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slkw · 3 years

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Completely and Utterly (Peter Pevensie x Reader)

Part 2 Part 3

summary : (Y/n) showed up in Narnia not unlike the Pevensie siblings did during the Golden Age and has been living in Cair Paravel since. Peter and (y/n) have been in love with each other for a while, but are both stupidly oblivious to the feelings. However, will a ball and a shared dance make them acknowledge what is truly there?

y/n - your name

n/n - nickname

This is my first piece of writing that I have ever posted or really shared with anyone so I hope you enjoy this and if some people do I might make a part 2?? :)

I slowly walked down the grand staircase, the train of my crimson ball gown following closely behind me. As I glanced up I could see Peter at the bottom of the staircase waiting for me with his hand out for me to take. I could not help but smile at the gesture.

This was my first ball in Narnia. I was terrified but the mere sight of the oldest Pevensie sibling make my heart slow down a few paces. Once I reached the bottom of the staircase my left hand reached out to hold Peter’s and my right one hoisted up my dress.

‘You look beautiful,’ Peter said. I blushed and bowed my head.

‘As do you.’

Peter was wearing a loose white shirt, that clung tightly to his wrists with dark black trousers. He looked like a god. His hair fell over his face perfectly and his dimples were very evident as he wore a large smile.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I linked arms with Peter, and he began walking me into the bustling ballroom. The room was packed with people dancing and laughing. The music from the orchestra bounced off every wall, reaching the tops of the high ceiling.

Peter placed his hands delicately on my waist as we begun to dance. However, the music quickly changed, and he grinned at me as the pace of our danced increased. My heart raced as adrenaline coursed through my body. Everything around us vanished and it felt as though it was only him and I alone in this huge ballroom.

Unknown to us – everyone had stopped dancing, and all eyes were on us. There was now a large clearing in the middle of the hall, and we danced quickly around the room, passing the other three Pevensie siblings on the way, all of which sported large smirks.

I was completely and utterly entranced. His blue eyes shone, eye contacting never faulting. As the song came to a stop, so did we. We then stood in the middle of the ballroom, completely breathless and utterly in love (however, this was not known to either of us).

The hall broke into an applause, snapping us from our trance. We both blushed bright scarlet with embarrassment. Peter bowed; I curtsied. The orchestra began playing another song as the applause died out. This song bared a steadier and slower rhythm.

‘That was amazing,’ a voice from our left said.

We both turned our heads to see Edmund standing there – grinning. ‘If you would not mind Peter, may I steal (y/n) for this dance?’

‘Of course,’ Peter replied, slightly hesitant but nevertheless, he gave Edmund my hand.

Edmund and I began to dance. He leant forward and whispered in my ear, ‘You like him, don’t you?’

I stumbled over my words, attempting to deny it. However, my attempts were not convincing, and I eventually confessed.

‘I knew it, I think everyone does. Well, except Peter. He’s too in love with you to notice.’

Edmund gently spun me as I replied, ‘What – Peter cannot possibly be in love with me. He would have said something. Right?’

‘Dear (y/n), you are just as oblivious as him. Yes of course he is in love with you. Have you not seen the way he looks at you?’ Edmund teased.

‘Like what? He looks at everyone the same.’

‘Not you, he looks at you as though you might vanish into thin air if he looks away.’

I was at a loss for words. He actually likes me. The High King of Narnia likes me. My face was completely flushed red, almost matching my dress. Edmund could not help but smile at the blush painted across my face. We continued to dance gracefully, as the conversation topic switched from Peter to castle gossip and the likes.

However, all while Edmund and I were immersed in our dancing and conversation, Peter was watching us both like a hawk. Although he would probably hate to admit, he was in fact jealous. From his point of view Edmund had his hand on my waist while I blushed and laughed along with him. Peter was completely oblivious to the fact that the blush along my cheeks was caused by himself. The thought of him being in love me with continuously ran through my head, along with the dance we had just shared.

Once again the song came to an end and this time it was replaced with an upbeat song. Edmund walked me over to Peter and Lucy who stood drinking out of golden rimmed goblets.

‘Where’s Susan?’ I questioned.

Peter nonchalantly nodded his head over towards Susan who was dancing with the Prince of the Lone Islands. I smiled and giggled at the sight of the lovestruck Susan. I turned back towards Peter and Lucy, Edmund’s arm still interlocked with mine. Peter looked unusually upset and I shot him a look of worry, to which he just brushed off. I ignored this action and slowly released my arm from Edmund’s and curtsied low in front of Lucy to meet her height and said, ‘Queen Lucy the Valiant, would you give me the honour of having this dance?’

She giggled and curtsied back, ‘Why yes of course.’

She took my arm and walked into the middle of the ballroom once again. I took her small hands in mine and began to spin her around.

Edmund walked over to Peter all while watching Lucy and I mess around in our ball gowns. ‘What’s the matter Pete?’ Edmund queried.

‘It’s nothing,’ replied Peter, attempting to keep up his High King façade and not let his feelings through.

‘Would it be anything to do with (y/n)?’ Edmund shot back.

Peter just glanced away and made up an excuse of having to attend to the guests to avoid any further questions on him and (y/n). Edmund was left smirking at where Peter stood moments previous.

As the night came to an end, all the guests left Cair Paravel, and I retired back to my room. I untied to back of my dress and let it fall to the ground, pooling by my feet. Stepping out of the dress, I slipped on my nightgown. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore was distant but comforting. The events of the evening played on repeat in my head, however, I was still unsure of why Peter was so dismissive of me after the ball.

Exhaustion began to take over me, but due to not wanting to sleep just yet I opened the glass door onto the balcony and let the cool air fall over me. I walked out onto the balcony and took in the sight of Narnia sleeping. The stars laughed amongst each other as they shone down onto the castle and the trees rustled silently with one another. A dark silhouette came into view from the corner of my eye. I turned my head to see Peter also standing silently on his balcony a few along from mine. His white shirt billowed in the wind as his hands gripped the edge of the stone balcony. He looked so beautiful in the moonlight, I could not help but stare. I quietly coughed to grab his attention and when his eyes met mine, he was unable to conceal the small smile on the face. I motioned for him to wait there and dashed back into my room. The dressing gown that laid on my bed was quickly wrapped around my body and I was running down the hallway, not actually processing what I was doing.

Pushing his door open, I could see him still standing on his balcony waiting for me – just as I had asked. At the sound of the door being opened, he turned around. I stepped out onto the cold stone, a nervous smile beginning to form on my face.

‘Hi’, I said, my voice wavering slightly.

‘Hi’, he repeated.

We then both stood there in silence, taking in the view of Narnia, just as we both were doing separately moments before. ‘Is everything alright?’ I questioned breaking the silence.

‘Yeah, I am just a little tired – that’s all.’

‘Peter. You don’t need to lie to me.’

Nothing was said back, and we continued to stand in the quiet. I rested my hands against the balcony and leaned over the side, looking down on the courtyard below. From the corner of my eye, I could see him staring at me, with a look on his face I could not describe. Nonetheless, it made me blush.

‘I enjoyed tonight,’ he spoke.

‘As did I,’ I replied.

Without warning, he placed his hand over mine. My heart skipped a few beats as I turned to face him.

‘Do you like Edmund?’ Peter blurted out, finally admitting what had been on his mind most of the night.

‘No, what would make you think that?’ I queried.

‘I don’t know, it’s just the way you look at him,’ he said.

‘Edmund is like a brother to me, nothing more. He is fun to have around and we share the same interests. He has really made me feel welcome in Narnia.’

‘Have I?’ said Peter, changing the subject.

‘More than anyone actually.’

After this was said, a deep blush made its way onto Peter’s face; I giggled at the sight and took his hand into mine. My eyes could not help but flicker down to his lips. ‘You look tired (n/n), you should sleep,’ Peter said.

The use of this new nickname made my heart jump in my chest. I bowed my head, attempting to hide my crimson face. At the sight of this, Peter lifted my chin upwards with his hand, causing us to make eye contact.

‘I should probably go back to my room then,’ I said, the tension between us making my legs feel as though they would give way any second.

I took my hand from his and made my way to the oak door that separated his room from the hallway.

‘Wait,’ he said just as I was about to turn the doorknob, ‘you could stay in my room for the night.’

‘Only if you want to,’ he added.

I did not know what to do or say or think. Did Peter Pevensie really ask me to stay in his room for the night?

‘I – I, I would love to’, I stammered out.

He motioned toward the bed and I got in, pulling the covers up to my chest. I laid my head against the silk pillows and closed my eyes. At the sound of buttons popping, I opened them again to see Peter taking off his shirt. I could not help but stare. His back muscles were quickly exposed as they flexed with movement. His eyes met mine as he nervously said, ‘Is this okay?’

‘More than okay.’

As my eyes fell closed in exhaustion, I felt him get in beside me and his arms pull me into his chest. I could hear Peter whisper something into my hair, but I drifted into unconsciousness before I could reply. I am still not sure, but it sounded very much like the words, ‘I love you.’

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potterandpromises · 2 years

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The Many Vortexes of Autumn

Surprise @theadorelocksly! I’m your @garcysecretsanta.

This fic is actually a version of a story I’ve had in my head for years. After attempting two separate one shots, it finally came together for you. ( :

Because of it’s origins, it has a lot of backstory, which I’ve tried my best to interweave throughout the story. It’s also longer then I meant for it to be, so this is chapter one of (approximately) five.

I recommend reading the AO3 summery and tags before continuing.

“Did you know a group of crows is called a murder?”

“I did not.”

The train doors open. Lucy and Iris step onto the open air platform which leads to the local park, the one with nice trees, plenty of space, and purportedly a large bird population.

“Some people don’t like it though,” Iris continues. “They say it gives them a bad reputation, that they’re really a family oriented species and they don’t deserve it, but I think it’s cool.” Iris grins and Lucy smiles too, more to herself then to Iris. Family, murder; the baby bird didn’t fall far from the nest. She even has her father’s smile, and her mother’s expressiveness.

They reach the sidewalk and Iris quickens her pace, half a bag of almonds clutched in her fist. “Just stay where I can see you!”

“I will!”

Iris slows in front of a cluster of trees. Lucy finds a bench, close enough to watch, far enough to not disrupt her, and sits down.

Over the three months Lucy has known her, Iris has adopted interests in wolves, emus, pufferfish, and axolotls. This week it’s crows, and at some point between dinner and breakfast, she came up with the idea of befriending a murder.

With her parents back at work full time, Lucy watches her after she gets home from school. Though, she mostly watches herself. So far that hasn’t meant anymore attempted visits to friends in different towns. Crucially, she hadn’t gotten the idea that independence will get her killed either, like Lucy feared.

She reminds her to do her homework or escorts her to the park. She doesn’t mind it, although the background noise that is a bullet aching her leg has gotten a little louder since they left the house. It is what is.

How did her life get like this? She’s something worse then a ghost and she’s watching Garcia Flynn’s kid try to tame crows.

It’s October and she wants burgundy leaves pooled at her feet. She wants the rasp under her shoes from the year she spent in Chicago or from that day in Salam when she wasn’t hanged. No dice, autumn color won’t show itself in the Bay Area for at least another month.

Sometimes it does help to remind herself how she got here.

She takes her blank notebook out of her borrowed bag, one of two Flynn gave her when she first moved in, opens it, closes it. Something so perfect doesn’t deserve to be ruined with her ramblings, not today. She looks at Iris standing patient. She looks past her into the gray horizon.

To summarize is to put it in it’s place, to make it history, which is something she can understand. Again she tries to explain herself to herself.

October, two years ago, almost to the day, a homeland security agent rang her doorbell. She was recruited— no, recruitment implies she wasn’t whisked off in a car with tinted windows that same night. She wasn’t forced; she wasn’t drafted. Really, she could have said no, couldn’t she? What would’ve happened if she’d planted her feet, stood her ground, sensed she was on the brink?

So a terrorist had stolen a time machine. What an evening! And she was meant to act as the guide, to decipher him, to save history by helping Wyatt kill him (kill the man whose spare room she now sleeps in, what a thought).

Except he was right. Rittenhouse was America and America was Rittenhouse. They found their ways to the same side, the right side eventually, and— and Rufus was murdered, then he was alive. Her mother was dead, then she wasn’t. Things were looking up. One day in 1726 a 20 year old David Rittenhouse caught a stray bullet and when they got back that day in late June, their farm house was gone.

(She stared until Flynn touched her arm. Slack-jawed, eyes wide, skin blotchy, she didn’t recognize him. But she remembers feeling nothing; in retrospect a hint to his character, perhaps. At the time she thought something was wrong with herself, that’s what monsters do, they don’t care. The pressure of Flynn’s fingers curled on her bicep.)

They didn’t panic at first. They didn’t panic at all, because it was a good thing, because while it was weird their safehouse was gone all they had to do was call Wyatt or Denise or Mason and get the new address. They kept a phone in the Lifeboat in case of something this odd. Or if they had panicked, it was after that burning shot through Lucy and before she woke up on the ground with Flynn’s jacket balled up under her head.

They’d gotten too comfortable, Rufus said later. They’d all heard of the butterfly effect, they’d just gotten lucky before. Mostly lucky, he clarified with an apologetic look towards Lucy. His words rang hallow in the motel room.

Then—

Lorena Flynn found them in the park the morning after. Lucy and Flynn were talking about all the ways life could go and she just... appeared, like an angel, or a reaper (by his eyes Flynn thought she was holy, anyway). Because she’s the sort of person who finds her husband when he goes missing. Said husband wasted no time and explained everything so badly that Lucy is shaking her head from October, not without fondness.

In the motel room they all pitched in and did their best to convince Lorena her husband wasn’t crazy. She listened politely and gently denied all of it. Lucy assured Rufus he did a better job then Mason. In the end it took Flynn pulling his shirt off to reveal unknown scars for the unease of belief to settle behind her features.

All in all, she took it surprisingly well.

It was as good a time as any to go their separate ways.

Flynn withdrew $500 from an ATM and placed it into Lucy’s hand with the promise of helping her craft a new identity whenever she was ready. Whatever she needed, he said, and they hugged, and she half expected to never see him again.

Rufus and Jiya went home, and after a few days of searching, so did Lucy.

She found the house she grew up in. It hadn’t been easy, the street has a different name and the house is a pale blue now, but it’s there. It exists. Through the internet, she found out her dad, Henry Wallace, lived a decade longer in this timeline then the last one, eight years longer then in hers. She found his grave, picked dandelions and left them atop the marbled stone. She felt silly doing it but the days were long, are long.

It took Jiya’s hacking to find anything recent on Wyatt. He’s alive, deployed on some top secret operation. Maybe it’s for the best Lucy can’t go and see him, but she’ll never know.

Jessica is dead in this timeline. Emma isn’t, or at least none of them could find a record of it. But they hadn’t seen her or Jessica or the goons for at least two hours before David died. Rufus and Jiya can’t find any signal for the Mothership despite persistent investigation. Nothing in Jiya’s visions either. She said it was like all the strings had been cut then thrown away. They should be as safe as anyone else. Still, they’ve been wrong before.

Iris tosses an almond into the air. It lands at her feat and a particularly daring squirrel gets it’s payoff.

When Lucy remembers the past two years, it’s a series of dark rooms, streetlamps, the smell of burnt gunpowder and horse shit. It had the most fulfilling work of her life and a whole lot of nothingness. The word blood raises to the surface, as blood aims to do.

She is a living history. She is a relic that will be destroyed, sooner or later, regardless of what she does or does not preserve.

There is comfort in that.

Iris walks towards Lucy, a skip in her step, almond bag crumpled in her hand.

“Did you make any new friends?”

She crinkles her nose bridge, looking seriously unimpressed. “It takes more then a day.”

“Of course.”

Iris frowns at her, then peers upwards. “Is it going to rain?”

The sky is textured gray with chasms of gold. “Either way, we need to head home.”

They walk together and Iris cooks her head at little brown birds in trees above their heads. What fuels her many short-lived passions Lucy doesn’t know, but Iris sees the world differently then she did yesterday, like stumbling out of the Lifeboat for the first time.

“Can we come back tomorrow?”

Lucy bites her lip. She can bring a book or something, one with words. “Probably.”

Raindrops tap their skin. In front of them, the train screeches to a halt.

This rail system didn’t exist in the old timeline. She’s grateful it exists now, but every time she boards it, every time she sits on the worn burgundy seats as she does now, she thinks of how Rittenhouse dug their fingers into everything.

She knew they had people in the auto industry, but she’d never considered how it shaped the infrastructure of the city she grew up in.

That’s what gets her: the unknowability. She knows why Amy disappeared, and she knows why, in a completely different way, she also stopped existing. But she’ll never see the wings that flapped this world into being. She’ll never know exactly what Rittenhouse held between it’s teeth.

Thunder rumbles. The downpour’s become vicious, like rocks pelting the windows. She texts Flynn to pick them up at the station on his way home from work. He replies with a golden thumbs up.

Over the loudspeaker, a barely comprehensible voice declares a stop that isn’t theirs, and Lucy smiles. It’s more nostalgic then it has any right to be.

Iris taps the window, imitating the droplets. She’s been awfully quiet since they got on the train.

“Can you teach me the differences between crows and ravens?” Lucy has to speak up over the rain, which earns her a few blunt looks from the other passengers. “I can never tell them apart.”

“Well ravens are bigger, for one thing.” Iris shifts in her seat and stares at the carpet, her face contorting in thought. “Crows have funerals.” At first Lucy thinks she mishears. “Do you think they have, like, wars?”

“I can’t imagine they’d have anything worth that much death.”

She tilts her head back and forth, mulling it over. She leans forwards, her hands on her knees, with much heaver burdens then someone her age should bare and Lucy knows she’s messed up. “What’s worth it then?”

“Iris—”

“Would they kill each other for stealing from each other’s caches if they had guns?”

Iris looks at her like she expects an answer, like she hangs the moon. Lucy wants to scream, just a little. She needs to choose her next words very carefully.

“Iris I don’t know; you know more about crows then I do.” It’s a liberating phrase: ‘I don’t know;’ when not knowing isn’t going to get anyone killed. “But I don’t think you’re only thinking of crows.” She says it as gently as she can bare. “I think you’re thinking of what happened right after we met, am I right?”

“Not just crows,” Iris admits, tears threating their way out of her eyes.

“Do you want me to hug you now?”

She nods and Lucy pulls her in. They’ve hugged before, during happier circumstances, but the last time Lucy held her this tight was when a man pulled out a gun and shot the owner of the restaurant they were eating lunch in.

“Why would a person kill another person like that?”

“He was scared.” Lucy squeezes her shoulders and holds her even closer. That’s all she can do.

“He wasn’t scared.” There’s a bite to her voice, even muffled in Lucy’s shirt. “Why would he be scared?”

“Because it didn’t go the way he thought it would. He didn’t plan on doing what he did.” Lucy needs her to believe the man who murdered someone in front of her wasn’t a monster and that’s not an easy thing to convince a child of. But while she’s here she wants to install radical empathy in her, because one day she might ask what exactly those bad things her father did in order to bring her back to life were, and Lucy won’t be around to act as a witness.

Iris pulls away and gives her a hard look. “How do you know?”

“Because I talked to him.”

That gives her pause. “Before my dad found you?”

Lucy nods. “I tried to talk him into giving himself up.”

That lasted approximately two minutes after Iris ran out the door, but Lucy sees no need to share the timeline. After the restaurant owner’s heart stopped, neither of them saw a point in surrender. One murder sentence isn’t much better then two. Instead, she tried to convince him he could get away if he ran immediately, before the police cars multiplied, and before they could organize to force the entrance. He didn’t listen. He flailed his gun in her direction while he barricaded the back door, as if she could get up and throw herself at him again, as if she could even walk.

“They knew each other, him and the restaurant owner. I’m not sure how, but he said he was sorry, that it wasn’t meant to happen.” But it was meant to happen, wasn’t it? People are fated to die at certain times, although death need not always be permanent. If Lorena and Iris don’t prove that, Rufus does.

That night in the motel room Flynn found a photo of Iris on social media. His fingers creased her digital face.

Less then an hour before the shooting, Lucy saw that girl alone on a train platform. She was so annoyed. What were the chances? Turns out Iris is, or at least was, the kind of kid who keeps plans with her best friend regardless of the distance or whether there’s an adult available to take her where she wants to be. But she chose that specific wrong stop to get off at, the one where Lucy was. If fate is real like she still believes it is, and if the universe hasn’t annulled her like she thought, what then?

“Why would he rob someone he knew?”

“I think he was owed money, or he thought his friend wouldn’t turn him in, but I don’t know. I wish I had a better answer for you.” She wishes she had an answer for herself, too, and she wishes Flynn had tried something else before shooting him. It’s all speculation now. She’ll die with question marks floating above her head.

“The gun was to scare him,” she continues, “but the restaurant owner— his name was Alex, did you know that?” Iris shakes her head. “He was scared too, and he pulled out his own gun. Sometimes people make bad choices when they’re scared.”

Iris is quiet, her eyes still pick and puffy. Lucy has no idea if she’s said any of the right things. She doesn’t know how to talk to children. Before Iris, the last nine year old she knew was Amy. “Were you scared?”

Lucy blinks.

“You seemed scared but also like you knew what to do.”

“Thank you.” She can’t say throwing herself at the guy and clawing his face was just a distraction so Iris could get out, that she’d been ready to die. “And you’re night I was scared. Don’t ever do what I did.”

Iris stares at her, tries to understand her. She isn’t the only one. Lucy gives a man in a business suit an irritated look. She doesn’t feel remotely sorry he finds a child’s trauma inconvenient.

The train slows and Flynn texts her that he’s waiting. She suppresses a smile. As always, he has impeccable timing.

Train’s pulling up, she replies, and puts her phone away.

“So, a group of crows is called a murder. Do you know any other fun animal group names?”

Her eyes light up. “A group of owls is called a parliament.”

“That’s wonderful.” It really is.

They exit the train. Lucy clutches her bag in one hand and Iris in the other. The rain hurts their faces and soaks their clothes, but at least it’s not cold out.

They make it to Flynn’s idling car. Lucy drops into the front seat and silently laments getting it wet.

“Hey.”

Instead of a simple hello, Flynn raises his eyebrows and glances between her and Iris in the backseat. He has a water proof jacket on, the bastard. “Did you have fun?”

“There were a lot of crows at the park.”

Flynn has this easy smile on his face. He tries to catch Lucy’s eye, but she looks straight ahead. Things are different now. He’s married to someone else. To his credit, he gives her space, it isn’t like with Wyatt. Still, old habits die a slow and miserable death.

One of these days silence will become awkward for them. But not today, because Iris fills it with crow facts, mostly recycled ones. Lucy does learn that crows’ territories can span up to 32 square miles which is why she chose the park instead of staying closer to home, since that park appears to be a core piece of their territory.

Flynn parks in the driveway and Iris opens her door, slams it shut. “Be careful!”

