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#i'll finish that other thing I keep mentioning eventually I swear I've only got 3 characters left to do on it
rose-ramblings · 8 months
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you'll never guess what I've been playing lately
#goldic's drawings#vegito#dragon ball dokkan battle#good news everyone! I found a shading brush that I'm happy with!#i'll finish that other thing I keep mentioning eventually I swear I've only got 3 characters left to do on it#but uhhhhh y e a h I've been playing Dokkan for like a week and a half now (blame the content creators for making it look really fun)#I understand absolutely nothing other than 'it's a big number go brr type of game'#but it also gets me to use some strategy in my team building and fighting which I am very much enjoying so far#i didn't get Mr. Yosha himself or melty Zamasu (much to my personal sadness) but I did get a copy of Power-Awakening Piccolo#and enough of that PHY Zamasu with the tea set to rainbow him (and waaaay too many of a certain SR SSJ Goku that can awaken into SSG)#and a copy of that new Mai I guess (I'm not entirely sure how to use her properly in battle yet but I'll figure it out)#I've been calling that PHY Zamasu I mentioned 'Tea Time Zamasu' btw (mostly cuz of the tea set in his art)#oh yeah speaking of Tea Time Zamasu that man's been carrying my team in terms of eating hits like a champ so#definitely gonna be using him a lot; especially since *gestures to blog theme* he's one of my favorite villains in dragon ball#I haven't Dokkan Awakened the Piccolo at all yet (he's just a max level UR rn) but he's been pretty damn useful in taking hits himself#first unit I made an LR (besides the free one) was a Zamasu that turned into an LR Goku Black (F2P STR I think; he's my support unit rn)#I've also already collected all of Bardock's F2P crew and mostly maxed them out because I'm totally normal about it hehe#bardock's crew best crew I don't make the rules#goldic rambles#this is transparent because I couldn't figure out a decent background to give it
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peakyblindersxx · 3 years
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whiskey business - john shelby x reader (part 8 of ?)
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gif by @thesoldiersminute can i send you a cake or something cause fuCk!!!!!!!!!!! he's beautiful
a/n: to everyone still reading this fic, my sweet angels, ily!! this fic is so near and dear to my heart and @stxdyblr-2k has just done such an amazing job with it i can't even thank her enough. as per the last part, this one is also mostly her, just me editing but i hope you guys love it as much as i did!!! don't worry, there's gonna be a lot more :) and i apologize for being not as active, i'm gonna try to get a couple of requests up that i'm really excited about this week tysm for being patient with me <3
love, abi xxx
read part one two three four five six seven | my masterlist
prompt: ada has some talking to do, and you're not about to deny her.
warnings: fluff, semi-angst, tommy being the cocky mf he is (let's be real, it's only acceptable cause he's so damn fine), john being cute and in love and jesus i am head over heels
tagging: @datewithgianni, @mayaslifeinabox, @deepdonutkid, @springsoulofengland, @lilymurphy03, @operation-spot
You had planned to go to Ada's after work, but she obviously had other ideas. She didn't even bother walking in and asking to speak to you; instead, choosing to bang on the window closest to your desk and yelling at you to "fucking hurry up!" Your boss opened the door for you expectantly, not offering you any protection; he was firmly in the Shelby's ever growing pocket and as long as he could go home to his children, his sickly wife and their six bed in the country, with a full time nurse and nanny, he had no interest in crossing Thomas.
"Ada, I was coming to see you after work, I swear."
"I know. I was going to let you but..." She trailed off. "We need to talk. I don't know what the fuck is going on with you. John said he'd seen you last night and you asked after me."
John had indeed seen you last night. It was strange waking up with him, used to leaving almost immediately after he was finished with you. Your small bed could barely comfortably fit you both, having to intertwine your limbs with John's to not fall off the edge. You had awoken to John pressing a kiss to your forehead before lazily trailing his fingers between your legs, waiting for you to open your eyes before settling between your thighs, tongue swirling around your clit, making you cum before sunrise.
"Do we have to do this in the street?" You practically begged, the shouting having attracted onlookers.
"I wanted to talk to you before anyone else in the family gets to you because I need you to be honest."
"Ada-"
"No, I'm doing you a favour here, so you fucking listen. Right now, between you and I, no bullshit. No tactics. No white lies. You have to tell me exactly what we're dealing with." She looked frantic, scared for some reason.
You nodded, walking her down the side street, careful not to link arms with her. You knew she was doing you a favour; this wasn't about forgiveness or friendship, much more was at stake here.
"To what extent was Thomas involved?"
That took you off guard. Ada read the confusion on your face and sighed impatiently, her subtle plea for you to keep up.
Shit. You remembered your conversation with John, how she thought this was her brother's way of pushing her out of the company.
"Don't spare my feelings. What did my brother say to you?"
"He said it was in our mutual interest that you didn't find out. He didn't care who John slept with but cared who you trusted so I had to trust him. He said there was no point in upsetting you over one of John's conquests who he'd tire of in a month."
"That all?"
"Pretty much, I didn't know Arthur knew. He never talked to me about it, did laugh at Thomas' digs now that I think on it-"
"Did you know Isaiah and Michael knew?"
"I thought they were aware but no one ever talked to me about it."
"Of course they wouldn't." She hissed, frustration causing a nerve on her neck to jump.
Ada and you had spoken for years about the rampant misogyny of her brothers and any men you two came into contact with. Although you were both far more reserved than you used to be as rebellious and adventurous thirteen year olds, you'd both grew increasingly angry at how you were treated. She'd long written off her brothers as womanisers, who saw women as purely sexual and entertaining, objectifying them. You both long despised how they dehumanised women. She was amazed that Thomas had attempted to settle down and managed a somewhat loving marriage, but resented him for his carelessness and need for power which inevitably killed his wife.
"Ada, I just want to say..." You licked your lip nervously, unsure of how to continue.
"You need to talk, Y/N. No bollocks."
"Before last night, he'd never been to mine or called. I always went to him."
The muscle in her jaw tensed.
"You slept with him last night then?" You met her question with silence and she rolled her eyes. "The second he said he saw you I knew you had, he wanted to tell me that he was going to continue seeing you and that he hoped I'd be able to accept it one day."
"We never intended to hurt you. It was meant to be fun at first, but now..." You cut yourself off with a sigh, unable to admit you'd fallen for her brother.
"Isn't fun for me. It's fucking embarrassing." She paused, lighting a cigarette, nervous to offer you one, conflicted within herself. She raised her eyebrow, prompting you to continue, the mannerism so similar to her brother’s.
"It should never have happened. I am never going to be able to fix this, I'm so fucking ashamed for doing this to you, Ada."
She sulked, silently drinking in your words.
"Obviously it's not going to be the same, yeah? I'm really fucking upset. I'm so fucked off with you but Poll's really worried about a coup. She thinks you're being used as blackmail against John to keep him on side with Tommy while he expands."
"Makes sense."
"You're part of a much bigger game, you know?"
You nodded. "Yeah, and I knew I would lose from the start. Fucking tragic, Ada."
"My brothers keep pushing, keep growing the business. They keep chasing this prize but I don't think it even exists."
"If it does, it isn't worth it if this shit is the cost. I didn't mean to play into his hands."
"You couldn't have known." She said with a shrug, " 'Siah thinks John loves you."
"He told me last night." Several times, this morning also. You would never tire of hearing him moan those words into your neck or being yelled from your front door as he left for the office.
"You love him, don't you?" She said bluntly, a statement more than a question, your face suddenly hot with embarrassment.
Everything you'd suppressed for months, everything that you'd hidden, every time you lied smiling, every knowing glance from a stranger, every degrading comment from under Thomas' breath.
"I do, an awful lot."
She pauses, relighting her cigarette, "The worst thing about the entire situation is it could've been fine if someone told me. I wouldn't have loved it, obviously, but-" Ada sighed, rubbing her temple with her free fingers.
"I thought you'd hate me."
"How could I? I'd be more angry that you'd drop your standards for my brother. Seriously? Him? Mate…."
"Come off it, I've always thought he was charming. He's funny, smart-"
"Don't gush over my brother, it's grim. I'm just so fucked off you all lied to me." She peered at you through her cigarette smoke. "If you love him and he loves you..." she pressed her lips together as she tensed her jaw, "I could get over it. If it'd make you both happy. But that's going to take a long time. A long time."
"Ada-"
"Look I have meetings and shit to sort, I have to run." She interjected, checking her wristwatch, adjusting the cap which sat atop her trendy short haircut. You caught her arm before she could turn away.
"Thank you. For understanding."
She shrugged you off, "I don't get it, I'd never do that to you. But you also don't get to choose who you're attracted to. I'm really hurt, but I do love you and John a lot. He mentioned that after last night you helped him, got him cleaned up. I have to believe that you both do love each other. So I have to believe that this is a good idea for you both and not stand in your way."
"I love you, Ada. Can we hang out soon, just us two?"
She shook her head. "I need some time, I'll be in touch, yeah?"
You nod, stretching out your pinky finger. She sighed and linked it with hers, as you'd done since you were children, a silent signal to each other after a fight that you still had the other's back.
