#everybody went berserk on this chapter

[moonsplit]

↠ do you ever get a little bit tired of life? ↞

* pairing ↠ minor Redson x MK * ao3 link *

“Where could he be?” “I don't know Tang, I didn't hear him leave.” “I didn't either!” ----- MK was missing, no one could find him despite their efforts- not even Monkey King. But his clones definitely weren't.

chapter 1 - Porty Makes an.. Unexpected Entrance

* characters ↠ Porty MK, Tang, Pigsy, MK * word count ↠ 1,400  * tags ↠ MK needs a hug, fluff, parent Pigsy and Tang, MK Clones

* notes ↠ Guys we're only at chapter one of this fic and I'm already having a lot of fun with it-

"Where could he be?!"

"I don't know Tang, I didn't hear him leave."

"I didn't either!"

Pigsy and Tang had been looking for MK all day, at first Pigsy thought he was slacking off and sleeping in- but when neither Pigsy nor Tang could find him for hours on end, tensions ran high.

“Maybe he’s with Mei?” Tang suggested not for the first time.

“We already called her, you know that!”

“Maybe Monkey King, then?”

“He would have told us, we would have at least seen him!”

It was officially the hour Pigsy’s was closed for “maintenance” (read: Tang was gonna go berserk if Pigsy didn't let himself take a break from cooking), so when they heard the door chime open- it had to be one of only a few people.

“Heeeello everybody!”

Well, it was at least MK’s voice, but-

Tang peaked around the corner and to the door, eyes scanning over him.

He had to give it to the clone, he managed to look decently like MK- his hair still neatly tucked behind his bandana, only the one bit flopping out, and his added accessories nowhere to be seen, but the cheetah-print jacket in place of his usual Monkey King one gave him away.

“Porty? Where’s MK?”

Pigsy groaned, mumbling. “Of all clones-”

“I can't tell ya old man, was hopin' you’d mistake me for him.” He gave finger guns to Tang, fangs showing through his smile. “Since you know, though-” he whipped out his sunglasses and headphones, sunglasses going over his eyes and headphones on his ears. Tang sighed.

“Why can't you tell us?” Pigsy cut in, walking to the main room.

“Orders from OG, pops.” He made a clicking sound with his mouth, switching the headphones on and slipping one of them off an ear.

“Is he safe, at least?”

“‘Course, if he was hurt I’d be too.”

Tang nodded. “So why are you here?”

“To porty!” he stuck his tongue out at the two with a grin, before promptly rushing to the office that was rarely used.

Tang and Pigsy glanced at each other before rushing after him. There were small speakers around the restaurant, playing bland music for guests, but-

Tang flinched when disorganized music far too loud for the tiny speakers started playing.

“Haha!” Porty, er- Xingyu? If Tang recalled the name MK had given him correctly- laughed, rushing out. “I need people!”

“No!” Pigsy stomped over to the office, Xingyu putting himself between the pig and the door.

“Look pops, this is my porty and I do what I want-”

“This isn't a party, kid!”

“ Porty ,” he corrected, grinning as if he had won anything.

“Whatever!”

“You’re banned from music forever,” Pigsy groaned.

“What did you just say?”

“Pigsy maybe don’t threaten him-”

“Tang!”

“Just a suggestion!” Tang laughed. “Lead him away from the door,” he whispered, covering an ear with one hand. How did Xingyu even manage to get the music that loud?

Pigsy gave him a look, trying to leap around the clone and get to the office. Xingyu followed after him, blocking his path with a grin as Tang took any chance he could to get to the door.

“Oh come on!” he practically cried out as Tang went inside, giving a small laugh.

The music was turned down, but to Tang’s credit he kept it playing the clone’s party music. Not like they had any customers to complain-

“Hey Pigsy, I’m pooped from that- mind making us some noodles for lunch?” Tang gave a smile.

“You’re insufferable.”

“You love me.”

“Sure.”

Pigsy made his way to the kitchen, Tang and Porty watching before Tang turned to the clone. “Besides partying, what do you like to do?”

“What does OG like to do?”

Tang was confused for a few moments before the word clone rang in his head. It was easy to forget the clones were meant to be copies of MK, some had just- grown their own personalities too.

“Stay at the counter,” Tang gave a half-hearted attempt to keep Xingyu in place before rushing up the stairs into his and Pigsy’s apartment.

There were two apartments above Pigsy’s restaurant, MK’s was a story higher than the one Tang and Pigsy occupied- something that had been in debate for a while. The two wanted their son to have the quickest escape route from fires and such, but also if he was closer to the shop then he was also closer to any mishaps involving it. They didn’t want him dealing with robbers-

Hah. While Tang still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of MK dealing with criminals, with everything he had done and everything he was learning, he was sure the kid could handle himself now.

He dug around his and Pigsy’s room, pulling out an old DS he hadn't touched in a while and checking the game was still in it.

He hopped down the stairs, handing it to Xingyu. “Here, it has an old Monkey King game on it.”

“Thanks old man,” the clone gave a grin.

“I’m no-” Tang cut himself off. “I’m younger than Pigsy!”.

Xingyu laughed, head throwing back with it.

Pigsy, despite grumbling about “freeloaders” and “I outta put you to work, ‘Porty’”, did actually make the three their own bowls of noodles. He even went as far as to specify them to each of their preferences-

“So, you’re sure you can’t tell us where Xiaotian is?”

Xingyu gulped down a portion of his noodles, his appetite wasn’t Delivery levels but hey, he was a growing man-

Well, he was a man-

Well-

“Nope! You’ll never get it outta me either!” He stuck his tongue out.

“You don’t seem to like being around us-”

Porty blinked slowly, squinting at Tang and his off-handed comment. “Ayo pops, has the old man always been that dumb orrr?”

Pigsy laughed, Tang smacking his arm as he swallowed a few noodles.

“Yes, he has.”

“One of you explain or I’ll personally make sure you end up in Diyu.”

Porty laughed. “I’d like to see you try!”

Tang gave an exasperated sigh and gestured to Pigsy. “Pigsy please- ”

“We’re clones of OG, we’re all gonna see you two as our dads whether you like it or not-”

It sunk in for a few moments, Xingyu growing nervous as his confidence waned.

Tang was the first to speak up. “So we have five sons?”

“More if you count the clones who aren’t as distinct as us four-” he gave a hesitant smile. This was fine, the two knew OG saw them as his dads, Sure Xingyu had never mentioned it, but hey-

Tang gave a smile. “Makes sense.”

“‘Porty’-”

“Xingyu,” he corrected with a smile. “Not that I care, but you sound like you’re gonna scold me and set a bunch of stuffy rules, so might as well use my name.”

Pigsy blinked, of course MK would choose that name for him.

“Xingyu. Don’t mess with the sound system again.”

“Booooring.”

“Tang, can you go with him on deliveries? I don’t want to deal with losing him to some party.”

Tang snickered. “What makes you think I won’t just party with him?”

“You hate loud sounds.”

Well damn, pops had him there- Porty snickered.

The whole day! The entire day, Tang and Pigsy kept him from diverging- and not for Xingyu’s lack of trying mind you! 

At every derailing, distraction, loud music, arcade, park, anything fun! There was Tang, keeping him “on task” and “you’re even worse about this than MK” and "You can't drag me into it this time" and “you can have your own party when we get home and the restaurant is closed.”

Absolute bogus!

Well, okay the last one sounded nice-

But that wasn’t the point! 

He stormed into the dim cabin, looking around for the original.

“OG! You owe me a huge porty for that- they practically kept me on a leash!”

MK looked to him with a tired smile and a yawn. “Thank you though, Porty, I just kinda-”

“I’m you too, OG,” he flicked him in the forehead. “I know what you’re thinkin' n’ shit.

“Sorry, yeah- you’re right.”

Xingyu hit him on the back of his head (affectionately, he thinks), before poofing and leaving MK once again alone with his thoughts, a dangerous thing for sure.

“Maybe I can get Delivery for tomorrow? If Xingyu had such a rough time..”

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

#Porty's name Xingyu is comprised of the characters 星/xīng (meaning star or planet) and 煜/yù (meaning brilliant. bright. glorious. or #shining) #lego monkie kid #monkie kid #fanfic #lmk fanfic #lmk fanfiction #mk clone #porty clone #porty mk #lmk tang #lmk pigsy #monkie kid fanfiction #qi xiaotian #tang lmk #pigsy lmk

[nox-artemis]

Berserk Chapter 367 Thoughts

I was pretty surprised when I found out that a new chapter was going to be released so soon. At first I thought, "hope this isn't going to be typical. I mean, hiatuses and breaks can be annoying but they're necessary for a story+illustrations that are as involved as Berserk's." Luckily I was soon filled in that the next chapter release wouldn't be until mid-August or so. Cool beans. Proceed.

Of course being the fan girl that I am - because I too have eager fan tendencies - I really want August to come quickly after what just happened.

So it's finally happened:

Griffith up and kidnapped Casca.

Maybe not entirely predictable or even a lot of people's top prediction, but I always had a feeling this would happen, especially since now more than ever Griffith's connection to Casca is more evident: is Griffith kidnapping her for his own motives or is it the Child's desire to be with his mother that is compelling Griffith to do this? It might be a very disturbing blend of both (Griffith knows that the Moonlight Boy is her son so he might be wanting to keep Casca captive so that the boy won't go so far looking for her because this is most likely Griffith's most vulnerable form OR Griffith might be seeking some weird maternal desire from Casca as explained below). And that's why this part of the trio's relationship - the one between Griffith and Casca - is the part of the story that's going to be the most troublesome, both for the characters themselves and how the writers are going to approach this mess.

For the record, I don't think Griffith is going to S.A. Casca again - at least, not with the explicit viciousness of the Eclipse. BUT I forewarn: we might be treading into some VERY messed up Freudian shit now Recap: Griffith who had some latent desire for Casca - who had obvious unrequited love for him but moved on with his friend/rival - before the Eclipse went on to R-word her very viciously to the point that his material mutated her unborn child and then he later went to body steal that kid's body, a kid that he technically shares with Casca and Guts but who is also kind of a brother now too sooooo basically Casca is up against a nigh preternatural being who is her former friend and love interest, abuser/r*pist, and son all rolled into one.

I can only hope that for whatever emotional crap Casca is going to be going up against (because even if Griffith doesn't touch her, doesn't allow her to see him, she's still in so much mental and emotional trauma from the Eclipse; like, how is she going to react to seeing just plain-ass apostles???), I hope that this situation is going to be utter hell for Griffith too. Just - I hope he doesn't take out any of his moral confusion/angst out on Casca because THIS IS NOT THE JUMP I WAS EXPECTING FROM HER HEALING ARC.

(Basically some creepy shit from American Horror Story: Asylum can happen or some creepy shit from Jessica Jones Season 1 can happen between Casca and Griffith. Lord help us.)

It might be temporary (maybe she will be rescued sooner? Like damn I need to see Casca in her armor again!), but I strongly think it's going to be a catalyst for the final confrontation between Guts and Griffith. Speaking of which I'm just wondering how Guts is going to be reacting to this in the next chapter. Like, he already hasn't really said much since chapter 365, but I do notice how this is all mirroring the events from the confrontation on the hill of swords so long ago. Guts and Griffith confront each other, Griffith is smug, Guts flies into a rage, Nosferatu Zodd comes in at the worst time which allows for Griffith to get close to Casca and - Guts has no idea how to react.

Only this time, Griffith took it a step further (but thankfully not as far as the parallel between that scene and the Eclipse went).

It's a very tragic cycle, because it seems like Guts can save Casca from everybody except a) Griffith and b) himself.

It's also very ironic because for as little as Casca thought her importance was throughout the story and how she wanted to be useful to the men around her, Casca is either mans greatest strength and weakness. It's pretty formulaic as this point too, because if the events of the Eclipse proved anything, Casca ended up becoming Griffith's sword like she had always wanted, albeit against Guts; BUT now she - and the love she has for her son - is likely going to end up being Griffith's biggest Achille's heel.

So some other side stuff: kinda confused as to how Danaan wouldn't have sensed all of the happening (unless again, this all happened just as Griffith is making his appearance and we're seeing that reaction in hindsight). As stated elsewhere, some of the paneling makes it hard to understand what's happening in the last few scenes: where did Farnese and Schierke go (why didn't they attempt to fight and keep Griffith away from Casca)? Did Guts and Casca simultaneously making contact with Griffith transport all three of them somewhere else (since it's apparent that kidnapping Casca was Griffith's motive from the start)? Also, Casca being transported to the den of beasts might provide for an opportunity for her to be reunited with Luca and her girls and possibly interactions with Charlotte (as well as Sonia. THAT'D be interesting ¬_¬).

In conclusion, the story is taking some turns I was not fully expecting. I thought we would at least get some further development with Casca's healing and her relationship with Guts on Elfhelm before all of this peace got broken. But I'm willing to stick around to see where this tale goes.

#berserk stuff #berserk 367 #spoilers #berserk spoilers

[mrsmaybank]

Crushing - Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

“Reid, stop giving JJ’s intern bedroom eyes. It fuckin’ weirds me out.”

A/N: I love baby genius, season one Reid so much. I wanted to give him a soulmate. Soulmate is you: shy and also a baby genius. Okay, thanks for reading. This was honestly just for me. 

CW: Implied Smut, Mild Cursing, shitty writing 

“Who...Who is that?” Dr. Spencer Reid, debatably the wordiest boy Derek Morgan had ever met, was suddenly at a loss for words. Maybe it was your perfectly sculpted face, your shoes, the copy of The Kreutzer Sonata held to your chest, your chest, or maybe a mix of it all.  Whatever it was, at sight of you walking through the office doors, he was stripped of his ability to speak. 

“That’s JJ’s new intern.” Morgan said plainly, before noticing the completely enamored look on his friend’s face. “What, pretty boy?” Reid couldn’t even be bothered to reply. He was too busy studying every detail of your frame. 

“You think she’s cute or something kid?” Morgan playfully jabbed his shoulder, Spencer’s face instantly flushing an embarrassing shade of red. 

“What?!” He shrieked, “I-no! That’s not..No!” That’s a lie. 

“I just..I didn’t know JJ was getting an intern.” That though, was true. 

“She’s supposed to be pretty impressive. Let’s go meet her.” he started in the direction of the coffee stand, where you and JJ had begun chatting. Before Spencer could protest out of his shyness, he was being dragged along. 

“Morgan,” JJ smiled, “Spence,” she nodded in his direction, “This is Y/N Y/L/N. My godsent savior.” JJ beamed in your direction.

You smiled more sheepishly then you would’ve liked, muttering a “Hopefully.” that got a laugh from Morgan and a “Oh, please.” from JJ, but nothing from the man in the glasses. You did your best not to read into it. 

“Derek Morgan.” the muscular agent extended his hand to shake yours, an offer you timidly but happily accepted. 

The taller, lankier, younger, incredibly cute man next to him stuffed one of his hands in his pocket and shifted uncomfortably with a small wave, “I’m uh, Doctor Spencer Reid, oh! Uh, you don’t have to, uh call me Doctor. No..” He shook his head, “Just Spencer is fine.” He looked at you with wide eyes that sent butterflies berserk in your stomach and swiped his tongue in between his lips that only made them go crazier. JJ had told you all about the team. About the magnificently brilliant Dr. Spencer Reid, his 3 PhDs and eidetic memory, and all the other quirks you’d have to know in order to work with him, but had failed to mention how utterly hot he was. You felt a crush hijacking your system already. Dear god. 

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Your hands gripped your book tighter as you shifted onto your tiptoes, “I’ve heard really exceptional things.” 

The conversation was set to continue, but Morgan and JJ were summoned by Hotch to the closed doors of his office. Leaving the resident genius and you starting at each other with tight lip smiles. 

Spencer started first, “The Kreutzer Sonata is great.” He excitedly continued, “It uh, it actually used to be a pretty bold book to carry around. After the work had been forbidden in Russia by censors, there was actually a mimeographed version that was widely circulated. Then in 1890, the United States Post Office Department prohibited the mailing of newspapers containing serialized installments of it too. Theodore Roosevelt even called Tolstoy a-” 

His enthusiasm was beyond endearing. You finished for him with a soft smile, "Sexual moral pervert.”

Spencer’s lips upturned in a smile. It was rare somebody in the office could finish his sentences. And he couldn’t help but replay the crass words being said in your soft voice. He felt a crush hijacking his system already. Dear god.  

“Most people don’t recognize it in the original Russian.”  Spencer heard you say. 

“Most people probably wouldn’t recognize it in English.” he retorted.

You laughed, “Yeah, you’re right.” 

Spencer wasn’t even kidding. “I’m not joking.” He shook his head. “It’s unfortunate how many people aren’t even vaguely familiar with Tolstoy.” 

“It is.” you agreed. “You went to Caltech, correct?” 

He smiled, “Yes.” 

“I almost did too. Decided last minute on Columbia.” 

“You went to Columbia?” he asked. 

“I just graduated.” 

“How old are you?” he asked before quickly correcting himself,  “I’m sorry! That was forward! I am not...I’m not trying to undermine your studies with your age, I promise. I’m just curious.” 

“No! It’s okay!” You got out fast. “I’m 19. I graduated high school a little bit early.” 

“Me too.” He smiled. “12, actually.” 

Your eyes went wide, “12?” 

“Yes, um, in a Las Vegas public high school.” He winced, but the self-deprecation somehow came out charming, “I uh,” His eyes narrowed, “didn’t go to a lot of parties.” 

That made you wholeheartedly laugh. “Me neither! I graduated at 15, which you know is the age everybody else starts. It created a really weird dynamic because the older kids in my grade didn’t like me, but the underclassmen my age really didn’t like me.” 

Instead of the laugh you were expecting, Spencer just gave you a pensive stare. 

“Um..I can’t see why. I think you’re very likeable.” The compliment would’ve been strange exchanged by anybody other than Spencer to you.

  “Wait till you get to know me.” You said it through a smile but so softly you were afraid he might not be able to hear it, but he did. 

And that was confirmed when he flashed you the most incredible, toothy grin you’d ever seen. “I uh, I doubt there will be any change in opinion.” 

“Well, um, I’m sure- I think! You’re very likeable as well Dr. Reid.” you said. 

“That’s what you say now.” He retorted in the same coy tone you had earlier. 

You shook your head, “You’ll find I can be insufferably stubborn.” 

-----------------------------------

After two weeks, there was little Spencer could do to hide his massive crush affinity for you from the team. 

In the bullpen: 

You guys had locked eyes and were mouthing out exchanged of No’s and Yes’s from across the room. There was an ongoing half-serious dispute about whether or not Xanthippe slept with Plato. 

Morgan glided in his wheeled chair to whisper into Spencer’s ear. 

“Reid, stop giving JJ’s intern bedroom eyes. It fuckin’ weirds me out.” He said, shoving files into the cabinet below Reid’s desk. 

“I’m..I’m not.. I--what? Bedr--No!” Reid whisper-shouted back. 

On the jet: 

“Reid?” Gideon called Spencer, “Chess?” He motioned towards the board. 

“Yes, sure. Just give me a second. I’m almost done. I’m reading Infinite Jest. I don’t usually enjoy literature if it isn’t classic, even less so if it’s American. But..” Spencer smiled, “Y/N likes the author.”  He continued his fast-paced reading of the third-to-last chapter of the book. 

Morgan and Gideon exchanged glances. 

Even in front of you: 

You opened a sugar packet and began stirring. 

“De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium is still some of the best work on  heliocentric theory out there, I think. Copernicus knew what he was talking about!” You spun on your heels to see Reid’s face contorted in disagreement. You giggled, “Don’t give me that face! I’m right!” 

He took a sip of his coffee as to keep himself quiet. “Listen, cosmological theory is for…” 

But the pair of you were interrupted, it was Elle, standing behind you and in front of Spencer. 

“New skirt?” Elle asked as you turned, back now facing Reid.  She was pouring herself a cup of coffee too.

“Yes!” You excitedly nodded. “You like it?” 

Elle looked up and down, but not at you. The judgmental eyes were for the man behind you. She pursed her lips, “Not just me.” 

The only face redder than yours was Reid’s.

-----------------------------------

Nights spent in a bar after a case that had dragged on far too long was nothing new, but the energy tonight was especially light. Gideon had refused, but everybody else was just relaxed, even Hotch, and the team just got happier at each other's happiness. It was great, really. As Hotch and Morgan sipped on whiskey, JJ and Penelope had already downed four sugary, colorful cocktails and were in a whispered fit of giggles. Elle and Spencer settled on a tamer option of an IPA Spencer couldn’t name. 

“SPENCER!” Penelope excitedly shouted, “Y/N is literally you! You’re both adorable! You’re both geniuses! You’re both young!” She drew on her rant, “And if you have a crush on her you should just tell her!” JJ’s eyes widened in embarrassment as she tried to cover Penelope’s mouth. 

Morgan and Elle erupted in soft laughter while Hotch cracked an uncharacteristically amused smile. 

“Spence, I swear, I didn’t say that! I just...I may have mentioned how happy you get every time she’s around! And how you guys can talk for literally hours!” JJ defended, her words slurring in silly drunkenness. 

Spencer rolled his eyes. This wasn’t the first time they teased him about you, and it probably wouldn’t be the last time either. 

“I don’t have a crush on her! We just….we like the same things! It gives us a lot to talk about.” 

“Yeah?” Morgan said through a laugh, “And what is it that boy and girl wonder talk about so much?” 

“Well, uh.. a lot of things. But I find she gets the most excited when we are discussing the theories of postmodernism, in that apparent realities are actually just social constructs and veritable realities are subject to change, and uh... we like to talk about linguistics….political philosophy….history... mathematic theory...and uh, oh! Doctor Who.” 

Spencer was blushing and spoke about you like a teenage girl did their boyband crush, and the team noticed. They didn’t even need to say it out loud. Spencer gathered from the way they looked back at him. 

“I heard she lent you a book too, Reid.” Hotch said before taking a sip from his glass. 

“Yes! She did!” He smiled, “It was her copy of Pale Fire. She has an impressive collection of 19th century Russian literature. All in its original dialect! Some of it’s even annotated, which usually would annoy me but since it’s her thoughts and notes I sort of find it endearing.” 

“Dr. Reid is endeared!” Greenaway shrieked.

“Yeah,” he nodded, pushing his glasses up a little higher on his nose, “I find her incredibly endearing.” 

“Y’all that sounded like a dorky love confession.” Morgan said as the team erupted in laughter and Reid’s head fell in a smile. There was no point in denying it anymore: He really, really liked you.

--------------------------------------

Within two months, you and Spencer had finally put your shyness aside, and spent a very lovely evening at watching an orchestra at the Smithsonian Music,  and sharing noodles at your favorite Thai restaurant. And then you guys spent some time on your couch. And then in your bed. And then in the shower. And then in the kitchen. You were both very sexually frustrated. 

For the following two months, as soon as you both stepped out of the office, it was very, very hard to keep your hands off each other. Could either of you help it though? Teenage geniuses don’t experience parties, or football games, or clumsy sex. The time was perfect to make up for it. 

And you guys did. The sex part at least. “Football involves a lot of dirt. And germs. And sweat.”

“Oh my god!” you shrieked. His hands were in a place they found themselves more and more often: Your pants. 

“Does it feel good?” he asked, continuing his pattern of small circles on that particular bundle of nerves. 

“It feels great.” You nodded. 

“I uh, I’ve been researching the female anatomy.” 

You closed your eyes and nodded your head, but trying to focus on your boyfriends newfound intellect. “It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” 

He watched your undoing with boyish adoration and curiosity before swallowing, “Very.” 

“Oh fuck!” Your legs began to shake, “Spencee...I’m gonn--” 

--------------------------------------------

You and Spencer just understood each other. 

#drspencerreid #dr spencer reid #dr reid #criminalminds #reid criminal minds #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x reader #Spencerreid #spencer reid reader insert #spencer x y/n #reid x reader #spencer reid #professor reid x reader #professor reid #season1 reid

[official-weasley]

Meant to Be (Charlie Weasley x OC)

What happens when Bill brings home a girl and Charlie is completely awestruck by her?

WARNINGS: mentions of alcohol, curse words, angst

CHAPTER 8

Charlie

“How’s your wing today, little buddy?” Aami took a step towards me and started blowing smoke out of his nostrils. “Okay. You’re not little anymore.” I giggled to myself. “You’ll always be a baby to me, Aami.”

I did a motion with my wand which made the dragon’s meal levitate from the ground and towards him.

“Do you think we can try and jump in the air?”

This was my technique to help him fly. Everybody lost hope already. I didn’t and I won’t. His wing might not be as it’s supposed to be but I believe he can do it anyway.

I levitated the steak a few meters above his head. From left to right. He was moving his tail behind him, curiously eyeing his meal.

“That’s it. You just have to want it enough.” I lifted the piece of meat higher. “I promise I won’t call you little anymore if you try and catch it!”

I know he couldn’t understand me but I didn’t care. I talked to all dragons. My teammates were making fun out of me all the time and they imitated me. The last time Theo did it, he almost got scorched by Ogto. We told him that his voice is simply too rough and that he should try a gentler approach. There was nothing more fun than to tease Theodore during work.

“You want it, Aami. I can see it in your emerald eyes, now try and jump. Don’t be afraid.” Sometimes I didn’t even recognize my own voice, how gentle it was when I was talking to him.

I was a sucker for him since he hatched.

“How’s parenthood treating you?” I jumped in the air, hearing the voice behind me.

I lost my concentration and the steak fell straight into the Fireball’s mouth.

“Peter. Now look what you did!” I frowned at him.

“Sorry, Charlie. I thought you heard me coming.” Peter couldn’t suppress his laugh.

“I was too busy concentrating.” I sighed, watching Aami chew on the big piece of meat.

“Still no luck?” Peter came closer.

“No.” I bowed my head. “I’ll keep trying.”

“I admire your determination, Fireball Mother.” He put a hand on my back. “I am certain that one day you two will succeed.”

“Thanks, Peter.” I smiled appreciatively.

They might’ve lost hope but at least they were still supportive.

“Your team needs your help, Charlie. Are you almost done here?” Peter suddenly remembered why he came to see me.

“I think he’s going to be just fine until dinner.” I glanced at the dragon. The steak already gone. “What’s up?”

“Rhylee has reasons to believe that Ren caught a cold.” Peter started to explain. “Theo, of course, went to check it out at once.”

“And let me guess, he got hurt?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Of course, he got hurt! He didn’t listen to Rhylee and Evan that we should wait for you and Ren sneezed right at him.” Peter pinched the bridge of his nose.

I pressed my lips together not to laugh. I couldn’t get the image out of my mind. I could see how Ren sneezes and blows Theodore backward.

“Did he forget that he’s a wizard and that he should use a stunning charm before doing something so risky?” I chuckled.

“What else!” Peter said and I followed him to Ren’s enclosure.

“I brought someone with brains!” Peter shouted when we approached the group.

“Andrew helped Theo to the Recovery Center.” John explained.

“Peter, you’ll have to help us.” I turned to him and he nodded.

“Alright!” I clapped my hands together. “Rhylee you distract Ren with a piece of meat. John, make sure he is following your every move. Peter, you help me immobilize him.” They all took their positions.

Rhylee went to Ren’s left side. John was standing right in front of him, while Peter and I slowly sneaked to the right side.

“Ready?” I whispered to Peter and he gave me a thumbs up.

Suddenly, the dragon took a few steps backward and started shaking his head frantically.

“He’s going to blow!” I shouted. “Shit!” John stepped back.

“Protego!” Shouted Rhylee and jumped in front of John right in time for Ren’s sneeze.

Green goo flew everywhere and I crossed my arms in front of my face to not get it in my eyes. We all started laughing when we saw the dragon’s confused face.

“Thanks, Rhylee.” John smiled at her.

“Don’t mention it.” She started getting the green substance off her clothes.

We finally managed to stun Ren and bring the Healers to check on him. They confirmed that he had a cold and gave us some medicine which we should mix into his water for a few days.

This has pretty much been the last few months. Rhylee has been working with us for 5 months now and to say that she was doing great was an understatement. Peter even joked that if I wasn’t so good at my job she would take over my position.

And I couldn’t even argue with him. She was amazing with dragons. I knew she loved them as much as I did but to see her working with them, taking care of them was something else. She was so gentle and careful with them as if they couldn’t swallow her whole. She was agile and always aware of her surroundings. She was basically the perfect Dragonologist.

Which, of course, was hell for me. I appreciated Peter hiring her because we needed someone like her on the team. Not that others weren’t doing a great job but when someone cares as much as she does, it just shows. However, it was torture getting to know her so well.

While we were working we didn’t have a chance to talk much, which was great. But just looking at her, observing her every move, and telling her what to do, has been hard enough. She did everything I told her without thinking twice about it and she did it flawlessly. She grew on me even more which was something I hate to admit because I knew it was wrong.

During the weekends she kept mostly by herself or she helped Tina in the Nursery. She, just like me, didn’t know how to take a day off. She asked for a free day once every 14 days and went back to England.

If all of her amazing work wasn’t enough for my poor heart and me already losing my mind, it was even worse when she joined us for a pint. I found out so many things about her that I wish I didn’t know.

She was a Bellefeuille at Beauxbatons and she was both a Prefect and a Head Girl. We all agreed that she was sorted in the right house as she really was brave and loved nature and she cares strongly for her friends. She proved that to us on several occasions during her time here and the boys loved her.

She has a pet Kneazle named Beau which is currently living with her roommate Lyla, back in England. Her parents insisted that she goes to Beauxbatons even though they lived in Britain. She applied to work in the Peruvian Dragon Sanctuary but her application was denied so she accepted the job at Gringotts.

If I thought she was amazing when I first met her, then I don’t know what the word for her is now. I was falling for her and I was falling hard. I tried not to think about her and to hide my feelings as much as I could. The guys teasing me about it every time she wasn’t around didn’t help my cause.

The only good thing about the whole situation was that we were never alone and if we were, we never talked about anything else than work. I also noticed that we got more relaxed around each other and that awkwardness we had between us the first couple of weeks finally went away. I hate to admit it but we were becoming really good friends and I don’t know how I feel about that.

—

“I just don’t understand why they have to be such pushovers.” John rolled his eyes. “If I wanted to be bossed around I would’ve invited my mother for a visit.” Theo added.

“They’re researchers. They’ll never change.” I calmed them down.

It was the time of the year again. May. The mating season and each year we were losing our minds. Besides the teams that took care of dragons, we also had researchers. Those observed our work and wrote papers about it that were later published in magazines. They always intervened in our business but the mating season was the worst. They were worst to deal with than mother dragons.

“Every year’s the same!” John didn’t stop complaining. “Why don’t you put them in this habitat? Can you put them together! Why did you do it like this?” He imitated them.

“Why don’t they go up the hill and stick something up their arses!” Andrew took a sip of his beer.

“Then who would write reports about that?” They all laughed at my question.

“Charlie?” We all looked up, Rhylee standing in front of us.

“Yeah?”

“Can I talk to you?” She said, biting her lip.

“Sure.” I took a sip of my Fire Whiskey, ready to listen to what she has to say.

