimate sides of him, there was so much about him as a person that you just didn’t know. 

It seemed like he knew a lot about you. As you thought through the few casual conversations you shared with him, a noticeable pattern of him turning topics towards you began to make itself more apparent. Your travel list. Your favorite sweets. And most recently while making the travel arrangements, your preferred airplane seat. Why didn’t he talk more about himself? 

With a breath you stuffed a dress into the suitcase, making a mental promise to use this prime opportunity to peel back a layer or two from the mystery that was Din Djarin.

****

#the mandalorian #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian fanfiction #boss!au #modern au #corporal

[dropout-if]

I absolutely love the clown drabble that you did for Stadler and my heart melts for them ❤❤❤ I'm sorry if I sound demanding on that ask, I was gonna ask nicely but my excitement (and clumsy hands) got the better of me and I apologized again.

So for this ask, imagine on a road trip, a purely wholesome vibe. I wonder how would the RO + polyam react when they caught MC sneakingly taking picture of them (MC wanted to save the picture as their phone background).

AND if they decided to confront MC, how would the ROs + polyam console the devastated MC who accidentally deleted the picture out of embarrassment after being caught red-handed...

Thank you!!! And don't worry pls I seriously didn't get the feeling that you were sounding demanding or anything^^💕

I really liked that drabble thanks for requesting it!

MC takes a picture

Jade/Jean- there's a bemused smile tugging at the corner of their lips. They tease, “Were you doing something?” J leans in to peek at your picture, telling you, “That’s nice and all, but— warn me next time.”

Uma- the urge to pretend nothing happened presents itself but, as it turns out, Uma can’t hold back the little chuckle of amusement. “Do you want a picture of me? You know you can ask.”

Statler- “You’re so cute,” Statler all but coos. Their arm encircles your waist, and they kiss your cheek. When Statler pulls back, they smile brightly, “I want one too— Of us. Do you want to?”

Wanda- As if a flick has been switched, Wanda strikes a pose—dramatically—she grins brightly. It’s an attempt to make you laugh—Wanda winks at you, “Can we get matching ones? I want Gabi and your pretty face as my lock screen!”

Kai- a mischievous grin spreads across their face. “Did you get my good side? Can I see it? I promise I won’t be too critical,” Kai laughs.

Travis- raises an eyebrow, Travis doesn't say anything as you take the picture. When he finally does, he grumbles a resigned, “If you share that with anyone...”

Alofray- “Hey [Name],” Kai grins, wicked, “Does J’s massive ego fit in the frame?” To which J has barely any outward reaction other than rolling their eyes and asking, “What about Kai’s massive head?” “I don’t have a massive head, dickhead.” “Of course not, dear.”

Camarat- Travis notices before Uma does, and he shifts slightly in their direction. When Uma does notice, they smile, tease you about your sneakiness—all while Travis gives you a glare, ‘Don’t you dare tell them I helped.’

MC deletes the picture accidentally

Jade/Jean- “Ah. Why’d you delete it? Did you change your mind?” J tilts their head. They give a little shrug— J has never been a huge fan of pictures. “You can take another one later if you feel like it.”

Uma- gives you a warm and understanding smile, “Hey, now. Don’t worry about pictures. The moment is what matters. And I’m having fun, are you having fun?”

Statler- “Ah. Sorry,” they cringe a bit awkwardly, shouldering the blame like it’s their second nature. “Does— I’d still want one of us, if that’s alright?”

Wanda- takes out her phone, grins, “My turn, darling,” Wanda takes a picture of you, she looks at it fondly, “You make a good model.”

Kai- good-naturedly, Kai chuckles, “Hey shutterbug, no need to get nervous. I think— This is way better lighting either way.”

Travis- “Why do I feel bad celebrating...?” he mumbles. Travis motions for you to take another— then, another vague gesture: just get on with it before he changes his mind.

Alofray- J sighs, “Look what you’ve done.” To which Kai gasps, offended, “How is this my fault!?” You don’t know how or why—well you are the why, aren’t you—but neither Kai nor J take the bait. They don’t bicker as always, they turn to help you instead.

Camarat- “Give it here,” Travis says quietly. He takes your phone from you, positions you and Uma on either side, and takes a selfie with the most deadpan face you’ve seen on him—amused, Uma smiles brightly beside him.

#dropout if #dropout #ask #ros #poly #alofray #camarat #j gray #kai alofa #statler amani #travis camaro #uma bharat #wanda pavon

[michaelmilligan]

Midam Appreciation Week Day 1: Can't Spell 'Illusion' Without 'Us'

„Adam?“ Michael asked, the couch dipping lightly as he sat down on it.

“Mh?” Adam made, not looking up from the Switch. He had just cleared another gym and was now checking the map to see what else was close. There was a Team Star base not too far off. Or maybe he should fly back to the school city and go out the other direction, do something there...

“Adam,” Michael said again, a little more sternly.

“Hmmm?” Adam blinked and looked up from the game while it was loading, flying him back to the city. “What's up?”

“You know, when you were so excited and said you would play for days, I didn't take it quite this literally.” Michael raised an eyebrow at him, looking about equal parts annoyed and amused.

“Well, that's kinda on you,” Adam said, but he shifted into a more upright position where he had been slumping against the back of the couch before. He hit the menu button when his character had landed, effectively pausing the game. “How long has it even been?”

Another raised eyebrow. But deep inside Adam, where Michael's grace sat snugly around his soul, there was a twinge of something... almost disappointed?

“Two days, three hours, and fifty-three minutes,” Michael said dryly.

“Oh geez. I really spent a lot of time catching those Pokémon, huh.” Adam's felt a little bad. But only a little. After all, his goal was not only to win every fight in the game, but also to 'catch 'em all'.

“You get very absorbed in that game,” Michael said, and Adam couldn't really interpret his tone.

“Yeah, I mean. It brings up memories from when I was a kid.” Adam shrugged. “And it's a good game.”

Michael made a non-committal sound.

“You're not jealous of the game, right?” Adam asked, and had to suppress a smile when Michael huffed.

“Of course not. That would be stupid.”

Adam bit his lip to keep himself from sighing. That was Michael's catch-all argument against accusations of being jealous, lonely or needy – that it would be stupid.

And yeah, it would be. After all, Michael was literally his best friend of over a thousand years, his match made in Heaven, and the guy who lived in his chest cavity.

And yet.

“You know, I've been thinking,” Adam said, because he couldn't let this stand, and also because yeah, he had been thinking about it. The plan had been pretty vague, but he supposed they could always wing it.

Heh. Wing it. Adam grinned, feeling Michael's wings rustle in suppressed agitation.

“Is this like the last time you had 'been thinking'?” Michael asked warily, wrinkling the nose of his projection. “I'm not going to clean up a bathroom flooded with milk again.”

“Oh come on, that was one time! And you can clean it with a snap of our fingers.” Adam snapped his fingers for emphasis, which of course did nothing for him. “And that's not even what I wanted to say.”

“So enlighten me, oh wise one.” Michael gestured for him to go on.

“Alright. So remember how in the cage, you made games for me to live in, like that farming simulation?”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “You mean the several farming simulations. You always wanted to change locations and NPCs.”

Adam gave a lopsided smile at the memory of trying to change or remove datable characters. He'd never cared much about the romance aspect of those games as a kid, and besides, he'd already had someone living with him on the farm: Michael.

But he hadn't exactly been able to tell Michael that he didn't want to date anyone there because he already had him.

“So could you do that, but for Pokémon?”

Michael's wings shifted in surprise. “But... we're in the real world now. On Earth. With actual people, and things happening.”

“Yeah, I know.” Adam shrugged, and looked away. “But I kind of miss when it was just us. When everyone else wasn't real, so we could just erase them from the world when we didn't like them.”

Michael looked at him for a long time. “I can do it, of course. But is that really what you want?”

Adam looked back at him. “Michael... You know that living in the Pokémon world was literally my childhood dream, right? The only reason I didn't ask for it in the cage was because you said you could only make things that you've seen before. Fields. Buildings. People. I figured that excluded any made up monsters from a children's game.”

Hesitantly, Michael nodded.

“Now that you've seen it all – and don't tell me you weren't watching while I was playing – you could do it, right?” Adam asked hopefully.

Michael hummed. “I could, though you can hardly say that I've 'seen it all'. This is the only of those games you've been playing, and there are many more, right?”

“Well, yeah, but we don't have all of them.” Adam frowned when Michael rolled his eyes.

“You can have everything you want forever,” Michael said, reminding Adam that he only needed to ask.

It felt wrong, though, to ask Michael to give him everything. And not just because Adam had no idea how it worked – did Michael steal a copy of the game from someone? Was it plucked from a stack in a store?

Adam supposed the latter wouldn't be so bad – no one would notice if one measly copy got lost.

But Michael wasn't his servant, or his tool. Sure, it was nice that Adam could rely on him when something went wrong (like said accident with the milk bath). But when Adam said 'Jump', Michael's response wasn't supposed to be 'how high?'. It should be 'But don't you want to cuddle me more?'

“We can do research,” Michael said, nodding. “We tube.”

Adam let out a sigh so long and deep that it could have killed someone who actually needed to breathe. “It's 'YouTube', Michael.”

“Yes, but we will be tubing together.” Squeezing himself against Adam's side, Michael fished their phone out their pocket. “There are those... 'Let's Plays', yes?”

“Dude, yeah, let's watch some nuzlockes!” Adam pulled up the page of one of his favourite groups of streamers. They should have covered most of the older games – he'd seen the video thumbnails, but hadn't had time to watch any of it so far. “This is gonna take us a while, you know.”

Michael butted their shoulders together. “You're the one who just wanted to spend untold hours in a projection.”

Adam elbowed him back. “Hey, that wasn't a complaint. Besides, I wanted to spend untold hours in a projection with you. Don't forget that.”

Michael blinked at him, and his wings rustled shyly. “We- we should be able to set these videos to double the speed, yes?” he eventually asked, managing a scowl again. “You should still be able to understand those.”

Adam couldn't take his eyes off his archangel, projection or not. “Don't worry about me, silly,” he said, a hand on Michael's thigh.

They spent days together on the couch, at some point switching from the small screen of their phone to their laptop. Sometimes, Adam had his head on Michael's shoulder, while other times, Michael's head was in Adam's lap.

It was a good time. Just watching and sometimes commenting. Relaxed. Happy. At times, it felt almost like back then – like they were the only two people in the world, and no one else mattered, or ever would matter again.

“Alright,” Michael said after the last video ended. “I think we have enough data.”

“Mh.” Adam wasn't too hyped about having to get up, or having to disentangle himself from Michael. But then Michael just told him to lay down on the couch.

“Are you ready?” he asked, his face far too serious for what they were about to do.

“Born ready.” Adam grinned when Michael rolled his eyes, and Michael made his projection vanish.

Close your eyes, he said from inside their head.

Adam followed his lead – and felt his consciousness fade away from their body.

When he blinked his eyes open again, he was somewhere else. In a room that looked oddly familiar...

There was a Pikachu plushie on a dresser, and several posters with Pokémon and items on them lined the walls.

Grinning giddily, Adam turned around to where he knew Michael would be standing – and was greeted by several balloons and a party horn almost hitting his face.

“Happy birthday, Addy,” Michael said softly.

Adam stared at him. The last thing he remembered was that it had been the middle of September – apparently, they had been watching those nuzlockes for a bit longer than he'd thought.

“And happy birthday to you, babe,” he said back.

“I wasn't born,” Michael recited their age-old argument, rolling his eyes.

“No, but it's your Feast Day. And what's the day that we feast on?” Adam said, also not for the first time.

Michael sighed. “Our birthday,” he completed their routine grumpily. “Fine. Now go get your Pokémon.”

“Only me? What about you?” Adam checked that he had everything – the obligatory bag, and the phone that would probably get updated with a Rotom, if he understood the newer lore correctly.

“I already have a team, of course, since I'm a lot older than you,” Michael said smugly. Then he strode out of the room – and Adam followed with an indignant gasp.

“How dare you! I'm over a thousand years old!”

“Exactly. You're basically still a baby.”

“Oh, honey, are you leaving?” a voice asked, and Adam stopped dead in his tracks on the last step of the staircase.

“Mom?” he asked under his breath.

