#i like the bad luck charm beads in the very least.

[mhaccunoval]

are these anything.

#mhac.txt #mhac does art #fall out boy #fall out boy fan art #(<- stooping to This level :pensive:) #so much (for) stardust #(<- AND this one) #what a time to be alive #i am my own muse #digital art #doodle #glad to finally have gotten these out of my head #they could be better (especially the star) but. #i like the bad luck charm beads in the very least. #will cheers myself if i don't delete this in the morning

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Hi Theitsa! half Greek in America here, looking for translation help and you're the only blogger I know 😭

long story short: my family on my mom's side all practice Greek folk magic, with my great-grandma and(possibly my great aunt)apparently being "completely" a witch.

i grew up with it but i'm still learning the language and my family disowned me for being gay so I can't ask for help with research.

the most commonly used term for "witch" is "magissa"/ μάγισσα right?? is μαγεία more common for magic in general? when I'm using Google translate γητεία seems to be the most common term for folk sorcery.

and i see the practices of Circe referred to as μαγγάνεια??

thank you for your help if you know anything, I know it's a niche topic.

bless you!!!

Hii! Dear anon I'm very sorry for what your family did to you :/ That's nor fair at all! May you thrive and be always blessed in your life!

This topic is not niche, actually! The average Greek in the country has some basic contact and knowledge of such stuff either by doing some or by hearing of them. I haven't talked a lot about Magganeia/Vaskaneia in Greece so let's do a Masterpost!

(Greeks with deeper knowledge please add to this post and let me know if something is inaccurate! All I have is "average Greek" knowledge but well, someone has to make the start.)

People throughout Greece (as in the whole Balkans and the Middle East tbh) practice a lot of customs to bring good energy and good things to them or expel bad energies and bad things. The most prevalent being the ritual of xematiasma (the prayer for which needs to be passed down by the opposite sex on a full moon), or customs with bridal koufeta for young girls to attract a good groom, reading the coffee and the palm, explaining dreams (and having recorded oneirokrites), giving new year talismans for good luck (mati beads, pomegranate charms, horseshoes) and hanging them around the home, or baking a pie to St. Fanourios if you want to find something you lost etc etc.

Traditionally such practices in Greece are intertwined with local customs and herb knowledge and it's not a big "issue" like it would be for USAmerican (cultural or practicing) Evangelicals. In Greece it's acceptable to do many things that in the US would be considered "witchcraft" but here they're just "tradition".

For Greeks the basic stuff I mentioned in the first paragraph is widely accepted to the point many of them have fused with church practices through the centuries. Coffee shops where one can have their coffee and palm read - although not many - have lots of customers. Tarot readers also have a good clientele. I've heard Greeks dismiss such stuff as "nonsense" but rarely dismiss them as "evil". Actually, the comments about such practices being evil here are very tame and usually connected to the church - but not in the US way.

Our Church might have cried about such practices in the past but... who listens to the church on these things! :P (only a few do) Our insistence on keeping folk practice led to Greece having no witch hunts or any witches burnt for at least a thousand years now!

Map of witchhunts in early modern Europe (source)

There is a line here, too, of course. Like, if one uses a heart from a mouse wrapped in an oak leaf bathed in frog bile to expel the bad spirits (a spell I just made up) that's officially "witchcraft" and we find it weird at best. More mild stuff like burning wishes written on paper or letting garlic absorb bad energies and then burn it are middle ground and not outright condemned - I feel the Greeks have a great tolerance of what is considered "folk tradition" to them.

The fear of being "pagan" in recent centuries is a Western panic. Traditionally Greeks and their Church were most worried about harmful spells (which included harming an animal or human in the process) and calling demons to do your bidding. If you called a saint for help in a non-harming spell... hmm that wouldn't be that worrying I guess. As long as you didn't ask a priest's opinion, you'd be fine :P

The sum of acceptable and unacceptable practices by the Greek public can be called "μαγγανεία" or "βασκανεία". Because they include unacceptable practices as well, the words have a negative connotation.

"Μαγεία" for Greeks is connected more to the Western archetype of a wizard with a tall hat going around with a big rod shouting "abracadabra". It's connected more to fantasy and fairytales. Traditionally I don't think we used μάγος/μάγισσα for people who did such practices. Even today I've yet to hear Greeks who call themselves witches say "κάνω μαγικά".

I'd say μαγγανεία or βασκανεία are the appropriate terms for what your great-grandma practiced. The spells are traditionally called γητείες (sing. γητεία). The word γόης which now means "very charming man" meant "sorcerer" in ancient years. We just use it metaphorically today. These words all have the same linguistic root.

Nowadays I haven't heard men call themselves "μάγος" but some women call themselves "μάγισσα", and they do "ξόρκια" (comes from εξορκισμός, exorcism - the English version of the Greek word). I think "μάγισσες" practice more Western types of magic because they learned the spells from Western European or US books and videos. I don't know if a practicer of Greek folk spells would be called the same.

I must note that all the above is the reason why when USAmericans practice Greek customs to worship the Greek gods and call themselves "pagans" feels a bit unsettling to me. I suppose if you add crystal balls and tarot and crystals to the practice that would shift it more to the "witchy" side (although as a Greek I'm quite flexible :P) But more than once I've seen USians call themselves "pagans" for simple acts of worship which are very much non-pagan. Having a home altar with the gods along with some blessed items and candles burning... is Basic Christian Orthodox stuff too, a tradition unbroken from ancient years (εικονοστάσια με καντήλια, κεριά, λουλούδια, κομποσκοίνια).

At the same time, I understand that in their society this can be called "being pagan" so I'm not saying that my view is the only one that matters in this. But some knowledge of the Greek culture always helps if you're practicing its customs. It will also help the Westerners stop calling Orthodoxes "savage pagans" for our religious practices after a thousand years :))))

Thanks for making it this far! Get a small bonus: a great article on ancient Greek "bindings/wishes" which is in Greek and it will be probably still fine if translated through Google.

Some things might differ between areas and eras so that's why I welcome other Greeks to comment here with their own experiences and stories of "witches" (or whatever they called them) if their areas had any.

#vaskania #magganeia #folk sorcery #witchcraft #masterpost #answered

[phoenix-downer]

Still Kairi

~1200 words. Sora/Kairi. Set during KH3. Sora POV. Romance, Fluff, Pining, Longing. For SoKai Week 2022, Day 6: KH3 or MOM.

Summary: Sora returns to the Mysterious Tower and sees Kairi for the first time in weeks.

The Gummi Ship sputtered and groaned as it powered down. Another safe landing. A glance out the windows revealed the Mysterious Tower poking out between the smoky clouds and reaching towards the starry skies. Sora leaned back in his chair, then grinned and put his hands behind his head. At long last, Aqua was home and Ven was awake. This was why he went on his journey. This was why he searched and searched for a way to save the people connected to him. Seeing their smiles was worth every drop of blood and bead of sweat and tear that he’d shed. 

Now if only he and Kairi could figure out a way to save Roxas and Naminé. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot as he went over the clues they’d uncovered in his head. Then there was that third person Ienzo had found in his heart—not Roxas or Ven, but someone else entirely. 

The question was, who? 

“Hey, not bad,” Ven said, entering the cockpit and breaking through his thoughts. It still felt kinda weird that Ven’s heart was no longer in his, but talking to Ven face-to-face like this more than made up for it. 

Sora ran his finger under his nose. “What, my driving skills or—”

“Yeah.” Ven sat next to him now that Donald had vacated his seat. “Thanks for bringing us here.” 

“Don’t mention it.” He grinned and crossed his arms. “But you should get some rest, sleepyhead. You’ll need your strength for what’s ahead of us.”

“Hey, the last thing I want to do is sleep more,” Ven said with a weak chuckle. “I’ve slept enough to last me a lifetime.” 

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Sora said sadly. He struggled to wrap his head around how weird it would be to be asleep for years and years like that, never aging as the worlds moved on without you. At least Aqua hadn’t really aged either—Sora couldn’t imagine how sad Ven would’ve been if she had, if they’d lost all that time together. Especially because Terra was still missing too. 

“Still,” Sora continued, “that confrontation with Vanitas was kinda intense. You should at least try to eat something and take a quick nap before everyone else gets back.” 

“Sora’s right, we’re having that big debriefin’ meeting here soon,” Goofy said. “Soon as the others arrive.” 

“I think they’re already here,” Donald said, peering out the window. Sora’s heart jumped around in his chest. Did that include Kairi too? The group piled out of the Gummi Ship, but Aqua lingered here with him as he gathered his things and stuffed them into his pockets.

“Aqua? What is it?” he asked. She had a very calming, soothing presence. Warm and motherly too, like the cool big sister he’d never had. 

“I just wanted to say… Thank you, for everything.” She crossed her hands in front of her and politely bowed her head. Everything she did was graceful, and Sora felt the urge to stand taller and behave himself when she was around.

“Don’t mention it,” he said, waving his hand. It still felt weird how she was bowing to him like this when it should be the other way around. “It’s the least I could do.” 

She shook her head. “No, really. It’s thanks to you I’m back in the Realm of Light. It’s thanks to you Ven’s awake.”

“You guys made me who I am,” he said softly, resting a hand over his heart. “I couldn’t just abandon you to your fates, you know?”

She smiled. “I know. It’s not who you are.”

“Not who I want to be, anyway,” he said. “With any luck, I’ll help you find Terra, too.”

A hint of sadness flickered through her eyes at his name, then she nodded. “Thank you, Sora.” 

With that, Aqua left him alone in the Gummi Ship, and he reached into his pocket and pulled out Kairi’s lucky charm. His fingers caressed the thalassa shells like he was greeting an old friend. She’d be here at this meeting, and he hadn’t seen her in a while. Would she notice he’d grown since she’d last seen him? Would she like his new clothes, his new hair? Or would she tell him he’d changed too much when she’d told him not to change—

“Pull it together, Sora,” he muttered to himself, tucking the lucky charm back in his pocket. “This is Kairi. She knows you’re not gonna be the same forever, and she’s changed too.” 

She’d been training after all and could wield her Keyblade better than ever. He wondered if she’d gotten a new outfit or haircut or anything. How much of the old Kairi would be in this new one? Would she still want anything to do with the lazy bum from home now that traveling the worlds was at her fingertips?

Well, guess there was only one way to find out. He left the Gummi Ship and strolled through the bright green grass to the Tower. Then it was up, up, up the winding staircase till he reached the top of the stairs. 

“I’m back!” he called as he opened the door. Everyone was already inside—Master Yen Sid was seated in his chair, Aqua and Ven were to the right of him, Mickey and Riku were next to them, then Donald and Goofy, and to the left of Donald and Goofy were Axel and—and Kairi. She turned to look at him, and he felt like she was the only one in the room. 

Her red hair was in a bob now, and she had gotten a new outfit. Pink dress-like thing with adorable animal ears on the hood and a cute skirt with black frills. Her arms had more muscle tone than the last time he’d seen her, and her legs looked really, really good in that skirt. He swallowed and tried not to stare, but she was just so pretty that— 

“Hey,” she said, a sweet smile on her face and a playful glint in her eye.

“Um, hey,” he mumbled. Donald snickered, and he shot the duck a glare. Kairi giggled into her hand, and that was such a Kairi thing to do that he knew things would be okay. Even though she’d changed and he had too, she was still Kairi and he was still Sora. The way she was looking at him, he figured she still had a crush on him too despite their time apart. 

And maybe, after this meeting, he could tell her that he still had a crush on her too. There was so much stuff on his mind that was kinda hard to put into words, but that seemed like a good starting point. Especially because the road ahead of them was difficult. Saving people always came at a cost. It was worth it, but it wasn’t easy. 

Donald and Goofy made room for him, and he stepped forward. His friends having his back with Kairi at his side, he couldn’t think of a better way to take on this next part of his journey.

Master Yen Sid closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “At last, we are all assembled.”

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

A/N: Another missing scene fic! I wanted to write something for Sora and Kairi’s initial reunion in KH3 since it was sort of glossed over in the game itself. The title is a callback to another fic I wrote set during KH2 called Still Sora. One of the themes I really love in the series is how despite how people change, they still care about each other. Just felt like a really SoKai thing because they do change a lot from KH1 to KH2 to KH3 and I’m sure the same will be true of KH4, but they still love each other and want to be together. 

Thank you for reading!

#sokai #sokaiweek #sokaiweek2022 #sora #kairi #kingdom hearts #kh fanfiction #ventus #aqua #donald #donald duck #goofy #phoenix writes #phoenix-downer #romance #fluff #pining #longing #long post

[misselko]

Time to give some love to my favourite Golden Boy, Claude von Riegan! His charming, bright, and mysterious personality is really fun to write. This took longer than usual but I'm happy with my very first fic of him. I hope you do enjoy it as well!

Warnings: Fluff, minor injuries

Words: 14.000

HELPING HANDS

Professor Byleth asked you to help the Golden Deer class on their assignments for a whole moon due to Professor Hanneman’s request. Everything has been going on nicely and you get along with them very well. Time flies when you spend it with The Golden Deer. Claude’s schemes always make everything wild and adventurous.

 

A moon pass and they ask for your help once again for an important mission to capture some bandits that hiding in the nearby forest by the end of the month because Marianne is down with the flu. Being a pretty decent healer in Blue Lions, you can’t help but to heed to their request.

 

You and Claude are separated from the Professor and everyone when a landslide happened. By sheer luck, you two manage to defeat the remaining bandits that follow you on your way to this abandoned house in the middle of the forest. You owe it to Claude and his instructions that both of you made it out of the battle almost unharmed.

 

---

 

“How did we get ourselves into this mess?”

You sighed, focusing your Faith magic on littered scars and bruises on Claude’s arm and chest. He hisses in pain, rubbing his sprained ankle in a way that makes you grimace. That swollen foot sure looks painful. At least your decent healing made it better. “I vividly remember you claiming that you could handle that, Claude. It was a close one” you poke his injury.

 

“Ooouch!! How was I supposed to know?” He seethes, trying to move his wounded foot away from you. The Golden Deer Leader frowns and put his hands on your shoulders. “Anyone could’ve seen that we were easily outnumbered. And yet, your reckless self decided to be a decoy for us. A pretty angel like you would be an easy target for those bandits. I hate it, (Y/N). What if I failed to knock them out?” He shook his head in disbelief.

 

“Well, it’s what I do best. At least we made it out alive,” you chuckled. Claude looked like he wanted to argue, but he sighed and nodded slowly.

 

Walking closer to light up a candle with your magic, there is a loud pattering sound of large drops of rain beginning to fall with a rustle through the trees on the weathered window. For a short while time you have been hearing thunder in the distance, now the wind is howling between the trees. The sound becomes louder and louder; it sounds like it is just outside the window now. It seems a thunderstorm is brewing. Soon, it became too dark to even see beyond the window.

 

Beads of cold sweat form on your forehead as your poison induced fever begins to come back in full force. Crossing your arms across your chest, you try to keep your body from shivering. You were not feeling well this morning. But to get this limp and feverish just from using Faith magic is highly unlikely. Everything felt hazy and out of focus. This must be poison. Was this from the cut that you got from that bandit’s slash this evening? Rubbing your leg softly, you find some red spots and angry purple bruise on your upper thigh. It isn’t that bad but it will get worse without proper antidote and you are not strong enough to heal it by yourself. Not in this state.

 

“How can we make it back to the monastery in this darkness, Claude?”

 

“Those bandits took our steeds, (Y/N). We should spend this night in this abandoned house. I’m sure the Professor and others will find us tomorrow.”

 

The rain is now pounding and the heavier winds made you shiver. This is the worst. Your fever returns back with a violent chill and you feel that humid, hot summer night now feels like a cold winters day. However much you would have liked to disagree, you are in no condition to go against his decision. It would be too dangerous to walk amidst a dense forest at midnight.

 

Dawn of realization just hit your mind... You are trapped with Claude of all people. “And spend the night together with you? Just the two of us? B-But..!! I—”

 

At that moment the forest flared in blinding white light and in the pitch black darkness, lightning explodes and thunder reverberated around the room in a deafening sound that followed immediately.

 

“Aaaaaah!!!” You shriek out of surprise and stumble, accidentally falling hard on the floor. It... doesn’t hurt? But how?

 

“That’s not very decent, (Y/N). Pouncing on me like this... I like that bold side of yours.”

 

“Claude!!!” Your face felt like it was on fire as you cried and jump off from his chest. But the sudden movement make your wound hurt excruciatingly and fall back on him. His smug grin gone instantly, face taut with concern and worry when he see your pained face. As gently as he could he moves you to sit in front of him.

 

“Hey, are you okay, (Y/N)?” His voice changes into a quiet, serious one as his emerald green eyes look at you. After a moment of silence, you shake your head and say to him slowly. “Nothing gets past you, Claude. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling quite well this morning, but I thought, it was nothing to cancel the mission over for”, you told Claude with a wrinkled face. “And now... I think I got poisoned from those bandits’ attack.”

 

“Damn it, you could have died! We can't have you putting on a brave face only to fall in battle.” Raking his finger through brown dishevelled hair, Claude let out an exasperated sigh. “And to think that you even exerting yourself to heal me in this condition... Please show me your injury, let’s see what I can do about it.”

 

Wincing in pain, you look at him reluctantly and showing your wound. He examines it silently for a minute and producing some small vials and powder from his inner pocket. “This will make it better in no time,” he said as he mix and gives it to you. The vial is filled with light green liquid with sticky, gooey texture and feel cold to the touch.

 

“It’s an antidote. 100% safe, I promise.” The mask he usually wore had been long forgotten, so you clearly saw the hurt flash across his face.

 

“Of course. I will never doubt you, Claude. Don’t get me wrong. I just think... that you are quick-witted and reliable. You make me feel safe,” you said softly as you smear the salve.

 

Claude is surprised at your words, unable to make any answer. It was very brief but you are sure that you saw a faint blush across his face. You couldn’t see it clearly because he gaze away in instant when you rub your sore upper thigh. He sure tease and flirts with you a lot, but he is a true gentleman in his heart.

 

“Rest assured. I won’t do anything funny to you. Lorenz will cut my head off. He almost did the last moon.”

 

“That’s because you  smeared his comb with thick soot. And you had the nerve to ask me to be your accomplice.” You roll your eyes at him with a deadpan look. “Don’t make me start on that horrendous, stinky THING that you put inside Lorenz’ boots. Even Marianne can’t stop praying for Goddess forgiveness for your heinous act! To put Dorte’s... a horse’s...”

 

“At least his grape hair looks better with some black streaks. His boots SMELL better that way! And that priceless look when Lorenz’ hands turned black with ink all over his fingers because I poked a hole in the side of his writing quill? I should have asked Ignatz to draw a picture of it.” A smug grin spreads across his lips. You can’t help but to laugh at his handsome roguish face.

 

“And you had my life at stake when you poisoned his cake, Claude! I have to spend a whole day at the infirmary because of your shenanigans.” You punch his chest playfully. “That stomach-ache was the worst in my whole life.”

 

“That’s an accident, I swear! I never knew that he would give that cake to you when he asked you for a tea time. Dimitri and Professor Byleth gave me an earful, thanks to it. Sorry, (Y/N),” Claude said apologetically as he draped his yellow cape over your shoulder. Barely had any strength left, you lean on his shoulder for support.

 

“You should get some rest, (Y/N).”

 

That sounds like a great idea. Who would know that getting poisoned, healing Claude’s injuries and sprained ankle will drain your stamina this much. “Mmh... your warmth feels nice... Claude.....”

 

“Hey! At least you should lay on the be—"

 

Claude is surprised when he hears your soft breath. He waited a few moments for your reply before shifting to look down on your face, only to find you quietly snoozing on his chest. With an amused smile, he tries to lift you up and lay you on the bed. Unfortunately, even a simple task like that is challenging for him in this state. His sprained ankle makes it difficult for him to stand up, let alone lift or drag you around. The flirty tactician sighs as he drops your head back down on his lap, tucking his cape carefully around your body to protect you from the night’s cold air.

 

“Everything will be alright, (Y/N). I promise.” He murmurs softly as he wrap his arm around you and snuggle close to keep you warm. Sleepiness engulfing him in a mere moment when he close his eyes.