“In private.” I almost bit in my glass at her words.

She looked embarrassed and nervous at the same time.

I could feel the eyes on me, the guys waiting for what I was going to say back to her. I decided to ignore them and just stood up. She grabbed my hand, something I neither expected nor was okay with because my heart went crazy at her touch. She dragged me away, behind a nearby hut and made sure nobody was around.

“I have something to tell you.” She whispered.

“Obviously.” I tried lightening the mood.

Why was she so nervous?

“I…” She pursed her lips together and looked like she was about to cry.

“Hey, hey.” I put my hands on her shoulders. “Rhy, what is it, you’re scaring me.”

“I got a letter today from one of my ex co-workers, Lizzie.” She started to explain. “She told me that Kyan, the Ukranian Ironbelly, failed to protect one of the vaults a few days ago and went berserk. He hurt 3 Bank workers in the process and the people trying to get past him succeeded in breaking inside the vault.” Her lip started trembling.

I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to hug her and stroke her hair and calm her down but I would cross too many boundaries doing so, so I just tightened the grip on her shoulders.

“They are going to execute him, Charlie.” She burst into tears and buried her head in my shoulder. “The Ministry said that they can’t tolerate such a disobedient dragon and they want to get rid of him.”

My heart sank. I knew how much she loved those dragons. They meant everything to her. They were her family and now one of them is going to be murdered. I hugged her awkwardly. My mind completely blank. What am I supposed to say in this situation? This was terrible. They can’t just execute a dragon without any proof!

“Is there anything we can do?” I asked softly.

“The team I worked with will appeal for a trial. If they succeed they will be able to provide evidence that it wasn’t the dragon's fault.” She sobbed.

“Isn’t that obvious without proof?” She pulled her head back and looked at me.

We were too close for my liking. I could feel her breath on my cheek.

“That’s what I said to myself when I read her letter.” She said, astonished that I thought the same. “You know the Goblins don’t care for the dragons and if this one gets executed they can just get a new one.” Tears started running down her cheeks again.

“What am I supposed to do, Charlie?”

Rhylee, please stop looking at me like that!

Her eyes were big and puffy and hopeful.

“I…” I swallowed hard. I hope she couldn’t feel my heartbeat through my shirt. “We’ll ask around the Sanctuary. Perhaps somebody might be able to help us. Maybe someone here knows the law and can help us build a case.” I tried smiling as much as my muscles allowed me while being as stiff as I was because we were still embraced.

“You would help me build a case?” She finally pulled away.

“Of course. I know how much those dragons mean to you even if you don’t work with them anymore.” I reassured her. “Every creature’s life matters.”

“You’re the best, Charlie!” She jumped in my arms again.

Since when were we hugging so much?

“There’s something else.” She whispered after a few moments of silence.

I only hummed.

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t think straight. The sweet smell of her shampoo filled my nose and I was thinking of any way how I could take a deep breath without her noticing. I felt like suffocating.

We went for a run a few times together over the last month and last week we actually talked about something else than work. It was nice. I was always having a nice time with her even if we were just sitting in silence. I felt us becoming good friends and I’m glad she came to me with this but the hugging was definitely new and I was too deep to handle it properly.

“I did something terrible and probably illegal.” Her words were my chance to pull away from her.

“What?” I chuckled.

I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. What could she possibly have done that it was illegal?

“Come with me.” She grabbed my hand again, making my heart skip a beat and dragged me to her hut.

She unlocked the door and invited me inside.

I was never at her place before. It was definitely neater than mine. I did clean but my stuff was everywhere and I never made my bed. She had flowers everywhere and even though it was dark outside, her place looked way brighter than mine.

My eyes stopped on the big box in the middle of her living room. Is this was she was talking about? She slowly approached the box and kneeled next to it. She gestured for me to come and join her.

“Rhy, what…” She stopped me by putting a finger over my lips.

I froze.

I will lose it if she keeps touching me like this.

“He’s probably sleeping.” She said, her voice barely audible.

“He?” I whispered.

“Do you remember the albino dragon I worked with?” She asked.

“How could I forget.” I replied.

“Lizzie wrote to me a few months back that they got another Swedish Short-Snout.” She started to explain. “They thought that the one already at Gringotts was a boy so they got another boy. It turned out that they were wrong.”

“Dash is a girl?” I put a hand over my mouth as I said that a tad too loudly.

She nodded. I narrowed my eyes at her and looked at the box and back to her.

“Rhy, what’s in the box?” I said slowly.

“Look for yourself.” She squinted.

I turned to the box and slowly opened it. It was a baby albino Swedish Short-Snout. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. It finally happened! My wish to see an albino dragon came true. This was amazing. Merlin’s beard was he a beaute! I was in love!

I shook my head snapping out of it. This was a serious situation.

“What is he doing in the middle of your living room?” I pursed my lips at her.

“Sleeping?” She said with the most innocent grin on her face.

“Rhy. Tell me what you did.”

“They don’t tolerate baby dragons in Gringotts, Charlie.” She bowed her head. “They don’t have a nursery down there like we have here. Lizzie was the one who spotted the eggs and managed to steal one before the Goblins noticed. She wanted to save more of them but there was simply not enough time.” I could see tears gathering in her eyes again.

“I snuck out a few days ago and went to get him. I thought that once he’s here, we could give him a proper home.”

Boy did she know how to melt my heart. Her big eyes, pleading me to do something. To say something encouraging.

“We’ll find Peter first thing in the morning and tell him.” I said.

“What? No! I told you this in confidence!” She stood up and started pacing around the living room.

She was adorable.

“Relax.” I giggled. “Do you really think this is the first time someone smuggled an illegal dragon to the Sanctuary?”

“It’s not?” She stopped.

“When my brother Ron was in his First year my friend Hagrid who works at Hogwarts got himself a dragon egg and Ron wrote to me if we could take him in. We brought him here and Peter dealt with the paperwork. I swear that guy can make anything look legal.” I laughed and stood up.

I walked to her and placed my hands on her shoulders. This was allowed now, right?

“We’ll tell Peter and he’ll deal with the administrative work. We’ll settle the little guy in and that’s it.” I lifted her chin so that her eyes met mine.

That was a bloody mistake. I need to make a mental note to never do that again. Her eyes were so full of emotions. She was on the verge of tears but I think this time, they were happy tears. She looked so thankful, so appreciative. I couldn’t handle it.

“That’s it?” She said in a whisper.

She was blown away at how easy the whole thing was. I nodded and gently pulled away.

I would panic if I wasn’t in a similar situation a few years ago. I went straight to Peter then and I was a nervous wreck when I explained everything. He calmed me down and told me that he’ll take care of everything as long as the dragon gets transported here without anyone seeing it.

“Is the dragon here?” Her curiosity got the better of her.

“He is.” I smiled. “I was sad when he was assigned to another team last year but I go and see him at least once or twice per week. His name is Norbert but the researchers think he might be a girl so we will have to rename him.” I chuckled and looked back at the now opened box.

“You did the right thing, Rhy.” I gazed at her and walked to the box. Her eyes told me that she wanted to meet Norbert. She has been here since September but she didn’t have the pleasure to meet all the dragons yet even though I knew she wanted to. “He’ll do just fine here.” I reassured her.

I didn’t need to stand next to her to feel her body relax. She was so worried about what I would say upon seeing what’s in the box. Perhaps she even thought I would be angry or that she would be fired but we don’t do that here.

You bring a dragon, we give it a home. It’s that simple.

I was happy I was the one who she decided to tell her secret to but at the same time, I started liking her even more because of it. She went through all this trouble to save this baby dragon. She could get fired or even imprisoned by the Ministry if they found out.

But she took the risk. She didn’t care. She just wanted to save one egg and make sure that he gets a home. She didn’t worry about herself. She put dragons first and I admired her for that more than anything. I would’ve done the same. Heck, I would probably fly there on a broom in the middle of the night just to get at least one egg to safety.

I know she felt bad that she couldn’t save more of them. I know if it was up to her, she would’ve saved them all. And I know that deep down, she blamed herself for leaving because perhaps if she was there, things might’ve gone differently. It was insane how similar we were when it came to that and I didn’t need her to tell me these things, I just knew they were in her head.

She waited for me in front of my hut the next morning. We went to find Peter at once and informed him of the situation. He gave Rhylee a similar speech I did and told her that everything was going to be okay. He ordered me to get my team so we could safely transport the little guy to the habitat with other younglings.

John, Theo, and Evan helped Rhylee and me to get him through the door, while Andrew went to get the Healing team and Tina to do a check-up. After we were done, I sent my team to do our usual feeding routine, while I stayed with the little guy. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. If Aami saw me he would’ve scorched me out of jealousy.

I couldn’t believe we had an albino in the Sanctuary and Rhylee and I have been debating names all morning during breakfast. So far we came up with DJ which stands for Dash Junior, Ally, Bean, and Zyon. Of course, I would let her name him because she was the one who brought him here and was going to train with him like I was doing with Aami.

I am not going to lie, I was a bit jealous she would be able to spend all this extra time with him. But I knew it’s better that she does it because I knew I would spend half of the time just staring at him. He looked just as I imagined Dash when Rhylee described him when we first met. White scales with reddish ones on the tip of his tail. He had red eyes and we couldn't wait for him to get older so we could see if his eyes are going to change color as Dash’s did.

—

Rhylee got a letter a few days after she told me about Kyan that they will hold a trial for him. With enough evidence, we could send them an application and apply as custodians meaning Kyan would become a part of the Romanian Sanctuary family of dragons.

We spent the next week asking around if anyone knows anything about creature trials and how to appeal a case to the Ministry. Nobody really knew how to help us and a lot of people recommended a library.

She corresponded with Lizzie regularly, to give her any information that she could about how we can approach this and what papers we would need to fill out to be allowed to do this. The biggest problem was, that there was no evidence that the dragon was attacked or why he didn’t protect the vault but hurt the Bank workers instead and let the attackers escape.

Lizzie told Rhylee that they did a check-up on him and didn’t detect any kind of unusual or recent magic on him that would indicate that the group he let pass enchanted him in any way. All odds were against us but Rhylee didn’t lose hope. I admired her for that.

She reminded me of myself when everyone told me that Aami wasn’t going to make it. That he was too small to survive without a mother. I didn’t give up on him and I believed that he would survive. He still might not be able to fly but he is doing just fine. He is healthy and cheerful and he loves to play even though he’s nearing adulthood now.

#harry potter fanfiction #charlie weasley #charlie weasley fanfiction #the weasleys #weasley family #hp imagine #charlie weasley x oc #charlie weasley imagine #the burrow #harry potter imagine #weasley fanfiction #charlie weasley x mc #bill weasley #harry potter #wizarding world

[awhitehead17]

Universal Signs

Chapter 19 / Previous Chapter 

Also on AO3

Enjoy! :D 

Kon knew to expect a lot of things when facing against the League of Assassins. He knew what he was getting into when he decided to rescue Tim from the Demon’s Head and disobey orders by leaving Krypton but he never expected this.

He stares at the two familiar figures in front of him. Both of which he hasn’t seen in a long time nor has even thought about.

Match and Thad.

Match is a half clone of Kon. The idea of cloning had originally been the leader’s idea, something about saving lives and helping to replicate organs. From what Kon knows, they had begun the experiment by replicating full Kryptonian’s to make sure everything could be fully functional before moving onto individual organs themselves. Kon never understood it and he never looked further into it.

Match was the first and last experiment Krypton conducted. Kon’s DNA had been taken and used to create Match after Kal offered it up. Kon of course was furious after he found out but once he calmed down the idea of having a sort of brother excited him. However the cloning didn’t go to plan, Match once he was created, went berserk and became unstable and to deal with it the leader’s chose to terminate him. Or at least that’s what Kon had thought.

Thad’s and Bart’s situation is the exact same. They used Bart’s DNA on Keystone to make Thad and it didn’t go to plan. Like Match, they thought Thad had also been terminated. Obviously not.

How they ended up with the League Kon has no clue but the major fact is that they are and they’re now standing in the way of the ship that’ll get them free. Next to him, Kon could hear Tim’s confusion as he questions their sudden appearance and he could feel both Bart’s and Cassie’s shock at this revelation.

At the sign of an oncoming fight, Kon automatically drops down into a defensive position, besides him his teammates do the same. He stares at the clones defiantly. “Don’t get so full of yourselves, you couldn’t beat us last time and this time will be no different.”

“Well, we’ll just see about that won’t we?”

Knowing what’s about to happen, Kon glances over at Tim who’s stood there wide-eyed staring at the pair opposite them. He’s seems to be shocked and unsure on what to do and Kon knows that he needs to get away as soon as possible. He’s hurt so he wouldn’t be effective in a fight and also because he’s the one they want.

Kon turns to look behind him where Kara and M’gann are positioned, both standing defensively waiting for the upcoming fight that’s about to happen. He shakes his head. “The both of you get Tim to the ship, we’ll take care of these two.”

They go to respond but Tim speaks up instead. The human turns to the assassin mixed within the group. “Pru do you have a lab on the ship, a laboratory of some kind? I have an idea.”

Before Kon could question what he was on about, and before he could hear Pru’s response, a shout from in front of him gets his attention. “Enough! Time to end this!”

From there his mind is taken off Tim because he’s suddenly dodging punches and kicks from his very own clone. He side steps and ducks various of times before starting to push back, however he finds he’s not as powerful as he should be. His punches aren’t having as big as an impact as they should each time they hit, and it’s only when a foot collides with his stomach which knocks him to the ground that he understands why.

Kryptonite. It’s because of the kryptonite that he had been injected with earlier, it’s still in his system and is now affecting his abilities to fight, it’s making him weaker than normal.

A punch to his head snaps his attention back to the moment. Match is now above him, raining down an assault of punches which Kon could barely defend himself against.

“We were discarded from our home!” The clone shouts at him. He grabs the front of Kon’s shirt, lifts him up from the ground only to slam him back down with a great deal of force which knocks the breath out of him. “We would have been better off being killed. But no, the leader’s shoved us both into a pod and shot us into space without any hesitation, with no regards to what would happen to us. We were abandoned, left to defend ourselves with no where to go!”

Kon tries to shove him off but without his super strength to challenge Match’s, he’s left squirming on the ground trying to gain any sort of leverage to use against him. His attempts go ignored.

“But then he found us. He realised what protentional we had and took us in, gave us training and then a purpose. He saved us. In return all we had to do was pledge our alliance and serve every command given. And what a ride it’s been.”

If he weren’t trying to break out of the hold Match has on him, Kon would be more invested in the story, however he is trying to break free and wasn’t doing very well at it. Match just seems to be putting more and more pressure on his chest which in return makes it increasingly more difficult to shake him off.

Then suddenly the weight disappears off him and Kon blinks to find that Cassie had tackled Match off of him. He takes a moment to breathe as he watches the two of them grapple with one another next to him. They trade blow after blow but Kon could see that he’s beginning to overpower her with each one.

It also hits him that Cassie is too depowered like him. The Demon’s Head had forced some kind of enchanted bracelets on her meaning she doesn’t have access to her abilities.

With that in mind Kon scrambles to his feet and also tackles Match back down to the ground. They wrestle for a moment but try as he might Match gets the upper hand once again ends up on top of Kon, pining him down to the floor.

Kon struggles underneath him and prepares himself for a punch that’s coming when Match raises his fist, however it never comes. Kon stares in bewilderment as it appears that Match is frozen above him. He could see the fear and confusion in Match’s eyes but doesn’t dwell on it, instead he takes the opportunity given and slams his own fist against the clone’s head effectively knocking him off Kon and onto the ground. Kon quickly follows through to grab his head and slam it to the ground to knock out the cloned Kryptonian. He ceases the action as soon as he feels the body go limp in hands.

Now Match is no longer a threat Kon’s eyes dart around looking at the scene. What he notices first is M’gann. The Martian is stood off to the side and has her back to him with a hand stretched out towards the other side of the room. His eyes drift in that direction and he sees a mirror image of what just happened with him and Match.

Bart had been fighting with Thad in motions that were nothing but a blur. That had been the case until Thad suddenly freezes, as if a force had suddenly grabbed hold of him and stopped him. Bart takes the opportunity to knock him out and Thad hits the ground with a heavy thump.

So the freezing had been because of M’gann, his mind rationalises. The Martian had used her telekinetic abilities to freeze their opponents providing the perfect advantage over them.

Kon climbs to his feet, wincing as he does so because everybody part is suddenly protesting at moving, and walks over to M’gann. He stands by her as Bart also makes his way over. “Not that your help is appreciated but what are you doing here? Where’s Tim? Why aren’t you with him?”

M’gann sends him a look, one that tells him she isn’t impressed with his clipped tone but she apparently lets it slide. She answers his question as she observes their surroundings. “I had been with him, however he sent me forward to prepare the ship so when he arrives we can immediately leave. He has a plan and Kara is currently with him. The human was on about making explosions before we leave.”

Kon blinks at her wondering if he heard her right. Perhaps Match had knocked him harder in the head than he thought. Did she just say Tim was planning on making explosions?

“Why didn’t you take him to the ship!” Kon exclaims. It was a simple enough task so why didn’t it happen?

M’gann doesn’t provide him with an answer, instead she glares at him before walking away towards one of the ships parked nearby. Deciding not to engage further with the Martian Kon turns to his team instead, checking them over and seeing if they’re alright.

Bart’s staring at Thad’s unconscious body as he speaks up. “What should we do with them? Leave them behind or take them with us?”

Kon’s instinctive response is to say that they should take the clones with them but he stops himself from voicing that opinion. What should they do? Recalling what Match had told him during their scuffle, the leaders clearly didn’t want them around. Could there be a way to compromise? As much as there is bad history between them, Kon doesn’t think being with the League of Assassin’s is anything good. Anywhere but here would be better despite what’s happened in the past.

He sighs and looks over at the unconscious bodies and the ship M’gann went to. “We’ll take them with us. We can deal with them properly on Krypton, anywhere other than here is better. We’ll keep them restrained until we return to the planet.”

Cassie and Bart both wordlessly nod at that. While they don’t voice any protest against the idea, Kon doesn’t know if they actually agree with it or not.

He makes a move towards Match’s body when Cassie speaks up, but not about the clones. “Kon we need to get our remotes, that’s if the Demon’s Head hasn’t already found them.” Letting out a curse Kon turns back around to face his teammate. He had completely forgotten about those. “We can’t risk leaving them behind.”

“I know,” Kon says thinking through ways they could try and find the remotes to get them back. It’s a long shot that they haven’t been found yet but they can’t leave them here. After a moment of thinking Kon gets an idea and turns to Bart. “Bart, can you search through the ships for our translator remotes and Tim’s too? You can use your speed to whip through different ones.”

Bart eyes widen before they narrow. The Speedster crosses his arms over his chest and scowls. “There are thousands of ships here Kon, how am I supposed to search through all of them? And without getting caught? I’m fast, but I’m not fast.”

Cassie responds to him before Kon gets too. “I know the rough location of the ship that we arrived on. Unlike Kon, I was partially awake when we arrived. If I give you an area do you think you can search there? I also remember where I hid the remotes to begin with.”

Bart’s glares softens at Cassie’s suggestion. A moment later he nods and listens closely as she describes the location of where the ship is parked. Then without any warnings he’s disappears in a blink of an eye.

Knowing that there isn’t a lot else he can do, Kon continues to move towards Match’s body. He picks his clone up off the floor and carries him over his shoulder’s, making sure he has a tight grip on him. He grits his teeth at the additional weight, normally he wouldn’t have any trouble but since he’s without his super strength it’s a little harder than usual.

Once he’s stable, Kon turns and heads for the same ship M’gann had disappeared too earlier. He has to admit, while her appearance was certainly unexpected it’s extremely appreciated because she really has helped them out so much since being involved.

As he gets closer to the ship he inspects it. It looks like all of the other ones surrounding them, black, smooth curved edges with hidden latches on the side. If Kon didn’t know better he would have assumed this is simply another one of the League’s ship, however he does know better and is informed that this is M’gann’s bioship.

It’s currently disguised to appear as one of the League’s ships. Just like the Martian is able to, the ship can shapeshift. This also contributes as another reason to why having her here is appreciated.

When Kon reaches the ramp a loud rumble could be heard throughout the docking bay. The sound is quickly followed by sudden shaking that unbalances him and with the additional weight he’s carrying Kon couldn’t keep his balance and falls to the floor, landing in a heap underneath Match’s unconscious body.  

Kon grunts and pushes Match off of him and frantically looks around until he sees Cassie who is also on the floor underneath Thad’s body.

“Cassie?”

She looks up at him, her eyes wide in question. “Kon what’s going on? What’s happening? We need to get out of here!”

A second rumble sounds out which is followed by more shaking. Moments later alarms begin to blare out around them and flashing red lights appear. Something major is happening, whatever those rumbles are, they’re causing the ships warning systems to go off like they’re about to prepare for battle.

“That’s Tim!” M’gann’s unexpected exclamation makes Kon look up at the ramp where she’s stood. “He’s creating miniature explosions to go off around the ship as he and the others work their way back here. Now get inside the ship so we can go once they arrive!”

“Creating what?” Kon asks completely bewildered. How is he creating explosions inside a ship full of assassins? Could that be where he disappeared off to earlier?

Knowing he isn’t going to get answer by thinking about it, Kon shoves it out of his mind for the time being, he’ll have to question Tim when he sees him. For now he climbs back up to his feet, having to steady himself when a third explosion happens, and lifts Match’s body over his shoulders. With great effort he carries the clone onto the ship. Cassie isn’t too far behind him carrying Thad.

It’s once they deposit the clones down in a cornered off cell on the ship that Bart makes a reappearance. He blurs to a stop in front of them within the cockpit looking frantic and confused. “What is going on? There is suddenly shaking happening and then alarms are blearing, I thought youmayhavealreadyleftorbeencaught!” His eyes flicker between him and Cassie as he rapidly speaks but he doesn’t let them answer before he’s talking again. “Anyway that doesn’t matter. I managed to find all the remotes! They were right where you said they were Cassie!”

Bart triumphally holds out three translator remotes. Kon lets out a relived sigh at the sight of them. At least that’s one less thing to worry about. In the back of his mind he knows that there’s a feeling of wrongness about the situation because the Demon’s Head surely would have found them, but Kon’s willing to overlook that feeling and take it as a win. Hopefully it doesn’t come to bite him in the ass later on.

“The ship is ready take off. All we’re waiting for now is the others to get back here.” M’gann reports to them from her position at the control panel. Kon nods his acknowledgement and looks out of the view screen, trying to get any glimpse of the human.

The alarms are still blearing throughout the docking bay and it’s making Kon nervous, he really hopes Tim hasn’t gone and got himself re-captured. He knows Kara and Pru are with him but anything could happen and until Kon sees Tim himself, he isn’t going to be able to relax.

A few more tense moments go by without any signs of them appearing. Next to him Cassie makes a comment on how she’s surprised that they themselves haven’t been found by any other assassins yet. Her comment is countered by Bart saying how the assassins are now running around trying to restore the damage that the explosions have caused, it’s leaving them distracted.

Now Kon’s thinking about it, that was probably Tim’s plan all along. Create a distraction so they could have a higher chance to escape without being noticed. It’s both smart and stupid. He still needs to question Tim on what he was thinking about the whole ordeal.

“They’re here!”

Kon’s brought out of his thoughts by Cassie’s shout. He focuses back on the window to see three figures running towards their ship. Kon’s heart skips a beat when he spots more figures, a group of assassins, not far behind them.

He watches helplessly as the assassins start gaining on his friends. If he had his powers he would be able to help them out, unfortunately that’s not the case at the moment and he would probably only cause more problems instead of helping them.

While running Tim trips over his feet and is saved from falling on his face when Kara manages to grab hold of his arm to keep him up right. An exchange happens between his cousin and the human before Pru gets involved by shouting something at them. In the end Kara simply picks Tim up and carries him the rest of the way to the ship while Pru hangs back and slays down the advancing group of assassins.

Kara runs up the ramp and into the ship with Pru following behind her moments later. Once they’re both on board M’gann wastes no time in getting them up in the air to make their escape.

It becomes absolute chaos.

From the moment they leave the docking bay everything becomes hectic and it’s unclear to exactly what is going on. The ship violently rocks side to side as M’gann navigates her way through the League of Assassin’s ship as she tries to find an exit point.

Despite how big the docking bay is, it seems to be impossible to dodge everything inside. They collide with other vessels, bounce off the walls and there’s a constant shaking to the craft like they’re being fired at by various of weapons.

“I’m going to have to crash through other ships to make it out!” M’gann informs them with a strained voice. Kon could see the toll it’s taking on her to keeping her ship somewhat under control through this turmoil.

“Do what you must!” Cassie shouts back. She’s currently pressed against the wall to help stabilize herself so she isn’t being flung around the place.

“Hold on!”

At the Martian’s shout Kon grabs onto the closest thing which happens to be a chair and does exactly that.

M’gann jerks the ship to the side, forcing it downwards towards an open hatch where a space pod had just entered the docking bay. With no hesitation, M’gann lets the bioship collide with it which nearly causes them to go off track but she determinedly keeps going. The rebound is brutal when they hit the pod and then bounce off the side of the hatch but soon enough they end up out of the docking bay and into the void of space.

M’gann doesn’t stop for a second because once they’re in space she’s pressing different controls on the dashboard and starts expertly flying them away as fast as she could.

It becomes a smoother ride now they’re flying through space, while the ship occasionally jerks and shakes, it’s certainly a lot better than before. At least with the situation now, they can stand up on their own and not worry about being thrown around.

“We’re not safe yet, I’m going to get us some distance away, make sure we’re not being followed and only then can we relax.” The Martian tells them as she continues to steer the bioship through the universe.

Kon nods, trusting her to get them through this. She’s already got them off the base ship, he’s sure she can get them away from anything that may chase after them.

“Kon!”

The shout of his name gets his attention and he looks around the cockpit to see who had called him, but when Cassie and Bart shake their heads he realises the shout came from outside of the room. He frowns for a moment before his mind catches up and he remembers the others who are aboard the ship with them.

Kon immediately darts out of the room and heads towards the lower deck of the bioship, that’s where he finds the three others on the floor. Tim is propped up against the wall, his head falling down to his chest before it jerks back up again and he seems to be attempting to wave off the other two hovering at his sides.

Kara and Pru are crouched at his sides speaking to him but Tim is either not paying attention to them or isn’t comprehending anything they’re saying. Maybe both.

Kon moves over and crouches down at the end of Tim’s feet. “What’s going on? Tim you okay?”

Tim blinks at him for a long moment and just as Kon’s about to ask the question again Tim frowns and suddenly looks confused. “Kon? Is that you, how are you here? Did they capture you too? I’m so sorry, all of this is my fault, I didn’t want this to happen.”

The way his voice sounds shaky and the way his words slur together has Kon on the edge of panicking but it’s his choice of words that really have him worried. Does Tim not remember anything that’s just happened? Surely he can recall them escaping the ship and then doing whatever he did to create the explosions.

“I’m tired.” Tim states blatantly, blinking slowly as his head drops to his chest again. When he jerks it back up he mumbles, “and my back hurts. Why does everything hurt?”

Kon looks helplessly at the other two who seem to be just as confused as he is. He has no idea on what to do right now or what it is that Tim needs.  

“Just go to sleep.” Pru tells him almost forcefully. Tim’s eyes flicker to her and he frowns. Pru rolls her eyes, “when you wake up everything will be better.”

Tim’s gaze turns back to Kon. ”Are we safe? Can I go to sleep?”

Kon forces himself to smile, he reaches out and pats Tim’s leg in a comforting manor. “Yeah, it’s okay to sleep Tim. You’re safe.”

Of course Kon cannot yet guarantee that and he has no clue if sleeping is the best option for Tim but he doesn’t see any other option and at least if Tim is asleep he isn’t feeling any pain. Kon watches as Tim’s eyes close, his head drops and this time doesn’t come back up, then just like that he’s asleep.

The three of them watch the human for a moment until Pru breaks the silence. She glances at Tim before looking at him and Kara. “His wounds on his back will have to be checked. They hadn’t healed when you arrived and with everything’s that’s just occurred, they may have re-opened. That’s probably what’s causing him pain.”

Kon nods in understanding, hating the fact that Tim is wounded and in pain. He hates everything that the human has been forced to endure recently.

“Right, we’ll find a place to lay him down and then you can treat him if you don’t mind. I’m sure M’gann has everything you need somewhere.”

Kara picks Tim up off the floor, taking caution to be careful, and then they find a place to lay him down. After some direction they find what they need to treat Tim and Kon leaves Pru to attend to him, though he asks Cassie to assist her. While Pru has been a massive help and has had a massive role to play in their escape, she’s still an assassin and Kon feels a bit more comfortable with someone from his team sat by Tim’s side while she treats him.

With Tim now being looked after, Kon returns back to the cockpit and stands by M’gann who is still steering the ship through space, creating a larger gap between them and the League of Assassins.

“Are we in the all clear yet?” He questions her.

She shakes her head in denial. “No. Not yet. While nothing has appeared on my radar I’m not taking any chances.”

“Very well, I trust your judgement. When you think the time is right, set course for Krypton. The sooner we get back the better, they won’t attack us when we’re there.”

She simply nods and goes back to focusing on flying. Kon leaves her to it, he drifts over to where the others have gathered at the back of the cockpit. He stands by while they catch up and talk about different topics, Kon lets their voices wash over him as he reflects on everything that’s recently happened and as he begins to think about what he has yet to face in the near future.

#universal signs #Kon-El #Tim Drake #cassie sandsmark #bart allen #kara zor-el #prudence wood #m'gann m'orzz #core four #humans are space orcs #humans are weird #fights #angst #injuries #exhaustion #escaping #fanfiction

[dnarez]

Chapter 11 - Sports Festival Part 1

In order to participate, everybody put in their individual efforts to train.

The two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye.

"TODAY IS THE DAY OF THE GRAND EVENT!"

Both Hitoshi and y/n looked at the weird girl in their class that was jumping around and yelling in the waiting room.

"Everyone is so nervous..." y/n looked around to see their classmates, they all wanted to win.

-

"So... can you tell me why, now that we are about to go beat some ass?" Hitoshi gas sitting on the floor with his back to the wall

"Why what?" She tilted her head looking at him again, she also was sitting on the floor besides him.

"Why did you hide your wings those last weeks? And why do you still hide it? Didn't you said that the principal forbid you from doing this?" His hands on his pockets, they were talking low in comparison to the rest of the class.

"Actually the Support team made me this cool gadgets, so I could participate without my parents recognizing me! So they are healthily tucked in!"

"But how are you going to compete?" He was obviously worried about her not being able to get in.

She giggled "Heroes can do more than one trick!" She smiled brightly and got up "everyone is getting out! Let's go!" She ran to the door and waited for him "come on! We got a festival to win!" She jumped and fist bumped the air.

He chuckled and got up walking next to her "yeah..."

They were getting out of the tunnel she could hear Mic screaming out loud.