“Oh look at you, baby, all grown up.” His mom came out of the kitchen and took his hands. “Ready to become the champ.”

“First, he will have to beat eight gyms,” Michael reminded them both.

Kate cupped both Adam's and Michael's face with a hand. “I'm so glad you'll be there for him,” she said. “I would be worried to death if Addy went out alone.”

“Moooom,” Adam complained. He knew that this wasn't his actual mom, since she was still in Heaven. But his indignation was real. “I'm not a child.”

“I know, baby.” She went on her tip-toes to kiss his forehead. “Now go meet the Professor.”

“I'll come by again afterwards,” Adam said, taking his mom's hands. “I promise.”

“Baby, I'll always be here when you want to come home.”

Adam squeezed her hands. Of course she would be there, he told himself. The mom was always home in the games.

Though of course, his real mom was always there, too, when he wanted to see her in Heaven.

He dropped her hands and gave her a smile. “I'll be off, then.”

“Be safe.” She turned to Michael. “Both of you.”

“Always.” Michael squeezed one of her hands too before they left, walking down the dirt path to the Professor's house.

Adam wasn't going to mention that his real mom wasn't quite as enthusiastic about seeing Michael than this one. In turn, Michael wouldn't mention that he was the current champ of this region.

Adam would find that out soon enough, anyway. And until then, he had a childhood dream to fulfil.

#HELLO did you know it's Midam Appreciation Week? :3 #Now you know #Adam is a 90's kid your honour #Midam #Midamap2023

[elflock-magician]

"Haunted House!"

Summary - After the second case, the third floor is revealed to have a Haunted House in it. Veronika immediately takes advantage of this, and with the help of J, Rose, and Whit, she puts it into action. Much to the dismay of some of her classmates. (this is kinda fluff? I think?)

Tw - There’s some vague mentions of violence, mild body horror mentioned for one of Veronika's stories, and some mentions of dry heaving at the end. 

-

“Welcome one, welcome all!” Veronika called out happily as she stood at the opening of the haunted house. “Welcome to Veronika’s Haunted House!!” She said enthusiastically. “AHEM!” J’s voice called out over the intercom. J was doing all of the special effects and such for the Haunted House, meaning she also had control of the intercom. 

“Yes yes, with help from the wonderful J, Rose, and Whit!” Veronika added and took a little bow. Veronika’s peers stood outside of the Haunted House. Veronika was also wearing a black suit that sort of broke into a dress of sorts. “MonoTV really screwed us all with this one.” Teruko muttered.

“C’mon, don’t be like that Teruko! It could be fun!” Eden protested and smiled. 

“Indeed. Veronika and her lovely helpers put a lot of work into preparing this event. You should all be excited, it was made for you all.” Hu stated and smiled slightly.

“Well, if it is a work of Miss Rosales, then of course I must go and experience it!” Arturo stated and began to approach the front doors.

“Yes yes, that’s the spirit! Come along, I’ll be your guide.” Veronika said and gestured for the group. “Wait– Whit,” Charles turned to Whit, “You helped plan this all, correct? Does this have any… you know…” His voice trailed off a bit. “Fake blood? Course not! Does fake blood even trigger your fear?” Whit asked and tilted his head. “I’m not the most sure, and I do not plan on finding out at any time soon.” Charles replied coldly. “Yes, alright, get your bearings before we enter!” Veronika said and awaited them to get better.

“A… H-Haunted House…? H-Haunted?! B-By ghosts?!” Ace called out and nervously started nibbling on his fingers. 

“The ghosts aren’t real, you fucking idiot.” David commented. David still looked just as sad and pathetic as any other day.

“Hey! I wasn’t talking to you, asshole!” Ace shouted as his head snapped in the direction of David. 

“Try not to burst a blood vessel. Or even better, try not to get a heart attack and die from the cardboard cutout zombies in there.” David said and smirked before laughing at Ace. “Eat shit and die! I’ll go through there, and not die! I’ll show you!” Ace shouted, David having provoked his pretty competitive nature. Ace boldly strode up to the front door of the Haunted House. “Ace, now don’t get ahead of yourself.” Levi muttered and followed after Ace. “Well Davey? Are you going to along with us?” Veronika asked and looked to David. “Am I getting paid?” David muttered. “Getting paid?” Veronika began, sounding slightly confused. But then her eyes lit up, “Oh right! Because you think humanity is pointless and corrupt, so you appeal to that belief and refuse to do anything unless it benefits you! And especially now that you’re no longer acting.” Veronika analyzed and leaned into her hands as she dissected David’s character. “Wow. How many wikipedia pages did you have to read to come to that conclusion?” David mumbled. 

Whit and Charles approached the door, but Whit then suddenly leaned closer to Veronika. “Hey, maybe it’s for the better if David doesn’t tag along. The guys… A little.” Whit began speaking but his voice trailed off. 

“Interesting! No, very interesting! Besides, this will be great for my character analysis.” Veronika replied before approaching David and yanking him to the door. “Hey!” He yelped, “Hands off!” He shouted. But he was ultimately ignored by Veronika. 

Nico stared at the door. They seemed to really want to go along with everyone else, but also didn’t want to get too scared. “Are you alright hon?” Hu asked and checked on Nico.

“Y-Yeah, I’m alright.” Nico commented. Hu seemed to notice Nico’s worry. “You know, Nico, if you do not want to go, I wouldn’t mind staying back with you.” Hu offered.

“N-No, it’s okay! I want to go. But…” Nico’s voice trailed off a bit, “Just a little scared.” They added. Hu smiled empathetically. 

“Well, that’s alright. If you get scared I’ll be right by your side the entire time. No need to worry. Besides, if something bad really does happen, then I’ll have Teruko and Eden protect you.” Hu said and giggled a little at that as she and Nico looked over at the two. “Isn’t that right?” Hu added. “...Huh?” Teruko replied and raised an eyebrow before rolling her eyes a bit, “No promises, but sure. I’ll try.” She muttered.

“Of course we will!” Eden called out. She approached Nico and put her arm around them. “This’ll be lots of fun!” She called out. 

“Well, is everybody ready?” Veronika called out and smiled. 

“I guess.” Teruko answered. “Mhm!” Eden agreed excitedly. “Let’s just get this over with.” David grumbled and rolled his eyes, doing that gun motion to his head again.

“Let’s hurry up and fucking go!” Ace urged. Veronika giggled. “It seems like everyone is ready! So let’s go on ahead then. No reason to keep the darkness waiting.” Veronika said as her expression darkened, and yet her smile growing more wide. “N-Ngh…” Nico slightly whimpered at that. Veronika swung the doors open. The haunted house was frighteningly dark, the only light coming from a few candles that were lit. “Don’t worry, I’ll lead the way.” Veronika stated as she led the group down the dark hallway. “Now, let me tell you all a story. I call this story… Ravenway.” She began. The hallway had the look of stone walls, with black fathers that slowly became more and more abundant as they walked further down. And the ground soon became decorated with a fake train track. 

“Ravenway? Awe! Is it a story about a cute bird?” Eden asked excitedly. “This is a Haunted House, Eden. We wouldn’t be hearing about it if it was.” Teruko muttered. “Well, allow me to answer all of your queries! And tell the story of Ravenway.” Veronika began. She turned her back to the group as she walked. “The raven has always been a symbol of death and coming doom. Ever since the sacred poem- ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe.” Veronika began. “But one story of a raven has stuck out since the 1800’s… Stories of people seeing a mutant… human sized, flesh sack with the head of a raven hastily crafted together on it, and covered in feathers. The feathers of the bird would be left wherever it went. And people would see this raven, only glimpses of it every day. But every day, the raven would slip closer to them, and leave more and more feathers.” Veronika explained.

CA-CAW!!

“W-Wah!” Nico called out. They didn’t seem very scared by the story, but rather the loud sound that protruded the air from the intercom.

“GAHA!” Ace screamed out and latched onto Levi. Levi seemed caught off guard by the touch and didn’t really know how to react, and just opted to awkwardly let Ace hold onto him.

Veronika chuckled at that. 

Charles seemed to be paying attention, the story getting in his head, and he seemed fairly invested, which Whit slightly smiled at. 

“A-And what happens when the raven keeps getting closer?” Eden stuttered out, taking it very seriously. 

“Well, my friends, no matter how far you run and no matter how hard you try and hide… The raven will find you. And when it does, it’s said that all you hear is the raven’s call before you are never heard from again. Once you see the raven once, that’s the end of you. You die no matter what. As you try desperately to escape the raven, you may end up on train tracks, or perhaps on the edge of the roof. All of the victims are found with raven’s feathers stuffed into their stomachs.” Veronika reached the end of the hallway, and snuck her hand behind her, and pressed a button that was hidden beneath some of the feathers on the wall. She clicked the button, and a trap-door in the roof opened, and from it, a terrifying replication of the described raven was hung. “GaaHH!” Ace screamed again and continued to hold onto Levi’s arm. “You scream like a prissy.” David commented on Ace’s scream.

“What beautiful effects! This must be the work of Miss Rosales.” Arturo stated and made That Face (you know the one) at the very thought.

“Oh my!” Hu seemed startled, before chuckling. “How clever.” She stated.

“If that were me, I could totally get the raven to be my bud. We’d be gossip besties.” Whit said and shrugged a bit. “Y-Yeah! That’s the spirit, Whit!” Eden agreed. “How do you know that the raven even talks? There’s a good chance it would just ignore you, you know!” Charles replied. “You don’t need to talk to communicate. I’d make ‘em tea and everything.” Whit said. 

“That sounds more like hallucinations than anything. There’s no way that’s real.” Charles stated, though Charles was very clearly invested. 

“Wh-WHAT?!? I-Is there no way to stop it?! I-If you see it- is that it? BOOM! Dead? Oh fuck oh fuck- like totally fate fucking sealed?” Ace questioned, still latching onto Levi like he was his lifeline. “Indeed. But when has there ever been an escape of death?” Veronika replied before giggling.  

“W-Wow… That’s pretty interesting! Can you tell us more?” Nico asked, genuinely really interested in where the legend was going. 

“How about another story?” Veronika offered as they turned the corner, and Veronika pulled a black curtain out of the way, revealing a staircase. She then went ahead and began going up the stairs. “It’s called Cymbal Bunny Head Smasher.” Veronika said, her voice darkening. “Well they sound friendly.” Teruko muttered. Various ‘thud’ sounds protruded the air as the group went up the stairs. 

“Cymbal Bunny Head Smasher is the story of a giant, robotic bunny animatronic. One who’s code was hacked into. And one day, during a children’s party, Cymbal Bunny’s cymbals began to smash together.” Veronika began to explain. As the group walked down the hallway, the room was themed after a children’s sort of party room. But there were fake children corpses placed variously around the room. And thankfully, for Charles’ sake, bloodless. 

“And the Cymbal Bunny animatronic began to move towards the children. Loud thuds followed each of their footsteps. And the sound of the cymbals smacking together was heard.” Veronika continued. CLASH thud CLASH thud CLASH thud

The described sound of the bunny’s loud footsteps and the clashing of the cymbals was played over the intercom. 

“All until the Cymbal Bunny got too close to the children, and the Cymbal Bunny stuck the heads of it’s little victims right in between it’s clashing clashing cymbals! Hehehahah!” Veronika giggled manically at the thought. “It’s so terrifyingly gross!” She added. “Ngaaah!” Ace groaned and put his hands over his ears. Levi put his arm around him.

“Wait wait, let me guess,” Charles began, “Now a bunch of cymbal sounds are going to plAY–gaH!” Charles called out in fear as he was indeed right, and the familiar cymbal sounds played.

The walls of the room were shaken as the cymbal sounds played, implying that the Cymbal Bunny animatronic was breaking down the walls or something. “Clever right? I made that story up, so you don’t gotta worry about it being real.” Whit said and vaguely tapped Charles on the shoulder. “YOU, Whit Young, thought of that?” Teruko questioned, even she seemed surprised that Whit was capable of that. 

“G-Gosh… I’ll never go around animatronics again!” Eden called out.

“...Five Nights at Freddy’s?” Nico muttered quietly. 

