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miracle-sham · 1 year

Text

Simple Architecture (Shot Volition).

| {MGI Civil War 3 Event} |

| {Secrets} |

———

| Ladybug was on a mission, she knew her orders, she knew the rules. So why did she keep hesitating, why didn't it feel right? |

| It was only a matter of time before she failed. |

| Word Count: 4164. |

| Warnings/Tags: Villain and Hero!Marinette, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Kidnappings, Dehumanisation, Canon-typical Violence, Narcotics (Sleep Dart), Threats of Gun Violence, Mission Gone Wrong/Rescue, Protests, Interrogation, Panic Attacks, Guilt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending. |

———

| A/N: Here's the first fic I've finished for the event! Whilst not one of my more graphically angsty fics, please still do double check the tags before reading! Anyway I hope you enjoy reading! |

| Also side note, Don’t Like? Don’t Read. |

———

The Collége Françoise Dupont school's rooftop was near deathly quiet, despite the two dozen secret strike force operatives setting up on it and the muffled chants of the still steadily accumulating crowd in the street below—spilling over onto the pavement and steps in front of the building's doors. Signs and banners waving in the wind, illuminated by the golden and white glow of street lamps and phone torches. The protestors had been there since half past eight that morning, and it was now just turning eleven pm. There was apparently some symbolism behind the start time and location from what rumours had been circulating back at base, but the handlers and police assigned to work with them had kept tight-lipped about what that symbolism was exactly due to it not being "relevant" to the mission at hand.

Chat Noir brushed his knuckles against Ladybug's arm as he passed her. The only comfort they could safely offer each other at the moment. Any more and they'd both be facing punishment once they returned.

“H-14dy8u9, and H-Ch47 N012. Stop idling and take point.” The riot police Capitaine sneered at them both, signalling sharply with the flick of his gun to the edge of the roof.

That was their cue; they had been caught being too human.

H-Ch47 N012 immediately turned without a word—without hesitation, expression blank behind his white faux-Akuma mask—and stalked to the southeastern side of the front (crowd-facing) roof, where he was stationed to stand guard.

H-14dy8u9 nodded to the Capitaine, and complied with the order he had issued, stepping over to the front-facing wall near the southwestern edge that she had been assigned to alone.

H-V01p1n4, in her own inverted coloured suit, swiftly flanked H-Ch47 N012 as she had been assigned to him, whilst Carapace—H-C424p4c3, and Rena Rouge—H-23n4 20u93 had already moved into their respective positions situated on the two back corners of the roof (Carapace on the northwest, Rena Rouge on the northeast), both also in faux-Akuma versions of their usual outfits.

The rest of the operatives on the roof were all riot police under the command of the Capitaine, who were split equally along the strip of roof between herself and H-C424p4c3, H-C424p4c3 and H-23n4 20u93, and H-23n4 20u93 and H-Ch47 N012, Creating a sort of upside down U shape of coverage where the arch faced the back, and the tails faced the crowd.

Not a single protestor had bothered to look up at the roof—a glaring mistake on their part, seeing as it would now be their undoing—but even if any of them were to be or had been noticed, with the assigned heroes' suit colours all inverted in the style of their fake Akuma counterparts, any civilians would simply be mistaken for said Akumas and that the nearby riot police were under their control.

Thus giving the police a convenient statement to scapegoat their participation in this planned assassination upon, without losing any reputation with the public; which allegedly had already started crumbling with the ever-increasing rate of disappearances and kidnappings since Hawkmoth's first Akuma appeared (or so the rumours and conspiracies they weren't supposed to know, claimed).

Squatting in front of the roof lip, H-14dy8u9 eyed the crowd below; then as silently as a wraith, placed down the hefty dark grey briefcase beside her. With a flick of the clasps and two dull metallic clicks, she flipped it open and quickly scanned the inside for any imperfections.

None, luckily.

Assembling the black and red spotted rocket launcher within was easy. She'd done this a thousand times before back at base, timed until perfection. Prying each piece out from the foam in the briefcase, slotting and twisting and inserting each piece until a fully functional rocket launcher was produced.

Slowly she readied the launcher against herself, the weight heavy on her shoulders, steadying her grip as she began to stare down the scope. Her targets—Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng, the Bruel family, and Nadja Chamack and her news crew—were conveniently all clustered together at the forefront of the crowd, standing on the steps; the two families each with a megaphone in one hand and a sign in the other, as Nadja and her crew live reported the protest.

Her finger rested on the trigger as she adjusted her aim by a fraction.

It wasn't raining, but H-14dy8u9 wished it was. The rain would've made this job harder. Would've made it easier to bear though. Could've cried without reprimand. Though why she felt like crying, she wasn't quite sure. It was not as if she had any connection to the civilians in the crowd. Perhaps she would be required to be returned to the retraining centre once again to fix her broken emotional reaction; so as to not risk a false reaction interfering with any assigned missions. She hummed, mulling it over, most likely she would, seeing as she had been caught earlier. Wrinkling her nose at the thought, H-14dy8u9 adjusted her aim once more to hide her reaction in case the Capitaine was watching.

Before her thoughts could wander any further again, her earpiece crackled the second a fancy black limousine rolled up to the edge of the protest.

“Bruce Wayne spotted.” The Capitaine announced across the mission channel on the earpiece, as a broad-shouldered man in an even fancier suit exited the vehicle with the aid of an elderly chaperone. “Keep an eye out for any Bat-themed vigilantes, or the Justice League in general. We cannot risk them falsely connecting the missing Wayne son to our secret operations and interfering with the mission. Understood.”

A chorus of “Understood, sir” followed from each member of the strike force on the roof, H-14dy8u9 included.

Breathing in and then out slowly, she closed her eyes for a moment. The strike force would only get one shot to complete the assassination before chaos would erupt below, so she couldn't afford to mess this up, not when she was the shot they were all waiting upon.

Blinking her eyes open again, she readjusted her aim one final time. H-14dy8u9 began to press down on the trigger when her earpiece crackled once more.

An unfamiliar American voice cut across the line. “You don't have to do this, please. Put the gun down and step away from the edge.”

H-14dy8u9 pulled her finger off the trigger, hand drifting up to tap the buttons on her earpiece but hesitated at the last second. She shouldn't respond. She should report that the channel was hacked—compromised to the Capitaine. She should—

Her gaze flicked across the Seine, catching on where an almost unnoticeable figure stood perched on the closest-facing roof of the Notre Dame. Dressed in red and black, too far away to make out any further details bar the flutter of a cape silhouetting the figure. But, with a jolt of nervousness tingling down her spine, she didn't need any further details to now recognise him as one of the Bats they had been warned about.

Chewing on her lip, H-14dy8u9 quickly scanned the surrounding view for any further heroes. She needed to report this now.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the Capitaine, flushed a furious red and positively snarling, making sharp and angry gestures at her.

Her hand slinked tentatively back down to the trigger.

“Please,” The red and black Bat asked gently with an edge of desperation, far nicer than anyone had ever asked her before. “I know you've been forced to do this—”

—Had she? H-14dy8u9 didn't know the answer to that. Almost didn't want to know the answer to it. Would it even change anything if she did, though? How did he even know?—

“—But we can help you, and help any others like you who have also been forced into doing things they don't want to. So please, just put the rocket launcher down, and step away from it and the edge.”

She pursed her lips, finger fluttering against the trigger. A glance to her side, the Capitaine was approaching—quickly—and behind him, H-Ch47 N012 was giving her a very visibly concerned look by his furrowed brows and deep pout edging into a grimace.

It was too late.

She'd be in trouble no matter what she did. Nor what choice she takes.

Dropping the rocket launcher like a rock. She flipped backwards—away from the edge, away from the gun. A moment of weightlessness as she soared, watching her legs and body arc through the midnight sky, before planting one hand down on the roof to steady herself and follow up with a second flip.

The second her feet hit the ground after the follow-up, she immediately turned heel into a dead sprint across the roof. Not even daring to look back at where the Bat had been.

She couldn't risk it.

Out of the corner of her eye, H-V01p1n4 dashed towards the abandoned rocket launcher; whereas H-Ch47 N012 was racing after her, as was the Capitaine, finger on his earpiece hurriedly whisper-shouting orders most likely.

Her own earpiece was strangely silent.

The Bat must've disconnected her from the main channel to speak with her…

H-14dy8u9 wasn't quite sure what to think of that but she didn't have time to dwell as the riot police began to rush towards her, all attempts at stealth abandoned.

They pulled out their guns. She grabbed her yo-yo. They shot at her. She swung her yo-yo. Deflected the bullets, with the barrier formed by the magical yo-yo. Faint screams erupted from the protesting crowd.

H-14dy8u9 leapt, using the nearest riot officer as a springboard to flip into the air once more. Her mind was blank as she focused on the fight, the danger around her. More riot officers ahead, with H-C424p4c3 at the rear, shield held ready to face her.

If she got close, he could trap her with Shell-ter. She needed another way off the roof.

Louder, calm-sounding shouts rose above the screams from the crowd—other heroes protecting and diverting protesters perhaps? The earpiece crackled yet again, drowning the shouts out as the Bat spoke. “Use the yo-yo to grapple onto the wall you're running from to swing yourself around. There's a staircase to the métro, we can help you lose them down there.”

She knew that. She knew the métro was near but did the Bat not realise there were police stationed on the platform because of the protests? She would be running into a trap.

But staying on this roof would also be running into a trap.

H-14dy8u9 needed to make a decision…

She took the Bat's instructions.

Skidding to a halt, she turned around and lobbed the yo-yo towards the outcropping wall, narrowly missing both the Capitaine and H-Ch47 N012.

She tugged on the string as soon as the yo-yo was grappled onto it and dove from the roof, swinging her legs to increase momentum.

Almost in slow motion, she watched as H-Ch47 N012 summoned Cataclysm in his hand and reached out towards the yo-yo string rapidly descending away from him.

The drop wouldn't kill her, not in this suit. But it would hurt. It would stun her long enough for them to safely scale the side to the ground and capture her.

She could only watch, with a slowly spreading coldness in her chest that felt like a dropped stone, as his fingertips brushed but a hair's breadth away from the yo-yo's string. The crumbling shadowy rot just millimetres from preventing her the chance for freedom.

H-14dy8u9's heart ached, as she swung past, and she wasn't quite sure why.

Tucking into a roll as she hit the pavement, smoothly keeping the momentum as she sprung up into another dead sprint towards the métro stairs.

They didn't follow. Or, perhaps more accurately, H-Ch47 N012 didn't try to use his baton to slide down the side of the school after her. He could've, he would've caught up if he had, he always was the faster runner between the two of them. But he didn't.

The Bat had definitely unintentionally led her into a trap then. She was regretting listening to him already.

Still, she had come this far.

Bounding down the steps, two to three at a time, just enough to keep her speed but not too many steps as to risk tripping.

Until she reached the final step, a faint whistle of air whipped passed her, followed by a sudden sharp pinch to her neck. Flinching, and catching her foot on the last edge, she careened forwards with all the grace she usually lacked outside the mask, arms whirling in a desperate attempt to stabilise herself, hair slipping from their distinctive ponytails and veiling her sight, and neck. She had spoken far too soon.

Just as she was about to smack face-first into the floor, a hand grabbed one of her flailing hands in a vice-like grasp and pulled her up and close to another body—presumably, the one attached to the hand but there had been documented foreign heroes, and Akumas within Paris, with the ability to detach limbs. So it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that her saviour could have detachable hands

On instinct, she flung a wild punch towards where the arm came from. Unfortunately, whoever had her, had good close-quarter reflexes. They harmlessly caught her fist in their palm.