"Right, I've got to get back to this meeting, Tom is getting done by Polly for nearly getting John killed. I need to be there in case one of the lads needs patching up."
"Your aunt has a nasty left hook, I'll give her that."
"She'll be pleased you think so, she wanted Tommy to slice you to bits for crossing me."
"Fuck’s sake, thanks for the warning, I'll keep my head down. Good luck with the meeting."
Ada nodded and you watched her walk away, a Blinder suddenly appearing by her side seemingly from nowhere. This city was crawling with them. They clambered into Ada's car as you watched the car disappear into the distance before walking back to work. Thankfully, with your head still attached to your shoulders.
*******
Ada arrived at Thomas' estate, following the swell of shouting voices to his exquisite library. It was eye roll worthy and typical Tommy to choose the location of his post-fuckup debrief to be where he had the best view of the gardens, river and rolling hills. She could bet he'd sit in a corner and stare at the view, zoning out their aunt's lecture.
An armed blinder she vaguely recognised opened the door. Thomas was making a statement today with the armed guards, she noted. Her brothers really were fucked up. Arthur was an alcoholic killer who couldn't understand that Thomas would betray them all eventually, Finn was letting the tokyo and the razor chasers that circled him distract him from keeping the family together, John was apparently in love with her best friend, and finally, Thomas nearly got Arthur and John murdered last night with his foolishness. At this point only herself and Polly were holding everyone together, keeping everything silently moving along.
The door opened, and she was the last to arrive, Polly glaring as she murmured an apology, standing next to Finn. His eyes were bloodshot, grey-purple smudges under his eyes, he'd obviously had a heavy night. The last thing the poor lad needed was Polly's shrill yelling and the blinding sun streaming through the large immaculately crafted windows, which he'd tried to block with the brim of his cap. John caught her eye, acknowledging his sister with a nod, which she returned with a small tight smile.
Ada couldn't bear to think about the reasoning behind her brother's smug interjections in between Polly's rant to Thomas who was listening wordlessly, smoking.
Y/N and John? It didn't make sense. They had a similar sense of humour, sure, but she was far too intelligent for him. He also had a swarm of children, while Y/N preferred a wild night out only staggering home at daybreak.
It made far more sense for Y/N to end up with Michael, or if it had to be a brother, Finn. They were younger, so had less responsibilities and commitments so they could keep up with her. But John? Of course she knew he was believed to be the Casanova of her brothers, he was kind, he was an excellent father, yet he could never keep anyone around long, usually John was chasing someone new after a month or so. That's why the revelation that John had been involved with her best friend for almost half a year had taken her completely by surprise. Maybe that was why she was open to them being together. That had to be it. This relationship was completely out of character for John; she needed to believe that he was serious about his feelings towards Y/N and wasn't going to fuck her over. Because if he did, John would be a dead man.
"I don't know why you're all bleating at me. Yeah, I overlooked some details in the planning of last night's meeting-"
"Such as warning us that they were really fucked off because you'd helped bomb their warehouse." John pointed out.
"What do you want me to do? Apologise? Grow up, John." Tommy snapped back.
"They had loaded guns against their heads, they deserve an apology." Ada interjected, John giving her an appreciative flash of smile. She did love her big brother. Despite the fact that she'd pretty much only been yelling at him for the past month, John never dismissed her feelings and only apologised. It was confusing to admit to herself, but when Isaiah told her that he was confident John loved Y/N, she felt a wave of relief. At least he cared about her; it was the bare minimum but the Shelbys were notorious for not even meeting the bare minimum for acceptable social interactions.
"They didn't fuckin’ get shot." Thomas stated, his voice matter of fact and condescending.
"Do you ever hear yourself speak?" Polly spit back at him. "They didn't get shot this time. But it was too fucking close."
"It won't happen again, Polly." Tommy sighed. "What else can I say? Sorry lads, take the weekend off?"
"It's a good start." Arthur countered, "You're also paying for the extension on my house and my wedding."
"Fuck’s sake Arthur I was joking. But fine. Sure."
"You can't buy your family off." Polly scoffed at him.
"Think of it as compensation, a settlement." Thomas coolly corrected his aunt. "What do you want, John? A fucking farm?"
John hesitates while Finn whispered suggestions to him, Ada meeting his stare, John raising a brow to her in question. She sighed and nodded her approval.
"You can pay off my mortgage Tom, give me the kids' birthdays off-"
"So you'd never come into work then?" Finn cut in, Ada elbowing him in the ribs. She usually enjoyed Finn's remarks but she knew where John was heading; she could barely breathe.
"Tom, you're also to leave Y/N completely alone. If you have a problem with her, you come to me about it." He said firmly.
Arthur and Tommy traded knowing looks, obviously more aware of the ins and outs of his relationship than Ada was.
"Also if you're paying for Arthur's wedding I want the equivalent in cash." He adds.
Tommy shrugged. "Whatever. As long as we can move past last night and focus on today's order of business."
John nodded, satisfied. He knew Tom wouldn't care, but just saying out loud that he was involved with Y/N and having his family aware was a relief. He hadn't realised until he finally admitted how stressful keeping his relationship a secret was. Now, he could stop worrying about Tommy interfering.
Polly rolled her eyes, lecturing the brothers on their lack of moral backbone to allow themselves to be bought off, but dismissed them. She caught Ada's arm in hers on their way out, pulling her far from earshot.
"So Y/N and John are together now?" She asked, her face firm and scowling.
"Polls, I talked with her, she's aware of what she's done. She apologised and meant it. What more can I ask for?"
"Her not to have fucked him in the first place."
"She said that. Look, Polls, they're happy right? John seems happy-"
"He always is when he gets a leg over."
"You know she looked after him last night? Fixed him up after the meeting."
"Meeting? It was a fucking set up." Polly hissed but her face had softened. "She cleaned him up?"
"Antiseptic, bandages and all."
Polly looked subtly impressed, although she'd never admit it. "He went to hers? Not yours?"
"He wanted to talk to her." Ada shrugs, "I saw her this morning and-"
"What do you mean? You bumped into her?"
"I went to her work." Ada admitted, her aunt shooting her an exasperated glare.
"Why do I bother? Nobody listens to me."
"I had to talk to her, I'm glad I did. She reckons she loves him, he told her last night that he loves her, so..."
"We are talking about John? Our John?"
"I know Polls, I'm as amazed as you."
Her aunt huffed, unimpressed. "Are you okay with it though?"
"I guess, I just want them to be happy. I've told them to give me time with it."
"She was a good friend growing up, but people change, sometimes for the better, often for the worse."
"Poll, it's Y/N; she's my best friend. At the end of the day, we'd do anything for each other."
"Sweet Ada, you're going to be so miserable if you keep letting people walk all over you." Polly said wisely, kissing her goodbye affectionately. "I hope you're right. If she makes you cry again I'll kill her myself."
"Thanks, Polls."
She knew her aunt wasn't joking.
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azurevi · 4 years
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on land where we can touch the moon (2/?)
PART 1 PART 3
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A quick note- this is pretty messy. I'm planning as I write, so there'll be information scattered across the words, and it may be overwhelming...kinda. I have added a little note about what happened in this chapter in the end. This series is also up on ao3.
There is, naturally, a reason Azul was stuck with the name 'The Sea Merchant'.
It wasn't a bad name, and there was no hint of degradation in it. It just wasn't particularly suiting. Azul wasn't a merchant. He wasn't even a shopkeeper. He was just invested in a little magic, and this hobby of his got leaked out somehow. 
His magic was certainly something. It's A Deal allowed him to confiscate another person's valued quality in exchange for their wish. Anything could come to life as long as the deal was equal.
Only the drunk and people in desperate need of help ever went to him for help. After Azul had started mastering his magic, he reckoned that it hadn't been used to its full potential. If the person on the other side of the deal failed to meet the requirement, Azul could take even more from them without suffering any loss. 
And so he sugarcoated and exaggerated his words, put up the most professional smile he could manage. For a few weeks all was well. He'd gained himself a melodious voice, splendid flexibility and a ton of unique magics, but nothing great ever lasted. He was soon exposed as a scammer and his notoriety was whispered among the streets, passed on and on until every family warned their kids not to ever run into him. And Azul, with his fame and prosperity wilting under the gossip and points of fingers, was forced into giving up his success.
He had been in hiding ever since.
He could never understand how something as atrocious could happen to him. If it hadn't been for the sneers and isolation in the entirety of his childhood, he wouldn't have grown up hating everything and everyone around him that called him ugly, unwanted, repulsive. It should've justified his desire for revenge.
Instead, God decided that his suffering was not anywhere close to enough and kicked him down the cliff where he was crying for help.
That being said, Azul was grateful to have Jade and Leech sticking around after everything. The two of them were also unpopular among others, so they eventually got close as a tight-knitted trio.
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"No you didn't," Jade said firmly. 
"I did, Jade. I did," Azul sighed, "They were dying, Jade, I couldn't just let them die,"
"Well, you should've."
"Don't be so uptight. Azul was doing the right thing, wasn't he?" Floyd winked. "So. Were they good-looking?"
"What?"
"The human. You must've saved them for a reason,"
Azul hated how Floyd's words implied that he would never do good unless there was something in it for him, but one could never lie in the face of truth. 