“Ah, your fear fuels me. Now why don’t we do one more story to close off for tonight? This one I like to call… Zombieland.” Veronika said. She giggled excitedly, “Now this one is my favorite. So pay attention!~” She said. “Zombieland…? You mean like Zombieland Saga? The cute Idol Anime??” Eden called out excitedly. 

“I’d suppose you’d hope for that. But no, dear Eden, no.” Veronika replied and was still smiling ear to ear. Veronika led the group up another set of stairs. This next area was far more open compared to the narrow hallways from before. Yet they were still boxed in by wooden gates. The room was resembling a farm’s sort of field at night, a fake moon hung up in the corner of the room.

“The story of Zombieland…” Veronika began, “It takes place in a small, small town in Missouri, but after Zombieland, some call that place just Misery.” Veronika cackled at her own joke. “Just get on with it!” David shouted. “It’s fun to watch you all shit your pants over nothing, but this is getting boring.” He grumbled. 

“Yes yes… Well, an acidic chemical had slipped into the water stream after a horrible accident… And slowly, one by one, people began to go crazy, and become violence-craving due to the chemicals in the water… Practically turning the people into zombies!” Veronika exclaimed. “And slowly, everyone began to get infected. And the chemicals got into the rain. And sooner than later, things only got worse! The situation was utterly hopeless- absolutely full of despair.” Veronika explained. “Everyone began to rot away as the rain turned acid burnt away their flesh! And yet that did not stop them as they craved violence!” She continued, smiling ear to ear. “The only survivors were forced to hide away in places like schools, cars, and apartments. But no doors and no walls can keep the hordes off for long. There is no one to go to and nowhere to hide.” She stated. “That is terrifying…” Levi muttered, he himself seeming a little scared by this one. “Having no where to go… How absolutely horrific…” He mumbled. “You guys can’t actually be taking this seriously…” Teruko face palmed as she said that. “Oh they totally are!” Whit called out and giggled. Charles was invested and was trying to find a way to disprove it. 

“That’s impossible.” Charles spoke up. “Any chemical that could impact the brain that much would simply end the victim in a few hours.” He stated. Eden perked up before sighing in relief. “Thanks Charles… You’re definitely making us more comfortable.” Eden thanked genuinely. “What? I wasn’t–” He searched for words, Charles feeling slightly afraid to just… accept gratitude. “...You’re welcome.” He stated simply beneath his breath. 

“Some say that the left-overs from that accident are still roaming today.” Veronika said and smirked almost evilly. The group reached the end of the hallway. Veronika had her hands up, waiting for something to happen. There was a long silence as nothing happened. Veronika tilted her head a bit as her smile faded. “I said… Some say that the left-overs from that accident are still roaming today!” Veronika repeated, simply louder this time, though her excitement did not fade.

Suddenly, J’s voice came back on over the intercom:

“Ugh! You’ve gotta be joking…” J muttered. “Rose! Wake up! Do your part!” J screamed into the microphone. 

“W-Wah!” The familiar voice of Rose called out from behind a curtain. “Oops. My bad.” Rose muttered before emerging from behind the curtain. She had on very good zombie make-up, more than likely done by Veronika.

“BllaHHhh!” Rose let out some sort of half-hearted cry as she leaned over the wooden gate, shaking it a bit, trying to scare them. “W-Woah!” Eden called out and recoiled back. “Awe! How cute.” Hu said and put a hand to her chin and smiled at Rose. 

“F-Fuck! Holy fuck! Shit!” Ace whined out at the sight of Rose’s bad acting. Ace was pretty easily tricked by that. “SHIT! Z-Zombie!” He screamed. Poor Levi was now sandwiched between Eden and Ace, and Levi himself semed a little off-put by the act.

“Tehehehe!” Veronika giggled at that. “Wow. This is somehow worse than I could have even imagined. It’s almost funny.” David mumbled. “Calm down Eden, you’re gonna burst a blood vessel.” Teruko said and pat Eden on the shoulder. Eden took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “You’re right, Teruko.” Eden said. She shut her eyes and calmed down a bit before opened them again. She recoiled back, startled again.

“Oh gosh! It’s another zombie!” Eden cried out and pointed into a darker part of the area, where a set of yellow eyes were seen. This zombie, not being Rose, was standing in the dark. But suddenly, the person the eyes belonged to stepped out of the darkness.

“It’s just me, you dumb fuck!” David hissed, his voice drenched in venom before stalking off ahead.

“Sorry bro, but you can’t blame her, you do look kinda dead!” Whit agreed. David simply rolled his eyes. He was clearly only there to watch them suffer.

Veronika coughed into her hand, calling the attention back to herself. “Now, where were we?” She asked no one but herself. “Ah yes… But some say that the chemical is still going around. And that one day soon, so very soon, there may be a repeat of history.” She said, her voice darkening into a low whisper. 

And suddenly, the lights flashed, and a hologram was projected across the room. The hologram was of various undeads, courtesy of J and her special effects talent.

“What wonderful quality!” Arturo called out, immediately taking the chance to praise J. “Waahah!” Eden cried out and hid behind Teruko, who just seemed to be confused. Ace looked like he was about to pass out, and the only reason he wasn’t on the ground was because Levi was now holding him up a bit.

“How… violent…” Charles murmured at the sight. “S-Still impossible.” He insisted. 

David stared at the effect right in the face. “See, this. This is why I hate humanity.” David stated offhandedly as he walked right through the CGI hologram creatures to the exit. He walked past Veronika and pressed the door open, revealing the light of day. 

“Ah, well that’s all, folks! I hope you’ve all enjoyed this journey!” Veronika said and smiled brightly and yet sincerely. Veronika turned to the fourth wall, “Especially you all.” She added.

-

Everyone had ended up leaving and going outside. 

Ace was sitting on the steps of the Haunted House and was hunched over a trashcan given to him by Hu, while dry-heaving from how nervous the Haunted House made him. Levi was gently patting him on the back and holding back his hair for him.

Nico was asking Veronika a bunch of questions about the legends, becoming quite enthralled in it. Rose was sitting on the stairs as well, with Hu removing the make-up from her face. J was excitedly and proudly explaining the effects she used to Eden, Teruko, and Arturo. David had just left. Whit and Charles were just debating on if they could actually survive any of the scenarios, Charles using facts and logic, while Whit was still somehow winning the debate?

Veronika stood outside of her Haunted House and seemed very proud of her work. 

A/N - Been writing a lot of angst recently so I just wanted to write about these little guys shivering in their timbers a bit. Today is Day Two of writing DRDT fics until I just can’t anymore and so far: light work, no reaction. Easy as pie. Simple. Silly.

#drdt #danganronpa despair time #danganronpa #danganronpa despair time fanfiction #danganronpa despair time fanfic #ace markey #levi fontana #veronika grebenshchikova #nico hakobyan #teruko tawaki #eden tobisa #charles cuevas #whit young #rose lacroix #arturo giles #j rosales #j moreno #hu jing

[starlightkun]

romance is dead ❧ teaser [kun]

❧ teaser word count: 861

❧ warnings: just some cursing for the teaser!

❧ genre: fluff, modern magical creatures au, fantasy au, college au, vampire kun, human reader, ft. various other magical weishens, “uh-oh one of us drank a love potion” trope but with a twist, same universe as strawberry sunday

❧ extra info: this work is set in the same universe as strawberry sunday but can be read as a standalone! there is no continuing plotline between fics in this universe, they simply take place in the same world/magic system and may have overlapping characters (neos may pop up in more than one work!)

❧ estimated release: saturday, july 8, 2023 2:00 p.m. eastern time

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ explore the strawberry sunday universe more here!

It was dark out when you eventually left Kunhang’s apartment, the review guide completed, and your brain just a little fried from all that math. With your backpack slung over your shoulder, and keys in hand, you took off down the sidewalk for the short walk back to your own home.

“Y/N.” A voice suddenly saying your name from right beside you made you jump out of your skin.

“Oh, shit!” You exclaimed, clutching a hand to your chest. When you whipped around to see that it belonged to a familiar face, you took a deep breath before greeting him. “Uh, hi, Kun.”

He remained quiet.

You kept talking, adjusting your bag strap on your shoulder to calm yourself down, “Sorry about all that back in Kunhang and Yangyang’s apartment, by the way. I know it was stupid of me to drink something in a witch’s fridge that tasted off. That part was on me.”

“Are you walking home?” He questioned, focus rather intense on you.

“Yeah, my apartment isn’t far.” You gestured in the vague direction of it.

A deep frown etched itself into his features, “By yourself? It’s rather late.”

“I know! What if another vampire sneaks up on me?” You gasped teasingly.

“Will you let me walk you home? Please?”

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh, uh, sure. Thanks.”

The two of you walked side by side in silence. You shifted your bookbag from one shoulder to the other when your muscles got tired.

“Is that heavy?” Kun asked.

“I mean, kind of? My laptop’s in there, and a couple notebooks; Kunhang and I were doing this review packet for a Calc test,” you explained.

“I can carry it for you.” He held a hand out expectantly.

“Oh, you really don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

“Uhm… okay.” You pulled the bag off your shoulder and handed it to him by the strap. Honestly, you wouldn’t be too terribly surprised if he ran off with it. Him robbing you seemed about as likely as him randomly offering to walk you home and carry your bag for you.

Kun effortlessly slipped the bookbag on. It looked out of place against his slacks and dress shirt/sweater combo, especially with your multiple cute character keychains that you had attached to the zipper.

He dutifully carried it all the way to your front door for you, where you gratefully took it back. You were very excited for tonight to be over. Between studying, the potion debacle, and now this incredibly awkward interaction, diving headfirst into your bed sounded like exactly what you needed.

“Thank you, Kun, I’m just going to—” You cut yourself off when you were finally able to see his face clearly in the security light outside your apartment door. His crimson irises were nearly gone, entirely swallowed by inky pupils, and he was pulling at his shirt almost as if he were fanning himself to cool down. “Oh my god, Kun, are you okay? Your pupils are… blown. I’d check your temperature, but I don’t think vampires can run a fever, can you?”

“I… I’m…” He didn’t even finish his sentence, biting down on his bottom lip, and holding up a finger in a gesture for you to wait a moment.

You didn’t know too much about vampires, nor whatever ailments they could possibly get afflicted with, but you did know somebody who probably would. Bringing your phone out from your pocket, you started flicking through your contacts list, “I feel like I should call Renjun. He’s a Magical Creatures Studies major. Uhm, he was able to figure out why Dejun stopped producing fire for a weird two weeks last year. He might be able to help. Here, let me—”

“No, I’m fine. I know what it is.”

“Oh. That’s good. What is it? Is there anything I can do?”

Kun straightened back up, hand going to smooth out the wrinkles in his sweater that he’d caused by pulling it at. “I believe Yangyang’s love potion was successful in a way he did not intend.”

“Kun, seriously, I don’t feel any—”

“I do.” He cut you off sternly, focusing his darkened eyes on yours.

“You…” You breathed out, eyes widening.

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, I apologize.” He bowed his head. “I tried to control it as best as I could. But yes, I suddenly started experiencing extremely strong romantic feelings for you earlier tonight.”

“O-Oh.”

“I should go, I’ve seen you home safely.”

“Right, uhm, goodnight, Kun,” you nodded to him, too stunned to say much else.

You clenched your jaw not to make a noise of surprise when he picked up one of your hands with his much colder one. He bent over nearly ninety degrees to press a feather-light to the back of your hand. If you had a free hand, you would’ve pinched yourself to make sure you weren’t dreaming yourself into a rom-com right now.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he gently let go of your hand before taking a step back from you.

After fumbling to unlock your door, you practically ran inside. Oh, you were going to kill Yangyang.

⤷ blog masterlist  ⤷ anthology masterlist

#i: kun #kun #qian kun #nct #wayv #nct imagine #wayv imagine #nct x reader #wayv x reader #kun imagine #qian kun imagine #kun x reader #qian kun x reader #f: romance is dead #rid: teaser #au: strawberry sunday #g: fluff #writing #text #mine #kunkun #bias tag

[haskagetoradoneanythingwrong]

Day 44-50

No.

She paced back and forth, as she so often did when her Master was away for too long.

"What if something happened to her?"

The woman in black beside her make a hushing gesture.

"She'll be fine. It's just a quick check-in, nothing more."

"It's been fifty days, Kagu-tsuchi."