“You okay?” Asked an American-accented voice.

It was the Bat.

Mortifying.

H-14dy8u9 huffed, rather unsuccessfully blowing her hair out of the way and so settled for peering up at him through the strands of her hair.

“Yeah, that's fair. Dumb question.” The Bat responded, seemingly unfazed by the situation. “You're Ladybug right?”

She hesitated. Yes, she was Ladybug but also no, her official designation was: Hero-14dy8u9, even though she was dressed as an Akuma version at the moment but she was still designated as a hero and the mission was classified as a hero mission. The protests had been causing civil unrest and numerous disruptions, especially to the Mayor. She made no move to answer.

The Bat pursed his lips at her as the silence became drawn out. “Okay, I'm Red Robin, do you have a name you'd like me to call you?”

H-14dy8u9 stared at him blankly. She didn't have a name, only a designation. Ladybug wasn't a name, it was a mantle, a title, a mask.

“Can you stand?” He asked, glancing towards her fist still caught harmlessly in his hand.

She nodded and pulled her hand from his loose grip. Staggering to her feet, H-14dy8u9 stumbled for a moment as static filled her head and vision.

“Woah, careful.” Red Robin exclaimed, gently grabbing her shoulder to keep her steady.

Oh, she mused, that's why they didn't come after me. Black spots danced across her sight, slowly blotting out everything.

“Help.” She rasped, knees buckling and head spinning.

“Shit! I gotcha, I gotcha don't worry.” Without letting go, he darted in front of her to catch her before she could fall again.

Her mind slipped into the darkness just before he caught her.

———

H-14dy8u9 woke up in a small minimalistic white cell with a medical cot tucked into one corner, a private walled-off toilet and sink for an adjoining bathroom, and a glowing barrier facing a blank sterile white corridor.

She had been captured… Her suit and Miraculous were untouched however, for whatever reasons, whoever had taken her—most likely Red Robin and the other heroes that had interfered with the mission—had left her armed.

It didn't take long for a hero, as guessed, to approach her cell.

Wonder Woman smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Ladybug.”

H-14dy8u9 did not smile or respond in return.

It didn't seem to deter the hero though, as Wonder Woman deactivated the barrier with a gentle tap, though she did not approach any further. “I know you must have many questions but we will answer them shortly if you will just follow me.”

What little choice did she have? H-14dy8u9 nodded, standing up from the cot slowly and making her way across the cell. She nearly hesitated as she crossed the threshold where the barrier had been.

They walked down the hallway in relatively peaceful silence. Through a set of double doors at the end of the hallway, Wonder Woman guided her to the first door on the right side of the new hallway. It was a featureless dark grey door with neither a knob nor handle, though a scanner was situated on the wall beside it. Wonder Woman pressed her hand to the scanner for a moment and a second later the door slid open with an automatic hiss.

She gestured into the open doorway, so H-14dy8u9 took the hint and scurried inside.

So this was their destination?

The room was small and plain. White painted walls, a dark grey window sill framing a (presumably) one-way mirror on the wall to the right of the door.

In the centre of the room, was a rectangular dark grey plastic table and three uncomfortable light grey plastic chairs. Red Robin was sat on one of the two chairs closest to the door but facing the opposite wall.

The rest of the room was empty of anything else of interest or colour.

Simple architecture, just like their training and education rooms had been back at base.

Speaking of back at base, strangely enough, not once had Wonder Woman attempted to disorientate or confuse her on the way here, and sure the walk hadn't been far but back at base, the route and distance travelled to reach the same training room each day would vary to ensure in the event of enemy capture, they would be disadvantaged by tactics such as that.

Wonder Woman followed her inside, and the door slid closed behind her. She made her way to the empty chair beside Red Robin and gestured towards the last empty chair. The one on the other side of the table to them both. “Please, take a seat, this may take a while.”

Nodding again, H-14dy8u9 obeyed, walking over to the gestured seat and sitting down to face them.

Red Robin cleared his throat, leaning his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together. “We'll begin with some simple questions, if that's alright with you?”

H-14dy8u9 nodded yet again, still remaining silent. However, she did not let her confusion show at the lack of interrogation tactics—both were being polite and respectful towards her, when one should have been rude or stern instead.

“Please state your name.” He asked.

She hesitated. They had already referred to her as Ladybug but she was not dressed in the usual colours of the suit, for the mission. But they had always been strictly prohibited from sharing their designation outside of the base. She closed her eyes as she took a slow breath in. “Ladybug.”

Red Robin nodded. “And do you have a secret or civilian identity, yes or no?”

Ladybug swallowed thickly. These were not simple questions. “No.”

“Do you know the names of your parents and or guardians?” He followed up.

She bit her tongue gently to hold back her answer. Refusing to speak.

Frustratingly, both the two heroes facing her kept perfectly blank faces. As such, she had nothing to go by as to work out whether she was answering correctly or not.

Without missing a beat, Red Robin continued, “Ladybug, why are you wearing your suit with inverse colouration when you aren't Akumatised?”

Biting her lip, she glanced down at the table to avoid their eyes. She didn't know what to say. Yes, they were fellow heroes but she was under explicit orders to not reveal any information not immediately pertinent to the completion of a mission and she had… She bit her lip harder. She had already failed the mission, she'd be punished no matter what once she went back.

Wonder Woman shifted her shoulders back. “Why don't we move on to the next question. What's your favourite drink?”

Ladybug paused, blinking rapidly as she processed the question. “Uh… Orange juice, why?”

Humming, Wonder Woman glanced back towards the door briefly, “would you like some now?”

“N-No thank you.” Ladybug shook her head.

“If you change your mind, just say so.” Red Robin piped up. “We don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”

Ladybug nodded bewilderedly.

“We're going to move onto some harder questions if that's alright.” He continued.

She bit back a retort, if the earlier questions were easy then how bad would the following be?

“As one of the most active local Parisian heroes, are you aware of the string of disappearances and missing people reports that have risen sharply in the past few years?” Red Robin asked, resting his clasped hands against the table as he watched her.

The weight of the stare was almost tangible.

Ladybug grimaced. “I have heard rumours of the increased disappearances, and I've noticed the number of kidnappings I've stopped increasing over time, yes.” Taking a moment to breathe and steady herself. “I was not aware these were connected, however.”

Red Robin made a noise of contemplation. “That's not surprising, whoever is behind the disappearances is very smart and dangerous.”

The two other heroes exchanged quick looks.

Wonder Woman sighed, “We have reason to believe you were amongst the first of the missing people.”

Ladybug flinched backwards, nearly toppling out of the chair in shock. Furrowing her brows she glanced up at them in confusion.“What!? Why?!”

“Of the connected disappearances, the first three to go missing were children all from the same class in Collége Françoise Dupont.” Wonder Woman began.

Ladybug's heart dropped, blood turning to ice in her veins. No.

Wonder Woman pursed her lips. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng was the first to go missing, her parents saw her leave their house at twenty-eight past eight am.—”

—That explained the protest’s location and start time.—

“—She was last seen by witnesses, crossing the road to the school after helping an old man stand up after he had fallen in the middle of the road and nearly got run over.” Crossing her arms, Wonder Woman watched Ladybug as well. “If you know anything—”

“—No!” Ladybug retorted far too quickly. She licked her lips and swallowed thickly. “No. I don't.”

The two heroes exchanged another look.

Red Robin tilted his head to one side. “Adrien Agreste also went missing just outside of the school on the steps, only a few minutes after class had already begun. It was supposed to be his first day at school after being homeschooled.”

If she was… then… Chat must've been…

She felt sick.

He continued as if he wasn't aware of her reactions already. “Ivan Bruel was the last of the three to go missing. Midway through the first lesson, he was sent to the Principal's office. The school's security cameras showed that he left the classroom but were disabled immediately afterwards, and re-enabled a few minutes later, leaving no trace as to who or why Ivan was taken.”

Stoneheart, it had to be. Stoneheart was the designated villain who had been at the base for as long as she and Chat Noir could remember. They had been the first three at the base. Which lined up with the protest and the first three disappearances.

Wonder Woman frowned. “I know this is shocking and scary. But if you can tell us anything, absolutely anything at all that could be used to help either rescue and reunite any of the missing people with their family, or stop the person behind it all, then please don't hesitate to inform us, it would save countless lives.”

Ladybug had stopped listening before Wonder Woman spoke. She slowly rested the backs of her hands against the table. A sob tore its way from her throat as she stared down at them, stained in unseen blood.

The Dupain-Chengs had been one of her targets.

She had nearly killed her own parents.

And she didn't even remember them, not even as she held the trigger.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she gasped for breath, squeezing her eyes shut and curling up into a ball as best she could upon the uncomfortable chair.

Distantly, she heard noises in the background but it took a while until she registered that Wonder Woman was trying to walk her through breathing exercises in a hushed and gentle tone.

It nearly set her off again.

Keeping her eyes shut, she took a wobbly breath, heart beating wildly in her chest. “The others will fight if you try to save them.”

Red Robin huffed lightly. “That's fine, wouldn't be the first time that's happened.”

“You'll save them all, if I tell you everything I know, right?” She whispered, throat tightening.

“Of course, Ladybug. You have our word.” Wonder Woman responded, offering a hand out to Ladybug.

Her breathing hitched as she slowly opened her eyes, glancing to the outreached hand. Shaking like a leaf, she too reached out, and gently grasped Wonder Woman's hand. “Okay, h-here is everything, all the secrets, that I know.”

———

| Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this oneshot fic! Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are much appreciated! |

| And if you liked this, don’t forget to check out my teammate’s works as well! |

| @maribat-get-in |

#Maribat #ML x DC #DC x MLB #MLB x DC #M?GI Civil War 3 #MGI #MGI Civil War 2023 #MGICivilWar3 #Luck's a Ladybug #Simple Architecture (Shot Volition)#SA(SV)#Sham's Posts #Sham's Writing #Sham's Fics

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txttletale · 9 months

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hi I've been following you for a while and I had some questions about MLism. First, while I think I have a decent understanding of how it works economically, how would a ML government (after the revolution) ensure it doesn't become too powerful? like what systems would be put in place so that it hears public opinion and dissent (should there be any) and not try to maintain power through oppressive means?

Secondly, what would the aftermath of the revolution look like? once the government is overthrown, there will most likely be a period of instability where different factions trying to sieze control. How would the MLs make sure that they get seated in power?

I am genuinely trying to learn more about it, so I'm sorry if those questions are ignorant. Thanks!

i mean, that first part? i'll be completely honest with you and say that in my opinion that's a partially unsolved problem. i think that lenin's prescriptions in state & revolution, based on the actions of the paris commune--that all 'officials' should be subject to democratic recall at any time and paid no more than anyone else--would be a good start.

but of course the USSR did not ossify and see abuses of power because its leaders simply forgot about what lenin wrote--the centralization of power and limiting of worker democracy was a direct result of the newly formed state apparatus having to fight brutal years-long civil war followed as mere decade later by a brutal years-long international invasion. & this is of course a situation that will be faced by any serious socialist government & their newly formed apparatus!

however, on the other hand -- cuba has succesfully maintained an incredible system of participatory democracy. i think that mao's idea of the 'mass line' -- that theory must constantly be in dialogue with the situation on the ground and the situation of the workers -- is vital to maintaining this. in its own time of crisis, during the 90s, instead of 'pulling the ladder up' on workers' councils, cuba expanded and doubled down on its participatory democracy. i think if any nation has succesfully followed lenin's theory and example, it's cuba, and the mass workplace and municipal democracy that the cuban communist party has invited should be the model for any future socialist revolution.

and quite frankly the reason why MLs will 'take power' after the revolution is because marxism-leninism is the only revolutionary socialist ideology with a plan and ability to take and maintain power over the bourgeoisie. i think one thing reading lenin will very much clarify is that the socialist state is not something that is built after the revolution but a continuation of the revolution -- lenin explains aptly the marxist position that, having taken up arms in order to dethrone the bourgeoisie, to not establish a marxist dictatorship of the proletariat is to throw aside those arms that have already been wielded and used. 'not setting up a worker's state' isn't inaction, but a deliberate choice to be disarmed and helpless in the face of foreign intervention or counterrevolution.

and this is also why i think that while solving the (very real and dangerous!) spectres of bureaucracy, of revisionism, of socialist militias becoming police forces "special bodies of men apart from and above" the people instead of "self-acting armed organizations" of the people is a vital and pressing question for marxism-leninism to address in both theory and practice, it is just as vital to note that only marxism-leninism can succeed to the point where this becomes a problem--only marxism-leninism has shown the historical ability to put the workers in a position of political supremacy that they might risk losing to these flaws and missteps.