 

---

 

You can feel someone stroking your back and it feels surprisingly good. The hand is warm and nice to the touch. A soft purr escapes from your lips as you let your body sink to that velvety touch.

 

“I’m glad you have recovered from your fever last night. The wound look way much better now. And.... You look like you are enjoying yourself.” Claude smirks at your curled-up form, looking oh so comfortable on his lap. A long moment of silence passes as he is waiting for you to squirm or turn red or... something. But the moment passed, and you remain curled up on his lap, none the wiser of his company.

 

"Wait... Are you actually asleep?" Claude finally asks, and you sighing softly as you rolled over, not acknowledging him in the least was the only answer he needed. "I'll give you five seconds to run. If you don't, I get to tease you." The smart tactician impishly states. You continued to snooze for the duration of Claude’s countdown. Finally, he sighed and gave up.

 

"Well, I guess it would be rude to move you," he mused, "and you do look so cute on my lap.” Claude sighs as he runs his fingers through your hair gently. “Mewling underneath me, a sight to behold for sure. Not that I’m complaining.” Letting out a small moan, you smile and move closer to him. Your forehead landed on something soft and comfortable. You bury and snuggle your face in it as if it were a cloud you wanted to dive into.

 

“U-Uhm... (Y/N), you shouldn’t do this to a man in the early hours of the morning. It might wake... uh... T-That’s my—”

 

His words made you bewildered. What does he mean? Mustered your strength, you tried to open your eyes and greet him.

 

“Good morning, Cla...”

!!!

 

You are utterly shocked when you opened your eyes right in front of.... between Claude’s legs. You can see a prominent bulge something behind his cape that draped around that part!!!

 

“I’msorryimsorryimsorryimsososososososorry, Claude!!!!”

 

You jump in panic and nearly tripped yourself. The class leader of Golden Deer laughs in mirth as he sees your cherry red face. You pressed your hands to your cheeks, as if you could bring down the colour. Claude’s annoying hearty laugh can be heard from behind of your back. Ugh, that tease! But unbeknownst to him, his usual facade does falter a bit. Even his poker face could not hide the heat and red shade that creeps on his cheeks.

 

It is strange and alien that you fell asleep to the rumbling of a thunderstorm and the rustling of trees in the middle of nowhere in a forest. And to wake up in the company of someone else in such an awkward and embarrassing manner!!!

 

“I won’t be able to marry anyone this way, (Y/N). But you can always take responsibility for it! I don’t mind. Besides, I got to see your cute sleeping face. So it’s a win-win solution for us, isn’t it?” Claude can’t stop laughing unceremoniously at your flustered face. He will never let you hear the end of this. But his banter stopped... when his stomach let out a loud rumble.

 

“Uh... Do you have something t— Oomph!”

 

His words died down when you shoved a bun that you took from your small bag to his mouth. “Let’s not speak of this incident. I was so embarrassed that I longed for death,” you said as you eat another bun resentfully.

 

“A single bun is not enough to bribe me. You can do better than thi—Ooouch!!” The silly man yelped in pain when you pull his braid forcefully. Serves him right.

 

BANG!!!

 

Your bickering has stopped abruptly when a huge axe found its way on the door. The blade glistening menacingly when the sun shines upon it. Is it those bandits!? Claude’s playfulness is gone in an instant when he sees the broken door.

 

“Calm down. Stay behind me”. Claude took a few steps in front of you as he reached for his bow cautiously.

 

“Geez. What a rude way to greet a delicate flower like me, Claude!” Hilda said as she breaks down the oak door in a not-so-delicate manner. “We came to save you two! Glad to see that you remain unscathed! Did we... miss something?” The pink-haired girl smirks devilishly at your hand that tugs on his cape tightly.

 

Professor Byleth, Lysithea, and Lorenz come inside and take a look at Claude’s swollen foot. After they are done healing it, Ignatz and Leonie help to load him onto Raphael’s back. Being so observant, Lorenz notices your injury and give you some vulneraries.

 

“It is a noble’s duty to look after injured people. You have been running yourself absolutely ragged and it wouldn’t be wise to make it worse. Would you please let me, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester to help you back to the Monastery, (Y/N)?”

 

“Thank you, Lorenz. But I can walk just fine. Thanks to Claude’s help, the fever is gone now. You guys should help him instead.”

 

Lorenz opens his mouth but closes it instead to prevent himself from arguing with you. He runs over to Claude and help him to carry his bow.

 

Unlike the previous night, this forest offers the charms of a good view in the morning. Moss sticks to all corners of the forest including rocks and soil. Taking a farther route due to the landslide yesterday, you pass along path-ways where flowers of every colour are blooming. There is a small lake surrounded by smaller trees in the middle of it. It was a leisure, pleasant walk back to the Monastery with The Golden Deer. They feel like a second family to you.

 

---

 

“Been forever since we saw you, (Y/N). Are you feeling better now? You may have missed some of Professor Byleth’s lecture on battalions and combat skills.” Dimitri greets you politely when you sit at your seat. “I...N-No..We... The B-Blue Lions missed you. A lot.” He adds, his voice is barely audible as he look at you sheepishly. You smile brightly at his words, turning the young prince into a blushing mess.

 

“Don’t worry, you can use my notes!” Annette chirped as she gives you her book. Mercedes smiles warmly as she offers you a bag of cookies that she made this morning. In a few minutes, all of The Blue Lions gather around you. They are so happy to have you back after you have been gone for so long. Sylvain even suggests you to sit on his lap instead of your... desk. And that’s how Sylvain got punched by Ingrid.  A month is like forever! It’s nice to be back!

 

After you are back for a few days, you are doing your best (with Felix and Ingrid’s help) to catch up on the training that you have missed. It was an intense match that ended just before dusk. After parting ways with them, you decided to take a short stroll around the Monastery before going back to your quarters.

 

You walked to the pier to observe the beautiful dusk. All the shades of reds mixed with the blues and yellows in a mesmerizing way. The sun is setting in a burnt orange sky as they washed the buildings and trees with a gentle, golden glow. Birds are chirping, and you hear the sound of a gentle breeze blowing through trees. Dipping your bare foot in the cool lake, you begin to ponder about your decisions regarding your future. Returning to Blue Lions is really nice and warm, but you can’t help but feel like you’re missing something. Last month... was pleasurable for you.

 

“Ah... It is the beautiful maiden who saved me with her bravery and helpful healing last month. I have called your name several times already but you didn’t seem to hear a word that I said. Lost in thought?” The Golden Deer leader grins playfully as he sit beside you.

 

Great. Perfect timing. Two minds make the work faster, and being a great schemer, Claude might be able to help you to find what you missed.

 

“How are you? What an intense stare. Is there something on my face? Did you miss this handsome face?” He winks at you playfully. It took all of your best effort to not roll your eyes at his flirting.

 

“...My future. I think I’m lost, Claude.”

“Please elaborate.”

“The Blue Lions are very nice to me but... I can’t help but feel like something is missing. I don’t know why but I can’t shake this feeling. Being with The Golden Deer made me....” your words trail off as you pull out your feet from the lake, then rub them softly to provide some warmth. The wind gets colder as the sky turns dark and the stars shine.

 

“.....feels like home,” you smiled as you tug his hand gingerly.

 

He smiles at your words. A sincere one, rare smile that reaches his eyes. “It broke my heart to have to let you go. You are such a capable healer. Smart and brave. Everyone will be extra happy to have you here. I know it is an important decision for you to make, but I think you would be happier with us.” He looks at your eyes intently. It almost feels like he is staring into your soul so deep that he is trying to steal it.

 

“What can I do to make you the newest and most beautiful member of The Golden Deer? Would you join us? Please? For me?” Claude said in his sultry, dulcet voice as he takes your hand and kisses it sweetly.

 

Now it is for you to choose, my dear Reader-chan, will you:

 

Remain with the Blue Lions: Dimitri is cute, kind, and you secretly have a crush on him. Everyone is kind and warm towards you and your loyalty remains with them.

Join the Golden Deer: Claude's flirting, wild and adventurous schemes always never cease to make your day fun. His handsome smiles have won you over and it is time to begin new adventures with you life in a new House. 

#claude von riegan #claude x reader #claude fluff #fe claude x reader #fe claude #claude fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #fe3h #fe3h fanfic #fe3h fluff #fe3h x reader #fire emblem x reader #fluff #golden deer #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #dimitri fluff #dimitri #dimitri x reader #fe dimitri x reader #blue lions

[alpacaparkaseok]

The Pact - Date #3

Pairing/Genre: OT7 BTS x reader (not poly), idol!BTS, best friend BTS

Word Count: 7.7k

Premise: The truth about the pact the boys have about you has been revealed. What happens when you agree to go on a single date with each of them?

Warnings: none, BUT THE FLUFF IS COMING DOWN FULL FORCE YA’LL

a/n: don’t forget, I taking your guys’ comments/reactions into account for this series, so please let me know what your thoughts are! of course, at the end we’ll really take a deeper look at all of the dates and what stood out the most, but I would love to hear from you about this one!! love you all, enjoy!

Date #3

series masterlist ∆∆∆ join the taglist

The more time has passed, the more you fully come to realize that if you have been that affected by two dates, you are in no way prepared for the five that remain.

Nope. Not one bit.

It was Thursday when Jungkook finally texted to check that you were free around eleven. Your heart leapt, finally. A date that you wouldn’t have to spend all day moping around waiting for.

So obviously, you were ready by 9. You know, just in case.

You’d been instructed to wear casual clothes, something that you rejoiced in. Donning your sweater with the word Harvard in thick blue letters spanning the front and a pair of skinny jeans, you felt right at home.

The boys never missed a chance to tease you about your Harvard sweatshirt, and for some reason they never believed your lie that you actually went there. Of course, that might be due to the fact that they were very much aware of your current schooling situation and it was most definitely not Harvard.

But hey...attending one of the top universities in South Korea wasn’t bad, either.

Currently you were perched on the end of your bed, partly due to the fact that if you went anywhere else you would most certainly just end up staring out the window at every car that passed by. Not wanting to look like a nosy neighbor, you’d confined yourself to your room to wait out the morning.

In the hours that pass, your thoughts are completely occupied by the two boys you shared the last couple of Saturdays with.

It would be a lie to say that you don’t replay the image of Taehyung standing in your doorway every night as you tried to sleep, his hair a fluffy mess and that cable knit sweater proving to be your doom.

Your thoughts were usually interrupted as you took your bracelet off and stared at it, imagining Hobi delicately placing each individual bead it it’s place. It’s when your hand burns with the memory of his gentle kiss on your palm that you finally set the bracelet down and let out a frustrated sigh.

Yeah...Jimin was wrong when he invited you to just think of these as nice, friendly dates.

He probably knew it, too.

“Ok,” you breathe out, closing your eyes and focusing on the rise and fall of your chest. “Just...enjoy it.”

Enjoy it you shall.

That’s the thing that carries you through the waiting, still just breathing in and out and mentally preparing yourself for all that awaits you today.

You get so carried away in your attempts to calm down that the knock on your front door comes before you realize how much time has passed. Taking one more steadying breath, you get up from your bed and amble down the hallway to the door.

Pausing for a moment, you realize that you truly have no idea who might be on the other side of that door. The thought makes you smile. You’ve always loved a good mystery.

Cracking open the door, you can’t help but smile as the figure before you has their back turned to you. At the sound of your quiet giggle, they turn around, eyes a little wide.

A nervous smile in place, Namjoon leans forward ever so slightly. Almost as though he’s being pulled in by your personal gravity. “Morning,” he says almost as an afterthought, his voice low.

“Good morning,” you respond, throwing the door open the rest of the way. “So you’re lucky number three?”

“Well, you know what they say.”

You busy yourself with grabbing your bag and double checking that you have everything. “What do they say?”

Namjoon shrugs, his nervous smile growing until it’s bordering on giddiness. “Third time’s a charm.”

Indeed.

Once you’ve ascertained that you have everything you’ll need (you made sure to replenish your mint stash earlier this week), you’re stepping out into the slightly brisk air and locking the door behind you.

The sound of keys jingling near your ear has you turning to face Namjoon, who wears an oversized, dark plaid shirt that’s open to reveal his black t-shirt beneath it. The picture of casual coolness, paired with his dark wash jeans and sneakers, the look is complete with the way his dimples poke out as he holds up the keys to your eye level.

“Guess who’s driving?” He teases in a sing-song voice, making you laugh as you swipe the keys from him. As the two of you descend the stairs toward the car, you tilt your head to the side.

“How did you get here?” Then, turning to him with wide eyes, “You didn’t drive yourself, right?”

He’s quick to shake his head, pointing out a car that’s turning around at the end of your street and slowly making its way back toward you two. “The guys dropped me off.”

The thought of Namjoon in a car with some of the boys and the rest trailing after them in a separate vehicle is endearing, while also hilarious. “All of them?”

“Yep,” he confirms. “Every last one of them.”

As the car draws nearer, you see the windows roll down and someone with familiar black, fluffy hair sticks their head out. Like a dog pile, another head hovers beside them.

Taehyung and Jimin.

Oh, and there’s Jungkook somehow managing to wiggle in between them.

“We apologize in advance, jagiya,” Jimin croons loudly with a teasing smirk. “At least try to enjoy yourself.”

You snort, clicking the button to unlock the car and laughing even harder when Hobi jumps at the sound of the horn. He sits in the passenger seat beside Jin, who drives. The two merely wave before mumbling something to each other that makes them laugh.

“Where’s Yoongi?” You ask, frowning as you do a head count and not finding him anywhere. In response, a pale hand coming from what must be the very back row of the car worms its way forward to the open window. You swear you can almost hear his disgruntled greeting, but it’s drowned out as Taehyung excitedly speaks up.

“Good luck trying to beat me, hyung,” he teases, shooting Namjoon a sweet smile that’s at odds with his teasing comment.

Namjoon just shrugs, utterly unphased as he follows you around the car and opens the drivers side with smooth precision. “Shouldn’t be too hard.”

This encourages a round of ooh-ing that only serves to make you laugh even as you tuck away the momentary competitive side of Namjoon. Calm, calculated, and - if you’re reading that steely look in his eyes correctly - utterly in the zone.

Oh, you’re definitely enjoying this way more than you should.

“Drive safe!” The boys shout out amidst jeering comments directed toward Namjoon and his lack of driving abilities. With a final wave, they’re speeding off down the street. Once they’ve disappeared from sight, you notice the way Namjoon’s shoulders relax. He hurries over to the passenger side, hopping in and buckling up before fiddling with his phone.

“So...where to?” You ask, buckled up and ready to go. You tap the steering wheel excitedly, already feeling hyped up from the short interaction with everyone.

You miss seeing them all together. There’s a reason why you’re friends with the entire group.

“I put the address into the car,” Namjoon explains. “It should give you directions as we go.”

Arching a brow at him, you don’t shift into drive just yet. “So I’m driving us there, but I don’t get to know what the end location is?”

Smiling softly, Namjoon nods. “Exactly. You’re so smart, have I ever told you that?”

Scowling, you press the green button that appears on the screen and a warm female voice instructs you to drive to the stop sign and turn left.

You hum, pondering the slightly sarcastic question. “I’m not sure. But that’s definitely a sign that you should tell me more often.”

“I’ll make note of that.”

With a glance at the screen, you see the estimated driving time. “We’re leaving Seoul?”

From your peripheral, you notice Namjoon’s worried expression. “Is that alright? We can find something to do around here, it’s just-”

“No,” you rush to reassure him. “I was just surprised, that’s all.” It won’t be a particularly long drive, just over an hour, but you certainly weren’t expecting that.

Something tells you that there are plenty more surprises waiting for you today.

It doesn’t take long before the two of you slip into an easy conversation, Namjoon relating his latest experiences in his efforts to add something eye-catching to his studio.

“Like what?” You ask. “I love your studio the way it is.”

Namjoon looks over at you, smiling softly. “Really? I don’t know...I just feel like something’s missing.”

“Well, we’ll keep an eye out for something today,” you promise, relaxing now that you’re on the freeway and in the flow of traffic. “Like, do you want something to hang up? Or something to go on your desk?”

He shrugs, taking a moment to roll his window down and close his eyes as it runs through his hair. “I already have a bunch of stuff on the wall, and if I put anything on my desk-”

“Right, you’ll spill on it.”

“Exactly.” You keep your eyes on the road, entirely missing the fond look he gives you.

“So basically, you don’t need anything.”

He huffs a sigh, rolling the window back up and sinking down into the seat. “No, I do, I just don’t know what.”

“Mmm.”

“Hey,” Namjoon cuts, giving you a dramatic glare. “Don’t mock me.”

Feigning innocence, you peek over at him. “I’m not!”

“Yah, just drive.”

“I am!”

Despite the bickering, you can’t fight the smile edging its way onto your features. A glance over at Namjoon shows that he’s having the same issue, his face turned away from you but failing to hide the silly grin he’s attempting to hide as his fingers curl at his lips. It’s a habit he’s had for as long as you’ve known him, one that often makes its way into many photos.

“Prepare to take exit 14,” the voice instructs, and you make your way over to the far lane, eyeing the looming sign that will announce what exit it’s for. Once the sign comes into view, you give Namjoon a puzzled look.

“We’re going to Anyang?”

It’s not that you have anything against the city, it’s just that...well, what is there in Anyang that isn’t in Seoul?

“See? Super intelligent.” It’s the only response you get from Namjoon, but it has you rolling your eyes in an effort to counter the butterflies that erupt in your stomach at the way he’s looking at you.

In a couple of minutes you’re turning onto a relatively quiet street, only a few random people mulling about, enjoying their weekend. Namjoon points out an entrance to a parking lot that you would have completely missed due to its hidden nature. Once you’re parked and dwarfed between the buildings surrounding the little lot, you jump out of the car and make a show of stretching your legs.

Namjoon mimics you, a loud yet satisfying yawn coming from him. “Hey, are you hungry now or are you good to wait a little while?”

You pause, internally wondering. “I think I’m good for a while.”

“Great.” Rubbing his hands together, he comes to stand beside you. “Let’s go, then.”

You fall into step beside him. “Woah, you still haven’t told me where- oh.”

The two of you have rounded a corner and now stand in front of a nondescript building. Its sage green paint is chipping a bit, giving it a rustic feel that is only accentuated by the gold lettering above the door.

Wanderers & Travelers

However, it’s not the homey feel or the tasteful name that has you stopping in your tracks. It’s what you see inside, through the large windows.

Without a single word, you step forward as though in a daze. The little bell above the door chimes as you walk in, announcing your arrival. And, as though the entire thing couldn’t get better, the scent hits you.

The smell of old and new books, some leather bound and some hard backed, dives into your senses and leaves you whirling.

The walls in here are painted some shade of sky blue, complementing the deep wood shelves. It’s quiet in here, the only sound being that of shuffling feet.

If you blink, you’re afraid it might all vanish.

“Oh! You’re here!”

Turning to your left, you see a woman with flecks of white in her hair, smiling warmly at you and Namjoon. If you’re being completely, honest, you’d nearly forgotten that Namjoon was there.

The woman descends the final few steps of the creaky staircase, keeping a friendly distance as she nods at the two of you. “You were right,” she remarks to Namjoon. Then, to you with a teasing smirk, “You look like you’ve never seen a bookstore before.”

You sputter for the right words. “I- yeah, but this-”

“Is no ordinary bookstore,” Namjoon finishes for you, a hand at your elbow. You can’t help but lean into his touch, momentarily forgetting the rows and rows of shelves just a few steps away as Namjoon involuntarily steps a little closer.

“Ah, right. Well, first thing’s first: I’m Choi Min-jee. And this is my bookstore,” she gestures to the endless rows of bookshelves, and you wonder for a moment how all of these can fit in the building. It looks so much smaller from the outside.

Min-jee motions for you to follow her, and she leads the two of you to the nearest bookshelf. “These books range in languages and age, you never know what you might find. This shop has been in my family for five generations now - we’ve collected our fair share of books and other antique items.” With a little wink, she steps back. “Take your time, and let me know if you have any questions. Oh, and the upstairs is open now.”

Namjoon perks up at this, looking over from where he’d pulled a book off the shelf. “Really? We’ll have to look up there!”