The Shinto god of fire sighed, slightly rolling her eyes.

"You really think there's anything out there that can really hurt her? Besides... Kagetora's with her."

Suddenly, there was a flash. A resounding sound. The room went white as all anyone could hear now was an echoing ring.

When things finally settled... there stood Kagetora, alongside her master.

The Final Beast of Humanity.

Reincarnation of Mahākāla.

The Hero of Chaldea—

"Ritsuka!!!!!"

A passionate tackle hug nearly brought the Master down to the floor, but she held her ground.

As if on instinct alone, her arms rose up and wrapped around her #1 Servant to reciprocate.

Slowly, she breathed in. And she spoke.

"Hey, Jeanne."

"How was it? Did anything happen to you? Did they hurt you!?"

The Avenger's eyes began to glow with infernal rage. Ritsuka's hand reached up and began to gently stroke the back of her head, calming her slightly.

"I'm not hurt, Jeanne. I didn't even dig that deep. I just..." Ritsuka broke eye contact for a moment. "...I just wanted to see how everyone was doing. That's all."

"And? How were they?"

Ritsuka took a deep breath in.

"...Happy, I think. I dunno. I tried to be sneaky about it, but I think a couple of 'em recognized me. Said they were happy to see me again, but—"

The door suddenly slid open. As soon as Jeanne saw who it was, she immediately let Ritsuka go and stepped aside...

...as someone else tackle hugged her Master just as she did.

Ritsuka gently giggled. "Heya, Kouhai. You still holding the walls of the City?"

"Senpai...!" Mash giggled back. "I keep telling you, that's a group effort!"

A third figure approached, a cloak faintly billowing in non-existent wind, and a long rifle in her hands.

"Things've been a little wild since you dipped. But... all in all, I think we managed." Artoria Alter nodded as she spoke. "Good to have you back, Rits."

Ritsuka nodded back. Their tackle hug would have to wait for closed doors.

As the four continued to catch up, however... Kagetora pulled Kagu-tsuchi aside.

"Any sign of it?"

"Nope. Not at all."

"So what's the part she's not telling us?"

"I don't... think there is one."

"Really."

"Yeah." Kagetora looked back at Ritsuka. "It's a little bittersweet, but... I think she really is just happy to see that everyone else is okay."

"...So that's it, then? We can move on, now?"

"I'd give it a little more time. Make sure to tie up any loose ends... or at least the ones we can." Kagetora's eyes continued to stare. "Make sure there's nothing left to wonder. Then... yeah. Maybe we can finally put all of this to rest."

So.

Yet another figure appeared, rising from the floor, flickering and shifting like a hologram.

An dark emerald suit, inlaid with gold, peppered with random accessories that looked vaguely... Greco-Roman.

Cherry-red hair tinged with streaks of technicolor.

A comically large, poofy, sky-blue bow adorning a long ponytail.

Eyes like a nebula. A smile like a crack in spacetime—

"Don't you think that's kind of overdoing it, hun?"

...Aya sighed.

"Just thought you'd be excited to see me."

"When am I ever?"

"Ha ha." Aya shifted closer. "Y'know, you could at least warn a girl before disappearing for a month and a half."

"Didn't think you'd care."

"Oh, when don't I, Stardust?" Aya giggled before planting a quick kiss on Ritsuka's cheek. "So... did they miss you?"

"That's none of your business."

"Oh, come on!!" Aya pouted. "They were my friends, too... weren't they?"

"Quit trying to stir shit." Jeanne rolled her eyes.

"It's a genuine question!! Seriously, I should have gone with you—"

"We agreed that would've been a bad idea." Kagu-tsuchi cut in. "Now, come on. I'm sure Starlight's exhausted after everything. Let her rest, you can all pounce on her again later."

Aya continued to whine. But, everyone begrudgingly stepped back to give Ritsuka space. Except Kagu-tsuchi. She got closer.

"...Thanks, Yume."

"Oh, I just wanted you to myself for a bit. Can we talk?"

—————

The balcony outside the rec room.

A simulated cliffside overlooking the sea.

A constant ocean breeze under an eternal twilight.

Ritsuka leaned against the railing, staring off into the horizon. Kagu-tsuchi leaned as well, albeit with her back turned to the forever-fading light.

"...You think this is gonna be the last time?"

"I don't know."

The two remained silent for a moment. Only the wind and the waves below were proof that time still flowed.

"...You never answered Aya's question."

"I never had an answer."

"Then why do you still think—"

"Kagu-tsuchi."

Ritsuka's eyes closed.

"...What... is this... about?"

Kagu-tsuchi sighed.

"...We're just... tired, Starlight. All of us."

"Of my inability to move on?"

"Of your— ...yeah. That."

"I understand." Ritsuka's eyes opened. "I still remember what Benzaiten told me."

"Oh, good, 'cause I wasn't there."

"...You're right, Yume." Ritsuka sighed. "Maybe... Maybe this should be the last time. Maybe... Maybe it will be."

Another silence.

"...Um... I wasn't kidding, Starlight. I wasn't there. The hell did she tell you?"

To let go.

...Yeah, that sounds pretty on-brand for her.

...

...so.

You think you're gonna try for real this time?

I've been trying for real every time.

Fair, fair. Still. You think this is it?

I've lost count of how many times I've said this is it.

Fuck's sake, Starlight, how long is this gonna go on?

...

...my name.

...Huh?

I have a name, Yume.

Use it.

...

...Daikokuten?

......Mahākāla?

...............Lord Ouroboros?

...

...

...Fine.

How long is this gonna go on...

...Carina?

#day count #j🪽 #will you rise with us too?

[yeahcurrahhe-e]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐃

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐘

〚 𝐒. 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒 〛

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ➛ language, injury

𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 ➛ @softguarnere : I was wondering if I could put in a request, in the meantime? Maybe 11 from the prompt list for Sid from The Pacific? — prompts used (I did both 11’s): “you’re annoying, you know that?”, “this sounds like you’re flirting with me”

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 task to attempt to determine which was more tormented at patrol assignment.

Leckie gambled that it was the young Philips boy, hubris as he jabbed his smoldering cigarette towards him, the blonde in question pinched in a sulk besides their CO a few feet away. Hoosier, with a rivaling cocksure flair, scoffed and pointedly gestured at the female soldier on the CO’s opposite side, namely how her face was teetered with the heavy pull of a grimace.

Nevertheless, they could both agree that either would prefer an unforgiving Jap bullet to the head, rather than be within the same plane of existence as the other.

“Don’t be too excited there, Private,” their CO nodded at the Philips boy, who lacked any acclaim for his ability to mask his balloon of disappointment, as it swell up his sun-beaten face.

There was a divine moment — for Y/N and probably her only — where the Private’s face cramped into an unblinking expression of perplex, as if his brain couldn't comprehend the humiliation from the remark. A meager smile played on her lips, spared from any callout from their officer by the shadow cast over it by her helmet.

Yet, Sidney saw it, poking out like a thorn in his periphery, his thoughts exacting in on how she adorned the smile like a blazing sheen on her skin.

And, by the absolute cruelty of God himself, now he had to trek off into a landscape of enemy territory with her pride — as it existed as an entirely distinct entity — and she herself.

“Don’t let Private Philips and his adolescent attitude deter you out there, Sergeant,” the officer asserted towards Y/N, a dry chuckle ricocheting around the lame cigarette crooked in his lips.

“Might just have to charge you for babysitting, Lieutenant,” she effortlessly quipped back, though there was the fleeting sidelong glimpse to the joke’s patsy, as if to provoke.

Sidney’s eyes narrowed, lips curled and pursed as if mentally preparing himself to sputter out some half-thought defense; a flimsy bandage for his raw and swollen ego.

Beyond thoughts absorbed with gripes of the heat, the sunburn that bruised his fine skin, and a passing acknowledgment of Leckie and Hoosier’s obnoxious eavesdropping, he could spare a moment for the wherewithal that she was baiting him. To see if he would make a further fool of himself.

There’s a twitch of a frustrated clench in his jaw and fists, and then a tightly drawn smile towards her; not this time.

“Marines ain’t paying any of us for that,” the officer goodheartedly patted her shoulder with his departure, voice then carrying in a beckoning towards a throng of lanky replacements by the CP tent.

“Marines ain’t paying you either to just stand there and stare at me like some pretty boy,” she chided, evident of exasperation for him and the growing stickiness painting her skin.

“Aw, that sounds like you’re flirting with me,” he called shrewdly towards her, buckling the remainder of his gear against his back.

She subtly bowed her head towards the remnants of the rainforest’s tree line, a shadow gracing the vague pink on her cheeks as her temper writhed to get in a wily remark itself, “Let’s go, Philips.”

And, as the pair trudged in path to the canopy of green and earthy browns, shoulders drawn in a brood as if they were marching towards their deaths, Leckie turned to the boy from Indiana,

“Bet your ass a carton of Lucky Strikes that they either kill each other or realize their dumbass likes the other.”

His hand accordingly is propositioned towards Hoosier, the sandy-haired soldier promptly clasping it to secure their deal.

“Bet.”

—

JAPANESE AND AMERICAN ARTILLERY and shell-casings had been scattered in a cemetery for weapons within the rainforest that is nature’s cathedral.

Her seedy, military-issued boots are useless against the uneven and unpredictable terrain, the soles of her feet strident with more aches and blisters as they slip on discarded mortar shells and spent bullets.

The compact windows of the canopy yielded the graceful ease of the moon’s beams, the radiated hues scattering across their path, shadows seeming to deliberately touch all the obstacles that threatened her balance. It was all just salt in an already festering wound. It couldn’t get worse.

“No offense taken, Sergeant,” he blurted, eyes flashing to her moon-kissed silhouette alongside him, Southern drawl poignant on the acknowledgement of her rank.

Their contrast in ranks yet similarity in age, had been something of a smoldering cinder in whatever inferno churned between them from the days of basic training. It was searing brightly as he spoke.

“Yet, you always manage,” she rolled her eyes, begrudgingly investing in this conversation rather than rooting in the irritation with the war-polluted terrain.

“I am going to allow that,” he briefly pursed his lips, mended his temper with a concise nod to himself, and continued, “Thought I’d just say how I’m surprised you were so dandy with being my personal babysitter on this patrol. I figured you would have done a lil’ more kicking and screaming.”

Her eyes fashioned with the churns of ire towards the leering blonde next to her, “I decided to do some charity work, I guess.”

Sidney subtly clicked his tongue, curt taps of his fingers against his rifle’s barrel as he peered out at the silent foliage, “Always like you to go above and beyond. You’re just like every pretty girl back home in Mobile — tripping over themselves to get attention. ‘Ya know that?”

Y/N tilted her head towards him with a gleam of a sharp smirk as she mused, “Oh, does Sidney Philips think I’m pretty?”

“Pfft…you need somethin’ to make up for that ugly personality of yours,” he shrugged, lithe fingers bounding into a rhythm against the rifle, the hazy reverberations swirling around their tension. Respect for rank was as discarded as the patchwork of ammunition beneath their boots.

His mama would just about throttle him with bare hands now; she had raised her boys to be walking, animate books of discipline and manner (she would often chide over supper about how she wouldn’t have her boys running about town like a flock of heathens, pulling girls’ pigtails like the Holland brothers).

She inhaled subtly, but evident enough for an awareness to be made for her exasperation; if they weren’t in the very nucleus of a Japanese soldier nest presently, she would have readily throttled him herself.

“You’re annoying, you know that?” she whispered firmly, her own pique challenging his, not deliberately, but it was a fair competition as it sought to bleed from him through murmured curses and a firm clasp on her rifle.

When a hasty and curt rebuttal wasn’t cast back at her, she poised a brow and turned towards him.

His stare is sternly planted on the tree line to her right, baby blue eyes nearly fire in water as the hues churn with panic and thought.

A tide of anxiety swarmed into Y/N’s agitation, a fleeting glance spared to the tree line — to the silhouettes that poked ever so subtly out from the weathered boughs of the trees, to where murmurs of Japanese were swapped in haste as they planned. She’s certain they hadn’t spotted them by miracle of a dense weeds and orchids obscuring their position.

The irked stare that she had held with Sidney, glitched with currents of anticipation — as if she expected at any moment for him to run off, forsaken her to the enemy.