& seriously, don't be sorry for asking questions. any questions in good faith are welcomed on this blog, because i'm a communist and i do in fact think it is my job to explain communism to people. have a nice day & don't be so down on yourself!

#ask #Anonymous

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youuuimeanmee · 7 months

Text

RWTGI 34 Thoughts

😆🥰🤗 I've been waiting for Kirishima's past to be translated since forever 😭😭Now I can FINALLY talk about this chapter wkdbjsnsjsjk

Out of all the mysteries presented in this series (the hell's up with Suo Azami, Renji, Yoshino's parents, the brewing yakuza civil war), Kirishima's past is one thing that hyped me up the most; mostly because I've been dying to know the background this insane yet lovable(?) ML lololol.

⚠️ Though the title is Ch 34's Thoughts, I actually started it from ch 33. If you haven't read it then what are you doing here, go to MangaDex if you don't wanna get spoiled here.

⚠️⚠️TW; Bullying, Abuse, Self H4rm, yk how Kirishima is.

👏 Okay! So!

We FINALLY get to see Kirishima's rich ass mommy and daddy 🥳🥳🥳

(tho they don't have a face, I'll take it)

Looks like the parents are busy people, they missed the fact that their son is not normal since birth. That, or Kirishima is just damn good at hiding it. Maybe both.

"My 2 classmates are fighting over irrelevant things. Solution? Erase the thing without anyone knowing. No more things to fight, problem solved 🙂"

He has a shrewd moral compass, I have a feeling he was being genuine when he "helped" his classmates. Aww my cute baby gremlin.

Or if he wasn't being 100% genuine, maybe he tore up the cards to surpress his urges for violence, to ease the boredom he felt because he couldn't feel anything while living in a normal, peaceful life.

The parents slowly realize the abnormal blood that's been there since Gaku era has never disappear from their family.

Since Gaku is the black sheep of the family, Kirishima's dad prob thought: 'Oh fuck this is uncle all over again. No wait I can do this. He already released his energy using a good outlet (karate), he just needs to surround himself with good people. Friends, yeah. The school we picked is the best; surely there's no bad influence that's gonna taint my son. No more psycho #2.' Umm, I hate to break it to you, but daddy-

Ironically, the dad might be the first person who gave him insight about the feeling of having fun by being with a friend. Up until that point, he probably didn't know the feeling he felt when he did the karate. He did it many times, and the dad claimed he liked it, but he never registered it as 'liking something' until it was pointed out to him.

(just like when kirishima threw daggers at yoshino's back until she pointed out he might be jealous of Shoma and he got a little 'ahh that explains it' moment.)

Aww look at that probing eyes, trying to search the answer of his boredom from his dad 🥺

Let's be real Kirishima could really use a proper diagnosis and therapy back then, even right now.

The smile of a child who has found the spark of his life:

LMAO seriously, he smiles because Kodaka can kick hard. The more pleasure (read: pain) he gets from other people, the more he's gonna seek it.

But Kodaka is still weaker than him, so the pleasure ends quickly.

Enter Otogawa.

She's cute. Sweet. More importantly, she's important enough to trigger Kodaka.

She told him all he needed to know about Kodaka. Great in academics, gyms, and karate. Secretly violent too. Just like himself.

"He's just like me, so we matched right? We can be friends! 😃"

Kirishima be like: FUCK YES MORE FRIENDS TO FUCK.

Remember in ch 25.2 when Kirishima told Yoshino he once formed a "friendship plan" that went down the drain?

Whelp, looks like Kodaka is that "friend." We all know how that ends, tho.

Anyways.

Thus, began Kirishima's scheme to ✨️nurture✨️ Kodaka into a person who could kick him harder & also strong enough to not break easily. He befriended (read: flirted) with his crush, lured him into a desolate place, provoked him, stayed docile & easy to kick, yadda yadda.

Really an elaborate plan for someone his age, it's almost cute.

This moment of Kirishima and concealer really highlights his cleverness since he was a kid. If he buys a concealer for his bruise, it's too pricey for his budget. Parents will question unnecessarily if he were caught buying it. Solution? Pretend to return the high schooler's money (even though it's his own) so they'd do the makeup for him. Bruise covered, money covered, no one's gonna know ☺️ Little manipulative shit.

I was gonna feel sorry for him for getting beaten up, but then his innocent, excited smile turned me off so quick. Ugh.

(This is prob the beginning of his exploration to find new "fun" stuff to try. Like choking himself, for example.)

Kirishima is a pathological liar huh. Saying his birthday is in September even though it's in November. This really adds weight to his words earlier that he only revealed his true birthday to Yoshino 🥺🥲

Kirishima's plan to nurture Kodaka is going smoothly in this chapter. Maintaining good relationship with Otogawa, making him jealous and all that.

I bet bringing a 10,000 yen bill is part of the plan too, because kids need the motivation to keep coming back to him. Extorting a broke student is boring afterall.

It's been 300 days since Kodaka had beaten him up? Um. Excuse me what the fuck. With that many injuries, Where are his parents??? Did he ever get questioned at all?? Is Kirishima just that good at lying?? I'm sorry, but I also smell neglection. Intentionally or not.

Moving on, Kirishima is damn good huh. His fights like an adult, prob even better than some yakuza. He's 12. Let that sink in.

(should've seen it coming tbh, but it still surprises me.)

I wanna say he's so disgusting when he ripped the poor dude's ear (where on earth did he learn that?), but he's also my son, so...

Also, the art is so clean. My eyes is blessed, thank you Konishi.

I'm running out of gas. Yeah that's all for today! See you next time 👋

#raise wa tanin ga ii #rwtgi #rwtgi ch 33 #rwtgi ch 34 #miyama kirishima #rwtgi meta #rwtgi analysis #tw abuse #tw bullying #tw self h4rm

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pedritapascal · 8 months

Text

Max Lord Always Gets What He Wants.

Maxwell Lord Always Gets What He Wants

WARNINGS: Explicit Sex; Sex Language; SA; Fingers; Tongue; Nudity; Explicit Details

Pedro Pascal's character - Maxwell Lord aka Max Lord - [ML]

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Being in a place like this really suits me. I don't know at what point during the phone call last night, while Jimmy was telling me about what was happening on the Indian reservation in Montana, I thought it would be a good idea to just take the first flight out in the morning to get here.

I look around to see the fence lying on the ground, on one side some Crow tribesmen with rifles resting on their shoulders, pistols in their holsters as they ride their Appaloosas or Arabian horses on the other side of the territory once marked only by the precarious wooden and wire fence on the ground, is the richest family in Montana.

The big case here is, where a huge herd of buffalo can be seen in the distance, it's the land of the Crow tribe, and on the other side of the fence where there are three huge, grim-faced men and where I can see some pedestrians arriving on their tricycles, it's the land of Mr. Lord, yes, Maxwell Lord IV, my father's best friend. Not that I ever really spoke to the man, because he was always meeting with Dad talking about riches and lands, our family gatherings on big occasions or closed contracts, always very cordial and kind to me, I can't remember a time when Max didn't frequent our family. And despite this, I still followed him around the salon whenever I had the chance, wasting a minute or two more on the newspapers where pictures of him appeared. Always overbearing in his luxury suits.

- The animals are here now, no matter what you say, they're ours now - Lodge Grass, the tribe's leader, arches an eyebrow, his strong jaw moving and clenching as he chews his tobacco

And then the whole argument starts again, I try to calm it down, the fact is that yes, the animals are from the Lord's farm, and yes, the buffalo even have a cattle brand on their ear listing each one, but they are here on Indian land now. When the men raise their guns, the weather heats up, the thin trickle of sweat running down the back of my neck gives me goosebumps, and this has nothing to do with Montana's 37° heat, the midday sun doing its job along with the arid terrain…

- Hey hey, Mick, put the damn gun down, Lodge is right - I speak with one foot on either side of the divider where the fence is, right on the division of the land, my hands up asking everyone to calm down before they actually pull the trigger and I end up like a sieve in the middle of this semi-desert. - What a great idea, huh?

- Get out of the way, little girl, you shouldn't be here - Mick complains, pointing his gun at Catori, who is very tense on his horse to my right…

- Well, I guess there's not much point in me coming here every weekend to train the horses on the Lord's estate, is there?

- What the hell? - I hear Mick talking as a helicopter approaches us, dust flies around us, I have to put my hand in front of my eyes to keep from going blind, the loud noise of the propellers makes me dizzy, or maybe it's the logo of the Lord family empire that gives me a damn vertigo, strange things happen in my stomach that tightens and retracts as if I were on the long descent of a roller coaster

- What is it, boys? We can solve this in a civilized way - I hear his voice low, hoarse, the sexy sound of it brushes across my skin like a caress giving me goosebumps, even with the sound of the helicopter gradually diminishing, the propellers stopping turning, his voice is still powerful and strong, like a general making himself heard in the middle of war

The farmhands lower their weapons and I watch as the men behind me refuse to lower theirs, still under their horses.

Maxwell is wearing a dark gray three-piece suit, his black dress shoes match the suspenders I could see when the ends of the suit flew off. His gaze is hidden by his sunglasses.

I turn to look in the direction of the white corsair with dark spots

- Don't you see my niece here? - The voice sounds so much closer now, I feel arms wrap around my waist in an innocent hug

- "That's my favorite niece," he whispered so quietly next to my ear as he looked at me over his glasses, that if it weren't for the shiver that went straight down my spine I'd think I'd just imagined the words.

- "Hi Uncle Max," I shrug, feeling my cheeks heat up strangely, and snort at the indignation of my traitorous body wanting to blush. I don't blush

- Mick, let it go, a few head of cattle won't make any difference - Max slings an arm over my shoulder and starts guiding me towards the helicopter, not taking much notice of the situation…

- But Sir Lord - Mick complains - There's hundreds of dollars in there - The man grunts, sounding disgusted

Maxwell Lord says nothing, just looks at the man, stops him in his tracks and continues his confident steps, guiding me. I'm amazed at how easily he gave up so much money and how quickly he solved the problem by helping the indigenous people in the end.

- When are you going to New York? Has your father told you anything about winning a scholarship? I don't know what the options are, but you should move there - he said, not wanting to talk about what had just happened

I didn't ask him how he knew what was going on here, after all he always seems to know everything, and I didn't need to ask him why he came in person to sort it out. I think your friendship with my father is important enough for him to want to guarantee my safety.