"I just didn't want to let them die. It was their birthday,"
"What does that have to do with everything?" Jade asked. "You went above the water. You saved a human. You were almost caught. You could've died up there, you know. How did you even manage to breathe?"
"I just… did." Azul said, twirling his tentacles in nervousness. Jade was entirely disapproving of his actions, while Floyd on the contrary seemed to be mildly intrigued. 
Everything still felt like a fever dream. All the fireworks and cheering and explosion were still vividly scorched into his mind as if they'd been put on repeat. The splendid colors, light giggles and- 
And those beautiful eyes of yours. The way your hair flowed in the night sky with ease, how you laughed like tomorrow was promised and your life had been planned out before you, a clear and untainted path to success. Azul couldn't decide on whether he was jealous or amazed.
"Well, you better hope they didn't really see you, or that they forgot about it. If the humans come down here to hunt us down-" Jade couldn't even bear to finish the imagination. He simply shook his head in dismay.
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"I swear I saw someone! I couldn't have just been washed ashore!"
"Apparently, you were," Jack said, stroding with large steps that had you panting to keep up. "Near-death experiences do things to our mind, your majesty,"
"That may be the case for others, but I'm sure I was conscious," you retorted. "I woke up to a pair of pale, azure eyes, then in a blink they were behind the rock. If it hadn't been for you-"
"I apologize for worrying about you, your majesty."
You bit your tongue. Fighting with Jack always ended with him being passive-aggressive and you stepping back reluctantly. Plus he was as stern as a rock. Almost nothing could move his belief.
Shouting and grunting could be heard from inside the medical room where Ace, Deuce and Grim were being tended to.
Jack flung open the door, and the three stumbled to get into the blankets and put on a excruciated expression.
"I see you're all healed up," Jack said. Ace hummed lowly and slapped his forehead with the back of his hand. 
"I'm at death's door, commander. It pains me to say this, but I might need to take more days off,"
Jack was quiet for a while, and you could almost see a drop of sweat sliding down Ace's forehead.
"And you, Deuce?" Jack challenged.
"I'm traumatized," 
"And Grim?"
You arched your brow, at which he shivered in fear. "I- I'm feeling fine already,"
"So it's just Ace and Deuce, right?" Jack said. Ace and Deuce nodded their heads so hard they could fall off.
"Alright. Your health is of utmost importance to us, so I'll contact the Raven Healer…"
"The what?!" Deuce's voice croaked.
"The Raven Healer. Surely you've heard of him. He's best known for being able to treat any diseases, both mentally and physically,"
You were sure there were sweats rolling down Ace's cheeks now. "But- but doesn't he heal by using bizzare mediciness…?"
"Oh yes. His magic is what makes him such an infallible doctor. You two seem to be in a lot of pain. I'm sure he'll free you of your suffering."
You turned sharply towards the door and stifled a laughter. 
"That's… not very necessary…" Deuce's voice faltered word by word. He was fully aware that he'd already lost. "You know what, commander? I think I can dive back into work right this instant!"
Jack smirked smugly. "Splendid. And you, Ace?"
The two of them stared at each other so intensely there seemed to be sparkles between them. Finally, Ace gave in. "I'll start work tomorrow,"
They didn't even wait for Jack to walk completely out of the door to whine. They looked fully healthy, even more energized than you.
"Anyways, did you find your saviour?"
You sighed. Ace and Deuce were still skeptical about your 'story', which you'd corrected to 'experience', but at least they were open-minded. 
"No clues. I've had guards patrolling about every two hours. Nothing has yet to happen,"
They eyed each other uneasily, then back at you with a worried face. Before they could make assumptions, you defended yourself. "No, I'm not sick. My head's not concussed,"
"Well," Grim scurried to your lap. "Perhaps your saviour doesn't wish to be found?"
That'd be unwanted. You would wish for anything but to create troubles for your lifesaver. Nonetheless, you knew you wouldn't be able to sleep without sending your gratitude. 
Alright, there might be a selfish motif. You were admittedly curious about those light, pensive eyes and silvery, gleaming hair under sunlight. All these unknown were like a gravity pool, pulling you deeper and deeper into the mystery.
"Well, you ought not to lose hope," Ace patted your shoulder casually, like you weren't the princette of the kingdom he was serving for. "Maybe you'll actually run into him. Fate has a weird habit for setting unexpected traps."
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It wasn't so much love as a tender curiosity, but the line segregating them was so flimsy that one's got to mix them up at some point.
Azul found himself in such a dilemma. He couldn't decide whether it was attraction or nosiness that he was feeling. Either way, it's got him hooked like a drug. Something beautiful had finally entered his life like light piercing through a thick fog of ink, and it was possessive. Azul had a feeling that it wouldn't go away until it had drained him of his mind.
The door to his room was thrown open and Azul had to hide the peeled petals and green stem in a jumble. He had been chanting 'they love me, they love me not' for the past hour. To his luck, Jade and Leech didn't seem to have noticed his haste expression. They were both panting when they swam inside.
"What's wrong?" Azul's first instinct was that something had gone south.
"There-" Floyd wheezed. "There's a sta-"
"There's a fallen statue in the Coral Maze," Jade finished the sentence. "People are fussing over it,"
"Okay," Azul eased back into his bed. He'd already lost interest at 'Coral Maze'. It was at the centre of where the majority of sea creatures inhabited. Nothing could make him go anywhere near civilization and its hubristic aesthetic again.
Or so he thought.
"No- you don't get it. It's a statue of a human that sank along with wreckages of a big ship, and it's made of gold,"
A statue made of gold.
He recalled it now. It was supposed to be your birthday present. The consternation of what followed the present revelation had been so intense that it'd washed the memory of the statue out.
"We just thought that it could be the statue you mentioned in your story, you know? It looked really grand…" Floyd sighed.
Azul wanted to get up and swim over right there, right then, but he knew he couldn't. What would others say to him the moment they saw the shadows of their tentacles crawling on their pure and oh-so royal ground? What accusations would they throw his way? How many children will be led away from him like he was some man-eating, brutal abomination?
Not to mention the unforgiving rage he'd evoked in trying to scam them in the past. Dishonesty was highly criticised in their high-class society. It was as if they were saints that had never done one thing wrong. Bet they'd never even stayed up past midnight.
"You ought to come take a look!" Floyd suggested. A casual, friendly proposal.
"No," Azul snapped. "No, no. I'm not going there,"
"They're planning to use the gold," Jade said. "You know how they are. They see one thing from the ground and start screeching in pain,"
They were going to use your statue. The statue that was perhaps the only thing that was related to you, the one way to never have to forget about you again in case that you never met again.
And to imagine the effect it'd add to his collections! A big gold statue in the centre of his grotto, accentuated by the sparkling of other jewelries. It'd be complete.
"I'll sit on it," Azul decided. He was not to act rashly, lest he walked one step wrong and brought upon himself misery and misfortune. If he really was to pay a visit, he would act in secret. Perhaps in the veil of the night. 
"Just don't act alone, okay?" Jade said. Azul nodded despite not paying any mind to him.
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In the dead of the night Azul decided to sneak out. Alone. It was a mistake, really. Azul couldn't stop thinking about your statue, and by the time he realized how absurd it was, he'd already gone to the Coral Maze.
There was nary a shadow except his own. Still, it was much lighter than where he lived even at night. The distorted image of the moon waved from above as Azul made his way through the many identical corals. Then he finally found your majestic statue standing solemnly in the centre. The only beauty in the water.
It was a sight for sore eyes. White, pure light reflected off the gold and created streams of gleams onto the ground. That someone would ever find it to be disgraceful was incomprehensible to Azul. Something like this deserved to be put on display in the museum for all to see.
There was no radiance on your face and no splendid colors in your eyes. It was merely a fraction of what you were. Nonetheless, it was enough for Azul.
"Who's roaming there?" an alerted voice asked. When Azul turned, he saw a silhouette looming from outside the Coral Maze, holding two anglerfishes in hands and waving them in the water.
Panic was the only thing Azul felt as he hid behind the statue, struggling to keep his tentacles out of sight. The light stayed right in front of him for a while before skimming away.
Azul grabbed the statue and swam, pushing his tentacles through the water as hard as he could. 
"Wait there- oh goodness!" 
There were several voices now, mumbling and inquiring. Then light was casted upon his flitting figure and there were bemused gasps before someone yelled, "Seize him!"
Azul was out of breath. He wished he excelled in fitness but instead he was stuck with incongruous tentacles that would never cooperate at the most needed times.
A hand grasped the end of his tentacle but slipped off. He kept the statue tight in his arms, as if his life depended on it. He could tell that they were near now, and was trying very hard not to imagine the gruesome outcomes.
Someone grabbed his tentacles. He faltered and was pulled back despite protests.
"Keep him in place!" another person yelled as the crowd moved to keep Azul fenced in.
Azul couldn't see anything. Everything was a poor mixture of shadow and distaste and sneers. He was probably going to die right there.
"I can't believe you have the guts to come back, Ashengrotto. After all the things you've done!" someone spoke up.
"Yeah! How shameless of you!”