Yet, he didn’t.

He now studied her in return just as keenly and subtly shook his head. An implicit denial of her assumption.

“Go,” they simultaneously enticed the other in a hushed demand, only serving to be the waters for an ill-timed dispute.

Y/N peered at him through narrowed eyes as if he had three-heads, “I’m the ranking NCO here. This isn’t a time for half-thought heroics, Captain America.”

Sidney rolled his eyes, nearly too belligerently, and sobered the absolute temptation to just kill her himself with a drawn inhale, “I will cause a distraction while you book it back to camp to inform the others.”

Their toss of banter is disrupted by footfalls against the anchored roots of close trees. The steps have the sound of someone who is actively failing to remain sly as they wrongfully presumed the roots would muffle their approach — someone untrained. Someone they could overpower, if necessary, she deduced, easing away the lax strands of her hair that dangled from her ponytail and into her vision, preparing to have to do the worst with her rifle.

Abruptly, there was a pressure encompassing her forearm, and a hand plucked her beneath the atypically serious gaze of Sidney Philips, chests essentially against the flush of the others.

She twisted around furiously so she could push him away, the essence of a scowl on her face that was glorified by the moonlight.

Yet, he swiftly thwarted her mid-shove, muttering hastily, “Don’t think. Run.”

Now, she peered up at him incredulously, a flit of refusal collecting simultaneously upon her expression and tongue.

“I’m the NCO here, not you, Philips.”

“You’re gonna argue right now?”

“Yes, when you’re disobeying a superior and about to sacrifice yourself to a bunch of fucking Japs.”

“You need to be able to go back and get more help.”

In a moment, he was more or less yanking her towards the vacant path back to camp, her boots fleetingly scuffling before she amended her pace to his curt strides.

“Sidney-” Y/N blurted in a coarse whisper as he jostled her towards safety.

“Don’t think for once,” he mumbled hotly, hands trembling ever slightly as he assured that his weapon was prepared for firing, the dull sound of the safety clicking off accompanying it, “I got this. Go get backup.”

Do you? she nearly beckoned, but he’s already got one boot sloshed down in a divet of mud, furtively moving against the green sea of foliage that conceals him from the Japanese soldier lurking beyond it.

She begrudgingly hastened the remainder of the path towards the assembly of tents, nearly halting when a raucous bang! of a bullet reverberates against the velvet dark of the night.

“Fuck.”

And she’s turning around before a second thought — self-preservation — persuades her otherwise.

—

TRULY, THE LAST TEN MINUTES HAD ALL BEEN A BLUR.

In her half-concussed mind — a departing gift from the butt of a Japanese rifle — she could recall through the radiating ache that Sidney and her had managed to scramble into a sprint away from a remarkably pissed off and bloodied Japanese soldier, the sole survivor in a patrol of four. The two of them had more or less tumbled into the recess of a weedy valley mere inches outside of their camp.

Somehow, in the inundation of chaos, the pursuing enemy, in a brain fog spun by blood loss, had lost them in their frenzied trajectory of escape. Most likely would die before finding them again.

Not a moment was forgiven to silence for the sake of her pulsating head, as Sidney stood over her as she lay in the cavity of the Earth, arms entangled over her eyes as if to mitigate the discomfort.

“What were you thinking?” he commenced lowly through gritted teeth, tone vigilant of the reality that more patrols could be lurking in the twilighted rainforest.

“You told me not to think — just run!” she countered fiercely yet quietly, leaning her arms away from her face.

“Yeah, run away, not run into the middle of the shitshow!” he snapped through the soupy mugginess of Peleliu, easing himself onto the arid soil. He gestured irately towards his crimson and bruised face, “Especially since it didn’t do anything but piss them off more.”

Y/N fluidly propped herself up from her flailed recline on the ground, challenging his own stature where he sat, the graceful ease of moonlight through the canopy, grazing over the dirt and slight laceration on the bow of her hairline.

With a strangled whine in her throat from the anguished blasts of soreness in her head, she hauled herself closer to him, “Oh, I’m sorry that my life saving skills aren’t good enough for you. You can just go ahead and file your complaint right up my fucking ass, Philips.”

The one small comment had stirred the hurricane in the both of them and their blazing eyes strung in a tightrope in the biting air. Their steady breaths canopied in front of their faces as they glowered at each other, a verbal silence prevailing beneath the din of insects and the droning discord of his fingers thrumming against his weapon’s wooden exterior.

“I am so fed up with you, you know that?” she muttered, her hushed tone more of a menace that it should be as it crippled their long silence, and words nearly a copy of her earlier ones. He would hear them this time.

His aimless fingers halted in a hasty reaction, almost cramping at the abrupt cease of movement in their achy tendons as he stopped. And he laughed,

“Why? Because I don’t fall on my knees in your presence, declare that I would do absolutely anythin’ for you?”

He then leaned forward with his elbows braced on his knees, pursing his lips fleetingly and in spite of the gash — one she now takes regard of in their proximity — at the corner of his bottom lip, “Believe it or not, but the world doesn’t revolve ‘round you.”

The fury that then irked amidst the injury on her face made him aware that his cruel attempt to inflict a cut into her ego had opened a Pandora’s Box.

Therefore Sidney Philips mentally prepared himself for a reprimanding of his life.

“For fuck’s sakes,” Y/N mused, teetering on a bout of rueful laughter, “I don’t know what redeemable quality the lieutenant wanted me to see by assigning my ass on patrol with you, or what makes you think you’re hot shit. If the Japs don’t kill you first, I just might do it myself out of pure annoyance and frustration.”

Sidney simpered slyly, as if she hadn’t just shamed and threatened him within a duration of seconds. A finger came to be poised towards her, “What kind of frustration we talkin’ about?”

She stilted an eye roll through the veil of the inflaming crimson on the apple of her cheeks, “The kind that will make me snap your neck.”

He scooted a daring few inches towards her, hearing how she huffed as if to humble the fluster that cascaded over her by their closer proximity.

A smell of cigarettes and gunpowder swirled around her wits as he shifted to crouch in front of her, only enabling the champagne pink on her complexion that betrayed unspoken emotions to the surface. A shit-eating grin appeared against his supple bone structure, the simper only true to the mischief that was now integral to his heart’s song. He knew exactly what he fucking was doing.

Something akin to a grunt rumbled at the back of her throat, an effort to chase away the nervous blisters in her throat, as she remained propped with her elbows on the mantle of the dirt. A slight gesture was supplied towards his battered uniform and bloodied lacerations where bubbles of crimson still crested, as if to distance the conversation, “You’re making a mess.”

“Got anywhere else I can bleed?” he deadpanned, beholding her gaze that expressed a continuing conversation of contempt, ire, and something else. Rather than have his mind amble into the bait of what if, a half-assed wave was mustered over her own tousled appearance and the injuries incurred over her exposed skin, “You look like Hell, too.”

Glancing towards her once more, he could see the bewilderment and exasperation still amidst the muck on her face from their ordeal; there was so much blood and dirt on her own olive uniform, and what skin was haloed by the moonlight. Her face was blemished with a mix of the dirt that had been flung up by their frantic, muddied dash to the outskirts of camp, and blood that may not be entirely her own. A far cry from the manicured, strait-laced girl that he met at Basic.

Then, some remissed corner of his mind took note then of how the moon’s expanding rays entangled with perfect molds in the curves of her hair, the kink of hair that brushed her forehead teasingly. His jaw lifted with a pleasant twinge at his lips after a few moments of wading in those foreign tides. Maybe that girl wasn’t too far.

“War is Hell,” she halfheartedly smiled herself, the fire and gold of frustration in her eyes dripping away as her mind relented to the exhaustion she physically felt.

“Sure is,” he exhaled with alike exhaustion, thigh incidentally nudging against own, kindling a small wildfire on her skin. The crimson that burgeoned within her cheeks, dwelled too near for the comfort of a resolve to utterly despise him — she had to, she always had — along with the smoldering cinder of something else that bided between them now.

Before any action of separation could register in her rigid muscles, he was already tilting her chin up with his finger. Her face flushed remarkably in the brilliant moonlight. Slap him, punch him, do fucking anything! an overwrought line of thoughts brimmed against her mind as the only notion of intelligent life that emitted from her was a hitched breath.

For a few obsessive seconds too long did their eyes then trail the other’s. Don’t think about how his blue eyes were fashioned from electric heavens, don’t think about his wind-tousled, blonde curls, don’t think about his how apparent his Southern roots were in his voice when he got excited, don’t think about how when he’d smile, vague dimples would crease at its edges, don’t think about how when he grazed her thigh, it felt as if stars frisked around her skin, don’t think about how he fidgets with his hands…and don’t think about how he was looking at you now — as if the entire world could crumble around them, and he wouldn’t blink.

Fuck.

“What are you doing?” an unnatural lapse of confidence rushed into her voice, a tirade of continued opposition fervent at the corners of her mind not dulled by the movement of his hand beneath her chin.

“Testing a theory,” he mused, clicking his tongue behind his teeth - a rather smug sound when paired with the subtle smirk playing on his lips.

“Care to elaborate?” there was a shard of her trademark attitude as the tinge of a wry smile cast across her expression.

“That you don’t truly hate me,” his hand loitered towards her cheek, his thumb discreetly skimming the faint line of exhaustion beneath her eye, the warmth of his finger rearing goosebumps in its dragging wake.

Y/N’s steadfast ego couldn’t acknowledge how much of a fucking hot disaster Sidney Philips was making her as she sat there, clothes fresh from a dance with the Devil, half-concussed and bloodied, with her mind frayed by her injury and by the boy in front of her. I am supposed to hate you! her gumption was stalling beneath the frazzle that anchored in her head.

“Prove it then. I don’t believe you,” the words just fell out of her mouth before she could even stop to reflect before blurting it.

Sidney drew her face completely to his own, pressing his lips fervidly against hers. Her subconscious yearned to memorize every inch of his warm lips and how his hands were situated on her. She then tread a few fingers through his disheveled hair, his breathing almost instantaneously steadying with the slight yanks at the tufts of his hair brushing his neck.

“What about now, Sergeant?” he more or less panted after a few moments, both of their lips fairly swollen pink. His broad eyes sought around hers so acutely, as if anticipating rejection.

“More than I’d like to admit,” Y/N murmured, a tentative shiver poured over her spine at the warm breath that flittered against her skin as he laughed.

And, somewhere over the ramshackle barbed fence of the camp, watching after being jolted awake by the pair’s ruckus, Hoosier bitterly flung a fresh carton of Lucky Strikes at Leckie’s head.

#hbo war #hbo war imagine #hbowar #the pacific #the pacific imagine #the pacific hbo

[roxannarambles]

teal mask fixit-fic on the fly part 9

(Current story so far: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 -

Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8)

"Why am I here again?"

The two students wandered through the small park under the shade of the trees.

"Wow, Arven, can't I just want to go for a walk with one of my friends?"

"Yeah . . . you can, but I know you had me come out here for a reason."

Nemona caved quickly.

"Fine, yeah, I did. But I think you're gonna like this! Because I had a great idea. We're gonna try to find the Loyal Three!"

They stopped. Arven stared at her.

"Nemona . . . did you not pay attention to the little story? You know they're dead, right? The Loyal Three are right there. Buried under ground?"

He gestured at the little monument placed atop the pokemon graves, not too far from where they stood. Nemona rolled her eyes.

"Yeah I know that Arven, I didn't mean it literally. But look, I was thinking, from the descriptions these pokemon sounded pretty powerful. Maybe we could find others of their same species! So I wanted to gather all the information we could about them. Look for any hints as to where we might search for more of their kind."

Arven frowned.

"I dunno. Sometimes powerful pokemon seem to be a one-off sort of deal. There might not be any others."

"I know, but isn't it worth trying? They might just be really rare! That happens a lot too, people think there's only one and then there turn out to be more."

Arven was forced to admit that was true.

"Yeah, I guess so. Although honestly, if you're looking for strong pokemon, I'm surprised you're not trying to hunt down Ogerpon? I mean, that one's confirmed to actually be around."

Nemona chuckled,

"Oh believe me, I tried. Me and Juliana looked all over! Especially where you first spotted it. And also at the place rumored to be Ogerpon's den, and Paradise Barrens, and the Infernal Pass, and Oni's Maw . . . so on, so on. I wanted to ask Kieran more about it, too, but he's been hiding in his room all day."