“Please do! I’m off to practice piano.” With that, she whisks away, leaving you to your own devices.

You stare after her in awe, mouth slightly ajar. It makes Namjoon chuckle quietly, he must know the feeling.

“I wanna be her when I grow up,” you whisper, earning a louder chuckle from the man.

“Same.” Namjoon heads deeper into the shelves, and you follow after him. He glances back at you over his shoulder. “This is my favorite place.”

“I take it you’re a regular?” You ask, eyes catching on a bright blue book with frayed binding. Pausing, you ease it from its spot. “Hm… ‘The Cottage by the Sea’.” You run my hand over the shiny inlay, a seashell glinting up at you. “Why do I feel like I just entered the world of ‘Little Women’?”

Namjoon snorts, wandering back over to you and gazing down at the book. He grabs the one that occupied the spot next to it on the shelf, the deep red absorbing in all the surrounding light. “You’re definitely Jo.”

“Really?” You ask, gently flipping through the first few pages and trying to find a publish date. “I always thought that I was more of an Amy.”

Namjoon looks appalled, tearing his eyes away from his book. “What? No. In what world are you Amy?”

“Hey! Don’t act like she’s a bad person,” You whine, bringing the book close to your chest. “She was just...trying to survive.”

Huffing loudly and obnoxiously, Namjoon heads over to the other aisle, peeking at you through the gaps in the shelf. “She got everything she ever wanted, without hardly having to ask for it. Are you telling me that you have everything you ever wanted?”

There’s a skylight above you, allowing the lazy afternoon sun to filter in and play with the lighter tones in Namjoon’s hair. He looks at you with his ferociously focused gaze, something that you had never squirmed under before but now find your cheeks burning as he doesn’t look away.

You sigh contentedly. “More or less. Look at me, I’m surrounded by books.”

Namjoon gets closer to the shelves, leaning down to be eye-level with you through the shelves. “So what’s missing?”

“Hmm?” You hum, getting a little lost as music starts up somewhere. You realize with a start that this must be what Min-jee meant by practicing piano, as the soft sound comes from somewhere hidden.

There’s a little smile on Namjoon’s face, just enough for a dimple to appear. “You said more or less. What are you missing still?”

Edging a little closer and nearly closing your eyes at the smell of leather, you’re tempted to reach through the shelf and poke at the little indent in his cheek. “Just your glasses, I think. I love it when you wear your glasses.”

The statement takes him by surprise, Namjoon’s dragon-like gaze dropping and a flush taking over his features before he steps back. “Hmph.” With that, he continues down the aisle, the red book still in his hands and the blue in yours. “I still think you would be Jo, though.”

“Why?”

The two of you match footsteps, languidly walking along the seemingly endless rows. You catch glimpses of him through the books, a soft dimpled smile on his face as he looks down at his feet. It’s enough to make your coy smile grow, and you clutch the book tighter to your chest.

Finally, Namjoon comes to a stop as another book catches his eye. You take the opportunity to round the corner and enter the aisle he stands in, feet carrying you closer to him. Just as you’re about to reach his side, he speaks.

“Jo is...well, for one, she’s a dreamer. And we both know you’ve got a lot of dreams in that head of yours.” He taps your forehead for emphasis, side-smile growing when you scowl. “But she’s a realistic dreamer. You’ve given up a lot for your dreams, but I believe that you’d leave it all behind if someone you loved was in need of you.”

You blink, unprepared for the genuine compliment.

“And,” Namjoon says breathily, sliding the book back into its place and turning on his heel to walk away. “You two share a tendency to be oblivious to others feelings for you.”

He keeps walking, leaving you to become a sputtering mess before launching yourself after him. “I- we what?!” You all but screech, wincing as you sound twice as loud in the empty shop. “I am not oblivious-”

With a triumphant smirk, Namjoon heads down a little slope that leads toward a sitting area. “Be honest with yourself. You wouldn’t have had any idea about the pact or anything if Jungkook hadn’t spilled it.”

“But that’s not my fault!” You defend, glaring defiantly at his back. “You guys had that under lock and key!”

Diving into another row, Namjoon looks contemplative. “Ok, that may be true. But tell me the truth: did you ever once suspect that...I don’t know, there might be something more going on? Even just once?”

You stand out in the main walkway still, frozen by his question. “Er…” Pausing to think, you squint down at the book still in your hands.

Of course there were moments that had your heart pumping a little faster and a blush rising to your cheeks. Movie nights always meant some form of cuddling, but you quickly just assumed that it was all part of the friendship. Good morning texts that made you sink back into your pillows with a lazy smile, or the little facts that one of the boys would remember about you always made you stop and wonder.

But you never actually entertained the idea. It all seemed too…

“Unrealistic,” you mumble aloud. When Namjoon looks at you quizzically, you walk down a few rows until something catches your eye. You delight in the fact that now he’s following you. “I guess I had little moments where I wondered, but it just seemed like wishful thinking.”

Stopping near the end of the row and looking up at the top shelf, you wiggle on your tip-toes trying to grab a book. Your fingers barely graze the spine of the book before a warm presence overshadows you and Namjoon’s fingers ghost over your own before tugging the brown book from its spot. Still pressed against your back, his light breathing makes the hair on the back of your neck tingle as he lowers the book into your waiting hands.

“Moments like this?” He whispers, hands coming to rest just above your hips.

Suddenly, you recall a moment from months before, when you’d been in a similar situation. The boys had invited you over for some breakfast on one of their rare morning’s off. You’d wanted some cereal, only to find the bowls on the very top shelf. Namjoon had come to your rescue, pulling the exact same move before awkwardly pausing and looking as though he’d wanted to say something. He hadn’t, and instead rushed out of the kitchen before you could even utter a ‘thank you’.

Turning around in his grasp, you can see that he wears a similar expression as before. This time, however, he looks determined to say whatever comes to mind.

With a quiet voice you whisper, “Who in their right mind puts bowls on the top shelf?”

Namjoon’s grip on your hips tightens as he throws his head back and laughs, the kind of laugh that sinks right into your bones. All you can do is watch him, feeling like it’s the first time you’ve ever seen him. Perhaps it’s the first time you’ve ever allowed yourself to look freely.

“Ah, so you did notice,” he whispers back. “You acted like nothing happened, so I figured I was in the clear.”

With a roll of your eyes, you’re stepping out of his grasp and taking a look down at the new book in your hand. “With you, Mr. Kim, we’re never in the clear.”

He lets out a low hiss, but lets you walk away. Not like you realize he’s not following you anymore, you’re idly wandering around while thumbing through the mystery novel. It looks like it might be an original copy from one of your favorite authors. One that passed away in the 1950’s, but still stands out among the countless authors that have come after them.

You’ve made it down to the small sitting area, where a large fireplace is crackling.

“Huh,” you smile. As if this place couldn’t get any better. Plopping down on the couch, you let out a sigh at how the cushions sink and welcome you into their warm embrace. Setting the blue book off to the side, you open up the brown one and begin to read.

You’ve nearly completed the first chapter - knees tucked to your chest as you lean against the arm of the couch - when you hear footsteps approaching.

Expecting it to be Namjoon, you glance over your shoulder with a smile. It’s Min-jee, who returns the smile with a knowing look. You listen closely and realize that her piano practice must be over. Classical music plays over the speakers in the shop instead.

“Namjoon’s gone upstairs,” she explains, coming to adjust something in the fireplace. “He said something about finding an item for his studio.”

You close the book softly, stretching before sitting up straight. “What’s upstairs? More books?”

“No, we’ve expanded our antique selection, there’s an assortment of desks and chairs up there, among other things.”

Making an ‘o’ with your mouth, you get up. “This place is amazing, by the way.” You hold up the brown book with an excited expression. “I found this - I think it’s an original! How much is it?”

Min-jee makes her way over to you, smiling softly as she recognizes the book. “You’re a fan of this author too, huh? My grandad used to read these to me back before I had to start running the shop.” She offers you a fond look. “Oh, and Namjoon told me to put whatever you like on his tab. So don’t worry about it. Take the book.”

She must notice your shock, because she places a comforting hand on your shoulder and squeezes it gently. “He also told me that you might be hesitant to get anything because of that. But honestly, get it. And ‘The Cottage by the Sea’. That’s one of my favorites, actually.” Min-jee nods at the blue book with its golden seashell.

“Ah, he knows me too well,” you sigh. “This might be silly to ask, but...do you think it’s alright? You know, to just get them?”

Min-jee, to your eternal gratitude, doesn’t laugh at your question. Instead, she sees right through you, to the worry in your heart.  The last thing you want is to take advantage of any of the boys. “It would make him happy,” she responds, watching your reaction carefully. You immediately let out a sigh of relief, nodding and picking up the books.

“Alright,” you concede. “I’ll get them, then.”

“Great! I’ll take them up front and hold them for you, if you’d like.”

“That’s perfect.”

While she whisks away your books, you follow after her until you reach the staircase. She nods encouragingly, and you head up.

Clearing the stairs, it doesn’t take long to locate Namjoon. He’s standing in front of a large wardrobe, inspecting every inch of it. The sight makes you smile, enjoying the way he’s chewing on the inside of the cheek.

“Don’t tell me that’s what you’re getting for the studio,” you drawl, making your way toward him. He looks back at you, a wide smile interrupting his cheek chewing.

“I mean...no, but look at it!” He exclaims. “It’s beautiful, isn't it? Honestly, if I moved some things around, I could probably make it fit.”

You reach the wardrobe, marveling at the expert craftsmanship. “It’s gorgeous. But what would you even put in it? It’s not like you take all of your coats to the studio. And you want your trophies to be visible, don’t you?”

This thing must weigh a ton, the wood is thick and the hinges smooth. “Hmm...no, but I can think of something else I could hide away in here.” The way Namjoon glances over at you with a sly grin makes you stumble back, red rushing to your cheeks as you suddenly become preoccupied with a very old typewriter.

“What would that be?” You venture, running your fingers over the keyboard. You’re waiting for his answer, which you’re sure will be a single word - you. However, just as he’s opening his mouth and looking like he’s garnering the courage to say it, the creaky staircase announces someone’s arrival.

At first you think nothing of it, but Min-jee’s voice is loud. Loud enough that you know she’s trying to be heard.

“I told you, we don’t sell anything BTS related in this store.” She says, and you and Namjoon share a puzzled look.

A couple of voices respond, but one in particular stands out as she raises her voice. “I swear, I saw Kim Namjoon walking around in here just a few minutes ago!”

Their footsteps are growing closer, and you suddenly realize that this is Min-jee’s way of warning you two.

Rushing over to Namjoon’s side, you look around frantically. “Is there another way out?” You whisper. Clearly the staircase is blocked at the moment. When he shakes his head, you’re about ready to suggest causing a distraction but he suddenly gasps.

Quickly and quietly, he’s swinging open the wardrobe and nudging you inside, quickly following. You raise your eyebrows, mouth opening to ask him just how this is going to help anything, but he allows the door to swing shut and presses a hand against your mouth.

Back pressed against the back of the wardrobe and Namjoon looming over you, the two of you hardly dare to breathe as you strain to listen to what’s going on outside.

“I’m pretty sure I would know if he was in my shop,” Min-jee is saying, sounding much closer now. “And right now the upstairs is off-limits, so please-”

“Look, I know I must sound crazy, but I’m absolutely positive that I saw him in here. I was just outside and he went up the stairs! And now you expect me to believe what you’re saying?”

You keep your eyes trained on the thin opening where light is streaming in, trying to see what’s going on. Namjoon, however, shuffles a little closer, hand slipping from your mouth and staring down at you. He braces his hands on either side of your head, needing to bend over a little bit due to the small space.

“For the last time,” Min-jee defends, “the upstairs portion of this shop is closed. As you can tell, nobody is up here besides us. If you wish to continue this conversation, I would simply ask that we do it downstairs.”

You bite your lip, looking up at Namjoon and about to whisper something about how Min-jee deserves a raise. The words die on your tongue, however, when you finally catch sight of him.

Namjoon is slouching a bit, and you realize that his hands are on either side of your head. His hair is slightly mussed, from what you’re unsure. However, that’s not what has your breath catching in your throat.

He’s looking down at you in a way that suddenly makes you aware of just how small the wardrobe is, and has you mentally cursing yourself for coming up here in the first place. Namjoon is looking at you, looking at you in a way that you immediately recognize.

Like it’s the first time he’s allowed himself to.

You watch the way his eyes follow the way your throat constricts as you swallow, the way they trace the slope of your nose and the dip above your lip.

The voices fade away as Namjoon’s fingers feather through your hair, light enough to make your heart melt. He does so slowly, eyes reading your own in order to see if he’s somehow crossed a line that he shouldn’t have.

You, however, are sick of all these dumb lines and boundaries that have been set. Somehow, Namjoon must see that, because he’s opening his mouth and whispering out what he’s been thinking this entire time.

“You,” he mumbles as he watches the strand of hair he tucks behind your ear. Almost as though to verify that this is real, that it’s actually happening. “I’d tuck you away in here, and nobody would find us.”

Breathing has become impossible at this point.

“No prying eyes, no invisible lines to make sure I don’t cross,” he’s tracing the line of your jaw now, and you don’t miss the slight tremor in his hand. “Would you like that as much as I would?”

His eyes land on yours, eyebrows coming together as he awaits your answer. You would smile if you could, but you find that you’ve turned to putty at his touch. Instead, you slowly nod before breathing out, “Yes.”

That’s when you realize that Namjoon is just as tired of rules as you are. Namjoon, the dedicated leader that always makes sure everything is in order. Namjoon, who constantly forgets things like his phone and wallet, but never forgets to say please and thank you.

Namjoon, who leans impossibly closer until you’re closing your eyes for fear of going cross-eyed. His breath fans across your nose, acting as your only warning before his lips find yours.

Light as a feather against your mouth, Namjoon kisses you.

As you sigh against his lips, you suddenly understand why kissing was prohibited. Because right now, all that you can think of - every breath, every heartbeat - it’s all saying the same thing.

Namjoon.

Just as your hands find their way to his chest and bunching up the fabric, he’s jumping back with a gasp and stumbling through the door of the wardrobe. You see his wide eyes, but you’re too busy standing there completely frozen and praying that nobody is up here still.

He looks around frantically, but looks at you with utter horror as the same voice as before pipes up from downstairs.

“See! I’m telling you that someone is up there-”

“Oh! Did you see that? I think I just saw him taking the emergency exit!” Min-jee retorts, and you can picture her frantically pointing out the window in an effort to distract the girls. “Hurry! He looked like he was running!”

The bell above the door chimes, excited voices fading as the group exits the shop. However, their timely exit does little to soothe the raging heartbeat pounding against your ribs.

“I- I’m not supposed to do that,” Namjoon reminds himself aloud. “Please, I’m so sorry-”

“They’re gone!” Min-jee calls out, poking her head up as she ascends the stairs. She spots you still standing in the wardrobe. “Oh, so that’s where you were hiding. Anyway, I’ve locked up the front, so we shouldn’t be having any more trouble with that.”

You can only offer her a weak smile, Namjoon still staring at you with that horrible, guilt-ridden expression, which you’re dying to erase.

“Thank you,” you say when Min-jee begins to notice the odd silence. “We’ll be down in a second, I think.”

Namjoon nods along, finally looking away to check the time. “Actually, we’ve got a reservation,” your stomach flips at the thought of sitting through an entire meal with his guilty apologies, “is there a way we can sneak out of here without being seen?”

Min-jee blinks, looking between the two of you but not saying anything. “Ok...um, yeah. The back alleyway should be clear, it’ll lead to the parking lot.”

Finally stepping out of the wardrobe, you look back at it with a glare.

“So much for Narnia,” you mumble, closing the door.

ˆˆˆˆ

Min-jee quickly places your books in a bag - Namjoon ends up getting the red one as well - and offers it to you with a smile. Automatically you reach out for it, but so does Namjoon. The second your hands meet you can’t help but jump, and the bag falls to the floor.

“Oh no,” you whimper out, feeling sorry for the old books. Before you can lean down to get them, Namjoon’s swooping them up and keeping a firm grip on the bag. He mumbles out a soft, “sorry” before following Min-jee toward the back exit.

The two of you thank her profusely for the day, and you promise that you’ll return soon. There’s no way you can leave a place like that alone for very long. Namjoon smiles for a moment, looking pleased that he picked a good place. However, once he catches your eye, he’s back to chewing on the inside of his cheek.

Slyly sneaking down down the alleyway, it’s quiet between the two of you. No matter how hard you pinch yourself, your thoughts keep zoning in on the way Namjoon’s lips felt on yours...the way he looked at you just before he leaned in...how perfect everything had been until he’d come to his senses-

You’ve made it to the car, and you click the unlock button, jumping back as it honks. Man, you’ve got to get out of your head.

Namjoon hurries to set the bag in the backseat before rushing to the driver’s side, opening the door up for you with significantly less flourish than before.

Knowing Namjoon, it’s eating him up alive. And there’s no way you’re about to let a kiss - something to celebrate, in your opinion - ruin the rest of this date.

Especially when it may very well be the only one you get.

“Namjoon,” you say, walking slowly toward him. His eyes jump up to yours, and you can already see that he’s hard at work trying to pretend like everything is fine.

“We’re going to be about an hour early for our reservation,” Namjoon admits, running a hand through his hair and immediately trying to fix it after. “I’m sorry for rushing you out of there, I wasn’t thinking straight. You can go back in, if you want. I’ll wait out here until you’re ready-”

“Namjoon.” He quits his rambling, red cheeks somehow turning redder as you stop before him. “I wanted you to kiss me.”

At this, he lets the door fall shut. “You...did?”

Wanting nothing more than to dispel the awkward tension, you laugh. “Of course I did! I’d be an idiot if I didn’t! So please...it’s nobody’s fault. So what, you broke a stupid rule-”

“And I’ve hurt the guys in the process of breaking that rule,” Namjoon explains, looking at you with clear, pained eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t me regretting kissing you because- w-well, that’s not the point!” Leaning back against the car, you follow suit just as a large stormcloud blocks out the sun. It’s going to rain soon.

“Namjoon, you’ve all found ways to skirt around the rules in some way,” you confess, remember Hobi’s sweet hand kiss and Taehyung’s forehead kiss. “Sure, you actually broke the rule, but nobody is going to hate you for it. Nobody. Least of all me.”

He leans his head back, closing his eyes as he lets out a long breath. “It’s just, we all agreed to give you enough space to make a clear decision if you felt like you wanted to make one at the end of all this,” he confesses, not seeing the way your eyes widen. Oh. “And I’ve completely screwed that up.”

Sighing, you squint as a fat raindrop lands on your nose. “Well, we’re on a date, aren’t we? People sometimes kiss- I mean, honestly, we could have done a lot worse-” Namjoon chokes on his spit at that. “But if you need something to blame, please don’t blame yourself. Because I love this date, and as far as I can tell, the kiss only made it better.”

He peeks one eye open at you. “Really?”

“Really.” You shrug. “And see? I really am Amy! I always get what I want!” You don’t add the fact that that wasn’t quite true with Hoseok or Taehyung. “If anything, blame the wardrobe. Wardrobes are wacky, anyways.”

Namjoon snorts, rolling his eyes. “Blame the wardrobe? Really?”

“Yeah! Sometimes they transport you to Narnia, sometimes they mess with your common sense,” you give him a pointed look, which he avoids. “So if the boys get all upset about it, just tell them it was the wardrobe. I’ll back you up on it.”

Finally, Namjoon laughs. Like, the annoying little hyena laugh that he hates but you secretly love. And when he looks back down at you and opens up the door, he doesn’t look so upset about it.

“Be honest, would you have rather gone to Narnia or been stuck in there with me?”

You feign annoyance. “Ugh, just get in the car.”

From the way your stomachs were rumbling and the rain was pouring, the two of you decided to bag the reservation. It was for some posh outdoor restaurant in Seoul that Namjoon pretended to be excited about.

Which is exactly how you ended up going through the McDonald’s drive thru and bringing it back to your place.

“Aren’t you on a diet or something?” You ask around your fries, eyes not leaving the television screen. The two of you had decided on Gone With the Wind, completely forgetting just how long it was.

Namjoon makes a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, taking a swig of his drink. “Yeah, something like that. Today’s my cheat day, though.”