"And he's stealing our properties now! Imagine how desperate he is,"
"You guys don't even want it!" Azul said.
Some guy lurched forward. Azul cowered backwards.
"It's disgusting, yes, but it's still gold." he said as if it was a completely just thing to do. "It landed on our ground, so it belongs to us. On the contrary, you don't have the rights to lay your filthy hands on it. What more do you want to steal from us?"
"I'm taking this because none of you understand the beauty of it!"
This evoked a negative reaction from the crowd, but words could never be taken back. Azul could feel his heart pounding like a prisoner hellbent on escaping. He had to escape. No more of this degrading gazes. No more of the points of fingers.
"Beauty?" the guy scoffed, and for a moment his face scrunched up and he was ready to spit out rage, but then it softened into a smug smirk. "I guess only ugly understands ugly, huh?"
Azul's head throbbed.
"It doesn't justify your actions, ink-blasting thief. Hand that piece of trash over right- uff!"
He was flung deep into the water until he disappeared into nothing but a black dot. People around Azul immediately made way as they fled in screams and wails. His tentacle was still tingling with the impact, but he couldn't quite feel it. Even if he did, he couldn't care less as he skyrocketed to the surface of the water. He blinked and blinked, but his eyes were still blurred by what would be mixed into the seawater eventually. 
He'd had enough. Heard enough, seen enough. If he'd spent one more second down there he would have suffocated to death.
The familiar freshness of air welcomed him the moment he broke through the water's persistence. The land wasn't far ahead. He swam towards it as if it was his sanctuary. 
There was a man sitting on the rock, face hidden under the hood. Azul considered retreating. He had no idea what would happen to him if he was spotted, but nothing better would happen if he were to go back. So he continued swimming and crawled onto the cool soft sand, only letting his head be seen by the man as he hid behind yet another rock where he placed the much valued statue.
He seemed to be asleep, chest heaving up and down at a steady pace. Just as Azul started sliding out, the man raised his head and looked straight at Azul.
They were a pair of humming, white circles, seemingly void of any sentiments. The man had a mask on that shielded his face except for his tightly shut lips. Two crows were staring right at him with the same uncanny manner.
"You've finally arrived," the man said.
Probably the humans had been searching for him. Azul decided to keep his mouth shut.
"I've been hearing your calls…" he tilted his head. "You can come out. I know what you are,"
Azul still hesitated. But he was much closer to the ocean than to the guy, so he slowly let his tentacles into light.
The man remained calm, not a bit taken back by the revelation.
"Well, I've been hearing your calls…" he resumed.
"I never called out to any humans,"
"Not literally. But you have been calling out a lot," he smiled amiably. "You have to know that it's especially hard for me to hear from creatures undersea, so if your wishes managed to reach me, it means you're pretty desperate,"
"I think you have the wrong person," Azul said and started retreating.
The guy sprang up and his crows curled up together beside him. "Wait- I should introduce myself first. I'm the Raven Healer,"
Azul pondered for a while. "That doesn't explain anything except for the crows,"
"You lots haven't heard of me?" he frowned so deep that his brows and eyes were a cluster. "You guys are really secluded,"
That was when Azul finally realized that he knew about them. About all the lives and creatures that inhabited the deep sea.
"And I mean no harm to your realm. My only target is you," he smiled again, this time at an ominous angle.
"Well, I'm quite famous in this realm. I heal people for a living, whether it be physical or emotional needs. Anything you need, I can grant you,"
That's not very different from Azul's magic. 
"Sometimes, when someone is really desperate for a change, their thoughts can be heard by my crows. And you, Azul Ashengrotto…" his smile dropped a bit and his eyes drooped. "is particularly distressed,"
"Alright. It was nice meeting you," Azul nodded respectfully. The man didn't seem to be harmful. If he fled right now, he could probably throw him off.
The Raven Healer stilled, then burst into piles of blatant laughter. "No, no. I've been looking for you, don't you get it? I'm here to grant your wish!"
I'm here to grant your wish. Like how Azul'd promoted his business as the Sea Merchant.
"I understand that you've been suffering quite a lot, and that you want a change. But nothing ever comes without a cost… I'm sure you can understand,"
The healer stood up, the material of his greatcoat fluttering in the wind. He made his way freely to Azul, who could only freeze up as he inspected the statue with great interest.
"The heir to the throne! I see why you're desperate now. They're a real catch," the healer then looked down at the outstretched tentacles without a word. Azul prayed in his mind that he would turn away from them.
"Well, here are my terms. I will grant you a pair of legs in exchange for your magic,"
Wait, what?
Azul was pretty sure the Raven Healer was just imitating him now. A great figure appearing out of the blue to answer your hopes. The catch was that the figure would always take away your most important thing. It was never a fair deal, Azul was aware.
"I don't think you need my magic," Azul breathed.
"Why, I do!" he exclaimed. "Collecting magic is a splendid hobby of mine! It is because of all these magic that I am such a renowned magician,"
He was obviously lying. His smile couldn't reach his eyes, and the orbs where his eyes were supposed to be were humming like a hazard label.
"I think I'll be just fine," Azul hurriedly brought the statue to his chest and started sliding away.
"...How are you going to survive?"
"What?" Azul swiveled, exhausted.
"Up here. With your…" the healer wiggled his fingers.
"I'll find a way,"
"No you won't," the healer protested. Azul looked up to the sky, took a deep breath and decided to entertain him. 
"Why so?"
"You're gonna cause ruckus. Chaos. People are not especially used to seeing half-man half-octopuses roaming their land," he said honestly. 
Despite knowing all this, Azul still considered his word rude. There was a thin line between blunt and disrespectful, and he'd just crossed it. 
"There won't be anyone dealing with you, will there?"
"...I suppose not-"
"Exactly! I am your only hope!" he exclaimed once again, throwing his hands up in the air like a dramatist. "Unless you want to go back?"
Azul glanced at the serene water. He knew that down there, the mermaids and mermen must be panicking over what'd just happened.
"You can't hold onto that statue forever. If you really wish to stay here-"
"I just came, Mr. Healer. I'm not going to stay,"
"Yet. Come on now," he groaned, as if he was the one exasperated. "I know you want it. You need it. So what are you waiting for? You're never going to see all the beauties in this world in this state!"
He was right. Agonizingly right. He couldn't just walk around as an octopus. It would be like a stain on a quaint painting. Moreover, now that he was here, he couldn't just give up the chance to find you again. It's not like the ocean would welcome him anyways.
As if hearing his thoughts, the Raven Healer reached his hand out, "Deal? Your magic for a pair of legs. It's a fantastic trade if you think about it,"
One second. Two second. Azul didn't wait until the third to act on it. The moment their skin touched, Azul felt a stream of warmth coursing through him, rushing to his throat, where he choked up a luminous blue orb. It was within the healer's fingers within seconds.
"And your legs," he rummaged inside his pocket. There seemed to be numerous tiny objects inside as he dug around. Finally, he pulled up a thumb-size bottle and handed it to Azul.
He downed the slimy liquid inside under the healer's encouraging nods, and almost gagged at the sensation. "Guh! What the hell is-"
His tentacles started glowing a bright yellow, bright enough to attract people in this dead of the night. They started to shrink until they completely disappeared, and a pair of human legs replaced them.
He couldn't believe his eyes as he stretched around and surveyed the changes on his body. It took him quite some time to adjust to it, but he was surprisingly good at it. The fabric of the pants that came with the gift fluttered against his 'flesh' like a mother's caress. He felt normal, for once. Not some ugly monster that preyed on innocent kids. Not a marginalized criminal. Not even a wicked fraud. He was just a human wanting to explore the world.
"Three days," the Raven Healer said.
"What?" Azul was too joyous to pay real mind.
"If you can't find the most beautiful thing after three days, you will dissolve into sea bubbles,"
Azul stilled as he comprehended his words, then he started to chant no in his mind. He'd fallen for his trap.
"You didn't mention it at all!" Azul yelled. "Refund! You're scamming me!"
"The pot's calling the kettle black now. How comical," the healer giggled. Azul's heart dropped to the bottom.
"Consider this your own medicine. It's not like you're completely at loss over here!"
"Wait!" Azul reached out to grasp his fainting figure, which had become an opaque vision. 
"We shall reunite in three days. Until then, enjoy."
All that was left was the crashing of the waves and songs of the crickets. Bathed in the glow of the moon, Azul finally came to the conclusion that he'd fucked up.
Life never stopped to give him a break. There were haste footsteps nearing from behind. Azul instinctively retracted his tentacles, but forgot about their absence and tripped instead.
"Yikes! That was a nasty fall. Are you okay?" 
Looking up, two formally looking men were standing above him, one with crimson hair and another navy. There was a sword attached to each of their sides.
"Yeah. I-I'm fine," Azul cleared his throat and stood up.
"Are you homeless?" The redhead asked and was immediately hit by his companion.
"You can't go around asking people whether they are homeless!" he scolded, then turned to Azul brightly. "You must be in search of shelter! Please follow us!"
"That isn't any better," 
"Shut up," the blue-haired snapped with the same polite smile. "Come on, Mr…?"