"THE U.A. SPORTS FESTIVAL!! WHERE THE HERO WORLD'S INCHOATE LITTLE EGGS AND AIM FOR EACH OTHER'S THROATS--- AND THE TOP! OUR GRAND YEARLY MELEE!! AND LET ME GUESS ALL YOU MISCREANTS CAME TO SEE THEM RIGHT??"

The stadium was packed with people and everyone was excited to see what's gonna happen this year.

"THE FRESHLY FORMED MIRACLE STARS THAT SHRUGGED OFF A MASS VILLAIN ASSAULT WITH WILLS OF STEEL! THE DEPARTMENT OF HEROICS FRESHMAN CLASS!!!"

Class 1-A were the first to come out from the tunnel.

"YOU'RE HERE FOR CLASS 1-A, RIGHT!!?"

The other classes came right behind them.

"AND FOLLOWING CLASS B, HERE COME CLASSES C, D, AND E FROM THE DEPT. OF GENERAL EDUCATION...!!"

They all walked out of the tunnel.

"AND NOW HERE ARE CLASSES F, G AND H OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SUPPORT! NOW FOR THE APARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT'S..."

People from y/n class started to talk quite loudly.

"Man, they're treating us like we're just their foils or something." Said the rich boy.

"What a loud..." the class beauty answered.

But she was interrupted by a loud snap of a wip, held by no one other than the beautiful R-rated hero Midnight.

"NOW NOW, FAIR PLAY!"

The students started to chitchat getting distracted by the R-rated heroine.

"SILENCE!" she wiped her wip again. "MY TENURE HERE IS PERFECTLY ON THE LEVEL!! NOW PLAYER REP!!"

"BAKUGOU KATSUKI OF 1-A!!"

Hitoshi didn't even bat an eye to the ash blond porcupine and Y/n giggled "This gonna be fun!" Hitoshi was behind Y/n and heard her clearly, he looked at her confused for her sudden interest in the angry porcupine.

"Yeah, the heroic exam." Said the beauty again.

Bakugou got to the podium next to the heroine and started.

"Sensei. I'm gonna place first" he said that very calm

Y/n giggled as she heard everyone going berserk booing him.

"AH MAN, I KNEW HE WAS GONNA...!!" Y/n stopped her giggles and looked at the class 1-a and spotted her friends panicking, she got back to giggling and keep looking around until her e/c meet, gray and blue eyes, it was the gorgeous boy from the other day.

Y/n blushed hard but gave him an embarrassed smile and waved at him, he lightly tilted his head but gave her the cold shoulder and got back to looking forward.

"You'll all make fantastic stepping stones. I'm sure."

Her attention was back to the ash blond hedgehog, she thought his angry face and his attitude were hilarious.

He calmly walked back to his place as everyone shouted at him.

Everyone's attention got back to Midnight as she started to explain.

"All right, with that we can move directly onto our first event!"

An gigantic screen appeared as Midnight was talking.

"Onto the "preliminaries," as they're called! Lots of the folk end up choking on their tears here every year!!"

In the screen some names were shuffled.

"And this year's first round of destiny is... THIS!!!"

The screen showed in big words "Obstacle race"

"Hey toshi... be sure to keep yourself from 40th up, I have a bad feeling about this..." she looked back at him worried

He chuckled and petted her head "you too, don't stay too close or I'm gonna get distracted"

She nodded "See you in the finish line!"

They went their separated ways to the start line, she decided to stay in the middle.

'Big bro... let me be your shadow!' She smiled determined to win.

3 . . . . .

2 . . . . . .

1 . . . . .

"STAAAAAAAAAAAART!!"

Y/n didn't even start to try passing through the others when she saw the ice coming from the half n half boy that was in the front she jumped on someone's shoulder evading the ice that now covered the floor and got some people stuck.

'This is... the first filter!' She keeps stepping on people's shoulders and heads. "Sorry!" She got out off the confusion and started ice skating right behind the gorgeous boy.

"WHAAAAAT SOMEONE THAT ISN'T FROM THE HERO COURSE IS ALREADY OUT OF THE ICE TRAP AND IS ACTUALLY USING IT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE!!!"

'Mic I really liked you before this'

"STOP DRAWING ATTENTION TO ME!" She screamed while keeping a good distance from the boy just to be sure that it was safe.

BOOM!

A gigantic explosion came from behind, she didn't look back, but she could still hear the voices complaining about the pretty boy.

The h/c haired girl started going slower to keep her  energy for later, making others being able to surpass her she saw the exact moment that the boy with grapes on his head was punched by a gigantic robot in front of her.

'I remember when Toshi, Kiri and Toko told me about them... they really are gigantic....' she gulped but didn't stop running, everything in her body was telling her to run but... 'I have to do it! For big brother... I can do it!'

Two long feathers came to her s/c hands and turned into a sharp katana like sword, the feather was black in the base and golden by the tip.

In the front a few people were closer to the robots when you heard Mic's voice.

"HERE COME TGE OBSTACLES, AND SO SUDDENLY!! AND FROM THE VERY OUTSET, TGE FIRST BARRIER WILL BE A ROBOT INFERNO!!"

'THEY ARE SO HUGE!' She was so fucking frightened, but stood a brave face, she knew he would watch it later.

The e/c eyed girl saw everyone stop before arriving at the front of the 0 pointers, but she didn't, her feet got speed, and she used the pretty boy as leverage to jump with both sword one in each hand.

Her foot stepped on his shoulders, she used so much force to jump that he got launched back, while she cut her way through the chest of the zero pointer.

She fell on the ground kinda clumsy but didn't fell so it was still a win, not even looking back she got back to running at good pace.

The pretty boy had fallen on his butt, but recovered fast letting the robots fall in the others way, he for back to running determined to get the first place back.

After running a little he could catch up to her surprisingly easy.

With a sword in each hand she looked at him and smiled "Hi again!"

"You aren't gonna win this, I'm going to win no matter what" he didn't spare her a single glance.

"Okay but... why are you so sad?"

He tripped on nothing but recovered quickly "what are you talking about?" He looked at her curiously.

"I never saw someone be so sad and so angry at the same time... you can surpass me if you want, I don't want the first place I just want to pass to the next trial"

He looked surprised at her. "Why?"

"I don't really care for the first place... but you do so go on! I will encounter you at the finish line!" She got behind him and gave him a little push.

That was enough to get his head in the track, and he run for it while she happily stood back.

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

1487 words

Love y all.❤

#shoto todoroki x reader #todoroki shoto x reader #todoroki x reader #todoroki shouto #x reader #bnha hawks #bnha x reader #bnha x y/n #bnha #mha x y/n #mha x you #mha x reader #mha #reader #shinso hitoshi #hitoshi #xreader

[incorrectk-popquotes]

My fic is fully uploaded!!!

You guys may remember that I posted the first chapter of my fic on here a couple weeks ago! Well, I finally finished uploading all 20 chapters on AO3!!

You guys should check it out!! I’ll put the first chapter under the cut again in case anyone missed it! <3

Title: A Better Place

Relationships: Bang Chan/Kim Woojin; Lee Minho | Lee Know/Seo Changbin; Han Jisung | Han/Lee Felix; Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N

Tags/warnings: Gangs, Alternate Universe - Gang World, Drug Use, Recreational Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Cults, Running Away, Anxiety Attacks, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Anxiety, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Smoking, gratuitous violence, Gang Violence, Violence, Drug Addiction

Summary:  Chan just wants to create a place where lost kids can come and have a family, but his past is catching up with him and threatening to ruin everything he’s worked so hard to create. After years of carefully cultivating one of the most powerful and notorious gangs in the city, Stray Kids are being targeted by a secret and powerful organization hellbent on bringing them down. Will Stray Kids be able to defeat the organization before their empire crumbles? Or will the horrors they face get the better of them ~~~ “His entire goal in bringing everybody together was to make a better place for them. Make a place that was safe for them. Nothing about this was better. Nothing about this was safe.”

AO3 Link

Chapter 1: Rebels

[Under the cut]

“Minho,” Chan’s voice said suddenly over the com in Minho’s ear, startling him and causing him to lose his focus on the lock he was currently attempting to pick. “Status update.”

“Would be going significantly faster if you stopped asking for status updates every 5 seconds,” Minho gritted out, forcing his attention back on the difficult lock. Behind him, Felix snickered at his irritation. He was good at what he did, but this lock was tough and he had already been trying to pick it for too long. Every second that the locking mechanism didn’t click into place, more anxiety twisted in Minho’s belly. Wiping his hands quickly on his pants, he focused his entire attention back on the lock.

Tickling at the back of his mind was the knowledge that Changbin could only keep the security system at bay and Jeongin could only keep the security guards engaged for so long before they remembered that they had a job to attend to. These thoughts only succeeded in making Minho’s hands sweatier, making the small metal tools he was working with feel slippery and hard to work with.

Clenching his jaw, Minho carefully worked his pick in the lock, pressing down the pins in the mechanism. The tiny, satisfying click it suddenly let out made him pause. He did it. He stared at it with wide eyes for one moment before snapping out of it. He breathed out all of the anxiety that had been crushing his lungs, and a smug smile broke out on his face. Looking back at Felix, Minho wiggled his eyes mischievously and pushed the door open with a flourish.

“It’s open,” he whispered smugly.

“About damn time,” Changbin murmured, obviously trying to sound annoyed but it just sounded relieved.

Stowing his tools in his pocket and wiping the sweat off his still slightly shaky hands, Minho pushed the door open a little bit more. It was small and dark and looked like nothing more than a storage room at first glance. The earlier anxiety had completely replaced itself with giddy excitement as Minho moved in and flipped on the light, illuminating the room in the same harsh fluorescent lighting that lit the rest of the building. His grin grew wider as he looked at all of the shelves which were filled with bricks of white powder.

“You have 68 seconds to get in there, fill the bags, and get out,” Changbin informed them. “I can try to keep the system down longer, but they’ll start to notice.”

“Aye, aye, cap-Bin” Minho giggled quietly, unable to contain his glee. A quick glance at Felix showed that the other boy felt the same excitement upon seeing everything in front of them. Sharing a grin, Minho and Felix moved into the room and started filling the backpacks as quickly as they could.

“Time to get a move on,” Chan said, his voice tense with worry. “Whatever you have is plenty.” Minho heard Felix zip up his bag behind him, but he couldn’t force himself to leave just yet, he needed to take more. Grabbing another brick, Minho shoved it into the already overflowing backpack.

“ Now , Minho,” Changbin demanded over the com. He sounded annoyed, but Minho knew that he was just worried. Neither Chanbin nor Chan liked to send the rest of them into unfamiliar locations alone, especially when it was a location they couldn't drop into at a moment’s notice if something went wrong. Minho grabbed one last brick of the white powder, slipping it into the pocket of his hoodie, before zipping up his backpack and following Felix into the hallway. Felix was giving him a look that Minho didn’t have time to decipher as he pulled the door closed.

Ignoring Felix’s look, for now, he pressed himself up against the wall and motioned for Felix to do the same. It wouldn’t do them any good to leave here if they were just going to run into the guards’ waiting arms because they were stupid enough to not check first. Holding his breath, Minho listened intently. When the only sound that he heard was Jeongin’s bright chatter with the guards over the com, he let out a breath and nodded for Felix to follow him down the hall.

“En route to the rendezvous,” Minho said lowly. They moved fast, keeping their steps light and staying close to the walls, out of sight of most of the cameras. They peeked out every once in a while so Changbin could keep track of their location through the building. Minho knew the way out, having studied a blueprint of the building before the job. He had to constantly remind himself that just because he knew the way out didn’t mean that he could let his guard down. Just because nothing had gone wrong up until this point, didn’t mean something couldn’t go wrong now.

Glancing back at Felix, Minho frowned when he saw the hardened look in his eyes. It was a look that reminded Minho too much of Felix’s past and Minho didn’t like it. Looking at the other’s hand, his frown deepened when he saw the gun, loaded and ready, in his hand. Minho made a mental note to talk to him about that later.

“We are waiting at the meeting point,” Woojin voiced over the com. Minho hummed in acknowledgment, turning his attention back to the bright, empty corridor. He stayed alert, really not wanting to get surprised or ambushed by anybody, especially with Felix being so on edge right now. He could practically feel the tension coming from the other, and that was never a good sign.

“You got a couple guards up here around the corner,” Changbin informed them. Minho glanced back at Felix and saw that he had readied his gun and was ready for a fight. “There should be a supply closet on your right,” Changbin continued. “Hide in there and I’ll let you know when they pass.” Minho ducked into the closet Changbin mentioned, dragging Felix in with him, and pushed the door closed behind them. It was dark, cramped, and smelled of cleaning supplies, but Minho could still make out the anger on Felix’s face as he glared holes into the door.

Keeping a vice-like grip on Felix’s wrist, Minho forced his gun to remain at Felix’s side. Sadness and unease settled heavily in Minho’s mind as he watched Felix continue to grit his teeth and glared at the door like he wanted to burst through it and kill every living thing on the other side. Heavy footsteps walked past the door of the little supply closet they were hiding in. Minho felt Felix’s fingers twitch on the gun, tightening around the handle and moving closer to the trigger.

Releasing Felix’s wrist, Minho placed a gentle hand over Felix’s on the gun. He grabbed Felix’s chin and forced him to stop glaring at the door and instead look into his eyes. This couldn’t happen right now. They were in too good of a position to have Felix check out and go berserk. But more than that, Minho really didn’t want Felix to do something that he would regret after the job.

The pointed glare Minho directed at him seemed to snap Felix back into himself. Looking at the ground guiltily, his fingers around the stock of the gun loosened, but Minho didn’t dare remove his hand until Felix moved to reholster the weapon. Minho breathed a small sigh of relief and squeezed Felix’s shoulder reassuringly, focusing again on the sounds of the hallway. He couldn’t hear the heavy footsteps outside anymore, but that didn’t mean much and since Changbin hadn’t given them the go-ahead to leave the room, they stayed put. Minho continued to gently hold Felix’s shoulder as they stood together in the dark, hoping to keep him grounded in reality.

“Okay, you’re clear,” Changbin finally said after what felt like eons in that too cramped closet. Minho gave Felix a questioning look, hoping that Felix was okay to keep going. Felix just gave a small nod, still mostly avoiding his eyes, and pressed passed Minho to open the door leaving Minho to trail behind.

~~~

Woojin drummed his fingers anxiously against the steering wheel of the rental car he sat in with Hyunjin. After hearing that the other team had almost been caught, he was anxious for them to reach the meeting point and make the handoff. While the job itself wasn’t particularly difficult, something about it made him uneasy and he would very much like it to be over as soon as possible. The pay for the job was too high for a simple theft and delivery. No matter what they were delivering, there’s no way anybody would pay this much for it. Something about it just didn’t feel right.

“Are you okay?” Hyunjin’s voice snapped Woojin out of his nervous rumination. Woojin looked over at him and immediately felt guilty by the concern in Hyunjin’s eyes.

“I’m fine, Jinnie,” Woojin reassured kindly, quirking his lips up into what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Judging from the suspicious look on Hyunjin’s face, he didn’t exactly succeed. But Hyunjin dropped the subject with a curt nod; the job was no place to discuss these kinds of things. Woojin sighed and looked back out the windshield, watching for Minho and Felix to make their way out of the building.

Finally, the two crept into the dark parking garage where Woojin and Hyunjin were waiting. Woojin almost leaped out of the car to greet them, but restrained himself and waited for them to swiftly make their way to the car. The two backdoors opened and Woojin watched as two heavy looking backpacks were dropped onto the car seats. Woojin sent a skeptical look to Minho, who’s front hoodie pocket pulled at the rest of his hoodie.

“Is that all of it?” he asked pointedly, deliberately keeping any accusation out of his words. He knew Minho tended to take more than what they needed and just keep it. While he knew that Minho wasn’t planning on using any of the extra drugs they had stolen, it was better not to keep them on around at all. Judging by the sheepish smile Minho gave him, he was right. Woojin watched as Minho reached into his bulging pocket, pulling out one more brick of the white powder, he put it on the seat next to the backpacks.

“Handoff crew,” Chan’s voice said over the com, “you need to go now.” Woojin simply hummed in reply, watching as the other team shut the back doors and stepped away, making their way to the getaway vehicle where Seungmin and Jisung were waiting.

Woojin pulled out of the parking garage and headed to the agreed-upon location for the delivery. The unease crept back into his mind as they got closer to the location. Fingers drumming the steering wheel anxiously, he examined his surroundings closely. He heard Chan telling Jeongin it was time for him to get out of there and meet up with the others in the getaway vehicle. It brought him some amount of comfort to hear that all the kids had made it out alright.

“Woojin?” Hyunjin’s concerned voice again pulled Woojin out of his thoughts. He glanced at Hyunjin, humming softly in acknowledgment.

“Are you sure your alright?” The question caused Woojin’s heart to clench and he directed what he hoped was a warm smile at the other.

“I already told you I’m fine,” he said, gently squeezing Hyunjin’s knee. Hyunjin didn’t look convinced, but they didn’t have time to dwell on it as they pulled up to the location.

Woojin sat in the car a moment, regarding the other car parking in front of them. He suppressed laughter at how stereotypically supervillain-esque it looked with its sleek, black paint and darkly tinted windows. A man in a suit with dark aviators stepped out of the car and again Woojin had to work very hard to school his features in a neutral business expression. Were they doing business with James Bond himself?

Nodding for Hyunjin to follow, Woojin stepped out of the car casually, forcing his face into a bored expression. Woojin watched as Hyunjin gathered the two backpacks and the extra brick. Woojin didn’t like having Hyunjin carry all of those drugs, but he needed to show Mr. Aviators that he was in charge here.

“Is that the merchandise?” Mr. Aviators asked, nodding to the bags that Hyunjin held.

“Might be,” Woojin hummed offhandedly, examining his nails. Despite the show of disinterest, he was very alert to the man in front of them. After a moment he crossed his arms loosely and looked back up at Mr. Aviators with an indifferent expression. “I guess you won’t actually figure that out until we get our money.” Mr. Aviators nodded once, moving back to the car, he reached in to pull something. Woojin kept his expression impassive and bored, but he felt Hyunjin at high alert beside him. Pulling out a briefcase, Mr. Aviators opened it and showed them the stacks of cash inside.

“That’s the agreed-upon amount?” Woojin asked suspiciously, eyeing the stacks. It seemed like plenty, but the whole situation made Woojin desperate to remain in charge. Despite Mr. Aviators just being some goon from the other party, he still felt the nerves pricking under his skin.

“Of course,” Mr. Aviators said promptly, giving a stiff nod. Woojin glanced at Hyunjin and nodded for him to go collect the briefcase. He watched as Hyunjin set down the backpacks and extra brick and walked to grab the case. Woojin kept his indifferent facade in place, but tension built in him as he watched Hyunjin get closer than comfort to Mr. Aviators and their car.

Hyunjin collected the case and hurried back to Woojin opening it for Woojin to inspect. In all honesty, Woojin didn’t care at all how much was in the case, but he was overwhelmingly glad that Hyunjin was back by his side. Taking the case with a satisfied nod, he flipped it closed and turned swiftly back toward his car. He heard Hyunjin toss the bags toward Mr. Aviators and hoped the boy was following him back to the car.

“Tell your boss,” Woojin said icily when he reached the car, “that next time, I would love to do business with him directly.” Tossing the briefcase into the backseat, Woojin got in the car. Without waiting for Hyunjin to buckle his seatbelt, he pulled away from the meeting spot and started heading away. The facade broke and he let out a shaky breath. Glancing over, Woojin saw Hyunjin slumped back in his seat, fingers idly picking at the threads in his jeans as he stared out the window. He must have felt the same unease about this whole thing that Woojin was feeling.

“Delivery made,” Woojin said into the com. “We have the cash.”

~~~

Seungmin was bouncing nervously in the driver’s seat, fiddling with the radio. Jisung kept sending him death glares because of his nervous fiddling, but he was too anxious to care. Initially, Jisung had tried in vain to get Seungmin to calm down, but eventually, he just gave up because Seungmin was just too nervous to console. He hated having to wait for the other’s to get out of jobs okay. He hated the waiting because it always just feels like they are all collectively waiting for the other shoe to drop.

He had been flipping incessantly through radio stations, Jisung had given up trying to make him stop at this point when the back doors were swung open, nearly causing him to shriek. Whipping around, he relaxed a little when he saw Felix and Minho climb into the vehicle.

“You can put the knife down,” Minho laughed awkwardly, glancing over at Felix. Seungmin followed his eyes and saw Felix had gone completely rigid, eyes locked on the knife that Seungmin didn’t even see Jisung pull. Seungmin watched apprehensively as Jisung blinked once, looked down at the knife, and then set it down. Seungmin watched as Felix’s eyes tracked the knife.

“If I knew pulling a knife would make you not be able to take your eyes off of me, I’d do it more often,” Jisung joked, letting out a bright laugh. Despite his cheery tone and smiling, his eyes were sharp as he watched Felix closely.

At the sound of Jisung’s laugh, Felix’s eyes snapped away from the knife. Seungmin watched as Jisung’s eyes immediately softened as Felix looked at him with wide, vulnerable eyes. Seungmin coughed a little and turned around to fiddle with the radio a little.

“How did everything go?” Seungmin asked a moment later, turning off the radio and matching Jisung’s posture facing the back completely. He had been listening to the com at the beginning, but it ended up just making him more nervous, so he had tuned it out.

Minho sent Felix an odd look that Seungmin couldn’t quite decipher. Before he had time to dwell on it though, Felix’s face broke out into a broad grin.

“You should have seen that room, guys,” Felix said, leaning back in the seat and crossing his arms over his chest. “There was, like, 300 kilos of that shit in there!” Seungmin frowned at him, not liking at all how excited Felix got over that many drugs. Seungmin glanced at Jisung and noticed the frown etched into his face too.

“Oh my God,” Minho said, dramatically falling back in the seat. “It was like walking into the golden city itself!”

“I don’t understand why you guys are so excited about that,” Seungmin mumbled, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and turning around to slump in his chair. As a nursing student, something about the drug runs just didn’t sit right in him. He didn’t like the idea of aiding in allowing people access to the shit, even if they weren’t the ones directly distributing it. Seungmin knew Jisung shared his sentiment, but he was never able to get the other to tell him exactly why he didn’t like them after having grown up in a place where they were so normalized.

“Think about how much that room alone was worth!” Minho exclaimed, leaning forward dramatically. “And we only took a tiny bit of it!” Beside him, Felix nodded his grin still wide across his face. Even though Seungmin didn’t agree with the reason for the excitement, it was contagious. Seungmin found himself grinning despite himself, and a glance at Jisung confirmed that the other was fighting back a grin, too.

Seungmin tuned out the rest of the conversation and relaxed into the seat a bit, watching the street intently for when Jeongin would come. Judging from the silence over the com when Seungmin finally decided to start listening again, he could only assume that Chan had told Jeongin that it was time for him to leave. The fact that he couldn’t hear Jeongin’s constant chatter set him on edge.

Seungmin didn’t even realize that he had started to nervously chew on his nails as he stared at the road and listened to the quiet of the com until Jisung reached over a pulled his hand away from his mouth. He looked over at Jisung in surprise. The look of sympathy he received was a little disarming.

“He’ll be fine, Seungmin,” Jisung said comfortingly, placing Seungmin’s hand down on the console. Jisung kept his hand firmly over Seungmin’s wrist, keeping him from continuing to gnaw on his nails. “Will you please take a breath.” Seungmin nodded taking a deep breath and forcing every muscle in his body to relax. This seemed to satisfy Jisung because he went back to chatting with the others, but he didn’t move his hand from Seungmin’s wrist.

Turning his attention back out the window, he spotted Jeongin bouncing down the street, a bright smile on his face. Seungmin perked up a bit when he saw the other, thankful that he looked generally uninjured. Seeing Jeongin bounding in their direction caused Seungin to finally relax against his seat. A small smile spread across his face as Jeongin flew into the car, crawling over Felix to position himself in the middle of the backseat.

“Didn’t I do good?” Jeongin asked, happily bouncing a bit in the seat and causing Minho to grumble a little beside him, but Seungmin saw the tiny smile that was tugging at Minho’s lips.

“So good,” Seungmin said smiling brightly at the other through the rearview mirror as he started the car and shifted it into drive. “Nobody could have done a better job than you, Innie.” He drove away from the curb as the rest of the car fell into a comfortable conversation. He was glad that everybody had made it out safe.

#not a quote #admin nell #fanfic #please read it #!!!! #im sure youll all love it #!!!!!! #leave comments #im begging you #fanfiction #kpop fanfic #kpop fanfiction #stray kids #stray kids fanfic #stray kids fanfiction #skz #skiz #kpop imagines #kpop imagine #stray kids imagines #stray kids imagine #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #ao3 fanfiction #fiction #writing #gang au #stray kids gang #stray kids gang au #i love you all

[apharine]

The First Annual Staff Party of the Castle That Never Was

Chapter 1: Rumors and Wagers

Pairing:  Reader/Organization XIII

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Rating:  M

Read on AO3

Summary:  [Reader-insert Seven Minutes in Heaven with Organization XIII] When you woke up, you were expecting a quiet day off from missions, shared with no-one but yourself. But your day off went terribly, almost predictably, wrong, and by that evening, you'd been roped into contributing towards a potluck dinner and playing some mashup of Seven Minutes in Heaven and Spin the Bottle with your Organization XIII colleagues. Kingdom Hearts help you.

Notes:  Hey all!  I’m the author Apharine over on AO3, but you can call me Kana here on Tumblr!  My main blog on Tumblr is all serious stuff and I wanted a place where I can post my fanfics and fandom-related contributions and talk to people about KH, so I’m making this sideblog!  I always follow back and will try to be regular in my updates, and might even take requests at some point, too!

                                         _____________________

    When you walked into the Grey Area after a late breakfast, the rumors were flying more quickly than an Air Soldier Heartless.

    “Hey, you might be the last one to have heard,” Axel beamed at you as soon as you stepped in the common space, obviously overjoyed to share the news.  With one lanky arm around your shoulders, the redhead navigated you into the center of an absolutely packed Grey Area.  It seemed nobody was currently on a mission, which was extremely unusual – you thought you were the only one with today off.  What was going on?  The couches were jam-packed, and even the standing area around them was full, every Nobody unusually animated and talkative.  “Luxord apparently finally got Xemnas to make a wager with him!  It - ”

    “The Superior would never do such a thing,” Saix’s deep voice interrupted Axel’s eager chatting as the blunette approached, clipboard in hand.  “And according to my notes, Axel, you should currently be in Agrabah –”

    “Nobody’s going anywhere today, Treasure-Face,” Xigbar drawled from where he sprawled on the couch next to Demyx, who was strumming his sitar and adding to the already clamorous background noise.  “Go Berserk on them all if you want, but it’s a battle you’re still going to lose.”

    “We have an Organization to run, Number Two,” Saix returned, but Xigbar had already turned around and was chatting with Larxene, who was leaning against the back of the couch.

    “I heard Zexion say that they were betting on the outcome of Vexen’s current Replica project,” Demyx said to you conspiratorially.  Beside you, Saix’s grip on his clipboard tightened just incrementally.

    “They would not –“ Saix began, but was cut off by Marluxia, who had just traded spots with Xaldin on the opposite couch.

    “I heard from a rather reliable source that they were betting on which of the recent worlds we’ve acquired would prove to be more strategic for us,” the botanist announced, leaning casually on the armrest of the couch.

    “They’re all strategic, and producing many hearts,” Saix interrupted, trying desperately to reassert authority.  “Marluxia, you’re supposed to-“

    “I heard that they were betting on who could win the trivia night at that bar in Hollow Bastion,” Xigbar laughed, cutting Saix off yet again.  You were certain that the Freeshooter was just doing it to piss the Diviner off…and to stir up trouble.  Surely Xemnas would never bet on something as frivolous as that – would he?

    Xigbar’s comment set off the firestorm that he had intended.  Everybody exploded in a downright brouhaha of what they’d heard, what they thought, and why certain theories were a bad or good idea – all at once.  Even Lexaeus, normally as silent as Nobodies were known to come, was chattering with Zexion and Vexen in a little huddle.  The sheer noise of the Nobodies was startling; hadn’t anybody designed this place with decent acoustics, or did everything echo here?

    “Wait, Axel,” you shouted over the cacophony.  “I don’t get it.  Just because Xemnas made a bet – what’s the big deal?”

    “Well, there’s only one outcome when you bet with Luxord,” Axel shouted back over the din, leaning down towards you.  “So, naturally, Xemnas lost.”

                                        _____________________

    Speculation could only last so long, and eventually, the crowd died out, trailing off to do whatever it was Nobodies did on their collective self-appointed day off.  Eventually, you, Demyx, and Axel were the only ones left in the Grey Area with Saix, who was still seething.  Demyx didn’t care about the bluenette’s anger; after all, he never cared anyway and would barely have done the mission even on a normal day.  Axel and Saix, you knew, were pretty close, so Axel probably didn’t feel nervous even when he was the target of Saix’s irritation.  And you – well, this actually was your day off, so what was the Diviner going to do to you?

    “It’s pitiable,” Saix growled, “that one little rumor is enough to send our infrastructure crumbling to the ground.  We should all be better than this,” he added, casting a sidelong glance at Demyx, who was showing you how to play a C chord on the sitar and really not listening at all.

    “Yeah,” Axel said absent-mindedly.  “I guess we should be.  But, you know, the funny thing is that I think around when Luxord first joined the Organization, he made a wager with me that he could get Xemnas to lose a bet.  So, even though it’s been years, I guess I’ve lost that one.  I’m honestly kind of nervous about what’s in it for me, now.”

    “Wait, wait, wait,” Demyx said, letting go of your hand where he’d been positioning it on the neck of his sitar.  “You made that bet, too?  I did the same thing when Lux first joined!”

    “Yeah, me too, when I first joined,” you agreed, a bit taken aback.  Soon, all eyes were on Saix.

    “I…” he trailed off, and you almost wondered if there wasn’t a touch of a blush rising to his cheeks.  You tried to suppress a smile; he took himself so seriously!  “Me too,” he mumbled, barely audible.  You and Axel exchanged a glance, and you knew he was thinking the same thing as you; how many others were there who had been caught up in this?  Or was it just the four of you?

    A tap on your shoulder made you jump and almost let out a yelp.  You twisted around, surprised, terrified of finding Luxord or Xemnas waiting for you.  But no, it was just a Dusk, politely handing you a playing card.  You frowned and took it, turning it over to reveal its face, as the Dusk went around, politely handing out cards to everyone else in the room before stalking off.

    “You have been summoned to Where Nothing Gathers for a lunchtime meeting.  Arrive at noon promptly,” you read aloud.  There was no signature; there didn’t need to be.  Every one of you knew who had distributed these memos.

                                        _____________________

    You and Larxene entered Where Nothing Gathers together, finally having fallen silent from all of your shared speculation.  She, too, had made that same bet with Luxord when she joined the Organization.  How many others were there?  Had Xemnas really lost?  Moreover, were you all totally, royally screwed?