But she’s already half way to the front door. Kids. Lucy probably couldn’t run like that again if her life depended on it. Hopefully those days are over.

Flynn puts his hood up, looks at her, opens his mouth and decides better of it.

She opens her door. The rain is as violent as ever. He saunters. She’s stiff as train tracks.

Not for the first time, she’s thankful for the first floor guest bedroom and bathroom, and the shower chair inside it. She malts into the hot water. This place has a seemingly unlimited supply of it.

Once upon a time, she’d taken that for granted.

It’s better this way, she used to tell herself. She became the person she needed to be for the missions to succeed. But why her? Why not someone better, more qualified?

It’s the blood in her veins, comes her answer. In the end it was a sleeper agent’s bullet and she did about as much as a houseplant. If someone, anyone, had to stand where she stood. Well, she deserves this more then someone better, someone who had nothing to do with any of it.

Lucy washes her legs, really scrubs at them, even the scar tissue on the outside of her thigh. It doesn’t help. She wants Amy back. She wants the beauty of a home that never existed.

Why is she still alive?

She flinches. Someone pounds at the door.

“Dinner’s ready.” She’d locked the bedroom door too, so Lorena’s voice has to really fight to make it through to her. “Do you want us to wait for you?”

“No.” Normal volume, too quiet.

“No! I’m not really...” ready to see people. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” It’s not even that she wants to be alone. If these were the days of the bunker or the farmhouse, she’d make her way to Flynn’s room and she’d drink or else she’d lay her head on his chest, over his heartbeat. “Thank you though.”

“We’ll save you a plate.”

It’s not her, either. Lorena’s amazing. She’s been far more accommodating then her supposed debt would require. And that is what it is, an obligation paired with kindness.

She knows that.

Her first night, she needed help covering her bandages so she could shower. Lorena helped her. She sealed Lucy’s thigh in plastic wrap and Lucy told her she didn’t have to do this, any of this. Gently, with a tight-lipped smile, Lorena said she did.

No, if anything Lucy likes her a little too much. It’s not her or Flynn or Iris. It’s the pressure of a table, the way she keeps intruding on their lives, a constant reminder of what happened.

Lucy cups her knotted skin. Her scar is rigid.

She draws out every part of the bathing process, mostly air dries siting on the bathmat. She pulls on her clothes and collapses into bed, checking her phone.

A text from Jiya, two minutes ago: I have an interview.

That’s great!!

Reading it back, it feels disingenuous, but she already hit send. I’m happy for you, she adds.

She is happy for Jiya. Working for Mason— the old Mason who’s kind of a dick— like nothing changed, has been, at best, bizarre for her and Rufus.

Lucy’s phone vibrates and Jiya’s name flashes on screen.

She’d tell her the details of the job, then she’d ask Lucy what’s new, and Lucy would tell her absolutely nothing is new. She still plans on moving out of the Flynn household. She’s still made no progress on that goal whatsoever since they last talked about it, after she obtained the real-fake documents which prove she is in fact a person born on January 24th, 1983 in the state of California, who was given a PhD and the license to drive a car.

Lucy declines the call, then texts her. I’m really tired. Can we talk tomorrow?

Sure.

Her stomach growls.

No talking, no footsteps, no plates being stacked. Just rain slapping against the house. To be sure, she listens by the door. Silence.

It’s not a guarantee, although to her knowledge Flynn hasn’t spent the night on the couch in several weeks.

The space is empty. She makes her way to the fridge, where she finds a container of pasta with meat sauce. There’s a burgundy post-it note attached. She wants to cry.

It’s her name in Lorena’s hand writing, with a heart for the U.

#garcy secret santa #timeless #luciana #garcy #lucy preston #iris flynn #garcia flynn #lorena flynn #fanfiction #my fanfic tag #Fic: The Many Vortexes of Autumn #i didn't have any ideas for s1 fic #so i made sure to include lots of discussion of s1 events in later chapters #(i have a rough draft of most of this fic. but it'll be awhile before you get an update)

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skandarismyturkishdelight · 3 years

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I Despise You (Part 8) - Edmund x Reader

Warnings: none

Characters: Edmund, Lucy, Peter and Susan Pevensie and (Y/N)

Setting: The Golden Age, Narnia

Blurb (???i think???): (requested by @alwaysinnarnia)The reader is a Swordswoman/Knight of Doorn and visits Narnia, soon getting off on the wrong hand with King Edmund. She stays in Narnia and they train together, and they become friends and maybe something more…

Tag List: @aisforaltamoda @sanya-gryff @wantingtobekorra @sweetpeasturtleneck @suruhcha @foreverfangirling123 @fosterthe-peter @expellimarvelous @fandoms-allovertheplace @irreplaceable-ecstasy @fiftyshadesofnarnia @heyohheyitsgabi @nimaiwe @thellamaisinthehouse @hopebaker @a-studying-narnian-demigod @margot-black @fangirled-101 @aisforaltamoda @ajediherowitchrunner @spinning-oysters @hopebaker @just-my-weirdness-and-i @fandom-writer642 @xcyber-queenx @disfunctionalcrab @changing-constantly @answer-the-sirens @wildflowersrm @lizziel1410 @hocus-pocus-i-dont-focus @torisecrets @mya-bleu @hunnybunimdun @andycanbeemotional @lady-miidnight @writingweirdness413 @just-my-weirdness-and-i

(sorry if I missed anyone!! Also, there are some accounts I’ve attempted to tag but it doesn’t seem to fully work - please let me know if it did! Also please comment on this post if you would like to be added to the tag list! ❤️)

“...and have the supplies out by the end of the month,” Peter said, dragging a finger across the map before (Y/N) to gesture to Tashbaan’s port. “it’ll take around four months for the iron and oil supplies to arrive.“

Yaro nodded, his hands braced on the edges of the wide table. “With the King and Queen now increasing the mining and production work in the country, Doorn will surely have their products delivered to Tashbaan a little while after Cair Paravel’s shipment would have arrived.”

The High King and Yaro looked up to (Y/N) who had a stern look on her face as she crossed her arms.

She nodded. “There’ll still be a spare month before their deadline. It may work in our favor if something goes wrong-”

“It won’t,” Peter stated confidently. “Everything will go according to plan.”

(Y/N) sighed, letting her arms fall to her side. It was a relief that she didn’t have to go back home yet, especially with the Knight’s meeting just around the corner. (Y/N) couldn’t shake off the crawling feeling of anxiety, though. The terrible thought that her family and people could be in danger terrorised her. So much so that insomnia would consume her days and follow her into the night, never allowing her a moment’s rest.

It was easier with Edmund. (Y/N) had often visited him when the moon was still shining overhead in the star-scattered sky and the woodland creatures whispered into the wind. He would give her comfort when she crawled into his bed, kissing her forehead and the spot behind her ear she had always found ticklish. He would tell her stories about his first time wondering through the wood in the summer, and how he felt when he had stepped into the castle for the first time.

Those stories made her feel warm, and there were nights when he came into her room, too. His shirt would be dampened by sweat, his voice just shy of a tremble as he lay his head onto her stomach and asked for a tale of her own. He would often fall asleep with his arm draped around her, and his soft snores lulled her into her own slumber.

Now with the meeting finished and the organisation for the iron and oil shipments were finalised, (Y/N) felt a slight weight lift from her chest. Yaro took a long look at her and sent a reassuring look when she met his eyes.

“Your Highness?” he said carefully.

(Y/N) almost smiled. Hardly anyone had called her by her formal title, and she genuinely would’ve preferred anything else than that. But now, hearing that title, it reminded her of her older brother and how he used it to mock her incessantly. It comforted her.

“I’m fine,” she said, a small smile on her face. “Thank you, Yaro.”

He nodded curtly and gave her a bow, his arms resting by his sides. (Y/N) turned to Peter who offered her a sympathetic smile and a firm hand on her shoulder.

“Your family will be okay,” he said confidently. “We will never turn away from our allies, or our friends.”

Smiling despite the tears shimmering in her eyes, (Y/N) let herself be swept up into Peter’s brief embrace. He let her go, offering a reassuring nod before she began to walk towards the exit of the war room.

Her hands automatically began to smooth out her tunic and readjust the belt hanging from her hips. She brushed her fingers over the silver dagger safely positioned at her side. Susan had gifted it to her last week for assisting with the organsation of the ball, and (Y/N) felt her chest lighten when running a hand over the hilt which was decorated with sapphire gems.

(Y/N) unsheathed it from her side as she walked down the main hallway towards her quarters. She moved the dagger skilfully between her fingers and flipped it over her hand to rest in her palm again. The cool metal tempered the anxiousness creeping in her chest and left her to focus on the movement of spinning silver.

As quickly as she had flipped the dagger into her other hand, a force hit her from the side and drove her towards the wall. She let out a grunt as the hands she knew so well had skilfully twisted the knife from her hand and held her wrist to the wall; leaving her body trapped between his.

A smile graced her lips as Edmund let out a low laugh. “Your lack of peripheral vision is concerning.”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, leaning her head back against the velvety curtains that covered the sunlight. She let her free hand move to his shoulder, and up into his hair as he leaned forward to kiss her chastely. The kiss could only be returned enthusiastically, and soon, Edmund let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist.

The weakness in his movements caused her to smirk into their kiss, not giving a second thought before gripping the collar of his clothing and spinning him around to press him to the wall.

Edmund shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes as he let himself smile at her antics.

“Doesn’t feel so good, does it?” (Y/N) said, teasingly raising an eyebrow.

The dark haired king leaned forward, his breath tickling her lips. “On the contrary - this feels perfect.”

(Y/N) huffed out a laugh before taking his lips with hers again, softly and with determined slowness. Edmund wound a hand into her hair and melted into their embrace, and (Y/N) felt how rapidly his heart beat against hers.

She pulled away from the kiss to catch her breath, and Edmund‘s lips followed her to give her a light peck.

He took both her hands in his. “How was the meeting?”

(Y/N) smiled briefly, and she was sure that Edmund saw right through it and into her troubled mind.

“The shipments will arrive soon,” she said, intertwining her fingers with his. “I’m praying that it will go smoothly. My family cannot afford a war.”

Edmund’s eyes wandered across her face, pulling one of his hands from hers to caress her cheek.

“Hey,” he whispered softly, furrowing his dark eyebrows. “Everything will be fine. If there is anyone you can trust with a task like this, it’s Peter.”

(Y/N) could only nod and lean into his warm hand, moving her face to peck his palm before giving him a tight hug. His strong arms wrapped around her and tucked her as close to his chest as possible. She breathed in his familiar woodsy scent, and she let herself smile at the faint smell of chocolate that always found its way to him.

As they heard scuffling from down the hallway, they pulled apart only to see Lucy come into view with her chin high, and her pale yellow dress swaying and sweeping across the marble floors.

“(Y/N)!” she exclaimed, rushing towards them with her eyes crinkled into a smile. “How did it go? I heard that the supplies are being shipped out soon.”

(Y/N) brushed a hair behind her ear and nodded. “You heard correctly.”

Lucy squealed and tackled (Y/N) with a hug, and Edmund chuckled at the surprise on (Y/N)’s face.

“Oh! We need to celebrate! Should I request for the kitchen to make your favourite dinner?”

“Oh, that’s alright,” (Y/N) said. “I appreciate it, but that’s not necessary.”

Lucy squeezed the young woman’s arms in response and whisked back down the hall excitedly as she called out, “I didn’t hear a no!”

Edmund pushed himself from the wall and took (Y/N)’s hand. “Come on, let’s go somewhere.”

“Oh?” she said, raising her eyebrows. “Where to, my king?”

“Horse riding,” he chuckled, turning to pinch (Y/N)’s waist. “Where else would we go?”

The swordswoman rolled her eyes and smacked his hand away.

Edmund shook his head, his hair moving away from his eyes as he continued to lead the way. They walked along the east wing and descended down the marble staircase, (Y/N)’s hand running along the smooth handrail.

She found herself being pulled to an abrupt stop by Edmund, who took one more step as he focused on a middle aged man standing at the end of the stairs. He wasn’t burly, but he looked strong. His broad shoulders and chest were clad with armour, and a shiny helmet was tucked under his right arm. Dark green eyes flicked up to (Y/N), who also took another step down to stand in line with Edmund.

Edmund spoke first after a tense silence. “Lord Rami.”

The man took a step forward, his eyes still searching (Y/N) and Edmund’s faces. Something in his gaze told (Y/N) that the man didn’t seem too keen on having kind conversation. He didn’t seem to want to address Edmund’s existence.

“Forgive me, Lord Rami,” she spoke out, calmly. “But King Edmund is addressing you. It is only common courtesy for you to respond.”

His cold eyes lay on her, and she felt her skin prickle as he scanned her from head to toe.

“King Edmund,” he said quietly before bowing briefly. “It is an honour to be in your presence.”

Lord Rami turned to (Y/N) again. “And you, milady?”

“(Y/N) (L/N),” she stated. “Knight and Princess of Doorn.”

Trying to keep her face as stoic as possible, (Y/N) tilted her head up as Lord Rami bowed once more.

“Forgive me,” he responded to her. “I must make my way to my quarters.”

The man slowly began to ascend up the staircase, and with one final look at the pair of them, he continued on his way and disappeared as he turned a corner.

(Y/N) tightened her fist and let it go in an attempt to settle her nerves, and she turned to Edmund who seemed to be doing the same, but with a flick of fury in his dark eyes. He clenched his jaw and looked back up to where the man had been, almost as though he was expecting him to reappear.

“Ed,” (Y/N) said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Ed, are you alright?”

He stayed quiet and took a long look at her before continuing to walk down the stairs.

“Who was he?” she asked, feeling quite ridiculous because of her cluelessness.

“No one,” he said quietly.

(Y/N) continued to follow him as he turned left at the staircase and down another hallway, opposite the exit towards the stables.

“Let’s still go on that horse ride,” she said earnestly, moving closer to him. “It’ll get your mind off of whatever you’re thinking.”

Edmund stopped abruptly and worked his hands through his hair. “I don’t need a horse ride.”

“Then what do you need?” She didn’t want to pry it out of him, but she needed to know. “Edmund, what did he-”

“I just need some peace and quiet,” he interrupted, hands falling to his sides. “Can you give me that?”

(Y/N)’s immediate reaction was to scoff. “You’ve never given that to me, so why should I do the same?”

Edmund turned to her, his dark eyes gleaming. “You can never give anyone a moment’s rest, can you?”

“Ed, I just want to know-”

“But I don’t want you to know!” He said, his voice raising. “Stop asking, stop pushing, just stop! Some things are better left unsaid, but that isn’t enough for you! You have this habit of pecking your nose into things that clearly don’t concern you.”

(Y/N)’s heart sank, and her words of comfort died on her tongue. His tone of geniune impatience and fury was one she hadn’t heard in a while. She pressed her lips together, angry at the painful words he spewed, but she grew even angrier when she felt tears prickle at her eyes.

“You’re so ungrateful, you know that?” She retaliated. “And frankly, you’re quite stupid for not thinking that I’m asking you all this because I want to help you. Not everyone here is trying to attack you, Edmund!”

Edmund stepped closer to her, his eyes dark and challenging. “You have no idea what I’ve been through.”

“You’re right, I don’t - so help me understand. Or I’m not going to waste my time chasing you around trying to figure you out. You have a family that loves you but you never focus on that! At any sign of conflict, you lash out; just like you’re doing now! Like a child!”

He moved past her and continued down the hall, not looking back as he made his way to his quarters. (Y/N) took a deep breath a wiped away any evidence of the tears that formed in her eyes. She spun around and headed towards the exit of the castle, suddenly missing the feeling of Edmund and his warmth beside her.

A couple of hours had gone by since (Y/N)’s return from her ride, and nothing about her mood had changed in the slightest. She fidgeted with the book in her hands, the words not processing in her mind due to all the anger that clouded it.

“It’s Edmund, isn’t it?” Susan asked, looking at (Y/N) from across the room with a book of her own on her lap.

Susan had spotted (Y/N) riding in the woods and it didn’t take her much to figure out she was basically losing her mind. (Y/N) wanted to be alone at first, but she realised how much Susan had helped in trying to get her mind off of Edmund’s angry outburst. The high queen hadn’t asked questions, or pressed for answers; she just rode around with (Y/N) for a couple of hours before they returned at dusk.

(Y/N) sat up, pulling her hair behind her shoulders and closing the book she barely read. “He’s stupid.”

“Oh, we know that,” commented Susan. “What did he do this time?”

Waving her hand impatiently in the air, (Y/N) let the frustration pour out in a wave of almost incomprehensible words. “He was angry at me for no reason! I really thought we were more than fine now, but when something doesn’t go his way - he just lashes out! I was clearly trying to help him when he got all bothered and upset after seeing Lord Rami arrive-”

“Lord Rami?” Susan interrupted, closing her book slowly. “He’s arrived?”

(Y/N) nodded, and Susan sighed frustratedly before leaning back with her hands covering her face.

“I knew something would go wrong,” she said through muffled hands. “He wasn’t meant to come this year.”

“Who’s Lord Rami?” (Y/N) asked.

“A noble from Arnchenland...”

Susan stood by the nearest window and looked out at the sky that began to darken, the faintest of pink and orange dusting the horizon. Her thumb was between her teeth as she turned and gave (Y/N) a worried look.

“This meeting won’t go well,” She stated.

(Y/N) simply watched Susan walk quickly to peer down the library’s exit before standing next to the couch (Y/N) was seated on.

“Lord Rami and Edmund had gotten into...an altercation.”

The swordswoman raised an eyebrow at the queen as she continued, “Edmund had made a comment about how the alliance between Archenland and Narnia was dissipating overtime - a fair observation, might I add. He knew that after Lord Rami had gotten more power over lands ruled by Archenland, he might have tried to take some of our own. Lord Rami retaliated, and of course so did Edmund.”

Susan took a deep breath and pressed a hand to her temple. “And then he had brought up what had happened in the past...with Edmund.”

(Y/N) unconsciously grimaced, standing up slowly and putting the book down. She stood closer to Susan with her arms folded.

“He kept blabbering on, and on, and on...about the White Witch...how Ed...”

Susan shook her head and (Y/N) put a hand out to touch her shoulder.

“Edmund knows what he did. He knows. But he’s learnt...so much. He’s changed. And it’s awful that only we know how much he has - there are some people in the palace that still can’t trust him. He thinks we don’t know, Peter, Lucy, and I, but we do. We truly do.”

(Y/N) pulled in Susan for a quick hug, and the queen immediately reciprocated. (Y/N) loosened her grasp on Susan’s arms as they separated.

“You should see how he is,” (Y/N) said.

“But-”

“You’ve known him your entire life,” she replied, hoping her confident voice was enough to mask the hurt in her eyes. “You’ll know what to say.”

Susan was now holding the swordswoman’s hands, tightening her grip for a brief moment before letting go and breathing deeply. (Y/N) knew she couldn’t do much except wish Susan a good evening and watch her disappear out of the library.

(Y/N) knew that it wasn’t her place to interfere with such situations. There was no possible way that she would be able to comfort him like his siblings would, and it amazed her quite a lot how much they cared for one another. Of course, her own siblings did show their affection every now and then, but not like the Kings and Queens of Narnia. It seemed as though they would pour out their whole heart to each other, and in the end, they knew that everything would all be alright.

She couldn’t help but think of how Edmund might act now. She worried that with Lord Rami here, his patience with her purposefully annoying antics would run short, and he would not treat her the same. (Y/N) wiped her hands along her trousers and then tucked a few stray hairs behind her ears. She needed to calm down a little. She let her feet take her to exit of the library and ascend the nearest staircase, not realising how much her legs had ached from horse riding until she had reached the top step.

Her leather boots clicked softly on the tiled floor as she made her way to her chambers, the familar intricate paintings and detailed rug that lay outside her door welcomed her. She entered with a long sigh and shut the door quietly behind her, peeling her clothes off and throwing them off to the side. She was too tired to take a bath right now, so she settled for washing her face and putting on her nightgown.

(Y/N) tugged her hair down from its tight knot and massaged her scalp as she collapsed onto her soft bed. Her long day began to catch up to her as her eyelids grew heavy, and as she lazily promised herself she would get up in an hour to check on Edmund, sleep had already begun to wrap around her mind. She let her hand fall from her scalp and nuzzled her nose into her pillow, and only seconds later did she fall into a deep slumber.

“(Y/N)?”

A quiet voice called out to her softly, stirring her awake. (Y/N) frowned in confusion, taking a moment to wake herself up. She blinked a few times and the first thing she noticed was that the room was almost pitch black. The sun had obviously set, and a soft breeze was circling the room, tickling (Y/N)’s bare legs.

The next thing she noticed was the person sitting up in her bed and their one hand that was laying on her calf, stroking the skin there softly with their thumb. (Y/N) immediately brought herself to sit up as Edmund shifted away and let his hand fall into his lap. Her stomach was swarming with nervous butterflies as she tried to make out the expression on his face.

“Edmund?” she began, watching Edmund as his eyes went from his lap to her eyes, the simple move giving her goosebumps. “Are you okay?”

Edmund nodded slowly and brought his hand to scratch the back of his head. “Can I stay?”

(Y/N)’s heart fluttered, and her mind reeled back to when he appeared in her room for the first time in the middle of the night. The moonlight had illuminated his terror-stricken face, with a sheen of sweat on his neck and chest. She had welcomed him into her arms without hesitation.

But, this time was different. When her eyes adjusted to the dark, and they roamed across Edmund’s face, she noticed a wetness around his eyes. She uncovered herself from the sheets and moved to the edge of the bed beside him.

(Y/N) guided a hand to his freckled cheek, letting it hover for a moment before resting it on his icy skin. At the sound of his soft sigh, her stomach twisted and she felt tears of her own prickle at her eyes. She swiped her thumb under his eye and Edmund’s tears met her soft hand.

Immediately, Edmund broke. A fresh stream of tears ran down his cheeks as he let out a quiet whimper and brought his hands to his face. (Y/N) didn’t wait any longer before sitting up on her knees and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pulling him towards her tightly. He responded just as quickly, his arms enveloping her torso as he cried into her nightgown. She brought her lips to the top of his head and closed her eyes, her tears falling into his hair.

(Y/N) let him cry, and soon his cries turned to sobs. His shoulders shook as he swallowed deep breaths, muttering things that she couldn’t comprehend. Her stomach had dropped down to her feet as he began to apologise; over, and over again, with his face burying deeper into her chest. A couple of minutes passed, accompanied by Edmund’s cries and the soft whistling noise that the wind made. When she felt him loosen his grip on her, (Y/N) brought her hands to both sides of his face and pulled his head from her body so that she could meet his eyes.

His bloodshot eyes met her own.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed out, shaking his head slightly. “I shouldn’t have said that to you, I should’ve held my tongue. I just...I got so angry. I didn’t mean any of it-”

(Y/N) began to hush him as more tears began to pool in his eyes. She pushed his silky hair out of his face and wiped the rest of his tears away.