Arven sighed.

"Yeah. I'm a bit worried about him, to be honest."

Nemona nodded,

"Same. I thought maybe if we found Ogerpon again, his family might let us show it to him and he'd feel better. But that plan kinda got wrecked, so maybe one of the Loyal Three would be good enough?"

Arven considered that. He shrugged.

"Eh, I guess it's worth a shot. What do you know so far on these guys?"

Nemona clasped her hands together, excited.

"Okay!! So far, not a ton. I've been talking to people in town, but mostly they just talked about folklore type stuff. The one called Munkidori is supposed to bring you success in your classes or career if you worship him. They said he used to be very dim-witted until he wished for wisdom. The one called Okidogi is supposed to bring success in relationships, and apparently he used to be small and weak until he wished for strength. And then Fezadip-- uh, Fezanti-- er-- Fezandipi? Um . . ."

She waved a hand,

"Whatever, the bird one, that one used to be ugly until he wished for beauty, and worshipping him brings you good luck and serendipity! Oh, wait. Fezandipiti! I just got that. Haha, that's cute."

Arven raised a brow.

"Okay . . . well. Is that it?"

Nemona glanced down at her phone.

"That's most of it. I also have notes about their physical appearances and personalities and some places that people thought they might like to hang out? It'll all pretty vague though. I was hoping that taking a closer look at the monument might tell us more."

They approached the humble little monument in the far edge of the park. It had a trio of stone statues-- a monkey, a dog and a bird, adorned with handknitted decorations. Nemona leanded down and studied the statues very closely, while Arven read the nearby plaque.

"Long ago, these three courageous pokemon blah blah blah . . . protected the town, defeated the Ogre, yadda yadda. Nothing useful."

"Hmmm."

Arven stood beside Nemona to examine the statues as well. After a long pause, he said,

"Not to be a killjoy, but what exactly do you hope to accomplish by staring at these statues?"

Nemona stood back up and groaned.

"I dunno . . . I guess you're right."

She gave the statues another mournful glance.

"It's not like they're gonna spontaneously appear here or something. I wish they would, though."

There was a deep rumbling, the ground beneath the trainer's feet shaking. Both of them startled.

"Wh-wha? Earthquake?!"

The rumbling increased, growing louder and louder, until the ground right in front of Nemona and Arven-- centered on the Loyal Three's monument-- split completely open, tearing the monument apart entirely. They gasped as they watched three figures claw their way from the dirt and out into the open air.

A monkey, a dog, and a bird. Perfectly healthy and whole.

Nemona and Arven gaped in disbelief at the trio of pokemon.

"N-nemona, are they . . ."

Nemona scrambled for her pokeballs, but the three legendaries were incredibly quick; they were off and running in the direction of the town (well, the bird flew) before Nemona could even whip her Pawmot out.

"AFTER THEM!" she yelled, taking off running.

"Wait, Nemona, what the heck is going on?!"

"NO CLUE! C'MON!"

In Mossui Town, Penny and Juliana were sitting on one of the stone walls, just chilling.

"Carmine ever say when her grandpa's gonna be done with fixing that mask?"

"Mmm, she said it'd be ready soon."

"Cool."

Penny sipped her lemonade.

"If you can't find the ogre how do you plan giving it back?"

"Just gonna leave it in its den."

"Ah. Yeah I guess that works."

Juliana slurped her own lemonade.

"Y'know it's pretty quiet around here. I kinda like it."

"Yeah? I think it's kinda boring. I wish something would happen."

"Juliana, c'mon. Be careful of what you wish for."

"What? I mean it. It's so--"

The ground began to shake.

"Whoa, hey, earthquake?"

"I guess?"

Not long after, they watched as a trio of pokemon rushed down the path from the apple orchard, then ran right by them through town, across the bridge and up the path towards Kitakami Hall.

"Um . . ."

"Penny, am I crazy or did those kinda look like . . . y'know."

"Yeah, they kinda did."

They watched as Nemona and Arven went tearing down the hill next, stopping short as they entered town. Nemona demanded,

"JULES! PENNY! Did you see the Loyal Three run through here?!"

Then she gasped for breath, looking like she was about to pass out. Arven reached out and prevented her from collapsing, saying,

"Easy, Nemona, they're not worth dying over!"

Penny answered,

"Yeah, they went that direction, towards Kitakami Hall."

Nemona panted,

"Quick, we gotta catch up to them!"

"I got you, girl," Juliana said, tossing her pokeball and releasing Koraidon. As Juliana and Nemona climbed aboard, Arven groaned,

"Oh man, do we really gotta--"

"GET ON OR EAT DUST, ARVEN."

Penny hopped onto Koraidon from the wall. Arven sighed,

"Fine, fine, jeez."

As the bright red lizard motorbike went tearing through town, Nemona shouted,

"Wait, we should swing by Carmine's house and tell her too!"

Soon they had pulled up in front of her house-- she happened to just step out into the front yard-- and were shouting at Carmine.

"Carmine, the Loyal Three are alive?? Somehow??"

"Wh-what?!"

"We gotta go after them!"

"Never mind that, Kieran's stolen the mask!"

"What?!"

"We have to go find him!"

"But the Loyal Three--"

"What's wrong with you, they're dead!"

"They're now undead!"

"We don't have time for this crap!"

"Agreed, get on!"

"On-- on that thing??"

Seated furthermost at the back, Arven reached a hand out.

"If you wanna find him fast, you better just come aboard."

Carmine made a displeased grunt but made her mind up quickly, grabbing hold of his hand. He hauled her up, although there was not much room left and she was sandwiched between Arven and Penny, more in Arven's lap than actually on Koraidon.

"Gun it, Jules!"

They went tearing off down the road, Carmine screaming.

"If I fall to my death I'm going to kill you guys!"

The four teens screeched to a stop at Kitakami Hall, seeing that a crowd of people had gathered there. They called to the Caretaker and the Caretaker told them,

"You just missed them! The Loyal Three were here, in the flesh! Such a remarkable blessing on this day. We welcomed them and fed them our most prized mochi and presented them with their Masks--"

"You fed them?! And gave them the masks?!"

"Aw, crap."

"I can't believe this. They're really alive again? This is ridiculous."

Confused, the Caretaker asked,

"I-is there something amiss?"

"Where are they now?"

The Caretaker pointed.

"They headed off as a group, towards the Oni Mountains."

Carmine suddenly gasped.

"Wait. You guys, I just realized where Kieran's probably run off to with the mask! This is awful!"

"You mean--"

"The Ogre's Den!"

"And the Loyal Three are probably--"

"We gotta go, now!"

They ran along the path through the Oni Mountains like they had death itself nipping at their heels. The most terrifying portion was when Juliana decided to continue running full tilt over the narrow stone catwalk that passed over the canyon, but Koraidon navigated it expertly and screeched to a halt in front of Ogerpon's den.

They had been correct. The Loyal Three were indeed here to harass Ogerpon for its final mask. And, it seemed, Kieran was here too-- the young teen had wedged himself into the den's entrance, while the three pokemon cried angrily and threatened him. The bird was pecking at him, and the monkey seemed to be charging up an attack.

"HEY! Why don't you three pick on somebody your own size?" Carmine yelled, jumping from Koraidon. She sent her Sinistcha out.

Juliana jumped down and sent out her Volcarona.

Then Nemona sent out her Pawmot. Arven sent out his Mabosstiff. Penny sent out her Sylveon.

Koraidon stood on his hind legs, unfurrowing his feathery crests and hissing.

The Loyal Three quickly lost all nerve, outnumbered and outmatched. They turned tail and fled in different directions, escaping too fast for the trainers to keep track of where they went. It didn't matter for the moment, though, as they had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Kiki, are you okay?!"

Carmine rushed over and crouched down, helping Kieran stand back up. Looking frightened but mostly uninjured, the boy stammered,

"I-I think so . . . they were trying to hurt Ogerpon, a-and I tried stopping them, but they defeated all my pokemon, s-so I . . ."

He trailed off. Carmine gently touched the light scratches on his cheek. She stated,

"So you guarded the den yourself."

He nodded meekly. She peered over his shoulder, asking,

"And how's Ogerpon?"

"S-she's okay, I think . . . she ran into her den when they got here."

Carmine took a few steps into the den to confirm that with her own eyes. She quickly re-immerged, saying,

"Yeah, it looks scared but okay."

The other teens looked relieved. Carmine continued,

"Which is good, because that means I can ask you WHAT THE HELL YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE DOING?!"

She turned on Kieran with rage.

"I-I--"

"You scared me half to death, running off like that! How could you be so dense--"

"Well how could you be so awful?!" Kieran suddenly shouted back, startling Carmine so much she fell silent. She stared for a moment in shock and then opened her mouth, but he kept shouting.

"ALL of you! I heard everything, you know! All your secret meetings that you had without me! How could you all keep such important secrets from me?! Knowing how important Ogerpon is to me!"

Carmine yelled right back at him,

"We didn't tell you 'cause we were worried you'd do something really stupid, and guess what, ya dingus, you did!"

Kieran glared daggers and snapped,

"I stole the mask because I didn't trust any of you to return it to Ogerpon!"

Carmine gave a short, bitter laugh.

"That's stupid! Why would we bother repairing it if we weren't gonna give it back?"

"I don't know, you mighta decided to just put it up on display like all the others! It's not like you gave those back either when you learned the truth, did you?"

"If we did that the whole village would have been in an uproar, you moron!"

"Hey, hey, guys, come on, let's not fight," Juliana said, stepping in,

"The important thing is everyone's safe now, right?"

The siblings glanced at her, clearly not agreeing. Carmine bickered,

"No thanks to him! Running off alone like that--"

"Me?! No thanks to you, hiding the truth all this time--"

There was a frightened little whimper, and Kieran stopped short. He looked into the den, where Ogerpon was curled into a ball, shaking.

All the vitriol left Kieran at once, his expression shifting into one of sorrow.

"Ogerpon . . . I-I'm . . . I'm sorry . . . we're scaring her . . ."

Carmine glanced away, her anger muted and looking a little guilty. Gently, Juliana said,

"Look, Carmine, I know you were worried, but Kieran's safe now. Okay? He obviously was just trying to do what he thought was best for Ogerpon."

Carmine grumbled.

"I guess."

Juliana stepped a little closer to Kieran. She said quietly,

"And Kieran, you were right."

He looked to her, surprised. She said,

"It was wrong of us to hide this from you. I do believe your family truly were doing it with the best of intentions, but it was still wrong-- so for that, and for my role in it, I really am sorry."

She glanced to her classmates. They all nodded, agreeing. Kieran's shoulders had been squared, but they now relaxed and he glanced away. Quietly, he said,

"You . . . you all did come to save Ogerpon when she was in danger, so . . . I guess I overreacted a little. I'm sorry too."

Carmine sighed. She nudged Kieran a little.

"Hey. Don't look so down. Did you get to give Ogerpon her mask yet? I bet that'll cheer her up."

Kieran frowned, looking worried.

"I-I tried to . . . but that's when the other pokemon got here. She was just about to take it when they scared her back into her den."

He reached into the little cave's entrance and took up the mask that had been propped there. It looked to be in perfect condition, its gems shining brilliantly in the light; Kieran's grandfather had apparently finished repairs just before he'd stolen it. Gently, Carmine suggested,

"Well, maybe now that things have settled down, she'd like it back?"

Kieran looked into the cave nervously.

"I'll try . . ."

Tentatively, Kieran stepped forward.

"Ogerpon? . . . Everything's okay now. My friends scared all the bad guys away. You can come out now."

The others came closer to watch; Ogerpon was still huddled in the far corner of her cave. She looked at Kieran with wide, frightened eyes.

"It's okay, Ogerpon . . . do you want your mask back?"

He took a few more steps forward, holding the mask out. Ogerpon made a scared little squeak and hid her face. Kieran looked crestfallen.

"She's scared of me."

"Oh, Kiki, she's just been through a lot lately. I'm sure she'll want it later when she's calmed down," Carmine said. He came out of the cave, his shoulders slumped.

"I dunno. She was like that when I first got here, too. She didn't trust me."