“Aw, you decided to spend your cheat day with me?” You tease. Namjoon rolls his eyes, finally deciding that maybe you really are Amy from Little Women. However, he can’t fight the feeling that he’s the Laurie to your Jo.

Not that he’ll be telling you that anytime soon. He’s certainly done enough today.

“More like our date happened to fall on my cheat day,” he bites back. “And I heard that they have really good cheesecake at that restaurant we bailed on.”

You hesitate before taking another bite of your food. “Should we have gone? They probably would’ve given us our food to go if we didn’t want to sit under the umbrellas. I feel bad, you made reservations and everything.”

Namjoon shrugs. “No, this is way better.” He holds up his McFlurry for emphasis. “They even had the cheesecake McFlurry back in season! Coincidence?”

“I think not!”

You both chuckle before falling back into the companionable silence you’d been in before. Over the course of the drive back to Seoul, you’d taken your time, stopping at a handful of little parks along the way. Namjoon had imitated the ducks before realizing how silly he looked, then hiding behind his hands for a solid five minutes before he could look you in the eyes again. Overall, it had been calm and relaxing.

As you watch Scarlett O’Hara flirting it up with different suitors on the screen, you can’t help but wonder if that’s you.

Sure, Gina told you back at the haunted house to just enjoy it. Chances are it was all just a phase, anyways. There was all of this romantic tension between you and the boys that would naturally fade away as their curiosity diminished after their dates.

At least, that’s what you assumed. However you’re quickly coming to realize that you’re a little out of depth here.

“You alright over there?” Namjoon asks, pulling you from your thoughts. “You have your thinking face on.”

You blink. “I have a thinking face?”

“Of course,” Namjoon replies as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You gonna tell me what’s got you so stressed?”

“No,” you say a little too quickly. “I’m just...thinking about the movie.” Not entirely a lie.

You know he won’t push it if you don’t want to talk about it, but you take a little bit of enjoyment in the way his lip pouts out. “Alright, if you say so.”

Only a few more minutes pass before he speaks up again, sounding a little hesitant. “You know that this is a long movie…”

“Oh, should we end it here?” You ask, a little disappointed because you were just getting to one of your favorite parts. “You don’t need to feel like you have to stay-”

“No, not that. I’m gonna finish the movie. It’s just,” he wipes his fingers off on a spare napkin before scooting a little closer to you. “Long movies call for cuddling, don’t you think?”

You nearly choke on your saliva. “You- you, as in Kim Namjoon, want to cuddle? You’re into cuddling?”

He laughs, tugging on your arm until you give in and collapse against his side. You hope that your content sigh isn’t too noticeable when he drapes an arm around your shoulder. “It just depends sometimes. But yes, I am. At the appropriate times.”

“Ah, and long movies-”

“Are the epitome of the appropriate time,” he explains, lightly pinching your arm when you let out a wry laugh.

“Hey!” You cry out, only to be shushed by him.

“Shhh, I’m trying to watch this.”

You just can’t find it in you to be annoyed.

You’re asleep before the film is over, despite the fact that the sun barely went down. Something about having a full stomach and leaning your head on Namjoon’s shoulder just lulled you right to sleep.

You stir a little when Namjoon fidgets, pulling his phone out to call someone. His voice is deep and quiet, trying not to wake you.

“Hey, can you pick me up now?”

Despite your half-asleep state, you crack a smile. It’s quiet, but you can hear a familiar voice on the other side of the phone.

“Yeah, I’m close to there right now. Be there in a couple minutes. You’re at her apartment, right?”

“Thanks. Yeah, she’s conked out on the couch.”

There’s a laugh ringing through the phone. “Cute. Make sure she rests up, she’ll need it for our date next week.”

Namjoon sighs, not quite annoyed but not exactly pleased, either. “Yah, just hurry over.” He pauses for a moment. “Do you think I should wake her up to say goodbye?”

“Your call. But I mean, it’s not like you’re gonna give her a kiss goodbye. If she’s that tired, I’d just let her sleep.”

Your cheeks involuntarily turn red, and you can only imagine the way Namjoon looks right now. It’s his silence that gives him away.

“Hyung...what-”

“Text me when you get here,” Namjoon says, and suddenly the call ends.

Oh, he’s in for it tonight.

Stretching and trying to look like you totally weren’t just eavesdropping, you crack open your eyes to see Namjoon looking down at you with an amused expression.

“I would tell you that you missed the ending, but something tells me you’ve seen it before,” he drawls.

You chuckle breathily, yawning as you stretch your arms over your head. “Yeah, a couple of times.”

“I’m about to head out,” Namjoon begins, back to chewing on the inside of his cheek. “But thank you for going out with me. I seriously...it was just the best.” He smiles softly, and you wish you could have a picture of it.

Instead, you opt for nuzzling back into his side. “Aren’t I supposed to be the one thanking you? It was great, Namjoon-ah. I’ll have to read that book you got some time.”

He hums, returning the sentiment. “Yeah, we’ll do a book swap.” His phone lights up, but before you can see who it’s from, he’s snatching it up and jumping up from the couch. “They’re here.”

It’s tempting to not resort to begging him to stay a little longer - if only for the sake of his warmth which is quickly fading as he retreats to the door. However, you only pad after him, stopping him before he reaches the door.

“Thank you,” you whisper against his chest. “Tell everyone I say hello.”

“I will.” And with a rush of cool air, he’s out the door.

Gone, leaving you to stare blankly and wonder what just happened today.

And worse yet, what’s yet to come.

main masterlist

again, I’d love to hear from you! ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THINGS ARE ESCALATING!! thoughts, what you liked, what you didn’t, what’s been your fav so far...general screaming, it’s all great. THANK YOU!!!

taglist is open, click on the link at the top of the post or let me know if you’d like to join!

taglist: @secretlycrazyhummingbird @marianeamine @hqtetsurou@baepsaetay @dreamcatcherjiah @kookie-vuitton @thecaffeinatedscribbles​ @moon-write​ @fangirl125reader​ @heishichoulevi​ @knjkitten​ @sacha-cff​ @vik7797​  @eusticenatalie​ @hesmyphenominiall​ @miriamxsworld​ @kayahay​ @delacyrose224  @luvtaeha​ @fanfictionreader05 @mininimmy​ @dreadity​  @starlight-night0​ @luzaroon​ @seaoffangirling​ @prachi05 @fangirl125reader​ @bluehairedotakugem​ @hunnibxbe​ @kayahay​ @fanfictionreader05 @seokjinmoonfics​ @delacyrose224

#bts x reader #bts fluff #jimin x reader #Namjoon x reader #jin x reader #Taehyung x reader #v x reader #Yoongi x reader #suga x reader #Jungkook x reader #hobi x reader #jhope x reader #bts dating series #idol!bts #bts as your best friends #namjoon imagine #bts imagine #teeth rotting fluff #bts x y/n #jungkook x y/n #taehyung x y/n #jimin x y/n #namjoon x y/n #rm x y/n #jhope x y/n #hobi x y/n #suga x y/n #yoongi x y/n #jin x y/n #seokjin x y/n

[coccinelle-et-chaton]

Cookie Gifts

based on this prompt 

You could always tell when Marinette Dupain-Cheng liked you. She wasn't the type to tell it to you straight to your face, but if Marinette considered you a friend, it was obvious. She'd compliment your outfit, or help you out with an assignment you didn't understand, she'd encourage you to pursue your passions, she'd cheer for you when you did, she'd stand up for you and show you how to do it for yourself, and most of all, she would always find little gifts to give you. Almost always crafted by her own hands. 

Take Alya, for example, who had multiple friendship bracelets, jewelry, drawings, mittens, and all kinds of cute little trinkets Marinette always found the time to confection for her. Or Nino, whom she customized a cap for and always brought him freshly baked pain au chocolat, knowing that those were his favorite. Or to an extent, even Adrien, who cherished the lucky charm she had gifted him and perhaps was the most aware of Marinette's adorable tendency to create things for her friends, even though he had received the least amount of gifts. As Adrien, that is. Chat Noir was a different story. 

Chat Noir had developed the questionable habit of paying Marinette a few visits here and there when it was his turn to patrol alone. He knew Ladybug would probably scold him for interacting with civilians like this, but in his defense, it was almost as if Marinette was trying to lure him into visiting him. 

Ever since that first time he visited her, craving some company to lighten his broken heart, he had developed a certain curiosity. At least that's what he liked to call it. Plagg wouldn't agree. 

Much in the way as in that first time, the second time he dropped by, he did not find Marinette sadly looking at the sky but he did manage to startle her nonetheless. He had found her watering her plants and after a quick, blushing exchange, Marinette pulled his tail before he took off, snipped a blooming red tulip, and stuck her hand out to him. 

"For you," she said, a rosy blush lightly pigmenting her cheeks. 

Chat, unable to help his own flustered reaction at such a sweet gesture, gingerly took the flower, gave her a shy smile, and fled. 

The next time this happened, she told him to wait and quickly disappeared into her house resurfacing a few minutes later with a cellophane bag full of tiny pistachio-green macaroons. The third time, she had knitted mittens for him. The fourth, she had given him a "lucky charm" made of green and black beads, teasing him that it ought to repel all the bad luck he had, being a black cat and all. 

"I didn't know the princess liked to pun," Chat said, trying to sound suave but being altogether too flustered and endeared to do it with any success. 

And so this was how Chat Noir--Adrien-- began his proud collection of Marinette's little presents. He had to admit there was a certain satisfaction to knowing he would probably pass Alya soon if he kept visiting Marinette as much as he did. He was especially proud of the fact he didn't have one but two lucky charms. How many do you have, Alya? That's what I thought, he'd always think happily to himself when he admired his pair of lucky charms side by side.

But then something curious started happening, something that worried Chat. 

Ladybug started doing the same. 

She didn't knit fluffy gloves or brought him garden flowers, but she took to the habit of bringing him pastries when they patrolled together. Chat Noir thought to himself one of two things was happening here: Either Ladybug was trying to pull a Pavlov conditioning on him, or she had found out about his visits with Marinette and was somehow jealous of her. 

It didn't matter how many times he thanked her and reassured her she didn't need to feed him every time she saw him, Ladybug would always shrug and say, "Just a little treat, for being such a great partner." 

He supposed he was paying for the rose-giving karma of his past in tasty carbohydrates. To her benefit, though, if Ladybug brought him gifts to get his attention the way Marinette had captured it, she never showed her disappointment at his thankful, yet carefully demure reactions. It was more than what could be said of his disappointment at how terrible he was at getting Marinette's attention in his civilian persona. 

Marinette, while being everyone's darling, had always seemed on edge when she talked to him. He had never brought himself to find an explanation, much less when one day, unprompted, Marinette stopped acting so nervous around him. Suddenly she was just as confident, and sassy, and playful as with the rest of her friends. And while Adrien was absolutely thrilled about this, it also meant that he had stopped receiving that extra Marinette attention he had seemed to take for granted until then. 

"I'll bring cookies for everyone tomorrow," she told Alya one indistinct day as the school day was coming to a close. 

"Ohh, what flavor? You know I love those soft ones, right? The ones with the chocolate chips?"

Marinette laughed. "I'll make sure to make a batch of those, but I was thinking more about doing frosted ones."

"You're bringing cookies tomorrow?" Nino said, excited and turning around his seat to face the girls. Adrien seized the opportunity to do the same. 

"Yup. Anything in particular you want?"

"Not really," said Nino. "All the stuff you bring from the bakery is literally the best."

"You're so thoughtful, Marinette," Adrien said, trying his best to hide his blush as he spoke. "But isn't it a lot of work?"

"Not really," Marinette said with a friendly smile. "I'm very used to making them, I help my parents all the time."

"Oh, yeah, heh... Forgot about that," he replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. "I've never made cookies so I have no idea what it's like."

"Really? Never?" 

Adrien shook his head. 

Marinette tapped her lips with her index finger. "I suppose... if you want to learn you could help me out. If you have time, that is."

"Yes!" Adrien said immediately, not even bothering to check whether he had anything booked for the afternoon. Either way, unless it was a photo shoot, he was more than willing to ditch his activities in favor of spending the afternoon with Marinette. 

Once at the bakery, wearing an apron and all, Marinette carefully prepared the dough for the first batch of cookies, showing Adrien the proportions he needed to use to prepare the second batch. Thankfully she was a patient teacher and was able to help him even when he messed up his first attempt. Once he got the hang of it, they developed a system where Marinette prepared the dough, Adrien molded it and cut it into shape in the trays, and Marinette put them in the oven. 

He discovered Marinette was not necessarily the chatterbox she usually was when her hands were busy. Instead, she slipped into a concentrated silence, with her tongue slightly poking out the right corner of her mouth and occasionally humming to the songs she played on her phone. 

Adrien had to take monumental efforts not to be distracted by how adorable she looked. 

When they moved to the process of frosting the cookies, he distinctly noticed how she prevented him from putting a particular batch with the rest of them. Even more intriguing, while Adrien was busy decorating, Marinette took particular attention to the batch she had separated. 

"Those look nicer," Adrien pointed out, interrupting Marinette's concentration, and noticing with a bit of envy how she had masterfully decorated her batch with tiny frosting cats.

"They're for a friend," she explained but added nothing more as she went back to work. 

Oh, what Adrien would have given to know who those cookies were for! His heart skipped a bit after indulging in a selfish, yet delightful thought. Maybe they're for Chat Noir! He thought excitedly, making a point of visiting her that night. Imagine his surprise, however, when his time for patrolling came around and found Marinette was already asleep when he passed by her balcony. 

Feeling a bit defeated and even more curious than before, he resigned to complete his route and vault back home. 

Maybe the cookies were for someone else? Someone at school? No, they were not, he realized feeling more relieved than he wanted to admit the next morning when Marinette came into school carrying the box of cookies. He inconspicuously snuck a glance at the box to see if he could spot them, or if Marinette carried a second, smaller box, but his enterprise was fruitless.

He eventually shook away the thought, berating himself for wanting to intrude in Marinette's privacy and forcing himself to let go of the subject, as tempting as it was to keep imagining who those damn cookies were for. 

The topic had all but vanished by the time he met Ladybug for patrol when the silly cookies made it to the front of his attention again. 

Wrapped in the usual cellophane bag, Ladybug beamed at him and stuck out her hand. "For you," she said, offering him the cat-themed cookies. 

Chat Noir took them feeling how his heart demanded to be let out of his chest if only to proclaim how impossibly happy he was. 

"Thank you, my lady," he said, using the nickname he had been careful not to call her anymore, aware of the fact his face was possibly blushing redder than Ladybug's suit. 

#miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic #ficlet #prompt #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #chat noir #ladybug #love square #fluff #adrinette #marichat #ladynoir

[novace]

Idk anything abr novace !!!! Tell me evrything rn !!!

bad idea /lh

Edit: there's a cut now

ooh where do i start...ig for starters ill plug the doc on my sona LOL

(It needs more stuff added probably but it's a decent start)

novace fated meeting began in alabasta just around the time the rest of the strawhats met ace. Nova's reaction to him was.....different to say the least ! (He was being super gay) (ultra gqy)

Upon seeing ace Nova was practically already head over heels. Man hot. Man cool. Man ... nice??? What else could you want.

But fr you could tell right off the bat Nova had a big crush

Nova wanted to get closer — of course he would! Not only because at this point ace had piqued his interest romantically but also he just has a charm to him. He's such an interesting individual you just have to learn more

The actual like. Love part came afterwards. At least realizing that part! I mean, Nova felt drawn to Ace for things we will. Get into later probably, but the point where nova realized "oh fuck i think im developing feelings" like... actual In Love feelings, is when:

Ace saved him. It was some unknown monster , Nova was about to be fuckin eaten, and ace just. Scooped him up, and saved him with ease

Maybe it was the way ace's strong arms felt, maybe it was because he felt so secure in those arms, maybe it was because he had never had someone hold him like this before, maybe it was simply how ace defeated this stupid monster with ease. Maybe it was how ace smiled at him after the encounter, how he continued to hold him for a bit too long...

Either way it was. Something. And Oh Fuck I'm falling for my captain's brother I've only known for a few days.

They click well together . They have well but especially after this. Nova seems a lot happier around Ace! All is good.

And then ace leaves. It's bittersweet, but he has a mission, after all! Nova tries not to get too upset. But it's hard.... though he loves his crew, Ace is... different !

They share a goodbye. Ace promises Nova he'll see him again. And he gives him a red beaded bracelet, similar to the necklace he wears, as a sort of good luck charm .

Ace won't... admit it. At least not Out Loud. But you can tell he kinda has a little bit of a crush too. Nova showed... interest in him, outside of his looks, his infamy, just a genuine interest in Him as a person, which he hadn't had much of. Not to mention his brother's silly little crewmate was pretty cute as well .

I imagine they both handle their crushes in different ways. Nova is.... not subtle at all. He tries to be and fails. Ace is all thats on his mind. He's always asking about him, he has a little sketchbook full of doodles of him, he's just. Very gay for ace (rightfully so!)

Ace isn't as intense but he's definitely not the most subtle either. He's always checking the news to see what they're up to, and to see if there's any mention the straw hat pirates, just to see, not because his brother and his crush are both part of the crew. Not at all.