- You make it sound as if I have somewhere to live other than under the bridge - I scoff lowly

"It's not just because my father has some money that he did anything for me, he was very firm after my teenage years that I should make my own money, especially when I refused to follow the career path he had planned for me.

Me, a defense lawyer? That would never work, and he thought it was far inferior to his little girl to be studying political science with an emphasis on social welfare.

- Don't be silly girl, I have an apartment there, you can make yourself at home. - As long as you don't mind me stopping by once in a while on business.

At that moment he had his glasses off and I could see those brown eyes shining at me in the warm sun and I forgot what to say

- Let's see - as he stretches out his hand, beckoning me to get on the helicopter with him, I just say no - I'm going to take advantage of being here and get on with my work, I miss my... your horses - I smile, remembering who's really in charge here

- See you soon then - he kisses my hand, puts his glasses back on and disappears into the helicopter…

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

Moving to New York was one of the best choices I could have made, I still miss the farm and the horses I used to train, seven months is a long time without riding, without feeling the wind whipping my hair and the horse's breath synchronized with mine, intelligent and sensitive animals those, able to understand me better than any human being, not to mention the always cold climate of New York and the people always in a hurry and who didn't seem to see you…

Max showed up here four times during that time, none of them telling me he was coming, and I didn't really care, he proved to be great company, we ended up watching something or talking about trivial matters, the last time I just watched as he worked, the sleeves of his dress shirt folded up to his elbows, his tense body hunched forward, looking at a pile of papers, his hair still in place even after hours of work, that day he wore a petrol blue vest and my legs felt weak from watching him concentrate, I can still feel the slight dampness between my legs just with the memory...

I shake my head, trying to concentrate on the papers in front of me, the many books spread out in front of me, having chosen political science as my major is killing me...

I stand up a little to stretch, the black baby doll rides up my back as I stretch and reach for a book on the other side of the table

- Ufhh - I hear a loud sigh behind me and I jump up looking over my shoulder with my heart racing from the shock.

- Hey, it's you - I giggle, going over to Max to give him a hug - I got a fright.

- I didn't mean to - he smiles and hugs me back, his chin resting on the top of my head while his hands go around my waist and rest on my hips, stroking with his thick fingers.

- You look tired - I say, noticing the soft dark circles under his brown eyes, today he's just wearing a white shirt, a black suspender that matches his dress pants and Italian shoes, his jacket hanging on the rack in the hallway

- It's been a long week - he goes into the kitchen, ignoring the papers scattered on the counter, all the things I need to study for next week's exam - I'm going to open some wine to relax, will you join me?

He shakes a bottle of Domaine Leflaive Montrachet, I didn't know much about wine, but I knew it wasn't the cheap stuff I sometimes drank at night while studying, it would certainly be one of the most expensive wines in the world, and even though I'd love to share a glass with him, I thought I'd better not risk it

- It's better not - I say laughing, watching as he pours a good amount into a glass and then grabs another from the cupboard that I can barely reach without standing on my tiptoes, he doesn't even have to stretch - Wine has an effect on me very quickly - smiling in a corner and a little miffed at having been...flirtatious, I shrug, looking away and going into the living room to find something to watch.

- Oh, you're not going to do that, are you? - I saw him coming with both of them in his hand, both with two fingers of wine in each

Well, since it was in the glass, I wasn't going to waste it. I sat down and picked up the glass and he sat down next to me and started telling me about his turbulent day. I loved it when he told me about his problems and asked me for advice on how to act in certain situations where he had to deal with emotion, because according to him, he didn't have a heart, he was 100% rational and that's how you won in life...

He loved how much I paid attention to every word he said and with my raised eyebrows I only ignored when he said that this world would eat me alive if I kept being so sweet...

- Little one, ignore what I say about you being sweet, keep it up, bring balance... it's just today that was - he gasps tiredly, leaning back against the sofa, while I finished my second glass of wine...

And I saw how comfortable he was with me, tie loosened, two buttons open, sleeves folded...

Max pulled my legs apart and let me rest on his lap, his big, warm hand sliding down my calf to my knee as we laughed to some movie playing at a very low volume in the background. I wasn't even paying attention anymore.

And with the first sip of the third glass, my legs itched where I felt his skin touching them, I felt hot and wet, my stomach light and my thoughts running like torrents in my head. When I felt his fingers on my lower thigh, I let out a low moan, unable to disguise the way he was touching me, my skin so tingling that it was impossible for him not to have noticed the hairs on my arm that were bristling

- Max - I moaned again when he put my legs on his lap and I felt the huge erection there

I don't know who moved first, who pulled who or how it happened, I just realized that I was straddling his lap, my thighs hugging his hips while I was right on top of his big, bulging erection. His mouth hit mine hungrily and the low moan I heard made me gasp and get even more aroused, my panties practically sticking to my wet pussy as I began to roll slowly onto his lap

Our tongues intertwined as he deepened the kiss, the wet kiss, with teeth and bites, that slow kiss that leaves your legs weak and your heart racing wildly in your chest. Max's hands grabbed my ass and pressed it hard against his cock, making me moan even more into his mouth, fuck yes, I could feel his length right on my clit. My hands on his face, holding him back for fear that he might run away from me, even though I was the one who should have run away...

- We can't, shit this is wrong - I gasped as our mouths parted

He grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me into another kiss, silencing my protests. One of his domineering hands went to my waist and guided me back into the movements so that we could rub together.

My hands now in his hair, gripping and squeezing the back of his neck, we looked like two teenagers who had never experienced a hard-on before in their lives.

I pushed his chest so that he lay back on the sofa and I opened the remaining buttons button by button, so lost in my own hard-on that I could barely think, and just feeling was taking an enormous effort. My hands were shaking, I don't know if it was because I was so horny or because I was so tense that it was really happening. That's when I felt his fingers squeezing my ass, making me rub my honeyed pussy, covered only by the thin fabric of my panties, even harder against his hard cock.

No, it definitely wasn't another dream about Maxwell Lord, he was there, touching me eagerly and thirsty for me too...

As much as it hurt between my legs, I really wanted to taste him. I moved away enough to unzip Max's pants, it was a martyrdom and he complained when he no longer felt the heat of my body so close to his.

When I sidestepped your mouth, kissing your cheek, then biting your neck, dragging my tongue across your chest and past one of your nipples, I looked up and saw your naughty, cornered smile.

- "It's so wrong, Max, but I want it so much," I said whimpering, the weight of my conscience trying to bring some sense to my horny thoughts.

- I want it too, little one, I've always wanted it - he caresses my cheek and just that light touch gives me the strength to continue, he lifts his hips when I pull his underpants down a little to release his erection.

His cock is big, so big that my eyes widen in surprise. It must be about 18 centimeters long, with veins and a bulbous head that's red and irritated with lust, the little pearly drop at the tip makes me salivate with desire as if I hadn't sucked a cock in 84 years.

- You're so beautiful here," I say, stretching out my tongue and catching the drop of pre-cum, moaning when I taste it on my tongue.

- That's it, my little whore, I want to see all my cock in that delicious mouth." The thick, husky voice makes me sigh, he gathers all my hair in his fist and guides my head towards the huge head of his cock.

I wrap my mouth around it, taking in every inch, taking care not to scrape my teeth, I feel his strong thighs tense under my fingers, and I look up in time to see his head falling back and his eyes closing, his fingers tighten in my hair and he pushes slowly so that I swallow more.

- Go on, a bit more, swallow all of my cock - he says quietly, as if he can't keep the strength in his voice and God, I love being able to do that to him.

I relax my throat and swallow the remaining centimeters, feeling the head of his cock touch my throat and throb with my tongue

- Oh, fuck. You're so good at sucking me small

I moved up and down, pressing my lips around the veins and dragging my tongue along the underside, his fingers gripped my hair tightly, immobilizing me, and then he fucked my mouth, pumping, making the head of his cock slip into the back of my mouth again and again.

I grabbed his balls and massaged them between my fingers, motivated by the moans and grunts Max let out as he fucked my mouth.

- Oh my God, stop or I'll come - God, I was loving how he was begging me, the mighty Maxwell Lord, begging me?

He kept begging me as he tried to stop me from continuing.

But I squeezed my lips tighter around his length, my tongue swirling around and over the slit at the tip every time I almost pulled it out of my mouth and then swallowed as much as I could.

I could feel his balls throbbing in my fingers, my legs tensed and he thrust one last hard thrust, moaning as he came in my mouth, the thick strands of cum running down my throat, making me smile and suck the tip clean.

When I sat on his leg, I wiped the corners of my mouth with my thumb, saw how his brown eyes were blazing at me and how his chest was rising and falling while his breathing still hadn't returned to normal...

Max settled down with me on his lap again, one hand sliding up my thigh to grab my ass and the other wiping away the tears that had formed in my eyes when I slid his cock into my mouth.

- I thought I'd told you to stop - he says, squeezing my cheeks with his hand and without leaving me time to reply, he kisses me, tasting himself in my mouth and exploring everything with his tongue

I feel a naughty finger passing through my ass and going to the tight bundle of nerves making me a little tense but then he goes down moaning in my mouth when he feels my panties all wet, pulling them aside he runs two fingers through my pussy and sighs biting my bottom lip

- All wet for me, little one, look how you've made my fingers wet - he brings his wet fingers in front of my face before putting them in his mouth and sucking on them, making a Ploc with his lips.

I'm not a silent person, not really, but my brain seems so melted and full of serotonin that I can't think of anything witty to say in reply

- It's very nice here - Max says, grabbing my ass with both hands, his fingers so firm that I know I'll have his fingerprints all over me the next day - But my bed is bigger - he adds as he pulls me onto his lap.

Fuck that's wrong, very, very wrong. But fuck, I'm in love.

- Don't you think it's a bit strange? Us doing this, huh? - I ask, kissing his neck as he carries me towards the master bedroom he always uses when he comes over...

- No, nothing's wrong here - he presses his fingers into my ass and throws me onto the bed, making me squeal with laughter.

I take a moment just to look at Maxwell Lord, he looks like a Greek god of sex and sin, his hair, which has always been in order even after hours of work, is messy, his tie is open and hanging from his strong neck, his white shirt is open, showing the few hairs on his chest and the way to his doom, his forearms with thick, visible veins are bare and the fabric is folded up.

His suspenders are down, falling close to his knees, and his open pants show his black boxer briefs. On his face is the damn corner smile that makes me gasp and squeeze my legs together

Realizing how affected I am by the sight of him still dressed, he makes no effort to take off his clothes. Instead, he climbs onto the big bed on his knees like a lion ready to corner its prey, pushes my knees apart with his hands and stares at me seriously, taking off my baby doll shorts, and then when he grabs the ends of my panties, he tugs hard, tearing the fabric. I take advantage of this and finish taking off the rest so that he can have all of me...

His concentrated eyes focused completely between my legs, his red tongue flicked across my lips and he lowered himself without saying a word, taking a long lick of my soaked slit, from my perineum to my swollen clitoris I could feel the moist touch making me press my fingers into the pillow and close my eyes

- You have such a sweet little pussy - he said, giving it another long lick, making my legs tremble with tension - I'm going to love spending hours here

- Ho-hours? - I ask, choking when I feel his tongue penetrating my entrance and I feel his fingers parting my lips to give him better access - Fuck, Max, I'm not coming...

I grow silent as he runs his tongue up my clitoris in tight, languid circles, sucking and rubbing the nerve endings.

- Shiiiiiu, you're going to take it, I'm going to make you take it - he says with a cocky smile, always overbearing, and I love it - I'm going to give my little whore everything she needs, don't worry little one...