“I know, I know,” she began as she sniffled. “It’s okay...Ed, it’s okay. I’m so sorry. For everything. I never meant any of it either.”

Edmund shook his head and brought his hands to (Y/N)‘s face. Silence danced between them as they caught their breaths.

“I don’t deserve you,” he whispered, smoothing down the young woman’s tousled hair.

(Y/N) brought her hands to his tunic and pulled him in to place a soft kiss on his lips. He kissed her back, his chapped lips moving against her carefully and (Y/N) tasted tears. She leaned further into his embrace and took her hand to the nape of his neck, the other placed on his shoulder.

Edmund broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. He pressed his hands against (Y/N)‘s back as she sat down on her heels, her face now level with his. She opened her eyes lazily, and saw that his were still closed. His hands moved up and down her back in soft, slow motions.

Edmund took a hand to her cheek and sniffled. He opened his eyes and leaned back to look at her longingly.

“Come,” she said earnestly, pulling at his hand as she shuffled back underneath the sheets. “Stay with me.”

The young king followed her as he did all those nights before, folding the sheets back gently and slipping right beside her. They found warmth and comfort as soon as their bodies met, and as they wrapped themselves around eachother, with Edmund’s head resting on her shoulder, (Y/N)’s cheek finding itself atop his head, they drifted into a dreamless sleep unlike any other.

Bright rays of sunlight shook the sleep from (Y/N)’s eyes, leaving her in a frustrating fight to fall back into unconscious. Warm breaths fell delicately on her left cheek, and as she fully awakened, she felt Edmund’s body by her side. His legs were tangled with hers and as one arm lay behind her head, the other was draped across her stomach. The blanket of warmth he provided lulled her to press herself closer to him, and rest her face in the crook of his neck before breathing him in softly. She leaned back again and took a long look at him, feeling as though it was like seeing the first break of spring sunlight.

Edmund began to stir, and it took a moment before she finally saw familiar gold-flecked eyes staring up at the ceiling. (Y/N) smiled at the sight of him, her chest bleeding happiness. She leaned towards his jaw and pressed a kiss there, and under his chin, and continued her path down to his chest.

A heavy chuckle escaped Edmund as (Y/N) propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him. He was heavy with sleep, but that didn’t stop him from sitting up and wrapping his arms around the swordswoman to lay her gently on her back. She let out a breathy laugh as he mirrored her previous movements, kissing her jaw, her chin...

(Y/N) grinned and tried to haul him up so she could kiss him properly, but as soon as his face came close to hers, she grimaced.

“Your breath,” she said in a croaky voice. “It smells awful.”

Edmund laugh lowly, sending a chill through her body. “Yours, too.”

He met her lips in a sloppy kiss, and she groaned in disgust.

“Ed, seriously it’s disgusting,” she said, her words muffled against his lips.

He smiled and pulled away, watching her wipe her lips on the pillow next to her. (Y/N) grinned widely as her eyes met his, pulling him in for a hug as she stroked his back.

Edmund spoke first. “We need to be careful tomorrow.”

(Y/N) frowned. “Because of Lord Rami?”

“Yes...and no.” He pulled away from her hug and settled his hand on her hip. “Representatives of Tashbaan will be there, too. And yes, they will have received news of the supply shipments making way to their ports, but it won’t stop their hostility towards you. You mustn’t do what I did. Don’t show your anger.”

(Y/N) feigned a gasp. “Me? Show my anger? How could I ever?”

Edmund gave her a half-hearted smile before brushing a hair behind her ear. “You would be very surprised.”

She chuckled softly and closed her eyes, reveling in the young king’s warm arms and his quiet breaths.

“I wish I could stay here,” she began. “Forever.”

“Then stay.”

(Y/N) opened her eyes to find Edmund’s gaze already on her, a serious expression taking a hold on his face.

“Ed-”

“After your siblings’ wedding, you can come back. I mean, if you really aren’t happy there...if you’re happier here...”

(Y/N) blinked slowly, her chest clenching as she realised that sooner or later, she would have to leave Cair Paravel. She would leave its woods and sun-kissed cliff side. She’d leave Peter, Susan, Lucy...Edmund.

And she would be miserable.

(Y/N) let her hand drift over to Edmund’s face to rest in his soft hair and stroke her thumb across the shell of his ear.

“My family needs me, Ed.”

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, so carefully, as though it would be the last time. But it wasn’t. It couldn’t be.

Leaning back slightly, he pressed the tip of his nose against hers. “You won’t be leaving your family alone, we can help them. Of course, you’ll visit them whenever and for however long you like. You won’t have to choose.”

“But I do,” she replied softly. “We all do. I can’t be both in my head and in my heart. Especially not now. Maybe later down the track, when everything is better, we can do that.”

(Y/N) brought a hand up to the young king’s face, making a path of his freckles with her eyes. He leaned into her touch, eyelids falling shut. She forced back tears that sprung to her eyes and tried to swallow the burning lump that appeared in her throat.

If I leave, it won’t be forever, she willed herself to say over and over again until the lump almost disappeared.

Almost.

132 notes · View notes

ignitedbynatsu · 3 years

Text

Violence Is Not The Answer... Or Is It?

A/N: I really let myself go with this one 🤭 @whatismatildethinkingabout I hope you like it! I’m sorry if you don’t want it as a prequel to your previous request I just had this idea and wanted to write it out 😅 thank you for requesting and the support! Don’t hesitate to stop by again! ❤️

Warnings: bullying, swearing, violence

Genre: angst with some comfort

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There was a new confidence brewing inside of Noah. The kids from Fairy Tail being the main reason for it. The way they showed that they were willing to learn sign language for him, someone they had never talked to before, melted his heart. It showed him that it was okay to be different. That he shouldn't be ashamed of his hearing loss. In fact, he slowly but surely started to accept it.

To prove that he was getting more independent, he wanted to show his parents that he was capable of going to town with just his friends. To say that Laxus and you were hesitant about this idea at first was an understatement, but when you saw the determination in his eyes, you couldn't refuse. He'll have to learn sooner or later, eventually.

"Be back by sunset!" Lucy called after her daughter who was basically jumping at the entrance of the guild, ready to go.

You chuckled softly at their antics before turning to your son. "Be careful, okay? You do not need to feel ashamed if it gets scary or overwhelming and you wanna come back. Stay close to Nalu, okay?" You moved your hands accordingly to represent every word you spoke.

'I promise, I love you mommy' he promised before giving you a big hug.

Anxiousness filled your whole body as you watched your boy leave the guild with his new friends.

"They'll be fine, the kids will look out for him" Levy reassured you as she noticed your lingering stare.

"Nalu promised me she'll keep an extra eye on him. She feels responsible, saying it's her duty because she's the oldest" Lucy offered you a kind smile.

"Thank you. I'm so proud of him, and yet I'm terrified. After all, it's only been a couple of weeks since he opened up to the others" You confessed as you broke your gaze away from the big wooden doors to look at your friends.

"That's normal. I felt the same when the twins first went out" Juvia also joined the small group of mothers. "You just gotta trust him and the others. I'm sure everything will be fine"

However, after not even an hour in Magnolia, Noah had already lost the group in the sea of people. Sunday's were the busiest days for the town due to the market.

Looking for his small body in the crowd was near too impossible and calling out to him was also not an option, however, the Fairy Tail children did not intend to give up on their new friend. Partially because they were scared to face their parent's wrath, but mostly because they couldn't fathom how scared he must be.

Noah's eyes darted around him in a desperate attempt to catch even a glimpse of the others, but it was hopeless. They were nowhere in sight.

While scanning his surroundings, the smaller mage wasn't really paying attention to where he was going, resulting in him bumping into someone.

"Watch where you're going, loser" the older boy snapped at Noah who didn't understand a word he was saying. "What? You're not even going to apologize?"

The child moved his hands to spell out that he was sorry and couldn't understand him, but this only made the elder boy laugh "guys, take a look at this, we got ourselves a deaf kid"

His friends soon surrounded Noah, making him cower in fear at so many unknown faces and no way to communicate. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

A hand firmly pushed Noah forward, signalling him to follow what he presumed was their 'leader' to a more abandoned street.

Fear washed over him as he took in his unknown surroundings. What were they gonna do to him? That question was quickly answered as soon as he got pushed down to the ground.

"I heard some money rattling" a girl from the group piped up as they stood a bit more to the side, shielding the event that was happening before them from prying eyes.

Sure enough, Laxus and you had given him some money to buy something he'd fancied at the market, but that got quickly snatched away the moment the remark left the girls mouth.

In a desperate attempt to take back the money, he let electricity crackle around his fingers ready to shoot it at the boy in front of him, but it was futile. The boy noticed the spark and stepped on his hand in an attempt to make him stop, this earned him a cry from Noah. From that moment, he decided it was best to not agitate them further and to just obey them to the best of his abilities.

The elder boy removed his foot from Noah's hand and crouched in front of him, tilting his head slightly to the side as he observed the scared child in front of him "you really are pathetic aren't ya? No hearing, not being able to stand up for yourself, and apparently your magic isn't even that good. People like you don't belong here. You're a hindrance. A weight that drags people down. No wonder why mommy and daddy left you to wander the streets alone"

Even though Noah couldn't hear a thing, the way the leaders' friends laughed when he was done talking, was enough proof that he had said something to mock him.

"Oi! What the fuck do you think you're doing" Nalu voice ringed through the nearly empty street.

"Shit, it's the Fairy Tail kids" one of the members mumbled as they took notice of the said children.

Their leader glanced at Noah one last time before motioning his group to follow him "let's just go"

Tobi and Mei were quickly by Noah's side, examining his wounds, while Nalu's eyes trailed the retrieving group, her orbs were swimming with hatred. How could anyone do such a thing? Let alone to such an innocent kid like Noah.

The shaken up child finally let out the sobs he was holding in for so long, clinging on to Mei in the process who was softly stroking his hair. Her eyes shot to the others in an attempt to ask for help. "Let's go somewhere else"

Tobi carefully helped Noah up as they followed Nalu to a more secluded place in the park, giving them the privacy they needed. "Noah, what happened?" Mei carefully matched her hand movements with what she was saying as they all waited patiently for his response.

After his explanation, he made the other children promise to not tell their parents what happened. He didn't want to feel like he was an even bigger burden than he already was. Even though he was still very young, he knew his parents had to go out of their way so many times just so they could satisfy his needs. He felt selfish and stupid. Why wasn't he just normal? All the confidence that he had built up over the past weeks had crumbled down in just this one moment.

Once Noah had calmed down, they decided it was best if they headed back to the guild. Defeated and unsure what to do with the situation, they each went their separate ways when they set foot in Fairy Tail.

At first, the parents didn't think anything strange from it, but when Noah broke all contact with the others and went back to his insecure and timid self, they knew something was up.

You had tried talking to him, trying to break down his walls that were seemingly higher than before, but he always shut you down, burying his head deeper in your side in an attempt to avoid confrontation. In a final attempt to understand what was going on, you voiced your concerns with the other mothers, who in their turn questioned their kids.

It was only when the youngest, Kai, Levy and Gajeel's kid, broke down, that they realised that this wasn't just an ordinary fight or dispute.

"Nalu, enough with this so-called 'everything is fine act'. You tell us what's going on right now. I won't ask again" she knew that when her father got involved and serious, the situation was way graver than what she had originally anticipated.

"Noah got separated from us at one point when we were walking around the market. We did everything we could to find him, but when we did, we saw that he was getting bullied by some older kids" she confessed with her eyes cast to the ground, she was ashamed that she couldn't fulfil her promise to look out for Noah. Nalu didn't care that she broke her promise to Noah. She didn't like that he was distancing himself from them again. If getting the adults involved meant getting their friend back, so was willing to take the risk.

Noah was placed on your hip, hands clutching your shirt as if his life depended on it. He knew they were talking about him, about what had happened. He couldn't be mad at Nalu for breaking their promise 'cause he knew the truth had to come out sooner or later. He just wished it would've been later.

"I'm going to murder that punk" Laxus seethed as he thought about how scared Noah must've felt at that moment. How could anyone do such a thing and think it's okay?

"That's not an option, and you know it. I'm just as upset as you are, but violence is not the answer." You stated calmly as you rocked your body softly along with Noah's.

"How can you say such a thing when they hurt our son!? How can you be so calm about this?" Laxus fumed, unable to understand how you weren't as livid as him. Truth be told, you were nowhere near calm, in fact, you were just as livid as him, but you had to keep your cool. If you'd let your emotions take the upper hand, you'd just upset Noah more, and that was the last thing you wanted to do.

"Stop it. Both of you." Lucy hissed "Fighting amongst yourselves isn't going to help this situation, nor is it going to help Noah"

"You're right" you agreed "We're going home. I don't need you to upset him even more. Come back when you've cooled down" With that, you left the guild with Noah still on your hip, your arms wrapped around him a little tighter than normal.

"Unbelievable" Laxus sighed in frustration at your attitude.

"Look, I know where you're coming from, but (Y/N) is right, violence isn't the answer" Gajeel stated, earning a sharp glare from the blonde before continuing "but, no harm is done when we go pay them a visit and I don't know... Maybe threaten them a bit, am I right?"

The sinister glint that sparked in the iron dragon slayer was enough to get Laxus to agree along with the other fathers. Those kids had chosen the wrong child to mess with.

You can only imagine the shock Noah and you experienced when those bullies stopped by the guild the next day to apologize for what they had done. They even had learned how to say sorry in sign language.

"Laxus" you narrowed your eyes at your husband "what did you do"

"I didn't use violence if that's what you're asking" he smirked as he slung an arm around your shoulder "you didn't say anything about threatening, though"

You were about to scold him, telling him how even though you did absolutely not condone those bullies their actions, especially since it was against your child, they were still just kids, but you quickly shut up when Nalu stepped in and swung her right arm forward, her right fist colliding with the nose of the group's leader.

Nalu, Tobi and Kai stood in front of them while Mei stood next to Noah, explaining everything that was being said with her hands "They may only be able to threaten you 'cause they're adults and you're still just children, but that doesn't count for us" Nalu's eyes held the same rage when she first laid eyes on them when they stood over Noah's defenceless body.

"If you ever dare to lay a hand on our friend again, we won't hesitate to break more than just your nose, are we clear?" Tobi finished their threat.

"Yes," his eyes were wide, like a deer that got caught in headlights. His friends all cowered behind him.

"Now scram!" Kai yelled at which they hurriedly made their way out of the guild.

As on cue, all the kids their names were called out by their mothers, each and every one of them earning a scolding, while their fathers were stood on the side, stifling their laughter and a look of pride plastered upon their face.

Noah looked at his friends with newfound wonder. They stood up for him. They thought that he was deserving enough to get in trouble for. They called him their friend.

As tears were forming in the brim of his eyes, he ran forward to his friends, not caring if they were in the middle of getting scolded and tackled them all in a hug.

A sob passed Noah's lips, letting out all the stress and emotions that he had cropped up since the incident. This resulted in an even tighter group hug from the others.

Noah was the first to break apart 'thank you all for what you did to me' his hand moved ever so smoothly as he told them how grateful he was even though words, or even hand gestures, couldn't describe how he truly felt.

"That's what friends are for" another hug followed as soon as Mei's hands stopped moving.

"I guess violence was the option" Laxus mumbled in your ear as he hugged you from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder in the progress.

"Don't ruin the moment" you flicked his head softly, earning a chuckle from him.

Fairy Tail had proven once again that they weren't just a guild filled with friends, no, they were a family. A family you do not want to mess with.

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phoneboxfairy · 3 years

Text

Quarantine Fic Chapter 4!

All that remains is a silly epilogue.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23417971/chapters/84978940

That afternoon saw Lucy laying on the couch with her nose buried in a book. She was so engrossed in her story that she didn’t notice when Natsu sat next to her.

…at least, not until she felt his hand stroke over her knee. A sweet chill ran down her spine.

“Natsuuuu. Cut that out. I’m trying to read.”

“No. I wanna touch you. You’re smart. You can read with my hand on your leg.”

Ooogh…

“Fine. As long as that hand minds its manners and stays right where it is. I can’t concentrate if you’re pawing at me.”

“Sheesh, alright, miss bossy.” Shrug, smile.

So Lucy read.

Truth be told it was hard to focus on her story when the touch of his hand brought delicious thoughts into her mind. By the time she finished the chapter and put the book down, those delicious thoughts were running rampant.

She made a show of stretching, felt the heat of his stare as he watched her.

Siiiigh.

“Lucy. There’s something you should know.”

“Hmm? What’s that?”

“I don’t have any manners. Neither does my hand.” Growl. The naughty boy moved his naughty hand. He feathered his fingers down her thigh and traced the hem of her shorts. She squirmed.

“Mmm, how very rude.”

“I think ya like it when I get rude.” Stroking her inner thigh. Stoking the fire between her legs.

“I love it when you get rude.” Sensual purr. She shifted and spread her legs then reached down and unbuttoned the shorts. “Come here, Natsu. Let’s misbehave.”

“Hell yeah.” He growled, this sexy devilish look on his face as he pulled her shirt off. “Luce, have I told ya how fucking perfect you are? You ain’t even completely naked and I wanna devour ya.”

As if on cue she kicked away the shorts, spread her legs, and traced her hand over her exposed pussy.

“What’s stopping you, love?”

“Absolutely nothing.” He pounced. Shed his pants, claimed her mouth and body at the same time.

They moved together with animalistic fervor. He went hard and fast. Lucy mewled, feeling him hit every sweet spot just the way she looooved it.

She was brought back to earth by a rather ominous creaking sound from beneath her.

“Na…Natsu…st, stop stop stop.” He stopped, pulled out, shot her a look that was confused and slightly irritated. “I don’t want to break this couch. Take me to bed, love.”

Confusion and irritation were replaced by immediate comprehension and a sexy as hell grin.

“Anything you want, Lucy-baby.” So very carefully, he carried her across the room and settled her on the soft bed. Before he had a chance to get going again she stopped him with a “wait a minute” finger gesture then grabbed a bottle of lube off the nightstand.

Then she got on her knees, took his cock in her hand, and licked up some of the sticky sweet mess.

“Mmm. We taste delicious.”

“Hell yeah. Now hurry up and let me fuck ya.” His words sent a delicious tingle straight to her clit. She slathered a generous amount of lube on him before laying back, spreading her legs, and beckoning him over with a finger wiggle.

“Like I could ever say no to you. Mnnn…” She let out a moan feeling him push back into her depths. One hand tangled through already messy pink locks while the other dug into his shoulder.

Truth be told she was more than wet enough without the lube, and Gods only knew they would have had an incredible romp regardless.

But Lucy was rather adventurous. And the tingling sensation felt ohhh so good, especially with his warm cock savoring every inch of her.

“Gimme your hand.” Their hands intertwined. They shared slow, sweet kisses, making love with increased frenzy followed by the hazy bliss of afterglow.

Lucy giggled. Natsu peered up at her from the comfy pillow of her boobs.

“You okay?”

“Duh. I’m happy.” Lazy smile as she fluffed his hair. Natsu got the hint and climbed up to cuddle with her for a while. Turns out he was pretty happy too.

That last afternoon of quarantine was pretty relaxed. No sparring, just chilling and bonding in a different way.

The pair worked on cooking dinner. Lucy left the finishing touches to Natsu as she went to wash up and change.

Some time later when the meal was ready and Lucy came back, it was hard to tell which silly human was more awestruck. Lucy was rather impressed with his table setting skills. Natsu, on the other hand, couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

Ravishing, in a shimmering blue celestial gown, her hair in a loose halo around her body.

Eventually Natsu remembered where he was. He offered her a chair, scooted her close to the table, and took the seat next to her.

“Thanks, Natsu.” Her soft giggle was music to his ears.

They shared dinner in the sweet comfortable silence of lovers. Every so often Natsu would reach over and touch Lucy’s shoulder or stroke her back. And every time Lucy would respond by leaning over and kissing his nose or cheek, cute smile on her face.

So much more than friendship.

Once plates had been cleared Lucy snapped her fingers. Natsu watched, mesmerized, as her gown transformed into lingerie.

“I believe I’ll go to bed now. Care to join me?” She rarely used her cultured society girl voice, never really had a need to. But somehow the voice, the outfit, and the situation worked perfectly.

Natsu thought it was sexy as fuck.

By the time he got to the bed she had untied her panties and was laying on her back playing with her boobs. He could already see the delicious perk of her nipples peeking through the silky material.

He didn’t waste any time. Pants and briefs were discarded and he joined his beloved Lucy on the bed.

“Like what you see, love?”

“Yeah.”

“Then show me. Let’s make love, Natsu.”

“Anything for you, Lucy-baby.”

For most of the week, their activities had been more raunchy and wild. Tonight, though… Tonight was different. Each touch reverent, each kiss deep and tender. No animalistic frenzy, but rather, pure lovemaking in its barest form.

They moved together as one, Lucy’s legs wrapped around Natsu’s lower back, each motion accented by her little gasps and moans. Passion reached its peak and the pair crashed into one another’s arms.

Natsu rested his forehead on Lucy’s. More tender kisses, more sweet whispers of shared love.

For several moments relaxed shared silence. Then…

“hey Luce? Can we talk?”

“uhhh sure.” A pause. She snapped her fingers again, this time becoming wrapped in a nightgown that was simple and comfortable yet as beautiful as her other celestial garments.

She sat next to him on the bed.

“What’s up? Is something wrong?”

“Huh? Nah. Everything’s good. Lucy…” Here he took her hand. “…I wanna be your mate.”

Mate… The words made her blush.

“So you want to stay with me?”

“Duh. I just said that. Why not? I’ll even fix my place up for ya, make us a nice little cottage.”

“Natsu, you’d do all that…for me?”

“Yeah.” One word, accompanied by a genuine fang-bearing smile. Lucy couldn’t even attempt to verbalize her response. So, she pounced and hugged him, letting happy tears flow. “Is…that a yes?”

“duh…” Lucy giggled, face buried in chest and scarf. She heard Natsu laugh, relieved, and felt him run his hands through her hair.

“Gimme your hand.” Assuming he just wanted to hold her hand again Lucy did what she was told. Seconds later she felt him sliding something cool onto her finger.

Suddenly she knew exactly what Natsu had been working on earlier that week.

A ring… he made me a ring…

“Wow…it’s so pretty.” An opalescent blue stone was set in a cool metal band that fit her finger just right.

“Look on the inside.”

“Okay…?” Curious, Lucy slipped it off, and took a look at the inside of the band. There, in Natsu’s odd handwriting, were carved four letters. NaLu. Lucy couldn’t help smiling as she slipped the ring back on.

She also couldn’t help the tears of love and utter joy from flowing down her face as Natsu pulled her into a hug then kissed her.

Who would have thought…who could have ever imagined, that a week in quarantine for a silly magic bug would have changed so much?