"Well she's only just met you, Kiki!"

Her brother slid down to the ground to sit, staring gloomily at the Teal Mask in his hands. Carmine made a 'tsk' noise and turned, saying,

"Arven, why don't you try giving Operpon the mask back?"

Arven blinked at her, asking,

"Me? Why me?"

She crossed her arms and answered,

"Because! When we first saw Ogerpon, it looked like you were pretty good at talking to her. Look, somebody's gotta do it, or else Kieran's gonna just sulk here the rest of the day--"

"--all right, all right! I'll give it a try."

He shuffled forward and looked down at Kieran.

"Would that be all right with you?" he asked quietly. Kieran hesitated, but eventually nodded. He held the mask out wordlessly.

Arven took it. He went to the cave's entrance, gazing in at the frightened pokemon. Then he glanced behind himself at the others, who were crowded round.

"Maybe everyone could, um . . . give her a little space? I have a feeling she might be nervous with so many eyes on her."

The others backed off awkwardly, leaving the cave entrance vacant, and Arven took a few more steps into the cave. Then he paused there a moment.

"Hey there," he said, softly.

The little pokemon had her face buried in her hands, but she looked up at the sound of Arven's voice.

"Hi," he repeated, giving a little wave. The pokemon flinched a little at the gesture.

"Hey, it's okay, bud. I won't come any closer if you don't want me to."

Arven set his bag down and then slid to the floor to sit. Ogerpon watched him closely.

"I'm sorry about all the yelling. Actually, to tell you the truth, I hate it when people yell too," he said, with a dry laugh.

"It's not your fault though. I promise."

The pokemon swayed anxiously on her feet. Arven studied her a little. After a bit, he mused aloud,

"Ya know, it's funny that you just happened to show up at that festival when my friends and I came to visit. Guess we were just lucky, huh? Or maybe . . . I dunno, maybe you just got so tired of being alone that it was finally enough to win out over your fears."

The pokemon crept forward just a little bit more. Arven could finally see her face properly for the first time through the costume-like leaf that covered her body. She had bright yellow eyes-- wide and innocent-- and a tiny pair of fangs, her face a vivid orange.

"You're a cute little rascal, aren't you? Honestly I don't get how anyone could be scared of you. Not that I mean you aren't tough, of course. You probably could have given those bullies a run for their money."

Ogerpon seemed to be much more at ease now. Arven zipped open a pouch on his bag.

"Hey, I've got something special to share, if you'd like. I don't give these out to many people, but you can be an exception."

He took a Leichi berry from his bag. At first, Ogerpon startled, anxious over what Arven was doing.

"It's okay, bud, it's just a berry."

He held the berry out. Ogerpon inched forward, gazing at it with her bright eyes.

"These are pretty good, if I do say so myself. I fought off a whole pack of Poochyena for them!"

Ogerpon took the berry with a sudden grab and backed off a few paces. She bit into it and then made a happy little noise. Arven chuckled.

"Told ya they were good."

She finished off the berry very quickly, her little fangs stained in juice. She came forward again and sat down beside Arven, looking at him with wide eyes.

"What, you want another? Well, I was saving these for making some desserts when I went back home, but I guess one more won't hurt."

The pokemon cheerfully ate the fat berry and hopped back and forth, chirping.

"More? You're killing me, bud. You do know how rare these are, right?"

Ogerpon nibbled on Arven's bag.

"Maybe you'd like an Oran berry? How's that sound?"

He tried to offer an Oran berry to her, but she made a garbled little cry and swayed on her feet, refusing to take it.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Guess this one is a bit of a gourmand. Leichi berry it is then."

He handed another over. Fortunately for Arven, it seemed Ogerpon was satisfied with three of the berries. She sat back down, licking the juice on her hands.

"So, um . . . on another subject, I kinda have something of yours. Sorry it took us so long to get this back to you, but we wanted to repair it first."

He took the mask from his bag. Like before, Ogerpon flinched at first, but she calmed down quickly this time.

"It looks good as new! It's supposed to enhance your battle powers or something, right? Probably a good idea to have it, then."

He held it out gingerly.

Ogerpon took the mask. She touched it softly and smiled.

When Arven immerged from the cave once more, Ogerpon followed closely behind him, wearing the Teal Mask. The others cheered at the sight.

"You did it, Arven!"

"I told you he could."

"Aw, I'm glad it worked out."

The shy little pokemon clung to Arven's leg, looking out at the others. Carmine told her brother,

"See, Kiki? Looks like Ogerpon's feeling a lot better now."

It seemed everyone was glad to see Ogerpon had cheered up-- everyone except Kieran. There was a tension in his expression when he looked at her. He muttered,

"Yeah . . ."

Carmine gave an annoyed huff.

"What's wrong now?"

Kieran turned away. He mumbled,

"I just . . . don't understand why she likes Arven, but she doesn't like me."

Arven quickly countered,

"That's not true, she's just a shy little gal."

"You said the Loyal Three arrived at the same time you tried to give the mask back, Kieran?" Juliana asked. Kieran glanced to her and nodded reluctantly.

"It's possible Ogerpon accidentally associated you with the Loyal Three attack," Juliana said gently,

"It was probably very scary and confusing for her, and she didn't understand what was going on."

Kieran's expression dropped into a look of horror.

"Y-you think so?"

Juliana tried to quickly reassure him.

"It's possible, but it's okay, Kieran. I'm sure she'll still warm up to you. You just need to give her a little time."

Her comforts seemed to fall on deaf ears. Kieran suddenly said,

"She probably doesn't trust me because I failed to protect her!"

Looking very frustrated, Carmine shot back,

"Kiki, that's not even true! You risked your life to keep her safe!"

"But my whole team fell, and if you guys didn't come when you did, they would have gotten to her--"

"KIERAN--"

"Whoaaa there, let's not get back into arguing," Juliana cut in.

"Yeah, agreed," Arven said, giving a pointed look towards the pokemon clutching his leg. Carmine sighed and started again at a quieter volume,

"Kiki--"

"I have an idea!" Nemona announced, cutting Carmine off. Everyone looked to Nemona; she had her hands balled into fists as she excitedly proclaimed,

"We should go track down the Loyal Three! As long as they're out there, they're gonna be a threat to Ogerpon, right? So we should go find them! Also, OH, also," she began to pace,

"The Caretaker said they gave them those masks back, so maybe we could get those back at the same time!"

Carmine crossed her arms and frowned.

"That's . . . a good point, actually."

"Those masks originally belonged to Ogerpon, right?" Arven asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

"So maybe we can give them all back to Ogerpon!" Nemona concluded.

Kieran seemed to like the idea, but he shook his head. He said,

"But everyone in the village would notice. You told me that was the reason you hadn't already returned them."

Nemona said,

"Oh. Right. Shoot."

Penny spoke up,

"Well, maybe not?" The group looked to her.

"As far as they know, they've returned the masks to their three guardian patrons. But if we don't tell anyone that we've chased them all down and taken them back . . ."

Nemona beamed,

"Yeah! That's perfect!"

Carmine smirked a little.

"Beat 'em up and take back what's ours? Yeah, I think I'm down for that."

". . . how do we find them, though?" Kieran asked.

Nemona flashed them all a grin.

"Don't worry, I've been doing my homework, unlike all you other slackers."

"Nerd."

"And I've gathered a ton notes on where the Loyal Three are likely to go. We'll split up into three teams of two, and head out in the different directions! That way we can cover the most ground at once and hopefully get the masks back as quickly as possible."

Kieran glanced back warily at the little pokemon hiding behind Arven.

"I think Ogerpon should go with one of us. Just in case they try to come back and hurt her again."

Arven nodded.

"That's good thinking, Kieran. How 'bout this, you and me can make a team and she can come with us?"

Kieran agreed. The others split off into teams as well and figured out where they were going to search.

Then they were off, delving into the wilds of Kitakami, hoping to track down their quarry.

At Wisteria Pond, team Julinemo had an easy time tracking down and dealing with Munkidori. Once they worked out it was Poison/Psychic, it fell quickly to Juliana's Corviknight and Nemona's Orthworm.

"That was almost a bit disappointing," Nemona sighed, once the defeated Legendary had escaped. She wasn't even all that upset that the monkey had given them the slip.

"Yeah, it was a bit weak, huh? Even souped up on those mystic herbs. Maybe we ended up with the easiest one of the three."

Nemona checked her phone, looking worried.

"If that's the case . . . I hope the others don't have too hard a time."

Meanwhile . . .

Carmine and Penny found Fezandipiti in Fellhorn Gorge, after a bit of a hike and a lot of scanning the skies. Carmine sighed in relief when they spotted it.

"Good. I did not want to be the only team that failed to get a mask back."

She turned to her partner and said,

"You're . . . Penny, right? You're my favorite Naranja kid out of the lot."

Penny gave her a confused look.

"I am? But we haven't even spoken to each other until now?"

"Exactly," Carmine said, taking a pokeball from her bag.

"Anyway, let's go make this bird sorry for ever leaving its grave."

The two girls approached their foe and quickly formed a plan; Penny sent out her Jolteon and Carmine sent out Morpeko. Yet, they were shocked when their electric moves did incredibly little.

"What the heck kind of bird is this?"

"Maybe it's not Flying-type?"

Carmine scoffed, gesturing at the pokemon.

"What do you mean? It's flying, isn't it? How couldn't it be Flying type?"

"Plenty of Pokemon that can fly aren't flying type. Venomoth, Magnemite, Garchomp . . ."

"Okay, smartass, I know that, I'm just saying-- wait, Garchomp can fly?! Since when?"

Penny recalled her Jolteon.

"Let's stay focused on the battle. It's been using Beat Up, so maybe it's Dark type?"

Penny sent out her Sylveon and tried using Moonblast, but Fezandipiti hardly even batted an eye at the powerful move.

"That's . . . concerning. Sylveon is my strongest pokemon."

The bird gave a cry, striking both its foes with Disarming Voice. Carmine had been battering away with Matcha Gotcha with equally feeble results.

"Ugh, Sinistcha, use Scald!"

"Sylveon, Baby-Doll Eyes!"

Fezandipiti gave another cry, hitting both its opponents again with the soundwave.

"Why are you wasting your time with stupid Baby-Doll Eyes?! You can see how little we're doing, we need to hit the damn thing!"

Penny lifted a brow and answered her mildly,

"Okay, you need to work on your anger issues, seriously. Baby-Doll Eyes actually helps us a lot here, this is probably gonna be a long battle."

Carmine scowled.

"Not if I can help it."

She recalled her Sinistcha, saying,

"It keeps using that annoying Disarming Voice so I bet it's Fairy type. Which means I get to introduce it to my brand-new ace."

Flinging a ball, she released a large black lizard streaked in hot pink. She called,

"Salazzle! Use Sludge Wave!"

Penny's eyes widened and she said,

"What, wait--"

It was too late; Salazzle quickly created a massive wave of toxic water, sending it out in all directions. The move struck Fezandipiti but did woefully little to it.

Slyveon wasn't quite so lucky. The wave of poison had the little Fairy-type writhing in agony. It didn't actually faint, but then Fezandipiti decided to rub salt in the wound by hitting Slyveon with a Cross Poison, and that was certainly enough to finish it off and for it return to Penny's pokeball.

"What the hell, Carmine?!"

"What?!"

"You don't just go around using Sludge Wave when you have an ally, you freak! Especially when your ally is Sylveon!"

Carmine looked surprised at how angry Penny was, as if she didn't expect it from her. Despite that, she still sassed back,

"We could have ended the battle right then and there, it's not like it would have mattered!"

Penny gestured at their opponent,

"Looks like it's still going on to me!"

"Well I was wrong, so sue me! It was a decent guess!"

Penny sighed, removing her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Someone really needs to teach you how to play well with others."

Fezandipiti struck Salazzle and Carmine cringed at what looked like a critical hit.

"I'm a sitting Ducklett out here as the only target, Penny--"

"Oh so now you want an ally?"

Carmine growled,

"We can argue after the battle, all right, for now let's just finish this!"

Penny sighed again and sent out another pokemon.

"Salazzle, use Flamethrower!"

"Flareon, Fire Spin!"

The flames engulfed their foe, but it still did not fall. Penny shook her head and said,

"Jeez, this thing has to have ridiculous special defense."