    “See you,” Larxene said with a small grimace and a shrug of her shoulders before parting ways with you to take her place on her throne.

    “See you,” you echoed, sure your face looked as bewildered as hers, though it was oddly reassuring to know that you weren’t the only one confused and a little afraid.

    Demyx was the last one to take his place on his throne, somewhat unsurprisingly.  The Superior sat and waited for him in stolid, stony silence, his face betraying nothing.  For a long moment, it looked like he wasn’t even going to speak.

    “So why are we all gathered here today, in Where Nothing Matters?” Xigbar asked to no one in particular, kicking back and looking quite amused with himself.

    “Gathers,” Saix growled.  “Where Nothing Gathers.”  Xigbar only grinned and shrugged; it was obvious to everyone that today was an ideal day for him to stir up some trouble, and he was loving it.

    “We are gathered here, at this abrupt hour,” Xemnas spoke, his deep, resounding voice silencing all others.  “Because our Number Ten has an announcement to make.  You will all follow his every order without exception.  Do I make myself clear?”

    Around the room, everybody nodded slowly, and all eyes shifted to Luxord on his throne.

    “Greetings, colleagues!”  He chirped out in his British accent, sounding so cheerful that the sharp contrast to Xemnas’ monotone was startling.  “I understand that various rumors are flying around the Castle, and I want to make one thing perfectly clear: whatever you’ve heard, it’s all true.  Now,” he grinned, looking out at everyone with a dangerous light in his blue eyes.  Your stomach turned; what were you all in for?  Never before had Xemnas announced that you were all to follow any orders other than his or Saix’s, and Saix was really just an extension of the Superior, anyway.  “I’d like to announce that tonight, at eight o clock, we will be holding our First Annual Staff Party in the Hall of Empty Melodies.”  Luxord paused for effect, beaming out at his audience.

    “You’re serious?”  Marluxia spoke up, interrupting the silence.

    “Besides the Superior’s orders,” Xaldin snapped.  “I see no reason to attend this Staff Party.  It’s frivolous and a distraction to our plans.”

    “Well,” Luxord answered cheerily.  “The funny thing is, Xaldin, you may recall a bet that we made when I first joined the Organization…”  He trailed off for a moment, and the Whirlwind Lancer frowned, slumping in his seat.  “I do believe that you’ve lost that bet today.  In fact, I do believe you’ve all lost that bet today,” Luxord added.  You glanced around the room; Luxord had roped literally everyone in the Organization into this somehow?  “And unless you want to encounter the Superior’s anger, or you want to find out how unpleasant it is to break the terms of a contractually-binding bet with me, you will be in the Hall of Empty Melodies at eight tonight.  Dress is casual, jeans and a shirt are fine.”

    “Hey, Lux,” Xigbar called up, wasting no time.  “Is it bring your own beer?”

    “Potluck!  Potluck!”  Demyx started chanting, pumping his fists in the air and obviously thrilled at the idea of a party.  You sighed, slumping into your seat the same way that Xaldin had in his.  This was going to be a very long day off.

                                        _____________________

    Thanks to Demyx, Luxord actually had adopted the potluck idea, and you and Larxene had to go out together to pick some food up, since most of the rest of the kitchen was being dominated by Nobodies who were surprisingly eager to do some cooking.  You weren’t thrilled about having to spend the munny, but had to admit, it was kind of fun getting ready for a party with the only other girl in the Organization.

    “Which one?”  Larxene asked you, holding two tops up.  She wasn’t too into the whole casual-dress affair, and was enjoying getting a little dolled up for once.  Her fervor for it was infectious, and you had to admit, you were enjoying it just a little, too.  “I like the silver one, but then I’ll have to find a different bra, because this one is so dark it’ll just show right through it.  But the other top’s cute, too, and I can wear this bra with it, and let’s be real…it’s my best bra.  What do you think?”

    Before you could open your mouth, a very familiar voice interrupted.

    “Definitely the silver one,” Xigbar announced, vanishing through a portal in Larxene’s wall before she could manage to electrocute him – though not for lack of effort on her part.

                                        _____________________

    You and Larxene were among the first at the party.  Luxord had, of course, already beaten you to the Hall of Empty Melodies, and greeted you both with a one armed hug and peck on the cheek when he saw you.

    “Wonderful to see you both, so glad you could make it.  Potluck food on the table to the right,” he announced.  “Do mingle with the other girls; you’ve likely seen them around some places, Traverse Town, Hollow Bastion, that sort of thing.  They’re all good friends of mine, all have lost bets, you’re all in the same boat so do try to be friendly, loves.  Vexen!  Wonderful to see you…”  The Gambler of Fate moved on from you two as you shuffled toward the table to the right, as directed, eyeing whatever-it-was that Vexen had cooked up and was carrying in.  It looked gelatinous and very concerning.

    The staff party, it turned out, was a lot of fun.  Xigbar had brought some beer, Marluxia had brought some liquor, and you were sufficiently tipsy, your voice slightly hoarse from socializing and cheering on various beer pong teams, by the time ten o clock came around.

    “All right everyone,” Luxord called above the din.  “Gather round, circle up, come along now.”  Slowly, like a herd shuffling into place, the partygoers – yourself included – moved into Luxord’s ascribed position.  “Next up, we’ll be playing a game.”

    “King’s cup!”  Axel shouted.

    “No, no,” Luxord grinned with a little chuckle.  “Maybe later, though I’m certain some of you will be quite done for the night after that.  We’ll be starting with something a bit new, something that we couldn’t have done quite so well if not for the ladies present tonight.  Who here has heard of Seven Minutes in Heaven?”

    You and Larxene exchanged glances.  Oh, God, you thought, and you could see the same look written across her face.  Things had been going too well for you all as a group that had lost a bet with Luxord; you should’ve known it couldn’t last.

    The game had to be slightly modified, since it turned out that nearly nobody had any small, insignificant trinket to be contributed to pull out of a hat.  It was almost embarrassing, watching member after member of the Organization offer either munny, pocket lint, or their weapons to be put into the pool.

    Before Luxord attempted to collect from Xemnas, he gave up, redistributing the possessions back to their respective owners (give or take the pocket lint).

    “Somebody grab a bottle, I know you’ve all drank more than a few together so far,” he instructed as he struggled to move Saix’s Claymore back to him.  Saix, in exchange, gave him the requested bottle, looking extraordinarily nonplussed.  “We’ll determine who spins first by having the girls draw cards.  The first lady to pull the Ace of Hearts goes first.  Let’s see…Larxene, why don’t you start us off?”  The Gambler approached your friend, who was seated to your left with a very plain grimace on her face.  Luxord didn’t seem to notice or care, offering her a deck of cards fanned out in his hands.  With a small, angry groan of frustration in the back of her throat, Larxene drew the card from the far right.  You watched closely as your friend turned it over, revealing the Jack of Spades.  Her posture and face relaxed as she handed the card back to Luxord.

    “Next,” Luxord announced, moving the deck to you.  You sighed and shut your eyes, pulling from the deck at random.  When you opened them, you found the Ace of Hearts staring back at you.

    Just your luck.

    Setting your face into as unperturbed an expression as you could muster, you handed the card back to Luxord, who held it up for the group to see.  Surprisingly, the group remained silent as you walked toward the center of the circle, where the bottle lay.  You took a deep breath and knelt down, giving it a spin – not too hard, but not too gentle, either.  The little brown bottle turned around and around, wobbling and wobbling, until finally, it slowed, and when it stopped…

#kingdom hearts #organization xiii #reader-insert #xemnas #xigbar #xaldin #vexen #lexaeus #zexion #axel #saix #demyx #luxord #marluxia #larxene #apharine #the first annual staff party of the castle that never was #fanfiction #kh fanfic #kingdom hearts fanfiction

[sakurarebin]

Digimon Adventure 03

I’m posting my newest fanfiction project here for anyone interested:

Summary: It's been three years since ‎Belial Vamdemon was defeated and digimon have been slowly incorporated into our daily lives. However, not everyone approves of the digimon in our world. When digimon partners start going berserk in our world, can Taichi and the others solve the mystery and prove digimon are truly beneficial to our world? Taichi/Yamato, Sora/Jou

Notes: In terms of canon compliance, this follows season 1, 2, Our War Game, and the two and a half year break CD dramas. Non-Epilogue compliant. This features the new characters from Tri, but with my own interpretations on the characters, so they may not be exactly what you expected. Please enjoy it! I do not own Digimon.

Chapter 1: The Adventure Evolves Again

Taichi smiled as he strolled into the large field carrying his soccer ball while Agumon, who was excitedly looking around at all the trees, waddled close beside him. The late spring sun shone down on the pair and the cool winds brought the smell of the sea into the park as they casually made their way deeper into it to play some soccer. As they approached the field, they could see a group of elementary school-aged kids were playing tag and laughing with a handful of small digimon. The brunette recognized a couple of the digimon from his time in the digital world; the blue tadpole-shaped one was an Otamamon, while the Yukimibatomon reminded him of a small white mochi bun with mouse ears. However, he didn’t recognize the yellow bug digimon or the small tapir-like one with a hard metal shell on its head.

“Taichi, do you want to see if they want to play soccer too?” Agumon's question drew the teenager’s attention back to his own digimon partner who was staring up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“That's fine by me, Agumon,” he responded, smiling fondly at his small orange-amber dinosaur-like companion, earning him a wide toothy smile. With that, they headed towards the group of children, some of whom were looking over at him with a mix of curiosity and excitement between the digimon and the soccer ball. A dark haired boy scooped up the yellow bug-like digimon with black lightning-shaped eyes and black lightning stripes down its back before running over to Taichi and Agumon as they got closer. 

“Do you want to play with us?” asked the boy excitedly, approaching the pair, although he was staring at Agumon when he asked the question.

“Nee, Haruto, do you really think you should be asking a stranger to play with us?” asked a girl with long blond hair as she stepped towards them, holding her Yukimibotamon in her arms. She hung a little ways back from Taichi, eyeing him a little suspiciously.  

“It's okay, Keiko! He has a digimon- see!” Haruto exclaimed, pointing at Agumon. The other children and digimon moved closer as well.

“And Taichi is a good person,” added Agumon, who moved closer to the other children, excitement shining in his eyes as he looked back at Taichi. Taichi inwardly cringed for a moment, noting that just having a digimon wasn’t a good reason to trust someone, but he was the one who had approached them and he didn’t want Agumon to be disappointed.

“It’s okay,” he reassured the other kids. “You guys can play soccer with Agumon, if you want to.” Taichi said as the children formed a semi-circle in front of him with Haruto in the middle. Haruto nodded enthusiastically. 

Otatamon looked up at Taichi. “Are you not going to play with us too, Tama?” asked the little tadpole-like digimon, “You’re the one who helped wake up ShogunGekomon-Sama with the princess, right?” Taichi blinked in surprise.

“You’re one of the Otamamon from the ShogunGekomon palace? I didn’t realize that some of you became Digimon partners.”

Haruto’s eyes grew even wider as he listened to Taichi. “Onii-san, you’ve been to the Digital World! That’s so awesome! Can you tell us about it?” Haruto looked up at Taichi with a look of amazement and adoration. Soon the other kids surrounded Taichi, asking him various questions about the digital world, the game of tag and the soccer ball long forgotten. Agumon added little bits of details to the stories, sometimes causing Taichi and Agumon to bicker playfully.

“Augmon can become Wargreymon!” Interrupted Haruto at one point, “Wow, that’s so cool! Hey look what I can do!” He held up his digivice.

“Hey, stop being a show off,” complained another boy with a mess of red hair while the tapir-like digimon sat by his side, “Not everyone can evolve their digimon yet.” 

Haruto looked over at the boy who spoke. “Stop whining Shinjiro. You guys will be able to evolve your digimon soon, too.” A sour face crossed the other boy's face as Haruto held up his Digivice towards his partner digimon.

“Kunemon shinka…Kuwagamon!” Light shone around the small insect digimon and a large stag beetle digimon took its place. Haruto reached out to touch Kuwagamon and the digimon leaned into the touch affectionately.

“See? I can evolve my digimon now-”

“You're still being a show off,” accused Shinjiro, cutting off his friend, which sparked a small argument between the two of them. Taichi couldn’t help but look at them with fond amusement, remembering the fights that he used to get into with Yamato. The look faded when the memories of the dream he’d last night resurfaced in his mind. Yamato had been in it, his eyes closed as the blond leaned further in, their lips almost touching. Taichi’s heart started to race again and he felt out of breath.

“Are you okay, Taichi?” Agumon’s worried voice brought Taichi out of his daze to find Agumon and the kids staring at him intently. Taichi fought down the blush and shook his head.

“I’m fine,” Taichi lied, forcing a smile to his lips before turning his attention back to the two boys in front of him. However, before he could say much more, Kuwagamon stole everyone’s attention once again as the digimon took to the air. Agumon pressed up closer to Taichi as they all watched Kuwagamon fly in awe. The sun glinted off Kuwagamon’s red shell as he flew higher into the air. Then, something happened. Kuwagamon jolted in the air, his entire body freezing before beginning to jerk and contort in weird ways. Taichi put his hand above his eyes in an effort to block the sun so he could see what was going on more clearly. Then Kuwagamon started snapping his pincers and turned, circling back towards the group fast. Taichi’s eyes went wide as he realized that Kuwagamon was going to crash right into them.

“Get out of the way!” he cried as he grabbed Haruto and Shinjiro, who were the closest to him at that moment. The other kids scattered to the other side and Kuwagamon crashed into the ground hard.

“Kuwagamon!” shouted Haruto as he struggled against Taichi’s grasp, forcing Taichi to let go. He bolted straight towards his digimon.

“Haruto, wait!” Taichi tried calling out to the boy as he and Agumon dashed forward behind him, but Haruto wasn’t listening. He reached out towards his digimon as he ran, but Kuwagamon turned towards the dark haired boy sharply. Taichi saw Kuwagamon’s pincers clench menacingly, but he knew that he was too far away to do anything himself.

“Taichi!” Agumon called out, turning towards his partner. Taichi nodded in understanding. The digivice in his pocket reacted as he reached in to grab it and light formed around Agumon.

“Agumon shinka… Greymon!” Agumon’s large orange and blue striped t-rex-like adult form stood where Agumon had been moments before and he quickly moved into action. Stepping over Haruto, Greymon put himself between the boy and Kuwagamon. Kuwagamon’s pincers clamped around Greymon, who grunted at the impact, but stood his ground.

“Get away from here,” said Greymon to the wide-eyed boy, his voice much deeper and more gravelly than before. Haruto was frozen in place, but Taichi had continued forward. He pulled him back to safety as Greymon pushed Kuwagamon back, lifting the large digimon off the ground. Greymon used his massive strength to throw Kuwagamon to the side, away from any of the kids. The kids ran to Taichi, many of them hiding behind him, although their digimon moved forward to help Greymon.

Kuwagamon caught himself before he crashed into the ground, using his wings to pull himself higher into the air before diving straight back for Greymon. As Greymon braced for the attack, Otamamon jumped into the air and shouted “Bubble Lullaby” as she released a stream of bubbles which circled around Kuwagamon, putting him to sleep. Kuwagamon hit the ground, leaving a trench across the soccer field and light shone around the large insect digimon as he reverted back to his child form.

“Kunemon!” Haruto called out, rushing over to his digimon partner’s side, everyone else following close behind. Haruto picked up Kunemon, cradling the sleeping digimon in his arms. Taichi breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Kunemon. Greymon returned to his child form, and Agumon moved back to Taichi, taking his place by his side.

“Onii-san, why did Kuwagamon start attacking everybody?” Haruto asked quietly, still looking shaken-up by the whole thing. “Will he be okay?” His eyes were filled with worry and tears started forming.

Taichi dropped to his knee so that he was eye level with Haruto. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” stated Taichi firmly. With that, he pulled out his D-terminal, and started a message to the other chosen children.

There's an issue with the digimon of one of the younger chosen. His digimon started attacking him and other chosen children in his group. Has anyone else encountered anything like this?

-Taichi

Taichi put away his D-terminal and took a deep breath, surveying the situation. Kunemon was still sound asleep in Haruto’s arms, thanks to Otatamon.

“Maemi, how long do you think Kunemon will stay asleep?” Haruto directed the question to Otatamon and her human partner, a girl with long straight black hair.

“I have no idea. Do you know Otatamon?” She looked down at her digimon partner, but Otatamon shook her head.

“Last time I saw someone go to sleep, they slept for over a hundred years.”

“Over a hundred years! But, I don’t want Kunemon to sleep for that long!” Taichi looked over to see Haruto on the verge of tears.

“Don’t worry, Haruto. I think Otatamon is referring to ShogunGekomon in the digital world and that was a different circumstance. I don’t think that Kunemon will be asleep for one hundred years. I’ll bet the effects will wear off soon.” Haruto wiped the tears off with his sleeve and nodded his head. About that time, Taichi heard the D-terminal ping a couple of times, alerting him to incoming messages. Taichi flicked open the screen to view the first message, which was from Koushiro.

I haven’t heard anything like that, but I’ll check within the digimon community to see if anything has come up.

-Koushiro

Taichi brought up the next new message, which was from Hikari.

Takeru and I haven’t heard anything like that. Are you still at Shiokaze Park? We can meet you there to help in a few minutes.

-Hikari

Taichi smiled at the message from his sister and created a quick response for both messages..

I’m still there. That sounds good, Hikari. See you two soon.

-Taichi

Thanks, Koushiro. Please keep me updated. Currently, Kunemon is asleep, but we have no idea how long the effects will last or how Kunemon will act once he is awake.

-Taichi

Taichi hit send before a noise drew Taichi’s attention away from his D-terminal. Kunemon stirred in Haruto’s arms.

“Kunemon!" Haruto shouted, relief apparent in his voice. Kunemon however struggled in the boy’s arms, forcing him to let go. Kunemon dropped to the ground and turned around, preparing to use its electric web attack. However, all that happened was a gurgling noise emitted  from his stomach. The small insect digimon retreated from the group, trying to crawl towards some bushes nestled in the nearby trees.

"I guess Kunemon isn't back to normal," said Haruto sullenly. "What do you think is wrong with him?"

“Do you think he could be sick or something?” whispered Keiko.

“Can digimon even get sick?” asked Haruto, turning towards Keiko, who shrugged.

“Digimon can get sick,” confirmed Taichi, remembering Gabumon’s cold in the digital world. 

“If he’s sick, maybe I can help,” said a very soft feminine voice and it took Taichi a moment to realize that it came from the tapir-like digimon by Shinjiro’s side.

“What do you mean, Bakumon?” asked Shinjiro, looking down at his digimon partner.

“I can cure viruses,” stated the small digimon.

“Really?” Shinjiro and Haruto said it at the same time, although Haruto was a lot more emphatic and enthusiastic than Shinjiro.

“Can we try it out then?” Haruto was turning, pivoting his attention between Shinjiro, Bakumon, and Taichi. Shinjiro shrugged.

“If Bakumon is fine with it, I am.”

“It’s worth a shot, if nothing else,” agreed Taichi. Bakumon moved closer to where Kunemon was hiding.

“Virus Delete!” cried out the small Digimon and a giant syringe appeared above Kunemon, inserting itself into the insect digimon. The entire group watched, unable to look away. Haruto was holding on tightly to Taichi’s arm. The syringe disappeared and Haruto rushed forward to reach out to his partner digimon. Kunemon didn’t move for a few moments. However, soon Kunemon started to stir once more. He looked up at Haruto and started rubbing against his arm affectionately. Tears of joy formed in Haruto’s eyes and he hugged his partner digimon tight against his chest.

“Onii-chan!” Taichi turned around at the sound of his sister’s voice to see her and Takeru and their partner digimon, but his heart throbbed when he spotted Yamato and Gabumon. The small group slowed to a stop as they approached Taichi and the others. Patamon landed his chubby orange and white body on top of Takeru's white hat slightly messing up Takeru’s blond hair as the hat shifted, falling over his face. Takeru laughed a bit at Patamon’s antics, lifting his hat out of his face and earning grins from the rest of the older chosen children.

Taichi used Patamon’s antics to snap himself out of his momentary shock and got back to his feet. “Yamato, you’re here too. Didn’t you have band practice today?” Taichi could still feel his heart fluttering in the quick staccato beat of dokidoki, but he put the feeling on ignore. 

“Yeah, but practice got cancelled because our drummer caught a really bad cold,” Yamato replied. 

“That bites,” sympathized Taichi, but Yamato simply shrugged.

“Shoganai. Anyway, where is the digimon now?” the blond asked, looking around and noting the calm atmosphere. Taichi put his hand on the back of his neck and a sheepish look crossed his face.

“Actually, we just solved the issue. Kunemon is fine now.” Taichi was all too aware of the cheesy grin on his face, especially as Yamato arched an eyebrow at him. Haruto held up Kunemon for the others to see and Kunemon made happy chirping noises at the new arrivals.

Hikari gave her brother a slightly reproachful look as Patamon moved from his perch on top of Takeru’s head to get a closer look at Kunemon. 

“Kunemon looks like he’s feeling much better to me,” Patamon noted flapping his orange wings as he circled around Haruto and Kunemon, who was making more happy chirping noises as he watched Patamon.  

“What happened?” asked Tailmon, Hikari’s white catlike digimon, who was currently standing by Hikari’s side.

Taichi crossed his arms over his chest. “Apparently Kunemon caught a virus that made him start attacking people.” That statement made the others frown.

“How do you know it was caused by a virus?” asked Yamato, turning his attention away from the small digimon and back towards Taichi.

“Bakumon has an ability to cure viruses and it worked on Kunemon,” Shinjiro explained.

“But we have no idea what caused the virus,” clarified Taichi. Yamato nodded at Taichi and turned towards Haruto.

“Did anything weird happen lately before this?” Haruto looked thoughtful for a few moments before shaking his head.

“I can’t think of anything.”

Taichi’s D-terminal beeped once more and Taichi flicked it open, seeing Koushiro’s reply.

There is one other report of a similar case with someone in Osaka. I gather some of the chosen children from that area are dealing with the situation already. How are things there for you?

-Izumi Koushiro

The others checked their own devices, which pinged with Koushiro’s message. Taichi quickly responded to Koushiro’s message. 

We managed to resolve the situation here. Some sort of virus was affecting Kunemon after he evolved into Kuwagamon. Greymon and Otamamon stopped Kuwagamon before he was able to cause any damage and Bakumon was able to cure the virus. 

-Taichi

“Another digimon in Osaka is having the same issue, huh? What could be causing the digimon to act like this. In the Digital World, digimon have attacked,but it was always something like the black gears or the black rings,” Taichi wondered aloud and bit his lip slightly as he pondered the question, oblivious to the fact that Yamato’s gaze was drawn to the movement.   

“It can’t be an effect of the digimon staying in the real world, or else it would have started with our Digimon,” Takeru noted, also pondering the situation.

Taichi turned towards Takeru. “I was thinking the same thing. This whole situation seems weird.”

“Could the virus be coming from the Digital World, somehow?” Gabumon asked, looking up at Yamato. 

“Why would a virus from the Digital World be affecting digimon in our world,” Yamato mused, as he stroked Gabumon’s white and blue fur, absentmindedly.  

“Maybe some sort of digital virus is spreading and affecting the digimon here?” supplied Keiko, as she clutched her Yukimibotamon tighter to her chest. 

“That’s possible. But it doesn’t really explain why there are only two digimon affected…”  Takeru noted. 

“Taichi, I’m hungry,” Agumon whined pulling at his partner’s blue t-shirt and was confirmed by a loud growl that emanated from Agumon’s stomach. 

“Getting some food for lunch isn’t a bad idea. We can discuss what is going on more while we eat,” Taichi noted. Yamato and the others nodded. Their D-Terminals pinged again alerting them of a new message. 

Are the kids still there? We need to see if there are any lingering effects on the digimon. I’d like to copy the data from his digivice. If Kunemon only started attacking after he evolved into the next stage, perhaps his digivice has something to do with it. I’ll send a message to Gennai to see if he knows anything about the situation.

-Izumi Koushiro

“Gennai should be able to let us know if anything is going on in the Digital World or if the digivice is being affected in some way,” noted Taichi as he read through the message. Yamato and the others nodded. 

“Who’s Gennai,” asked Haruto, looking up at Taichi. 

“He’s a… servant of the Digital World,” Taichi had to think for a moment. Had Gennai ever given them a straight answer about his role in the Digital World? He was definitely a servant or follower of the entity that sent them into the Digital World in the first place and possessed Hikari. 

“The Digital World has servants?” asked Shinjiro, disbelief apparent in his voice and face. 

“Maybe servant isn’t the right word,” Taichi admitted, but no one had a better description for Gennai without a much more detailed explanation. That gave Taichi an idea though. 

“Ah! My friend, Koushiro, wants to check your digivice and digimon to make sure everything is okay. Can you all stay here and wait for him? He’s also spent more time than anyone else with Gennai, so he can answer your questions when he gets here.” 

All four of the kids nodded in excitement at the prospect of learning more about the Digital World. 

“Are you sure it’s okay to just dump that onto Koushiro?” Yamato hissed quietly as he leaned in closer to Taichi. Taichi steered his thoughts away from how close Yamato’s lips were to his ear as he shot back a comment.   

“Koushiro wanted them to stay here so he could find out more information about the incident with Kunemon. At least now they are all excited about staying here and waiting for Koushiro. And it’s true. Koushiro has spent more time with Gennai than anyone else in the group. If anyone can answer his questions, it’s him.” Yamato still frowned a little bit, but acquiesced to Taichi’s statement. Agumon’s stomach growled again, breaking the moment of tension between the two and Taichi laughed merrily at his digimon partner as he complained about being hungry again. Taichi shot a quick message to Koushiro, confirming the kids’ decision to stay there at the park.

“Let’s go get some food,” Taichi said with a bright smile directed towards Agumon, who gave Taichi another wide toothy grin in response. 

Taichi and the others left the park with their digimon partners in tow and headed towards a small family diner located nearby. They settled into one of the large booths to fit them and their digimon. 

“So, I know that Sora is seeing a new movie with Mimi and one of Mimi’s classmates and Koushiro is at his office. Any idea where everyone else is?” Taichi asked as they made themselves comfortable in the booth. Taichi eyes were drawn towards Yamato during the comment, hoping for some sort of reaction. Yamato’s and Sora’s break up had been several months ago, but neither Yamato or Sora had spoken much about what had happened. They didn’t seem to be on bad terms though. 

“Jou’s at a medical science convention that is lasting through the weekend,” responded Yamato, 

“Miyako is at a computer programming class with some of her classmates, Iori is at a Kendo tournament, and Ken has an important event going on at his private school today,” Takeru started after the waitress came around to take the orders and Hikari nodded, “No idea where Daisuke is, do you have any idea Hikari?” 

But, Hikari shook her in response after the waitress came by to take their orders. “As far as I know, Daisuke didn’t have any particular plans today.” 

“Well, we can always try contacting him more if necessary. I’m kind of curious about how everything is going in Osaka at the moment and what caused all of this to start…” Taichi sighed as they all waited for their orders to arrive, “If Koushiro doesn’t hear anything from Gennai, soon we should make sure everything is okay in the digital world. With all of our digimon in our world, we don’t really have a clear idea if similar things are happening in the Digital World.” Taichi looked up at the others at the table as he spoke. 

“But wouldn’t Gennai have contacted one of us if something happened?” Gatomon noted, from her perch on Hikari’s lap. 

“Probably,” Taichi admitted, “But it is better than sitting around doing nothing.” 

“We aren’t doing nothing,” Agumon interjected, “We are having lunch with our friends.” 

“That’s true,” Taichi said with a smile, patting Agumon on the head as his digimon happily chowed down on his lunch, “But, we need to come up with some sort of plan of action. Koushiro is handling the situation in our world. But, we haven’t heard from Gennai in a long time, so we don’t even know if he’s okay. We can’t leave everything up to Koushiro.” 

“Do you have a plan?” Yamato asked, eyeing him with a classic Yamato look, although he was fighting down a smirk and the teasing tone to his voice. 

Taichi flashed the blond his trademark grin. “When do I not have a plan?” a Yamato’s face dropped to an actual frown. 

“You do actually have a plan, right?” Yamato asked more than a little bit concerned. 

“Hey!” Taichi squawked indignantly, “I always come up with something, even if it is on the fly.”

Yamato sighed. “So that is your way of saying that you don’t actually have a plan.

Sweat drops appeared on the back of their sibling’s head and all of their digimon as they listened to the two of them lightly bicker. 

“I didn’t say that. But we need more information before we can come up with a good plan. If we can talk to Gennai in person or one of the Digimon that lead the areas, then we may be able to find out more. Or we might be able to tell as soon as we get there, if it is really bad. Although I hope that isn’t the case. If we don’t find anything there, then we can rule out there being a problem in the Digital World and focus our attention here on Earth.” Taichi paused for a moment as the food was served. The table was fairly quiet except for the sounds of eating as all of them considered Taichi’s small speech. 

“My dad is away on a business trip right now, we can go through a computer at my apartment,” Yamato said once they were done with the meal. Taichi grinned in response. 

Taichi turned to the rest of the group. “Now, that is settled- let’s go to the Digital World!” 