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chaosangel767 · 3 years

Text

Business Vs. Pleasure Pt. 2

Fandom: Obey Me

Pairing Lucifer/ MC

Type: Angst

Pt. 1 Here

Warning: Swearing

*****The next Morning*****

You wake up slowly, a massive headache forming from all the crying last night. You felt like you had been hit by a truck. You locate your DDD to see tons of messages from the night before when the brothers found out you went home sick and Belphie telling them that you were sleeping and to leave you alone. Almost all the brothers personally texted you to make sure you were okay. Lucifer called you a bunch of times too. There was a lot of commotion in the group chat as well.

House of Lamentation Chat.

Lucifer: Y/n wake up, breakfast

Beel: Lucifer she wasn’t feeling good last night let her sleep

Asmo: Y/n what happened? Are you up

Belphie: Clearly not or she would have responded by now.

Mammon: I’m going to wake her up, it's almost afternoon

Beel: MAMMON LEAVE HER ALONE SHE IS SICK

Lucifer: Mammon I will hang you upside down if you disturb her

Y/n: I’m up guys, why are you screaming Mammon

Lucifer: hey sweetheart how are you feeling

Y/n: Like I got hit by a truck, my head is pounding

Beel: Want me to make you anything?

Lucifer: Take it easy Y/n don’t push yourself to much

Satan: Lunch will be ready in a couple hours if you feel hungry

Y/n :I’m not hungry right now, maybe I’ll come down for lunch

After confirming you were okay you crawled to the shower and started it. While waiting for the water to warm up you look in the mirror and notice your mark missing on your neck. You shake your head before calling Jack. As soon as he picked up he knew something was wrong, I told him everything that happened last night and he just sighed heavily. He talked to me and offered to make me a new dress so that I didn’t have any memories. I gladly accepted and sent him pictures from last night that Asmo had taken of me dancing with the brothers. He got me laughing like he always does and encouraged me to keep my head up. I hung up with him and took a shower feeling better now that my emotions were straightened out. I threw on a comfy outfit ( your choice) and noticed that Satan had announced lunch was ready. I walked out of my room and went to the table slipping in the free spot between Asmo and Beel. Lucifer looked up at me and shot me a smile. I attempt a smile back, but it comes out strained. I drop my head in my hands.

“Y/n would you mind going on a date with me tonight?” Lucifer asked, bringing me out of my daze. I struggle to think of an excuse, not ready to face him.

“She can't, we had a meeting with Simeon and Luke” Beel cut in quickly. I sigh and look to Lucifer.

“Beel is right, I have to head over to Purgatory hall.” I muster my best apologetic smile to Lucifer.

“Don’t forget we have a spa night planned” Asmo sings to me leaning over and cupping my cheek. “ It will help you relax since you aren’t feeling well” I nodded at him, feeling a little upset that I have to keep smiling. I stood up from my Lunch and took my plate to the kitchen.

“You barely ate Sweetheart. Are you sure you don’t want more?” Lucifer asks, catching me as I walk by. I look at him and shook my head, being with him was hurting too much. Beel and Belphie stand up.

“Ready Y/n we should head over soon if we want to get done before dinner” Beel tells me and I nod. We rinse our plates and Belphie whispers to me

“Let me know if you need anything okay?” I nod back and Belphie heads towards the attic while Beel and I head out of the house.

“You okay?” Beel asks once we are away from the hall. I shake my head and feel tears start to form.

“ I have no idea how I am going to make the next 6 months, all I see when I look at him is him pounding a Succubus. It won’t go away.” I said the last few words in a whisper, tears threatening to fall.

“Wait, why do you see that?” I hear Satan behind us, he was walking behind us to Purgatory hall. I gasp and Beel throws eyebrows at Satan.

“What are you doing following us?” Beel asks and now its Satan’s turn to raise his eyebrows at us.

“Solomon and I have to work on a project, so I am going over.” Satan explains. We travel the rest of the way in silence until we walk into Purgatory hall. Simeon and Luke greet us.

“Y/n how are you feeling, are you okay, did you talk to him?” Luke fires questions at me as he hugs me looking worried. I shake my head and sigh, Simeon takes my coat and Satan looks even more confused. Solomon comes in.

"Y/n why did Jack call me threatening murder and wanted me to go check on you?" Solomon looked concerned and I look at him sadly, trying not to cry right here.

“Y/n were you really sick last night or did something happen at the dance?” Satan questions me hanging up his coat and glaring at me.

“Perhaps we should talk about this over something to drink in the living room.” Simeon offers you shoot him a grateful smile and nod. We go to the living room and Simeon and Luke sit with me on a couch while Satan and Beel sit on the other couch. Solomon comes in with some tea and cookies for us and sits in a chair.

“What happened last night Y/n” Solomon breaks the silence first. Luke takes my hand and rubs circles into it calming me. Taking a sip of my tea I look up and meet everyone's eyes.

“Beel and I went looking for Lucifer last night during the party and found him doing some things with a couple of Succubi. I have some evidence and left without me seeing him. I ran into these two and they stayed with me until Beel and Belphie took me home. My mark kept burning last night too, but when I woke up this morning it was gone.” I explained, my voice starting to crack again. I couldn’t control the tears starting to fall down my face. My neck felt strange without the usual buzz from Lucifer’s mark. Usually when I touched it I could feel his warmth and heartbeat, but now my skin was cool to the touch and was like any other piece of skin. Simeon placed his arms around me and served as my anchor until I could control my emotions. Satan and Solomon looked at me shocked.

“Y/n are you sure your mark is gone?” Satan asked wide eyed, I nodded and pulled down the shoulder of my shirt showing that the mark was missing. Satan shook his head and swore. He was shaking trying not to switch to his demon form, a battle he quickly lost. He got up and was shaking in fury. You get up and wrap your arms around him.

“Satan please calm down, it was my fault for believing him” I quickly try to calm him down and Simeon walks over and places a hand on Satan’s shoulder helping calm him down. Satan calms down slowly and sits back down, fury still prominent in his eyes. You know he cares about you and has proven to be insanely protective of you in the past. You and Simeon sat back down on the couch with Luke.

“How are you feeling now?” he asks, looking worried at me.

“Drained and betrayed” I replied honestly,Satan looked at me sadly. “It's going to hurt more than normal for some time, your body is also dealing with losing his mark so you will be a lot more tired than usual.” Satan explained, he sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry Y/n, I can’t believe he did this, I wish there is a way to help.” Solomon just sat there and watched what unfolded with sympathetic eyes. After talking for a little bit longer, Solomon and Satan went off to work on their project and you watched movies with Beel, Simeon and Luke.

Suddenly your phone starts to blow up with texts from Lucifer.

Luci

Luci: Sweetheart are you feeling okay?

Y/n: I’m fine

Luci: Are you sure, something in our bond doesn’t feel right

Luci: What are you doing?

Y/n: We are studying with the angels

Luci: Why not study with Mammon or me?

Y/n:Simeon wanted to study with me and Luke made sweets

so Beel tagged along

Y/n: now excuse me I have work to do

Luci: Do not take that tone with me Y/n

Y/n: I have stuff to do Lucifer

Luci: Y/N!

Luci: We will talk when you get home

Y/n: Goodbye Lucifer

Luci: I love you Y/n

Y/n: …

5 missed calls from Luci

“Everything okay?” Beel whispered and I shook my head leaning on his shoulder.

“I may have just told Lucifer off, there is going to be hell to pay later” I reply, he groans and took my DDD reading the messages. He shuts off my DDD when Lucifer doesn't stop calling me. We continue to watch movies until Satan comes down from Solomon’s room.

“I’ve held off Lucifer for as long as possible. We need to go home” Satan informed us. I growl and stand up, Beel stands up a little slower.

“ If you need a place to get away Y/n you can always stay with us. “ Simeon offered and Luke nodded giving me a hug. I nod at them gratefully

“ I’ll keep that in mind, but for now I am going to confront a cheater” I told them, putting on my coat and walking out of the dorm with Satan and Beel. While on the way home I filled Satan in on my fight and he snorted at Lucifer getting possessive.

We walked into the house and it was eerily quiet. I walked into my room with Satan and Beel to see Lucifer sitting on my bed.

“Beel, Satan please leave.” Lucifer commands rising from my bed. Both brothers look at me and I nod, they turn around and walk out of my room shutting the door. I sigh and look at Lucifer. He closes the gap and grabs my shoulders.

“How dare you talk to me like that” He growls out, I glare at him and slowly feel anger built up.

“How dare you cheat on me and act like everything is okay the next day?” I growl back, I saw him visibly tense.

“ What did you say?” he asks again. I look him dead in the face.

“You heard me Lucifer” He pinned me against the wall.

“ DO NOT TALK LIKE THAT!!! I WOULD NEVER” He yells at me. My door flies open and the other brothers come in.

“Lucifer let her go,” Beel said warningly, and Satan is pissed. Luci released me.

“I SAW YOU LUCIFER. IT WASN’T ONE BITCH BUT TWO” I yelled back letting my anger finally go. I didn’t care that the other brothers had entered not knowing what was going on.

“YOU SAW NOTHING!” Lucifer grabbed you again.

“ I FUCKING SAW YOU, YOU WERE FUCKING ONE BITCH AND KISSING ANOTHER” I yank myself out of his grasp, tears finally spilling over. Lucifer looked at you shocked.

“What are you talking about human?” Mammon asked me. He and Levi looked so confused, I sigh and decide to tell them what happened.

“Last night I saw Lucifer cheating on me with 2 succubi.” I filled them in.

“ Y/n dear that doesn’t sound like Lucifer” Asmo was quick to defend Lucifer breaking my heart a little. Mammon and Levi quickly agree with him, clearly not believing me. Lucifer smirked at me.

“Enough Y/n, you need to calm down and tell the truth. You have been cheating on me with Beel.” Lucifer crossed his arms and the brothers all looked at me. I snapped, seeing red and realizing that he was enjoying himself.

“I have done no such thing” I defend, Lucifer’s eyes go narrow and he transforms into his demon form. He goes to hit me but Beel blocks the hit. Belphie and Satan transform into their demon form and stand protectively in front of me. Belphie wraps his arms around me. The other brothers look in shock. Lucifer looked shocked that they would stand up for me.

“I was there last night Lucifer, I saw you cheating on her. I don’t know why you did it and I don’t care, but you do not hurt her because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.” Beel told him as he released his hand and Lucifer backed up.

“ Wait, Lucifer is this true?” Asmo asked in doubt, the fact that the twins and Satan are defending you is making them rethink. I decide to tell Lucifer about my mark and then escape to the library before things escalate more.

“You told me you felt something was wrong with our bond, well it's true, funny you just did not realize it. My mark is fucking gone because you of you. But now i know what it means when my mark burns, you have never been faithful.” I pulled down my shirt revealing the healed spot. Lucifer’s eyes widened and he sits on my bed, clearly dazed by the fact my mark had left and that I found out his secret. I turned and left my room with Satan and the twins.

I fled to the library and Satan put up his hexes so that no one could enter and made the library soundproof. I sent the group the video of Lucifer cheating just to make sure everyone knows and turned off my DDD. I tried to keep the tears at bay, but eventually they spilled over. The twins pulled me into one of the library nooks and let me cry. Satan looked at me sadly and sat in the nook with us. Beel pulled me onto his lap, Belphie was on one side and Satan as on the other. Satan started to read poems to me and Belphie started to play with my hair. The boys held me until I fell asleep.

These three boys and the angels become my anchors the next 6 months, as I heal and finish the exchange program. Luci tried multiple times to get back with me, but I held my ground against his advances. Even Lord Diavolo told him to give up. I had learned my lesson, never mix business and pleasure, even though the lesson came too late.

#obey me #obey me fanfic #lucifer obey me #hurt #angst

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luverofralts · 3 years

Text

Post Arkhelios

All was calm at the Bellamy house. Hunter was trying to read a book, while Kamalani worked on a new piece, distracting him with the noise. Omar had gone home with Adam, now even more angry with his parents and ex-wife, but neither Salem or Malika had really noticed. Salem was trying to stay calm so that he wouldn’t have a heart attack like poor Giovanni. The legal papers from Roman had been recently delivered by Yvette Durant, who was stepping out of retirement just to help Roman. Her absolute glee at his situation was just appalling.

He had just finished writing cheques to Roman’s old school for tuition that was apparently non refundable, as well as another bill for Roman’s hospital stay and ambulance. For someone trying to divorce himself from the family, Roman sure was costing him a lot of money.

Without warning, Melvin Hydes burst through the door, with Tanya as back up. Hunter looked around for his parents or somewhat estranged wife. What was going on?

“Kamalani Bellamy, you are under arrest for the murder of Abraham Helios, and the attempted murder of Roman Bellamy.”

Melvin read her her rights as the rest of the Bellamy family swarmed the room to see what was happening.

“You’re making a mistake, officer. I have nothing to do with either crime. Why would I shoot my own son?”

“No idea, but people do terrible things with little incentive all the time,” Melvin answered. He gestured at Tanya to take Kamalani to the car.

“You can’t do this!” Salem was suddenly feeling faint. First Roman, and now this? “There’s no way Kamalani would do either of those things! She loves her son, and she barely even knew Abraham.”

Melvin also brought a warrant, stating that he was allowed to search the house for anything related to the murder and attempted murder. Salem and Malika waited outside while Hunter and Wanda began arguing in the hall.

“This is insane Wanda, why are you letting him do this?”

“He’s the police, Hunter, it’s what he gets paid to do. I have nothing to do with this. Everyone wanted these murders solved, and we’re finally making progress.”

“This is just a witch hunt against a powerful family,” Hunter insisted. “I bet Elaine is behind this, or Jolanda...or someone.”

“It’s a what hunt?” the witch snapped. “You’re going to blame your biological mother before your ex-sister in law? Open your eyes, Kamalani is guilty!”

“My mother is my mother, not Elaine,” Hunter spat back. “I haven’t said two words to Elaine this whole year. I have no idea of what she’s capable of, but I do know Kamalani. This is wrong.”

Wanda sighed deeply. Hunter was an incredibly loyal person to the people he loved, even if they didn’t deserve it.

“Why is Roman emancipating himself then, and not recovering here with his loving mother? Don’t you think that’s suspicious? I saw him in the hospital. He’s terrified of her!”

Hunter looked like he had a response, but then thought better of it. Instead he nodded.

“Yeah, I’m really worried about him. He’s in love with Abe though and Abe’s family could be lying to him about her.” He looked suddenly unsure of himself. “But it is really weird for him. He used to be so close with my mom and dad.”

Melvin collects evidence and then celebrates a matching fingerprint with an unprofessional cheer, like his favourite team just scored a goal.

News spread quickly throughout Arkhelios that possibly at least one of the most recent tragedies had a prime suspect in custody. It was something people had begun to think would never happen. Lucy called Ulyssa to tell her the news, since it’s not like Arkhelios was big enough to make the news in a huge country like Pleasantview.

Ulyssa was as ecstatic as everyone back home.

“Oh my god, Kamalani shot Abraham? Why?”

“Why would she shoot her own son?” Lucy replied. “Obviously she had a reason. That’s probably why she just left her family after Abraham died. Wanda says that the bullets from both crime scenes match the same gun, which is registered to Salem. It was a gift or something from Abraham when they founded the town together, and she stole it to kill him. Salem hadn't seen it in years and thought Giovanni had stolen it out of spite. Her fingerprints were all over it.”

“No way! We have to talk about this face to face, this is too crazy. Hold on.”

Ulyssa hung up and concentrated as a hard as she could into preforming the correct hand gestures needed to summon someone. With a loud pop, Lucy suddenly appeared in the main hall, looking shocked.

“Ulyssa! You’ve gotten better at magic! You just stole me out of my house and all the way here? That’s so cool!”

Lucy hugged her friend, lingering just a little bit too long and inhaling the smell of Ulyssa’s perfume. Even after going on a few dates with Margery, she apparently still had a giant, hopeless crush on Ulyssa. At least she hadn’t been in her pjs with messy hair when she’d been summoned,

“Yeah, it’s been hard work, but it definitely comes in handy,” Ulyssa laughed. “Although, I hope you’re not pregnant like your brother. Multiple skeletons are very hard to account for.”

Lucy blushed. There was no way she could be pregnant, but she liked the idea of Ulyssa thinking that Lucy could be sexually active. It would maybe keep her from seeing Lucy as just a little sister, and closer to a possible romantic partner.

That was until Maura showed up and gave Ulyssa a quick kiss before running down the hall on the way to a study group. Lucy watched Ulyssa’s face change when Maura had arrived and sighed. She thought Ulyssa was with some guy, but there had been no mistaking the way Ulyssa lit up when Maura came over. Lucy still had no chance with her, that girl was completely in love.

“Well, let me catch you up on the drama,” Lucy exclaimed, linking her arm with Ulyssa’s and putting on her best smile. “You can get me one of those fancy coffees, this will probably be a while.”

#ts2 #sims 2 #post arkhelios #arkhelios #lucy chun #Ulyssa durant #kamalani bellamy #Bellamy family #Melvin Hydes #minor arkhelios spoilers

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vannahfanfics · 3 years

Note

Request: GrayLu; "Life in Every Breath" from Lucy's POV

Hey, Anon, thank you for waiting patiently! Here it is!

Beat of Life

Alternatum to Heartbeat and Life in Every Breath

Lucy swallowed thickly as she stared down at the heavy leather-bound tome in her lap— the Book of E.N.D. Natsu’s life was tied to this strange book, she considered as she brushed her hand over its uneven, rune-carved surface. Her hand was just as marred, littered with scrapes and bruises accumulated through the conflict with Zeref and his armor. Second by second, they were inching closer to the climax, and Lucy could not let it end with Natsu’s death.

Gray’s breath puffed in her as he leaned over her shoulder, drinking in the book with just as much apprehension and awe. He’d calmed down after his attempt to destroy the book, thankfully, but the fact that they’d come so close to just snuffing out Natsu’s existence made anxiety churn in her belly. Or maybe it was the fact that Gray was so close, his cheek brushing against hers as he leaned in to get a closer look. She couldn’t think about that now; she had to focus.

“I’m going to open it now,” she murmured, but her fingers trembled along the hardcover of the book. She had to in order to save Natsu’s life, but she had no idea what was ahead. However, she set her expression into a determined frown; she couldn’t be scared! Her best friend’s life was on the line! Whatever would come, Gray was right there to support her, and he iterated that by gently bumping his chest with her back and whispering, “You got this, Lucy. Let’s save Natsu.”

Before she could change her mind, she flipped the book open. For the briefest of seconds, it seemed like the world took a deep breath in anticipation. The wind died, the discarded leaves finding respite on the cracked cobblestone; even the clouds seemed to freeze, ceasing their endless drift across the heavens. The world and everything in it was in limbo. And then, that breath was released.

Light exploded from the book with a shrieking roar, along with a great buffeting gale that had Lucy’s golden hair flapping around her face. One of her pigtails whipped back to smack Gray across the cheek, based on his pained grunt. Then, to her amazement, the characters inked upon the age pages began to move. As if carried by the gales springing from within, they danced into the open air, swirling upwards to form great, circling, interlocked chains of words.

“What are they?” Gray whispered in her ear. Lucy’s mouth hung open as she gazed at them, struggled to make sense of the moving and shifting characters. Gradually, the text came into focus— the Book of E.N.D., of course!

“They’re all about Natsu,” she whispered, squinting as she studied the words more deeply. Surely, these strange sentences contained a hint on how to save him! She leaned forward in her concentration, scanning and scanning and scanning, until—

She screamed as the world heaved underneath them. The book snapped shut as it was flung from Lucy’s lap, causing the words to dissolve into the dust clouds now filling the air. As she tumbled into the air too, she reached for it, desperate not to lose the one lifeline she had to Natsu’s life. She gasped when she felt Gray’s arms wind around her waist, and then his broad, muscled chest was pressed against hers. She didn’t even have time to be embarrassed about it before they crashed back to earth. Gray groaned as his bare skin met the rough cobblestone of the street, but he had spared Lucy such an unforgiving landing; embraced by him, she just flopped into his body, and stayed there until the world finally stopped rumbling and shuddering.

“What was that?” complained Happy, who was rubbing his head while he lay sprawled out on his belly next to them. Gray was leaning his head back, eyebrows furrowed as he gazed in the direction of the guild.

“I’m assuming it’s Natsu, since it’s coming from where he’s fighting Zeref,” he predicted. Once the aftershocks had faded, he loosened his grip on her. Despite his help, a dull ache pounded in her head from being jostled about, so she pressed her palm to the side of her head with a small groan. When she finally regained her wits, she gasped in alarm— had she really seen something that terrible in the text? Gray yelped when she kneed him in the stomach in her attempt to crawl off of him, shambling on her hands and knees back to the book.

Once more, she flipped it open. The words spilled out into the open air— and her worst fears were confirmed. One by one, characters were popping out of existence.

“Lucy, what’s happening?” Gray demanded, crawling up behind her. Lucy watched with wide, tearful eyes as more characters disappeared. No! This couldn’t happen! It couldn’t end like this!

“Natsu’s hurt really bad!” she cried, and she heard Gray suck in a breath. She had to do something, anything! Just as Gray sat behind her again, she fished her magic pen out of her pocket and sucked in a breath. She didn’t know if this would work, but she had to try. Their friend’s life was at stake! She held up the pen, like a director poised to conduct a symphony— the symphony of Natsu’s entire existence. “If I rewrite the missing characters, I should be able to save him,” she asserted. Even from that mere glimpse, she thought she knew what was missing— so, one by one, she began to scrawl them in the air.

She could feel Gray tense behind her, and she glanced down to see his fists balled up by his sides. He could only watch as his friend’s life ebbed away, and she battled to save it. It must be maddening, she thought. She wished she could comfort him somehow, and so she tried to reach out to brush his leg, just to show that she knew his pain—

Suddenly, it felt like fire surged through her veins. It tore an anguished scream from her throat, arching her back and freezing her in the middle of writing. She’d never felt such pain; it felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out. Her teary eyes drifted to her hand, where she was alarmed to find tendrils of dark red-orange magic dying her skin and slowly snaking up her arm.

“Lucy!” Gray exclaimed, and she could only respond with an agonized groan. Oh, it hurt, it hurt. Her body trembled violently, rattling her teeth in her skull like she was freezing, but in reality she was burning, she was on fire. Gray put a hand on the small of her back to steady her quaking body, but it sent more flares of pain through her sensitized nerves, causing her to his.

“M-my body,” she whimpered. “It’s so hot, I’m burning!” With another painful spike of pain she collapsed, curling on her side into Gray. It hurt to touch him, to feel the sweat smearing between her flushed skin and his own, but she also felt comforted by his presence. Moaning, she pressed against him, trying to leech as much of that comfort as she could to chase the godawful torment away.

“It must be a rebound!” she heard Happy cry. “Natsu’s magic is overtaking her body!” Gray’s hands fluttered over her skin, afraid to touch her because she whined each time the pads of his fingers hit her searing skin. She still crooned and looked up at him with weary eyes as he brushed a few sweat-slicked strands of blonde hair from her face.