He adds a second finger to the first and goes back to sucking all over my pussy except the point where I need it, he licks and bites my lips, takes his fingers out and then sticks his tongue in as far as he can and then comes back with his fingers, driving me crazy, making me gasp and moan with abandon. The heat between my legs spreads to my belly and down my legs, my head feels heavy and I try to keep my eyes open looking at his handsome face as he pleasures me

Whenever I'm close to cumming, he slows down, making the shivers of orgasm go away and leaving me on the edge of the precipice of wonderful cumming and frustration, frustration that he soon pushes away as he begins his torture all over again.

- Oh shit, I never thought you'd be a patient man - I moan between my teeth when I feel the light blow right on my clit making me shiver and moan

The light slap on my breast came as punishment and then I felt his fingers roll over the nipple and squeeze the hard tip making me even crazier, pushing my hips towards him.

- I'm very patient - he punctuates by slipping a finger into me again, slowly in and out several times - You have no idea how much - a second finger joins the first and the movements speed up making me hopeful that he's finally going to make me come - I've had to wait a few years for this, I'm going to fuck you all night - he mumbles this last part, as if he thinks I'm going to refuse.

It seems so.

Three of his big, thick fingers fuck me and when they're all the way inside me he curves them slightly upwards, touching something very close to what I need. When his tongue touches my clit and I hear the moan of appreciation, I don't need much more than one or two stimulations to finally explode in an orgasm that makes me shudder and scream his name, my eyes shut tightly as my lungs explode with the air I didn't even realize I was holding.

It takes a while to feel his weight on top of me, his hand running down my leg from my calf to my thigh and pulling it towards his hip. I felt the big head of his cock at my entrance and stifled a surprised yelp when it slid all the way in in one hard, fluid movement

- Aah, fuck, don't move - I say panting, pressing my hands that were previously dead on the mattress to his back, trying to hold his body to mine and keep him still.

- "Fuck, you've got a huge cock," I complain, but I can't stop myself from smiling when I feel the lips on my neck - which had been kissing there before - stretching and the breath of his kettle laugh close to my ear.

- I'm not going to move - Max says, lifting his tight lips in concentration, his eyes two small, shiny slits, the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth appearing

- You're so fucking small everywhere, aren't you?

Now it's my turn to laugh. He squeezes my ass hard as if staying still like this is too much of an effort, I kiss his chin, and his neck, run my nails lightly down his back and try to roll over feeling a little wider for his cock and less uncomfortable, when I do it a second time he understands that it's okay and pulls out only halfway and then enters again with a slower movement Breathing hard

- Faster - I'm almost begging as I start to feel ready again, the easy slide of his cock because of how wet I've gotten from the first orgasm.

Max kisses me deeply, his tongue assaulting me in a slow kiss as he thrusts hard and goes all the way inside me, I gasp into his mouth and he swallows all my moans. The sound of our bodies fills the room, the thrusts getting faster and stronger, the hand that was on my ass goes up to my breast, paying attention to my nipples while the other holds him above me

- I'm so close," I say, still listening to his dirty whispers in my ear.

- "Then come for me, lick all over my cock," he murmurs and I almost scream at the shocks I feel when his fingers reach between us and rub my clit.

I feel another wave through my body, this one calm and spreading through all my limbs, without being that crazed explosion, every part seems to heat up, shivering and tensing and then the relief comes like gentle waves of the sea kissing my skin and sliding between my legs. I'm so soft and lost that it takes me a while to realize he's moved away, his sweaty chest no longer touching mine and the fabric of his pants rubbing against my legs.

Max turns me over on my stomach and puts a pillow under my belly. He slams both hands down on my ass, making a loud pop, and shoves his cock into me again without slowing down as before.

I've never been quiet during sex but I can't think of anything to say or do, I can only enjoy the sensation of him so deep inside me. I know he's about to come when his thrusts become frantic and erratic, his fingers press hard into my hips as I meet his movements, he pulls out again cursing and cursing and I feel the hot come hitting my back and ass, I turn to look at him over my shoulder, Max has his head thrown back, his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open, the veins in his forearm are so dilated that I can see the slightly green color, his shirt is open, his chest is heaving and I can still see his pants halfway down his thighs.

With a long sigh, he opens his eyes and smiles at me. With two fingers, he spreads his cum all over my ass and uses them to lightly stroke my asshole, making me tense up a little.

- Relax, little one, we've got all night - he reminds me with his other hand caressing my back, lightly slipping just the tip of his finger into the cluster of muscles and nerves and smiling again as I try not to tense up - Hasn't anyone ever played with you here?

- No, sir, Lord." I nod, smiling, still looking at him over my shoulder.

- Then let's take a shower, today everything you have will be mine. - Stretching out his hand to help me, since I looked weak...

I'd never dared to go into the bathroom of Max's suite, but once I went into his room when he wasn't there just to get another blanket because it was a cold night in New York and I felt like an intruder in that place.

Max always liked a lot of luxury, and his bathroom was no different, a rectangular bathtub that ran from one wall to the other, almost a swimming pool, not that I hadn't had luxury in my life, I had until the moment I took my father to be free, and I'm sure that if I hadn't done that, this night wouldn't be happening.

Max turned on the taps as the bath filled up, and I just watched him as he moved around, still in his clothes, standing in front of the sink, removing his rings, his Swiss watch, he looked at me in the mirror with a smile in his corner as I watched his every move sitting on the edge of the bath, waiting for the moment when my body would actually touch his... he was enjoying seeing the effect he was having on me.

- Come on, little one, I'll help you get in - taking me by the hand to help me

- Hey, but you...?

- Shiiiu, just obey me...

I've never been one to obey anyone, but he had me like under a spell, so I did, I sat in the bath, the water warm, he was still sitting outside, he took my hand, stuck two fingers in my mouth, making them wet.

He took my hand to the middle of my legs...

-When I'm not here, and you touch yourself, do you think of me? - pushing my hand deeper inside me and pulling it back

- "I-I do, sir," I said, biting my lower lip.

-And when you come, do you call my name?

- S- yes... - I moaned low, like a whimper, not sure if I was too shy to confess that I was thinking of him like that, or if my voice failed me because of the hard-on that was taking over my body.

- So now you're going to touch yourself, while I watch you until you come for me, little one...

He stood up, leaned against the sink, crossed his arms at chest height, he looked me up and down, as if he owned me, and that night, he did...

- Go on, you can start... he motioned with his head for me to start for him... and I readily obeyed...

I put one leg on either side of the bath, so that he could see me completely, I leaned my head back a little and left my hands where he put them, I felt the slight shocks on my clit as I moved my fingers up and down, Max just watched me with his lower lip bitten.

- Moan louder for me little one - he ordered

It didn't take much effort at that point, as I started to circle my fingers, I felt a wave of pleasure coming over me, and another orgasm coming as I whispered his name, just like those nights when I wanted him...

Max enjoyed everything to the end and approached the bathtub, I was still gasping from my last orgasm when I saw him finally take off his shirt, leaving it on the floor... and then his pants and underwear.

I adjusted myself in the bath as he got in and pulled me close to him, I felt his hands on the back of my neck and his lips on mine, a long kiss...

I could finally feel his body on mine, the touch of his skin on mine, as we kissed I enjoyed every bit of him with my hands, I squeezed his strong arms, smoothed my hands down his back a little, until I reached his ass, where I squeezed slowly and felt him smile in the middle of the kiss.

- I never thought that behind all your sweetness, you were hiding this horny woman - tucking my hair behind my ear

- Does that bother you?

- No, of course not, it surprised me in fact, in a positive way, I don't think I'd have the patience to teach you things - smiling

- Always overbearing, aren't you Maxwell Lord - squinting - Can I ask you a question?

- Of course...

- You said today that you've waited years for this... what do you mean? You're not going to tell me that since I was 18, like in those novels we read and the guy is just waiting for the girl to come of age and? - he interrupts me

- Buurf - he snorts - Of course not, it was later... actually - he seems to remember when it was - Remember a Thanksgiving about five years ago?

- And how can I forget...

- It was that day, you were already 21, in college, doing law, and in the middle of dinner, while your father was talking about what your life would be like, you stood up and said you'd dropped out of college four months ago

- My father almost had a heart attack that day - I remember with wide eyes

- Yes, the vein in his forehead popped out - Max laughs as he remembers the scene -

That's when I saw you as a woman for the first time... and then when you came with the excuse of training the horses at the stud farm, because you had nowhere to stay, since your father had cut down everything?

- But I really wanted to train the horses... I just wanted to combine the useful with the pleasant

- Did you know that I started visiting that stud farm more after you went there? And I loved watching you from the balcony in the late afternoon while you rode...

I'd never seen you like that, talking about your memories with such sincerity, even more so with me...

- So you mean I was in Max Lord's thoughts? - I try to be overbearing, but he doesn't answer, he just raises an eyebrow at me, pulling me closer to him as he glues his mouth to mine again...

His kiss is slow, but hard, as if he doesn't want to lose any of me there, one of his hands holding me by the back of the neck, under my hair, and the other gluing me to him, down my hips, lifting one of my legs, I feel his thumb passing through my bct, I moan softly into his mouth, he sticks his thumb in quickly before going down a little further, I feel the tension when he starts to caress my ass, and he says into my mouth.

-Just relax

My body trembles, I hold him by the nape of the neck as he thrusts deeper and deeper, letting out low moans still in his mouth...

- Max...

He continues until he's halfway in, and pulls it back out, slowly making his way back in, his mouth descending to my neck, while I felt his tongue licking it, he played with my ass as he wanted...

- It won't be good for you here - he whispered in my ear - Let's go back to bed, so I can fuck your ass…

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

Max lay down on top of me, pulled the hair out of my face and kissed me affectionately

- I promise I'll be careful, I just need you to trust me, okay, little one? Brushing his nose against my cheek

I just nodded, I was tense, but I wanted him there so much...

Max put me on my side and lay down behind me, like a little mattress, I felt his bare chest touch my back and his lips kissed the back of my neck, going down to my shoulders, his hand was now searching for my pussy, he opened me up a little to reach my clit, making me wet again, he ran his fingers inside it, taking as much of my libido as he could, and began to caress my ass calmly while still kissing the back of my neck, I felt the head of his huge cock forcing its way in, my body tensed.

- shiiiiii, calm down, if it hurts, just tell me

Him whispering in my ear was just what I needed to relax, my hand gripping the mattress as I felt him invading me, at first I thought it would hurt more, but I was anesthetized and held by Max's huge arms, he kept thrusting halfway in, his hand started holding my neck, taking the air out of me a little, as if he was going to suffocate me, I felt his hot breath in my ear

- You're so tight, baby," he snorted.

I thrust my hips more towards him, causing more of his cock to enter me, I felt him gasp and hold my hips, Max started to pump hard and slow while moaning and whispering in my ear, his hand went down from my hip to my clit where he started to touch me while he pounded faster and faster into my ass, I was in ecstasy, feeling his hips already hitting my ass, and his moans getting louder and louder

- Come for me again little one - as he circled my clit with his fingers - I'm going to come inside your ass now

I'd lost count of how many times Max had made me come so far, but I could feel the next wave coming, and God, him pumping so deep into my ass was really driving me crazy...

I thrust my hips even more as I came, and I called his name loudly MAX... I gasped loudly and heard him moan, straddling me as he pumped his entire cock into my ass, Max moaned loudly and stroked his face through my hair, and I felt him come inside me, his sweaty body glued to mine as our breathing returned to normal, I felt him slowly pull out of me

- You were great, little one - he whispered in my ear - better than in my fantasies...