"A-Azul. Azul Ashengrotto,"
"Yes, Mr. Ashengrotto. We can't have you catching a cold out here,"
Despite his friendly facade, Azul could see underlying motives lurking beneath. But clueless that he was, he didn't have a choice but to follow suit towards the castle-like building in the far distance.
"Your majesty will be pleased to see you," the redhead murmured, but Azul couldn't quite catch that.
"What was that?" he asked.
"It's nothing," was all that he received. "Just that you'll surely love the place."
Conclusion : Azul had once gone around scamming others with his unique magic but was busted and had been further criticised since. The Raven Healer is obviously Crowley, and his magic will be further explained in next chapter.
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burningember0802 · 3 years
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Someone Like Me
summary : first, once again, i suck at summaries. Kaz meets a friend of Nina’s that he didn’t know about who is more like him than anyone else he’s ever met and that scares him more than he’d like.
It's a relaxing evening at the slat, or at least as much as it can be in Ketterdam. All the crows were sitting around a table talking and having a great night, even Kaz. He won't show it but he enjoys nights like this more than he'd like to admit. Nina and Jesper were laughing and talking about who knows what while Matthais sat with a loving smile on his face, Wylan and Inej sat talking about his newest tests, and Kaz sat just listening and watching, enjoying the time with his friends; his family. "Oh, Kaz! My friend is supposed to stop by tonight and drop off some things I asked her for so don't be surprised if we get a knock soon." Nina mentions. "You have friends?" He sarcastically said. "For a matter of fact, I do. She's amazing, I think you should meet her. She'd be a great addition to the crows. She's a fabrickator, both a Durast and an Alkemi. She is also the smartest person I've ever met, and the best fighter too. I've watched her and Matthais spar and she took him down in seconds easily. She's insanely good, Kaz. She'd be a great asset to the team. I think you'd like her too, she has similar interests among other stuff." She explains. Kaz thought for a moment before responding. "We'll see if I agree with you once I meet her." Nina thanks him with a smile and goes back to her conversation.
Kaz wasn't sure how he felt about the thought of bringing someone else onto the team. It was another person who could betray him, another person he could get attached to, another weakness. Not just anyone can join the crows, they had to earn it.
About half an hour later there was a knock at the slat door. Nina excitedly hopped up to get it. "It's her!" The heartrender almost squealed. The door opened to a girl, probably about 5'6 who has (H/L), (H/C) hair. She was gorgeous with a button nose that supported her thin-rimmed glasses, full lips, striking (E/C) eyes, and a curvy figure. She was wearing a tight green turtle neck, black pants, boots, and carrying a satchel on her shoulder. Kaz swears he almost felt himself stop breathing. The feeling he got when he saw her, despite not knowing her, scared him in a way he didn't like. He decided to push it down and continue on with the night.
Nina invited the girl inside with a smile that was returned by her. The girls walked back to the table where the rest of the group sat. "Y/N, the crows, the crows, Y/N." She introduced them all. Multiple greetings were heard around the table from everyone except Kaz of course. Y/N shyly waved with a soft smile. "I brought those things you asked about," Y/N said quickly changing the subject. She opened her bag and pulled out 3 boxes and set them on the table. She opened the first one which held a seemingly normal knife. "Here's the knife you asked about with the poison injection abilities. There are three vials in the box and there's one in the handle already. It injects a few drops upon impact, it’s potent so it will kill someone with just a few drops." Y/N said showing how to open the handle and where the vial was. She proceeded to open the next box that was full of bullets. "These are the bullets that explode upon impact you asked about." She said before setting them back down. You could see Inej eyeing up the knife and Jesper doing the same to the bullets. She finally opened the last box which revealed 7 sets of earpieces. "These are the earpieces, they have microphones in them to communicate from long distances." She almost mumbled, obviously nervous around all the people. Kaz had been watching the girl in shock the whole time she spoke. Nina didn't lie, she was insanely talented and would be a good asset.
"You're the best Y/N!" Nina exclaimed, making a quick movement to go to hug the girl. She quickly stopped when Y/N flinched slightly. No one else besides Y/N, Nina, and Kaz had realized it with everyone else too busy looking at the new gear. "Shit, fuck I'm sorry Y/N it was a mistake." Nina started apologizing profusely. "Nina, it's fine. Mistakes happen. I'm just a freak anyway." She said quietly. Kaz felt his heart clench at that. She was like him, she was anything but a freak though. "Anyway, I should probably get going." She said, staring at her feet. "You should stay for a while, meet everyone." Nina tried to convince her. Y/N was obviously apprehensive. "You should stay," Kaz said before he could stop himself. Both Nina and Y/N turned towards him quickly. Nina had a shocked look on her face, surprised that Dirtyhands would ever suggest that he wanted someone to stay. She thought for a second and smiled slightly and nodded.
The girl sat down at the last empty chair at the table, which happened to be next to Kaz. She immediately pulled into herself out of habit, bringing on her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around it, making herself as small as possible. Jesper and Inej immediately started asking questions about their new tools to which Y/N answered gladly. Kaz watched them contently, especially Y/N. She looked really happy talking about what she loved. Soon the conversations turned away from solely her after the crows had their fill of integrating. "Kaz, Y/N is the most knowledgeable person I've met about books, you guys have that in common," Nina mentions. Y/N glances at him with a soft smile. Everything about her made Kaz's fight or flight kick in. She was weirdly comforting but at the same time kicked on every instinct he had. He felt the need to run but also never move again. "What's your favorite genre of books?" Y/N asked the boy. Kaz missed having someone to talk to about interests like this, the rest of the crows weren't into things like this. Trying to make him comfortable she answers first. "I tend to read realistic fiction or fantasy." Kaz studied her face constantly looking for any signs that she wasn't genuine. "I like fantasy or mystery books." He answers. She gets a huge smile. He liked that, she had a genuine smile, that's rare in the barrel. Her smile was slightly lopsided and full of joy. "Mysteries are the best, I'm always on the edge of my seat. Sometimes I feel like I can't put the book down even when I have stuff to get done." She laughs. Kaz almost felt himself smirk. "Those are the best ones." He answers genuinely. "I just finished this amazing book, it's about the story of Achilles but from the point of view of Patroclus. It's called the song of Achilles and it's amazing." She says with a smile. "I'll have to borrow it sometime." He says. At that moment the two of them weren't even paying attention to the crows around them anymore, so they didn't see the knowing look from Nina.
The group all continued to talk and have a good time. Everyone liked Y/N a lot. Nina was accurate in her description of her. She was super smart and sweet. At one point they were talking about combat strategies and she was asked "What's the quickest way to win a fight?" by Jesper. Matthias let out a loud snort at that question, knowing the brunette's skills. "Are we talking immobilizing or killing? Those are two different answers." She says with a smirk. The girl had come out of her shell within the past hour and had grown more comfortable around the group. "Both?" Jesper said, confused. "For immobilization, the quickest way is to slice their Achilles tendon on the back of their ankle, if you do that they're not moving. Also, you always go for the eyes, nose, and groin, and if you use the bottom of the palm of your hand you can shatter someone's nose since that's the strongest part of your hand. Besides the Achilles tendon, the other easiest way if you know how to do it is there's a nerve on the side of your neck that if you squeeze right, knocks them out. Then if the purpose is killing you go for the neck, wrist, or thigh because that's where your main arteries are." She said matter of factly. Kaz almost laughed at how the girl said it.
That was the start of it all. Shortly after this first meeting Y/N started coming around more and more and everyone loved her, including Kaz. Kaz had started having more than friendly feelings towards her a couple months after meeting. The crows were eventually able to convince her to join so she was now living at the slat, making Kaz’s life a living hell. He felt like his heart was beating out of his chest constantly, and he knew that Nina knew this too with her heartrender skills. Nina was constantly giving him knowing looks and all he did was glare back at her. Kaz was drawn to her like no one else.
The two of them had become close over the last year, closer than most. They would often sit and talk for hours, a lot of times about books or anything else that came to their minds. Y/N was often like lightning in a bottle, constantly moving and going a million miles an hour. She seemed hyper and impulsive on the outside but Kaz knew she was very strategic and methodical. She was insanely smart, which she often used to her advantage to beat Kaz in chess to his dismay. Both parties had developed feelings for each other but both were too scared to tell the other because they’re idiots but the universe was going to find a way to get them together.
The heist the crows had tonight was insanely important. The group was supposed to go to a merchant party because while the merchant and everyone else was distracted they were going to steal a necklace that was held in the wife’s vanity room. The necklace was worth an insane amount of money so the crows took the task right away.
The only problem with the heist was that Y/N and Kaz had to be the two who had to fake being a couple at the party to keep the merchant distracted so the others could get the necklace. “We have to do what?” Y/N exclaimed when she found out her role. She felt her chest clench at the thought of being around that many people. “I need Inej on the roofs, Jesper on the ground as backup, Wylan as a waiter ready to cause a distraction if need be, and Nina and Mattaius getting the necklace so we’re the only two left.” Kaz grumbles, obviously not happy about the situation either. Both of them sucked it up for the money.