“It’s okay, Lucy, you’ve done enough,” he said and reached for the magic pen, which she still clutched in her hand. She clenched her teeth tightly; she couldn’t give up just because of a little pain! She forced herself to grab onto Gray’s shoulder and hoist herself up, though it felt like all the muscle fibers in her body ripped in doing so. “Hey! Don’t overexert yourself!” Gray ordered, but she just lifted the pen again with a few heavy pants.

“I can do this!” she said, mostly to convince herself. “If I just finish re-writing this section, then I can change Natsu’s fate.” Squeezing her eyes shut, she forced herself through the almost insurmountable task of twirling the pen through the air again, scrawling out the characters that would save Natsu from certain death.

She gasped when a sudden coolness spread over her body, and she looked back to see Gray generated a swirling, icy wind behind her. He gave her a reassuring smile and said, “Got it. Let’s save our idiot, Lucy.”

As the chill spread through her system and kept the fiery poison at bay, Lucy felt herself relaxing, melting back against him a bit; however, with every minute that passed, the strange black magic tendrils crawled further and further up her body. She sucked in a breath when she felt it spreading across her chest, the spines invading her nerves to feel like it was wrapping around her heart and squeezing tight. She fought through the pain, one eye screwed shut and her teeth clenched. Just a little more…!

Just as her vision began to swim before her eyes, she wrote in the last character. She slumped forward with a wheeze, her arms falling limp; her hand didn’t even have the strength to hold the pen anymore, so it rolled across the cobblestone before settling next to Happy’s paws.

“I did it… It’s done…” she wheezed between ragged breaths. The text spiraled back down into the pages, settling within the ink, before the book flipped shut. As she pawed at her heart, digging her fingers into her skin to try and pry out the magic instinctively, she looked up to see the book fading away. Tears bloomed in Lucy’s eyes. Did it work? Or was she too late?

“Lucy?” Gray asked, and she turned her face into his chest to avoid the question.

“I don’t know,” she admitted weakly. “I did everything I could…” Still, it felt like even that had not been enough, and she whimpered as she pressed into Gray for comfort. She needed him now, more than she’d ever needed anything before, it felt like. Tutting soothingly, Gray gently guided her so her back was resting against his chest and her head was tilted back over his shoulder, her crimped and sweaty strands of blonde hair falling over her face.

“You did great,” he assured her in a soft whisper and brushed her hair away with tender touches. She managed a tired, serene smile just as the book faded into nothingness. Her eyes fluttered as she stared up at the blue, blue sky and the clouds drifting within. Gradually, he graze was drawn to Gray, to the chiseled line of his jaw and his messy blue-black hair and his glinting ice-chip eyes. As the sun streamed down and fell into his hair like strings of ice water, she marveled at how handsome he was, how handsome he’d always been to her.

She thought then of all they’d been through together, and how he was here with her now, holding her so close with his hand digging into her hip like he never wanted to let her go, and she realized it.

She wanted to tell him, but all that came out was a strained gurgling noise— that’s because her heart had suddenly convulsed in her chest, driving all the air from her body. Her hands snapped to her sternum, pushing down like she could force her heart to start beating again, but her consciousness was already slipping. No, she thought weakly as the darkness encroached upon the edges of her vision. She could dimly hear Gray calling her name, or maybe she was imagining it? She wasn’t sure.

No, she thought again as she slipped into the blackness. I wanted to tell him that I…

Emptiness. A void. Where was she going? Where had she been? She looked around with a lidded gaze into the nothingness, and had the strangest sensation of being called home. Was that her mother’s voice? Her father’s, too? Were they together, and had they resolved their differences? She longed to go toward them, she realized as she stretched out her hand toward the gleaming light taking shape before her. And yet… And yet… Something held her back.

“Come on!”

Whose voice was that?

“Come on!”

It sounded familiar.

“Come on!”

Gray? That was his name. She felt a warm, bubbly feeling rise up within her as the image of a handsome dark-haired man took shape in her mind. Gray… She loved him, yes, she did. She couldn’t go yet, even though she longed to look upon her mother’s face. She still had so much yet to do, so much yet to say… to him.

“Come on, Lucy! Don’t die!”

“I’m coming,” she tried to say, but there was no sound in this endless void. So, she turned away from the light and started running, starting searching for him in the dark. His voice echoed all around her, but yet she had the feeling of getting closer, closer, closer…

“I love you, Lucy! Please don’t leave me!”

Light exploded all around her, and then she was on her back, heaving for breath while the azure sky blazed above her. And then Gray was there, hauling her up, whispering her name as he hugged her tight enough to crush her heart all over again. Her sternum burned from where he’d been frantically compressing it, but she was alive. She was alive. He was sobbing into her golden hair, and she managed enough strength to shakily tug at the black tufts at the base of his neck.

“Gray,” she managed hoarsely. “Gray, I’m okay… I’m okay…” His trembling hand came to her neck to feel the blood pulsing through her carotid, and she felt him melt against her. She felt tears flood her eyes at the desperate gesture, and they carved through the layer of dirt and sweat on her cheeks. He pulled back to look at her with broken eyes and an equally broken laugh, then started touching her face like he wanted to commit it to memory.

He swept a fingertip down her cheek, over her jawline, and then swiped a thumb gently over her lip. Lucy parted her mouth ever-so-slightly, the softness of her lips embracing the pad of his finger, and blinked expectantly.

He jerked her forward to kiss her passionately, hungrily, desperately. She fell against him as what little breath she had recovered was stolen away, and every time she fought for a gasp of air, her chest brushed over his. She tangled her fingers into the messy strands of his hair while his snuck to her waist, fixing her place while he pushed the kiss impossibly deeper. Lucy felt like he was drinking her up, savoring everything she was to make himself whole, and she would let him because she was doing just the same. When they finally broke apart they both sucked in deep breaths, then stared into one another’s eyes like they were meeting for the first time.

“I love you, Lucy,” he murmured with another caress of her face, and despite everything, she blushed.

“I love you too, Gray.”

He pulled her into another hug, and they both buried their faces into each other’s necks. As she pressed the tip of her nose against his jugular, she could feel the pulse beneath. Bump-bump-bump-bump: the beat of life, of love, of passion. It was such a beautiful sound, she considered for the first time. And she wanted to hear it every day forever.

And as Gray whispered once again that he loved her while pressing sweet kisses into her skin, she had no doubt that she would.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

#graylu #gray x lucy #lucy x gray #gray fullbuster #lucy heartfilia #fairy tail

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starlene · 3 years

Text

All beauty must die

The aftermath of Edward Hyde’s last date with Lucy Harris.

Content warnings for heaven knows what... including violence against women, sadism, murder, blood, and masturbation next to a dead body to top it all off! (I hesitate to call it necrophilia because personally, I don’t think it’s about that per se – but if you do interpret it that way, I can’t really blame you.)

Enjoy :)

It was nothing short of magical.

How, in a matter of seconds, a living, breathing, alive human being could be turned into a carcass. How, in a twisted imitation of transubstantiation, a living creature could be changed into a pile of lifeless matter.

How, in a couple of decisive movements, one could put an end to another person's existence.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, they said. But in these exhilarating moments, it was not God who did the taking. It was Edward Hyde and Edward Hyde alone, and he didn’t have to ask God for permission.

(Embarking upon their first anatomical dissections in medical school, some of Henry's fellow students had admitted that though they knew the bodies lying before them were stone-dead, they still somehow felt nervous about dissecting them, inexplicably feeling like their scalpels were hurting the dead men. Henry didn't understand their concern. From day one, his cuts were sure and deep.)

Hyde pressed his hands against the deep cut running across the girl's throat, feeling the warm blood that was still pouring out, running over his fingers and soaking his shirtsleeves. The surge of divine power still radiating through his body had to find its release somewhere. He slid a bloodied hand into his trousers.

For a moment, both occupants of Edward Hyde’s body were lost in a wordless, thoughtless sense of bliss.

(For Henry, Hyde taking the lead was like falling asleep. He kept slipping in and out of consciousness, his thoughts wandering around aimlessly. Sometimes, he could remember his dreams afterwards. Other times they blended into an intangible blur, to be forgotten as soon as he woke up.)

At first, Hyde had been eager to do Jekyll's bidding, gladly getting rid of the people Jekyll wanted to get rid of.

Lately, however, their opinions had started to differ.

Jekyll's solution to this particular problem had been to bribe the girl, to send her away and to make her feel indebted to him so she wouldn't rat him out. Hyde knew better than that. He knew that she knew. He knew that letting her live was too dangerous, and that knowledge left him with only one way to deal with her.

Besides, it was not as if she loved him. No. It was Jekyll that she loved, and Hyde that she despised. She was a terrible liar, unable to hide her disappointment whenever she saw Hyde entering her room… even though nine times out of ten, it was him and not Jekyll.

In her eyes, Jekyll was a vision of the man Hyde could be. The man Hyde would be, eventually, if she only stayed patient and loyal and obedient for long enough.

In Hyde's eyes, she was faithless and Jekyll was becoming a hindrance.

Hyde never worried about getting caught. For all the trouble he gave him, Jekyll was his perfect front, his impeccable hiding place. Visiting the Doctor’s house in the good part of town, listening to him discuss the latest scientific discoveries over dinner, no one could ever guess the secret he was hiding.

Recently, though, cracks had started appearing in the facade.

John knew everything. Hyde couldn’t understand what had possessed him to do it, but Jekyll had forced him to reveal their secret to him. Thus far, John’s loyalty towards Jekyll had taken the upper hand over his respect for the law, but Hyde knew even the strongest allegiance could shift. Emma also suspected something. The afternoon they had found her in Jekyll’s laboratory, reading Jekyll’s diary, Hyde had wanted to finish her off where she stood.

That time, Jekyll had held him back.

Despite his wealth and his smarts, Henry Jekyll didn't have too many people in the world that truly cared about him, cared enough to notice something was amiss... but the ones he had, Hyde feared, would go into great lengths in their attempts to save their beloved Henry. Thus, they would have to be dealt with. Like Hyde had dealt with the girl lying on the blood-soaked sheets before him.

(Henry hadn't been in love with her, not quite yet, but he had been falling fast. If he was being honest with himself, nearly every action he took was motivated by some selfish ambition – but sending her the money had been a rare selfless act. He had only wanted to keep her safe from his own worst impulses.)

So two to go, and then, no one would care what Henry Jekyll was up to anymore.

Hyde’s hand was still resting on the girl’s throat, his fingers radiating warmth onto her cooling skin.

(Henry felt his thoughts slowing down, settling into their habitual patterns after a long confused drift. He smelled the familiar metallic scent of blood, but something felt out of place. He wasn’t supposed to be doing this. Not anymore. He had already taken his revenge. He had sworn he wouldn’t ever again indulge this part of himself.)

He knew he should take his leave, make sure no one saw him, but the sight of the girl mesmerized him. He stalled. It was almost a shame it had to end like this. Sure, she hadn’t liked him, but they had certainly fit together in other ways.

(No. Please, no. Please. Not her.)

He tried to rise from the bed to leave the room, but something held him in place.

Jekyll.

How long had he been watching?

And how come Hyde hadn’t noticed him there?

Hyde had wanted to hurt Jekyll, that much was certain, but he had also wanted to get out before Jekyll took control. The man couldn’t be trusted with their secret anymore. He might end up making a scene, and then, both of them would be as good as dead.

(Remembering his own excitement and ecstasy over the girl’s soul leaving her body, Henry felt a sense of regret blended with disgust, desire and horror unlike anything he had ever felt before. He wanted to slip back into the background, to keep sleeping. Maybe he could only wake up after Hyde had killed everyone he had ever loved, and everyone else had forgotten all about him, and he wouldn’t have to feel this nauseous mix of thrill and terror any longer.

But he was wide awake now, unable to push himself back into oblivion.)

Hyde could not stay in the present anymore. His mind was slipping away from him. It was his turn to drift away and fall asleep.

Henry put his hand on Lucy’s cheek. It was cool to the touch already, and his attempt at a gentle gesture stained her face with her own blood. Her vacant eyes stared deep into nothing, but he didn't try to close them, not wanting to leave another mark on her face.

How could it be that, even now, she looked so enchantingly beautiful?

Eventually, someone would find her here. Maybe one of the other girls would come to her room to look for her before the midnight performance, only to find her pale and empty-eyed, lying on her bed, blood still slowly dripping onto the floor and her killer's handprint pressed onto her cheek.

His mind reeling and his vision pulsing in time with his heartbeat, Henry knew he had no other option than to leave, and leave fast.

If only he could also leave behind the feeling.

The sickening, rousing feeling of excitement rising in his stomach, each time he remembered how euphoric it had been to take the life of a woman who had loved him.

#Jekyll and Hyde #Jekyll & Hyde #Henry Jekyll #Edward Hyde #Lucy Harris #this story is brought to you by my 'The Best of Tomas Ledin' playlist #it refills my supply of good vibes and keeps me going #the title is of course brought to you by Nick Cave... and unlike aforementioned Swedish songs that one actually fits the tone of this!#my stories.

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thenextchapter22 · 4 years

Text

Happy Halloween

Word Count: 2.7k

Summary: You are walking home from work on Halloween night and get taken to a party...filled with monsters.

A/N: I just wrote this yesterday and I did not expect it to be so long. I was planning on it being a drabble haha. This features all the demon brothers as different Halloween monsters, some I took from Obey Me! and others I came up with. Please enjoy! :))

Halloween night was almost nearing its end. There were no kids out, it was time for the adults to party. Saturday night and a full moon? It was perfect. But you were in no mood. Yeah, your girlfriends were out with their sexy costumes on, but you had an apartment you lived in alone you had to afford so you had to take this extra night at work when you were offered the chance.

______

The night was chilling and the moon was full. You were so ready to go home after a long shift, have a glass of wine, and then pass out watching some good scary movies eating candy and popcorn. Sadly, this would be done alone, but you didn’t really care about that much anyway.

The walk home wasn’t long but it sure felt like it was. You tugged your coat around your body to keep warm, and headed down the cobblestoned alleyway to your apartment.

“Hello, there,” a voice said behind you.

You jumped and turned. A strange man in a dark hooded outfit stood in the center of the path, and you could just see his smirk on a pale face. You took a few steps back, ready to fight. Those self-defense classes were not going to be for nothing.

“What do you want?” you asked plainly. Damn, you didn’t have your pocket knife or pepper spray. How stupid could you be, fucking hell.

“I just want… a little bite…”

You paused and tilted your head. “What? Did you follow me from the restaurant, because it’s still open for a couple hours if you’re looking to eat?”

He glided closer, and his face was more visible in the street light above you. He was stunning, and you were in awe at first. Then you saw his eyes dark red. And he had a black diamond on his forehead. What was this guy dressed up as? And he seemed a bit older to go trick or treating…

“Look into my eyes,” he said in a seductive tone.

You did, and waited. If he was going to attack you, you would defend yourself. You were not going to attack first because that would be stupid, he could have a knife or something.

He blinked a few times, and then stepped back. He pushed his hood off and sighed. Wow, he was like a dark angel. “Well, if you would have simply said something I wouldn’t have gone through all of that. Obviously my enchantment was for naught. Are you going to the party? If so, it’s this way.” The man turned, and looked back with a raised brow. “Well?”

You stumbled after him. “Uh, yes, the party…”

Well, it looked like you had something to do after all. Follow this sexy man to a party. It was Halloween.

_+_

You kept staring at him as you walked the streets, which were pretty bare. He seemed to notice it because he glanced back at you, and each time you flushed scarlet. He chuckled each time as well.

“You’re very beautiful when you blush,” he said suddenly, making you jump. “My name is Lucifer.” You introduced yourself, and he nodded and smiled. “Pleased to meet you.”

Eventually you both ended up at a large mansion. You sincerely hoped this wasn’t some elaborate trap. Also, why did you follow him? How stupid were you?

He held open the door for you, and smirked while you awed at the incredible house. “It’s King Diavolo’s property. I assume from your expression you have never been to his annual party?”

You shook your head. “N-no.” King Diavolo?

“Hm, interesting. Let me take your coat,” he said, and you gave it to him. Lucifer placed it in a closet and then offered his arm, which you took. You felt so under-dressed, but you supposed you could say your costume was a waitress (even though you were one, technically).

Once you entered the next room, you could hear and see the lights of a party in full swing. Then the double doors opened and it was booming bass and flashing lights assaulting your hearing and vision. Glancing around you saw all types of costumes. Demons, Werewolves, Vampires, Mummies, and more. Some were really well done, too. It was a rave of faux monsters and you were just in a plain every day outfit.

“What do you think?”

“It’s… wow!”

He agreed. “Come, let’s get you a drink. I didn’t get mine so I’m quite thirsty.”

You both walked around the dance floor to reach a smaller section of food and drinks where only two people stood.

“Beel, Belphie, this is my… new acquaintance. These are my brothers.” Then Lucifer turned his head sharply to the left and sighed. “Excuse me, my brother is causing problems. I’ll be right back. Beel, Belphie, you’ll stay with her. She has never been here before.”

And Lucifer left you with the two at the side table full of food. One person was wearing a stitched clothing look, and had stiches all over his face and hands as well. He was portraying Frankenstein’s monster, obviously.

He stopped chewing and spoke, “My name is Beel, and this is Belphie, my twin brother.” He ignored your suspicious glance at the term ‘twin’ and continued eating the food in front of him.

Belphie yawned. He leaned against the table, and blinked blearily. He was so pale, paler than Lucifer, even. Did he wear a costume? He just looked sickly. “Are you well?” you asked on impulse.

Belphie smirked. “You’re very sweet to ask, hm? I wonder… Are you a hum—”

“Beel, how many time do I have to tell you? This food is not all for you.” Lucifer’s voice rang out.

He was suddenly beside you, with someone else in tow. A tanned man with little to nothing on, jeans and no shirt with a dog costume featuring wolf ears and a tail. He had a sharp-toothed grin as he looked you up and down.

“Mammon, stop drooling. It’s disgusting. I apologize for his behavior, we didn’t get to train him properly.” Lucifer went to Beel, then, and was attempting to rearrange the food on the table and show him what he could eat.

While the twins chuckled, Mammon rolled his eyes. “Hey, I’m just appreciating the view, that’s all!”

You blushed. “W-what? I’m not some piece of meat, you know!”

Mammon licked his lips. “To me, sweet cheeks, you are.” He winked. How rude was that!

“Hey, I didn’t know we all were getting together! Why wasn’t I invited?”

“Because your annoying, Levi,” Belphie said monotonously.

Levi was a purple haired man with a witch hat and scepter in hand. He had ridiculous stripped tights on, too. But he was kind of adorable.

“Rude! I am not annoying, you are! Always moaning around and sleeping, so stupid!” He looked at you, then, and you raised a brow, ready to introduce yourself. But he suddenly laughed. “Wow, if I wasn’t busy I would totally do something about this normie. Okay, who wants to have some fun?” He waived his wand, sparks coming out at the tip, which you thought was a cool trick.

Mammon raised his hand. “Oh, I am in. If it involves some money I’m double in. Let’s go!” Mammon blew you a kiss, and you thought you saw his tail wagging. But that was impossible.

Beel was still speaking with Lucifer when you noticed Mammon being dragged off by the witchy-boy. “I can’t help it if my stomach is like this, you know, it’s just the parts I was given.”

Lucifer sighed. “I know. Next time I’ll make sure Barbatos knows you are coming so he can prepare.”

“No need. I have brought more food for Beel to enjoy so the other guests can as well.” Another sudden appearance, this time with a bat-ear wearing butler dressed man. He also wore a tail? Why all the tails? Seriously, though, if there were any more people popping up out of nowhere you would have a heart attack.

Beel’s face brightened. You couldn’t help but smile, too. “Thanks!” he said, and he dug in.

“Yes, thank you, Barbatos. It’s much appreciated.”

“As I said, it’s not a problem,” the so-called Barbatos said. Then he looked you over, raised a brow, and shook his head. “Not another one.” And he walked away.

You had no clue what that meant, but before you could think more on it another person showed up (you actually saw them walking over, thankfully). This man was tall and dressed in white, with white angel wings behind him.

He smiled at Lucifer. “Ah, Lucifer, I was hoping to see you. It’s been a while. I hope you’re well?”

“I am, thank you. This is my new companion.” Lucifer gestured to you.

The man frowned. “Luci, don’t tell me...”

“No, no, Simeon, she is one of us. I’m not sure what, but you know how impolite it is to ask.”

You were lost yet again, but oh well. It was a party with people you really didn’t know, there were bound to be inside jokes, right?

“Yes, of course.” Simeon smiled at you, and took your hand to kiss it. His lips were smooth and he was basically as perfect as Lucifer, only darker skin and brighter eyes. “Pleasure. Don’t let Lucifer corrupt this bright soul of yours. Enjoy the party.” And he left, asking Lucifer to contact him more.

Lucifer stroked your lower back and you shivered. “Are you cold?” He draped his cloak around you, and you could smell his scent. It was subtle, almost like breathing in cool air with a hint of spice.

He smirked. “Would you like to dance, darling?”

You blushed, but nodded. Lucifer took you out on the dance floor.

“This is so fun,” you said. “I never really go out on Halloween. Usually I stay home.”

“Well, I am glad to have you here with me now.” He leaned in and breathed in against your neck. “Hm, I would love to taste you, however. Shame.”

You stuttered. “U-uh-um…”

He chuckled. “A shy type, hm? Very endearing.”

“LUUUCIIIFERRR!”

He stopped spinning you and pulled you close, and you leaned into him. He wasn’t warm, but he wasn’t cold, either. It was like he had no heat at all to give or receive.

“Asmodeus. I am busy, bother me later.”

“But Mammon is—”

“If he isn’t eating anyone, then leave me alone.”

“Aw, who is your friend? She looks so sweet! Not your type, that’s for sure!” he giggled.

“This is my brother, Asmo. Please, if he does anything to you, let me know.”

The three of you walked to the side of the dance floor and you got a good look at Asmo. He was beautiful. There were fake scales of all colors highlighting his cheeks and neck, and he wore a tight cat-suit. You assumed he was either dressed like a snake or lizard, but you were not sure.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, darling~” He kissed your cheek, and you blushed. He giggled. “I’m a siren, but I promise I won’t sing to you. I couldn’t let this gorgeous face shrivel up!”

You widened your eyes. Wow, these party-goers were super serious on their roles. Maybe this was a huge LARP party.

“Asmodeus, is Mammon behaving himself or not?”

“Ah, yes, yes, he is not, no.”

Lucifer looked pissed. “What is he doing?”

“Oh, you know. The usual.” Asmo waved his hand around like it was noting.

Clearly it wasn’t, as Lucifer strolled away so fast you swore if you had blinked he’d be gone. “What—?”

Asmo laughed at you. “He does that a lot. Anyways, my dear, I must be going. I have a lot of fans to see and people to seduce~ Keep to the side and you’ll be safe! Oh, and call me if you want to have some fun later,” and he was gone.