#digimon #Taichi Yagami #Yamato Ishida #Koushiro Izumi #takeru takaishi #Hikari Yagami #sora takenouchi #Joe Kido #Jou Kido #meiko mochizuki #daigo nishijima #maki himekawa #mimi tachikawa #daisuke motomiya #ken ichijouji #miyako inoue #iori hida #chosen children #Tri rewrite #fanfiction #digimon adventure #digimon adventure 02 #digimon adventure tri #digidestined #digimon fanfiction #Jyoura #taiyama #yamachi #taito #Gennai

[dailyaudiobible]

11/29/2019 DAB Transcript

Dan 6:1-28, 2 Pet 3:1-18, Ps 119:129-152, Pr 28:21-22

Today is the 29th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. Happy…happy Black Friday. It's gonna be a shopping day today. This is the day that is traditionally…well...it traditionally kind of launches the holiday season. And yeah, we’ve mentioned it on a number of occasions, this is the point in the year where things seem to accelerate and for some reason between now and the end of the year it seems like everything’s moving at double speed and it’s really, really easy to get taken out and really easy to get knocked off of our…our usual rhythms. And, so, this is a time to focus in on what's most important and the things that we will not allow ourselves to be moved from and obviously the rhythm of Scripture should be one of those things. And, so, we’ll take the next step forward as we continue our journey through the Scriptures this year. We’re reading from the New International Version this week. Today from the Old Testament Daniel chapter 6.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we move into the end of our week here and for that matter as we move into the end of this month and get ready for the 12th month of the year, we have concluded second Peter. So, I have a great idea. Let's talk about endurance because that's what the Bible talking about and but today, we have a really good opportunity to understand why endurance is necessary from a cosmic perspective. So, we can apply endurance to our own lives and understand that resistance makes us strong, right? And being…being patient and persevering actually strengthens our lives. So, we can…we can understand that even though it's difficult. But is there a greater purpose that we should endure? That’s what the apostle Peter is talking about it as we conclude this letter today. And as we concluded this letter today, we…we certainly brushed up against the apocalyptic worldview that existed in the first century. And we can go like, “like…well…what do I need to know about the apocalyptic worldview of the first century?” Because we have the same essential apocalyptic worldview. And essentially that is that the world as we know it is a changing thing and a new era is coming and this change that is taking place will eventually bring about unrest and great challenge, but inside of all of that rescue will come and something new will be born. So, we don't usually articulate that but that is a backdrop for our lives. Generally, we all believe this in one way or another and this belief or this sense of the fact that things are going somewhere was a part of the culture that…that Jesus was in in the first century. It actually was the kind of language He used because Jesus continually talked about the kingdom of heaven and revealing the kingdom of heaven, and the nowness of it. In fact, if Jesus were not looked at from a spiritual perspective just as a historical figure then He would generally be considered an apocalyptic profit. So, we’re a couple thousand years in the future since this letter so we know that a couple thousand years have passed since the time Jesus did his ministry on this earth. So, we understand that the…the apocalypse…the time is unknown…even though lots of people are trying to name the dates and figure it out, we accept that we don't know but we still live with the conviction that we are going somewhere, there is an ultimate destiny. And, so, as the generations go by, right, everybody is considering where we are on that continuum. And in light of this, at the time of the writing of second Peter, this understanding hadn't evolved, thousands of years hadn’t passed. And the early believers in the first century, they were not looking toward a…a distant unknown future. They believed that the return of Jesus was imminent. So, in the decades that followed Jesus life, His followers taught that Christ would soon return and reveal himself ushering in the kingdom of God revealing the new heaven and a new earth. And because this is all over the New Testament, we find ourselves basically waiting for the same thing. But in the time of…of Peter's writing, years had passed, and Jesus hadn't returned. So, what they thought was supposed to happen imminently hadn't happened imminently, hadn't happened at all, which left a problem that needed clarity. And, so, Peter stepped into that offering some clarity and I'm quoting here, “above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They’ll say, “where is this coming, He promised”. Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” And skipping ahead a little bit, “but do not forget this one thing, dear friends, with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” So, this is where things get really interesting for us because we need the same clarity. According to Peter, God isn't being slow about anything, especially His promises. We are being impatient. And the irony is, the thing we are being impatient about is God's patience, which should flick some lights on for those of us who feel like we've been waiting on the Lord for a long time. God doesn't want to lose anyone, and He has entrusted we who have received Christ who are being transformed into His likeness. He has entrusted us to be His witness in the world, to reveal the good news. Now it's easy to quote from Revelation that they overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. That's what we’re talking about here. The blood of the Lamb is our salvation. The word of our testimony is what our lives are communicating to a world that is dying. When we endure. We are embodying God's patience. So, think of it like this, it's very easy for us to say, “Jesus, come. I wish it could be today. Can you just get me out of this mess?” Just, would you return? Would you just make things right?” And I certainly pray those prayers when a more appropriate posture might be, “God strengthen me to endure, to be Your witness in this world to stand here and show that what You…that what I claim to be true is true. May those who are lost and floundering see Your light in me and be drawn to it and help me to endure so that no one will be lost, so that all can hear?” Basically, when we live by faith and endure then we’re doing it for the sake of the world. It would be easy enough for us to say, “okay. If God could just bring fire down and end it all today and start a new thing, I would be with him, that would be great”, but what about…what about those that would be lost? We must find the heart of God in this. So, the next time we’re going berserk because of impatience, we must remember God's patience because if He hadn't been patient with us, we would have never known Him. And there are many that He would like to know. And we are His hands and feet in this world. Jesus said we are the light of the world. When we endure, we are revealing God's kingdom and that is a game changer.

Prayer:

Father we invite Your Holy Spirit into this and we ask that even though today’s a busy day and it's going to be busy, busy, busy, and we can be very distracted, we pray God that You would help us understand that we are here for a reason and it is to reveal the good news and we need to be willing to face whatever challenge that might bring, especially in this season, especially when we have the opportunity to interact and rub up against family and friends that we may not otherwise see the rest of the year. May we be light in the midst of it all, Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website its home-base, its where you find out what’s going on around here.

And today is Black Friday, so like one of the biggest shopping days in the year if not the biggest shopping day of the year worldwide. So, I'm guessing that whether online or off-line, maybe chances are good you're going to do some shopping. So, have fun and be careful out there and…and…and share the love of Christ in everything that you do, even if that means you have to give up a parking place. Show the love of Christ.

I'll remind you that it's Black Friday and every…every Christmas season we compile resources and create the Daily Audio Bible family Christmas Box for the year. And, so, it's family Christmas Box for the year 2019 and we’re super excited about this. The things in this Box have…have never been in in any box because they’re…they’re…they’re new. And, so, a number of resources from our Global Campfire line that we…that we released back in September are in the Boxes, some of our most popular items. So, there are the brand-new Global Campfire postcards. There's five postcards. They’re in a nice little package and they’re beautiful, they’re frameable, they’re givable, they’re mailable, they’re shareable, they’re wonderful. And, so, five of them are in the Christmas Box as well as two of the Global Campfire stickers are in the Box. The…the brand-new resource in book form, known as the God of Your Story, which is a one year 365-day devotional that in written form captures the essence of our journey through the Scriptures in a year. So, it is a fantastic gift idea, but it's also a wonderful resource for everyone around the Global Campfire to have. It’s a tangible representation of what it is that we do here. So, this is a beautifully hardbound first edition and this is a signed first edition copy of the God of Your Story. And that's in the Christmas Box. We also have our new Daily Audio Bible Journal 2.0. We have well…we went to the drawing board and crafted a journal that we wanted to be, you know, something that's was beautiful, was the right size, was good to hold, had a good feel to it, had really good paper, was like the kind of thing that would encourage companionship and interaction with and writing in and…well…journaling. And, so, we went to the drawing board and crafted that and had some made and went back to the drawing board after that first batch and refined and just made it even better. And, so, our Journal 2.0 is in the Box this year. Also, fantastic gift for anybody that’s journaler but a wonderful way to set up for the new year. Life of your gonna take the journey through the Bible again then let's write down the things that God shares with us. And as those things accumulate over years, we begin to see the wisdom of God in our lives as He keeps bringing insights from His word into our hearts. So, that's what the Journal 2.0 is about. So, that's in the box. The brand-new Global Campfire candle is in the box. And I've mentioned many times, we worked hard to get this aroma right. It's amazing how an aroma, and we even studied this in the Scriptures when we were talking about the aroma of Christ, which is…which is something that Paul said. But it's incredible how an aroma changes the atmosphere. And, so, like here in the US we just went through Thanksgiving. My wife, she's like a master chef. So, you know, the day before Thanksgiving my house had such a festive, such a homey aroma in it, just a…that the entire atmosphere was permeated in my home. That's what an aroma can do. And we were trying to…to find an aroma that was reminiscent of Campfire and community and sweetness and…and wholeness and nature. And, so, we worked really hard to make the Global Campfire smell like a Global Campfire and…and it does. And, so, we've included a candle in the box. Ahhhh…the Daily Audio Bible ornament for the year 2019, those are only ever available in the Christmas Boxes, is in the Christmas Box. This one, it says Daily Audio Bible 2019 and our word which has been “Maintain” is on the…is on the ornament. And mine is hanging on my tree. And I hope yours will be hanging on your tree soon. We also have your choice of our Daily Audio Bible blend of whole bean coffee or our boutique tea. And the coffee is roasted fresh in Colorado and will be sent…sent. It will arrive to you fresh. It's not something that…well…I mean a lot of the gift Boxes that are out there that will have coffee and that kind of stuff in them, those were roasted may be a couple months ago and they’re just making their way through distribution channels. The coffee that we’re gonna send to you is gonna be roasted like days ago and you’ll be able to tell the difference, significantly. So, your choice, coffee or tea. We also have a pack of the 20 postcards…or…not postcards, Christmas cards, 20 of the Daily Audio Bible 2019 Christmas cards with their companion envelopes. And you can certainly get the Christmas cards in the Daily Audio Bible Shop separate from the Christmas Box, like if you need more than 20 or whatever. They’re five bucks for 20. I mean…and they’re a wonderful way to invite your friends and family along for the journey next year. These are not advertisements for Daily Audio Bible. They say Daily Audio Bible on the back where Hallmark would be written and that's it. But they are beautiful, and they are wonderful way to engage with your sphere of influence and invite your friends and family to be on this journey because where at this point in the year where you can see like a journey through the Bible, I mean it touches everything in your life and it's the constant in a year and it makes such a huge profound difference. So, invite your friends and family along for the journey next year. Anyway, a pack of 20 of the Christmas cards are in the Christmas Box. And lastly, one of the Global Campfire pop sockets, which has been very popular for your phone or your tablet device to…to…it’s a little thing that pulls out and you can use your fingers to kind of hold onto things, that's in the Box as well. So, check that out. Like I said, you can get Christmas cards separate if you need more.

There is a Christmas section in the Daily Audio Bible shop and it contains a few Christmas items including our own family Christmas album that we released…ahhh…I can’t remember…a couple years ago. And you get out on Spotify, you can that on Apple music, just search my name, search for family Christmas, you'll find that. Enjoy a Family Christmas. I created that album to be as classic…like the kind of album…I don't know…I’m a Christmas music lover and I’ve got albums from my childhood that they were made in such a way that they…they feel timeless and that's what I was going for in this instrumental Christmas album. It’s the kind of album that you put on after a busy day, right, you’re just kind of winding down for the night, it's the holiday season, you’ve got the tree on, I don't know, maybe you’ve got a fire, but all the lights are off and you’re just kind of sitting there in the bask of the glow of the lights and this album makes the perfect companion for that atmosphere. So…so, check that out as well. All of these things are available here on Black Friday in the Daily Audio Bible shop dailyaudiobible.com.

The only other thing I want to say about that is that our international cutoff date for shipping of the Christmas Box or for anything Christmas later will be Tuesday. We have an arrangement that allows us to ship via FedEx into another country. But then, that…that country then takes it…takes the item and via their domestic mail system delivers it and that can take 21 days or more. And, so, this is the date that we’re cutting off for international…I mean you can order internationally as long as we have these. Just heads up, like this is the date that we think is the last safe date ship for Christmas and that's just kind of born out of years of experience.

Okay, if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, thank you, thank you. You can do that at the website, you can do that on the app, you can do that via the mail. The mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial or you can just press the Hotline button in app, the little red button up at the top and begin sharing your story.

And that is it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Greetings everyone this is Toni from Germany. So, I am calling first and foremost because I am thinking about Prodigal because I remember Prodigal about last time of this…last year…pardon me at about this time where in December you were calling in with some very grim messages. And I’m smiling just thinking about where you are now compared to then. And, so, I’m grateful for that and I’m sure this will make others…other people smile who remember that time and have seen where you’ve come. And, so I’m glad you have hung on and you have listened to the Lord and you’ve leaned on the faith however thin it was and just kept hanging in there and that you’re doing, you know, with the Lord wants you to do basically. So, God bless you and continued…continued joy on your journey. As for me, I’m a little bit better health wise. I called in before. On a long journey of being sick but…and I’ve been using natural remedies but I just kind of feel that this illness that I’ve had is the Lord’s way of actually helping me get some other medical issues under control. So, yeah, so I’m on an interesting journey. A lot of different trials but I’m seeing the Lord in that and I’m trusting him. So, I just want to say too, hello mom. She started listening again. Bye-bye everyone. God bless.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible listeners my name is Vicki I am also called Victorine and I’m calling from Winnipeg in Canada. I am a longtime listener. I’ve listened actually for over 11 years now, but this is the first time I’m calling. I have tried to call before but just not had the courage to post it. Anyway, I’m calling today to ask for prayer because I will be having surgery tomorrow, November 25th, 2019. I know that will long be done by the time you guys listen to this request, but I believe that God is God and He knows what’s to be and I just pray that everything is a success and that my recovery is quick. I am hardly ever sick, and I’ve never gone to anything as major as this. So, needless to say I’m a little worried but I believe God is good and He means good for us and He’s a God that heals and He’s going to heal me. I want to thank you Brian and Jill for all you do. I want to thank you for this forum and thank you for all the people who call in regularly. I listen every time. I enjoy hearing the requests. I pray with people that give requests and I rejoice with those who call in to give prayers that have been answered. I don’t call. Anyway, this is my first time calling but I pray that that’s a __. I do miss some people’s voices like Pastor Gene who has called in the past. I listen for regulars like Biola, like Rebecca from Michigan and, like Blind Tony and several other people. I just…I just thank you so much for having the courage to call often. It is very encouraging. And for those who pray we are with you in spirit. I know I never call in to pray but we do pray for you in the background and we pray that God will walk us all through this different struggles that we have

Hey DAB family this is Dominque I know haven’t checked in a while. I just wanted to say thank you for everything. Thank you for the prayers, thank you for the books, thank you for the year planning…the year Bible reading book. Like I said this is Dominic Crumhold from LDC in Arab Alabama, friends with Pelham Morris. He’s a good brother of mine I love him the death. I’m very happy that God sent him, in my life. I just want to give you a quick update on myself. I’ve moved beyond the fear of the future. I am falling more and more in love with Jesus. I’m understanding and more and more and am emptying out myself more and more. I just recently give my testimony, which was amazing ordeal for me. I just love…I can’t even really explain it…I’m just loving walking with God, walking with my father, walking with dad. And I’m almost done with my program. I graduate in two months. Thank you for your time. Love you all.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible DABbers this is Norma from the Bronx and I just have to call and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, a time when I spend meditation particularly just in Thanksgiving for all of the great things that God has done for me for the year. And one of them is definitely for this Daily Audio Bible ministry. I just have to thank Brian for this amazing...I…I…that I divinely got…divinely got…just brought me to and wishing…wishing that I had found Daily Audio Bible sooner. It has been such a blessing to me. And I want to thank your wife for giving you the support to do this Daily Audio Bible forum. I am thankful for the DABbers, the community. I feel like I have brothers and sisters all over the world and I’m just so thankful to Jesus, to your blood, the resurrection, the power of the Holy Ghost. I thank you God for the gospel and just so thankful for all of you. I have you in my heart, I have you in my prayers, and I pray that each and every one of you will have many, many, many reasons to be thankful, to focus…focus on the things, the things you can be thankful for. Don’t focus on the things you don’t have. God bless you and I love you.

Hi everybody this is Susie from Colorado. I’m going to try to talk fast because I have so many praises to report. First of all, his little Cherry, thank you so much for praying for me and my children in Haiti and Joe my husband. We were getting ready for work this morning and my husband turned around and I looked at him and he looked at me and your voice was on DAB praying for us. I was just…it just started this week off so wonderfully. And then I talked to my staff in Haiti at the orphanage in the schools and they wanted to say praise God. We have had the biggest blessing and that not one of our children has had to be rushed to the emergency room during this civil war. This almost never happens. We almost always every week are having to take our children to the emergency room because we have a lot of terminally ill and very severely handicapped children. But God knew that we could not safely get in the streets, so He has kept them safe and well and we’ve had plenty of oxygen. We…this is also a miracle because we just run out of supplies so often with many, many crises, lots of little sick kiddos, but every one of them…no seizures in the last couple months. This is just a miracle. I can’t tell you. So, praise be to God. I mean…really. And thank you. Keep please keep praying for these kids in Haiti. Just we thank you should so very, very, very, very much. We love you and just keep us all in your prayers and just pray that God would keep the kids with no seizures, with no emergencies, and that we would not run about oxygen. We’ve lost a few animals because we couldn’t get into the streets to get food for them but just…and we’ve…

Hey everybody this is Pelham in Arab Alabama with lighthouse deliverance center. Addicted to Christ is my first white stone name that the DAB gave me. I’ve got a couple others, but I won’t mention those right now. I’m calling to let you guys know how…you know…I’m coming up on six months I’ve been in this program here which is…it’s tough but it’s life…but life is tough wherever you are. You face it day-to-day with His help and He’s got treasures along the way if you’re looking for them. So, I’m calling because on Friday…well okay…first of all, I can’t get on the Internet, I cannot listen to the show for the first time in almost a decade that I’ve been a part of this community, I can’t get to the show, I can’t hear Brian, I can’t keep up with what you guys are doing. So…but I still call, and I still let you guys know was going on. So, apparently someone has heard that and low and behold Friday I received a box with about 20 copies of the God of Your Story, the companion to the one-year Bible that goes through the whole thing and it’s get the words that Brian each day. So, now at the beginning of the new year I can keep up with you guys and I can actually read the book and then read Brian’s commentary. I read…I want to give the book to the guys in the program. That’s why they sent so many copies. And thank you so much to who sent them to me. I don’t have but a few more seconds. Brian your words in the opening introduction brought me to tears in front of the men in the program…

[raflovestuffs]

That is who you are: Chapter 11

First l Previous l Next

Okay guys I know we’re all loosing our mind with those whole new images of HTTYD3 but I wanted to post this chapter before everyone freaking out about the trailer xD So here we go!

Thank you to @megtoons who translated it with me, @chiefhiccstrid and @JoyOfBerK who corrected and of course my dear translator @whosthatgal who improved it!

Please guys enjoy it, there’s one last chapter after this one!

He was there. Hiccup was back on Berk. We could go back to a normal life—well, almost. He was really thin and could barely stand on his feet. The whole gang gathered around him. Hiccup was back with us, and back to his chief duties too, but all this pressure was hitting him too soon, in my opinion. He was standing by my side and I was holding him against me, one arm around him. Heather arrived shortly after the others and moved towards us to take Hiccup in her arms.

“Heather? But— what are you doing here?” he asked.

“I’m here, that’s all that matters,” she said, moved and relieved to see him again.

The whole crowd of villagers was surrounding us, and it started to feel suffocating. I could tell it was getting to Hiccup. He could barely stand, and then fainted in my arms.

“Hiccup!” I yelled. “Wake up! Please Hiccup, wake up!”

In the distance, a voice rose above the others.

“Step aside! Out of the way!” Gobber shouted.

He and Valka arrived next to us and they helped me support Hiccup.

“Let him breathe for Thor’ sake!” Valka screamed.

“He’s unconscious!” I said, panicked.

“We’ll bring him to your hut while Gobber gets Gothi, okay? It’ll be fine.”

I agreed with a nod and we brought Hiccup home. We laid him down on the bed and I sat down next to him, taking his hand in mine with all my strength. I couldn’t lose him. Valka tried to reassure me the best she could, but she was also terrified.

Gobber finally came with Gothi and she got to work right away. She started listening to his heart and she assured us it was beating—that was a relief. Hiccup was in bad shape but we could heal him, I hoped it with all my heart. Gothi asked us to remove his clothes so that she could treat him correctly.

Gobber left the room and we started to remove his top, and we ended up taking away his pants and his shoes so we could see the extent of his injuries. There wasn’t much on the chest except several superficial scratches. We examined his legs and were forced to notice that his stump was infected when we removed his prosthetic leg. Then, we lifted him by the shoulders to survey the damage on his back. And what I saw made my blood run cold. Hiccup had nasty whip scars spreading from top to bottom, all across his back.

And as for signing his work, Drago hadn’t left any room for ambiguity. Hiccup had been scarred by Drago for life. This scar—I would see it every single day when I woke up. For the rest of my life it would be there to remind me it was because of me that Hiccup had been through all these atrocities. I slumped at the foot of the bed. Valka put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

“Astrid… It’s not your fault…”

I suddenly raised my head.

“Of course it’s my fault! If he hadn’t listened to me, we’d have gone and…”

“You’d both get captured and we couldn’t have saved you. But you’re here, both of you are safe. That’s all that matters.”

I looked at Hiccup and grabbed his hand, and held it very hard, then I kissed him.

“Drago will pay for that.”

Gothi and Valka remained silent for a moment, then they ended up finding sheets, water and ointments of all kinds to heal the chief. I helped them in their task; from now on, I was going to stick to him like glue. Valka and I laid him down on his stomach so that Gothi could apply a viscous mixture onto the lash scars on his back. Then she took care of his infected leg, using several medications, each one more unusual than the last. When she was done, she explained us that he would mainly need rest, but that it was a matter of time before he woke up due to his obvious lack of food. Valka left me alone with him to go prepare what he needed for when he woke up.

I hung onto Hiccup’s hand as if his life depended on it.

Valka was right—I should settle for Hiccup being here and safe, and finally reunited after these five months of torture. I was so happy to see him again and I missed him so much. Life without him had been a nightmare. I had so many things to tell him, but especially one thing in particular. I instinctively put a hand on my belly, then I seized Hiccup’s and placed it delicately on it.

“We’re gonna be a family Hiccup,” I muttered, “We’re gonna have a baby…”

I knew he couldn’t hear me, but I felt the need to tell him. I was so excited to announce to him that I was pregnant! But I had to wait a little longer; it was a lot to take in. I looked at him, smiling, then I finally dozed off by his side.

When I woke up, Hiccup was still asleep and his hand was still tight in mine. I got out of the bed and went back to my chair to watch him. He was moaning in his sleep and he had this tortured expression that I couldn’t bear, he must have been in pain. I couldn’t allow myself to think about all the atrocities he had to endure over there… But I would have to know. Keeping it to himself was not an option, and talking about it could be for the greater good and would enable him to move on.

Suddenly, the door opened up and a green-eyed girl came in. Heather. My rock, my confidant, my strength, my best friend.

“Hey,” she whispered.

I smiled to her in response. She grabbed a chair to sit down next to me, then she slung her arm around my shoulder.

“So, how you holding up? Are you okay?” she questioned me.

I took the hand she had on me and held it affectionately.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“Good.”

She put her hands on my shoulders and took them off for an instant to sit down on her chair. She put her hand on my right shoulder again, smiling.

“You know, everybody is worrying about you in the village. People ask me how you are and if Hiccup will recover.”

“He hasn’t woken up yet.”

“I’m sure he will very soon,” she said with enthusiasm.

“I hope so,” I sighed.

“Stop being so negative, Astrid!” she exclaimed while faintly pushing me.

“I’m being a realist, Heather. You saw the state he was in when he came back… He’s very weak and if he doesn’t make it…” I sobbed.

“Astrid…”

Her voice broke. She took me in her arms and I burst into tears.

“I was so scared! I thought he might have been dead already, and now he’s lying here near death and I can’t do anything!” I cried.

I couldn’t hold the spasms that were passing through my body so I let it all out, my fears, my anger, my sorrows, all of it. And Heather was supporting me, both physically and psychologically. She was there for me.

“Hey… It’s going to be okay, you’ll see,” she said softly.

She raised my head and wiped away a tear with her thumb. She smiled to me and we had a last hug before she left for the Great Hall. I put my head again on the bed, next to Hiccup, and I sank into the realm of dreams once again.

…

“Astrid?” I woke up with a startle when I found Hiccup with opened eyes. I bounced back hurriedly to take him in my arms and we hugged so hard that tears flew down my face.

“You’re here…” I murmured.

“I’m here,” he said by tightening his grip.

We stayed like that until I came to my senses.

“Oh Hiccup! I was so worried about you but thank Thor you’re alive!” I exclaimed.

“And I intend to be around a long time to be with you,” he declared amorously.

“With us…” I confessed.

He made his confused face, the one he made when he couldn’t understand what I was saying.

“Hiccup,” I said by tightening his hand once again, “I know you just came back and we’ve barely been together... I know that’s a lot to take in all at once, but I can’t keep it to myself any longer so…”

“What? What is it, Astrid?” he asked with a concerned voice.

I delicately took his hands and put them on my round belly with caution. I maintained his hands on it and took a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant…” I whispered, my voice full of emotion.

“Astrid… That’s amazing!” he exclaimed and turned towards me.

He took me in his arms and we embraced, both of us overwhelmed by a new kind of love—we were overflowing with it.

I looked at him, smiling as I watched his face. I put his face very close to mine in order to kiss him. I needed to show him how much I had missed him.

“Life without you really doesn’t make sense…” Hiccup admitted.

I kissed him in response. Someone knocked at the door then a young woman entered.

“Well… It looks like the chief has finally woken up…”

Heather elbowed against the wall.

“But he took the wrong food…” she added with sarcasm, smirking.

Hiccup and I looked at each other, embarrassed, then we split.

“Welcome home,” she told Hiccup. “I’ll tell Valka,” she said to me. “See you later!” Heather left, so we could pick up where we left off but instead, we started laughing.

“Sorry, sometimes Heather is… annoying,” I said.

“You could be sisters, you two,” he mocked.

“Don’t complicate her situation, she already had enough problems with siblings. She’s the Berserkers’ chief now and it’s better this way, believe me.”

“I don’t doubt it Astrid, she’s a precious ally for Berk.”

“And a precious friend,” I added.

“And a precious friend,” he repeated while hugging me.

The door opened on this private embrace. Valka entered, followed by Gothi and Gobber, and she ran to Hiccup and I. I stood aside. She caressed her son’s cheek, smiling, then she hugged him. She whispered something to his ear that I couldn’t hear and she stepped away from him, letting Gobber take her place. He smiled to Hiccup and took him briefly in his arms, then he gave him a pat on the back.

“It’s good to see you, kid.”

Hiccup smiled without saying a word and I could go back next to him. Gothi moved closer to us with a bowl of soup in her hands, and she gave it to him. Hiccup took it and thanked her.

“Drink, it’s an infusion prepared by Gothi herself, it will build up your strength,” Valka informed.

Hiccup drank the whole container in no time. Valka left the room a brief instant before coming back with a tray full of healthy things.

“You must be hungry,” she said, dropping it front of her son. “Gobber and I made it,” she added like it was important, Valka cooked very well.

“Thank you so much...”

“It’s okay, what are you waiting for? Eat!” Valka exclaimed.

Hiccup didn’t wait any longer, he was starving. He ate the entire contents of the tray while Valka and Gobber told him how I had ruled the village during his absence.

“She did very well, you know,” Gobber said.

“She was very strong,” Valka raised.

“I’m sure she was,” he said while turning towards me, giving me a big smile.

They were laying it on a little thick—I also had my weak moments and I surely would have lost hope if Heather hadn’t been there...

They continued to talk about me like that till Hiccup finished eating.

…

“You feel up to standing?” I asked.

“I think so, but—”

“Get up,” I said.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and I gave him his prosthetic so that he could put it on. Gothi’s cure started to take effect; his stump’s wound was almost cured. He successfully stood up by leaning on me, and I helped him walk; we joined the others by the fireplace. I moved with him to the door.

“Ready?”

“Ready for what?” he asked, doubtfully.

I pushed the door, and in no time, we found ourselves in front of all the villagers who were celebrating their chief’s comeback to Berk. The whole village was before our hut, cheering and screaming Hiccup’s name. He was so naive… He wasn’t expecting that, but he was happy. The others went out from the hut, staying close behind us.

“The village is throwing a party to celebrate your comeback!” Gobber said.

“I think I’ll stay here, I’ve almost recovered…”

“Don’t worry, we understand,” Gobber replied.

“I’m staying with you,” I said.

“No Astrid, have fun with the others, you need it.”

“I need you,” I smiled.

“Well, in that case, we’ll leave you alone,” Valka retorted.

“Everybody to the Great Hall!” Gobber exclaimed, followed by all the villagers.

Some of them stayed a little longer to send Hiccup their best wishes for his recovery and offer us gifts of all kinds. Once everyone left, we finally got back inside. I escorted Hiccup to our room and helped him remove his prosthetic.

“Are you okay?” I asked, worried.

“Yeah don’t worry, you could have partied with everybody, you know.”

“Hiccup, there’s no way I’m leaving you for a second, okay? Plus, Gothi gave me instructions.”

“Oh really?” he said, questioning me with his eyes. “What kind of instructions?” he insisted.

“Instructions for curing you.”

“Oh.”

I went to look for a bucket of hot water as well as the viscous cream to put on his back, alcohol and some other ointments of Gothi’s making. I came back few minutes later with all I needed in my arms and I dropped it on the end of the bed. I sat down next to Hiccup.

“Give me your leg.”

I swabbed his stump’s wound and applied Gothi’s cream on it. Hiccup watched me without saying a word, which was a little unnerving.

“It reminds me the time when you nursed me in your hut, when I broke my leg with the Dragon Fly Three…”

I smiled; that was the day he kissed me for the first time. I blushed internally.

“Yeah, that wasn’t one of your brighter moments.” “But it was very helpful for us, right?” he said, caressing my cheek.

He leaned his face toward mine.

“I love you, Astrid Hofferson…”

Then, he kissed me as if for the first time. I kissed him back and we separated. I caressed his hair and I smiled to him.

“Now, take off your shirt.”

He removed it completely, then I asked him to turn and I started to clean up the whip scars with hot water. Then, I applied alcohol and I felt Hiccup stiffen, but it was for his own good. I finally applied the sticky cream to his back.

“Hiccup… I have to ask you… What happened out there?”

“Astrid…”

“I think I have the right to know! Don’t keep this to yourself, Hiccup…”

He didn’t say anything for a moment so I continued spreading the thick cream on his scars. And he finally started to talk.

“After they took you, I found myself alone with Drago and some of his guards. He explained to me what he wanted from me and his plans for the Northlanders, and then, his men brought me to my cell and… they beat me...just for the hell of it.”

His voice was already starting to break. I shouldn’t have asked him, but he kept going.

“Then, I was so relieved to not see you detained in a cell next to me that it allowed me to hold on. I was sure you’d escaped. The first months were the least painful, I had to train dragons for Drago and I also got to have dinner with him sometimes, so I took this opportunity to eat. It was going alright for awhile….but about a month ago, during one of the training sessions, the dragon I was taking care of didn’t want me to saddle him, so I didn’t push him, but Drago got angry and wanted me to do it anyway and... I refused.”

He choked back a hot sob. I carefully touched the scar he had on his right shoulder blade.

“So Drago definitely did that to you…”

I put my hands around his shoulders and he held my right hand fervently. I pressed my head against his back.

“He punished me, and from there things got out of hand… I got myself whipped at least once a week…”

He turned to me and took my head between his hands, he had tears in his eyes.

“Astrid… You’re the only reason I’m still here today…”

He took me in his arms and held me tight against him with all his might. He ended up bursting into tears. I supported him the best I could.

“It was horrible… I thought… I would never see you again, Astrid… I love you… I love you so much…”

I finally cracked. I cried and our tears interfered as well as our repeated sobs. We stayed like that a very long time, then we finally calmed down and we fell asleep in each other’s arms.

It had been a week since my return to Berk. My strength was coming back thanks to Astrid; she was a great support for me. She also brought me to see Erik, my uncle. I talked a lot with him and I understood that he wasn’t the one to blame, he was only an unfortunate pawn in Drago’s plan. Erik was a good, brave and loyal man, we could trust him. In fact, he knew so many things about night furies… Things no one was expecting.

He and Astrid told me how the night furies babies were born. It was incredible. There were still so many things to learn… At this rate, the book of dragons will never be done, which I was sure would make Fishlegs happy. The baby furies, who weren’t really babies anymore, were adorable. Toothless was taking care of them wonderfully, thanks to this protection instinct he had a unique knack for. Toothless, my best friend with whom I was flying again.