And when Nova got his first bounty, he was ecstatic

That's how everything began. It's late and this is already super long but 💔 hope u enjoy

#novace #ace #selfship #lore #ask #srry if this is written poorly its. late #i lov ace<3 #i have so much ehit for this gay ass story

[ghostxraven]

HELLO love i was thinkin abt charlie and i was 🥺 wondering if u wanted to talk abt her? i love her sm

HELLO jordan ilysm i would LOVE LOVE LOVE to talk about charlie!!

umm this is something i’ve mentioned in the discord before but the fact that “charlie juliet” is the equivalent to CJ in the nato phonetic alphabet is a coincidence HOWEVER when she picks her kj name it being whiskey tango foxtrot is NOT

her very first set of bad luck beads are a gift from the girl when she’s about....three days old? they don’t really fit her, obviously, but poison loops them a couple times and then she can sort of wear them

she’s born HoH and has a natural speech impediment so a lot of the time it’s faster and less frustrating for her to communicate through sign language. the girl understands her best, followed by poison and ghoul and then kobra, jet, cherri, pony. so really, depending on who it is she’s talking to the amount of verbal speech versus sign language varies. on the other hand, starting when she’s about four or five she starts to find it very funny to have someone translate for her and have to explain the curse words she’s using at her age (ghoul taught her most of them. pony taught her the other ones)

she has a fairly large collection of toys simply because poison has a hard time saying no to her, but her favorite one is a somewhat battered grey teddy bear with an orange ribbon around its neck that she named “dapple” (dappy is usually how she pronounces it). she also really loves board games and depending on how many of the pieces are missing from whatever copy they have on hand she’ll make up house rules. her favorite game is sorry! (shes never actually sorry, given the giggle fits that occur whenever she captures someone else’s piece)

by the time she’s four, the girl has moved out of the diner most of the time (she starts running with her own crew a lot like how jet did when poison & kobra came to the desert) so charlie gets her own room (!!) as you can imagine she’s very psyched about this (she’s slept in her parents’ room up to this point) and brings all her toys in and her drawings and her favorite pink sheets and then that very first night she gets scared being by herself and ends up back in poison and ghoul’s room.

she loves music! from as soon as she was old enough to be awake to listen to it, she loved the radio and would cry if someone turned it off, and so when she got her own room, cherri brought her home a radio and ghoul and kobra helped her fix it so she could have it for her own. it has a place of honor on its very own table next to her bed. also! cherri taught her a bit of guitar and she liked that well enough but what she REALLY loved was jet’s violin. it was too big for her, though, so for a long time she would just sit and watch jet play it and ask if she could hold it just for a little bit. she didn’t know it but jet in particular had everyone in the crew on lookout for a child-sized violin which in the zones was near impossible to find. he did end up finding one, eventually, in the hands of a ‘joy in zone 4 that had grown out of it ages ago and held on to it out of sentimentality. it took a lot of convincing and quite a lot of carbons but jet got them to give it to them just in time to shine it up/restring it/get a new bow for charlie’s seventh birthday so they can finally teach her to play. years and years later, charlie plays her (full-size at this point) violin for the other members of her own crew

her favorite food is tacos from this one specific food truck that circles the zones. they start to make a point of making the diner one of their regular stops because every time she comes running out shrieking and shows the crew that runs it all of the new drawings she’s made since they last came, and her toys, and gets REALLY excited if they tell her about the places they’ve taken their truck. plus they get to sell everyone in the diner (which is a LOT of people even when the girl isn’t there) food so it’s a win-win. she also loves ice cream which is a special treat in the desert so on special occasions (like her birthday) there’s a collective effort to get at least a pint from somewhere for her. dr. d’ll also put aside some for her if any of his runners bring some in and have pony bring it over to the diner every now and then. one of the benefits to it being more of a special treat is that charlie has a lactose sensitivity that borders on intolerance but that isn’t going to stop her from eating things that have lactose in them. this way poison and ghoul don’t have to then stay up with her when she has an inevitable tummyache and wants her parents TOO too often.

aside from the lactose thing, she’s allergic to peanuts and has a slight apple allergy which makes grocery shopping slightly more involved than before. charlie LOVES going shopping though and will tag along, which helps because she knows her own allergies and learns how to check labels or with the vendors making food for ingredients she can’t have. have you ever seen a real little kid in a grocery store having just the grandest time showing how good they are at reading by sounding out words on the backs of cereal boxes? change the grocery store to the paradise motel or a market and that’s charlie

and i’m sure i don’t have to really say this but she is very loved. she’s a sweet kid and loves other people and not only does her family adore her but she has a way of charming strangers by asking about their day or handing them pretty rocks she’s found or asking them to play with her

anyways i rambled for a while i could probably go on but i love charlie and i’m so happy u gave me a chance to talk about her. MWAH! 💕

#pi's personal #danger days #hcs #query on top #treasured mutuals #jordan tag ⚠️ #charlie! i’m very attached to this oc i’m so glad you love her too #tysm jordan ily!! 💝🥰💕❣️💞🖤

[danieljar84]

You Don't Have To Be A Big Corporation To Have A Great Pixiu Ring

What are the top Pixiu products available on Desertcart? Purchase Feng Shui Obsidian Beads Bracelet Silver Color Pixiu Unicorn Charm Lucky Wealth Bracelet For Women Trendy Jewelry Word Proverbs from Vendor Here's Beads Store with reasonable price and top guarantee on Cicig. 1. At https://www.fengshuibracelet.co/ of your Chrome window, near the web address, click the green lock labeled Secure. Try checking the browser's help menu, or searching the Web for instructions to turn on HTML5 Geolocation for your browser. It can help reinforce your dreams. Together, they help instantly raise your vibrations, transmutes your negative energy into positive, and attract wealth and abundance. Therefore traditionally to the Chinese, Pixiu has always been regarded as an auspicious creature that possessed mystical power capable of drawing Cai Qi ( wealth) from all directions. It is regarded as a wealth magnet, which is helpful for those who need money luck. Creature Card Codex: Challenging Creatures has almost 90 creatures from the highly regarded Creature Codex in a portable format that is easy to clip to a DM Screen or tuck into your module notes! Lastly, there is another mythological hybrid creature called the pixiu. People believe the creature can bring wealth. So you see this bracelet is perfect for wealth and health.

Pixiu Meaning Of

The original printing of TRO: 2750 was when FASA started to change the artistic style, but it didn't get really bad until post TRO: 3050. If you want to see some amazing Battletech artwork, take a look at the original Dropships and Jumpships. There were a few trial and error moments when I started wearing the bracelet. From ancient times to the present, the emperor and the common people have attached great importance to collecting Pixiu and wearing PiXiu accessories. The functional significance brought by wearing different parts of the bracelet is different. Resinsoul Pixiu - on human body girl..I have one of these dragon bodies with a Resinsoul Lu head but I'm not too fond of him so I'm thinking of getting a girl in a fantasy color possible without all the dragon feet or at the least getting the human body with the fantasy parts as well. When worn as a bracelet the Pi Xiu must be pointing away from the body or outward. PIXIU, also know as Piyao is a mythical animal with the head of a mighty dragon, the neck of a horse, the body of a lion and with wings on each side. The second PDF has each side of each card as its own card-sized page is also included.

Pixiu With Coin

The PDF version of this product has two versions. Get the PDF at no extra cost! This finger of the left hand has a direct connection with the heart. When you buy orientliving Detail Chinese Hand Carved Natural Jade Feng Shui Lucky Pixiu Figure Pendant or any product product online from us, you become part of the Houzz family and can expect exceptional customer service every step of the way. Desertcart Bulgaria delivers the most unique and largest selection from around the world especially from the US, UK, India at a reasonable price and fastest delivery time. Delivers Pixiu products to your doorstep. Verifies the authenticity of the products. Certificate of Authenticity Burial figurines of graceful dancers, mystical beasts, and everyday objects reveal both how people in early China approached death and how they lived. People believe that it can bring joy and good luck, so they usually like to wear it or store it. Indeed, it really depends on the artist even today if an TRO artwork looks good or bad. A very pretty example of this can be found in last TROs for example the Barghest 4T from the prototypes is adequate as is the miniature - the Thunderbolt IIC is a nice artwork but a fugly miniature.

It encourages selflessness and spiritual wisdom.

During our last class we discussed Yu the Great. Great as appeared online. It encourages selflessness and spiritual wisdom. Feng Shui is purely spiritual. Amethyst activates spiritual awareness, opens intuition and enhances psychic abilities. Protective stone. It guards against psychic attack, transmuting the energy into love and protecting the wearer from all types of harm, including geopathic or electromagnetic stress and ill wishes from others. Pixiu can sense trouble and assist the wearer in warding off misfortune and evil spirits. Black obsidian stone. Said to protect you against misfortune! Black green jade amulet pendant carved "Two Pixiu Dragons". One has 4 cards per page, laid out so page two is designed to be printed on the back of page one and so on. Or order the printed cards. At the same time sci-fi. Same as with the handmade miniatures from ironwind metals. Pixiu craves the smell of gold and silver and it likes to bring his master money in his mouth. Lucky Silver Pixiu Ring is a luck booster jewelry made with a powerful Chinese talisman. Born without an asshole, pi xiu is capable to suck in wealth and luck without letting any luck out. Wear a ring on the middle finger can bring in wealth.

#fengshui #bracelet #feng shui

[h-styles-babes]

FOUR

“Have yeh got all settled, then?” El asked as Sia finished putting her makeup on. She was getting ready for her day out on the island, and she figured she’d at least look a little nice for the occasion. “No more icky feelings about bein’ alone?”

“Yeah, I’ve gotten used to it. Kinda nice being by myself for a bit and still gettin’ paid for it, honestly,” she admitted with a chuckle. She swiped on the last bit of her lipgloss before capping it. She tossed it in her purse, just in case she needed it again before she came back. “Especially now that it’s day time and I’ll be out exploring a bit.”

“Any hints as to who the artist is?” El asked excitedly. Sia thought she was more excited to know who was to show up than she was herself. She thought it was quite endearing of her friend to be so excited, even though she’d have nothing to do with them.

“Nah, Jeff hasn’t said a word. He did drop that it was a guy, though.”

Ellen squealed as Sia laughed. Her friend started listing off all these amazing artist Sia could potentially be spending the next two months in close quarters with. Sia didn’t have the heart to remind her that it was to be a new artist, since this would be their first go round, and none of the very well-versed artists she’d been listing. She just let her go on until she ran out of guesses.

“Yeh done?” Sia asked over a chuckle.

“Yeah, I’m done. I need to let yeh go, though. My break’s nearly over. Some of us have to stick to schedules still,” El joked, poking fun at Sia’s comment of getting paid to just hang out on a tropical island for the time being.

“Oh, shut it,” she scolded playfully. “I’ll let yeh get going. Have fun at your stuffy job! Talk to yeh later.”

Ellen huffed at her goodbye as Sia cackled a little bit, hanging up on her.

It was a beautiful day when Sia stepped out the front door, locking it behind her. She slipped her sunnies onto her nose and relished in the way the slight breeze ruffled her sundress around her thighs and the way the gravel crunched slightly beneath her sandals. She couldn’t help but smile gleefully as she made her way out to the main road. The house came with bikes, so she snagged one from the area beside the house and took off toward the city, knowing it would likely only take her about fifteen minutes in order to get to the main part of town.

Sia spent the afternoon strolling through the town, popping into the local shoppes and stopping off at a cafe to grab a cup of iced coffee and a sandwich for lunch. There were quite a few tourists around with her, but the majority of the people she encountered were locals, running the shoppes and greeting her as she walked past store fronts. She picked up a cool braided bracelet she thought El would like and even got a macrame choker for herself, a charm with the Aries sign—her zodiac—engraved into it dangling from the center.

When Sia took a seat at a small table for two outside of the cafe she bought lunch at, she crossed her leg over the other and sat back, relaxing under the shade of the umbrella at her table. She’d forgotten to grab a hat before darting out the door, and she could feel the heat on her head. She didn’t want to get burnt on her very first full day on the island, so she was grateful for the reprieve.

“Your anklet is beautiful,” a woman sat at the table next to her complimented, looking at the little gold anklet with a delicate little butterfly charm.  

Sia smiled at her. The woman had a strong Australian accent, and Sia figured she was a tourist. “Thank you. Was a gift from my friend for my eighteenth birthday. She said I had too good of ankles to not be adorned by something pretty.”

The woman laughed with Sia. “And what about the bracelet?” she asked innocently, nodding to the accessory on Sia’s wrist.

The innocuous question had Sia’s throat tightening and her jaw clenching to keep her emotions at bay. Unlike the little chain on her ankle, the black beaded bracelet on her wrist with the little silver charm with a Celtic knot representative of ‘forever’ was not given to her by Ellen. It was actually a gift from Harry after they’d first got together. They’d been friends for ages, and he thought it was a pretty big deal that they’d decided to start up a relationship together. The bracelet was a gift, marking the occasion, and Sia had not taken it off since. She’d nearly ripped it off herself in a fit of rage when she’d first learned that Harry had left her just to get with the faux supermodel, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Harry was more than her boyfriend of three years; he was her best friend, and no amount of anger could really negate all the memories she had with him and the love she still held for him. She hated him for what he did to her, but she loved him in her soul, and nothing could change that. Even if she had been pissed at him for the last year.

She took a deep breath before responding, voice a bit shaky. “Gift from an ex. Haven’t had the guts to take it off.” She wasn’t sure what was prompting her to be as candid as she was with this complete stranger, but she wasn’t apprehensive of it. It felt good to talk about Harry—however vaguely—to someone who wasn’t so entangled in it all. Ellen was a great support, but she hated Harry nearly as much as Sia did, and it wasn’t always conducive of substantial conversations.

“How long were you together?”

“Three years. Were friends since we were little, though. Bit of a bite when we broke up.”

“Did he cheat or something?” the woman asked, seeming to get a little fired up at the thought. Sia thought maybe there was some underlying reason behind that.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Sia denied, even though it hurt like he had cheated when she’d learned of his relationship with the reality star not longer after they’d split. “Lives took us in different directions. A stable relationship wasn’t possible for us anymore.”

The woman’s posture eased, and she offered a sympathetic smile. “Then it’s okay to wear mementos of him. It’s good to remember the happy things when you experience heart break. If he was a cheating bastard, it’d be a different story. I tossed my wedding band at my ex-husband’s head when I found him in bed with another woman, then spent his bonus from his most recent deal on this vacation. Made me feel better.”

Sia and the woman laughed together and spent the rest of their afternoon sat at that table, Nadia—Sia learned her name was—having scooted to the empty seat across from Sia. They talked about their lives, Sia sharing that she was on the island for business and Nadia telling her she was a family lawyer that worked with Australia’s social services. They talked about their lives, and even though Nadia was nearly ten years her senior, Sia hadn’t felt so comfortable with another person in a long time. It made her miss Ellen, and it even made her miss Harry a little bit.

It was good to be reminded that her relationship wasn’t all bad. It was actually a very loving, fulfilling relationship that even her parents were proud of. His betrayal tainted it though, and it was sometimes hard to remember that Harry had been the best part of Sia’s life for most of it. She’d had Harry longer than she hadn’t, and there was something to be said for that.

Didn’t mean she didn’t still hate his guts, but it made her reflective.

It was early evening by the time Sia made it back to the house. She hadn’t wanted to make her way back while it was dark out, so she’d said goodbye to Nadia with an exchange of numbers and hopped back up on her bike. The weather was even nicer with the setting sun, the heat still lingering from the day, but the ocean breeze was just a bit cooler, raising little goosebumps on Sia’s skin. It wasn’t cool enough to be craving a jumper, though, and she was still comfortable in her flowery sundress and her sandals.

The lights in the house were off when she rode up, except for the porch light, which she’d left on when she headed out in the afternoon in case she got back after dark. It was still dusky outside, so she didn’t really need the aid of the light.

Sia unlocked the front door and locked it again behind her after she entered, not planning to go out for the rest of the night. A light meal, a glass of wine, and a bath sounded like the perfect end to her night before she headed out the next day. A day at the beach by herself to get a bit of a tan sounded like a solid plan, and she got giddy with excitement just thinking about it. She’d have to search the house to see if there was any sun cream, because she couldn’t remember if she’d packed any with her.

The house was just as quiet as she’d left it as she flipped on the kitchen light. She set her purse and sunnies down on the kitchen counter before opening the fridge to start making a salad out of the lettuce, spinach, and rotisserie chicken she’d found in there yesterday.

She poured herself a glass of wine while she waited for the chicken she shredded to heat up in the microwave. The sliding glass doors that led to the back deck and subsequently to the pathway to the beach were completely crystal clear, and the house was oriented in a way that meant the setting sun was right in front of her, dipping below the water. It was a peaceful sight, and Sia smiled contently as she looked out. She slid the door open and shut the screen door to let the breeze in and keep the bugs and critters out.

The timer sounded on the microwave, and Sia took one last sip before deciding to turn around to tend to her meal. Before she got a chance though, a throat cleared behind her.

“Guessin’ you’re the assistant producer on this. Jeff said yeh’d be here already.”

Sia squeezed her eyes shut at that voice. A voice she was way too familiar with. It was just her luck that the worst case scenario her and El had joked about a couple weeks back was the actual scenario she’d gotten herself into. Just her fucking luck.

She took a deep breath before slowly turning on her heel, biting angrily at her bottom lip. She wanted to cry at having to face him and not being able to flee from him like she had when they’d ran into each other at that pub back in LA. Sia was a big girl, though, and she kept the tears at bay.

“And he said yeh wouldn’t be here for another few days,” she retorted. She nearly cursed when she faced him, realising he was only in a towel, hair wet, obviously fresh out of the shower, probably not expecting anyone else to be in the house with him when he got out.

“Sia,” he breathes, eyes widening. Sia guessed she was the last person he though he was going to be working on the project with, let alone living with for two months.

“Harry,” she nodded. “If yeh don’t mind, I’m gonna make my dinner and head to my room.” That was about all she could choke out as she brushed past him, back into the kitchen. She began quickly throwing her salad together, not looking up at all, even as she put her ingredients away.

“Sia, can we talk, please? I don’t want this t’ be weird for the next two months.”

“Then yeh shouldn’t’ve fuckin’ shagged the leech after tellin’ me you were too busy for a relationship.” There were definitely tears bubbling in her eyes, and she was angry with herself for letting her emotions physically manifest themselves after all this time, and in his presence, no less. “Would’ve really avoided makin’ this whole thing weird.”

“Darl—” he started, but Sia cut him off. She didn’t want to hear the term of endearment, and she really didn’t want to hear any of his empty apologies or half-arsed excuses.

“Don’t you fucking dare. No pet names. Gave up that right when yeh dumped me for the skinny one.” Sia poured herself a hearty glass of wine and grabbed up her bowl and her glass. “You stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours. Deal?”

“We’re gonna be working together,” he tried to reason. Sia still wasn’t looking up at him, so she didn’t see the way his brows furrowed and ran his hand through his hair, pushing the shorter strands back and tugging a bit in frustration.

“And we’ll be civil. But I honestly can’t wait until these two months are over. Best opportunity of my life just turned into my own personal hell.” Sia slammed her bedroom door behind her, and Harry jumped from the abruptness of the sound.

Another tug at his hair and a clench of his jaw. “Fuck.”

#Harry Styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles one shot #harry styles oneshot #harry styles fanfic #harry styles angst #harry styles fic #harry styles imagine #harry styles writing #the long road home #tlrh

[earthrealmlesbian]

Since it's proven to be canon, Kotalblack headcanons?

I'm....perhaps too into Kotalblack. This got really long since I couldn't help but add a lot of thoughts about them as individuals. Tumblr has decided I'm not allowed to use read mores unfortunately so rip. 

Side note: You didn't ask for it but I had some thoughts about their sex life so I've included some nsfw hcs. Hope you don't mind! 

Sfw:

• Kotal is a considerate lover and even at his most firm is undeniably gentle with his partner. A fact that almost scares Erron off at first. Sure, it's one thing to fuck your boss but falling in love with him when he -scoff- treats you nice? Come on now. Kotal demands respect in a relationship but gives the same in return and that sounds downright healthy to Erron. This cowboy isn't sure how to handle a relationship like that at first. Kotal deals with Erron's flighty nature with a steady, patient hand and after some time Erron settles into the relationship. 

• These two are more openly affectionate than many other characters. Nothing raunchy, especially on Kotal's end. Erron will shoot anyone that gives them a dirty look right through the eyes and Kotal's the Emperor so.....who's gonna question them? Erron is a flirt through and through. He'll tone it down to something reasonable for Kotal's sake but he's still going to throw out the occasional tease or hungry look. Kotal's brand of affection is a hand rested softly on the small of Erron's back, tender smiles or the occasional smirk when he humors Erron's flirting. Nothing overt but watching him you might mistake them for a couple that's been together for decades. Whether they have or not. It's all vaguely domestic? Their lives are hectic, which Erron thrives on, but he's learned to take comfort in Kotal's steady presence. 

• Kotal is actually interested in Earthrealm's variety of cultures. He's not been to Earthrealm since his realmwalk and has had little chance to keep up with its every changing people. On quiet nights he'll stay up with Erron asking about anything and everything he can think of. Erron points out there's A LOT of cultures and even he's not familiar with all of them but he's happy to tell what he knows. Erron can make anything sound interesting and that only encourages him to ask more. 

• Likewise, Erron is curious about Osh-Tekk culture. He's curious by nature and always collects stories from the places he visits before moving on. He's got a feeling he won't be wandering away from Kotal anytime soon but he's still eager to learn. Still, he approaches the subject carefully. For his part, Kotal is grateful that someone is genuinely interested in his lost people. There's bitter sweetness in his recollections, but he's the type to face things head on so he freely shares many parts of his past. Erron doesn't press when Kotal reaches a memory that's harder to share, just waits for the words to come piecemeal, if at all. Sharing stories like this is a huge part of their relationship. They've been through a lot and bond through their long nights burnt away talking. 

• Speaking of....speaking? Kotal is enthralled by Erron's accent and dialect. He thinks it's incredibly charming how Erron can so smoothly deliver an entirely incomprehensible sentence. He can glean the meaning of most of Erron's sayings after a moments thought, they're all just so WILD. It amuses him greatly. One time Erron was fuming about some new, hapless guard he was trying to whip into shape. His hands were going a mile a minute and he finally huffed out "I tell you what, that boy couldn't pour piss out a boot if the instructions were on the heel!" Kotal choked out the ugliest laugh and gave him the most confused smile. "Excuse me???" 

• Erron would eat lead before he'd admit it but Kotal's deep voice and commanding aura make him feel safe. He's no damsel in distress but safety is a foreign concept to him. Kotal makes him feel comfortable, almost free of his usual paranoia. It's nice, if disconcerting. 

• Kotal is sentimental. Erron less so. They make it work. Erron makes an effort to remember their anniversary and to do little things to let Kotal knows he values their shared memories in his own way. He gets an Osh-Tekk saying engraved on his favorite gun. Kotal makes him a necklace of leather, beads and engraved bone. Erron wears it religiously. It warms Kotal's heart when he catches Erron thumbing the beads, unconsciously seeking comfort. Later, much later in their relationship, Erron begins to wear paint in appropriate designs on his exposed arms. He does it to honor Osh-Tekk culture and in turn Kotal. It stops Kotal cold the first morning Erron catches him alone while donning the paint. He's touched to say the least. 