Left alone for the first time, you actually glanced around. The party was stunning and so were to people. You were glad you went out. Meeting Lucifer and his brothers was fun, even if they were a little weird.

“Here, have another drink.”

You glanced over to see a blonde man dressed in a red and black cloak with striking blue eyes. He also wore false vampire fangs. He nodded at the table, and held out a red solo cup to you. “It’s from the punch bowl. Nothing too strong, no alcohol either.”

You took what the blonde vampire offered. “Thanks.” It was delicious, bubbly and sweet. “It’s good.”

He smirked. “I could tell you’d like the sweeter drinks. You reek of innocence.”

You blushed, holding the drink close to your body. “Uh, okay…” What a creeper.

“Satan. Enough.” Lucifer strolled over. “Are you all right, my dear? Did my brother frighten you? He can be a bit brash.”

What kind of a name was Satan? Also, how many brothers did Lucifer have? Six now? “No, he’s fine. He gave me a drink.”

Lucifer glared at Satan. Satan glared back. Did they just hiss at each other?

Come to think of it, why did all these guys have strange names like Satan and Lucifer and Leviathan? And while you glanced around, you could see tiny details you had not before. Like Mammon’s fake appendages, or Levi’s wand…

“The time has come. Midnight is upon us! I present with great honor… our King Diavolo!

You were so focused on connecting dots, you barely heard Barbatos announce. Then, when a blinding golden light came from the top of the stairs, you, and other party-goers, gasped. He was stunning. Large, regal, painted in gold and with black wings expanding behind him.

“Monsters of all kinds, I welcome you to this year’s Halloween Party! I hope you all have a hauntingly good time.” Chuckles throughout the room. He grinned. “Midnight is seconds away. Please join me in counting down.”

You looked around, Lucifer at your side, Satan behind you. You saw Levi and Mammon standing together, cheering and raising glasses in time with the countdown. Beel and Belphie behind you, Belphie smirking at you in a way that was lecherous and mysterious.

“Three… two… one!”

You expected something big, grand, like fireworks. Instead, you saw something terrifying. Firstly, you noticed Belphie. He stared you down as he evaporated into nothing. He was still there, but you could see through him! Then, you glanced around, and really took note of all the costumes.

Only, they were not costumes. You saw Mammon’s tail actually moving. You saw Levi waving his wand and making sparks and more drinks appear. Many, many other things, that you swore you did not see before. But maybe you did, and assumed it was fake and for Halloween?

“Darling, your heart is beating so loud. Are you all right?” Lucifer’s hand on your back had you jumping.

Your heart? He heard it your heart beating.

You shook your head. He looked you up and down, and frowned. “No, no, ‘m not okay,” you said shakily.

He started to lead you away, then. But you were interrupted. By King Diavolo. Oh, my fuck, was he actually a King of Monsters?

“My King,” Lucifer bowed, and you did, too, on reaction.

Diavolo grinned. “Luci, my oldest friend! How are you? Enjoying the party?” Then he looked at you, and you held your breath. He seemed to pause. “What is a human doing here? Are you doing this again, I thought we talked about this when you brought that human two centuries ago.”

You ignored the fact that he said ‘two centuries’ and panicked. “P-please, I-I’ll go now…”

Lucifer was in shock, as well. “But my enchantment did not work, so I assumed…”

King Diavolo stroked his chin. “It didn’t, hm? Strange. Yes, she is human… But that has not happened before.”

You were stuck being observed by him. Trapped in a room full of legitimate monsters. Why did you come? How fucking idiotic could you be?

“Well, it has always been a vision of mine to align all worlds together. I do want to know how she wasn’t affected by a vampire’s enchantment, too. But it’s too dangerous for her to be in this room. Take her upstairs until the party is done.”

“Yes, King Diavolo.”

#shall we date obey me #obey me #obey me fanfic #obey me halloween #halloween fanfic #my fics #om

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palettepainter · 3 years

Note

Do any of your hazbin NG's have pets? I know Velvet has a guard dog thingy forgot the name sorry but do any others have pets?

It's been a hot minute since I've done something for Hazbin, so lets go! Will also include Helluva NG's

Brinda (CharlieHusk)-

-So I didn't want to give Brinda a pair of goats like Charlie, I didn't really have the motivation to design two identical goat guards and I didn't wanna rip off the designs in Hazbin. So I debated the idea for a while on if she has a pet and the answer is: Yes and No

-Sorta like in the Owl House Brinda has a Talisman, it was crafted from the bark of a poison fruit hell tree (there are trees and other plants in hell which are non poisonous or non lethal to demons, but more or less the majority I imagine are poisonous) and was crafted into the shape of Hell Bat.

-Hell Bat's are big, mean fighting machines. Will eat anything and attack anything, a ferocious species that has been none to even eat other demons species. Despite this they are still social creatures and often roost together. Brinda is the only one seemingly able to control her giant hell bat - it can grow larger in size and is extremely agile. It "lives" on Brinda's coat rack, but in an attempt to make it more domesticated and less of a ferocious beast with an insensible appetite for blood Brinda has brought it it's own bed and given it it's own name

-Her bat is called Trixy. Trixy is a moody, prone to hissing, biting and chasing other demons. The only one she is remotely docile around is Brinda. Brinda is not above being growled or hissed at, but perhaps Trixie enjoys a little snuggle under Brinda's chin, her fur is especially soft for cuddling

Junior (CharlieHusk)-

-Like his sister Junior also has a bat talisman. His is much smaller then his sisters to accommodate the fact Junior himself is very small and can't really handle taking care of a bigger bat, but like Brinda's his can get bigger if it needs to.

-Junior's bat lives too on his coat rack and Junior himself isn't very affectionate with it...jk he loves it. When he's out he tries to present himself as uncaring to his bat body guard, but behind closed doors he's very fascinated by him.

-Junior likes to train his bat and so his bat does know some simple verbal commands such as: maul, attack, fetch, kill - all the innocent things a young prince would need to teach it's loyal pet

-Junior has named his bat Bugsy

Tristan (VaggieNG)-

-Tristan does not have a pet, but he enjoys studying insects and reptiles

-For some unknown reason Tristan seems to be a magnet for bugs, especially butterflies which are for some reason very fond of him. Tristan is not sure why these tiny creatures take such an interest in him, but he doesn't really care, he likes butterflies a lot

Iridescence (VaggieNG)-

-Like dear old papa before her she has a pet pig...only it's a hog, a hell hog, a big massive hairy hell hog

-Iridescence was given him as a "gift" from dear old Uncle Arackniss. Arackniss got double crossed in a bet and instead of walking out with a big ham joint he got the runt of litter. He assured his Angel who was teasing him for going soft that the wretched thing wouldn't grow any bigger then a handbag dog...oh he was so very wrong. Iridescence's hell bore is fucking HUGE. She's a big, slobbery, hairy, squealing beast to which Iridescence fondly dubbed Daphne

-Iridescence when she's not causing chaos spends her time riding around her hell hog like it's a horse around the hotel, making her hell bore pretty flower crowns or plots her next pranking scheme while Daphne eats her bed blankets. Vaggie and Angel have..thought about getting rid of the thing, they're pretty sure it has rabies at this point, but alas Iridescence is glued to it sooo Daphne stays

Velvet (AlastorMimzy)-

-I've actually already drawn Velvet's pet here! https://www.deviantart.com/palettepainter/art/Velvet-s-guard-dog-844244280

-Abaddon was given to her by her parents when she was very very little, though beast like and more animal demonic species are rare within hell's nine circles it is not uncommon for them to captured from the wastelands and sold on the black market. Abaddons, though not pack creatures, and very protective of their cubs, and so Abaddon grew up viewing as itty bitty Velvet as a "cub".

-Abaddon is still very much a lethal animal when she's not receiving pets and hunting crows in the back garden of the hotel. Her interets are stalking the halls without making a sound, perching on top of shelve and furniture, hunting crows and rats, chasing after little dots of light bouncing of reflective surfaces and sleeping in typical cat fashion

Francis (AlastorMimzy)-

-To Alastor's absoloute dismay he has fondly adopted one of Mimzy's shadow wolf puppies

-Mitzy currently owns 11 shadow wolves, one of which was especially smaller then it's brothers and sisters - a runt, like Francis. Francis, being the only teen in the hotel feels a little left out, so took the tiny puppy instantly under his wing the moment he saw it. The puppy is still a baby and so isn't much of a wolf, the only danger he possesses is the danger to your beloved slippers, which he will happily chew and teeth on.

-Still has itty bitty baby puppy teeth so chews a LOT, especially on deer old Alastor. Alastor...puts up with it for his wife's sake, knowing how much his wife loves her wolves..doesn't help that the puppies blasted parents, the female and male alpha, will be death staring Alastor down from the other side of the room while Francis and their pup play

-Francis has named his dog Pongo after the odd dark patches of fur he has on his back legs

Aldo (NiftyBaxter)-

-Has a pet priranha named Da Vinci whom he loves. Aldo is a big fan of marine life, one might call him a marine biologist. Unlike his father who is deathly scared of water Aldo can't seem to learn enough about it. He has many books on sea life in his room, a part of him dreams maybe he'll be able to see marine life on the surface. The only thing in hell is...sharks, which Aldo is terrified off

-Aldo was given Da Vinci by his teacer, Mister Aquarius, the project was for the students to disect the fish, but Princess Charlie thought that was "cruel", so instead Aquarius had to change it around. The task was for students to gain an understanding of responsibility, as expected most students didn't do the assignment, lost their fish or killed their fish, Aldo was the only one to pass. He has kept his lil piranha ever since, who is not so little anymore

Nidra (SirPentiousNG)-

-Nidra doesn't have pets, but she does enjoy the company of zombies

-Nidra's number one assistant in the study of the dark arts is none other then Hornet: her very first successful experiment in bringing back the deceased. Hornet is a harmless little rabbit, he just wants to chew on his toys, nom on a carrot and get some fond chin scratches from his mistress. Hornet is the one of the few people Nidra will actually talk to - she insists in the beginning she will never talk to her assistant as though it can understand her, but she does, and finds herself doing it a lot

-Her second pet is Tempest, a sassy cat that just started showing up one day and never left. Nidra more or less lives at the hotel, Sir Pentious is constantly on the move in his air ship and Nidra is not fond of travelling. Tempest lived in the alleys near the hotel, feeding on the mice and rats that infested the building. One day Hornet catches her wondering the halls and eagerly offers her his chew toy wanting to play. Tempest is of course not interested, but Hornet is presistant and in the end instead of Hornet searching for Tempest, Tempest would meow until she found Hornet

Thomas (TomVilla)-

-No pets

Riley (CherriSirPentious)-

-A chicken, given to her by dear old bar friend Husk Riley named her Henrietta and loves her dearly. Being part snake Riley likes birds that dart and can be chased, and Henrietta is also especially good to snuggle, but fat feathery lovable bird

-Riley comes and goes from the hotel, Cherri and her do have their own place, but Riley is a bit of wanderer and so tends to hop about from place to place, but she's never gone long. Henrietta more or less stays with her sister Nidra. Nirda was at first bothered to take care of her sisters stupid poultry, but Hornet seems to like her so she can't be that bad

Kiki (KatieVox)-

-IDK what inthe world these things are called but she has one of these weird creature thingies (skip to 15.38 and look to the right where Millie is ) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpnwRg268FQ

-His name is Sprinkles, she fondly gives him glittery little bow ties to wear, takes selfies of him and carries him around in her little back pack. Matthew is endlessly discussed by the thing, but Kiki just can't seem to see the truth, to her Sprinkles is a precious little angel

Nero (ValVox)-

-Has no pets cuz Val doesn't allow them in the house (lowkey thinks Iridescence's hell hog is pretty cool though)

Mathew (HelsaNG)-

-Has two snooty up tight hoity toity ferrets named Snip and Snap

Mako (CryminiHusk)-

-Also has no pets, but Coal gave him a houseplant to practise with

Crash and Dash (MillieTravis)-

-Also no pets

Lucy (MooxieMillie)-

-Also no pets

#HH #HHNG #Hazbin Hotel #Helluva Bos #Helluva #HHOC #My OC's

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celestial-archer · 3 years

Text

A Lady’s Tail Chapter 4

AO3

Ainz followed the angel leading them through the forest. The angel walked very stiffly almost like a robot. Interesting. The archangel of flames he was used to never walked. They always floated or flew through the air. They were also not covered in many different colored gems or had the assassin and ninja classes. The angel race was rather varied however. Victim was an angel and looked like an unborn fetus. Luci★Fer had the appearance of a decaying doll. Was the difference customization? The angel had to be a player’s customized NPC. After all, there were almost no players from Yggdrasil that didn’t know of the guild. Ainz kept the hope in his heart that the player was one of his old guildmates. Out of the three female guildmates, Ankoro Mocchi Mochi was the most likely. She had the tendency to create eccentric NPCs. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to assume that she had created this angel. There were very obvious contradictions but he stubbornly refused to pay them attention. It was Ankoro. It had to be. He would see her.

Ainz shifted his attention from his thoughts to Narberal and Aura when they appeared next to him. They glared daggers at the angel’s back. Narberal inconspicuously leaned slightly closer to him and whispered.

“Momon-san, should we take the chance to attack now that his guard is down?”

“Call me Ainz. I’ve already dropped my disguise so there is no need to call me Momon. And no attacking. There’s no need to restart the hostilities.”

Narberal nodded and silently retook her place behind him, but Aura was not as easily convinced. Her voice trembled with anger.

“Ainz-sama! Shouldn’t we punish him for trying to hurt you? Anyone who attempts such should be given the worst possible punishment!”

She emphasized her last words by raising her hand and clenching it like she was crushing him in the palm of her hand. Ainz softly laughed and reached his hand out to pet her head.

“Your concern is appreciated Aura, but it’ll benefit us more if we just wait to meet his ‘lady’. Be patient.”

Aura reluctantly conceded and joined Narberal behind him, still staring intently at the angel’s back. She didn’t quite pout but the discomfort of the situation was very evident on her face. It didn’t matter to him though. He wasn’t going to let anything sabotage the reunion with his friend.

The anticipation and excitement was slowly killing him. He had been in this new world for a while now and, while he enjoyed being with the NPCs, he dearly missed the company of his guildmates. It had been so long since he had seen them. It was a lucky enough occurrence to have met with Herohero before the shutdown. Now it was basically a miracle to meet one of his friends again.

Ainz smiled internally, but there was a single thought bearing down on his good mood. What would happen once Ankoro found out about the things Nazarick had done? With her positive karma, would she start to hate him? He didn’t want that and would avoid it with all his might. If giving up everything Nazarick had worked for until now was the solution, he’d do so without any hesitation. But would that even be enough? What if she didn’t forgive him? What would happen if she looked at him as a monster? How would the guardians react to that? Would it split Nazarick?

The image of a clearing about twelve feet in front of him gave him a distraction. He hurried his steps, for once not worrying about the NPCs’ image of him. Even if Aura and Narberal thought less of him for his haste, he wouldn’t care. What mattered was seeing his friend again. Whatever happened, he would work through it with Ankoro and they would be comrades once again. He passed the angel easily. The sounds of Aura and Narberal following behind him were audible, but he didn’t give it any notice. This was it! This was the moment he would no longer be alone. The moment that would make everything ok. The moment that would cure his worries. The moment that would give him hope for the future and the rise of the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown.

The clearing was within a few feet now and a figure shrouded by the bushes was visible. He was so close! The leaves parted easily with a wave of his hand and the figure became clear.

“Momonga!”

A figure that was not Ankoro Mocchi Mochi yelled out with a voice that was also not Ankoro’s. Ainz froze in place staring at the figure.

Not Ankoro.

The sounds around him deafened leaving only the barest whisper of the wind. Devastation, anger, sadness, swirled inside him like a storm, then nothing... His emotion suppression crushed his emotions into dust, leaving him feeling like an empty husk and, for once it felt like a blessing.

________________

“Momonga!”

Kelpie couldn’t help herself when Momonga revealed himself. All the excitement and suspense exploded out of her in the form of a shout. He was here! He was actually here! It was almost too good to be true! She snickered at him freezing the moment he saw her. She had done the exact same thing, but it was still amusing to see him like that. What she wouldn’t give to know what he was thinking at that moment. He was probably just as excited as her since they both found a friend in this new world.

Narberal, aura, then Goren appeared a few moments after Momonga. It was so cool to see Naberal and Aura in person! She wondered if this was what people felt like seeing their friends’s kids all grown up. It wasn't that long ago she had seen them in Yggdrasil. She glanced over to Goren to gauge his impression of them, but his expression was just as stoic as always. Probably should have expected that from someone with stationary facial features and no mouth. Hopefully in time they would become amiable with each other if not friends.

She looked back to Momonga but he was still frozen in place. Seems like the surprise had been bigger than expected. She should break him out of his stupor. With a chuckle she slithered over to him and reached out to touch his shoulder.

Boom

Aura’s whip slammed into the ground where Kelpie had just jumped away from.

Clash

Goren slashed his dagger towards Aura and was parried by Narberal’s sword. All three of them stayed a safe distance away with their weapons drawn crouched in an attack stance. Aura snapped her whip taut threateningly and shouted.

“How dare you try to touch him?!”

Kelpie lazily stared at Aura. It seemed like Aura didn’t remember her, a little disappointing. It had just been a quick meeting in Yggdrasil though, so it made sense. She waved at Goren.

“Stand down, this is all a misunderstanding.”

He glanced between her and the two NPCs, calculating the risk of following her orders. After a moment, he dropped his battle stance and went to Kelpie’s side, keeping his eyes on the two. Kelpie smiled and nodded towards him in satisfaction, then turned her attention back to Aura. She got as close as Aura allowed, which was a few feet, and lifted her hands to show she was unarmed.

“I’m a friend of Momonga and Zoba. I met you and your brother a while ago. I tried to touch him because he seemed very shocked by my appearance.”

Aura stared at her blankly then blinked her eyes and relaxed the grip on her whip for a second, before tightening it and narrowing her eyes.

“You could be lying to us! You could have done something to him to cause this!”

Kelpie couldn’t help but smile at her. She always had a fondness for kids and Aura was just super adorable.

“Ok why don’t you ask him yourself? I promise I didn’t do anything.”

She kept her hands up in full view as she said this. Aura glared and glanced between her and Momonga.

“Narberal go confirm that Ainz-sama is ok.”

Aura kept her eyes glued on Kelpie as Narberal moved to Momonga’s side and softly called out to him. With a jolt, Momonga’s red eyes brightened in awareness and he looked around. He coughed into his hand and waved off the concern of Aura and Narberal.

“Ah forgive me, I got lost in my thoughts. Aura, you can relax. She means us no harm.”

He gave Aura a pat on the shoulder as he passed by and approached Kelpie.

“It’s been quite a while hasn’t it?”

He opened his mouth in an attempt to show a friendly smile but without facial muscles, it gave the impression that he wasn’t finished talking. Kelpie raised one eyebrow with a smile.

“A while? It hasn’t been that long. I mean I saw you at the shutdown... Wait no, I forgot that I didn’t message you. Well before that it had been like maybe two weeks? It wasn’t a long meeting per se, but still a meeting. So about three weeks counting the time we’ve been here. But i’m so happy to see you! I was worried I was gonna be here with only Goren to keep me company.”

“....You’ve only been here a week?”

“Yes? How long have you been here?”

Momonga looked off to the side with an unreadable expression, thinking about something. Just looking at it gave Kelpie the sense of something deeply disturbing him. She reached a hand out to comfort him, but he sighed and straightened up before she could.

“Is there a place we can talk privately?”

“Uh yeah, absolutely. Follow me and I’ll take us there. Goren, lead Aura and Narberal to the guest’s lounge.”

“Excellent.”

________________

The room Kelpie led Momonga to was the designated meeting room. It was furnished with a long dark treant wood table with padded chairs around it. The room had been built only for the aesthetic. There weren’t many people she was friendly enough with to show her base, let alone have a meeting with. Normally she would have led Momonga to the lounge so he could be comfortable but with their NPCs and the seriousness he showed, this room felt more adequate.

She looked at the wall in front of her. The indent was easy to find, but she hesitated to push it. The realization hit her that she had never shown him her base before. She was very proud of her base and everything that was in it, but it could be seen as ugly to Momonga. Afterall, he was the guildmaster of the greatest designed base in all of Yggdrasil. It was impossible to find one more ornately decorated. Hers paled in comparison to it.

She glanced behind her to see his reaction. Her voice betrayed her, letting out a small yelp when she did. Momonga was staring directly at her and appeared confused at her peeking. Turning back towards the door, she tried to pretend nothing had happened.

“Is something wrong?”

“No! Nothings wrong haha.”

Ok, so he didn’t look like he was judging her base. This was good. She was good. She clenched her fist tight and finally slid her hand into the indent. The door opened easily but instead of it being silent like usual, the stone scraping on the floor was so loud and horrible it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Fuck, did he hear it too? She hoped not.

She slid to the side and gestured for him to go first, anxiously following him when he did.The door slid shut behind them, still audibly horrible. Momonga took the opportunity to drop down into the closest chair and roll his shoulders back. Kelpie copied him, taking the chair next to him and relaxing into it. Maybe both of them were anxious.

She gave him a crooked smile.

“You’ve been pretty stressed huh? Makes sense though. When I first arrived, I couldn’t help but freak out. I even ended up passing out after…after a panic attack.”

She narrowly avoided telling Momonga about the massacre of the village. If possible, she didn’t want to let him know anything about her new violent tendencies and eating habits.

“Yes, it's certainly been an interesting adjustment. It’s actually near impossible for me to freak out. I have an emotional regulator that suppresses any strong emotions I feel.”

“Really?” Kelpie asked in interest, “That sounds both useful and annoying. I’ve dealt with muted emotions before and it’s not always the best.”

Kelpie took a moment to look Momonga over. His skeletal face was still emotionless. Of course it was, There were no muscles to contract and show a change. She imagined herself smacking her forehead. Still, it felt like there was some lingering negativity hanging over him.

“Are you doing ok? If I can do anything to make things better, just let me know. I promise to do so with the best of my abilities..”

Momonga opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He visibly mulled something over in his mind, then spoke tiredly.

“Yes, I’m ok. I’m just...happy to see you.”

It was obvious that he was leaving something unspoken but didn’t point it out. It was likely just as obvious to him that she was doing the same. They stared at each other, then looked away as an awkward silence took over the room. What should she say to him? There was so much but so little to say. I’m happy to see you too, but also terrified that you’re here. I’ve done things that would make another sick and enjoyed it. By the way, I have a prisoner in one of these rooms that I plan to eat later. She puffed out a laugh then pretended it was a cough fit when Momonga glanced at her.

“I-”

“How-”

They both spoke at the same time, cutting each other off, and creating even more awkward silence.

“You-”

They cut each other off again and stared at each other. Kelpie began chuckling and Momonga followed suit until they were full on laughing. With a smile, she motioned her hand for him to go first. Momonga opened his mouth in a smile and asked.