I had missed… all of this. This sense of freedom I was sharing with my mom. My mom, Gobber, Astrid… they took care of everything in my absence. From now on, it was my turn to take back the lead.

“If I asked you to come here today, it’s because we need to talk about this whole conflict that��s upon us… As you know, we are at war with Drago Bludvist and we can’t escape it. Drago is merciless and crazy, he will never give up. That’s why we have to stop him, together. How many tribes did you convince to be allies in our cause?” I asked.

“The Outcasts, the Defenders of the Wing, the Wingmaidens, the Great North’s tribes and a few from the South,” Snotlout answered.

“The Berserkers will fight by your side, Hiccup,” Heather added with a reassuring smile.

“Thanks, Heather. Snotlout, you will have to give me the exact number of how many tribes will follow us.”

“No problem Hiccup.”

“Knowing that, I have to share what I learnt on Göteborg with you … Drago told his battle plans…” “Really?” Fishlegs wondered.

“So cool!” Tuffnut said, amazed.

His sister gave him a punch in his ribs.

“Cut it out, would ya, it’s serious!” Ruff argued.

“Hey… alright, no need to yell…” Tuff pouted.

“What did you learn?” Heather asked.

So I explained to them how Drago planned to penetrate Berk and when he would like to strike. I also told them about the dragon armies he intended to use against us. I told them of the training those dragons had endured, as well as the number of men Drago had at his disposal, and the program they had; I described the battles strategies they had established, then I pointed out their strengths and weaknesses.

“Of course, knowing I escaped, I’m sure he’s changed his plans—but it gives you an idea of what Drago was up to,” I concluded.

“So we have three months left…” Astrid stated.

“Three months, it’s not much but it’s more than enough for Vikings like us!” Snotlout exclaimed.

“Snotlout is right, friends, we are Vikings… It’s an occupational hazard!” I added.

Everybody stood up and raised their fists in the air, shouting in agreement. This ended the council meeting.

Once everyone had left the Great Hall, Astrid came to see me, gripping my shoulder from behind. I turned around to face her.

“I’m so proud of you, my beloved chief…” she said, hands tied around my neck.

I gripped her by the waist while drawing her close to me.

“Thank you Astrid… Thank you for everything.”

She briefly kissed my lips, then she held me tight in her arms again before pulling away from me, a hand on each of my shoulders.

“Come on, leave already, I’m sure you’re dying to fly!”

I put a kiss on her cheek and smiled to her before joining Toothless to fly away. Astrid knew me so well, she knew that after this kind of meeting, I needed to relieve the pressure. She understood me. And I was deeply grateful for her.

Soon, I found myself in the air on Toothless’ back, followed by his little ones. We flew for a long time, heading east, finally landing on a nearby island. I dismounted smoothly and sat down on at the side of a rocky cliff, hanging out over the icy ocean. Toothless joined me right away. I caressed his head affectionately.

“You’ve missed it too, eh, Bud?” I asked him.

He shook his head in a groan.

“The little ones seemed to enjoy the trip anyway… Look at this, they’re so tired that they’re falling asleep,” I sneered. “Ah, you’re so lucky, Bud…”

He agreed, tilting his head slightly while closing his eyes and uttering a small affirmative roar. I rested my head on his back in order to contemplate the sky.

“You know, I’m going to be a dad too…” He warbled happily in agreement.

“If you only knew how much it’s scaring me! I’m afraid I won’t be good enough… How am I supposed to become one without even having prepared for it? And Astrid would kill me if I screwed it up!”

Toothless gave me a gentle smack on the head.

“Ouch!”

I looked at him, he gave me the stink eye.

“Well, okay, she’s not gonna kill me but she’ll be very upset…”

I continued observing the sky.

“But you know, I’m also very excited about meeting this little one… And Astrid is very happy since she knows she’s pregnant… I want to see her smile etched on her lips forever.”

Toothless let out a kind of purring.

“You’re right Bud, I’ll learn with time…”

...

Weeks had passed, as well as months. Berkians were preparing for the war the best they could. The forge was almost always lit; Gobber had to support the village’s weapons demand, which was at an all-time high. I helped him out as best I could—we needed to make enough for everyone in town.

With the help of other villagers, Snotlout and the twins were taking care of the construction of other defensive weapons like catapults and ballistas. Eret, my mom and my uncle, as well as Bucket, Mulch and so many others were taking care of the village’s protection, they reinforced the infrastructure to minimize damage and withstand any major shocks.

Fishlegs, Heather, Astrid and I were in charge of the elaboration of a battle plan for countering Drago’s attacks. The plan was almost finished, except for a few improvements that still had to be made. We decided together on the maneuvers during the battle. Eret would lead the ships, he would be on the front line… Gobber would command the island’s defense with Erik’s assistance, while Heather and I would lead the front row of the attack with Snotlout and the twins. Fishlegs would be on report. Children, young mothers and the elderly would be kept safe in the Great Hall under the protection of my mom and some of my best men. I asked Astrid to join them, but she refused categorically, she wanted to fight, she was a warrior. I finally was able to reason with her -not easily- by telling that in her condition, it was not even feasible. She obviously gave up, knowing that I was right.

Drago still hadn’t attacked, but based on what he’d told me, he would strike in a month maybe, right before the first winter’s frost. We only had one month to get prepared. That was the reason I was gathering all the riders every week at the academy for training sessions for a while now. We were teaching dragons how to defend themselves and fight Drago’s own armoured dragons. I had allowed Astrid to come training with us despite other riders’ disapproval, but I did it to make her happy. In fact, she was the best despite her pregnancy, which was now really starting to show. I had the usual tendency to overprotect her, but she only wanted to prove me she wasn’t weak.

“No, Snotlout! You’re not doing it right!” Astrid yelled.

She climbed on Stormfly.

“Come down, I’ll show you how you’re supposed to do it…” she sighed.

She perfectly executed the maneuver Snotlout had failed before landing beside him.

“Here, that’s how it should be done. If you don’t do these moves in the right order and in a very short time, it’s your men’s lives that you’re putting in danger… Who’s next?” she asked to the group.

Fiery. That was the word that described her at this precise moment. Astrid was fearless, she just made a fool of Snotlout in front of everyone without any hesitation, something that Ruffnut didn’t miss.

“I think that’s enough for us for one day,” said Ruffnut. “Especially for Snotlout…” she concluded, laughing out loud.

The riders headed back to their respective huts, leaving Astrid and me alone.

“So, how does my dear lady feel after blowing off some steam on everyone?” I asked her, trying not to laugh.

“Very funny… At your concern, your dear lady is feeling really well and so is the baby, it won’t stop moving…”

I slowly drew close to her and leaned my hesitating hands towards her swollen belly. She took them and put them gently on it. She gave me a smile and I could felt little kicks through her skin.

“Wow… amazing!” I said, a little confused. “A tiny future Viking!” Astrid let out a little laugh, touched by the situation.

I kept my hands around her belly and kissed her passionately. Then, with my hand, I invited her to climb on Toothless behind me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and we took off. I brought Astrid to our secret sanctuary in the farthest corners of the island. We landed next to our favourite cliff in no time, the night would come soon and it was almost nightfall. I took Astrid’s hand and invited her to follow me, and we sat down at the edge of the cliff.

“What a beautiful sight, don’t you think?” I pointed out to her. “I have to admit it brought back some memories,” she confessed with a smile, a hand put on her belly and the other clenched to mine.

“It’s been over a year now…” I uttered.

She huddled against me and I wrapped my arms around her.

“Over a year ago, we were here, on this cliff, watching the sunset… like today,” she said with a dreamy voice.

“And we are here, about to start a family and I…”

Astrid turned her head and put her hands on my cheeks, dampened with some tears.

“Hiccup… What is it?” she asked, worried.

“It’s just… I realized we’re adults now, we’re gonna be parents and we’re preparing for a war! And I think that… I’ve never missed my dad so much…”

I let my head rest on Astrid’s right shoulder, and she ran a soothing hand up and down my back while my sobs doubled.

“I wish he was here… I miss him…”

Astrid didn’t reply; there was nothing to say anyway. I only needed to feel her next to me. She tightened her grip.

“Thanks…” I whispered.

She parted from me and passed a hand through my hair.

“Thanks for what?” she asked.

“Thank you for always being there for me and being supportive.”

“Hiccup, I love you, that’s all,” she smiled.

“And that’s a lot, Astrid…”

We went back to the village at the end of the sunset. We landed in front of our hut shortly afterward, I helped Astrid climb down and before we got inside, we spotted two people’s silhouettes, stepping closer and closer together—and eventually, unmistakeably kissing. Curious, we got closer to the shadows, hand in hand, and realized it was Heather and Fishlegs. We moved away immediately to give them some space…

“Seems like it’s official now…” Astrid stated.

“I’m happy for them; you’re not?”

“Of course I am, but Heather could’ve told me…” she responded, a bit offended.

I put my hand on her shoulder and forced her to look me in the eye; she smiled. We burst out laughing and we went back to our home.

The night that had followed this wonderful evening was one of the quietest and the most serene we had for months. Gradually, Hiccup regained his confidence and was getting used to the idea of becoming a dad, which made me happy.

Days passed until that morning. We were awakened by the village’s horns announcing the impending approach of an enemy on our island. Drago was here and he was coming to destroy us—but what he didn’t know was that we were ready.

#httyd3 #hiccstrid #hiccup #astrid #valka #gobber #toothless #pregstrid #preg!astrid #pregnant astrid #heather #heathlegs #fishlegs #that is who you are #voilà qui tu es #my fanfiction! #thatiswhoyouare

[shipmistress9]

FTLOAP: Chapter 4: Did It Forge A Love You Might Never Have Found

Prologue; Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3

Co-author: @athingofvikings

I wanted to say a bit about the music behind this story... First of all, we have the titles of these first four chapters. In the correct order, they form one verse of the before mentioned song "The Wolven Storm".

I know not if fate would have us live as one, Or if by love's blind chance we've been bound. The whish I whispered when it all began, Did it forge a love you might never have found?

Can you see why it tickled me for these chapters?

Also, another thing about 'music' in the broader sense... I created an audio template for this and the following chapters. It's mainly for myself to listen to while I write, but I figured I might as well share it here in case anyone is interested.

Astrid didn't like to wear her mask of lies. But she was good at it by now, and tonight, she had plenty opportunities to use it.

 Instead of a full formal meal with all of the usual courses, her father apparently had decided on a more leisurely meal, with a table set according to the Northerner custom of a ‘smorgasbord’. Along the centre of the room, one of the grandest tables had been set out with platters, bowls, and other serving dishes, all filled with a variety of foods available for people to serve themselves as they saw fit. It was appropriate for the occasion, she guessed. Technically, House Jag’r didn’t belong to the Northern Tribes, but living in close proximity to them had resulted in many traditions swapping between them. But it also meant that she didn’t even get a break while everyone ate. For the rest of the night, during the social gathering and mingling, she would need this fake smile on her face, the well-practised mask. It was all outsiders ever saw of her. Although, she had expected as much for this event. Presenting her mask to outsiders? That was normal, that was her day to day existence.

What she hadn't expected, however, was that she would need to wear this mask when talking to those close to her as well.

But she didn’t dare give a hint of what she was actually feeling. Not when she could feel Hiccup's presence at any given moment, felt his eyes on her like the warmth of the sun during a summer noon. She was used to people looking at her, but this was different. Hiccup was different. She was so aware of him, easily noticing him whenever he crossed her peripheral vision, and kept spotting him among the crowd without having to look hard for him. It was so confusing.

Everything was so confusing.

He was Eret's squire, his cousin even. He wasn't just a simple stable lad, not a common man, but one of noble blood. Maybe there was a chance after all, maybe...

She needed answers, needed to know. She needed to know who he was, needed to know whether there was a chance, whether he was important enough that her father would allow –

Stop it! she berated herself. She couldn’t let herself think like that, not here. Not when she was surrounded and watched by dozens of people and every tiny slip of her facial expressions could get observed. Slowly, she shook her head from one side to the other, just like the small figurine in that music box Grand Duke Oswald had given her many years ago. It was one of those intricate mechanical devices that occasionally made their way in merchants’ packs from distant realms, and the big harbour of Southshore, House Berserker’s hometown, usually was the first place those showed up.

With her eyes closed, Astrid called forth the memory of the tiny dancer and the odd piece of music, forcing herself to concentrate on this memory only. How it would turn and whirl in time with the melody, and how it would get stuck, always at the same place until a thorough shaking set it right again. The familiar image served its purpose, and Astrid felt herself calm down again, if only a little.

Gods, what was going on with her? Marriage had never been an appealing idea to her. She knew that, as the future king's sister, she would need to participate in a political marriage once she turned twenty, and had always dreaded the idea. And now she was honestly considering marrying a complete stranger? All because of a couple of weird images she’d seen, and those confusing feelings this man inspired in her? It was insane.

And who said he even wanted to marry her? Certainly, he had kissed her, but... well, men were more free in such things. He might have wanted her on a simple basis of being a woman, but that didn't necessarily mean that he... liked her.

And yet his eyes never seemed to leave her, and she couldn't stop thinking about him.

It was unbearable.

She needed answers to her questions. Asking Eret about him would be the easiest way, but she didn’t dare to give away anything, not even to him. And she couldn't simply approach and ask Hiccup himself, not here. Not with remembering what had happened at the stables, and not with so many eyes watching. She couldn't risk him doing something he shouldn't... mustn't do. No, all she could do was try to ignore him as best she could and hope for an opportunity to talk in private in the near future.

Seeking distraction, she decided to finally greet the Grand Duke, and apologise for her absence earlier. He, his elderly father, and her own father all sat at the King's table, up on a small dais, behind a light and sheer privacy curtain, allowing it to be a little separated from the noises and ever-prying eyes and ears in the rest of the room. When she stepped through, they were in deep conversation.

"...telling you, these title disputes are getting worse with every month, much less every year. If we don't find a way to placate–"

"Astrid!" her father interrupted his friend as she came closer. "How nice of you to come and finally greet our guests," he said dryly, making her glower at him and Lord Eret II chuckle.

"Oh, don't be too hard on the lass," he said, smiling warmly at her. "I vividly remember how we were at her age, never listening to rules and always out seeking adventure. Now, tell me, my dear. How are you doing? Is your bow still as unerring as it used to be? Just so I know whether it makes sense for me to participate in the hunts during the next months. I don't fancy getting beaten by a girl again!"

"I'm fine, your Grace, thank you," she replied politely as Eret the Elder rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure about my bow though, as I’ve had little opportunity to use it lately. But be assured, the hunts aren't of any interest to me anymore, so your pride will be spared."

The King groaned, but Duke Eret just chuckled, and Astrid felt herself relax. She could still feel Hiccup's eyes on her back, but here, where she couldn't see him out of the corner of her eye and in the presence of these men who still saw her as a rebellious child, she felt a little more like herself again.

"I came to apologise for not being there to greet you, your Grace," she went on. "And also to thank you for the magnificent gift you brought me. Markor is a wonderful animal."

Sir Eret's face softened at her words. "Ah, you've seen him already? Yes, a magnificent horse indeed. I knew you would appreciate him."

"You brought her a male horse?" the King threw in incredulously, and threw up his hands in exasperation. "How is she ever supposed to become a lady if everybody keeps treating her like a boy?"

"What's she to do with a horse anyway?” Eret the Elder interjected, and then gave a sly grin at her. “A fair maiden like her is to be ridden, not to ride herself. She would make a fine mare for young Eret. You two should seal the contract right away."

“Father!” Eret II chided as Astrid resisted the urge to reply in kind. Smirking inwardly, she wondered how Eret the Elder would react if he ever learned of his grandson's choice of partner.

“What?” protested the elder. “I didn’t see you making such complaints when I found you your blushing bride.”

“She’s my daughter, Uncle Eret,” her father said, exasperated, rubbing at his eyes as Astrid glowered at the prune of an old man. “Not some of your prized bloodstock on the stud farm. Besides, she’s too young to marry yet.”

Eret the Elder leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “Feh. I don’t see the difference. You all come from good stock, and the cross would be splendid. And as for her age, I honestly don’t see the point in waiting for a certain age. Nature tells you when a mare is ready to conceive, so–”

“Annnnd I think that’s enough, father,” Duke Eret said firmly. “As for the horse, my friend,” he said, unsubtly yanking back control of the conversation, “it is just a gelding. And he comes with an ornate bridle and side-saddle, embellished by my younger daughters.” He gave an exasperated side-eyed look at his father, as if daring the old man to repeat the comment about his granddaughters. “It’s splendidly decorative."

This time, it was Astrid’s turn to groan.

. o O o .

Hiccup wasn’t able to tear his eyes away from her.

After they’d left the King’s office and joined the crowd of people gathered loosely around the smorgasbord, Eret and the royal siblings had been greeted cheerfully. Hiccup had stood to the side, not wanting or deserving any attention, and his eyes had rested on the Princess' slender figure practically at every moment.

Of course, she was hard to miss in that elegant deep red dress with the wide flowing skirts and the elbow-length gloves that left her upper arms bare, with her endless golden hair braided in an intriguing pattern he was just dying to unravel by running his fingers through it, and with her beauty that seemed to radiate through the entire room, enlightening it with her mere presence. But it wasn't just that, not just her literal divine beauty, not just how she looked. Other high-born daughters wore similarly extravagant dresses, likely trying to copy her style, and, surely, some of them had to be pretty, too. And yet he only had eyes for her.

No, it wasn't simply a matter of how gorgeous she looked. And it wasn't the fact that she was the Princess, the First Lady of the Kingdom. It hadn't been those superficial things that had drawn him toward her in the first place, and they didn't matter to him now, either. If anything, they were impediments.

No, what was pulling him toward her, made it unbearable to stay away from her, was something else. It was the memory of that other side of her, of how she'd behaved in the stables when he'd thought she was just a farmer's daughter, and of how she'd behaved in her father's office just now. It were those images of her, standing in the door to their home and with their son on her arms, the overwhelming longing for this vision to come true, the wish to spend his entire life with her at his side. And it was the fact, that she apparently had some sort of feelings for him, too.

And for everything else.

Those words, and the look in her eyes... No, there was no mistaking what that had meant. She felt it too, this strange bond between them, the urge to... to connect. But she wasn't willing to show any of that, for some reason. Of course, he hadn't expected her to directly throw herself around his neck, and in front of all these people she couldn't say much,  but... Freya, she could at least have said something while there were only Eret and her brother around, right? Or she could include him in their conversations like Eret and Daniel did, even if her brother only did so occasionally. Or she could at least look at him.

Hiccup knew that the rules of courtship down here in the capital were much stricter than he was used to, but, surely, she was allowed to look at a man that wasn't her intended, right? She had no such qualms when it came to Eret, after all.

His gaze followed her as she made her way up to the table where her father, the Grand Duke and... Eret's grandfather sat, and a crazy idea crossed his mind. What if he followed her up there? What if he introduced himself as who he really was, officially claiming his title and birthright, and asked for the Princess' hand? It was too early, she was too young to marry, according to southern standards, but that didn't matter. He would happily wait another two and a half years to marry her, if only he could be sure that he would marry her.

And maybe the King would even help him to enforce his legal claim.

And, maybe, just maybe, Thor might even lend Mjölnir to Loki for a day, just for a lark.

Hiccup's eyes landed on the old men sitting next to the Grand Duke, and his expression grew bitter. No, going up there wouldn't get him anywhere just now. Why should the King give up valuable resources and men just to help him regain a title worth marrying his daughter? There surely were dozens of other suitable candidates already. Maybe Lord Eret might support his request, but the old man surely would not. And, from a logical point of view, he would be right.

Hiccup had nothing to offer. No House to support him, no land or trade contracts to make him a worthwhile candidate, no vassals to offer for the royal army, no political power to support the King. No, he had nothing but his honest feelings for his daughter. And no matter how affectionate the King looked at her when she wasn't looking, no matter how much he seemed to care for his daughter, he wouldn't... couldn't agree to Hiccup's requests. She was too valuable. Thinking of her that way felt wrong, but it was the simple truth, from a strategic point of view, at least. The Princess was a valuable resource. Her marriage would forge an alliance between the throne and her husband’s House, and the King would be a fool if he didn't use that to keep up stability within his kingdom.

For a little while longer, he indulged in the daydream of going to her and talking to her father, until the conversation between Eret and Daniel turned to a new topic. Hiccup hadn't been interested in the latest gossip of the capital or the Prince's ideas of testing new methods in architecture, but this new topic now drew his attention.

"Okay, but now onto more pressing points. Seriously, Eret, what are you going to do now? I'm sure Father would agree to your wishes in case it's something reasonable. You can't seriously want to spend the next few years guarding your father's stud farms," the Prince said with an amused tone in his voice.

Hiccup let his gaze wander through the room, unseeingly, as he focused on listening to them. They didn’t seem to be aware of him standing only a few feet away – or at least they didn’t care, if they did – and while it might still be a more-or-less private conversation between two friends, this topic affected him as well, in his position as Eret’s squire.

"Oh, I don't know," Eret replied in a light voice. "Guarding the farms would be a comfortable way of earning money. It's not like anyone would ever actually try to steal those beasts." Both men chuckled, but then Eret went on. "Although, I could just as well ask to be sent to the South. Guarding the sunny beaches around Southshore surely would be equally comfortable. I mean, there's the royal armada under Grand Duke Oswald's command, it's not like anyone would dare to attack there, either."

"Guarding the beaches?" the Prince asked, poorly suppressing his snickering. "You Northerners and the sun. As if you would last even one day standing in the heat with your gambeson on, much less the full armour. Besides, you'd also have to endure the Deranged’s  company."

"Ah, Dagur is not so bad if you know how to handle him," Eret said with a grin, and Hiccup couldn't keep his lips from twitching into a smirk. Dagur of House Berserker was an enigmatic person beyond those who knew him, to say the least. And Eret surely knew how to handle him. "But just for the protocol, I'm still not a Northerner. The city of Eastervale might be far up in the north from here, but the people of the Northern Islands would protest if I ever claimed to be one of them. And rightly so, I might add... You don't want to mess with the Tribes, believe me."

"You're right there, I guess," Daniel said thoughtfully. "I never had much contact with them, and only visited their High Chief once or twice when I accompanied Father. But it has become quiet around them during the last few years, since..." he trailed off as a practically tangible uneasiness grew between them, but before it could dampen the mood permanently, he changed the topic again. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I meant what I said earlier. You should accompany me to the West come summer. I could use a fighter like you. I mean, you're welcome to accompany me in a few weeks already, but I’ll just be travelling around – I’m planning on working my way through the counties around Loki’s Teeth this year – to see where we need to make repairs on the defences, or how we could improve specific outposts. There won't be any fighting as long as the mountain paths are sealed by the snow, but it surely would be good to get a feeling for the terrain. And–"

"Daniel," Eret interrupted the Prince with a smile and a raised hand. "Of course I'll accompany you. I know that Father doesn't like the idea of me 'going to war,' as he always claims that I'm the only one capable of leading our House once he retired, and he’d surely like me to stay at the stud farms forever. But he can't ban me from doing what he’d done, too. You've fought back those Malarian raiders in the mountains on your own long enough. This year, I'm old enough to decide for myself, and I will fight at your side. We all will, even though that means that you'll have to deal with Dagur and Snotlout, too. We'll fight together, just like our fathers did."

Hiccup closed his eyes and stopped listening. Their fathers... The irony was incredible. These four young men would be the leaders of this kingdom once the older generation stepped down, the future King and his three loyal friends. Just like their fathers before them. And now, as Eret's squire, Hiccup would fight at their side as well. Oh yes, the Norns really had a twisted sense of humour.

But he wouldn’t complain. As ironic as the whole situation was, it was also a chance he could benefit from. He had two-and-a-half years until Astrid reached the traditional age of marriage, although she was technically of legal age already. It was not much time, really, to earn himself a reputation or influence, much less a title, but it was a chance. Because if there was one place in the entire United Kingdom of Volantis where he could accomplish that deed, it was at the western mountain ranges bordering the princedoms of Malardur, where, every summer, raiding parties and war bands crossed the mountain passes looking for loot to plunder, towns to conquer and ransom, and farms to burn – and their own people pushed them back, and tried to do the same to the Malarians. For the last two years, since his own accolade, Prince Daniel had been in the thick of it all, so fighting at his side nearly guaranteed that Hiccup wouldn’t return empty-handed.

A small smile tugged at his lips, and for once, he didn’t even try to fight it. This was a real chance. He had two summers, not much in general, but under these circumstances it might be enough. Enough to become a knight at least, and to gain the Prince’s favour – which surely would prove helpful when he stepped forward to ask for his sister’s hand. 

The thought made his heart beat faster. It was a real possibility, a plan to follow. He just needed a little luck – and her consent. He looked up at the King’s table, but found that she wasn’t there anymore. Instead, she was walking straight in his direction, a disgruntled expression on her face that made him squirm nervously.

. o O o .

Once the three older men were done laughing at her disgruntled expression, Astrid left them; they had returned to their discussion about the territorial skirmishes among the lesser nobility before she’d even gotten past the privacy curtain, although it wasn’t as if they’d include her in such ‘weighty matters’. But while she wasn’t involved in the political discussions – Eret the Elder’s attitudes about her being little more than a broodmare were more common than she liked – it was hard to censor the knowledge that it was a growing problem in her homeland.

It was her House’s fault, really. Her grandfather had united the five princedoms and thrown out all of the old corrupt nobility, and then turned around and given out the newly vacant titles to his men. To his closest friends, he’d given the former princedoms, now the grand-dukedoms. To the generals, he’d given the duchies, the captains the counties, and to the soldiers who had distinguished themselves, the baronies. But now the men who had fought alongside her grandfather were nearly all gone, and after two generations of alliances and squabbles and marriages and petty rivalries, there were dukes who held a dozen titles, counts with five or six, and a great many landless nobles. And it seemed that every single one of them wanted more than they had. But, with the oceans in the north and south, the borders to the east stabilized with treaties, and the west being a constant stalemate over defensible mountain passes... there was no place to get more...

Except from each other.

And the disputes were growing worse.

She knew all this, but it was not like she could do anything about it. Or that anyone would let her do anything, even if she could. She was just a woman, good for nothing but forging alliances and bearing children.

Bah!

But getting agitated about an old man’s words wouldn’t get her anywhere. Instead, she sought out two of the few people who treated her like an equal. She quickly found Eret and Daniel near the serving board, piled plates in hand, surrounded by people loosely standing around, chatting and laughing.

Hiccup was close by as well, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His gaze flickered away from her as soon as she got closer, wandered through the room, but soon shifted back toward her again. Her heart made a funny jump at that sight, but she didn't let herself react in any visible way. The tug that seemed to pull them toward each other was growing stronger and stronger, and had been ever since she’d spotted him behind Eret at the accolade. She yearned to go and talk to him. Even if it would be just some unimportant small talk, it would be worth it just to listen to his voice. But every time Eret or Daniel had included him into their conversation so far, his few words alone had served to remind her of their afternoon, of the low gasps and groans he’d made in the back of his throat as he’d –

Stop it!

Once again, she deliberately shook her head to chase those memories away. Think of something else, she reminded herself. Anything else!

"Please tell me you brought a normal saddle as well. I doubt any of mine will fit Markor, and I don't think I can get away with letting one be made for him," she blurted out as soon as she was close enough for Eret to hear her.

All things considered, it wasn’t much of a pressing point, but it still served to occupy her mind. A handy distraction. And everything that helped her not to constantly remember how he had kissed her was helpful at the moment.

She tried to retrieve the disgruntled expression from before, tried to remember how irritated she’d been only minutes ago, and her acting seemed to be good enough.

Her brother had an amused smirk on his face when he looked at her while Eret grinned and winked. "Of course I brought a normal saddle, what do you think of me, Swanja? It’s hidden with the servants’ baggage, which should have reached the castle by now. You'll get it tomorrow, or the day after, depending on how quickly I can smuggle it to you from their quarters."

Astrid sighed in relief, and was about to thank him – in earnest, even though her complaint had only been kind of a pretence – when Eret stiffened, his gaze directed past her.

"Oh, mighty Thor..." he mumbled, rolling his eyes.

As she and Daniel turned, she spotted a small group of people approaching them, led by the Countess of Whitevale, and only managed to keep herself from giggling by biting her lip. Daniel wasn't as skilled in repressing his emotions, and groaned. Turning away again, he beckoned Hiccup over with a small gesture.

"I know that you’re not a simple servant, but we're far too sober for what’s about to happen," he stated, gesturing to Eret and himself. Eret snorted and nodded in pained agreement. "Could you get us something to drink? Something stronger than that watered wine? Please?”

Hiccup nodded mutely, visibly confused by the virtually panicky tone in the Prince's voice, and turned to follow the order.

For a short moment, Astrid considered to reach out for him under the pretence of asking him to get her something to drink, too. She wanted to feel his wiry arm, even if it could only be through the fabric of his shirt and her gloves. She wanted to look at him without fearing people might find it suspicious. She wanted to talk to him in a low voice, even if it was just to ask him to bring her a glass of wine.

But she managed to hold back. She feared that she might say something she shouldn't say, that she might give away more than was sensible by looking him in the eyes, and that touching him would only serve for her to want to touch him even more.

Biting on the inside of her cheek, she forced herself not to look at him as he came in her direction. It was bad enough that her heart was suddenly racing and her throat had gone dry just from thinking about –

Astrid gasped as the loose fabric of his sleeve brushed against her arm as he passed by.

She couldn't keep the small sound from escaping her. She doubted it had happened on purpose; there was a bit of a crowd around them and she thought someone had just stepped into his path, forcing him to sidestep that someone. Surely, it had just been a coincidence, and he didn't even react beyond hesitating for a fraction of a second before continuing on his way.

But it had been enough to make her heart pound as quickly as a galloping horse’s hooves, and for her mind to blissfully blank out for an instant. Freya, he’d been so close. Somehow, this accidental brush had felt even more intense than the kiss he’d given her on her hand in her father’s office, this first renewed contact that had been more than she’d expected to ever happen. It was all so confusing. How was it possible that this virtual stranger had such an effect on her?

Still determined to ignore him as best she could, Astrid kept herself from turning her head and following him with her eyes. Or from actually following him. She would make it through this night, she would wait for the right opportunity to talk to him. She could do that.

Fighting for her self-control, Astrid turned to greet the Countess with her usual pleasant smile. Right now, she was genuinely relieved over the older woman’s arrival, even though she was accompanied by three of her many daughters, and Astrid knew exactly what would follow.

"Prince Daniel, it is so good to see you," the Countess chirped happily, not letting herself be interrupted by curtsying. She gave a brief nod of acknowledgement towards Astrid, the minimum required by courtesy, before she turned her attention back to her actual prey. "And Eret – no, Sir Eret now. Such a delight to have you here again. Don't you think so, too, my dears?"