• Kotal would marry Erron in a heartbeat. Erron has a lot of thoughts about that. He may have settled into their relationship, may even like the stability it offers more than he's willing to admit, but making it "official" scares him. He thinks it's like begging bad luck to rear her head. Kotal isn't surprised or even particularly upset about it. He's got a long life to live. He's content to openly be with Erron and wait patiently for the cowboy to chew on the idea of wedding vows. 

• They like to go riding together. Erron prefers Earthrealm horses but he'll take anything that can gallop at this point. He thinks Kotal leaned over, eyes forward, pushing his mount as fast as it'll go cuts a striking image. (this is a sfw headcanon but maybe Erron's thoughts on the matter are a little nsfw :/ )

• They don't tend to do official dates or anything besides anniversaries but they find time to treat each other. Kotal takes his duties seriously but he let's Erron's wilder nature pull him into stepping away occasionally and indulging. Erron also eventually shows him his secret spot. They duck into it every now and then when their day is overwhelming. 

• They've taken the time to learn each other's weapons. Well, Erron can't really wield the macuahuitl properly but the sickles are manageable. They're not really interested in each others weapons but thought it would be a good challenge. Erron does alright on his end but Kotal just cannot get the hang of firearms. He can use them, but his aim is garbage. Erron only teases him a little. 

• Erron suffered from heatstroke once. It's made more embarrassing by the fact Kotal was there, had warned him he was pushing himself too far during training and he still kept going. Erron isn't one to be babied which Kotal knows. Still, afterwards there's always a suspicious amount of water on hand when Kotal is around. During the hottest part of the day if Erron catches Kotal's eyes flicking back and forth between the sweat on his brow and the canteen on his belt he'll give a wry smile and take a drink. "Stop lookin’ at me like that. I'm not gonna pass out again." Kotal only teases him a little. 

• Kotal asks Erron's opinion on political matters often. He swears he isn't one for political nonsense but he's glad his opinion is valued either way. 

• They both very much enjoy music. They go to the performances of court musicians as often as time allows. Erron likes to scope out the market for street performers he thinks have talent so he can get them to play for Kotal. He's not doing it out of kindness or anything but if a street performer or two earns a spot among the court’s performers and enjoys a more comfortable life for it who's he to complain? Kotal is privy to the knowledge that a much younger Erron Black aspired to be a musician but gave it up when life got complicated. He's happy to watch the singers Erron recommends. Even happier when Erron breaks out his old guitar and sings to him in private. 

• Kotal teaches Erron the Osh-Tekk language. It's useful since nobody besides historians and some of his more dedicated warriors know it. It allows them to communicate secretly in the open. Which....sometimes means them openly shit talking annoying politicians trying to curry favor in meetings. Ermac and Reptile know enough to understand most of the insults and always give said politicians looks of pity. 

• It's also useful when Kotal is feeling extra affectionate. He'll slip in Osh-Tekk pet names during morning briefings and watch the corners of Erron's eyes crinkle the way they do when he's smirking. Again, Ermac and Reptile know. They're used to it and rarely give the behavior more then a small smile.

NSFW: 

• Both are switches. Erron bottoms more often than not but Kotal has no qualms changing things up. He's especially fond of Erron fucking him missionary so he can pull him close by the back of the neck and look intensely into his eyes. Kotal is big on eye contact. 

• Neither is shy about sex. Both have a high sex drive. Most mornings include at least a quick blowjob. 

• Given both aren't particularly inhibited, they enjoy an adventurous sex life. Before Erron, Kotal didn't indulge much despite his high sex drive. There was little time and few he could trust. As such, he didn't have a variety of experiences. He's good at what he knew but was eager to broaden his horizons. Erron has been around more and tried plenty. He's always amused when he tells Kotal about this or that kink Earthrealmers are into and gets a shocked look every time. Equally amused when Kotal is keen on giving it a try at least once. 

• Kotal may be interested in trying things but he's got a lot of limits when it comes to pain. Both receiving and giving. They have to have a conversation regarding some of Erron's less than healthy past encounters so Kotal can essentially list off the things he won't do. That said, he's fine with being dominant/dominated or rough within reason. 

• One thing both agree on is marking each other is appealing. Kotal isn't very possessive, he doesn't need to be, but he'll admit seeing Erron display his handiwork gets him going. Erron has a hickey on his throat almost constantly. When things get a little more wild Kotal likes to bite. Erron loves looking at the love bites along his chest, hips and inner thighs the morning after. It's harder for Erron to leave marks but Kotal is thrilled when he tries. 

• Erron has a bit of a complex about his mask. He's used to having it on even in bed. Kotal isn't unkind about it, but he's firm about the mask coming off when things start getting serious between them. Erron takes it off himself, sometimes reluctantly, but he grows used to the intimacy. Kotal never asks to take it off for him, sensing it might be too much. He's right, but eventually Erron works up the courage to let him and it immediately becomes a thing between them. Kotal carefully, reverently unbuckles the straps like he's unveiling a treasure. The gentle adoration never fails to make Erron shiver. 

• They have a few oddly reverent practices in the bedroom. Erron is into body worship and it's one of the few things he's embarrassed about since he's gotten teased about it before. Kotal isn't perturbed however. Erron has a thing for bathing Kotal. He'll sit on his lap in their tub and get to work. He takes extra care in wiping away every hint of paint and after will usually wash Kotal's hair. (Mkx ponytail please come back). Kotal enjoys it and is content to lounge while his cock slowly hardens from the teasing, sensual touches. They usually end up fucking right there in the tub, just as slow and leisurely. 

• A similar activity is when Erron takes his sweet time tracing Kotal's tattoos(?). First with his fingers though his mouth is never far behind. 

• Erron has a filthy mouth when he wants to. Kotal isn't shy and isn't easily embarrassed but sometimes Erron gets so into it he'll start begging to be filled up in some very explicit terms and Kotal will go a little red. 

• Kotal likes to watch Erron play with himself. A lot. Toys are a fairly new concept to him and when he realizes they can make watching all the more exciting he goes all out on purchasing any that catch Erron's eye. Kotal likes to sit in a chair a few feet from there bed and quietly watch Erron fuck himself. Erron likes being watched. It always gives him goosebumps to have Kotal's eyes picking apart his every movement like that. Calm, almost distant and utterly in control until Erron's efforts are impossible to ignore. 

• They've fucked on almost every inch of the throne room. If Erron doesn't get bent over the throne at least once a month something's up. Likewise, Kotal likes to sit Erron on the throne and ride him like his life depends on it. 

• Erron is down for a quickie whenever. Like at all times. Kotal prefers to take his time but he can be encouraged to indulge Erron if the cowboy plays his cards right.

#mortal kombat #kotal kahn #erron black #im so sorry its long but i cant get read mores to work at all #earthrealm.txt

[chocoluckchipz]

Dance with Me, Chaton - 6

Read it on A03, WattPad, FF.net

Written for @ladynoirjuly2019

< Previous

6. Lucky Charm

Adrien should’ve gone for the designer’s department straight away. Not only was it the most obvious choice to look for Ladybug, but it was also huge and bright and buzzing with life and a large-sized man delivered a huge box of the most delicious pastries Adrien had ever seen first thing in the morning.

“Good morning, M Dupain,” one of the girls greeted him. “How are you today?”

“Busy.” The man smiled and placed the box on the table. “Enjoy. I’ve put a few extra today. Marinette said you’ve had an influx of interns?”

“The whole company did,” the girl said. “Universities are out for the summer, so they all starting on their internships.”

Adrien hummed. That’s why Ladybug wasn’t afraid to tell him she had an intern following her. Dozens of people in Gabriel did, if not most.

“Then, I hope there is enough for everyone. Got to split. Have a few more deliveries to make.” The man saluted and left.

“Pastries are here,” the girl shouted into the room.

Adrien immediately understood his mistake. Until now, he’d kept to the side and out of the way, quietly waiting for the head of the department at the entrance. That proved to be a fatal error because as soon as the final words slipped from the girl’s lips, people rushed over and all the amazing, delicious goodness vanished right before Adrien’s eyes. When everyone left, he stepped closer to see if maybe, just perhaps, there was something left.

Someone behind him laughed. “They haven’t left you anything, M Agreste?”

Adrien turned around. A middle-aged woman smiled at him and offered her hand. “Mme Bustier. I’m the head designer, and you’ll be lurking around my domain for the next few days, right?”

“Please, call me Adrien.” He shook her hand with a smile. “And yes, if I may. I want to see how this company works from inside before I try to manage it.”

“Good call.” She smiled. “Unfortunately, with the show this close, I don’t have much time to show you around. Do you mind if I entrust you into the care of one of my junior designers?”

“Not at all. I apologize for intruding on you at such a busy time.”

“No worries. Do you have any questions before we part?”

“Not right now, but if I have any by the end of my stay here, I’ll find you.”

“Alright.” Mme Bustier looked around. Her sight paused somewhere behind him. She smiled. “I have the perfect person for you to shadow. She’s one of my best junior designers and would be able to show you around.”

Mme Bustier motioned Adrien to follow her.

He caught a glimpse of their most likely target and smiled. This day was already starting to look good.

“This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien. Marinette, this is Adrien Agreste. He’s here to get to know how our department works. Would you mind showing him around?”

“Not at all.” Marinette smiled. “My intern called in sick today, so I’m free to take on another one.”

“Perfect.” Mme Bustier turned to Adrien. “She’s all yours.”

Adrien stretched Marinette his hand. “Nice to see you again.”

“Likewise.” She returned his smile and shook his hand.

“I must depart now,” Mme Bustier said. “If you need me, Adrien, my office is at the end in that corner. Otherwise, Marinette can answer any of your questions, including where to get those pastries so cruelly snatched up from under your nose.”

Adrien perked, turning to Marinette. “Please? They smelled heavenly.”

Marinette snickered. “You didn’t get any?”

“Not a single crumb.” He pouted.

Marinette reached for her purse and pulled out a card, passing it to Adrien.

“Tom and Sabine’s Bakery,” Adrien read. “Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng? That’s—”

“My parents.” Marinette smiled. “I kept oversleeping when I started working here so had to bring my breakfast with me. More often than not someone would beg to share until they kind of started to expect me to bring something for everyone. So, Mme Bustier proposed we pool money and get a box delivered here every morning. Papa always puts some extra, but since we’ve just had a dozen interns added to the team, I guess, that wasn’t enough.”

“Then I’ll make sure to stop by and get my own.” Adrien smiled and grabbed the thread Marinette left for him. His top priority here was here to find Ladybug. “So, you have an intern?”

She nodded. “Everyone in this department does. We need all the help we can get before the show.”

Adrien hummed. Dead end.

“What do you want for me to show you, M Agreste?”

“It’s Adrien.” He smiled. “For now, if you could just tell me how this department works in general, that’ll be great. If I have questions, I’ll ask.”

With a nod, Marinette began her tour, taking Adrien around their department, introducing him to more people, showing him stations, and processes, and everything in between. Adrien couldn't help himself but observe Marinette closer. She was a pleasure to be around. Sweet, funny, witty. People respected her, that much he could tell straight away. She was also one of the people he’d met on his first day, so technically, Marinette could be his Ladybug who, by the way, didn’t text him at all after their morning brief exchanged.

Adrien pouted. Did she abandon him? Was she tired of his antics? Maybe just busy? Like him, for example. Because being with Marinette all this time, it wasn’t like Adrien been able to text Ladybug either. He stole a few moments here and there to check his cell phone but found no new message from her. Upsetting. He loved their easy banter. He also needed more information crumbs she gave him on herself because if Adrien wouldn’t find her soon, he’d have to seriously think about stealing those files from his father’s computer. And despite Chat Noir’s bravery in the chat room, Adrien was terrified of what he’d promised to do. If he could avoid doing it, he certainly would. Father wasn’t the most of forgiving of people and stealing from him counted as the gravest of sins.  

“Do you enjoy working here, Marinette?” Adrien asked after the tour had ended.

“Immensely.” She grinned. “I’ve always dreamed of working at Gabriel.”

Check. Ladybug loved her work as well.

Adrien smiled. “So, you like my father’s work?”

“Been a fan since I can remember myself.”

“Even his latest collection?”

That question was bold and reckless if Marinette was Ladybug, but it didn’t seem to influence her in any special way.

“I wouldn’t say it’s very conventional.” She shrugged. “But M Agreste is a great visionary.”

Bummer, Adrien couldn’t see Ladybug saying that. Well, maybe she could say that about his father’s general work, but the latest collection? He didn’t think so. Unless Marinette was cautious around him specifically. He was Gabriel's son, after all. He needed to put her at ease.

“So, you think, it’ll be successful? Because, honestly, I kind of dread wearing all that glitter and bows on a runway.”

Marinette giggled. “Aren’t models not supposed to be this picky?”

Nice avoidance of answering his question. Adrien pouted, but pressing further would be risky. If she was Ladybug, he could scare her away.

“He’s my father," Adrien said with a chuckle. “I can be picky all I want, and while I’m a fan of sequins, I prefer seeing them on little girls instead of me.”

“Too bad, so sad,” she snickered.

Adrien pouted. “You’re cruel. I hope you know that.”

Marinette laughed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Oh!” She paused, looking at him. “I have something for you. I almost forgot.”

Adrien perked. “Tell me your father brought more pastry?”

“I’m afraid you aren’t that lucky,” she giggled. “Let’s go back to my desk. It’s in my bag.”

Adrien followed Marinette with a smile on his face. Compared to the days he spent with Kagami, today was much more relaxed and enjoyable. Marinette was so easy and fun to talk to. Comfortable and weirdly familiar. Like he’d known her his whole life.

“I just have to dig it out.” Marinette picked up her impressively sized bag and dug in, her smile nervous and somewhat embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m not the most organized person.”

She was so sweet. Adrien melted under that smile… which wasn’t good because besides being sweet, his Lady also had a bold streak, a rebellious side in her.  Marinette seemed to be the definition of cute and adorable and everything that relates to it. Not bold and determined to rush into battle without thinking.

Adrien sighed and focused his gaze on the items Marinette kept putting on her table in order to find whatever she needed. Her cell phone, a make-up pouch, a few little bags of snack cookies, a tube of lipstick, a comb, a case of tissues. The list went on and on.

“Thank you for lending it to me.” She stretched him his umbrella.

He hesitantly took it. “You didn’t have to. I gave it to you without return. To make up for the hallway accident.”

“Don’t be silly,” Marinette said. “I can’t just take your umbrella like this. In all honesty, I should give you coupons for free pastry at my father's bakery in addition to giving you back your umbrella.”

Adrien chuckled. “I wouldn’t refuse that offer.” His sight caught a string of colourful beads Marinette took from the table to put back in her bag. “Oh, what’s that?”

“This? My lucky charm.”

“Lucky charm?”

“I know it’s silly.” Her cheeks covered a slight blush. “But I’ve always been very clumsy and not that lucky in… well everything, so Mom made it for me when I was still in lycée.”

“Can I look?”

“Sure.” She passed the thing to him.

Adrien ran his fingers on top of beads. Ladybug wouldn’t be clumsy and unlucky. She was Lady Luck herself. According to the name at least. Which meant he probably was on the wrong path again and Marinette wasn’t his Lady, as much as the thought of it was welcome.

“Does it work?” Adrien asked absentmindedly. “I sure can use some extra luck right now.”

“Well then, why don’t you take it and see for yourself?”

He jerked his sight to Marinette. “Oh, no. I can’t.”

She curled his fingers atop her lucky charm. “Keep it with you at all times.”

He blinked, dumbfounded. “But how will you—”

“I won’t die,” she laughed. It sounded like an array of bells on a spring morning. “And even if a little bad luck will come my way, I’m sure I’ll be able to handle it now. Being a grown-up and all.”

“Alright.” Adrien chuckled. She really was adorable. Too adorable to be Ladybug which meant Adrien needed some seriously good luck right now because it looked like he’d have to actually steal those files.

***

Chat Noir: How was your day, My Lady?

Ladybug: Exhausting. Had to work with higher-ups from a different department, and you know how it is when you have to pretend to be the perfect employee all day long. Couldn’t even tell what I really think of the newest line.

Adrien deflated. Even if Ladybug worked in the designer’s department, she wasn’t there today. She was pulled to work somewhere else.

Chat Noir: Accept my condolences XD

Ladybug: Hilarious. I hope you had a better day.

Chat Noir: Sure did. Befriended the nicest person in the company and discovered the best pastry in the town after work.

Ladybug: Nice! Any croissants there?

Chat Noir: Only the best on the planet!

Ladybug: Then, you simply must share the name of the place.

Chat Noir: My Lady! What happened to keeping our identities a secret?

Ladybug: What? Are you going to ambush me there?

Chat Noir: Possibly.

Ladybug: Okay fine. Keep your croissants to yourself. I’ve got my own sources that will beat yours out of water. I just wanted to compare to brag later that mine are better.

Chat Noir: Feisty much? I like it.

Ladybug: Cocky much? I don’t.

Their banter strayed away, and neither remembered their mission until the very end when Adrien proposed they wait until the weekend to try anything.

Chat Noir: He leaves for Milan Saturday morning as far as I know. Means we’ll have two whole days of no one in his office and no one monitoring his computer activities. Fewer chances to get caught.

Ladybug: Make sense, and I’ll still have enough time for editing. So, good luck, Chaton.  

Chat Noir: Oh crap.

Ladybug: What now?

Chat Noir: Have you seen the time, my Lady?

Ladybug: Shoot. I was wondering why my eyes kept closing. XD

Chat Noir: I say we make it a night. Both of us have work tomorrow.

Ladybug: XD I’m afraid that’s already today. Goodnight, Chaton.

Chat Noir: Goodnight, my Lady.

The clock showed one in the morning when Adrien crawled into his bed with a smile on his lips and a worry in his heart. His father was a man of his word and if he said he wouldn’t fire Ladybug, Adrien believed he wouldn’t. However, his father didn’t take well to those who opposed him. Adrien knew that too well and couldn’t help but worry. He wanted his freedom. After years of silent obedience, he deserved it. But Ladybug was an amazing woman, and Adrien wasn’t sure his freedom was worth exposing her anymore.

_______________________________________________________________________

Next >

#ladynoir july #ladynoirjuly2019 #adrienette #aged up #fluff #secret penpal au #dance au

[calleo-bricriu]

1986.

(( So, this came about because @everyheartbesure and I have a thread going that happens just after the First War ended with the version of Calleo they also have a thread with in the Fantastic Beasts version. While I was describing that to @absintheabsence we both thought it’d be interesting to see how that version of Calleo, who had lived through that war, and who had likely at some point been targeted and actually captured, and definitely did not have The Best Time up to the point that Grindelwald was defeated would behave and/or react to finding out Grindelwald had essentially been left to die whenever the automation in Nurmengard finally completely failed.

Turns out he’s less clumsy with his flying and just as horrified at what he finds there as the main verse version of Calleo was.

Less cheerful and chatty about it, though. ))

A lot of things had a tendency to ping around inside of Calleo's head, most of them ranging from harmless to complete nonsense and the majority of all of that being one or two lines of just about any piece of music he'd ever heard in his life repeating on a loop for awhile.

This time it was a short conversation he'd had with someone from the International Magical Office of Law.

Hadn't been a long conversation, the person in question didn't often speak much, especially to Calleo on account of Calleo being the main cause of all the stress of his job.

It had been mentioned after Calleo had made a joke about being sent to Azkaban centered around it being pointless to send someone like him there, especially when he was relatively used to awful magical energy and there was nothing but Dementors keeping anyone there and had ended it with a comment about them having better luck just throwing him into Nurmengard due to its magic stripping properties.

He hadn't expected a laugh or even a smile; in fact, he wasn't even certain he'd ever seen Tadeusz  ( @pracownik-ministerstwa  the other OC I don’t write nearly often enough) do either thing around him.

He also didn't expect the dry answer of, "That place was shut down in the 1960s."