The night of the heist Y/N was the last to be ready since she had to wear a dress and makeup. She stepped down the stairs to where the crows were waiting. As soon as she stepped into the room there were joking whistles and screams from all the crows except Kaz. Kaz stood there in shock, his breath taken away. Emma was wearing a black dress with stars on it, a simple pair of black heels, several pieces of silver moon and star jewelry and finally topping it off with a few moon and star hair pins pinning back some of her hair. She looked gorgeous.
As they got closer and closer to the party both Y/N and Kaz became increasingly more nervous. “We don’t have to touch.” She says breaking the silence between them as they were dragging behind the group. “We have to and we both know it. If we don’t touch like a couple they’ll become suspicious. I know neither of us like touch but we’ll have to deal with it.” Kaz quickly responds, his voice rigid. She just nodded, not wanting to make this night worse.
Everyone got in their positions as soon as they made it to the house, leaving Kaz and Y/N near the entrance. Kaz hesitantly grabs her hand; he was shocked when he did. He didn’t panic as much as he thought. Kaz’s aversion was worse than Y/N’s for sure since hers was mainly quick movements and things related to abuse but Kaz’s was any kind of touch. All he felt was Jordie when he touched anyone, the stench of the air, the cold water around him, the stiff body he was clenching on to. He didn’t immediately drown touching her though, he felt the waters come up but they stopped, going no further.
As the two of them continued through the night the touches became easier and more frequent, it almost felt...real. Both of them deep inside wished it was. They wished the other loved them back. The two of them got many compliments throughout the night on how cute they were and questions about how they met among other things. The way Kaz would wrap his arm around her waist made her heart stop, the way Y/N put her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him did the same to Kaz.
Once Nina and Mattaius got the necklace everyone made their way back to the slat. Everyone was happy and ready to celebrate a successful heist except for Kaz and Y/N. They had a tension that wouldn’t go away. Both knew they’d have to talk about it or it’d ruin further heists but neither wanted to make the first move. So once they got to the slat both of them lingered at the door after everyone else. “Can-” “We should-” they both went to say at the same time. They couldn’t help but laugh at how in tune they were. “We need to talk about things.” Y/N says. “I know.” Kaz says, anxiety in his voice. “I like you Kaz.” the girl states plainly, shocking the bastard of the barrel. He couldn’t say the words he wanted to but he had to say something. “Yes.” was all he could manage out. It would sound stupid to anyone else but to Y/N and Kaz they both knew what that meant. “I can never touch you like you might want though.” He says anxiously. “Kaz, I have just as much of an issue with touch as you. Physical affection isn’t something I need in a relationship. If we really want to, we can work on our aversions together.” She answers with a comforting smile. Kaz nods,knowing she's right. “So together?” Kaz questions, trying to confirm that she is his and he is hers. She nods with a smile.
That was the start of it all. The start of the King and Queen of Ketterdam, taking it over together.
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orange-waterfalls · 4 years
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It's Not A Joke
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Captain Magnum x gender neutral!reader
@sierracolorstheworldofwords ty for the request!
A/N: The ending was a bit rushed because I wanted to get it done before I went to sleep and it is almost midnight,,, so,,, uh Rated T for swearing. Magnum being an oblivious FUCK and reader getting tired of his bullshit. Fluff. Slight angst at some points. This one's a bit short, sorry. Enjoy!
Word Count: 1.9k
--
You stare at Captain Magnum and sigh. He was so wonderful… he was fun, handsome, not to mention tall…
It's really no surprise you have a crush on him.
Every single person on the crew knows of your little crush, and you know that they know. It was obvious! You'd always stutter around him, you blushed whenever he complimented you, and you did everything he asked of you immediately and without question. Everyone knows.
Except, of course, the captain himself.
Everyone was surprised he didn't know, including you. You thought you were being pretty open about it. Granted, you hadn't actually told him yet, but he probably should've figured it out by now. For a pirate captain, he was pretty dumb.
"Really? Again?" Magnum's previous first mate asks. You'd started talking to him after you were made first mate, and you two got along. You both could complain about the captain to each other. You also learned his name was First Mate John. Well… just John now. You'd have to help him come up with a pirate name soon. You were a pretty shy person, but you were less so around John. You felt like you could be comfortable around him.
"Yes, again. What else am I supposed to do?" You scoff.
"I dunno... tell 'im?"
"If he hasn't figured it out by now, I'm not sure I want to," you both laugh.
"Fair enough," he smirks, 'but are ye at least gonna drop some hints or somethin'?" You slowly turn your head towards him.
"What do you think I've been doing the last 3 months?" You joke. He snorts and pats your shoulder.
"Best o' luck t' ye, kid," he chuckles. You give him a small wave goodbye and go back to looking at Magnum. He stands up from his spot on the stair leading to the wheel and starts walking over to you. You go into a mini panic as your heart speeds up and you go back to mopping the floor.
"First Mate Y/N!" He booms. You flinch at the volume.
"H-Hi captain," you stutter, avoiding his gaze, "W-What can I do for you?" He sets a strong hand on your shoulder and you buckle under the strength, your face heating up.
"I was wonderin' if ye would like t' be in charge o' th' next lootin'," he explains, "Ye've been here a while 'n I reckon ye could do it." Your eyes widen and you look up at him. That was apparently a bad idea because you were unable to form actual words after that.
"We, uh… I do.. I mean I'd… um…" you sputter out. He looks at you worriedly.
"Ye alright? Ye look unwell…" he reaches out and feels your forehead. You almost instantly pull away from him. He frowns.
"Ye're burnin' up, mate! Are ye sick?" He gently sets a hand on your head. You duck away, dropping your mop.
"I'm fine!" Your voice cracks, "I'm perfectly okay I just uh… I need to rest a bit is all! Yeah…" you speedwalk to the cabin you share with John and shut the door.
Magnum stands in the middle of the deck, feeling very confused.
"That was strange," he said to himself, "I wonder wha' th' problem be…"
--
About half an hour passed and you were sitting in your bed, your face in your hands. You went over the interaction several times in your head, feeling the same amount of embarrassment and shame each and every time. John walks into your shared room, looking smug.
"I reckon that went well, don't ye?" He teases.
"Shut up…" you groan.
"If he didn' know ye liked 'im afore, he oughta know now."
"And if he doesn't, I'm throwing myself overboard." John laughs and sits on your bed. You peek at him through your fingers.
"Kid, I mean no offense towards th' cap'n, but he's a moron. At least when it comes t' feelin's," you snort in agreement. "Ye needs t' tell 'im directly if ye wants 'im t' know." You remove your hands from your face and sigh.
"Ok… I'll tell him…" you pause. "Later…" John smiles at you.
"There we go," he consoles. He thinks for a moment, wondering what could take your mind off things, before speaking again. "So, the other day, what were you saying about a heist?"
--
That night, you walk out of your cabin, your knees shaking. John had given you another pep talk, along with a couple other crewmates. You felt a little better, but it didn't really help with your anxiety. Your heart is beating so fast you were afraid it would stop. Your palms are oh so very sweaty, and your legs have gone numb at this point. You barely feel them carrying you over to the captain, who was at the wheel. You stand next to him for five minutes, waiting for him to notice you're there. Eventually, he does.
"Ah! First Mate!" He bellowd. You flinch. "Wha' can I do fer ye?" You take a deep breath in.
"I have something to tell you, captain," you say shakily. Neither of you say anything for a while, and you wonder if he heard you.
"Well? Go on then!" He instructs.
"R-Right… ok… um…" you stammer. You keep playing with a button on your shirt, trying to think of what to say. You can feel his eyes on you and it made you even more nervous. Why did you let them talk you into this? You weren't ready! You couldn't do this. You… you…
You look to the side and see John watching you from behind the mast. He gives you a thumbs up. You respond with a smile and he leaves, decided to let you do this on your own. You take a deep breath and…
"I like you, captain," you blurt out. Magnum doesn't respond and you get scared.
"Be that all?" He laughed, "well, I like ye too!" You blink and look up at him. His face didn't seem to change very much. You're about to smile, but pause.
"Captain… I don't think you understand me…"
"O' course I do! I be yer cap'n, ye're part o' me crew, o' course we like each other!" You stare at him.
"That's not what I meant,"
"Oh? 'n wha' did ye mean?"
"I meant…" you pause, wondering if you should just give up. No. You made it this far. Finish it. you command yourself.
"I meant I love you." You say. He looks at you, eyebrows furrowed. "Like… I'm in love with you." You continue, hoping he gets it. He's quiet for a moment before laughing.
"That's real funny, Y/N!" He chortles. You stare at him before letting out a laugh.
"Yeah. Ok. Sure. Yeah, of course. That's fine. I don't even care! That's fucking fantastic!" You grumble. He stops laughing and looks at you.
"That's some language… are ye ok?" He asks. You start walking back to your cabin.
"Yeah, I'm ok! Of course I'm ok! Why wouldn't I be ok?!" You yell and slam your door. Magnum stands there, wondering what just happened.
John opens the door a couple minutes later and walks in.
"Ahoy bud… Ye alright?" He asks gently.
"I don't want to talk about it," you growl.
"Aw, bud…"
"It's not even the fact that he doesn't like me! It's the fact that he laughed! Why would he do that?" You lamented. John set a hand on your shoulder. He's about to say something to try and make you feel better, but he stops.