“How did you end up here? You said that you’d be here for a week, but i’ve actually been here with all the NPCs and the tomb of Nazarick for around two months.”

“What? That’s so weird! Um well, I didn’t really do anything special. I was just waiting for the countdown to end and, when it did, my avatar became my actual body. I could feel things and move my body freely. I found that Goren had become alive and that the base had been transported to a random mountain by a forest. I really don’t know how it happened.”

“Goren? Is that the angel that led us here?”

“Oh yeah, haha I guess I never really showed him to anyone except Zoba. He’s my NPC. I made him from a world item.”

Momonga caressed his chin.

“Interesting. I also ended up here after the shutdown ended. Nazarick was moved to grasslands. Neither of us seems to understand what happened or why we came at different times.”

“Seems so,” Kelpie laughed happily causing the corner of her eyes to crinkle. “How has it been with all the NPCs of Nazarick? Goren has this extremely elevated view of me. Get this, he considers me some kind of goddess. In his mind I can do no wrong. It's ridiculous, I've literally fallen unconscious in front of him.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah! Can you believe it? How could someone see me as something as all powerful as a goddess.”

“No, not that. I can believe that. Those in Nazarick act the same exact way. But you’ve been vulnerable in front of him and he’s still as revering?”

Kelpie peered at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes?” She said, purposefully extending the word in confusion. “I’ve tried to get him to stop being so strict and awe-inspired all the time but no such luck. I’m pretty sure it makes him happy, so I’ve just been treating him the way he wants to be treated.”

“Huh.”

Momonga peered off to the side with his hand on his mouth, deep in thought. She tilted her head and stared at him, trying to understand what he was thinking about.

“Why did you want to know?”

He turned his head a small amount to look at her, answered her, then focused back on his thoughts.

“It’s just related to something i’ve been contemplating for awhile. Give me a moment.”

She nodded and waited patiently. A minute passed when he suddenly stood up.

“Alright, I want to try something. Would yo-”

A loud scream of pain and anguish echoed through the cave, cutting him off. A very sudden and unpleasant realization hit Kelpie. Shit, shit, shit, shit, no no no no no! He can’t find out about this. Momonga quickly turned toward the direction the sound had come from as she rushed towards the door. He started to ask her what was up, but she dashed out before he could finish. There was no way she was gonna try to explain this. Covering it up before he could find out would be for the best.

She pushed her body as fast as it would go down the hall until she reached the guest’s lounge. The door ground loudly against the wall as she threw it open with all her strength. Large splinters of stone cracked off and flew in all directions. She shoved her head into the room but it was completely void of people. An angry hiss, sounding closer to glass shattering than a snake hiss, burst from her throat. Fuck! Where had they gone?

She shouldn’t have left punishing the thieving bastard to Goren! Her fist slammed into the wall, leaving a large indent in her anger. Now she had no clue what room the man was in and couldn’t silence him. Her nails dug into her skull as she pulled her hair in frustration. There were so many rooms where the man could be. He could even be in one of the empty rooms. She shouldn’t have left the man alive! If she had killed him, she wouldn’t be in this situation. She gnashed her teeth together and tried to think. Where would Goren have taken him? Think, think, think.

Suddenly, bony hands grabbed hers and pulled them away from her skull. Her shoulders sank with disappointment and she looked up to see exactly who she didn’t want to. Momonga’s face was leaning over hers. She couldn’t see it, but she knew he was scrutinizing her facial expression that was scrunched up with fear and anger. Momonga released a sigh and, still holding onto her hands, moved to be in front of her. This wasn’t what she wanted! She didn’t want him to find out! She harshly yanked her arms away, trying to escape, but he just tightened his grip in response. Defeated, she let her head hang down limply, avoiding his eye contact and hiding her shame.

“Tell me what's wrong.”

She flinched at the solemn seriousness in his voice.

“Momonga...I...I can’t. Please don’t ask me that.”

Small tears rolled down her cheeks as a harsh tightness squeezed her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. She couldn’t tell him. She just couldn’t. His grip loosened at her statement and she tried to pull away slowly so he wouldn’t notice. About half of her hand slipped out of his when he grabbed her wrists again.

“If it was any less serious I would wait until you were ready to tell me, but,” He pulled her up by her arms so she was looking at him again. He shook his head, then her left hand to bring her attention to it. “You made yourself bleed and didn’t even notice.”

Now that he mentioned it, she could see blood coating her fingers. There was a lot and she started to feel the pain. The top of her head was incredibly hot and stung like salt poured onto a wound. There was even a small trickle of wetness trailing down the side of her head. How deep had she cut into her skin? She squeezed her eyes shut, then took a shuddering breath and opened them to stare into Momonga’s eyes.

“I don’t...know what to say. I just can’t tell you. Just, please.”

She released the sob she was holding back. Heavier tears slid down her face and fell onto the floor with a soft plop. She shoved her face into her bicep to silence her wails but the muffled sound was still fairly audible.

There was a moment of awkwardness as Momonga stood there in uncertainty. He fidgeted nervously before he gently let go of her wrists and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Caressing her head lightly, he whispered.

“Hey, it’s ok. I’m sure we can figure it out. You uh can take the time you need. It’ll be ok.”

Surprisingly the bony arms around her felt warm and comforting. Her eyes burned as the tears flowed faster. It was so shameful to have him comfort her. If he knew the horrible things she had done, he wouldn’t even want to touch her. He would throw her away in disgust and she wouldn’t even blame him.

They stayed there for several minutes until the last of her tears ran dry. She gently pushed him away and he let her without any resistance. Embarrassed, she turned her head to the side, sniffling, and refused to look at him. Momonga pulled a handkerchief out and held it out for her. Without turning her head, she moved her eyes to look at him. His mouth was halfway open in a sort of small smile. A watery laugh escaped her. She forgot how cute he could be sometimes. She ran a hand through her hair and winced at the stab of pain that hit her. Right, that. She pulled her hand away to examine it. There were only small clumps and flakes of dried blood, so it was safe to assume the wound had clotted. She took a deep breath in, then let it out before finally turning back to Momonga and gently taking the handkerchief with a small smile. Her fingers brushed out the wrinkles before she blew her nose into it.

“I bet I look so attractive right now,” She joked, carefully putting the handkerchief away and striking a silly pose.

Momonga froze a moment before bursting out laughing.

“Absolutely, second to no one!”

Kelpie joined in laughing for a few moments before her smile turned sad again.

“...Is there anything I can do to make you forget all of this?”

“No,” Momonga replied shaking his head, “There’s obviously something deeply troubling you and, as your friend, I can’t just ignore that.”

He reached his hand out to pat her head, but retracted it, remembering her injury. He pulled a potion out from his inventory and poured it onto her head. The red liquid pooled on her head, then evaporated with a green glow, knitting her skin back together. Once it finished, he pet her head soothingly.

“You didn’t even think to use a potion on your injury.”

His voice was full of concern causing her chest to tighten uncomfortably. She brushed his hand off with a grimace and ran her own through her hair to fix it.

“...I would have with time. You’ve been here longer than me, old man. You know more.”

Momonga gave her a pointed stare and sighed.

“I’m not that old and you’re deflecting.”

Kelpie opened her mouth to dispute him, but closed it after seeing his expression. There was an aura of sterness around him. She gave in with a quiet voice.

“Alright, I’ll be easier if I were to show you. I hope you won’t hate me for it.”

Now that she was calmer she could think more clearly. She didn’t know which room the man was in, but she could easily find out. She took out a message scroll and burned it, sending the message to Goren, making sure to speak soft enough that Momonga could not easily overhear.

“Goren, I need to know where you are keeping the man we captured.”

The reply came immediately.

“Yes, my lady. It is the room to the left of my quarters. I’m currently there with Aura and Narberal, would you like me to come escort you?”

“....Repeat that.”

“Yes, my lady. It is the room to the left of my quarters. I’m currently there with Aura and Narberal, would you like me to come escort you?”

She stared blankly at the wall as she internalized his statement. Goren was at the torture room with Aura and Narberal. Aura and Narberal, who were the NPCs of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and reported to Momonga. Kelpie covered her face with her hands and screamed internally. She wouldn’t even get the chance to show him first and explain herself.

“Kelpie?”

“My lady?”

Both Goren and Momonga spoke at the same time, concerned about her silence and behavior. She tilted her head back and took a deep breath. Things kept getting worse but she could do this. She already cried all her tears so she was good on that end. The only thing that could go wrong was never being able to interact with Momonga again. Why on earth would she have to worry about that?!

“Hahahaha yes, I’m fine. Perfectly fine, 100% fine. I don’t need an escort. We will be there soon.

“Understood.” Goren said before the message ended.

She twirled around to face Momonga and gave a large forced smile.

“Shall we get going then?”

________________

“...Yes.”

Ainz answered her with some hesitance. He wanted to bring up the forced cheer she was forcing on herself, but if he did, it might just distract both of them again. It was both frustrating and worrying to have so much happen in so little time. A part of him whispered if it had been any of his guildmates that had come here, he wouldn’t have so much trouble. He’d know the right thing to say and would be able to help. There would be more trust between them and more familiarity. It was a selfish thought that he couldn’t get rid of. It hung above him everytime he spoke with her. Everything would be easier if someone else had come. Ainz smiled bitterly and shoved the thought to the corner of his mind. It would be better if the thought stayed off to the side indefinitely.

Kelpie began to move down the hallway and he quickly followed after her. Her gait was more awkward than earlier. She held herself very upright and straight, similar to how he walked as the ruler of Nazarick, except it looked very unnatural on her. He didn’t know her as much as others, but he knew a good amount of her personality. She was very headstrong and casual. She walked with purpose, but also with a relaxed posture. The only times she walked like that was when she felt she was walking to some sort of guillotine. Not a walk of shame, but a walk of stubborn pride in the middle of doom. He recalled a story he heard her tell in the past of how she had gotten in trouble with her boss. She thought she was gonna get fired the next time she came in, but didn’t want to avoid it. So the next time she came in, she walked with her back straight and with purpose. If she was gonna get fired, she’d do it while being brave. That same fear and bravery showed in her current posture.

What was making her feel so trapped and terrified? Was it him? He hoped not. He didn’t want the awkwardness and avoidance to continue. Letting her continue this way and eventually avoid him was not an option. He would not go back to the loneliness of being only Nazarick’s ruler.

Kelpie suddenly stopped in front of him and he did the same. She turned to the side and stared intently at the wall. It looked the same as every other wall except for the small indent that was on every other door. He moved around her to see better, but didn’t notice anything worth giving her pause. Ainz didn’t have the intelligence that Demiurge or Albedo had, but he was still smart enough to notice signs of hesitance. Similar hesitance to what he displayed before meeting the guardians. She didn’t want to go inside. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and asked.

“Would you like me to go first?”

Her eyes stayed locked on the wall and her fists trembled from the strength she gripped them with.

“...No. I can do this and I will.”

She took a deep breath while tilting her head back, then let it out. He resisted the urge to pat her back. It would likely not be helpful to either of them. Her eyes opened and she surged forward. The door slowly slid open and the thick scent of iron wafted out. Metal? Right, she had the blacksmith class, but why would she be worried about showing him a smithery?

She motioned him forward and he did so, stepping into the room. The first thing he noticed was the much stronger scent. The second was the NPCs gathered in the middle of the room. The last was a huddled figure the NPCs were gathered around. A huddled figure dripping with blood with his eyes rolled back in unconsciousness. Ainz froze staring at the scene. If he had eyelids, he would be blinking repeatedly. Of all the things he expected to be in the room, this was the most unlikely of all.

But really, didn’t it make sense? Ainz began to chuckle, then full out laugh, drawing the attention of all the other inhabitants. Of course! He knew her character had a low karma just like he did. Not as much as he did, but still low. Why hadn’t he thought of this? He had also done absolutely evil deeds, he should have recognized a scream of pain. His emotions numbed back down as his emotional suppressor hit him. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, he really hated that thing sometimes. Aura captured his attention with a yell as she motioned him over.

“Ainz-sama, you should see this! Narberal and I have never seen this before.”

Ainz smiled and came to see what she was referring to, leaving a shell shocked Kelpie behind him. Aura beamed at him and pointed to an object within the angel’s hand. His name was Goren if Ainz remembered right. He was holding a bright purple gem within his hands. Ainz stroked his chin with interest.

“Tell me about it.”

Instead of Aura responding as Ainz expected, Goren spoke.

“It was given to me by my lady. I do not possess a high enough level to know its name, but I know it attacks a person’s soul. We’ve been experimenting with it on this man.”

Ainz’s eyes lit up with interest and delight. The collector in him was fascinated at the rare item.

“Hoh? That’s a Spectral Amethyst. I’ve tried several times in the past to get one but was never successful. It's quite amazing that Kelpie was able to get one.”

Aura and Narberal immediately set their sights on the gem, intent on trying to get it, but Goren pulled it away and shielded it from view.

“I apologize but it was a gift from my lady. I will not give it away.”

Ainz was filled with mirth at the statement. Of course! He wouldn’t give away such a valuable item either.

“Don’t worry. I won’t try to take it. I’m simply curious about the effects of the gem and why you have the man tied up.”

Goren gave a nod and brought the gem closer to Ainz so he could see it better.

“Understood. We’ve noticed when we bring the gem in contact with his body and have the intent to harm, he receives excruciating pain. If the intent is missing, it does nothing except steal the man’s body heat. It took a full minute of contact with intent for the fool to pass out. He’s tied up because he dared to cheat my lady. She has been gracious enough to let me punish him with the stipulation he be kept alive.”

Aura piped in with Narberal nodding in agreement.

“It’s been very interesting! I think Neuronist would find it especially so.”

“Very informative. Why does the man need to be kept alive? Does he have valuable information?”

“That is because my la-”

“Goren!”

Kelpie’s voice cut off Goren’s words and all eyes turned to look at her. She flushed red with embarrassment and tried to brush off her outburst.

“Ah ahem… I will explain the rest to him. Ainz, would you follow me?”

She didn’t wait for an answer and simply slithered out the door. Ainz silently applauded her choice. He didn’t want to explain things to her in front of the NPCs either. He stepped out to see her leaning against the wall with one hand covering her red face. Her voice was choked like she was about to cry again.

“I, well, the truth is… the truth is Ihavetoeathumanoidstolive”

Her face was scrunched up tight when she rushed the last words andAinz stared at her in confusion. The words had garbled together, so he wasn’t able to understand it.

“I couldn’t understand. Could you repeat that?”

“I uh said that I um have to eat humanoids to live.”

Her voice lowered to a whisper at the end but he was able to understand this time.

“Really?” He asked with an amazed tone.

“Yes, uh I think it's from being a man eating naga. I tried it out and can’t eat other food...Wait, why aren’t you upset with me??”

Her voice was incredulous as she asked but Ainz couldn’t do anything but smile in response.

“I was worried about the same thing actually. I’ve probably done things worse than you have and thought you may hate me for it.”

“What? I, I guess you also don’t feel guilty about what you’ve done either.”

“No, not really. I know the human side of me would be disgusted but I just don’t feel anything about it.”

Kelpie shifted her eyes away.

“I don’t feel guilt, but I feel regret? Sadness?Some kind of way I don’t know how to describe. There are so many new emotions that I don’t know how to deal with or categorize. I feel so lost. I thought when you found out, you’d be disgusted and never want to see me. Maybe there was even a part of me that wanted it, so I could actually feel bad about it.”

Her breathing quickened and she clutched her throat at the beginning of a panic attack. Moving quickly, he pulled her into another hug and rubbed her back soothingly.

“I can’t claim to know what to do about everything, but I know that things’ll be easier with the two of us together. We’ll figure it out. Ok?”

Kelpie nodded into his chest and he ignored the wetness on the front of his robe.

“Once you feel better, how about you come with us to Nazarick and officially meet the NPCs? I’ll properly explain things so you won’t get attacked again.”

Kelpie laughed and leaned back to look at him.

“I don’t know, it keeps my skills fresh”

Ainz opened his mouth into a large grin.

“In that case, i’ll have them all attack you at once. See how long you last.”

“I said keep my skills fresh, not murder me.”

They both smiled at each other, then began to laugh. Kelpie let go of him and lightly slapped his arm.

“Thanks Momonga.”

“You’re welcome, though i’ve actually changed my name to Ainz Ooal Gown.”

“Pff well aren’t you the little narcissist? Naming yourself after the guild.”

“I uh well i just thought it would help others find me, you know?”

Kelpie laughed harder and gave him a soft smile.

“I do, thank you...Ainz.”

#overlord #oc #my oc #kelpie #a lady's tail #chapter 4 #my writing

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goblins-riddles-or-frocks · 4 years

Text

Moffat Dracula Review

Plot Summary For People Who Don’t Want To Watch It:

Dracula corners Jonathan, Mina, and Sister Agatha Van Helsing in a secluded convent in Budapest following Jonathan’s escape from his castle. The castle sequence itself is explained in flashback as Jonathan recounts his experience, leading up to the realization that he himself had died during his stay there.

Realizing he’s now become some form of undead creature, he attempts to kill himself via a stake but is unsuccessful. Despairing at this, he invites Dracula inside the convent in exchange for a true death. Agatha and Mina are able to stay safe within a circle of sacramental bread but everyone else is massacred.

When Mina sees Dracula disguised as Jonathan approaching them, she invites him inside the circle. He of course reveals his identity immediately after. Agatha bargains her own life for Mina’s, so Dracula allows the other girl to go free.

Some time later, Dracula sets sail for England aboard the Demeter, a Russian ship with a strangely high number of wealthy passengers and a bluebeard’s cabin no one is allowed to enter. He quickly picks off the passengers one by one, meanwhile himself leading the effort to find the murderer onboard.

This culminates in the remaining passengers finally searching the ship— and the mysterious cabin which is revealed to have been hiding a sickly Sister Agatha inside. She explains that Dracula is a vampire and together with the passengers they attempt to kill him by setting him on fire. But it is unsuccessful. Agatha urges everyone to escape on lifeboats because she intends to blow up the ship with her and Dracula in it before it is able to reach England.

Dracula does not die but remains dormant under water. He reaches Whitby roughly 100 years later and is immediately captured by the Jonathan Harker foundation, lead by Agatha’s descendant Dr Zoe Van Helsing. He leaves captivity fairly quickly however with the help of Frank Renfield— a lawyer he hired over skype.

Zoe is revealed to be dying of cancer. Dracula offers her his blood to heal her but it doesn’t seem to work. It instead gives her a bond to communicate with her dead ancestor Agatha, which gives her more insight about the vampire.

Meanwhile, Dracula begins preying on Lucy Westenra, a young socialite. Despite leading a seemingly perfect life, she is wholly apathetic and disgruntled with her situation. She allows him to feed on her in exchange for the high a vampire’s bite can give her. He attempts to turn her into a vampire but she’s burned horribly once she’s cremated following her funeral.

Her death leads Zoe and Jack Seward to where Dracula has been staying. During their confrontation however Lucy returns, and after learning about her appearance, begs Jack to kill her, which he does.

Zoe asks Jack to leave so she may speak to Dracula alone. She surmises that all of Dracula’s weaknesses are actually ineffective. The only thing he fears is death, and humanity’s willingness to die, She then... resolves to sit down and die right there. But at the last moment Dracula drinks her cancerous blood which should in turn kill him... they make out while dying... The end?

If that sounds like it makes no sense, it’s because it doesn’t.

Final Thoughts:

The plot was nonsensical and the pacing was very poor and completely unstructured. The story itself bore little to no resemblance to Dracula at all, to the point where I wonder why they even bothered to keep the names.

Most of the characters were new, and the few that were ported over from the Stoker novel had hardly anything in common with their original versions, Dracula included.

Jonathan was the most in character of the bunch, if he was fairly more genre savvy while stuck in Dracula’s castle. Mina’s characterization seemed to be confined to a single flirtatious letter, an endless well of trust for Jonathan, and constant sobbing. She was more of a liability than anything else.

Agatha served the role of a genderbent Van Helsing, though her manner was entirely lifted from the Coppola film. This could’ve been very cool if they hadn’t randomly made her a nun without actually committing to it at all. She was not really portrayed as having any actual lived experience as a nun in the victorian era. And faith as a concept was only touched on for her to dismiss— hilariously casually given her position.

I think the actress’s performance was fairly decent, and she def grew on me in the second episode when she’s not actually in a convent to constantly remind us how dissonant of a nun she is. But it would’ve been nice if they would’ve either committed to actually making her a nun, (a legit vampire hunting nun could be so cool!) or just abandoning the concept altogether. Because the way it was presented just felt like window dressing.

Also I’m not normally averse to shipping Van Helsing/Dracula but having to genderbend one of the two just to do it is like... hm. Also the weird tension they had going on was very badly executed in general.

Speaking of Dracula, he had to be the weakest part of the show. He was written in the smuggest, most infuriating way possible. And it might have worked with another actor but this dude just did not have any gravitas or stage presence whatsoever. And it certainly was not helped by the fact that his costuming and makeup were so fucking lackluster.

Despite being the linchpin of the story, he had no goals nor any particular drive. He was just out there doing Stuff for Reasons and none of them were compelling. It seemed like he was just killing to kill and the writing was not good enough to actually carry any of the vague themes about how he’s looking for new brides (why?) how he’s searching for a The Perfect Fruit (what???) or anything at all really. He had no depth whatsoever beneath his stupid quips and self-satisfied demeanor.

There was an interesting implication that he needed to choose who he drinks carefully in order to maintain his own personality/sanity/sentience and that without blood he’d… apparently just become like any of the zombies we saw in the show. And that is such a cool concept! But it was not really explored, nor was it written all that well. Even though it could’ve been (and I think was maybe intended to be???) an excellent source of existential dread!

But yes, in general there was hardly any depth to this show. They played almost every possible card they could for shock value, and included many unnecessary and frankly underwhelming esoteric concepts that went nowhere. There was so much gore and random effects. We had zombies, vampire infants, and Dracula legit wearing people’s skins. The lore didn’t make any sense either, apparently people just… being unable to die despite their body’s so called death is a common occurrence? It wasn’t clear whether Dracula even had much control over who he changes and whether or not they become proper vampires. The entire thing just seemed poorly thought out.

There were a lot of easter eggs and references to previous Dracula adaptations (and even some unrelated vampire media). I definitely noticed nods to the Hammer Horror movies and the Lugosi film, which was fun. The biggest noticeable influence however would have to be the 1992 Coppola movie. I have never seen a show try so hard to be another movie lmao. They even went so far as to make a spiritual successor to the film’s main theme that’s about as close as you could probably get without actually licensing the music.

However, while the Coppola film at least had skill with regards to the costuming and cinematography to carry its aesthetic, this show simply did not. The costumes, the makeup, and the special effects were all lackluster. The set was nice enough but was not shot in a way to really leave much of an impression.

The first episode was abysmal— mainly due to Dracula’s awful performance (those disgusting fungus covered fake nails, that age makeup, that ACCENT) and the entire awkward af scene where he terrorizes a convent of nuns while naked and covered in blood. But it was at least so bad it was funny.