Calleo vaguely recalled reading some back page article in the Prophet about it but didn't think much of it at the time.

He didn't think much of it now either, until he followed up by asking where they'd moved Grindelwald if Nurmengard had been decommissioned as a prison.

"They didn't." Tadeusz said it so matter-of-factly as though it were common knowledge; it might have been to the International Magical Office of Law.

"Ah, he's dead then?"

"No." By now the other Wizard had resumed working and clearly was not interested in further conversation.

"They must have left a skeleton crew of staff then; that's not really shutting a place down."

"Automation." One word answers coupled with the fact that Tadeusz didn't bother to look up from what he was doing almost made him seem like a piece of automation.

Automation wasn't that terrible; not that decent either, but not the worst thing. "Interesting; who maintains it?"

"Nobody."

"Nobody?"

"Nobody."

That didn't seem right.

That couldn't be right.

Even Muggles didn't do that; Muggles in most areas of the world had long since decided that even short term full isolation was unnecessarily cruel and only caused negative effects in the prisoners subjected to it.

In many countries, it had been either made illegal outright or legal but with the 'solitary' part only being temporary. Even then, those prisoners had access to exercise yards, showers, varied food, books, sometimes television, and were able to chat through doors with other prisoners or with the guards.

If what Calleo had understood from the conversation was correct that exactly not what had happened here. There was a good chance that Grindelwald was already long dead, considering Calleo had been told that Nurmengard had been largely shut down sometime in the 1960s and it was now the mid 1980s.

That was the sort of death Calleo didn't care to think about; it would have been horrifying to experience--but possibly more horrifying to be stuck in an automated prison that (likely maliciously) would cause the automation to produce just enough to keep its prisoner alive.

Writing should have been his first option but writing might not get an answer at all, even if Grindelwald was still alive.

No, no, this situation required going back to Nurmengard--at least he wasn't likely to end up locked in a tower room he couldn’t leave this time, so that was something.

Dodging a few wolpertingers who seemed bent on catching and eating the magpie nearly caused a few collisions with tower walls until Calleo flew high enough to land on the roof, shift back, and knock the creatures back with a harmless charm; enough to scare them off, but not to injure them.

With that finished, he shifted back into the usual somewhat ratty looking magpie and landed on the strangely unwarded (and closed, of course; it was raining after all) window ledge. When it didn't open immediately, he still sat there partially considering whether this was a good idea or not and partially reminding himself that if he didn't find out what had happened here or didn't try to mitigate what he could if it was--bad--he'd feel guilty about it for the rest of his life.

That seemed inconvenient, and cruelty was cruelty regardless from where or who it came from; there was nothing, in Calleo's view, that justified being purposely, viciously cruel to someone. Doing so didn't fix anything, wouldn't return those killed to life, wouldn't undo the damage caused. All it did was add an additional knife into the mix.

The window itself looked like it didn't sweep out to the very end of the window ledge, which would give him time to hop back and jump out of reach if Grindelwald still happened to be alive and tried to grab him.

Calleo didn't know exactly what to expect; lights on in the tower didn't necessarily guarantee anyone alive up there. They could very well be part of what little automation was still functioning.

The magpie hopped up to the window itself and pecked at it in the same fashion an owl might, then immediately hopped back to the very edge of the ledge.

When the window finally did open it did so slowly; for a moment, Calleo thought it might be closed again as he might not have been the most visible, being a largely black bird sitting on a dark stone ledge. Either--Calleo presumed it was Grindelwald though he couldn't see much yet--Grindelwald couldn't see him or was expecting something else at the window and was being cautious.

Possibly both.

The window eventually opened wide enough that the light from inside the cell coupled with flashes and strikes of lightning that Calleo had already noticed a strange, artificial pattern in, and he was seen easily enough.  Calleo, for his part, found himself briefly wishing he'd nicked a Time Turner from the department before leaving so he could chase himself away from the window.

It was most certainly Grindelwald at the window, though he hardly looked it any longer; bent, frail, what Calleo thought were missing teeth, on a closer look appeared more to be broken teeth, nearly matted hair , and if the clothes he had on had fit properly at one point, they hadn't in some time.

Threadbare at that.

The eyes were the only familiar thing, even if they'd been dimmed by years of isolation and, by this point, at least a smidge of madness. Still, he seemed calm enough for the moment.

Calleo couldn't simply sit on the window ledge the entire time, staring, head cocked to one side, at the tower's prisoner and the prisoner more than likely wondering what in the hell was wrong with the magpie sitting in the rain--so Calleo took the still open window and lack of grabbing as implicit permission to enter the cell.

The instant his feet touched the inner side of the window, he took off, flying a good metre or so away from Grindelwald before shifting back into something a little less feathery and a lot more human.

Though Calleo didn't think he'd changed in terms of looks enough that someone wouldn't recognise him he had still changed in the sense that he was nearly half a century older than the last time he'd seen Grindelwald. Various forms of magic had a tendency to keep Calleo looking younger than he actually was but he certainly didn't have the, "Nearly fifty, look about thirty" look any longer--more "Slightly over one-hundred but most days looking around the 65-70 mark."

A little vanity was always allowed, as far as he was concerned.

The majority of his hair was still vibrant orange-red and was all still as long as it had been fifty years ago--not to mention still tied up at the back and the ball he wound it into skewered by three wands at three different angles to hold it there.

Still had the same old glasses that had been a good twenty or thirty years out of style back in the 1920s on the same blue, beaded chain, and still dressing in clothes that always seemed to center around something brilliantly purple as well. Evidently, time can force someone to grow older but not necessarily grow up.

Calleo's eyes were the same as they'd ever been, complete with the faint dark circles on the under eye that never really seemed to go entirely away and what flashed across them as he took a cursory look around the room, skimming the magic on the walls, roof, floor, and door, was--something that appeared to start as disbelief that anyone would allow a situation like this to happen in the first place, moved through confusion at how some of the failing magic had been pieced together, irritation as he figured it out and saw how badly it had been done and maintained, and when they settled back onto the cell's other occupant there was a flash of anger that didn't seem to be directed at Grindelwald somehow, which gave way to tired concern.

While he'd never think to suggest that Grindelwald should be released or pardoned or anything of that nature, Calleo had never been someone who could accept cruelty disguised as punishment; cruelty unchecked and unquestioned, given out by those in authority as righteous or necessary punishment only created a pointless cycle that caused nothing but harm to anyone that came near it.

It solved nothing. It couldn't undo damage already done, all it could do was create additional damage.

The director Calleo had worked under until his retirement had often accused him of having a bleeding heart in an unflattering way and there were certainly times his job would have been significantly easier if he had been able to at least temporarily shut the parts of his mind off that kept him from meeting cruelty with cruelty.

And this? This was cruelty.

For what felt like ages, Calleo had no idea what to even begin to say. It was likely that Grindelwald hadn't heard another person speak to him in decades and all that came immediately to mind were almost demanding sounding questions that he likely didn't know the answers to either.

"Do you mind if I shut some of this off?" 

The cell’s walls, ceiling, and floor lit up to make the...work...on them visible and easier to deal with; it all looked terrible, not in the sense of what it was doing, but in the sense of how it was crumbling and making an awful lot of noise that he hoped Grindelwald hadn't been forced to listen to since the prison staff left (and was almost certain he had been).

"It sounds like someone scraping a fork down a blackboard."

#stories #hp rp #v: 198x #nurmengard #1986

[slytherinknowitall]

Potion Fumes and Cauldron Leaks

Chapter 10: Oh, How Intimate First Names Can Be!

(Click here for chapter 9!)

(Click here to start from the beginning!)

Disclaimer: I don’t own the “Harry Potter” book series. The story of “Harry Potter” is the property of J. K. Rowling, it is not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

Severus cut her off before she could even get a single word out.

“Miss Granger, today, you will be preparing a rather easy potion which you have already learnt about during your early years at this school: the Cure for Boils. As I will be instructing the first-years in how to brew this particular potion tomorrow morning, I thought that it would be wise to have some ready-made phials of it on hand. After all, we both know how foolish and dim-witted some students can be.” He was, of course, referring to how Neville Longbottom once had made a cauldron melt while unsuccessfully trying his luck at this very concoction.

“Now, when you first learnt how to brew the Cure for Boils, you used a formula from Magical Drafts and Potions. This time around, however, you will be working according to the instructions found in the Book of Potions as that version does not consume as much time. As you can see, I have written the directions on the blackboard. You may take the required ingredients from the storage room and get started.”

As Miss Granger obediently and – by the grace of the gods – for once wordlessly got down to work, the Potions Master sat down behind his desk. He pulled up some essays to correct; however, he couldn’t concentrate on them no matter how hard he tried. He stared at the letters and words written in smudged ink for what felt like hours, but his mind couldn’t seem to form coherent sentences out of them. It appeared as though this was becoming some sort of pattern for him; he hadn’t been able to be productive for weeks. Whenever he would try to do some research or even just to read a book, his head would start to fill with images of a certain insufferable know-it-all.

Severus was hopelessly distraught. He was beyond disgusted with himself for acting like a teenage boy going through puberty all over again. It didn’t matter whether he was eating in the Great Hall, teaching in his classroom or walking through the castle’s ever-busy corridors – whenever there was a quiet moment, he couldn’t help his thoughts wandering to his apprentice. To combat this, he was trying to keep himself as busy as possible and had even began to lash out at the student body more than he usually already did. But his desperate attempts proved to be fruitless; once he would lie in bed at night, the darkness engulfing him, he couldn’t put a stop to his imagination anymore.

His mind would be plagued by mental pictures of the Gryffindor Princess, some real and some nothing but chimerical. Miss Granger in his private laboratory, bend over a cauldron, small beads of sweat running down her slender neck into her cleavage. Miss Granger in his sitting room, spread across the fluffy carpet in front of the fireplace, reading one of his beloved books while only scantily clad. Miss Granger straddling him on his bed, a cheeky smile on her face as she moves in to kiss him with those luscious lips of hers.

Worst of all, he couldn’t help his body’s reaction to these forbidden thoughts either, and that made him feel like a complete sicko.

Severus knew that he was doomed. Why oh why did this have to happen to him out of all people?! The Head of Slytherin – a former Death Eater and more often than not referred to as the greasy git of the dungeons – lusting after Gryffindor’s on-site smartass who was half his age; could it really get any worse? Had he honestly gotten so desperate for female touch that he had to resort to fantasising about a girl still wearing her school uniform?

He had only been in love once in his life and that had ended in tragedy. Except for some random encounters with witches he didn’t care for, he didn’t really have any experience when it came to the opposite sex. And so even if his silly, little crush weren’t so immorally wrong, it could never work out anyways. The Dungeon Bat wasn’t exactly what one would call a chick magnet. His nose was disproportionately large, his skin was almost sickeningly pallid, and his entire body was battered and scarred from the torture he had had to endure as a follower of the Dark Lord. A smart girl like Hermione Granger could never love an old wreck like him.

NO! Who was even talking about love?! Severus was simply getting turned on by her admittingly rather shapely form, that was all – he was a man, after all. Yes, while he had had many good-looking students walk into his Potions classroom over the years – with some of them even having being stupid enough to try to offer themselves to him in exchange for better grades – none of them had ever caused such a reaction before; but that was probably just due to the fact that the war was finally over now. With him not having to constantly fear for his life anymore, his body was seemingly starting to act “normal” again and that included his libido, too. With not many options available to him cooped up here in the middle of nowhere, it was no surprise that he would eventually stoop as low as to desire someone as annoying, overzealous and pesky as Granger. Mind you, she had indeed grown up to be a beautiful and attractive young woman. Him suddenly not getting irritated anymore by the constant flow of questions leaving her mouth and instead thinking about that very mouth in a perverted way meant absolutely nothing; he was simply horny.

At least that was what Severus was trying to tell himself.

To make matters worse, he had gone completely overboard with that stupid birthday gift. After having been forced to play along with this silly tradition, Snape’s mind had been completely blank on what to get his apprentice. Following a frantic one-hour search of his rooms, he had still not been able to find anything suitable for an 18-year-old girl.

“Well, she is a bookworm …” he’d thought after finally deciding on his volume of Long-forgotten Secrets of the Mayan Wizarding Culture – Potions, Spells and More. Severus had never been a huge fan of this book to begin with; while it was certainly a good read, he had always thought that it was completely overrated and therefore not worth hanging on to. Still, Miss Granger would probably get some enjoyment out of it somehow.

He had only realised his mistake once he had already sent off the owl. Even if he himself didn’t think much of the book, the witch would surely be bewildered as to why her teacher would gift her something so rare and valuable. There was no doubt in his mind that she would start to question his intentions sooner rather than later.

Severus let out a small grunt. He would have to find a way out of this misery. From here on out, he would try to further limit his contact with Miss Granger; continuing to outright ignore her during class and giving her tasks to complete elsewhere instead of holding their apprenticeship lessons. He could also do some research and look for a potion that would help suppress his bodily desires. Worst case scenario, he would simply have to pay a quick late-night visit to the sketchier part of Diagon Alley and find a willing Galleon-seeking witch to take his sexual frustration out on. Perhaps he could also have a talk with Albus and ask him to reassign Miss Granger to –

Suddenly, there was a loud blast coming from the other side of the room. Alarmed, Severus looked up from his papers, but all he could see was a half-destroyed cauldron and a lot of dark blue smoke – there was no sign of his young pupil.

His heart leapt into his throat. “HERMIONE!” he cried out before sprinting to the scene of the accident. With a quick flick of his wooden wand, he at once got rid of the chaos, and it was then that he discovered Miss Granger lying on the cold dungeon floor, covered in a mixture of unfinished teal-coloured potion and what he suspected to be blood. Her head of curls was a fuzzy mess and her face was completely drained of colour.

Severus immediately dropped to his knees and grabbed her by the arms to pull her onto his lap. Thankfully, the brunette was still breathing; however, the blow of the explosion seemed to have knocked her out.

He feverishly thought about what could have caused such a catastrophe; brewing Boil Cure was a simple task after all. With a brief glance at the blackboard, it finally dawned on him: He had forgotten to add a warning to only stir the potion very gently after adding the pickled Shrake spines; otherwise they tended to get “overexcited” and therefore become explosive. The Potions Master had obviously assumed that Miss Granger would have known this already, but it seemed as though even the knowledge of Hogwarts’ most brilliant student wasn’t all-encompassing.

Severus couldn’t help but to silently scold himself for this rookie mistake as he swiftly conjured up a cushioned stretcher on which he then carefully laid down his apprentice. After a quick visual assessment of her injuries, he was sure that the damage wasn’t too bad apart from some cuts and bruises. As a next step, he ripped open her singed and torn blouse, trying hard to ignore her now visible frilly bra. Using some basic cleaning spells, he made quick work of the sticky potion and blood mixture before focusing on the main problem.

“Vulnera Sanentur,” he whispered as he dragged his wand along the wounds on her chest and arms. He had invented this very spell during his own years as a student; and while it had originally been intended to mend severe injuries, it had become his go-to healing spell over time – because naturally, he had always had the most faith in his own creations.

A quick Repairing Charm later, Miss Granger’s tattered clothing was back to its original state. Severus then disappeared into his storage room just to come back out a few minutes later with a crystalline phial in one hand and a small jar of ointment in the other. He placed the latter on a table nearby before yet again kneeling down next to his patient. Supporting her head with his left hand, he poured a few drops of Wideye Potion down her throat; it had come from the very batch they had brewed together not even two weeks earlier. Sitting back on his heels, all he could do then was to wait for her to wake up.

Soon enough, Granger started to stir and eventually let out a muffled groan before opening her brown eyes, seemingly disorientated. It was only when she attempted to sit up that her teacher spoke up.

“You shouldn’t try to get back up quite yet … unless you enjoy feeling lightheaded, of course,” he said with an icy undertone as he stood up and moved back to his desk, sensing her questioning look following his every move. He sat down in his black leather chair and waited for her to speak.

“What happened?” she finally managed to ask, her voice still husky.

“It seems as though I have overestimated your brewing abilities greatly, Miss Granger, as you appear to have disregarded the required safety precautions concerning the use of Shrakes in potions, subsequently blowing yourself up. As a result, you have not only forced me to interrupt my work and come to your aid, but I will now also have to utilize my free time later this evening to prepare the required potion for tomorrow’s class. For this unbelievable foolishness, I shall deduct 15 points from Gryffindor.”

A tiny tear started to slip down her left cheek, but whether it was caused by the pain from her injuries or his cold words the wizard did not know. The incident hadn’t been completely her fault, of course; but Severus didn’t care. He told himself that she should have better than to make such a ludicrous mistake. Now that he knew that she would eventually make a full recovery, worry and shock was replaced with sheer anger – anger over his doom-laded error, anger over how distressed the sight of her unconscious and wounded body had made him, anger over how he was nothing but a slave to his primal needs and anger over how he had frantically called out her name just minutes earlier. He was practically seething.

“I will let you know that I expect better from someone who is not only this school’s Head Girl but also my personal apprentice. I expect a lot better … Now, I suggest you take this jar of dittany,” he commanded sternly, pointing to the small tin sitting on the desk to her right. “As I am sure you know it prevents scarring. Or maybe you don’t. Who could be sure after such a grave mishap?”

Apparently, he’d gone a step too far with his mocking, because the young woman’s crying promptly turned into uncontrollable sobs. Standing up abruptly, still a bit unstable on her legs, she bolted from the room, leaving the ointment as well as all of her other belongings behind. Snape grabbed the pieces of parchment covering his desk and flung them against the dungeon wall in blind rage. Damn Hermione Granger, damn those oversensitive Gryffindors, damn his own emotional turmoil!

Later that night, Severus was lying in his bed and staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

“Hermione,” he whispered, letting the name roll off his tongue in a hushed voice.

For some reason, saying her given name out loud seemed a lot more intimate than any of the deviant, shameful fantasies he’d had about little Miss Granger.

(Click here for chapter 11!)

#Harry Potter #harry potter fandom #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fanfic #severus snape #severus snape x hermione granger #Hermione Granger #pro severus snape #slytherinknowitall #Slytherin Know-It-All #potion fumes and cauldron leaks #PFACL #PFACL chapter 10 #chapter 10 #fanfiction #fanfic #fanfictionbyusignolo #fanfiction by usignolo #masterlist #usignolo masterlist #fanfiction by usignolo masterlist #snape lives au #professor snape #snanger #SNAMIONE #secret crush #fluff #angst #hurt/comfort #slow burn

[chromium7sky]

Damirae week day 5: locked in| (I follow you) in the dark

A/n: continuation from I’m a sucker series part 4. Enjoy!!

*******flash back *******

After her roomates dies, Raven become the talk on her campus. She thought it will go away as the time passed by. Maybe she could lay low and it will calmed. But it seems after a week, she's been summoned to the student affair office because people been speculate that she is the killer. 

She sighed.

She can't help but provided her alibi along with her friends and lecturer as her witness that she's at the curator party at the night of incident. It was Friday evening after her last class at 7.43pm. As she walked through the pavement that lead to the bus stop, she felt like someone following her but whenever she looked behind her there's no one there. 

She get a pretty bad feeling, as she reached the small shelter station, she quickly open her phone just to put out her nervousness again she felt goosebump until an unknown number calling her. She was hesitated to answer but it is to kill silence atmosphere she swipe right.

"Hello?"

" Rachel?"

" Who are you?"

"Uh, I don't know if you still remember me, this is Damian. The one whom you asked for help that day?"

"Damian!" 

"I was wondering about the Forecast that we experience before, any news about it?"

"What about it?"

"Because I just solve the case from the one we got.'

"This is crazy!" her heart jumped excited. Hey, at least she could help someone to solve the case using her gift. "Well, as far as I know, there is no —" and the Forecast coming to her.

A ROOM. A WOMAN. A PAGE WITH NUMBER 43. BLOODY ROSE. A BLACKBOX WITH HAYS AND A LIVING HEART.

As if like a surge electric flowing through her body, she gasped. 

"Raven, are you okay?"

"I saw it."

"What?" 

"A forecast."

*****end flashback*****

It was dark, and she could smell damped , musky as if this place haven't seen the light for years. She tried to move her arm but it seems that it has been tied to her back, with zip tie. She winced as the sharp zip tie edges grazed to her skin. "Ugh."