"Wait… he laughed?" John asks.
"Yeah… why?"
"Would you mind telling him again tomorrow?"
"What? Why the hell would I do that?"
"I want to test something. Please?" He begs. You look at him and sigh.
"Fine… this better be good…"
--
You and the rest of the crew sit and tell stories. Most of the stories are coming from Magnum, but you're not really listening. He notices this and tries to tell more interesting stories, or stories that he thinks you'll find interesting. You still refuse to even look at him, so he lets other people talk.
"Tell him. Right now," John whispers. You sigh and turn to look at Magnum. He leans forward a bit, wanting to hear what you have to say.
"I love you, captain," you say confidently. The whole crew looks at you, and then at Magnum.
"You made that joke last night, Y/N," he laughs.
"It wasn't a joke," you say. His smile falls. The crew decides that it would be a good time to leave, and that's exactly what they do.
"Wha'?"
"It wasn't a joke."
"Wha' do ye mean?"
"I mean I do love you, captain. I'm in love with you. I would like to be in a relationship with you…" your face heats up and you start sweating. God, why were you saying this? Maybe this was the only way he'd understand…
You look up at him and see a confused look on his face. Oh, fuck it… you think.
"I want a relationship with you. I want to hug you and kiss you and hold you close. I want to make you smile and I want to be your shoulder to cry on if you need me to. I want to whisper sweet nothings to you as we fall asleep. I want you to let me love you." You explain, heart racing. Both of you are silent for a minute. You squeeze your eyes shut, waiting for rejection.
"Oh…" he says, uncharacteristically soft. "I… love ye too…" you look at him. He's looking at you, a slight blush on his face.
"You… you do?" He nods a bit. "Then why in the name of Davy Jones did you think it was a joke?!" You shout.
"I didn' know ye'd like me back! I thought ye liked John!"
"What do you mean you thought I liked John?"
"I mean I thought ye liked John!"
"WHY WOULD YOU THINK I LIKED JOHN?!"
"I DUNNO, YE SEEM COMFORTABLE AROUND 'IM, I THOUGHT THAT MEANT YE LIKED 'IM!"
"Oh my God…" you rub the bridge of your nose. "Why did you think I'm always so nervous around you?"
"I thought... y'know... ye found me intimidatin'..."
"Of course I find you intimidating that doesn't mean I don't like you."
"Oh…" He rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Uh... Sorry I was so ignorant t' yer... Affection…" you chuckle at the apology.
"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner," you both sat there, just looking at each other.
"So uh… should we… should we kiss?" He asks nervously.
"Only if you want to. We don't ha-" you're cut off by his lips settling onto yours. You put your hands on his shoulders to keep you upright. He puts his hands on your neck, tilting your head to where he's comfortable.
"Awww!" Multiple voices say from behind you.
"Get a room!" John calls out. You pull away and bury your head in Magnum's shoulder, your face burning.
"Oi! If ye all aren't swabbin' th' deck in th' next five seconds, ye're walkin' th' plank!" He commands. The crew all scramble to get to work. You sigh and pull back to look at him.
"I'm… gonna go help them…" you murmur with a blush. He sighs.
"Ah, okay... We'll... Continue later," he states. You smile and walk away, grabbing your mop. As you mop, you glance at Magnum, seeing him watch you with a lovesick grin on his face. John, also holding a mop, slides up next to you.
"So, when's th' weddin'?"
"Shut up, you fuck!"
the ending is so obviously rushed I'm sorry lol
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Text
Dancing lessons
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Hi!! I'm sorry, this one took forever, I had a Dengue Virus outbreak to deal with for the last three weeks and I even had the damn thing myself, not funny, wouldn't recommend it, it felt like shit and I had to skip work two days, thankfully no mortal victims, at least not on my watch, but the town is still recovering, anyway work is crazy and that's why I haven't update anything, I'm really sorry
Summary: Barry is finally cast in a feature, the problem? He said he could dance and now he can either disappoint Sally or found a way to learn some steps.
Part 1 ● Part 2 ● Part 3 ● Part 4 ● Part 5 ● Part 6 ● Part 7 ● Part 8 ● Epilogue
Warnings: Swearing, blood, violence, guns, cheating maybe.
Part 4
The lights on your studio were still on when you entered, and the dry blood on the floor made a horrible sight that almost made you faint again, thankfully a strong arm was holding you since you get out of the car, and he was looking at the floor too.
"I can clean that if you want" He said helping you sit down on a chair. "I'm not sure if you should climb your stairs yet"
"Thanks, that would be great. I would say leave it but I have class early tomorrow and is not a nice view for a bunch of 4 year olds" you said thinking about the wooden floor and how much damage the blood would cause, and Barry walk inside the storage closet looking for a mop.
"Then I will leave it there, you are insane if you think you are going to give any class tomorrow" He came back with the cleaning supplies and gave you a judging look, lacking any authority since he was holding a bottle of detergent in on hand and a bucket in the other.
"Fine mom, I'll cancel" you held your hands high in surrender "Actually I can use a day off, I have this terrible student in the afternoon, he is a pain in the ass" You said and he rolled his eyes at you while rolling up his sleeves and starting to clean the floor.
An hour later the floor was spotless, he had an odd talent cleaning up blood, and made a funny shocked face when you pointed it out, the clock announce it was merely 8:00 pm and you had to remain awake until 6:00 am at least.
"I feel well enough to go upstairs, you can leave now" you told him hoping he would listen since his presence made you feel uneasy at times.
"No way, the doctor gave me a list of things to check up every couple hours, and if I leave you would fall asleep, but let's go get you upstairs, you will be more comfortable on your couch" He said approaching with the clear intention of carrying you on his arms.
"I can walk, that won't be necessary" You said quickly, ignoring the idea of how wonderful would it be to be held in those arms.
Maybe that was the reason you had end up screaming in the first place, an elaborate defense mechanism your brain set up in motion to ignore the growing feelings you had every time he enter the studio, every time you held his hand and forced down your waist while you were dancing, and the longing in your skin asking for more.
Of course there was handsome men in your class every now and then, grooms, fathers of the bride, actors, etc. and you had always conduct yourself professionally regardless the clear intentions some of them may have. And you have always respected your marriage with Alan even in the worst of times. But Barry was different, there was just something about the way he looked at you that make you want to scream and run away because it terrifies you how easily you could fall for him.
"Are you feeling nauseous?" He asked once you were sitting on the couch, and you nodded no "Tired? Clouded vision? Having incoherent thoughts?" He continued reading the list the doctor gave him.
"I believe I'm a big green marshmallow queen of the north pole, but that's normal right?" You say dead serious and he hide a grin behind the white sheet of paper.
"Very funny, we should call the doctor and share the joke with her" he said seriously.
"Fine, I'm sorry. I have a minor pain in my head, but I can see and hear perfectly clear, I remember everything that had happened clearly and I don't feel like vomiting" you said and he put the list away satisfied with your answers. "I'm sorry I'm being an imposition to you, I'm sure you had plans" You continued and he opened his mouth to reply he was staying once again so you keep talking before he did "And since you are staying here at least let me fix you something to eat, is late and I don't think you have eaten". You stood up and he followed you to the kitchen.
"You really don't have to, I can make a sandwich if you tell me where things are, or we could order something, I don't think you should be near sharp objects" He plead alarmed when you took out a large knife from a drawer.
"Fine, but I'm paying, and once again I can assure you this is nothing I have had worst" you said putting down the cutting board and opening the fridge to offer him a beer "once I broke my leg in 3 pieces" you said confidently showing him a long thin scar on the side of your leg and suddenly feeling exposed since you haven't change from your dancing clothes, and you didn't feel the same confidence wearing them outside the studio.
"I've been shoot, a lot" he said lifting part of his shirt showing you a couple scars, not helping the situation in your mind.
"Ok war hero, you win, can you please order the food, I am going to change, feel yourself at home" You said patting his hand urging him to cover and hurrying to your room away from him.
***
Y/N took forever to come out and when she finally did she was wearing a comfortable pajama, and was drying her hair with a towel.
"You took a shower?" Barry asked upset "You could have fallen"
"But thankfully I didn't, I have to I was covered in blood and I need to find a way to cover this" She pointed at the place the doctor have shaved her hair and she tried to hide it with a lock of hair.
"I'm sure the parents would understand you had an accident" he said confused by her despair.
"Yeah, they will mostly, but Alan would make a big deal out of it and I'm sure he will use it as an excuse to keep pushing me into selling the studio" She said letting her hair alone and crawling onto the couch.
"Why would he do that?" He asked trying to be interested and ignoring the pinch of jealousy he felt once again when she mentioned his name "I mean you do charge a lot but you have many clients"
"Is not about the business, he just thinks I should sale the studio to Macy since she knows how to run it, and move with him to Dallas or Colorado or whenever his company wants him, that way he would be home every night to see our children" She said exasperated at the idea.
"Children?" He asked a bit shocked since she never had mentioned any children before.
"The hypothetical children we will have in case I actually leave this place behind" She said with a sad look on her face.