The second episode was the most tedious to me because it was less offensively awful so I couldn’t even enjoy the badness. There was definitely a sharp uptick of quality whenever Dracula was offscreen for any notable amount of time though. The passengers were rather boring but I liked the crewmen. And Agatha honestly killed it for the latter half.

The last episode was by far the worst and yet the most entertaining because they just stopped trying at that point.

Renfield was amazing and an absolute delight every time he was on screen. Dracula found him over skype for God’s sake, how can that not be fantastic? He actually utters the words “Dracula has rights,” and his argument somehow actually fucking works.

And even Dracula himself was far less insufferable with the shift in dynamics. By being forced to cope with the modern world, he could no longer act like such a smarmy, self-assured know it all. Seeing him freak the fuck out at the sight of helicopters was genuinely fun.

Lucy’s handling was misogynistic af though. It was bafflingly, needlessly awful. And the way she was vilified at the very end was appalling. They almost had an interesting deconstruction wrt her utter malaise for her life, and the implication that she actually resents her beauty. But then of course she gets burned alive, and then is treated horribly for it by the protagonists.

Even though it’s clear she has no idea what’s happened to her body, Zoe doesn’t even bother to explain it to her. She just makes her take a selfie of all things so she can see what she really looks like. It didn’t seem like the show had a shred of sympathy for her, because “oh, clearly she was a narcissistic bitch and she deserved what she got” or something like that??

The utter indifference everyone has to her death is baffling. It was an afterthought, that seemed like its only purpose for existing was yet again just shock value. The scene, after her death, immediately shifting the focus back to whatever weird personal rivalry that borders on sexual tension Agatha/Zoe and Dracula have going on.

But all in all, this adaptation had me baffled, frustrated, and cringing through most of it. It was unintentionally funny quite often and I honestly enjoyed it, but for all the wrong reasons. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to melt their fucking brain.

#netflix dracula #netflix dracula spoilers #moffat dracula #bbc dracula #long post #I ramble sometimes #tldr: it was BAD #all the salt #this is 1800 words #*writer’s cap*

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aki-natsuko · 4 years

Text

Heatwave

Summer had arrived in Magnolia, and with it had come a blistering heatwave that had blanketed the town and the surrounding area for the last few days. It had forced most people to a standstill, as no one wanted to work in this weather, preferring t bask in the unusually hot weather and seek shelter by the river, beneath the trees in the parks and in pools and with ice-cream where possible. Natsu usually loved this time of year, especially when the heatwaves arrived, as he had no issues with the temperature and instead felt more energised than usual when the world matched the warmth he released. It was something that earned him many grumbles and glares as a child because he had been as active as ever, while the other kids had been flaked out in the shade. But over time the guild had got used to it and braced itself for him stilling causing havoc when it was too warm for most people to move let alone think about mischief.

However, this year his enjoyment of the heatwave had been completely and utterly derailed by his mate because Gray was not built for such hot temperatures. Not just because of the nature of his magic, but because he had also grown up in much colder regions, and while he had adapted to the weather here most of the time, the current heat was making life very unpleasant for his mate.

The Ice Mage had taken refuge in the Natsu’s house, after realising that the small cottage was slightly cooler than his own flat as it was away from the town, where the buildings trapped the heat and made it even worse. Currently, he was sprawled in Natsu’s hammock, ice coating the material in a desperate attempt to bring the temperature down even further, sweat beading on his forehead.

“Here,” Natsu murmured, not wanting to startle him as he approached, waiting for Gray to look at him before holding out the ice-drink that he’d made. Gray accepted it with a whispered thank you, and an expression of relief as he immediately started to gulp it down. The Dragon-slayer smiled, briefly amused by the sight of his mate drinking how he normally scolded Natsu for doing, before he stepped back, retreating a short distance before his own natural heat could reach the Ice Mage. Gray had adapted well to spending so much time around his warmth, but right now it was too much for him, and he couldn’t bear to be too close to Natsu, and although it hurt to have to keep his distance from his mate, Natsu didn’t want to make the situation any worse for him.

“Natsu…” Gray paused, noticing the retreat. “I’m sorry about this,” he added, looking down for a moment and frowning. He hated that he couldn’t be close, and he knew that it had to be worse for Natsu as the Dragon-slayer was a naturally tactile person at the best of times and loved being close to him. “I…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Natsu interrupted him with a shake of his head, meeting his gaze. Letting Gray see that while he might not like it, he wasn’t angry or disappointed or any of the emotions that Gray would have expected and accepted seeing in his eyes. Still, as Gray sipped the rest of his drink, he promised that he was going to make this whole mess up to Natsu as soon as the blasted heat had disappeared. His frown deepening into a scowl as he felt the sweat running down his back, the ice melting beneath him, and he closed his eyes and let his magic flare, this time forming a thin layer of ice across his body. Nearly weeping as the ice vanished almost before it had formed, the heat too much for it, and he didn’t really want to pour magic into it and grumbled and cursed under his breath.

Stupid weather…

****

It was late afternoon when they emerged from the house, and only because Happy who had been hanging out with Carla and Wendy to avoid Gray’s grumbling, and realise this situation was straining things between them, had come to inform them that the pool was up and running. The entire guild had been dismayed to find that someone – and given the amount of brawling that went on the guild no one knew who. Had managed to damage part of the pool wall and it had needed to be repaired before they could descend on it for relief from the heat. Gray had come to life at that news, and it had stopped Natsu from saying anything, even when the Exceed had told them that Juvia was in charge of keeping the water flowing and cool enough for everyone. Biting back a growl and the urge to refuse to go, and instead focusing on his mate’s expression at the prospect of getting away from the heat.

Gray failed to notice the Dragon-slayer’s uncharacteristic quiet as they headed into town, and towards the guild. Chatting with Happy, and practically bouncing at the prospect of getting away from the warmth if only for a while. As soon as they reached the guild, he practically bolted through the main hall and outside to the pool area. To where Juvia was surrounded by the few guildmates who weren’t already in the pool, spraying them with a fountain of cool water, eyes bright and wearing a broad smile as everyone cheered and relaxed around her. Natsu had chased after Gray, trying not to feel as though his mate was escaping from him and his warmth, and he halted in the doorway, watching as Juvia blushed and smiled wider when Gray joined the others

Gray needs this, he reminded himself even as Gray all but shed his clothes, a blissful expression on his face as the water ran over him, and Natsu wanted to lose himself in the sight, but he couldn’t. He knew that it was ridiculous, that he was being silly and jealous, but he couldn’t forget how Juvia was, and he gritted his teeth as Gray thanked her profusely before launching himself into the pool. He ducked under for a moment, before coming back up, lingering in the area where the fountain Juvia was maintaining entered the pool, tilting his face into the flow. It was the happiest he had seen Gray look in days, and Natsu wanted nothing more than to join his mate, and possibly join in with the water fight that seemed to be developing at the other end of the pool, but he couldn’t get himself to move any closer. Not quite sure that he could trust himself around Juvia at the moment. As while his human self might understand nothing was going on, his draconic side was stirring, possessive and protective after the last few days of not being able to help their mate.

For a little while, there was peace. Gray relaxing in the cool water under Natsu’s watchful gaze, although the Dragon-slayer was pulled into conversations as people came and went, shaking his head when more than one person asked if he was joining them in the pool. I want to, but… he thought after Lucy wandered away to rejoin Erza and Mirajane who were sprawled on towels at the edge of the pool taking a breather before going back in before his attention swung back to Juvia.

They had managed to avoid meeting gazes up until then, and Natsu had wondered if she’d even been aware that he was watching her. The look she gave him then told him that she was fully aware of his burning gaze, and she held his gaze for a moment before glancing towards the Ice Mage as Gray laughed and shouted something at Elfman who had just crashed into the pool, sending a wave over everyone nearby. He was smiling and relaxed, a far cry from the sweaty, grumpy mage, Natsu had spent the morning with. Natsu had followed her gaze, unable to help himself, and his shoulders sank as he realised that she was helping his mate in a way that he would never be able to. That was a bitter pill to swallow at the best of times, even without his draconic side already riled up, and the soft smile on Juvia’s face as she realised that she was helping was too much for him.

I should be the one taking care of him…

Unable to stay and watch Gray being taken care of by someone else, especially someone who had made it evident that they had feelings for his mate, Natsu turned and stormed away. He didn’t hear the curious questions, and calls that followed in his wake, the other guildmates realising that there was something wrong. He didn’t want to be around anyone right then, and when he left the guild, he faltered, realising that as much as he didn’t want to stay here, he also didn’t want to go home because Gray wasn’t there. Growling to himself, he hesitated, before turning heading for their old spot by the river, hoping that it wouldn’t be too busy with the warm weather.

Gray felt better than he had for days when he finally pulled himself up out of the pool, sitting on the edge for a few minutes, letting the water continue to cascade over him, before lifting his head to smile up at Juvia. “Thank you for this, you’re a lifesaver.” She blushed and smiled at his words, and he bit back a sigh when he realised that there was a lingering spark of hope in her eyes as she watched him. He wasn’t blind to her affections, although he had done his best not to encourage them, hoping that the more and more time he spent with Natsu, she would realise that they were in it for the long haul – admittedly he wasn’t sure that there was another option with Dragon-slayers – and find a way to move on.

However, that wasn’t a conversation he was willing to have right now, especially when he hadn’t been lying when he’d said she was a lifesaver as it had felt as though he was dying in the heat. Ignoring the small voice that sounded suspiciously like Natsu’s that was calling him a drama queen. Speaking of… he blinked realising that he hadn’t seen or heard Natsu since arriving, which wasn’t like his mate, especially at this time of year. As the heat seemed to make him more hyperactive than usually, and that was before the days of forced inactivity because of Gray, and he looked around, expecting to find Natsu causing havoc somewhere. Surprise turned to a frown, and then concern, when he realised he could see any trace of the Dragon-slayer in or out of the pool. Unable to imagine that he would have gone inside in this weather, trying to remember if Natsu had said anything about errands. Blanching a little as he realised that he couldn’t remember anything they’d talked about on the way into town and worrying at his bottom lip he turned back to Juvia. “Have you seen Natsu?”

Juvia frowned at the question, her smile dimming a little before she shook her head. “Not since you arrived, but I was focused on the water.” Gray studied her for a moment, sensing that it wasn’t quite the whole truth, and for a moment he could’ve sworn that there was a hint of satisfaction in her expression as she glanced around too, as though looking for Natsu.

“I better go and find him,” he said after a moment, deciding now wasn’t the time to push it. Keen to avoid another scene like the one where they’d announced their relationship to their guild, and he got to his feet and searched for his trousers, not bothering with his shirt as it would probably be off before he’d left the guild. Ignoring her sight, and the imploring hand that rose and fell as he turned away, he moved around the pool, asking the others if they’d seen his wayward mate.

Unfortunately, between the heat, the pool and the general cheery mood of the guild, everyone was distracted or snoozing in the heat and hadn’t been paying attention to what was going on around them. “Have you seen Natsu?” He asked as he reached Macao who seemed a little more awake than most people, keeping half an eye on Romeo who was in the pool and making the most of the warm weather.

“Natsu?” Macao echoed, yawning widely as he lifted his head which had been pillowed on his forearms, clearly near sleep and Gray sighed, about to turn away when Macao continued. “Yes, actually, I saw him slip away about fifteen to twenty minutes ago. Why?” He asked, becoming more alert as he saw Gray’s frown deepen.

“Did you see which way he went?”

“No, I saw him going out the front door as I was coming back from the bathroom,” Macao replied. “Did something happen?” Gray hesitated for a moment, even as he contemplated how he was going to track down Natsu, hoping that he wasn’t going to have to search the entire town as he reached for the bond and found it closed off. He could tell that the Dragon-slayer wasn’t too far, and he wasn’t hurt, but that was all the Dragon-slayer was allowing him and he sighed.

“I’m not sure, but I think Juvia being able to help me with the heat wound him up,” Gray replied at last, glancing towards Juvia who was still watching him. Hopefully, that was all that it was, he thought, not realising that his thoughts were there for the world to see as Macao studied him for a moment.

“Go and find him. I’ll stop Juvia from following you,” he said, tilting his head towards the Water Mage who had apparently gathered her courage and was starting to move in their direction. Gray muttered a quick ‘thank you’ before heading inside, glancing back just in time to see the older man getting up and moving to intercept Juvia, and he promised to by a Macao a drink later.

A quick check of the mostly empty guildhall confirmed that Natsu hadn’t come back inside to wait for him, and sighing he nudged at the bond as he stepped outside the guild. Where are you, Flamebrain? He asked, glaring up at the sky as the heat began to press on him again, waiting for a reply, as he tried to work out where Natsu would have gone. Probably not too far, as it would have been hard enough for Natsu to leave, especially with Juvia around. There was no reply in the bond, not even a flicker to show that Natsu had heard him, although the Ice Mage knew that he must’ve.

Damn it, Natsu…

Still, knowing that he wouldn’t have gone too far helped a little, as he knew Natsu had a few places that he preferred to go when he was upset. Like the river. It had always been their spot to go to when one or the other was upset, the other always arriving a short while later to try and cheer them up. Although in the past, their methods had primarily involved distraction in the form of punching one another and trading insults. That part had changed a lot, but he hoped that the rest hadn’t and that Natsu would have chosen somewhere that Gray could find easily. Please, he thought as he headed in that direction, breaking into a run despite the heat.

I’m coming, Natsu.

****

Gray was breathing heavily, and feeling as though he was being boiled alive by the time, he crested the riverbank overlooking their spot, coming to a halt as he spied the familiar figure sat on the edge of the bed. Thank Mavis, he thought, taking a moment to catch his breath as he studied the Dragon-slayer. Natsu was perched on the very edge, legs dangling into the water and sandals abandoned on the grass beside him, a pensive expression on his face as he stared at the river flowing past. He seemed lost in his own world, oblivious to Gray’s arrival, but the Ice Mage knew better than anyone how hard it was to sneak up on the Dragon-slayer, beside the bond between them, as muffled as it was at the moment would have told him that Gray was close. So, he was choosing to ignore Gray, which combined with his expression, worried the Ice Mage who took a deep breath before sliding down the bank towards Natsu, hoping that they could fix whatever this was.

“Natsu?” He called softly as he approached. “Natsu, what’s going on?” He tried again when the Dragon-slayer didn’t so much as flinch at his voice. Sighing when Natsu refused to look at him before closing the distance between them and settling on the grass next to Natsu. Carefully shuffling across until their knees were touching, knowing that Natsu needed the contact, especially after the last few days, and he knew that he had been spot on when he felt the shudder that wracked the Dragon-slayer, relief trickling through the bond.

“Nothing…”

Gray didn’t need the grumpy tone to know that was a lie, but he waited patiently, drawing comfort from the fact that Natsu wasn’t trying to move away from the offered touch. The bond was opening up again, a little bit at a time, as though now that Gray was right next to him, Natsu couldn’t keep his tight control over it. Gray’s eyes widened as he felt the irritation and frustration coming from Natsu, realising immediately that it wasn’t aimed at him, but… at Natsu himself, and Juvia, he realised as the Dragon-slayer couldn’t stop the image of Juvia’s smile as she realised she was helping Gray flashing through his mind. He could feel Natsu trying to block it, and feel the embarrassment, the knowledge that Natsu had nothing to worry about, and sighed.

“Idiot,” he murmured, before reaching out and wrapping an arm around the Dragon-slayer, forcing himself not to recoil from the heat that Natsu couldn’t help but let off. Natsu leant into the embrace, unable to help himself after having to maintain a careful distance the last few days, humming under his breath as he all but melted into the Ice Mage’s side. Gray smiled at the sound, feeling the tension beginning to melt out of Natsu’s body.

He let them remain like that for a few minutes. Natsu basking in the contact and having Gray there with him, and Gray savouring the contentment flooding the bond now. However, while he was glad that he had been able to soothe Natsu so easily, he knew that they couldn’t just ignore whatever had driven Natsu out here in the first place. He hesitated for a moment, reluctant to break the peace no matter how necessary it was. “So, are you going to tell me what happened?” He asked eventually, sighing when Natsu immediately tensed, not making any effort to escape although he didn’t seem inclined to answer if the mulish expression was anything to go by. “Was it Juvia?” Gray asked after a moment, and Natsu stared at him wide eyes, as a rush of emotions flooded the bond. Anger. Jealousy. Guilt. It all surged through the bond, and Gray tightened his hold on Natsu as he rode it out. “What happened? What did she do?” He demanded, worried that he had missed something in his rush to cool down.

“It’s nothing,” Natsu muttered, but there was a heaviness in his voice, and the bond that belied the easy dismissal, and Gray was torn between groaning and punching the idiot. Clearly, Natsu wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Instead, he reached out with the arm that wasn’t wrapped around the Dragon-slayer, and grabbed the stubborn chin, turning Natsu to face him.

“It’s not nothing,” he denied, not accusing or angry, but unyielding as Natsu tried his best to avoid his gaze. “Tell me,” he continued, voice softening a little as he felt the wavering in the bond. “Please.” That did it, as Natsu’s eyes finally rose to meet his gaze.

“I couldn’t help you,” Natsu whispered finally, clearly reluctant to answer, but unable to deny that softly spoken plea. Something that Gray filed away for future use, as he waited, sensing that Natsu wasn’t finished even as he tried to make sense of the quiet, guilty words. “You were suffering, and I knew that you were, but I couldn’t do anything to help. Which is what I am supposed to do…what I have to do as your mate. But Juvia could help you so easily, and in a way that I never could, and she knew it…and…” Natsu trailed off, unable to find the words to explain what he was feeling, the strength of the thoughts and feelings that he knew to some extent were irrational although it didn’t stop him from feeling them so strongly. His hands balling into fists against his legs, as he looked away, unable to hold Gray’s gaze any longer.

Oh, Natsu…

Gray sighed, not for the first time cursing the burden that Natsu’s draconic nature placed on the Dragon-slayer. It wasn’t fair the lengths that a Dragon or a Dragon-slayer felt compelled to go to in order to please their mate or the fact that they would face repercussions whether physical or emotional if they had failed, or even felt that they had failed such as now. Natsu might be a flame-brained idiot at times and had driven Gray up the wall more times than he could count, but he was the best mate that Gray could and would have ever hoped for, and that wasn’t about to change. Now all he had to do was find a way to convince Natsu, and more importantly, Natsu’s draconic side see that, and he gathered himself.

“But you did help me,” he said, soft but firm, smiling when Natsu’s eyes immediately darted back to meet his gaze, hope and doubt warring for dominance. “You stayed by my side even though I know much you love this kind of weather, and that normally you would be outside as much as possible. And even when you couldn’t get close to me, even though you love being able to touch and cuddle.” He released Natsu’s chin, in favour of resting a finger against the Dragon-slayer’s lips as Natsu opened his mouth to protest. “You let me go and get help from someone else even though you want to do it all yourself, even though that isn’t something I would ever put on you. And even though that person was someone, I know that you still consider a rival. So, tell me Natsu, how is any of that a failure?”

“But…”

“But nothing,” Gray interrupted. “We can’t always do everything ourselves, not even for each other as much as we might want to. You did everything you could and more than you needed to. That is what I believe, and are you going to doubt me?” It was an unfair move perhaps, playing on Natsu’s need to support him and he didn’t particularly like doing, but he hoped that it would at least start the process of Natsu learning that he didn’t need to do everything for his mate, no matter what his draconic side thought.

Natsu wanted to believe Gray, he really did, staring searchingly at his mate. Looking for any hint of doubt or irritation, and finding nothing but love and affection, and a burning need for him to believe what was being said that he could feel filling the bond too. I want to believe you, he thought, but his inner dragon was still growling unhappily deep in his chest, although now it was also conflicted by the need to reassure Gray that they didn’t doubt their mate. Gray. He was unaware of how the conflict was playing out across his face, twisting his expression as his vision began to blur. Frustration and hurt and confusion, bringing tears to his eyes, until gentle fingers brushed against his cheeks, chasing the few tears that had managed to fall. Blinking, he couldn’t move as Gray then drew him into a tight hug and kissing him as he pulled Natsu closer.

Natsu froze for a minute, not sure what to do, but feeling the dragon quieting at Gray’s actions. Settling a little at the clear sign of their mate’s affection and approval, and he was starting to feel as though he was coming back to himself, his own arms creeping around Gray’s as the Ice Mage deepened the kiss. He still couldn’t bring himself to respond properly to the kiss, unsure of if he had the right, and after a moment Gray pulled back with a pout and narrowed his eyes, and he could sense his determination through the bond. The desire and demand for a proper response to what he was trying to tell him.

“You are my mate Natsu,” Gray stated firmly, holding Natsu’s gaze and staring deeply into the olive eyes, almost imagining that he could see the dragon lying deep inside. “I would never and could never choose anyone else, even if you can’t always be the one to help me. Because you are mine, and I am yours,” he was whispering by the end, not holding anything back, as he let his feelings flood the bond, waiting and hoping. There was a pause, and then something shifted in the bond, warmth flooding him as Natsu finally moved, leaning in to press his own lips fiercely against Gray’s.

He could feel the doubt washing away, the bond becoming unclouded, as everything they were both feeling flooded through the link, merging and becoming stronger. It was overwhelming and soothing, and Gray could have lost himself in the sensation of that, and Natsu’s warm lips forever, but eventually they had to part to breath, clinging to one another, flustered and panting. “Do you believe me now?” He couldn’t resist answering, laughing as Natsu groaned and grumbled at him, kissing him again, feeling the awe and wonder in the bond, as though Natsu was marvelling at his response.

Caught in the moment, they had missed the sky growing dark overhead, and the only warning they got was a loud crack of thunder directly above them a split second before the sky opened up. Torrential rain bearing down on them, soaking them through in seconds, leaving them staring at one another wide-eyed and spluttering before Gray laughed as he climbed to his feet and offered his hand to his mate, Natsu accepting it without hesitation. “Now this is much better,” Gray said, releasing Natsu’s hand for a moment as he spun around, enjoying the feel of the rain on his skin, chasing away the unwelcome heat although he knew that it would return, before turning towards Natsu with a teasing expression. “Now you get to dry me off when we get home, and maybe even warm me up,” he added with a wink.

Natsu stared at him for a long moment, before a wide grin spread across his face and he darted forward intent on catching his cheeky mate. Gray ducked just out of reach, snatching up Natsu’s sandals before brushing his fingers on the grass, letting ice spread out towards Natsu and leaving the Dragon-slayer having to steady himself, while Gray bolted up the bank with a triumphant laugh. A burst of heat, told him that the ice and probably the grass too was done for, and then he could hear Natsu’s laughing protest, warmth flooding the bond as the Dragon-slayer gave chase.

#Gratsu #Fairy Tail #Natsu Dragneel #Gray Fullbuster #fanfic #Aki Writes #Dragon Season #Dragon Season: Drabbles and Ficlets

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