Max turned me towards him, smoothing my hair out of my face... he smoothed my cheek and kissed my forehead, then went down to my mouth, lay down and pulled me to his chest...

When I woke up Max wasn't in bed with me. If it weren't for the insistent pain in all the right places on my body I might think it was just another one of my torrid dreams about him, but the throbbing pain in my pussy and ass won't let me forget that so quickly

Good Mr. Maxwell Lord, I look forward to your next visit...

PEDRITA PASCAL

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vacuouslyfalse · 16 days

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Listening to Blowback season 3 now. So far it hasn't really hit on much I didn't already know - I kinda wonder if they're using the same book I read in high school as one of their sources, or if the historical consensus is just quite strong.

Some initial thoughts:

It seems like more or less a given that the entirety of Korea would've been communist if there was no foreign interference from either the US or USSR. The capitalist class has delegitimized themselves by collaborating with the Japanese and the communist guerillas had gained a lot of popular support from being the fiercest resisters, and on top of that land reform was desperately needed. I think this is pretty close to the best conditions for communism anywhere in the world.

The North/South split seems like it basically delayed the revolutionary civil war - instead of having it out immediately and locally, counterrevolutionaries in the north left for friendlier territory in the south. This means that the initial revolution was pretty bloodless, but the ensuing civil war was absolutely massive, though the foreign intervention plays a bigger role in that.

I doubt the series will get into it, but as I've previously mentioned, I'm very curious about how NK went from basically a bog-standard ML state to one of the most repressive in the world. Kim Il Sung seems like a more sane leader than Stalin (not a particularly high bar tho) and the immediate aftermath NK state seems, well, not all that bad as communist states go.

#blowback

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dangermousie · 1 year

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Chang Feng Du is a really good novel, none of that rebirth nonsense or harem fights that I dislike. I am indifferent to ML (tho I don’t dislike him and I love that he’s just a good-natured but petty and immature merchant son, not some fated crown prince or w/e) but oh god the FL is everything! She is very Minglan-like in growing in a dysfunctional household with a selfish, concubine-obsessed father and as a result turning into a smart, ladylike, pragmatic woman whose goal is to marry into a respectable, well-run family with a husband of good character. She is not interested in love because she can’t afford to be.

And then ML’s thoughtless (but not evil) prank results in them being made to marry - he does not have a steady character, they dislike each other and the prophetic dream she saw in the beginning shows his whole family murdered or enslaved in the upcoming civil war - so this is going to be GOOD! I am always excited when I find an interesting and adult non-cookie cutter het novel since they are in the minority imo and much as I love danmei sometimes I want to read other web novel stuff.

Oh and Song Yi is perfect for FL!

#cnovel #Chang Feng Du

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princess-of-the-corner · 1 year

Note

I always wonder how an ML civil war would go because I feel like most everyone would be inclined to side with Ladybug? They don't really have any particular connection to Chat Noir, aside from Felix who would do it both out of loyalty to Adrien and distrust of Maribug. Alya would pick Marinette, Nino hates Chat Noir. Kagami MIGHT go with Chat if she knew it was Adrien but given her whole "I love Marinette I trust Ladybug with my life and ALSO Felix's and Adrien's" thing idk; Luka and Alix are both toss-ups who'd try to stay out of it- Luka because he wants to look for a peaceful resolution and Alix because she probably literally can't intervene. Everyone else is kind of just there

Honestly I think that, given what's happening at the end of Season 5 with Ladybug keeping everything all secret, we could have a better reason for some of the team to go against her.

Because if all this comes out, if they find out how much she kept from them, how much she kept from Chat, how badly she handled certain situations like everything the day of Miracle Queen.... I could see it.

I could see it happening with that. Remember we mentioned the idea of Mari tells Alya and Alya tells Nino and Nino goes 'oh hell no' and tells Adrien? That could kick it off.

Nino finds out about the whole 'Adrien is a Sentimonster, Gabriel was Monarch, we're not telling Adrien' thing and, well, tells Adrien. Adrien has a breakdown about That™, spills the beans that he's Chat Noir because he's trying to say that Nino's lying because 'surely Ladybug wouldn't lie to Chat? Surely she'd tell me of all people?!' but whoops she didn't.

And he's hurt and pissed and confronts Ladybug on the whole thing because he can understand somewhat lying to 'Adrien' but lying to 'Chat'? (And telling Rena).

They have a big blowup fight which starts the fracturing of the whole thing.

Nino is on Adrien's side because the boy should've been told shit. Alya stays on Mari's because like. She gets why she hid that shit and how she was under so much stress and the full scope of the whole 'she thinks telling Chat will fuck things up because it has in other timelines'.

Toss in both Chloé and Zoé for Chat's side. Because maybe they have a blowup fight too at first when Chloé finds out that Zoé replaced her, but the fight turns into telling Zoé what happened during Miracle Queen in its entirety (the threats, the betrayal, etc.). Zoé realized that Maribug REALLY fumbled that whole situation and blamed Chloé for it in the aftermath after basically sabotaging her attempts in the first place(not to mention the double standard of Mari telling Chloé that she should do her best to imitate Audrey and earn her love while telling Zoé that she shouldn't have to appease Audrey to earn love)

So they both hop on over to Team Chat and switch off the Bee.

Kagami and Felix are leaning more Team Chat because they agree that Adrien should've been told about the fuckery of his existence and Felix in particular is kinda pissed about Gabriel being remembered as a Hero instead of a bastard. Kagami I think the tipping point would also be learning the full scope of the Miracle Queen incident because she learns how Maribug broke the 'if your identity is known you're benched' rule so that she could interrupt Kagami and Adrien's date(like yeah it didn't work out with Adrien but DICK MOVE GIRL)

Luka and Alix are probably the most sensible in the 'she made some bad calls, but for the most part she was trying to do the right thing. It's okay to be hurt by that anyway. But we're friends, we're a team, we need to work this out'.

The rest of the Team could go either way because like. No offense but they don't have the most fleshed out personalities. This could flesh them out more with how they react to hearing what all went down.

#ml leaks #ml civil war

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jacquesthepigeon · 5 months

Note

The idea of an ML civil war is so funny to me because I genuinely believe no one would side with Adrichat. Except maybe Felix but only out of family loyalty and also to spite Ladybug

I think you’re underestimating the power of the universe to bend itself backwards to make things difficult for maribug, I suspect Lila-level bullfuckery comes into play to somehow make her out to be in the wrong in the eyes of most

#anon #ask

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poachedeggssocool · 2 years

Text

Going to write a few things on of the best asian dramas I have watched in 2022.

Love Between Fairy and Devil.

This drama surprises in many ways and let me just say Donfang Cinqang is probably the antihero that we all need to understand that ML does not necessarily have to be a glorified hero all the time.

What surprises me with his character is not that he's violent. Despite having to remove all his emotions, we do witness a few moments where we can see his compassion and empathy towards things that he cares for. He wages war not because he is power hungry like The Fairy Realm ruler. He rages with war because he wants his tribe to be protected and look up upon. For thousands of years Moon Tribe have been misunderstood, misjudged and discriminated as barbaric and uncilvized. So when he brought Xiao Lanhua to Cangyan Sea, it was probably, to me, one of the best decision, cause who else need to see the true story other than the fairy realm person herself. His goal for being a ruthless leader is pretty much very clear to show what kind of person he is in the core.

I wasn't expecting this drama to touch a lot on the struggle of wars and civil wars and these are aspects of the drama that I appreciated a lot when watching it. Wars often happened due to power struggle (civil wars within Cangyan Sea) and power monopoly (big power like Fairy Realm trying to start war with any reason available just so they could suppress people around them). I love how this drama highlighted with struggling region like Moon Tribe, war have costed them a lot. People losing families and loved ones to the battles, having to be on toes at all time as their support system is gone bit by bit. Dongfang Cingqang knows this, emphatizes with this situation even, by making this as one of the main reasons he rages wars with all 3 realms; to save his people from being stepped on by the power like Fairy Realm. He knows very well his people need him to survive and they just simply could not survive another invasion. He had no other way other than to take the war onto his hand rather than waiting for it to come for them.

This drama have very well showcased diversity in terms of showing gender is not correlated with power. The fact that everytime the realm needs to be saved, the ones that will save it, is always female trult solidifies this point; Lady Chidi, first goddess of Xilan, goddess Xi Yun, Xi Lan Hau, Fairy Dan Yin aiming to be God of War - it's truly a long list of powerful woman whom have carved or decide to carve, their own fate and destiny to save the realms, despite the emotional struggles that they are dealing with. I think it is one of the important things to show in a drama - that women are not only worth portraying as a damsel in distress to move the plot. Women can be emotional and also heroic when needed to. This dual aspects to me are just chef's kiss.

Lastly I would like to talk about the character progress for both ML and FL. FL starts as someone who is ignorant, but as the episode goes by, she is showing more understanding on complexity and fragility of the situation. It is simply not about her siding with Fairy Realm or Moon Tribe. In a way she's maturing in terms of having a wider perspective of the situation. She, later on, understand perfectly why giving up on war is not something on the table for Dongfang Cingqang. At the end of the day, she chooses to be with the person she loves, realizing that home is not a place, but rather a person. For the ML he starts of with full of hostility and eventually progresses with more compassion and consideration towards people that he cares about. It is not just about FL changing him. He progresses because of the more awareness that he regains and learns from being with the FL. I love that there are certain aspects of the ML that are always consistent no matter what circumstances and situation are being thrown at him - his priority for his people despite having confronted by Xiao Lanhua multiple times, his nature to protect people that he cares about regardless of the ways that it needed to be executed, and his willingness to understand things rather than just attacking on impulse.

Of course for the romantic plot, I LOVE how everything started with the heart curse and spirals into an actual life and emotional connection. I want to mention here, the fact that Dongfang Cingqang acknowledges and understands how much Xiao Lanhua has to sacrifice for him, is just top grade. Not only that, he makes an effort, multiple times, to not put her in a difficult spot for choosing him. I personally don't see this a lot in many period cdrama because more often than not FL is expected to sacrifice for ML (unconditionally) when it comes to overcoming hardship.

Best to say this is one of the well written xanxia drama for 2022. I rate this 8/10. (maybe it will be a bit higher if the ending wasn't too rushed lol). Believe it or not, I think there are so many life lessons that can be taken from this drama. There is no black and white in real world and I think this drama have successfully portrayed this in many of the characters - people are not inherently bad. There are only bad choices and decisions. Make sense when you think about why ancient evil God Tai Sui is actually the biggest villain in this drama.

*I have edited some of the points here

#love between fairy and devil #cdrama

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angelasreblogs · 4 months

Text

Master List Organization Poll

I would love to have everyone's input on master list organization. I have a lot of content and my ideas of how to most efficiently present it keep changing.

I used to have a short paragraph/blurb for each story out to the side of the title. Now I just have bullet pointed lists of titles under categories (ie, “collabs”, “Poly stories”, etc).

I used to have things sorted into multiple master lists, then put them all in one place for simplicity then moved them again, sorting into several blogs each with its own master list: TRR Scribbles, TRR Poly, TRR One Shots, TRR Bad Romance. On these blogs, you will find them further divided by category, but all shown on the same page/list.

I’m wondering what works best for the readers. When you go looking for content, which format do you prefer?

Examples

Ex 1 List of stories with blurbs:

Insurrection: Riley isn’t what anyone thought she was. Her actions set off a civil war in Cordonia. Eidolon: Construction in the four-hundred-year-old throne room awakens an ancient evil. Unexpected Max has an inappropriate fixation on Riley. Dark Elf: Liam Rys is unpleased that his human half has left him not quite immortal. He has a plan to correct that. American Girl: Riley, Drake, and Liam grew up in a small town in North Texas. High school graduation scatters the three lifelong friends and shakes up their respective relationships.