Astrid made a small step backwards, grinning inwardly at Eret's and Daniel’s helpless expressions. For years now, the Countess had never missed an opportunity to promote her many daughters as possible brides for every nobleman of considerable rank. She had at least five, as Astrid could recall, and, naturally, Eret and Daniel were two of her favoured targets. Everyone knew that her brother wasn't interested in settling down with a wife of his own, and nearly everyone assumed that she and Eret were a couple already. But since nothing was official yet – and never would be – the Countess hadn't given up yet.

The girls, used to their mother’s attempts at match-making, smiled pleasantly and bobbed their curtseys, even though it was obvious how uncomfortable they felt, to Astrid at least. They, too, were bound to the same customs that left them with only few options.

“Thank you, your Grace,” Eret replied with a tight smile. “It always is a delight to be here.” His gaze wandered over the row of her daughter, courtesy demanding superficial interest at least. “But it seems like two of your lovely daughters are missing. Is there cause for congratulations?”

Astrid noticed the surprised look on her brother’s face, and felt a small smile tugging at her lips. He probably wouldn’t have noticed this as he only rarely paid attention to things he wasn’t interested in. But Eret had always been more observant when it came to people.

“Ah, yes,” the Countess sighed happily. “Azure, my second daughter, married the Duke of Greenhill and moved to live at his estate near Westhill. Not the safest place these days with the Malarian raids, but we all hope those might be ended one day.” She gave a beaming and significant smile at Daniel. “And as for Claire, my oldest daughter… Well, she joined Freya’s Sisterhood last year, and I’m proud to say that she has already completed her time as Acolyte – and in near-record time, I might add! – and will be promoted to Gythja at the Midwinter festivals. She’d been studying as an Initiate for years, and finally decided last year to devote herself to it as a calling, and I just received the news last month on her upcoming elevation. We’re so proud of her!” She beamed at Daniel, and Astrid quirked a smile at her enthusiasm. This was a side of the Countess she didn’t often see – honest pride in her child’s accomplishments, instead of a merchant boasting about her wares. “You might remember what a kind and caring girl she’s always been, and caring for other people’s needs really does make her happy.”

“That sounds wonderful,” agreed Eret, just as Daniel seemed to remember that he, too, was supposed to participate in this conversation.

“Right… Now that you mention that, I think I remember seeing her during one of my last visits there,” he threw in, thoughtfully. “But she’s not yet an Ástir, right? If I remember correctly, she was treating an impressive wound on a boy’s arm.”

The Countess nodded eagerly. “Yes, that is very likely. She’s been in training to become a healer, and Fyrir Mala praises her skills, her calm hand, and her compassion for her patients regularly. And she really thrives at her work, she’s such a good girl. But she wouldn’t be suitable as an Ástir just yet. Her education in pleasing men only started after she joined the Sisterhood, of course. However, we expect her Bloodnight to be sometime before Spring festivals. Too bad you are not one of her suitors, Highness, it would be such an honour. Or what about you, Sir Eret? I’m sure Claire wouldn’t mind to add you to her list.”

And there’s the merchant again, Astrid thought tartly.  

Eret shifted from one foot to the other, and let his gaze wander through the room – subtly looking for his drink, Astrid assumed – before he answered. “Well, I’m sure Fyrir Mala will choose a worthy candidate for this special occasion. Someone with enough experience in such matters.”

“Oh, you are too modest, milord. I’m sure you must be an exceptional lover,” the Countess said with an insinuating smile and a wink, that made Eret react with a tight smile as Daniel clapped him on the shoulder.

“I’m sure he is. But he’s a little picky, our Eret. Only accepts certain Priestesses to take care of his needs.” he said, grinning, and Astrid bit back a smirk. If only they knew…

The girls, however, all had their eyes cast to the floor, cheeks bright with embarrassment.Technically, their mother was violating one of the rules of proper decorum right now. While young maidens were taught the basics about sex by the Order of Frigga after their first moonblood, it was also with the admonition that such ‘women’s secrets’ were not to be discussed by them until their wedding day. The idea – as Astrid understood it – was that keeping the topic from being raised would hopefully keep premarital encounters from occurring.

Of course, the rules were different for men. They had needs, and the Order of Freya fulfilled those. Dedicated to love of every kind, the Priestesses of Freya spend the majority of their time taking care of the people’s needs. While the Order of Odin acted as advisor and sometimes as executioner, and the Order of Thor oversaw the training of soldiers, the Order of Freya was of a more charitable nature. They made sure that whoever came to worship their Goddess, regardless of their status or fortune, would get a meal at least once a day, would get his wounds treated, would find an open ear for consolations of more personal matters, and would see to it that the desires of men did not turn sour and curdle for lack of fulfillment.  

Astrid, too, stared at the ground, her cheeks burning, though not because of the Countess’s public breach of decorum. She’d grown up with her brother and what amounted to a number of step-brothers, and she’d overheard more than her share of them talking about sex when she was younger not to be shocked. To her, it was more irritating that she wasn’t allowed by decorum to join in on their talks and ask some long-held questions of hers. No, it wasn’t them talking that made her blush.

    It was because she could barely keep herself from scanning the crowd, knowing that she could lay eyes on him in an instant.

All this talking made her think of Hiccup again, of how he’d held her so tightly while he’d kissed her. She vividly remembered his hot hand on her waist and her neck, his demanding lips seeking more and deeper contact. Gods, if only Tuff hadn’t interrupted them! She wanted more of this, wanted to feel his touch, his closeness, and in return wanted to touch him, too. She wanted to feel him, skin on skin, like that first brushing of their fingers over Markor’s silken fur. But before her daydreaming could continue, and possibly be revealed by her dopey smile, the Countess luckily tore her out of her thoughts.

“Ah, but enough of that now. It surely is not a suitable topic for the innocent ears of young maidens,” she chatted on, oblivious or deliberately ignorant of how she’d been the one who’d brought up that topic in the first place. “I mainly came to thank you, Prince Daniel. It is so good to know that someone as capable as your Highness is defending our beautiful kingdom.”

Daniel frowned slightly. “We have many capable men serving in our army, soldiers and captains alike. I am but one among many, and I only try to do my best, just like everyone else,” he replied tersely. He was used to flattery, had been subjected to it all his life, and didn’t fall for that anymore. And if there was one thing he didn’t indulge, then it was slighting the men who fought along his side in battle.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise, Highness,” she backpaddled. “It was meant as more of a personal expression of gratitude. You see, Azure told me of her husband’s younger brother. You might not be aware of that, but he was one of that small group of noblemen who were captured by Malarian troops last summer. The whole family was in shock, devastated even. But thanks to your ransom-negotiations, he was returned unharmed.”

Daniel’s face lit up again. “Ah, yes, I remember. We had to give up a considerable amount of our booty and trade for a watchpost on the western slopes that we’d captured with almost no casualties, but getting our men back alive is more important.” He quirked his lip in a half-hidden smile and said in a tone of forced economy, “And it was just as well that we hadn’t begun repairs to any of the damage to that watchpost.”

“Oh, that would have been wasted effort indeed,” the Countess agreed. “But isn’t this tedious work?”

“What do you mean, ma’am?” Daniel asked, cocking his head in confusion. Astrid, who had all her attention on the conversation least her thought might wander again, found herself enjoying watching this; she could guess what was coming next, and was being reminded of the castle cats chasing each other.

“Well, the border is hundreds of miles long... Keeping track of all these outposts, castles, towns, passes, knowing who is where, remembering which fortifications need looking after, organizing men and supplies... How do you manage to handle it all, and still find the time to lead your men into battle?”

Astrid hid a smile as Daniel took the bait.

“Oh, certainly, keeping track of the logistical concerns and assorted baggage trains for the various units and detachments is a full-time endeavour for me and my men. But, while I know my way with a blade and on horseback, my calling has always been as a builder.” He shrugged. “Not the most martial of callings, I know, but I have turned it to the defence of our kingdom. So for me, assessing the defensiveness of a given castle, or drawing up plans to increase its defences against siege with minimal effort... well, those are the moments I most deeply enjoy.” He smiled warmly. “I dream of a day when I can build a castle so imposing that the raiders take one look and turn around to go home.”

Eret, his voice almost a little too innocent, chimed in, “But you do complain mightily about the logistics. I think that your exact comment in your last letter was ‘one twentieth part glory for every nineteen parts shovelling dung and juggling food supplies.’”

Daniel sighed. “I wish it was that good a ratio...”

Astrid caught Eret’s gaze and waggled her eyebrows, and there was no doubt that Eret had seen it too, as he raised a hand, pretending to rub at his nose when, in reality, he tried to hide the wide grin on his face.

The Countess, her eyes gleaming, said cheerfully, “If you don’t mind my input, Highness. I have the perfect solution for your problem.” She turned slightly and gently placed her hand on the shoulder of her youngest. “Viola here is also something of a budding scholar, with interests in all sorts of topics.” She grinned at Daniel, who had suddenly frozen like a deer hearing the snapping of a twig. “While she surely doesn’t reach your Highness’ skills, she has become quite proficient in her letters and numbers from the Priestesses of Frigga, and she has a fair and neat hand, with an aptitude for the clerical skills – organizing and the like. She could easily accompany you on your next expedition, to help you keep track of those lists and logistics.”

Daniel looked slightly trapped and started to stammer excuses – just like he’d done last year. Astrid managed to catch Viola’s eyes and gave her a brief sympathetic nod as her brother tried to explain that it wouldn’t be safe or suitable for a young maiden to accompany him; he’d be leaving soon, and winter travels were no respecters of rank. Viola, a year or two younger than Astrid, replied wordlessly with a grateful nod of her own, and Astrid would certainly admit that, for her at least, it had been entertaining to watch her brother squirm a bit.  Between the Countess’ hopeless attempts, her daughters’ discomfort, and Daniel's stony expressions, it was honestly quite hilarious from her perspective, and she saw how Eret’s lips twitched traitorously, too.

But then the older woman turned toward him instead, and began her praises about her other daughters, pointing out how fond of animals Alicia was and how her sister Marian used to help out in her father’s stables occasionally. Astrid stood back and resisted the urge to make funny faces at him from behind the Countess’ back – he’d scolded her for doing that two years ago. Just like Daniel, Eret was terrible at hiding his emotions, but, luckily, the Countess was equally blind to his reactions. Only her daughters looked like they wished the ground would open up and swallow them, and Astrid felt sympathy for them. They were actually nice girls, friendly and modest, just like young noble ladies were supposed to be. And if only half of what their mother said about their skills in tending to a household were true, they surely would make fine wives one day. It wasn't their fault that their mother was this annoying person, or that neither Eret or Daniel were interested in any way.

The Countess kept babbling on, and Astrid stopped listening, already knowing the script quite well. It was more or less the same at every given opportunity, after all. Absentmindedly, she stepped closer toward Eret as he moved his arm a little to the side, a clear invitation for her to wind her arm through the opening. It was a game they often played, pretending that there was more between them than friendship to deter unwanted admirers. It probably wouldn't work on the Countess, but one never knew.

She'd meant to make a further step to his side, distracted by the effort of keeping the pleasant smile on her face, her arm already halfway lifted, when it happened. Someone bumped into her, and everything happened at once.

A loud crash sounded through the room as a pair of glass pint mugs filled with beer – House Berserker's dark and strong brew, judging by the smell – landed on the floor beside her. She stumbled at the unexpected contact, and all eyes in the room were on her – drawn by the loud noise – as she was about to fall and land in the shards-scattered puddle.

And then a hand closed around her upper arm, a strong arm catching her around her waist. She didn't need to turn in order to know whose breath brushed over her neck, whose already so familiar gasp reached her ear, and whose hot skin was burning into hers right now.

Next Chapter

#For The Love Of A Princess #hiccstrid #hiccstrid fanfiction #Hiccstrid Royal AU #shipmistress9 #httyd #httyd fanfiction #httyd fandom

[arizaluca]

Stories and Costumes - Chapter 1

Lol, nobody asked for this. Whatever. I’m bored and can’t get up the energy to actually write good stuff.

Okay, so searching through my old Google Docs, I found this old af ‘book’ that I wrote when I was... ten? I cringe so much reading it now. I couldn’t even get past the first sentence. The name ticks me off too.

Soo... you guys get a rewrite of the first chapter.

Uh

Feel free to let me know if you’d like me to make this a regular thing, I guess xD

“Uh... well, I guess I’m here. And I’m talking to myself. Lovely.” 

Alleria-- actually, scratch that, nobody actually called her that.-- Allie Brown gave the biggest sigh she’d ever given in her thirteen years of being alive, each stomping step sending a cloud of dust the size of a chair pluming out of the wooden stairs that led up to her grandmother’s attic.

Great. She was looking forward to sitting in her room and trying to comb dust bunnies out of her already very-easily-tangled thick waves of auburn hair for the next hour. Why was she up here again?

Actually, scratch that, why was she in her grandmother’s attic again?

Oh yeah. Because her parents were going on their honeymoon, and apparently she wasn’t allowed to come along.

Allie could remember the argument that had dominated her morning as if it was only a few hours ago. Mainly because it had been.

Allie’s lovely mother-- who actually was a lovely woman, despite the sarcasm-- had been cooking an omelet that looked absolutely perfect. Goodness knows that she didn’t inherit her cooking skills from Allie’s grandmother. Allie’s dad, being him, was eating some cheese.

Don’t ask me why he was eating cheese when Allie’s mom was making the prettiest omelet Allie had ever seen about ten feet away from him. Allie’s dad was weird that way.

“Mooom, why can’t I go to the campsite with you guys?” Allie whined for what her dad would say the billionth time that week and what Allie would say the tenth, leaning her faintly freckled cheek on her hand and scowling at her parents over a bowl of cold oatmeal like the mature young lady she was. 

Allie’s mother’s tone somehow managed to stay patient and belay any possible desire she may have had to whack Allie across the back of the head with the frying pan. “Because, as I have said ten times before, Allie, it’s our second honeymoon, and that means we’re celebrating us getting married. You’d do that thing where you mime gagging at us all day.”

“No I wouldn’t!” 

Allie’s dad arched his eyebrow from where he was eating away at his block of cheese.

“... okay, maybe I would, but you don’t know that! Besides, it’s gotta be better than staying with Grandma! She’s so... so... old.” Rather disappointed in herself and grouchy that she couldn’t find a better adjective to describe her grandmother with, she shoved a heaping spoonful of oatmeal to keep herself from saying something stupid.

Which kind of worked because it turned out she’d put way too much oatmeal in her mouth and she promptly choked.

“You got along with Grandma fine when you were a kid, sweetheart. Stop complaining.” Allie’s mom’s response was as sympathetic as always while her father set down his cheese in favor of clapping Allie on the back, nearly making her cough up the entire spoonful of oatmeal and promptly mortify everybody in the room.

Fortunately, she didn’t actually cough it up, and she was able to avoid mortification at the hands of her sympathetic father, who had begun chiming into the conversation with “Alleria, if I can survive your mother’s mother, you can.”

Allie’s mother, had she not been cooking an omelet ten feet away, would probably have flicked him on the forehead for that comment.

“But last time I chipped that super old coffee cup and she yelled at me! It wasn’t even visible!”

“She had a rather good reason, as that was her favorite cup, and you apparently also cracked it on the bottom, Allie, so that’s probably why she went so berserk,” her mother promptly retaliated.

Had she cracked the bottom? She definitely couldn’t remember. The last time she’d visited her grandma in the creakiest old house she’d ever seen had been three whole years ago, when she was still a snotty ten-year-old. No way she’d be able to remember if a cup had gotten cracked.

So she promptly switched tactics. “But she’s such a bad cook! Mom, the last time she made baked potatoes for Thanksgiving I’m pretty sure she gave us all food poisoning! Dad had--”

“Allie, do not bring up bowel movements at the breakfast table,” her dad quickly cut off that route of conversation before it could go further downhill. “Besides, just wake up earlier than she does and cook breakfast. You get grandma points and you don’t get food poisoning. Win-win.”

Once again, her flawless excuse at getting out of this week-long stay at her grandma’s house had been shot down. To make matters worse, her mother decided to play the guilt card. The guilt card almost always worked on Allie.

“Honey, we already told Grandma you were coming, and... well, she’s been rather lonely since Grandpa died. She was really excited to have you come over, and... well, I don’t want her to be disappointed.”

Her mother’s assumption that the guilt card would work was accurate as ever, and Allie found herself watching as her parents drove down the street to their honeymoon, leaving her in front of the old, gray house with her old, gray grandmother.

At least her grandmother could bake, if the desserts at Thanksgiving were any indication. Grandma’s hair, unlike Allie’s mother and her own, was white as snow with it permed. Allie could remember being five years old and tugging on her grandmother’s hair because “I thought they was cotton balls!”

Good times.

“I’ll set up your room for you, alright?” A very awkward touch of a hand to Allie’s wavy hair, which Allie accidentally flinched from-- the smell of mothballs and cinnamon grew to an overpowering extent when her grandmother got close to her.

Her grandmother’s watery blue eyes, which really were nothing like Allie’s angular green ones and which made Allie wonder if she really was related to this woman, widened slightly upon this motion, before they grew sad. “I’m sorry, dear. I know you wanted to spend the week with your parents.”

How did Grandma know this? Did Allie’s mom tell her?

“Here, I’ll set up your room-- why don’t you go explore the attic for a bit? It should be rather interesting up there. I’ve put all sorts of knickknacks up there, so feel free to play with whatever you find.” 

Grandma’s eyes changed again, but before Allie could quite identify what the change was Grandma’s surprisingly strong hands were ushering her to the attic stairs. “Have some fun-- I’ll call if I need help.”

Who was Grandma kidding? In this house? Allie was about as likely to have fun here as she was to trip on a loose floorboard and break her neck.

Wait, that was really likely. Then... um...

This was why Allie wasn’t going into English 8 Honors at school.

With another gusty sigh that made several dust particles hovering in the air flutter around crazily, Allie brushed her fingers along the banister and came up with a solid three millimeters of dust. 

How on earth did Mom want her to have fun in this house? Make a dust bunny family? I mean, sure, it was an interesting old house, but it was apparently mostly populated by dust bunnies and Allie couldn’t breathe in without sneezing.

Deciding against wondering how she was supposed to have fun in a house that smelled like it hadn’t had a good cleaning since the eighteen-hundreds, Allie reached the attic door, trying the old knob door in hopes that it would be jammed shut by boxes and the odd tea set or whatnot and she could head back downstairs with a good reason to not go inside. 

However, this proved not to be the case, and Allie eased the door open so as to not make a hurricane of dust descend upon her.

She was promptly greeted with a cluttered room filled with what anybody could call-- and would call-- useless junk. A chair with a splintered leg accompanied a table with a yellowing doily halfway obscuring several gouges and a burn mark on the surface. Several boxes labelled ‘CLOTHES’ in messy handwriting were piled up so high they nearly obscured the window, and a few more boxes in the corner had fallen over and had apparently burst open, spewing bubble wrap, those weird packing peanut things, and a few decapitated dolls all over the floor, the smallest doll lying crumpled and headless at the foot of a trunk that looked like it belonged in a museum, and not half-buried under yellow newspapers that were fluttering from the wheezing radiator in the corner.

Allie’s sneakers left distinct footsteps in the layer of dust covering everything, knocking a few packing peanuts across the floor as she weaved through the maze of junk over to the trunk, which was the only thing that looked even remotely promising. 

The newspapers were brittle in her hands, and she scanned the headlines of a few (”Stock Market Crash! America in Shambles” was one of them) until she lost interest and set them aside, trying not to rip or make the papers fall apart altogether-- these looked old. This left a beheaded doll at her feet and a trunk that was made of some sort of shiny wood-- mahogany?

(Not that Allie knew what mahogany looked like exactly, but it sounded nice and fancy.)

Her fingers fiddled with the latch of the trunk to click it open, before they stalled as she stared at it, something niggling the back of her mind. Was something wrong with the trunk?

Dust.

There was no dust on it.

“Weird... how old is this thing?” she mumbled, trying to get a better look at the trunk. Of course, being 13 and not exactly an expert in antiques, she had no idea how old it was except for the estimate of ‘very’. “Everything else in the room’s pretty much a dust bunny’s house.”

Okay, maybe Allie really liked dust bunnies. It was fun to imagine a bunch of bunnies made of dust, even if the reality was just that they were big balls of dust.

“But this is super old and it’s... not. And I’m talking to myself again. I need to get some actual friends.” Rolling her eyes at herself for being stupidly observant, Allie took the latch and undid it easily, opening the trunk’s lid a moment later.

At first it just looked like a pile of cloth in there, and Allie was about to shut it again because who cares about piles of cloth, except then she realized that the pile of cloth was sewed. It had a seam.

She reached in, taking a piece of the bright red cloth in her fingers, and lifted it cautiously. When no moths or anything came flying out at her, she stood up, lifting the red cloth with her... except then it turned out it wasn’t just a red cloth, because what looked like a hood flopped out onto the floor as well, contracting some of the dust and revealing a pale blue dress that looked like something you’d wear if you were a girl in the rural countryside in 19-something.

Allie stooped back down and started rummaging through the trunk. Yep, it looked like a bunch of costumes were in there. Little Red Riding Hood (she could only assume because, uh, yeah there was a red hood over here), Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, whatnot.

“... is Grandma a seamstress or something?” Allie racked her brain, but beyond complaining about Grandma for the past week, she couldn’t really remember Mom ever trying to convince Allie to go by saying “she makes really neat costumes!” or... something along those lines.

Should... should she ask Grandma about this? After all, Grandma had said to explore the attic, but she wasn’t sure if that applied to putting on a costume or something. 

(Yes, of course Allie wanted to try on the costumes. They looked really pretty. What do you think she wanted to do, throw them into a fire?)

Maybe the costumes were just meant for show? No, because then they’d be on display. Or maybe they were just too old, and that’s why Grandma had stuffed them in a trunk up here to collect dust. Though they were spotless compared to the rest of the attic.

Well... Grandma had said to feel free to play with whatever she found. Playing dress-up (ugh, there had to be a term for it that didn’t take Allie back to feeling like she was six years old) counted as playing, right? Maybe Grandma had intended for Allie to try on the costumes? Or maybe she just wanted Allie to play with the headless dolls?

Well, now she was confused. She supposed she could excuse Grandma for her unclear wording by trying on one of these really, really well-made costumes. Honestly, if the source of the costume wasn’t a bunch of fairy tales, Allie would’ve called them cosplay.

Picking up the Little Red Riding Hood dress-- at least, from the position it was in in the trunk, she could only assume that the dress went with the hood-- she squeezed into it, t-shirt and jeans shorts still on underneath.

To her surprise, the dress didn’t feel awkward like it usually did when you put on clothes over another set of clothes-- it just felt normal. With that, Allie took the cape(cloak...? Cloak, it sounded better) and shrugged it on, fastening the clasp under her chin and flipping up the hood.

“I wish there was a mirror. Then again, I probably look dumb, so maybe I don’t want a mirror,” she mumbled to herself, checking the attic for even a cracked mirror to confirm whether or not she looked stupid.

A moment later, that became irrelevant, because a blinding light seared her eyeballs a moment later and made her squeeze her eyes shut. I guess I found the mirror and the sun happens to be shining on it at a really bad angle, she thought, rather resignedly. Yep, that was just her luck.

After what felt like forever but was in fact 3 seconds, Allie started blinking the spots out of her eyes, reaching up and rubbing them to make the spots go away before blinking her eyes open.

And then blinking again.

And then rubbing them again.

“... okay, I’m starting to wonder if dust makes me hallucinate.”

Allie didn’t care that nobody was here to see her, because she was now in a rather dark forest with tree leaves throwing weird light-and-shadow patterns over the beaten dirt path she was standing on, clusters of bushes around said path, several of them decorated with thorns, and lots of drying grass. Not to mention the intricately woven basket that felt like there was stuff in it. 

She checked the basket. Yep, there were a few truffles inside (gross, fungi), an apple, a banana, a few sandwiches that Allie brushed past in order to get a better look at and got a smear of mustard on her hand, and a small glass bottle of... prune juice.

“Okay. Yep. I’m hallucinating. Definitely hallucinating.” Allie took a few steps forward, expecting to ram into the trunk or step on the tiny doll or on a packing peanut. Instead, her sneaker thudded onto nothing except hardened dirt.

“Dreaming, then. The costume has a sedative in it and made me fall asleep.” That didn’t sound very likely, but who knows? There’s probably some way to get sedative into a person through a dress or a cloak. Allie reached out and gave her forearm a good, hard pinch.

And then promptly yelped a swear word (ooh, swear words. She was so impressive and such a bad girl.) when her forearm started throbbing, with no chance of her waking up.

“Okay. Okay okay okay okay okay, I’m... uh... I was knocked out and-- yeah, no, okay, I can’t figure out a logical reason for how I got here,” she muttered a moment later, already starting to feel her chest tightening with fear.

Most people would probably have started freaking out right about now. Allie remained perfectly calm and collected.

I mean, she was internally screaming like a three-year-old girl on fire and her brain was yelling “ERROR: DOES NOT COMPUTE” but you know, she at least wasn’t sobbing like a baby right about now. That was good. She could handle this.

Maybe.

Hoooooooooooooooly moly so this chapter was originally longer but taking a look at it, I realized it was already stupidly long, so I decided to split it into two chapters. Hence why I’m uploading two chapters of this.

Thanks for coming to this thing haha why are you reading this this is so bad lol

#stories and costumes #original story #story #old story #book #last time I edited was 2014 #enjoy #ariza luca

[akariitsuki42]

Spirit Saga

Ch44

Chapter 43

3 days later, Roman woke up same with Neo, who went through the same thing as Roman, but they both fell back asleep. Valentina tells me, "Smart move." "Yeah, I've been learning new things," I said, "I can grant others a power that have gain my trust." "I just hope you don't accept Cinder," said Suzuki. I shouted at her, "Suzuki Itsuki Shiba!!! How dare you say that name within my head!!" "My apologizes!" she said, in a scared tone. Valentina stayed quiet because them both know the price if they mention her again. I stepped out of the room so that they could settle with what I granted them, I met up with a couple people who seems to be alright with me for now. I looked to where Team RWBY was at so I could hang out with them, then immediately got attacked by HER, I looked at her, Cinder says, "You came here at the wrong time!" "I didn't do anything," I said to her. Cinder snaps, "Lies! You have done something that you keep hidden away from us and I want to know on what you are planning!" "I'm not hiding anything," I said, trying not to cause a scene or start a fight. Valentina asked, "Do you want us to alert Roman and Neo?" "Nah, leave them be," I said to her. I activated my semblance mentally just in case, then secretly casted Iron Fist, then Miss Glynda said to the 2 of us, "Have a seat or prepare for a battle down here." "That sounds like an excellent idea," said Cinder, "I hope you have a will to give away." I rolled my eyes, I walked out because I am already prepared, Roman told me that I don't need to have an Aura because I am always on guard, I hear Cardin, "What is she going to do? She has no weapons." "This is going end quick," said Weiss. Out came Cinder, my eyecolor changed to Blood Red, so I can figure out my next move to catch her off guard. Cinder asked, "Are you ready to be defeated?" I held up one figure, then made water come out of nowhere and made Levy's Trident, and a rock formation turned into a Battle Hammer, I attached the hammer to my back. With happened in front of everyone, I heard murmurs everywhere, Cinder almost attacked me when I cast Tidal Wave on her and swung her around in huge circles, then flung her against the walls where we walked out of. I rubbed the Trident into water again and made it go away, I detected Fire within Cinder, "Come on throw Fire at me! I'm unarmed." "Oh, I'll throw fire alright!" snarled Cinder. Then out came Fire, I took control of the flames, which threw her and everybody off when I did that move, it was enough for me to make the Fire Scythe. It felt SOOO good holding this Scythe. Then I did a Fire Blast, Fire Burst, then my old shield barrier made of Fire, Cinder can't see it same with everyone else, only I can see it. I made multiple Fire Blasts and Fire Burst. Glynda shouted, "Match Over!!" Which was good because I was going berserk on Cinder's ass, then I walked away to when she attacked the Shield caused major burns up her entire arm. I casted Iron Fist and just falcon punched her to only make her get away from me, I tell her, "I'm not worth your time, Cinder, get over it!" I went to the private area where I happened to meet Ruby's uncle, Qrow, I sighed, "What do you want, old man?" "Who are you really?" he asked. I chuckled, "It's classified information even you can't break me." "Oh so we are going down that road," he flirted. I messaged Yang to ask permission to punch her uncle because he is flirting with me and my only option is to make him see that I am very loyal to someone else. Yang replied with, "Yeah, go ahead." "Thank you," I messaged back. Qrow was waiting for me to make a move, but I wasn't going to, near where my pupils were, they were the red eyes peering through to only detect any threats in the library. My Iron Arm and Iron Fist were casted again, the area I was looking at was getting orange to red. What my eyes are, it's like those Thermal cameras where everything is blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and white; I got out the Trident, Qrow sees this, "What is it, hot stuff?" I didn't respond when I saw a Scorpion tail, I switched out the trident for the Fire Scythe which almost burned Qrow and almost gave away our position. I also got the bow and arrows out, then I heard gun shots and screeching sounds, then a slice sound and silence, I heard Torchwick say, "You don't have to worry about that Scorpion creature, milady!" I growled, I jumped down, yelled at him, "I HAD IT, YOU IMBELICES!!" I never seen him become so terrified before, same with Neo, then I sighed, "Great, now I have to deal with the old fart's flirting all over again." "Hey!" I heard Qrow shout. I looked at him, "Deal with it!" I was so pissed off that I had my chance taken away, I menacely said to both Roman and Neo, "Do not ever make me regret you giving these powers!!!" Then walked away, not looking back.

#Elemental Defenders #Spirit Saga

[littleroma]

Exasperation is thy name - Chapter Five

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five

Cassian grumbled to himself as he sat in the small engineering room on the spaceship.  His mind kept whirling with some of the things that Jyn had said to him, and then later that Dacia had said to him.  Lightly touching the hollow at his throat, he wondered to himself what K-2SO would have said to him.  He appreciated that Dacia had made an AI of his former robot, but he didn’t hear (or see) the voice as being the same as his former robotic helper.  He knew that he and K-2SO had a bit of a strange relationship, but the android helped reign him when he needed it.  So many times when he had made impulse decisions that wouldn’t work and would only serve to get him into trouble K has pulled him back from the brink

 Stopping himself from running a hand through his hair, as he scowled down at the hand slick with engine grease, he closed his eyes. Running through some of the numbers in his head, as his mind wrestled with some of what he was supposed to be doing, he heard a small beeping noise. Frowning when he realised that he had received a message, at least on the internal messaging system, he had already connected with the trio’s tablets.  Looking down at the small bit of metal he was working with, he frowned and muttered to himself about simply wasting time.  He realised that not everybody was fortunate enough to get the time to work on simple projects that did nothing more than appeal to their interest.  Once he had set the small bit of metal aside, Cassian lifted up the tablet and flicked it on, not even bothering to wait long; he read with a frown that they had received an email response to the email that Dacia had earlier ensured that she had sent.