'Calm down, Raven.' She as she looked around. It's a dark room, and she could hear cringe sound as she tried to make out, it does sound like a chain swinging from the ceiling. With the moonlight as the only light source, she could deduced that she's in an abandon warehouse. She could hear water drop sound further away.

She realise her blazer where missing as she felt cold creeping on her skin. Oh no. Her cellphone is in one of the pocket. She cursed for her bad luck. As she tried to move both of her hands, the zip tie cuts her wrist, she whinced. Then she felt it, the cold round circled her wrist, a bracelet gave by Damian.

She tried to find the charm that attached to it, she felt something like a shape, is that a bird? No. It has sharp curvy edge for the wings. Bats?

With her other hands struggling to pull it, she heard footsteps coming from front. "Oh god." She never felt like this as she see the dark shadow twisting swishing like some kind of phantom ghost who about to conjuring in front of her. She is so terrified that she deliberated pulled the charm and snapped the crystal bracelet as the crystal bead fall down and scattered to different places. 

"Who-who are you?" She swallow her saliva as she demand an answer.

She could hear someone scoffed, it sounds like a male, deep but menacing. " You are a handful, don't you know that?"

She gasped and couldn't breath. She feel his aura suffocated her. Her presence. Those aura that could literal suck the life out of you. 

"You're not Walter are you?"  Raven remember a maniac who tried to stalk her, giving her hard time that made her do the fake relationship with Damian.

"Oh, that creep guy? I'm way too smart for that cheap tactics." He smiled showing his pure white teeth. If anyone seen him on the street they didn't expected he's a bad guy. He has a calm face that could melt someone, blue eyes that could hypnotise you. 

"Who the hell are you?"

" Do you remember Caroline?"

Everything come down to her at ones. Caroline, dead body, flowers, the apartment left open, someone following her. A flower she received everyday after her roommate's funeral. She grind her teeth as her breath become rough.

"Eric Forrester."

" Oh, you got that right, sweet heart." He smiled.

" Why...why me?"

"I saw you."

"What?" Raven shivered as she heard him.

"I saw you having vision, and that sensation of astral projection." He smirked.

"I saw it all and I was thinking, if I take your soul, I might have longer time to preserve myself as human perhaps eternity. " As his smile grew wider. " No more harvesting."

"What do you mean astral projection?! I'd never..." then she suddenly remember it. It was the time where she's having a breakdown at the bus stop. 

**** flash back ****

After Damian call her about the case they solved as usual, she sit, waiting for the bus to arrive, then she saw a man wearing white shirt with dark pants sit at the end of the bench. She glanced at him then to her phone as she waited for the bus to arrive. Then came a group of guys, walking more like swagging towards the station. 

Tried not to stand out that could caught attention she pull her hood down, still, that couple of 'gentlemen' seems notice her.

"Hey there pretty lady, can I escort you for the night?" Said the sunglasses guy. 

" Uh, no thanks." She clutches her phone closes to her chest.

'Oh, come on , babe. You're lonely, at least we could keep you as a company." The other guy tried to grab her arm.

" Let go." She mumbled.

"Look at her, she's scared." The cap guy point out at her reaction. 

"Hey, hey, play nice gentlemen. We won't let .." before the sunglasses guy finished her words, Raven suddenly burst out.

" Let Go!!" As if she were let go of something big. The real her from her small shell and it was pushing them off from her.

The guys were looking her, petrified and she breathes, taking air into her lungs. She then realise something wrong was happened, she quickly walked out from the scene. Forget the bus, she walked back home.

******* end flash back******

"You're the guy who..."

"That's me." He noded. "I do run some background check as I hack the system and it seems, my job is much easier." He chuckled as he combed his hair with his fingers.

"What do you mean?" Raven, narrow her eyes at him.

"No one will find you. No one will miss you." His voice going darker.

"No!" Raven felt aching on her chest as she about to burst her tears. Yes, she has no one. But how about her fake boyfriend? She doesn't think he would find her but he did say, don't let herself become his case investigation. Currently, She's in the hands of a psychopath who simply stole the soul of innocent woman just to fuel his life and yet, she does certain about a this bad ending.

"He will find me...." Raven whispers.

"He?" Eric tilted to the left. " Darling, no one will know where is this warehouse located. It's outside the city and has no service line." He chuckled. "I don't think he will find you."

Raven again felt shivers as Eric blue eyes has turn into zicronish colour, it's beautiful but the colour resemble of a predator preying their hunt at night. 

"I felt sorry for them."

"Sorry?"

"You trick them. You trick them into giving their soul just to fuel your existence!!" Raven screamed as she felt sympathise with the victim who had to experience this. Helpless, unaware and terror.

"Oh, don't worry. You will see them after this." He laughed. 

"You want my soul? Over my DEAD BODY." Her voice become coarse. Her indigo eyes turn into bloody red and shine. She scream and let out the shadow sipping from her mouth, her nose and her eyes. That shadows swirl in the warehouse like crazy and as if it were Raven's extended limbs, it grabs anything. Chains, shards of glasses, broken table and they hovering above her.

"Holy shit. This is bonus." He laughed. Eric never knew Raven's soul would be so much powerful, perhaps if he consume it, he probably has her power. Very mysterious.

Raven narrowed her eyes as the shadow throw things towards him. Eric without any difficulties, avoid them. He enjoy it, the thrill, this push and pull situation made him excited and It's been a while he never felt like this. He does encounter with one of the vigilant detective at the city he was using as base before. The same situation and indeed he could escape from them.

"All these time , I thought you only have visions and astral projection. Now this? You're are full of surprises for a quiet girl!!" He shouted maniacally as he blocked some of broken table with his hands  and throw aside.

Raven's shadow grab the chain and throw at him like a whip but instead he catches, he pulled and wrap around her. As the other shadow throw some plywood towards him, he simply catch it and smashed to her head.

Raven whimpered as well as her shadow dispersed.

"That is a good fight, Raven." Eric wiped his sweat on his face with his sleeves and slowly approach her. He could help but smiled as he approach his most precious prize. A soul with powers.

Raven felt light head after the blow she received from him. 

His hand how touching her cheeks as he lift her head to face him. His eyes are still in yellow colour as he stared at her. "Now it is my turn and it's been my pleasure to enjoy this." He caress her cheek then her soft lips. Raven still dizzy , spit on his face as she irked with his words. That doesn't affect Eric at all as wipe it with his hand. 

"Your soul shall be mine." Eric leaned towards her as he about to stole her kiss. 

SHAANNKK

Eric felt a sharp pain on his back. As he look behind, he's been shot away by a heavy blow and landed at the wall of the warehouse creating rumble noises. "What the fuck..."

"I kiss her first."

Raven closed her eyes calm her mind then she felt someone touching her cheek. She was about to bite that person's hand but as she open her eyes, it was him. Damian, wearing green specs, leather jackets and hard armour on his torso with R initial in the middle. 

"Wh-wha..." Raven tried to asked him but he immediately put his finger on her mouth. 

"I got this." He whispered then he caress her cheek.

Eric got himself up from the sunken wall. He dust off his shoulders then crack his neck. " Seems like this would be another set back."

"The only thing you could kiss is YOUR ASS." Damian pull out his expanded pole from his pocket, as he twisted another knob, it thin itself into a long blade. " I hope you prepare yourself."

" You and what army?" Eric brows slightly raised.

The window start to shattered as if something went through it, then, all of them stood facing Eric. Raven eyes went agape as she saw a group of leather jackets surrounding Eric. Some of them has blue wings, some has yellow, purple, there's one stand out using the red skull design.

"This army." Damian held his blade towards Eric. The swordman quickly charges towards the perp followed by the one with red skull and the one with blue wings.

"Are you okay?" Raven jolted as she felt her arm being touch by someone. There she saw the two people with purple and yellow design jacket surrounding her. Then, she heard a snapped and there's is no tension holding both of her wrist. The yellow jacket then snapped  the zip tie that tied her ankle at both of chair's leg. " You're free." 

"Follow us." Raven recognise the voice. 

"You..." 

"Stop thinking and start running!" The girl with purple jacket grab her and run towards the exit. As soon as they were outside, Raven saw two people. One with medical aid the other's are on laptop with several cpu at his sides.

"This is..." 

"Damian almost cried when he couldn't find you."

"And I thought he's computer genius."

"Well, He still haven't suppress my ability," say's the guy on the laptop.

"Ti-timbo?" Raven tried to recognise him. 

"It's Tim by the way." Tim smiled.

"Say, Babs. How is she?" The purple jacket put the worn out girl on the stretcher.

As Raven now relaxed, Babs look at her limbs, her head and her face. "I know this sounds may crazy but her wound is healing?"

"What do you mean she's...oh." Steph then look at Raven who is now, unscathed. Tim who is on his laptop now, stared at her as he typing his keyboard like a pianist.

" Raven...are you okay?" Steph hold her hand. 

Raven who is now calmer as she open her eyes. "I am." She smiled.

Then, something happen in the warehouse, a bunch of shot were heard in there. Raven jolted and about to get up. 

"Where are you going, young lady?" Babs hold her arms. 

"Damian! Damian is in there!  He could be in danger!" She begin to frantic as she has no idea what happen in there. 

" They got it under control, Raven." Says Cass who pulled down her mask.

" I can hear the girls voice from Eric. Maybe if I could call them, it might  slow him down." Her hand on her head as she sense the voice of the girl's soul echoing from the warehouse. "I'm going in."

"What?! Are you crazy?!" Steph snapped. " What voice? The victim's?"

"It's the only way."

Cass , Steph and Babs look at themselves then at her.

"Red Robin!" A voice heard from the intercom. " This guy doesn't give a break." 

"Nightwing! How vulnerable is he?"

" As far I could say, Red tried to shot him down but that bullet doesn't seems to get through!"

"How about Robin?"

"Same result."

"Great!" Tim whines as he type faster on the board trying to find some database about this perp.

"Steph, please. It is the only way." Raven put her hands on Steph's shoulder. Steph sighed then she looks at Babs then Cass. "Then it's time for the ladies to KICK his butt." They nodded then dashed towards the warehouse.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

"Is that all you got?!" Eric taunt at them. Damian now huffed as he on his ready stand holding his sword with both of his hands. Jason still aim the guns at Eric as well as Dick held his impulse Bat towards the psychopath.

"Stick and stone don't break my..." a few batarang flew towards him then caused explosion which made Eric blown towards the wall.

"But this little Bat do." said Babs as she hold the a few of them between her finger. Cass pull out her dagger and at her ready stance. 

"Guys! Try to hold Eric down! We have a plan!" Said Steph as she pull out her expandable pole. Eric got up from the the collapse wall then he felt something tied him down. He realise , the wire come from black hoodie with red shirt from the other side. 

"You think this wire could stop m...AAAAAAAA!!" Eric scream as the wire jolted him with electric. " I'm not gonna be the one who left behind," says the Red Robin.

"Well, that solved it." As Dick put his impulse baton to his back and quickly hold Eric to the ground.

"Are you still there?"

Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin looked at Raven come in from outside.

"Raven! Don't come ne.." Damian about to protest but Raven held her hand to him. "I know what I'm doing."

"I call the soul of the fallen, are you there?" Raven repeat the question. Then they heard a faint shriek, something buzz like white noises.

"This gives me goosebump." Dick felt the chill.

"I , Raven will set you free from this nightmare. Let me guide you." Raven held her breathes as she  tried to listen to the soul. There were few dozen of them screaming for help. Raven's indigo eyes change colour to bloody red and shine against the dark. She held her hand towards Eric then the shadow start to flow out from her mouth, nose and her eyes.

"Oh my god!" Step and the girls were shocked. Damian just stare at her as she let go her shadow in eerie way. 

"You stole their soul and now, you shall pay the price." Raven grind her teeth as she held out her hand let the shadow surround the fallen Eric. Eric were screaming as the Shadow going through her mouth and nostril.

Dick quickly move away from that place as he sees the guy are struggling on the floor then, the shadow emerge with some white shiny orbs from Eric and made him still as his he has no power left. 

Raven then disperse her shadow, the white orbs are floating and fly out to the sky. The Bat and Co were stunned with such of event. The blue hair girl about to collapse after she's using her new discover power and Damian quickly caught her in his arm.

"Well, this is it. We caught Eric." Says Tim as he release Eric from the wire. "Now he looks like a broken record." 

" Yeah." Jason looked at the perp who cant stop muttering about the soul was taken.

"Let us go back to the manor. Alfred and Duke probably worried about us." Said Dick as he tied Eric with ropes. 

"How about Raven?" Damian looked at her, unconscious. 

"Well, we'll bring her along. I bet Alfred will love her." says Steph as she clasped her hands.

#damirae #damirae week 2019 #damirae week #damian wayne #rachel roth #raven #robrae #robin #nightwing #red hood #Red Robin #spoilers #orphan #batgirl #batfam #bat and co #fanfiction #Fanart #procreate #artist on tumblr #artist on twitter #artist on instagram #digital art #eric forrester #teen titans

[kyrie-silverwings]

Night 1. The Sharlayan

the first chapter of Morag’s story. I’ve been meaning to write this up forever, so here ye go, something for the big banshee lady!

“--Goodness me. Are you alright?”

She was barely aware of the voice before she stumbled on a loose cobblestone. She was overwhelmed by too many sensations at the same time; the bright moonlight on her face caused her to squint and blink through watering eyes. I fell? Her hands scratched against stone, but the feeling was dull against her numb skin. 

“Here, here. Hold still, lass.” A warm hand touched against her shoulder, pulling a shudder in response. Blurry vision revealed the shape of a Hyur standing over her. She swatted at him to no avail, and he gently took her shaking hand into his own. The warmth coming from the woolen-clad fingers was stinging. Confusion won over and she huddled over, curling into herself as a frightened child. There were too many thoughts racing at once, too many questions. Her eyes clenched shut and a soft whimper escaped from her.

The gloved hands held onto her and softly patted. The fabric was like pinpricks to her and she wanted terribly to push away the stranger. She nearly jumped when a heavy coat was draped over her. “There... That should help... Can you hear me?” The question seemed to focus her attention, and she meekly nodded.

She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. The visage slowly sharpened and she began to notice the details of the gentle stranger. He had covered her with a heavy fabric coat, the fine red color washed out into a blackish grey in the moonlight. Pale light bounced off glass pince nez perched on a small, beakish nose and caught in wispy, greyed hair that was tied back into a loose braid. Lines creased his face and she noticed that he was smaller than she, perhaps only a few ilms taller than five fulms. 

Her fear began to abate, replaced now by mute curiosity. She was hardly surprised to realize she was completely naked, but fit the coat over her torso as much as she could. She tucked her long legs beneath her as she sat up and watched quietly as the man pulled out a small notebook and wrote something inside it. He seemed preoccupied and without any questions to ask yet, she took in her surroundings.

She was somewhere unfamiliar. The garden of a once-beautiful mansion, now long abandoned and overgrown, sprawled out before them. They were gathered by a twisting hedge, with an uneven cobblestone path under their feet. From the corner of her eyes, the woman could see a few creatures flitting in the distance but couldn’t make out what they were. Her lips pursed.

“Where is this?” She asked the scholar bluntly, still gazing across the lawn. The man looked up from his journal and adjusted his glasses.

“Haukke Manor, of the Black Shroud. You don’t recognize it?”

She shook her head. “Mmm, no. I don’t even know what that means.” 

He stopped writing. “I see. You are not Gridanian then. Did you come from another city state?” The pen lifted and waited on her reply. He watched the unusual woman closely. As she gave thought to her answers, he could only bring forward more questions. 

There was a frustrated sound from her. “I do not remember. Probably...” City states...? Shouldn’t I know what that is? She gathered the coat closer, shrinking into the fabric. Her mind felt so empty, as if everything she knew about herself was nonexistent. She realized she didn’t even know the color of her eyes or, on that matter, her own name. What was it? What was it...

While she curled into his coat, the man finished another length of writing and set his journal on the edge of a cracked fountain to let the ink dry. He was excited to continue writing, but learning about his new subject was turning out to be even more intriguing. Clearly, this woman was no ordinary person. Perhaps even a voidsent, judging by her unusual aether and her unnatural appearance. She dwarfed him, standing almost seven fulms tall by his reckoning and her eyes were like a serpent’s. He half expected her to attack him when he approached her and certainly didn’t anticipate the current turn of events. The amnesia was an unexpected trait, but he could make that work in his favor. 

He noticed her huddling closer to the ground and knelt just out of arm’s reach from her. If this was a ruse, she was an exceedingly convincing actress. Better to keep himself safe... But what do do about this one? He couldn’t simply take her into Gridania and hide her away in the Roost, she was inconspicuous and the Wailers about the town would certainly notice her. He would have to keep her in his care and go somewhere beyond the watch of the Wailers and Adders. A moment later, and he decided. 

To Dravania, then. Ishgard’s too dangerous to stay, but traveling through should be fine enough. 

“Well, it just so happens I know a place where you can stay. If you like.” The woman peered over to him, her eyebrows furrowed. He continued, hoping she would be convinced. “It’s a Sharlayan colony, though it’s independent now, I believe, and you should-- would be safe there.” He conjured his most charming smile, something he hadn’t done since he was a young college student. It appeared to work and the pale creature tilted her head.

“Safe? What do you mean? Am I not safe here?” 

“Yes, well... We just so happen to be in a place where voidsent are very active. If I take you to Gridania and somebody asks where you came from...” He made a weighing gesture with his hands. “Gridanians dislike foreigners and are quick to judge, trust me, it’s a right pain to deal with them sometimes.” He continued rambling about his various interactions with the townsfolk but stopped as the woman stood up, clutching his coat around her slender body. He blinked, wondering if she was convinced.

She stared into him for a long moment. Sweat began to bead on the back of his neck as he stared into those inhuman eyes and he briefly questioned his own sanity for asking a voidsent to travel with him.

“What is your name?” she asked quietly, her expression unchanged. 

He exhaled sharply; he didn’t notice he was holding his breath while he waited on her reply. “Weston.” He cleared his throat. “Weston Thorgold, scholar of Sharlayan and uh, researcher of Mhach.” He felt self-conscious about that last bit, but remembered the woman probably had no idea what that meant. “And what about you, lass?”

She took her eyes off him for a moment and thought to herself. She had her suspicions and her instincts about this man, but seriously considered his offer. It was genuine and he gave her his true name, so his intentions were at least academic in nature. She would deal with him later.

“I don’t have a name. Don’t remember it, in any case.” she replied bluntly. “Call me whatever you’d like, Weston Thorgold, scholar of Sharlayan.” Weston rubbed the back of his neck, smiling wryly.

“Just Weston will do, lass. Then... how about...” Looking at her, he was reminded of an old fairytale from his childhood, the one that cautioned travelling men about meeting strange, beautiful women in the forests at night. “Morag. It’s not a common name, but do you like it?”

She nodded, her lips curling into a smile. “I do like it. Is it far, this place you want to show me?” Morag stepped closer to the scholar and while he was distracted by her, she picked up his notebook and hid it inside her coat. 

Weston could hardly believe his luck. He never noticed his missing journal, completely forgetting about it in his excitement. “Oh excellent! Idyllshire is perhaps a few days from here, barring bad weather and the occasional Dravanian along the way. We will have to find you a change of clothing, of course. The weather is hopefully going to be pleasant, but even so...” He paused in his rambling, looking up to Morag. Weston reached into a belt pouch and handed over an eyeglasses case to her.

“Before I forget, you might want to wear these while we cross through Ishgard. It’ll keep the glare out of your eyes...” She slid the concealed notebook into one of the inside pockets and pulled a pair of opaque, maroon-tinted lenses from the case. Morag carefully placed the glasses on her nose and adjusted the frame until it was comfortable. She narrowed her eyes, adjusting to the faint purple wash over her vision. 

Weston was ready to quit the gardens of Haukke. The sun was going to rise soon and he wished to cross the border before the Wailers began their rounds in the morning. “Ready to set off, Morag?” he asked softly. “We can stop just before Ishgard, but it would be best to make it across before the afternoon.”

“Of course. I’ll be right beside you. Lead the way, Weston.”

#ffxiv rp #ffxiv writing #morag #morag silverwings #weston thorgold