Ex 2, same as one but divided into categories

Paranormal: Eidolon: Construction in the four hundred year old throne room awakens an ancient evil. Dark Elf: Liam Rys is unpleased that his human half has left him not quite immortal. He has a plan to correct that. Non-Royal Au's: American Girl: Riley, Drake, and Liam grew up in a small town in North Texas. High school graduation scatters the three lifelong friends and shakes up their respective relationships. Drake x Riley Stories My Best Friends Girl: Drake Walker struggles to contain feelings he shouldn't be having as he finds himself falling for the same girl as his best friend. Star Crossed: Drake Walker meets the woman of his dreams the night before his best friend's wedding but there's a major obstacle.

EX 3 Title only, one long list

Three Weeks in Ramsford

Complicated

Hinge

The Proposal

The Agreement

Forbidden Passion

Savage Love

Royal Retribution

The De Facto Queen

Victim of Love

Ex 4 Title only, divided into subcategories but still all on ONE master list

Riley x Drake:

My Best Friend's Girl

Lavender and Crimson

Star Crossed

A Fervid Fixation

American Girl

Riley x Liam

Insurrection

Other Pairings:

In Your Room Drake x Leo

The Crown and the Shield Jackson x Constantine

Broken Jackson x Eleanor

Leo & Liv Leo x Olivia

Collaborations:

Mardi Gras Mayhem

One Step Ahead

One Night in Cordonia

Cordonian Royal Airlines

Ex 5: The way it is now, links to separate blogs/ML. Stories are divided into broad categories (each of the below links leads to a separate master list where stories are then sorted into further categories but all on the same page/list)

IE: You click on one of these and when you go to that page, you see ex 4 above. ex 4 is what you get when you click on TRR Scribbles here.

Why Choose? Poly/RH stories.

TRR Scribbles: Mono pairings

Law's End: A crime procedural

One-Shots: TRR one-shots

Visuals: Art, edits, etc.

Extras: other TRR stuff

Ex 6: The way it is now, links to separate blogs/ML but with paragraphs/blurbs giving a brief description of the story. So organized like ex 5 but when you get to the ML, instead of title only, there would be blurbs like in ex 1.

Ok, was that clear as mud? If you understand all that and have an opinion, I would love to have your feedback!!!

Tagging under the cut. Thank you all in advance for your help!

@karahalloway, @harleybeaumont @nestledonthaveone @alj4890 @aussiegurl1234

@walkerdrakewalker @kingliam2019 @twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @tinkie1973 @secretaryunpaid @irishgrl2022

@queen-arabella-of-cordonia @kristinamae093 @tessa-liam

@differenttyphoonwerewolf @queenmiarys @emersyn-in-cordonia

@bascmve01 @twinkle-320 @mattiematt1234 @jared2612

@dcbbw @amandablink @indiacater @bebepac

@lunaseasblog @belencha77 @gabesmommie1130

@hollygirl1269 @mainstreetreader

@ladyangel70 @ohmyeightpastlives @gardeningourmet

@sillydg @phoenixrising0308

@3pawandme @21-wishes @73geenalove @jennieausten

@princessleac1 @kachrisberry @tornbetween2loves

@fangirling12566 @pinklipsandmasonjars @savannahdix

#angelasscribbles #my polls #poll time #tumbler polls #trr

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miracle-sham · 1 year

Text

Whence The Dragons Arise from the Darkness Inside.

| {MGI Civil War 3 Event} |

| {Dragons, Royal} |

| [Ao3 Link] | | [Masterlist Link] |

———

| There was something wrong in the Kingdom, dragons razing villages to the ground and many people disappearing. Captured and dragged before the King, the rebel Ladybug must find out the truth before it becomes too late for her as well. |

| Word Count: 3809. |

| Warnings/Tags: Fantasy/Royal/Dragons AU, No Miraculous, Hurt/Traitor Adrien (he's not bad it's just complicated), Hurt Marinette, Hair Pulling, Chains, Blood and Torture, Canon-Typical Violence, Rebellion, Dungeons, Burns, Betrayal, Animal Transformation, Dragon!Mari, Dehumanisation and Abuse Towards a Character Transformed Into an Animal, Angst and Feels, Swearing, Rescue Mission, Ambiguous/Open Ending. |

———

| A/N: If you couldn't tell yet, I'm a sucker for Dragon AUs so when I saw the prompt I just couldn't not write something for it! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it! |

| Also side note, Don’t Like? Don’t Read. |

———

The stained glass mosaic floor of King Gabriel Agreste the Scarlet Moth's throne room was cold and dug into the bare skin of Ladybug's shins and knees exposed by her torn and burnt leather armour as she kneeled before him. The manacles were even colder still, cutting into her wrists and ankles so tightly that she couldn't feel her fingertips or toes anymore. Though both the manacles and mosaic were slowly warming as blood trickled from her numerous wounds and began to pool, staining her red armour black in patches.

She kept her gaze to the ground, head bowed, hair loose, veiling her face from the King's view. Breathing as even as possible but with every rise of her chest, a hitch in her breath. Her heart pounded like the ringing of a death knell. Is this the end? Was all she could think.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” The Royal Advisor Sancoeur announced, in her disgustingly opulent dress of dragon scales, peacock feathers, silk, and sapphires. The people were starving, were dying in the streets, and she could afford to wear something where half the materials were saturated in the blood of the poor who harvested them.

Ladybug didn't react. She refused to acknowledge her old name, let alone be known by it. Marinette had died years ago, along with her parents and their home when it was razed to the ground by dragon's breath. Ladybug had survived a dragon attack, numerous in fact. Marinette had not.

“You stand before—”

Snorting loudly, her shoulders shook and the manacle chains rattled.

The King stood, enraged by her audacity, fury practically crackling from him like lightning. “You dare—”

“You call this standing?” She rasped, gesturing with jangling manacled hands towards herself, on her knees, bloodied and beaten.

Footsteps approached from behind, slow and heavy, followed by the clank of a metal gauntlet being adjusted, was all the warning she got. In a split second, that metal gauntlet seized the back of her head. Claw-tipped fingers nicking her scalp and drawing beads of blood. Tangling in her ash-stained hair.

Ladybug grimaced but refused to make a noise of pain. Refused to let her pain entertain and quell the King's wrath.

The grip tightened. Her breathing stuttered. Barely stifling a whimper from the back of her throat. The gauntlet wrenched her head upwards to face the King. Like she was just a puppet on strings. It burned.

Tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes as her vision blurred.

Royal Advisor Sancoeur cleared her throat. “You kneel—”

—Ladybug snarled up at them silently, blinking back the tears until her vision cleared and all that remained was the fury burning in her eyes. Sancoeur made it sound as if she were willingly kneeling before the King to offer her allegiance.—

The King stared down at her, eyes dark, with a smirk uncurling upon his lips, as he slowly sat back down upon his white crystal marble and dark purple velvet throne.

“—before the Royal Court, for the crimes of:” Royal Advisor Sancoeur took a breath, quickly unravelling a very long scroll, and began reading. “High treason, attempted regicide against the King, and Crown Prince on multiple accounts; abduction, attempted torture and indoctrination of the Crown Prince; misprision of treason, defection, sedition; abduction, torture, indoctrination, and endangerment via dragons of hundreds of Parisian children and young adults; espionage, brigandage, witchcraft on multiple accounts, murder on multiple accounts, and lastly, contempt of court.”

Ladybug remained silent, not even bothering to listen to crimes attributed to her, for her gaze wandered over to the smaller white marble throne, lined with the palest blue velvet, in the shadow of the King's throne. Where the Cat's Paw of a Renegade Prince was seated primly.

He did not meet her eyes.

She didn't expect him to. But the shock of seeing Adrien—dressed in white silks, diamonds, and pale blue finery with that blank look in his eyes—made her lips curl up bitterly.

A sharp tug on her hair dragged her attention back to the King and his Advisor.

“Due to the nature of your crimes,” Royal Advisor Sancoeur continued, “you shall undergo trial by fire for each crime. If every burn heals once three days have passed, then you shall be proclaimed innocent of all crimes and released from Royal Custody.” She paused to allow the attending council to murmur amongst themselves.

Ladybug didn't need to look away from the King to know that they were undoubtedly sneering down at her and mocking the very thought of her being innocent of the crimes.

Royal Advisor Sancoeur cleared her throat to quieten the Court. “Should even a single burn fester, then you shall be proclaimed guilty of all crimes and be sentenced to burning alive unless you repent and seek to atone for your crimes, in which case you shall instead be sent to the oubliette for the rest of your days.”

Three days. Three days. That's how long she had, to find out what had happened to all of the disappearances attributed to her and the rebellion, and then to either escape on her own, or hope that Cass or the rest of the Rebellion would come rescue her. Or else she'd die painfully either way. No one ever returned from the oubliette, a fate worse than death some would even consider.

The King rhythmically tapped his fingers against the arm of the throne, still smirking down at her. “Send the traitor to the Ember Dungeons so that the trial by fire may begin as soon as possible. And ensure that she is given three full meals and clean drinking water, every day whilst we await the results.”

The gauntlet wrenched her up onto her feet by the hair once more. Ladybug winced, unable to keep the grimace off her face from the pain.

Finally releasing its hold on her, she twisted around to see who it was. A knight in dark grey and blue striped armour.

Her heart sank. Eyes wide. Mouth agape. The gauntlet that had grabbed her—hurt her—belonged to none other than the new Captain of the Royal Guard (the previous was among the missing). Their spy, a fellow rebel, Dick Grayson. That… that hadn't been necessary, he could've just—

She didn't know. He was supposed to be on their side but… Then why—why go so far?

Swallowing thickly she turned away, hands shaking.

Cass was going to be devastated if she found out what her brother had just done. What if she knew already—no, no, she would never stand for that, never would let that happen… but…?

He shoved her between the shoulder blades. “Get moving.”

Stumbling, she tripped over the manacles around her ankles. The only thing keeping her from falling over was Dick wrenching at the back neckline of her armour. She gasped helplessly, as her own armour choked her for a moment.

“Move.” Dick ordered again, tone clipped and emotionless, letting go of her just to shove her again.

Gaze flickering frantically around the throne room, she licked her lips, mouth going dry. “W-where…?”

He scoffed, grabbing at the manacle chain around her wrists and dragging her across the room towards an unassuming door.

Before she was removed from the room, two voices caught her ear.

“The King's kindness is wasted on a wretched girl like that.” The first sneered.

“Indeed. She's guilty without question, it's plain to see, those meals would be better given to those who actually deserve to be fed.” The second agreed.

It took all her willpower not to turn towards them and spit curses at them. Not that the curses would actually do anything, but still, she couldn't help the slight curl of vindictiveness in her heart at their unashamed cruelty.

Across hallway after hallway, through doorway through doorway, down stairs upon stairs, finally they reached a door blackened and warped by extensive scorch marks, and a wrought iron dragon-shaped knocker, deep beneath the Palace. It was like a maze, but Ladybug couldn't help the sneaking suspicion that Dick had dragged her around randomly to exhaust and mislead her so escape would be even more difficult.

Dick didn't even glance at her despite the fact they were alone. He grabbed her by the nearest shoulder to him and kept her between him and the stairs back up to the palace. Grasping the knocker, he loudly rapped it against the door.

With a decrepit groan, the heavy wooden door squealed on its hinges as it was prised open from the other side.