They watched as the bird swooped down low and landed on the ground before them, a soft glow enveloping its body. Carmine shouted,

"NO! Seriously?!"

Penny's reaction was not as loud, but she did groan-- she wasn't any happier with the battle being extended with Roost.

"Salazzle, return!"

"Flareon, Baby-Doll Eyes!"

Carmine sent out her Mightyena, and she looked like she was rapidly losing all patience.

"Mightyena, use Take D--"

She stopped short, hesitating for some reason. She glanced at Penny, then away, apparently pondering something-- then sighed. Her voice was strangely awkward as she asked,

"Um, d-does your Flareon have any physical moves?"

Penny nodded at her slowly.

"Yeah . . . Flare Blitz."

Carmine nodded, then turned back to Mightyena. In a calmer tone, she said,

"Okay, Mightyena. Use Howl."

The canine's cry pierced the air, raising the attack of both Mightyena and Flareon. Penny gave Carmine a surprised look.

"What? You wanted me to be a team player, right?"

Penny smiled at her.

Carmine said,

"Keep spamming those dumb Baby-Doll Eyes, I'll keep spamming the Howls. Let's finish this."

Penny nodded,

"Right!"

Meanwhile . . .

Arven and Kieran had the longest hike of the three teams by far. They had to travel all the way out into the Paradise Barrens before turning up the final member of the Loyal Three. When they finally spotted the huge green canine, Arven cheerfully patted Kieran on the shoulder, saying,

"There he is, I told you we'd find him eventually! Hard to miss something that big."

Kieran had been very quiet the whole trip, but he nodded gratefully now, saying quietly,

"You were right. Thank you for helping us find him."

"Of course! I'm a bit of a Titan pokemon expert, you know, so if you're worried about the battle, I'm sure things will go fine! We just gotta work together and--"

Kieran turned away from Arven, interrupting,

"Actually, I'd like to face Okidogi alone, if you don't mind."

Arven balked.

"Wh-what?"

Kieran began to approach the legendary, Arven following quickly behind him.

"I have to prove myself for Ogerpon. She needs to know I can protect her."

"Kieran, I'm sure Ogerpon knows--"

Kieran stopped so suddenly that Arven almost ran into him; the young teen shot Arven a gaze that was disturbingly cold.

"How do you know that? Did she tell you?"

"U-uh . . . no?"

Kieran nodded, looking to the innocent little grass type that still followed closely behind Arven.

"Yeah. Thought so. So maybe don't assume you know what she thinks and feels."

Arven stared, at a loss as to how to respond. After a few beats, Kieran said,

"Look, after I messed up the last time, I need to prove I can defeat at least one of Ogerpon's enemies. Please, Arven."

Arven looked to the nearby legendary, clearly not liking this at all. But he fought back against all his reservations, and eventually nodded.

"All right, I'll stay out of it. For now. If you get into a tight spot, though, I'm still gonna bail you out."

Kieran gave a single nod and then turned. He walked out into the clearing where Okidogi was lounging.

When the pokemon noticed him, it stood quickly to its full height and growled, leering down at him with sharp teeth and a vicious gaze. The shadow from the pokemon fell over Kieran and engulfed his entire body.

Kieran took a pokeball from his bag, fighting to keep his hand from shaking. He squeezed his eyes shut, holding the pokeball tightly.

Then he threw it. His lead pokemon appeared.

"Yanmega, Bug Buzz!"

The speedy insect sent a shockwave out, striking the canine, but the move didn't seem to even tickle. The dog made a noise that was alarmingly close to a laugh and then lashed out savagely with a Poison Jab. The dragonfly cried weakly and immediately fainted.

Kieran's eyes widened. Not a great start.

Clearly rattled, Kieran sent out his Poliwrath. Arven guessed it was his ace pokemon, based on the fight he'd watched earlier between Kieran and Juliana.

"Poliwrath, use Brick Break!"

The beefy water type leapt forward and struck Okidogi with a powerful chop.

They watched as Okidogi began to glow orange, raising one of its mighty fists; it sent its fist crashing down on Poliwrath with incredible force. Poliwrath was knocked clean backwards, immediately fainting from the Counter.

Worried, Arven couldn't help but call out,

"Kieran--"

His voice high and taut, he yelled back,

"No, let me do this, I can still do this!"

He sent out Cramorant, calling,

"Th-thrash!"

The bird flapped its wings and ran directly towards the huge dog without any hesitation. When it reached its foe it began to peck and beat at it with its wings, as furiously at the little bird could muster.

Okidogi looked more annoyed then genuinely hurt by the attack. It lowered its head and bit down on the bird, hard, its sharp teeth sinking into the poor creature.

Cramorant cried feebly but continued its attack as well as it could manage, flailing and pecking-- but it soon fainted.

"Okay, I'm really sorry, Kieran, but I gotta help you out here!"

Arven rushed to Kieran's side, but the boy stubbornly argued,

"I need to defeat him, you don't understand, I can't have help!"

"We all need help sometimes, Kieran, Ogerpon isn't going to think less of you for that!"

Ignoring him, Kieran tossed a ball, sending out his dragon type.

"Dipplin, Syrup Bomb, quick!"

Unfortunately, 'quick' was not a thing that Dipplin excelled in. Okidogi hit the little dragon with a Poison Jab, the apple rolling away for quite some distance. When the dragon poked its head back out, it looked weak and dizzy from poisoning. It still managed to fire a red, goopy shot at Okidogi, but the grass move didn't do much to faze it.

"O-okay, Dipplin, try Dragon Pulse!" Okidogi stomped up and smashed Dipplin with a second Poison Jab before it could react.

"No!" Kieran cried as the pokemon returned to its ball.

He looked devastated. Arven told him calmly,

"It's all right, Kieran. We'll beat him together."

He threw one of his own pokeballs.

"Mabosstiff, we need your help! I know he looks big but the bigger they are, the harder they fall-- we can do this! Use Psychic Fangs, boy!"

Mabosstiff turned to face his foe and barked defiantly. Okidogi growled in return.

Mabosstiff charged headlong at its foe. Okidogi swung a fist, but before the attack could connect Mabosstiff latched its jaws down on its hand, biting hard.

Okidogi howled in pain. It swung its hands together and smashed at Mabosstiff, with the shuddering impact of a Counter. Mabosstiff's fierce grip slackened and he fainted.

"It's okay, you did good, boy," Arven said, recalling the pokemon. Okidogi whined, licking his injured paw.

"Why did your pokemon do so much more damage?" Kieran asked, the frustration clear in his voice. Arven shrugged,

"Well, I was guessing this big brute's either Poison or Fighting type."

Kieran balled a fist, shouting,

"But I was so sure it's a Dark type! They're evil, all three of them-- it just makes sense!"

"It was a good guess, Kieran, but you saw how little your Bug and Fighting moves did to it."

Okidogi stood back up to its full height. It was glaring down at the two humans, snarling.

"Ooh boy, he looks mad. Quick, Kieran, we'd better send something else out."

Arven tossed a pokeball, releasing his Scovillain. When Kieran sent out his last pokemon, Arven turned to him.

"A Gligar, perfect! Use a Flying or Ground move, Kieran, let's hit him where it hurts!"

"O-okay . . . Gligar, Dual Wingbeat!"

"Scovillain, Zen Headbutt!"

The pokemon closed in and attacked Okidogi at once, Gligar swooping in and striking with its batlike wings at Okidogi's head, Scovillain smashing into Okidogi's torso with a pair of glowing heads. The dog howled and flailed, whipping its arms around. The Poison Jab caught Scovillain in the face(s) and it soon fainted to the move.

"Great work, Kieran, keep it up-- we have him now!"

Arven threw a ball, sending his Toedscruel into the fray.

"Gligar, Dual Wingbeat!"

"Toedscruel, let's teach this dog to sit and stay! Use Earth Power!"

Toedscruel's long tendrils wriggled down into the earth, and not long after, a volcanic blast of energy erupted beneath Okidogi's feet; meanwhile, Gligar dove at Okidogi's head, its wings slicing the air with a sharp noise before hitting its target.

Finally, the large canine succumbed to his attackers, staggering and then falling, collapsing onto the ground.

"Yeah! We did it!" Arven cheered, patting Kieran on the shoulders roughly.

"I knew we could do it together, little bud! Let's go see if he has that mask!"

The two trainers were indeed able to retreive the stolen mask from the oversized pokemon. Arven suggested that Kieran try giving the mask back to Ogerpon.

Kieran looked very reluctant, but he tried it anyway. Ogerpon's first reaction was to shy away, apparently still anxious about Kieran approaching her. But with Arven comforting Ogerpon a little and encouraging her, she eventually accepted the mask from Kieran.

When she did, Arven took a selfie with the three of them. Ogerpon wore her returned mask, chirping happily, while Arven grinned at the camera with a Victory sign, arm slung over Kieran.

Kieran's gaze was elsewhere, though, his eyes sad and his face stony.

#pokemon #pokemon s/v #pokemon scarlet/violet #the teal mask #pokemon spoilers #the teal mask fix it fic #yooooo finally posting this part #lotsa battles in this #nemona/juliana battle was pretty much skipped but I give those girls all the focus normally so it's fine #fun fact I literally did not understand fezandipiti's name until I was reading my fanfic outloud for proofing reasons and then it clicked

[cheerstotheelites-if]

Oooo, prompt time again! Here's a fluff one from the master list.

"I got these because I know they're your favorite."

W/ Ophelia ❤️

I honestly have no idea what master list you were looking at, Anon, because I know I rb'd the enemies to lovers one and was expecting a prompt related to it. 😭

Though this is fine too, don't worry. 👌

~•~•~

Gifts are something foreign in the Edevane household.

It was never a love language to begin with, often instead resorting to words or a simple pat on the shoulder.

It's the void of that language that Ophelia grew up living with, and a reason why expectations are held so low on receiving, well, anything material. She doesn't outright asks, but the yearning seeps through the cracks every now and then. She wouldn't mind receiving a gift, even if it was something simple like a standard pencil, she would treasure it for life.

Alas, Ophelia knows the possibilities of such wishful thinking are just that, wishful thinking. No one's going to give the weird girl, who's into strong gore and monsters, something so pleasant.

Besides, trash deserves trash, right?

Isn't it how that's supposed to work?

Ophelia blinks out of her confusion, as she looks up from the gift bag that you're currently showing her, then back to you. There is a smile on your face, excited and eager.

"I..." Ophelia starts, only to trail off for a moment as her confusion returns again. "Congratulations to you?"

"What? No." You huff, the hand holding the gift bag falling to your side as you pout. "I got you a gift, Ophelia."

Her eyebrows raise in both surprise and the still lingering confusion. "Oh."

Really? 'Oh'? That's it? Ophelia holds back the urge to grimace at herself. Gods above, why is she so awkward? Why did the Pantheon made her to be awkward?

"You sound disappointed." You say, more of an observation than taking offense.

"No, I'm just—!" Ophelia vaguely made some gestures as she tries to grasp her next words. "—just surprised... and confused. Why give me a gift...?"

"Well, I just want to." You simply state, smile returning and offered up the gift bag. "Here. I hope you like it."

Hesitantly, Ophelia's hands reach out, gingerly taking the gift bag from your hand. She opens it, both not expecting much, yet at the same time curious to what it is.

...

Oh.

This is...

She pulls out a set of charcoal pencils from the gift bag. It's an expenive set, with metal case and brand name in gold, and all.

"How..." She looks at you, eyes wide in disbelief. "How did you get this? Don't tell me you loaned from Fleur."

"Oh gods no!" You exclaim immediately. "I'd still be paying her until my death bed because of how much interest it'll stack. I just saved up my allowance for a while." You simply shrug. "I saw you eyeing it a few weeks ago, so I just thought, why not surprise you?"

Ophelia frowns a bit. "You really didn't have to do that. I could've just bought them on my own."

"Well, yeah, but I did it anyway." You grin at her, hands on your waist now. "I got them, because I know that brand of charcoal pencils are your favorite."

Ophelia stands there for a moment, staring at you in shock. Her head dips down to her chest not too long after, the tip of her ears reddening heavily.

"You're forever going to be an enigma to me." Ophelia mumbles out.

#prompt #MC #Ophelia