 Frowning as his eyes scanned the information in front of him.  Or at least space where there should be more information.  It seemed as if Dacia had gotten excited by whatever it was she had found because the small email was woefully lacking on any solid information.  Just that he would need to move his ass up to the central control nodule, as fast as he could.  Pulling himself upright, as he made his way from the room, he wondered if that was a common condition among the Jedi Masters of old, or maybe that was just a Dacia thing?  To suddenly jump from topic to topic wasn’t a complete surprise for the woman.  Swiftly exiting the room, making sure that he had the tablet still well in hand, he briefly paused to look around the corridors, he quickly set off at a hurried pace.  Making his way through the corridors, he began to wonder what exactly Dacia had found because she sounded unusually harried in the small memo/email that she had sent out.  It was unlike the Jedi of Old to move hurriedly, so whatever it was, had to important and unexpected.  Though Dacia had a habit sometimes of getting so over-excited that she forgot to pace herself and moved at a constantly exhausting stream of consciousness.  Usually, Cassian’s ability to parse through the woman’s words could come in handy, other days Cassian struggled with what the woman was saying to him.

 Slowing down before he made his way into the central nodule, the last thing he wanted was to make either Jyn or Dacia think that he was doing nothing more than wasting his time!  With that in mind, he entered the nodule at a leisurely pace. Making sure that he had a calm look on his face before he did so.

 “I haven’t looked at my email yet, but was there something that we need to be kept aware of?” Jyn asked looking worried.

 Cassian couldn’t hide his eye roll when he noted the woman had come in a hurry.  He wondered if his formerly criminal friend had never realised the benefits of hiding a hurry.  It would help her tremendously if she learned the benefits of keeping up appearances.  Even if Jyn had read through the email, she wouldn’t have found anything out.  It was more important to the man that he was able to project a superiority complex.  Kept the woman on her toes, even if would sometimes amuse Dacia.  It was likely that the small group would lapse into depression if they didn’t take the time to find something a little lighter to look at.  Taking a moment to shake his head, he flicked a glance over at Dacia, wondering where the woman was going to take the meeting.

“Ms Hill has responded to the email; she has sent over a warning of what we can we can expect from the people we are currently holding in our cells.  She has said that it would be difficult for us to expect anything from Designation: Scarlet Witch, she has chosen not to respond to anything that may be connected to Dr Stark.  But we were expecting that response.  I’ll reckon that when we interview her, we might not find anything she says to be particularly helpful.” Dacia answered the woman, holding her fingers up to her lips.

 “Was there anything about the other ‘Rogue Avengers’ in the cells?  We can’t work together if we haven’t been given all of the information, after all?” Cassian asked, his voice betraying his unease.

 “Yes, she managed to pull a few files from SHIELD, and her files, don’t ask me when she would have personal files, but I guess that some practices die harder than others.  She was able to tell us that Designation (Former): Captain America, that while he may look like the human pinnacle of perfection, he still has some weak spots.  The only thing is that he can’t see these weak spots, whether or not it’s through ignorance or sheer bloody arrogance that has blinded the man to his faults. There aren’t a lot of notes on it, mainly because when SHIELD was still operating the man thought that his precious Bucky was dead.  It was noted that it was something they could exploit it wasn’t frequently abused, it seems as if SHIELD may have had a small modicum of compassion left inside its rotting and flatulence ridden corpse.  After the fall of SHIELD, for obvious reasons, no one thought to follow up on this, probably because as Ms Hill points out the man was intentionally circling the wagons.” Dacia told the two, trailing off just in the middle of a thought.

 “He was likely to be attempting to find the man and avoiding alerting Dr Stark to what his money was being spent.  Do we have any indication of what it was? Something tells me that it could have been about whatever the men were fighting about in that Siberian Base.” Cassian offered his two cents.

 “I’ve been working on decrypting some of the video captured on the CCTV footage; the thing though is irritating me.  It doesn’t seem to be completely encrypted, which means that someone wanted the world to see what those men saw.  At least the first part, we know the men were fighting, but we still don’t know why that fight was fought.  Was it a ‘no holds barred’ or a fair fight?  Something tells me that Dr Stark could not have possibly gotten himself into the condition he is in, without it being a dirty fight.  Without Designation (Former): Captain America and Designation: Winter Soldier fighting to stop the man permanently.  You both saw the file that was sent over that gave us an overview, I can’t be sure what happened, but judging by some of the dents left on the armour, Designation (Former): Captain America was fighting for the kill.  It’s likely that he knew exactly what those Armours could take and went into a form of berserker rage, he had to protect his friend.  But I can’t be certain about any of this until we can talk to them.  This is where we on our own, he is in our cells but we don’t know if he has bothered to tell the others who were fighting with him, how he left it with Dr Stark.” Jyn explained, wanting to have some more say in how this next part would be likely to play out.

 “Okay, we can work with that.  Now the woman was able to give us the information that the other Avengers should be easily worked with.  Except you guessed it, Designation: Hawkeye might have some experience with interrogation.  It’s likely that he has, but we can’t say whether or not the man will remember that training. Designation: Falcon has a bit of a question mark above his head, simply because we cannot be sure what he may or may not know.  We can’t even be sure if he even knew about the possibility of Designation: Winter Soldier being behind the killing of Howard and Maria Stark.” Dacia explained with the air of a woman who knew she was talking about something big.

 “That would leave Designation: Ant-Man as being the weak link, then wouldn’t it?” Cassian double checked, wanting to be sure of what he was saying.

 “It seems that way, the guy has served time before, for uh White Collar Crime, so we don’t think that it is exceedingly likely that he knows how to withstand interrogation.  Remember, we don’t want to get our hands dirty with this, there are some levels I am happy to sink too, but torture is not one of them.  Designation: Scarlet Witch might be able to withstand standard interrogation efforts.  We do know for a fact that she was at point part of HYDRA, so at the very least we can expect her to have prepared for the likelihood of interrogation.  Furthermore, it’s likely that at one stage she participated in advanced torture techniques.” Dacia answered.

 “Wait, how advanced are we talking here?” Jyn piped up, once she thought through some things.

 “Ah huh, so advanced that even those hard-liners in the CIA would shudder to use those techniques.  We can work with this though because now that we have some indication of just what we can expect from them, we can anticipate their movements a bit easier.” Dacia hedged her bets.

 Cassian whistled, he had read the same memos, and government reports that Dacia had read, and some of the things he read about the CIA were enough to give even him shudders.  That was saying a lot because as a spy for the Resistance he was no ‘shy maiden with a fit of the vapours’, he could reflect that he was honestly surprised that his mind hadn’t cracked a long time ago.  He wouldn’t have been so good at his former job as a spy if he was constantly getting captured by the G.E every time he stepped over his front door. When he was unfortunate enough to be captured though, he couldn’t claim to not being accustomed to torture.

 “Okay, so now that we have got that bit sorted out, are there any questions that she wants us to ask?  We need to know before we start to interview them after all. And did she anything about the possibility of me being able to look at Dr Stark’s medical notes?” Jyn is unsure of whether or not the woman would let her (a complete stranger she reflected) have access to the man’s files.

 “It is not Ms Hill’s decision whether or not we can have access to the man’s files; she does not have Power of Attorney medically speaking over Dr Stark.  She did point out that while Ms Potts used to have this power, she is no longer first. Colonel Rhodes, for one thing, holds Dr Stark’s Power of Attorney, but understandably right now he hasn’t seen anything to indicate to him that they need to give someone they don’t necessarily trust or more rather know his medical notes.  Don’t forget that Dr Stark is well known for his distrust of Medical Professionals, and right now with everything up in the air, I wouldn’t feel comfortable enough to push it.  When we meet him, that may change, but for now, we have our orders, we should concentrate on working with them before we do anything else.” Dacia tried to explain, not wanting to ‘rock the boat too much’ and potentially irritate her friend.

 “Okay, that sounds fair enough, in the meantime though, I have been going through some of those files, and it seems as if General Ross kept the staffers within the State Department in the dark about what he was up to.  We can expect that, but what surprised me, was that he managed to get out his ‘competition’ for his role as State Sectary.  As far as I can work out, he got rid of the previous woman through a combination of extortion and blackmail; now I wasn’t able to get further access to State Department files.  I was able to glean though that woman still has core contingent of supporters planted within the Department.  This at least I was able to work out that the remaining members, or at least the suspected members are under some amount of surveillance,” Jyn started before pausing looking slightly conflicted with what she was saying.

 “Okay, have you been able to work out who the previous Secretary was, and how to contact her?” Dacia asked frowning as she thought through some of the potential ramifications.

 “Yes, it was an Elizabeth McCord, I have gone through some of her previous employment records, and she was employed for a while by the CIA and then by a University.  Before you ask, I haven’t been able to work out exactly what Ross has over the woman; it could be something we can link to her family or former employees.  Would you like me to see if I can reach out to her? We may be able to manipulate the situation if we can get a clearer picture of what is going on.” Jyn mumbled as she wrung her hands.

 “Not right now, if we keep an eye on the situation, we may be able to find something that we can use any and all information later.  But right now we need to focus on what is going on on our spaceship,” Dacia instructed, looking thoughtful. “for now we need to be sure that we have crossed our ‘t’s and dotted our ‘I’s to start worrying about whatever is happening down there.  We don’t want to get caught and have our presence questioned.  I don’t have to explain why right?”

 “No, you don’t, I will keep half an eye on that problem, because as you said we need to keep our wits about us right now.  Is there anything you want me to focus on?” Jyn answered looking a little irritated.

 “For now, we need to conduct these interviews, but before we start those, I need to be sure that there is nothing wrong with the spaceship.  Is there anything you would like to tell me Cassian?” Dacia asked the man, piercing him with all of her attention.

 Cassian fought a shudder when he realised that the women were both paying him attention.  He might not like it when the two were focused on him, but he was as always able to power through and speak.

 “We have been lucky so far and have been able to avoid damage.  Or at least, on a larger scale, but I am becoming concerned about some of what I have seen. I don’t foresee the repairs becoming urgent unless we decide to go into space.  On that level as soon as we can dock somewhere I can make sure that nothing is likely to kill us, if we should decide to go quickly, then I’d be hesitant.” Cassian answered in a measured tone of voice.

 “Alright, we can make that the first time we are invited to New York, we go and you can work on getting the spaceship sorted.  Does that sound okay?” Dacia asked, looking at the man.

 “Yeah, that should do, so far I haven’t seen enough to worry me, it’s more something to keep in mind before we perform our next stunt.  Do you think we will be able to go home at some point?” Cassian fired back thoughtfully.

 “Right now, I don’t want to focus on that, but I don’t see any reason to say we shouldn’t.  At least, not unless we get some indication that we should run and make ourselves scarce, we don’t want to wander into a situation we know nothing about, after all.  For now, though, we should make sure that we keep all of our attention focused on this Universe.  Is that okay?” Dacia checked, sighing as she spoke.

 Cassian thought briefly about what he was hearing and swallowed down the feeling of disappointment that was coursing through him.  He realised that he couldn’t get too disappointed with the woman, he guessed that the woman was working through so many different pieces of information, that it would be difficult to parse through everything. One thing that he would probably always find astonishing about Dacia’s method of leadership was that everything was run with a democracy air.  By which he meant that between the three of time, they each had some amount to say in how their teams were run, even though Dacia carried the deciding vote.

 It wasn’t incredibly difficult for him to feel like his voice was being listened too, even if it could be frustrating at times.  Cassian wondered if it was likely that the Resistance, back when he found fought within, could be improved by democratic rule.  He could see the benefits, but having sat through a few meetings of the upper echelons, all arguing why their concerns, from their home systems and worlds, were more important than anyone else’s.  It would sometimes seem as if nobody was willing to concede that anyone else could have any reason that they shouldn’t agree with the man.  It was enough to make the man want to lose his temper.

 Deciding that he had had enough of the politics, usually made him leave the large meeting room in a high temper.  One thing that he hated was when nobody could decide what to do, arguing among themselves when he could see a clear course of action.  As always it would seem like whenever a person came to power, they forgot that the smaller people mattered  There was more that one occasion when he had stormed out of a meeting room in the high dudgeon!

 “Okay, well we can look after all of that easily enough right?  For now, we need to work out who we can still trust that we have left behind.  In this Universe, because while I know that I should have raised this earlier, but I am not about to get myself into trouble for a bunch of people we don’t even know.” Cassian brought up suddenly.

 Dacia looked at the man and wondered why she hadn’t already thought of this course of action.  Deciding to play devil’s advocate she spoke up.

 “I see you’re the point, but I think we know that we can trust those we have left behind in New York, right?” Dacia tried to lead the man to a conclusion.

 “Yes, I know that we can trust those people, but do we know if we can trust anyone else?” Cassian tried to protest.

 “If you want, I can reach out to Former Secretary McCord, see if I can get her take on things. Otherwise, I’m not sure who we can reach out too.” Jyn offered thoughtfully.

 “Right now, we don’t know who we can trust, but I have been watching some of the staffers at MI5, the British Security Service, I have a feeling that those people have access to a cache of documents that could blow everything about this whole situation out of the water.” Dacia ventured.

 “What, why didn’t you tell us that you had possibly been in contact with anyone else that we had left behind?  Did you not think that we should be as honest with each other?  Why should we be honest with you, if we can’t expect that same treatment from you?” Cassian huffed impatiently.

 “Cassian at the moment, I haven’t been able to talk to anyone, just snoop on a few of their programs and in the vernacular sense, listen to them talk to one another.  Any information that I have managed to lift has been exceptionally garbled; I haven’t been able to work out exactly what has bee said.  Imagine it as a game of Chinese Whispers or Telephone, if you will, anything that I have been able to glean is extremely confusing, and I haven’t felt able to trust the veracity of the information enough to bother sharing with you guys.” Dacia apologised.

 “Okay, well that makes sense, but Dacia, I think I speak for both of us when I request that you tell us.” Jyn tried to mediate.

 Dacia nodded slowly, knowing that it was unfair of her to hold back on some parts off Intel, simply because she couldn’t be sure if they were accurate.  Shooting a heavy look at Cassian, she reminded herself of the man’s previous job; he would no doubt be able to find a small amount of information before he felt the need to confirm.  She felt herself wondering if she should pull in the other two more often.

 “Okay, we can work with some of this.  But can we please start focusing more on the interviews.  Were there any questions mentioned that she wanted us to ask?” Cassian asked, wanting to be sure that he fell on the right side of this.

 “Yes, there were a few questions mentioned, some that we should keep in mind, as we go into interviewing them.” Dacia remarked before she looked down, wanting to consult a small notebook that Cassian hadn’t seen, “They want us to ask the standard questions, like why they got themselves involved in this mess.  Just the whole mess at the airport, we don’t need to get into why they got themselves involved in being superheroes.”

 “Okay, but is that all that they want to know. We could use this opportunity to get to the bottom of why they thought that it would be a good idea for them to rebel.” Jyn lightly asked, raising her eyebrows as she spoke.

 “I think we caught Ms Hill off guard; they may not have anticipated us being able to apprehend the former Avengers that quickly. She wants to know what Rogers told them to make them think that stepping away from Dr Stark was a good idea. Surely they must have realised that Dr Stark was able to keep them from legal trouble?  She wants to know if any thought process went into this.  She has privately stated that she doesn’t think there was much.  At least not once they had heard that Designation: Scarlet Witch had been locked up by the mean old Dr Stark.” Dacia flicked her eyes over the notebook, ending in a mocking tone.

 “Never underestimate the power of a young woman over a man Cassian.  Do we know if anything was going on between those men and the woman?” Jyn laughed.

 “There doesn’t seem to be any indication, it seems like it may be a bit of a paternal type relationship, so it’s not likely to be romantic.  That doesn’t mean that we can take it easy on them, or her, because it’s likely that she got further onto the Avengers radar, because she wanted revenge.  She was likely deliberately acting in such a fashion to ensure that she didn’t feel any of the ramifications overthrowing her lot in with HYDRA or even ULTRON.” Dacia summarised for the pair.

 “l can see her attempting this because we can see the woman attempting to make that kind of play.  She didn’t see any positive in Dr Stark’s actions, so if she could separate the man from the Avengers, then it would be better.  I know that it would be something that I would try.” Cassian thoughtfully remarked.

 “Okay, well, we can ask her what her motives were when she went into this situation.  We might be able to find out some of the woman’s background; it doesn’t seem like it would be a good decision on our part to completely trust the records the woman had when she worked with HYDRA.  Anything that they have could have, could have been forged, she could have manipulated their view of her and her brother.  After that, from what I can tell it seems like the remaining Avengers circled the wagons and protected her from further scrutiny.  This was no doubt aided by a Dr Stark who still felt guilty over his part in ULTRON.” Dacia tried to offer.  She wanted to remember all of the things that she was now promising and not forget anything later.

 “But weren’t there inquests, that Dr Stark, voluntarily submitted to, that cleared him of the role as sole creator of ULTRON? So shouldn’t they have noticed that the man was later absolved?  I can’t understand why they thought that it was okay to keep on blaming on the man?” Jyn frowned, lifting her tablet to try and search through for some things.

 “There was something, but as per usual, the Avengers wouldn’t have missed it if they had been paying attention.  It seems as if Designation (Former): Captain America wasn’t thinking of the team, the only thing on his mind was getting to his good pal Bucky.  I can’t see much that would speak to his brand of leadership while he was leading the Avengers.” Cassian answered already having pulled up the information and scanning it.

 “There was The Howling Commandos during the Second World War, which could have been used to hint at his leadership.  That certainly worked like a well-oiled machine, but he wouldn’t have been the leader of that group in normal circumstances. For one thing, he wasn’t the highest ranked military personnel there.  Sergeant Barnes at least was higher ranked than him.  That disregards the notion that the man had only spent about a week in a boot camp, his rank as Captain, only came about through propaganda moves.  Ms Hill told me that she got into touch with some in the US Army, and they couldn’t find any indication that the man ever advanced past the rank of Private Rogers.” Dacia tried to defend the man.

 She tried to hide a shudder as she momentarily thought that she was defending one of the people that were locked up beneath them in the prison cells.  

 “Do you think that we can do anything regarding what we find out about what answers they provide during the interviews?” Jyn asked, leaning her head to the side.

 It seems like it, but we don’t want to give them ammunition that they can use against us if this ever makes it to a court setting. We also don’t want to take on a role of becoming judge, jury and executioner, simply because Stark Industries doesn’t need that kind of a headache, especially this close to the end.  At the same time, we don’t want to work ourselves into a position where we can’t see the wood for the trees.” Dacia answered having thought of some of the likely problems that they would begin to face.

 “Look Jyn are you okay?  Would you like to fight one of us to get some of the physical pressure you can feel beginning to build up?” Cassian asked concerned.

 He was looking over at the woman, watching her shift her weight from foot to foot, filled with the kind of nervous energy that looked like it could force her to make the kind of silly mistakes, that only served to irritate Cassian.  Of course, the energy could irritate the three of them, so Cassian wasn't obnoxious right at this moment in time.

 “Yeah, okay, I don’t want to make some glaring mistake that can be used against us later,” Jyn answered, wincing as she wrung her hands together.

 “I’ll do it; you keep working here Cassian, we don’t need to even think about messing up here.

 WHOOSH

 James, awoke in the prison cell, he still wasn’t sure exactly where he was, but for now, he was comfortable.  He was aware of the fact that ever since Stevie had found him, he just seemed to be bouncing from crisis to crisis, with no time in between to breathe. He had thought that once he had broken free from HYDRA, at least physically, he wasn’t sure if he would ever feel completely free from them, he would have the ability to stop lurching from bad decision to the next.

 For a time he had been able to make his own choices, at least as much as the Winter Soldier could be tricked into giving up the reigns over his body for a while.  He had been able to work out exactly what he had done under the command of HYDRA ‘to shape the world’.  He hadn’t thought that it was possible for him to feel so disgusted with himself, but he stood corrected.

 He wondered if he would always feel some form of guilt, which left him with the horrible pain, of wondering exactly what he had been party to.  He could argue with himself that he had no choice to do whatever his masters wanted him to do.  That didn’t stop him from feeling the guilty and wondering if he would ever be able to forgive himself.

 He might not remember a lot about his old friend, but he knew (and had already heard) Stevie’s bleating that it wasn’t his fault, that he was brainwashed.  James had to wonder if Stevie had ever had any experience with either guilt or brainwashing.  If he had James would guess that the man wouldn’t say (or do) the things he came out with, on a near constant basis.

 He had to wonder if Stevie had been messed up from when he was young, he dealt with fleeting memories of Stevie not being disciplined, simply because he was so small, so sickly, even if he was constantly misbehaving.  James could remember that if he hadn’t been able to step in and pull Stevie back from fights in the neighbourhood, he would be long dead.

 James’ hands twitched a little as he thought that he missed some of his notebooks, he missed being able to record his thoughts so he could begin to shore up some of his memory.  He wanted to be able to focus on the past, and trying to track down where and what he had done.

 James felt like he couldn’t do that with Stevie.

#Exasperation is thy name #Darcy Lewis #Jyn Erso #Cassian Andor #Post-Civil War fan fic

[lemoncakepanda]

My top 25 NaLu moments! (Part 2)

Okay, let’s continue this! Here’s part two for my favorite NaLu moments. Part 1 can be found here, if you’re interested in seeing the numbers 25 through 16. Now let’s move on to 15 through 6 (yes, I decided to extend it, it’d just get too big). Thanks a lot to everyone who read this, I love y’all. Also, once again, there are spoilers here for the current arc. If you haven’t caught up to it yet, it’s best if you don’t read this. Also, sorry for any grammar mistakes.

Part 3 is here.

15. “To protect our future” (ch. 317).

There are two Lucys here in this moment, and they’re both with a loving look in their eyes and a soft blush because of Natsu. If that doesn’t say something about NaLu, then... Anyways, this is a fan-favorite moment, even some of those who don’t ship it thought this moment was really sweet. Because it’s one of the sweetest, most pure moments in the entire series. As you can probably tell from the previous list, I love Natsu comforting Lucy; I love this moment here even more because it’s the first time (as far as I remember) that we see him comforting her physically and intimately. Natsu was so, so, so sweet to not have a single doubt about what F!Lucy said, simply for the fact that she was Lucy. And when he realized she was in a hard moment, he bent down and pressed his forehead tenderly against hers, reassuring her that they’d be able to stop that future from happening. Many people say this moment was sweet, but isn’t special because Natsu and Erza also had a moment like this (which was very sweet as well), but I don’t care, because Natsu’s the one who initiates the contact here. He’s even craddling her head to bring her close to him, which I thought was adorable. And this must’ve brought so much relief/pain to Future Lucy’s heart, because she lost her Natsu, and then there he was, her source of comfort, giving her hope. Bonus special here, our present Lucy watching the scene and blushing because she’s overwhelmed by how sweet Natsu is to her.

14. “You sure know how to make a girl worry” (ch. 507).

I know many people were disappointed when this chapter came out, because many expected Lucy and Juvia to be the ones to stop Natsu and Gray instead of Erza, but I was one of the few that actually liked how Mashima handled things that chapter. Erza’s a sisterly figure to Natsu and Gray, and it was nice to see her stop them, to then Lucy and Juvia show up and give support to her boys (I thought it was a nice change from friendship to romance, Erza and then the girls). And man, was it amazing to see Natsu falling to the ground and then Lucy catching him, with her arms around him and (most likely) crying out of relief. And then he breathes in “Lucy...”, he must’ve been so relieved as well. He thought she had died, and then there she was, right behind him, holding onto him, safe and breathing and alive. That was a beautiful scene, with the classic back-hug NaLu moment, and it’s also really nice that even after he passes out, Lucy’s still holding him and even carries him back to where Porlyusica is.

13. “Beautiful” (omake 182.5).

C’mon. I mean, COME ON! Natsu gave Lucy a freaking tree as a present, just because she was sick and couldn’t see it for herself (kudos to Happy too because he probably helped Natsu by cheering him on). I mean, that’s just too much love, man. I don’t know if NaLu will be canon confirmed, but I’ll say this: it’s my headcanon that this was the moment Lucy realized she was in love with Natsu. I mean, that’s the kind of thing boyfriends do for their girls, and you can see just how amazed she is, especially when she finds out what her boys did for her (tho she probably already knew). And Natsu, my boy, being a tsundere and being afraid to get caught... so cute... but really, this was a beautiful gesture. The anime adds a special touch to this, where they show Natsu feeling really bummed at the festival because Lucy couldn’t be there with them. It’s a beautiful episode, and this is a beautiful omake, and it’s really romantic, in my opinion.

12. Lucy gives Natsu body warmth (ch. 514).

Call it fanservice, call it Hiro Mashima being a pervert, I don’t care; to me, it’s Lucy and Happy doing everything they can to save Natsu, and in Lucy’s case, putting aside her shame of being naked to help the man she cares so much about. And the way it’s drawn, it’s just so beautiful, and soft, and pure tho after the 3rd time looking at this it looks like they just finished doing the deed, and it’s a panel that’s just there, it’s not a huge part of the chapter, but it’s there, and it had most of NaLu fans on tumblr freaking out because that’s how amazing this panel is. But really, the meaning behind of this is what makes this moment so special to me, and why it’s placed on this position in the list. Lucy constantly slaps/kicks Natsu because he gropes her, or because he breaks into her house, or because he’s acting stupid, but in the end, it’s Natsu. She’d do anything for him, even if it embarrasses her. That’s how much she loves him, no matter if you see it platonically or romantically.

11. “I said stop it!” (ch. 17).

Here you have one of the oldest NaLu moments ever, which is also their first back-hug. It’s not really a special moment if you look at the meaning, or at the panel itself. But guess what, it’s what got me shipping them. Seriously, I didn’t ship it from the start. I watched them interact, and thought they were funny together, but that was it. And then this moment in special came, and I was like “oh” for a few seconds, and then Natsu looks back at Lucy with a weird look on his face, and she’s kind of blushing asking “what”. And I was like, “Ooooh, there’s something here, isn’t there. This is totally gonna be a thing; I’m so going to ship this”. I wasn’t a part of the FT fandom back then, so I didn’t know if NaLu was a popular ship or if it was just me who thought they worked nicely, so I was pleasantly surprised when I realized there were over 40k people who shipped these two, like I did. This scene is what actually started this ship for me, so that’s why it’s here.

10. “This I promise you” (ch. 425).

From here on, in this list, things stop being carefree and funny, and we go down to a path of pure angst, because apparently I’m a masochist. On this moment here, we have one of the best NaLu panels ever, because holy shit, this is a heavenly art right there; I love it so much, I use it in almost every manga edit I make. As we all know, Natsu and Lucy’s relationship was a bit weird after the 1 year timeskip, with Lucy trying really hard to be okay, but part of her was still wounded because Natsu left without her; just as Natsu was trying really hard to make up for what happened, and to repair their relationship. Not too long before this moment, Lucy said something about people who get left behind felt really abandoned, and Natsu simply looked at her, knowing she wasn’t okay. In the following chapter, we had them going to look for Gray together, and suddenly Natsu turns to Lucy, pulls her really close, looks her in the eye and promises he’ll bring Gray back; which in my opinion, was his way to say he’d fix everything, he just needed her to trust him that he could do it. And Lucy’s a celestial wizard, so she values promises a lot, and that’s why Natsu has her so close to him. It’s a really bittersweet moment, but beautiful nonetheless, because let’s face, we all love seeing those two with their faces super-close, it just makes you wanna push those two together. But really, I thought Mashima captured really well in this moment how they were both struggling with everything that had happened and was happening.

9. Natsu’s reaction to Future Lucy’s death (ch. 324/325).

I told you it was about to get angsty. Heartbreaking as Future Lucy’s death was, what actually broke my heart was everyone’s reactions to it, especially Happy’s (*sobs eternally*) and Natsu’s. I mean, Natsu literally watched his best friend, his partner, a woman who’d already suffered so much and was trying to save everybody, die. And worse, she died protecting the Lucy from the present, the one Natsu couldn’t protect; this fact here is just heartbreaking. And the guild-mark scene... man, that was just a low blow. He acted so “yeah I don’t care” when she showed him her guild mark, and then we see this moment, and he’s remembering it, and we realize he actually was paying attention to her. And when Future Rogue attempts to kill Lucy again, Natsu just snaps. Ain’t no way he’s gonna let that happen, not after this, not EVER again. He swears there that he won’t let anyone steal Lucy’s future. That he’ll protect it and he’ll protect her. And the line “you took away something precious to me right before my eyes” just adds more pain to the heart, because this is Natsu saying loud and clear, while in tears, that Lucy is someone precious to him. Because like Happy said, no matter where she is from, Lucy is Lucy, his friend and he loves her. I’m sure it’s the same thing for Natsu.

8. Natsu thinks Lucy’s dead (ch. 504).

Look... *breathes in* I don’t care if he’s never said it out loud... Natsu loves Lucy, okay. She is SO special to him, and we all know that the future he was talking about in the previous chapters, he wanted her to be in it, whether as just a friend or as something else. And at this moment right here, right before he snaps and kind of becomes E.N.D., he believes that that future got taken away from him. He went berserk with Future Lucy’s death, imagine how he felt when it was his actual Lucy who “died”. That drove him so mad, so heartbroken, to the point where he lost it, and started the E.N.D. transformation. And the second panel of this is just f*cking rude, look at him craddling her body, pressing her forehead to his, trying to get her to wake up, with tears running from his eyes. If you pay enough attention, you’ll see that he’s shaking. These two really deserve a happy ending after all this, you know...

7. “I’m going to protect Natsu no matter what the cost” (ch. 501).

I know many people have complained about this last arc; indeed, it’s not a perfect arc, it has flaws, but we have to admit something: it’s been a really kind arc to the NaLu ship so far. As someone who loves seeing girls promising to protect the boys they love, I almost had a heart attack reading this chapter. My girl Lucy was such a badass fighting Brandish, even though she knew Brandish was stronger than her, she still tried and threw her everything, because she was willing to do anything to protect Natsu. She didn’t even want to fight Brandish, but this is how far Lucy’s come; this is how far the NaLu ship has come. Lucy doesn’t care how, but she has to win this, because if she does win, Brandish said she’d heal Natsu. Lucy doesn’t care what happens to her, as long as Natsu’s safe *cowers in a corner in fetal position and cries*.

6. "Let’s continue our adventure” (ch. 337).

*puts sad OST to play while writing this* Fairy Tail, the eternal adventure of Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia and Happy... like I mentioned before, Future Lucy’s death was heartbreaking. Despite this, what brought me just as much tears, was her reunion with the family she grew to love and lost. And who’s there to take her hand and take her to their eternal adventure, of course it’s Natsu, the one who introduced her to everything, the man who changed her life and gave her a home and family. Keep in mind, this was Future Lucy finding peace. This was her heaven. All she wanted was to see everyone again, and she did, and just like in the beginning, Natsu’s the one to pull her along and bring her to an adventure. After so many sadness and hurt, Lucy could finally be with the ones she loved again. And while this is more of a Lucy moment, it’s still heavily NaLu, because like I said, this is her heaven, and Natsu’s the one who brings her to it.

#nalu #natsu x lucy #fairy tail #topnalu #my post