A low dark stone tunnel lurked beyond, flanked by torch sconces on either side of the walls, and two dark purple armoured knights.

Dick nodded to the two and began pushing Ladybug forwards, following behind her every step.

She grit her teeth and kept her breathing slow and even, not uttering a single complaint as she stepped into the foreboding gloom.

The knights watched her silently, turning their heads as she drew closer to them.

But the second Dick stepped across the threshold, the knights raised their spears to his neck. Slipping into a defensive position that separated Ladybug from the exit, and Dick from her.

“Halt. Remove your hand from the prisoner and return to your post.” The knight to the right ordered.

Slowly, Dick raised his hand off of her shoulders and into the air. “I was instructed to bring the traitor to the Ember Dungeons for trial by fire.”

The left knight nodded to him. “You have accomplished your order then. Now leave.”

Dick did not move.

The right knight grunted. “It seems you do not understand. This prisoner,” gesturing towards Ladybug, “is now under our jurisdiction. None may pass beyond this threshold barring prisoners and those in the Akuma Guard.”

“As you are neither,” the left knight continued, “you are to leave and return to your post or the King shall be alerted and your ranks stripped.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “I am Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“Your captaincy holds no power nor sway down here.” The right knight sneered.

The Captain cast a disdainful glance towards Ladybug before stalking off, back into the palace without another word.

Leaving her alone, with two Akuma Guard knights—a rank of knights she had never heard of before—and their spears blocking her only exit.

Lowering the spear, the right knight slipped past her so that there was a knight on either side of her, and plucked one of the torches from the nearest sconce.

“This way.” The knight grunted, metal sabatons clattering against the stone with every step.

She didn't move, not at first. The right knight didn't turn around to check she was following.

A sharp jab to the back forced her forwards. Letting out a hiss between her teeth.

The left knight, the one still behind her, jabbed the tip of the spear into her armour, not quite piercing through it but applying enough force it still hurt. “Follow.”

Closing her eyes for a moment, she breathed in deeply and then complied with the order. What choice did she have?

Slowly, she began to walk after the right knight, keeping within the feeble light cast by the torch he carried; wary of the left knight close behind her.

If the palace itself had been a maze, then the Ember dungeons were a labyrinth.

It felt as though it took centuries to traverse the twisting and winding corridors of the Dungeon, splitting off into seemingly endless shadowed stone passageways and bolted iron doors. Eventually, the knights stopped in front of an iron door warped and rusted, clearly damaged by fire.

The right knight stepped forwards, keys jangling as the heavy bolt was unlocked. A wretched squeal of the hinges anteceded the door swinging open into a dark cell. Just barely visible within the room, from the torch held outside, was a stone altar with black iron hoops and chains attached to it.

Ladybug froze up.

Snorting, the left knight shoved her into the room unceremoniously. And when she still didn't move willingly, he dragged her over to the altar and hooked the chains to the manacles around her wrists and ankles.

The chains were long enough to give her some space to move but not enough to let her reach even halfway to the door. Escaping, or getting rescued was going to be harder than expected.

She swallowed thickly, watching the knights in trepidation, barely resisting the urge to check the chains' limits right in front of them.

“We suggest you get some rest.” The right knight stated.

The left knight walked back to rejoin the other. “We shall return once preparations for your trial by fire have been sorted.”

The heavy door slammed shut, faintly rattling the chains all the way on the altar from the force.

“Do not try to escape.” One knight ordered.

“It shall not end well for you.” The other finished.

Ladybug listened to the rustling of the bolt and keys being locked, and then the sounds of the knights' sabatons marching off and away.

Leaving her cold, and alone, in the pitch-black dungeon cell.

She sighed, and tried to wriggle her wrists to test the chains and manacles but both were strongly made, she wouldn't be getting out of them anytime soon without something to break them.

———

Ladybug bolted awake at the sound of keys rattling in the cell's door. She cursed under her breath, how could she have fallen asleep?

The horrific squeal of the door opening pierced the air. Wincing, she squinted up at the doorway as torchlight flooded the gloomy room.

Her heart plummeted as the sight of the King greeted her.

Smirking down at her, the King stepped into the room, sceptre in hand. The two knights from earlier, flanking just behind him, one lugging a satchel in.

The King put his hand out, and the knight dutifully pulled a piece of blood-red chalk from within and handed it over to the King.

He brought the chalk up to his eye, the reds shifting in the dancing light of the flame. “Please try not to disturb the chalk once it has been laid out, otherwise we'll have to make it so you can't interfere, understood?”

Ladybug nodded slowly, watching their every move with bated breath.

The King rolled his eyes and curled his lip in contempt. “Good enough for now I suppose.”

With a surprising grace considering how heavy the King's armour and cloak must've been, with the thick fur and excessive jewellery adorning him too, he began to draw strange symbols and lines in the blood-red chalk. He circled around her, connected the lines and adding more symbols until a multilayered ritual circle was fully formed centred around the altar—around her.

She didn't dare move, if they were using magic to burn her for each crime instead then damaging the circle in any way could have devastating or even fatal results.

The King then set out black candles at various points in the circle, and lit each one carefully.

Ladybug swallowed thickly, gaze straying to the numerous flickering flames now surrounding her.

Stepping back, the King bared his teeth at her in the mockery of a smile. “Now, let us begin your trial.”

He swept his arm in a wide gesture, so that the sceptre pointed towards her.

One moment there was scarlet energy crackled around the tip of the sceptre.

The next, there was muffled screaming.

It took far too long for Ladybug to realise it was her screaming, as she arched her back and thrashed against the chains. Tears streaming down her face as she gasped for breath between searing screams. Agony etched itself into her very bones with each passing second as the crackling grew louder and louder and louder and the room glowed brighter and brighter red.

She struggled to swallow her still-beating heart as the darkness crept in at the edges of her sight.

The King's maniacal cackles were the last thing she heard, as the pain claimed her consciousness.

———

The second his shift had ended, Dick had cursed with every swear and minced oath he knew under his breath, and immediately set out for the city below. He needed to meet with Cass and the rest of their rebellion squad immediately. Dressed in simple non-identifying clothes and a black cloak, he dashed across rooftops until he reached the abandoned inn.

Slipping in through a broken first-floor window, he darted through the clean but unoccupied room, and slid down the bannister to the bar room below.

Cass and the others were already waiting for him.

Felix was behind the bar, pouring a drink for himself and Allegra, whilst Mireille, Claude, and Allen were sat around a table in the middle of the room exchanging notes of some kind.

Legs dangling from her perch in the rafters, Cass stared down at her older brother. “Where.” She croaked, red eyes and dried tear streaks barely visible in the low light.

“Ember Dungeons.” Dick responded immediately, glancing towards the others, as he scanned the room quickly.

“Fuck.” Felix hissed, nearly dropping the glasses.

“Yeah,” Dick responded, swallowing thickly. “She's been sentenced to trial by fire, for every crime committed by the rebellion.”

“You're joking!” Claude gasped, “that's not—”

“It's the King. You think it matters what it's not.” Felix snarled.

Mireille stood up. “How long? Until the trial?”

Sighing, Dick raked a hand through his hair, dishevelling it. “The trial's already begun. We have three days to get Ladybug out and find out what we can about the disappearances.”

“Shit.” Allegra grimaced, closing her eyes. “This is gonna be hell to pull off.”

“We will save her.” Cass asserted, swinging down from the rafters. “We're not leaving her.”

“It's not a matter of leaving,” Dick answered. “If we don't save her before the three days are up, then depending on whether she's proclaimed innocent or guilty by the trial; then she'll be sentenced to the oubliette for the rest of her life, or publicly burnt alive.”

The second he finished speaking, the others all burst into yells.

Dick breathed in shakily, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to face them and waiting until the others grew quiet again. “Even worse.”

“Oh no.” Mireille muttered, wringing her hands.

“Ladybug recognised me whilst I was undercover, and reacted in obvious shock.” Dick licked his lips for a moment before continuing. “I had to keep pretences up because the palace is crawling with the King's observation magic, and I couldn't afford my cover to be blown before we got her out, so she probably thinks I'm a traitor, like the fucking Prince.”

Claude slumped onto the tabletop, head thunking against the wood. “This is a mess.”

“You can say that again.” Felix snorted.

Shaking his head, Dick walked over to the table and unravelled a large map of every room on every level of the palace. He waited until Cass, Felix, and Allegra joined them at the table.

“This,” he said, pointing at a small innocuous room, labelled cellar staircase, “is the entrance to the Ember Dungeons. After those stairs is a long corridor which ends in a burnt wooden door with a wrought iron dragon-shaped knocker. The Dungeons are beyond that door.”

Allan frowned, furrowing his brows and pursing his lips. “But there's no evidence of any underground dungeons below.”

Shaking his head, Dick sighed again. “The location is a heavily kept secret, I was only informed of it upon becoming the Captain of the Royal Guard, and even then I was refused access into the dungeons themselves.”

“So let's get this right?” Allegra huffed. “We've got three days to work out how to break into the palace,—”

—Dick nodded.—

“—something not a single member of the rebellion has successfully achieved yet,—”

—“Yep,” Claude piped up.—

“—enter some dungeons in which we have no map and no knowledge of except that they exist,—”

—“Uh-huh.” Felix chimed in drily.—

“—And save Ladybug before she's executed or they make her disappear as well because I think we can all agree that they're clearly using the oubliette as an excuse for some of the disappearances.” Allegra finished.

“Sounds about right.” Dick muttered darkly.

Cass slammed her hand down on the map. “We will succeed. The King will pay.”

Allegra sighed. “Well then, let's get your girlfriend back then.”

And with a long night ahead of them, they began to plot.

———

“How disappointing.” The King mused, lowering the sceptre to stare down at the tiny little pink-scaled and purple-spined dragon with red and black elytron wings, wreathed in dwarfing chains and curled up on the centre of the altar.

The Flapling made a pathetic plaintive whine and twitched feebly, clearly still disoriented and in pain from the magic bleeding from the Sceptre.

“And here I thought, that one of the most notorious and troublesome rebellion leaders, would have a more impressive draconic form.” He sighed, stepping towards the ex-rebel. “Such a pitiful nuisance, foiling my plans to the very end, aren't you.”

Poking it with the tip of the still glowing sceptre, elicited a miserable cry, writhing and wailing as it tried to flail away from his torment.

The King scoffed, eyeing her quivering form. “You'll be of no use in the raids against the rebellion, but with the right training, perhaps you'll still be of some use. If the Rebellion ever learn of what my dragons really are, do you think they'd hesitate from killing you? Perhaps even try to save you still?” He burst into laughter, wiping a tear from his eye.

Turning to the guards, he gestured towards the dragon that had once been Ladybug. “Sedate it, clip its wings—the elytra shell, not the hindwings themself, need I remind you—and claws, muzzle it, then bring it to the Royal Tower Mews.”

“Of course, Sire!” Both knights answered in unison, one removing the sedative, and dragon clippers from the satchel; whilst the other marched off to retrieve a fitting muzzle.

The King chuckled lowly, watching as the sedative was applied. “I do wonder what your allies will think of you once they find out from henceforth you'll be on my side? Will they believe you've betrayed them, like my son betrayed you? Or will they think I'm merely trying to get under their skin and kill you under the assumption you're nothing more than a mindless monster?”

The Flapling made no response, already stilling under the effects of the sedative.

His grin widened as the remaining knight began to snip the protective shell casing. King Gabriel drew closer, plucking a clipped shard up from the ground in his free hand and hummed, inspecting the red and black colouration, a cruel idea forming in his mind.

The rebellion wouldn't know what would hit them.

———

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