"So you don't want to have children?" He asked now genuinely interested. "I mean it's okay if you don't" he said quickly.
"Honestly?" She asked and he nodded "I really don't know, I mean when I was 22 and dancing in Moscow I have this crazy fantasy that I would retire in glory from ballet at 32 and meet a wonderful man and have a girl and she would be a great dancer by the age of 4." She had a sad smile on her face as if she could see herself in the moment she was describing.
"Moscow? As in Russia?" He asked.
"Yep, I was about to become a Prima Ballerina, then I broke my leg and every money I had went to surgery and recovery and suddenly I was no longer fitting to play Odette, or any major role and eventually like three years after I have to come back, I worked in Broadway for a while, that's when I met Alan"
"Sounds romantic" he said sarcastically making her laugh
"It was, at least at first, but then I had another lesion in my ankle so I was no longer able to work there either, and he was nice and sweet and he was with me, so we got married and end up here, five years later dealing with moms that feel their children would be next Maria Kowroski"
Barry's phone start ringing and he went downstairs to pick up the food, when he came back she was holding a big photo album in her lap.
"I haven't seen one of those in forever" He said entering the apartment holding the bag with Chinese food. "I thought everyone had digital albums these days"
"They do, but you can't do this to digital pictures" She said showing him burned hole in one of the photos. "Kids these days, what would they burn when they break up with a boyfriend? Anyway I'm starving" she pointed to the kitchen so they could eat.
They share an animated meal talking about how life and technology was passing by them, maybe a little lost resentful than usually since they both have the same opinions on the matter.
"Did you told him?" He asked after a while, he was leaning back in his chair looking at her finishing some noodles. "About not wanting kids I mean"
"Of course I did, since we were dating,but he had this idea that he would make me change my mind, and I was sure I would make him change his. Now we have civil dinners when he is home and pretend we are not angry at the way this marriage turned out, just waiting for one of us to give up and accept the other terms" She said and her bluntness took him by surprise again.
"I'm sorry" he said with a sad frown on his face "Earlier when I said this was your dream job and that your situation is perfect, I have no idea and I'm sorry"
"Don't be, I shouldn't have to try and prove you wrong forcing myself to do the Odile's Coda, since I'm clearly not in shape to do it" She smile at him and pointed the injury in her head.
"Well that only make it worse, why would you need to prove anything to me? I'm really sorry"
"Relax, you already making up for it being here, and is only 10:00 pm, do you want to play a board game? I would say we watch a movie but I would fall asleep quicker that way" She said and he agreed.
They played scrabble, bringing out some dark competitive instincts on both of them, only interrupted when Barry took a couple trips to the bathroom to call Sally who was not upset at all that he had canceled their dinner since she had this amazing party to go to.
By 3:00 am and feeling extremely tired and looking at her about to give up he call the hospital, the doctor kindly told him she was clear to sleep, news he took gratefully, but before he could tell her she was already curled in the couch, he sit next to her and let her rest her head on his chest, maybe when they woke up he could feel guilt and remorse about it, maybe he would have to stay away from her since he was obviously interested in her but at that moment he was very comfortable and lost in the smell of her hair to care about anything else.
@meraki--mei
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Little Sister
Pairing: Dean x sister!reader(no incest), mention of Sam x sister!reader(no incest)
Summary: The Winchesters' little sister feels like a burden and Dean comforts her.
Warnings: Crying(should that be considered a warning???), sadness, a bit of angst , thought of being a burden, i think thats it (let me know if there's anything else I should include in the warnings)
Requested: yes/no
A/n: This is the first fic I've written, so bare with me if its a bit cringe worthy. It would also be a tremendous help if you were able to give me a little bit of feedback on how I can improve. Also, check out the bottom of the post and send requests!!! Thanks and ily! 🖤💚🖤
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Tears flowed down your cheeks as you walked into the old, dirty motel you and your brothers were staying in. The three of you usually try to make the sleeping situation work. The boys usually get the beds and you have to sleep in the dirty, smelly, stained couch. But you don't always mind. In fact, you almost never care. As long as your brothers are somewhat content, you are too.
Like you expected, they weren't there. You know they weren't at a bar because its only 3:27pm, so you assumed they were doing their usual routine. Dean questions the victim(s) and witness(es) while Sam is either with Dean or doing research in a nearby library.
You sat at the table and pulled out your binder and textbook to start on some of the homework your science teacher assigned. You started to work, but also started to struggle. You couldn't focus. Your mind was blank. No thoughts, no feelings, no emotions, nothing. Just emptiness. You knew what this was, but your brothers didn't. You knew you had some kind of depression and anxiety, not as bad as it could be, but its not something that you think will just pass in a few days, or even weeks. No... this has been with you for probably about 6 months and your brothers don't suspect a thing. You want to keep it that way too. You don't want to have to be even more of a burden and have your brothers worry even more, so you kept quiet. You wiped away your tears and sat up straight, and attempted to finish your work.
"Oh hey, y/n." Dean said, walking into the motel room in his FBI suit.
"Hey" you mumbled back, not wanted to talk.
"You okay, bug?" He said with concern in his voice.
"Yeah, just tired." You used the lie that everyone uses, not putting in any effort to make up a different lie.
"You always say that. That's not true is it? You're not actually tired, are you?" Crap... he's catching on...
"Uhh, no, I'm really just tired. I swear." Now your anxiety was coming into play. You don't know how he'd act if he found out.
"Don't lie to me. I know something's wrong. There's been something off about you for a while now. You know you can talk to me and Sam, right? We're here for you."
"Yeah, I know I can talk to y'all, but it's hard to sometimes." I'm just gonna get it over with and tell him. What could go wrong, right?
"I know what you mean. When I got out of Hell, I refused to talk about it. But then Sam reminded me that we're family and we're here to take care of each other. So, y/n, please tell me what's going on."
"You really want to know what's upsetting me?"
"Yeah, I really do. I wanna make sure that you're okay."
"I think I'm a burden to you and Sammy. I feel like I'm just in the way. You always worry about me and you take care of me and make sure I'm getting good grades and eating and getting sleep but you shouldn't have to. You shouldn't have to worry about me. I don't matter. Not like you two do. You two have saved the world more times than I can count and I know that you'll continue to do so until you breathe your final breath. But me, I don't do anything. I sit here, in the motel room doing homework or something that has absolutely nothing to do with the case." You were almost sobbing by now, while Dean watched you rant with tears in his green eyes.
"Y/n... that's not true. None of th-" He started to talk, but you cut him off.
"No! Don't lie to me! Don't pity me and tell me that it's not true when you know it is!" You hated being pitied. It made you feel worse about yourself.
"Y/n! Calm down and let me talk." You knew he only yelled to get you to calm down, so you weren't worried that he was mad.
"O-okay." You wiped your tears with your sleeve and and tried to control you breathing as both of you walk over and sit on one of the beds. Dean wraps his arm around, you and you feel of his tears land on the top of your head. He's crying... because he cares.
"Y/n, you are not a burden. Not even close. I think I can say that you are the best thing that has ever happened to both me and Sam, okay? We worry about you because we want what's best for you. We make sure you get good grades so that you can go to college and do something with your life. If Sammy was here, I know he'd tell you the same exact thing. And believe it or not, me and Sammy have talked about it. You going to a good school and everything."
You look up at him when he said this. "Really?"
"Yeah, we both agreed that we want you to get through highschool and go to a good college. We want you to get a good job, find a guy that we approve of, and mabye even have a couple kids. We want you to get out of this life y/n. That's why we never ask you to go on hunts or help with a case, because we dont want you to get even the slightest bit involved more than you already are. You deserve better than this, y/n."
You shocked to say the least. You always thought that they didn't want you around, kr didn't want your help, but they just wanted better for you. If you were being honest, everything Dean just told sounds like Heaven to most hunters, but you're a Winchester, so you're not 'most hunters.' You would enjoy being out of this hunting life, but you know it won't happen. Again, you're a Winchester, so no matter what you do or where you go, something will follow. Knowing this, you make a sudden decision.
"Dean, we both know that won't be possible. Trouble follows us wherever we go and no matter what we do, we wouldn't be able to get them to leave us alone. It sounds lovely, having an apple pie life, but it won't happen. Instead, I want to help. I want to help save the world with you guys. I want to train, to do research, and to go on hunts with y'all."
Dean looks at you with sad eyes, knowing tjat you're right. You won't be able to have such luxury because of what you do and what your father dragged the three (more like four but they forgot Adam ) of you into.
"You're right, but we just want what's best for you. We want to make sure that you stay safe at all times. We want you to be protected."
"I know, Dean. That's why you and Sammy can train me, and show to do things. I can start by helping Sam with research and you can teach me how to you a pistol and a rifle, and we'll start out with the little things. Then, eventually, I'll be able to go on hunts with y'all."
"I can't make any promises, ans don't get too excited, but I can talk to Sam and see what he thinks about your little plan. I don't thinks it's that bad of an idea, but me and Sammy have to agree, okay?"
You don't have much to say anymore due to the fact that you just let everything that you kept bottled up for a while out, so you simply say "Thank you" and hug him tighter than you have in a while, and bury you face into his neck, feeling safe in your brother's arms.
THE END
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