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damn-stark · 1 year

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Chapter 1 Wolf

Chapter 1 of Moon Star

A/N- I finally finished the first chapter! I really hope you guys like it!!!

Warning- Violence, talks of blood and weapon, angst, surprise guest, swearing.

Pairing- Marc Spector x daughter!reader

Episode- 1x02

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

————

“Y/N Spector!”

A crowd of students cheer, a small handful hollar from excitement while the crowd booms with clapter. It’s not everyday one graduates from High School after all. It’s a one time special event.

Which is why such an event should be celebrated, it’s meant to be a joyful filled moment; it is for some. It should be remembered. Especially by a father with only one child who he said he loved with every bit of his heart.

Shouldn’t he be here?

As your eyes searched every row of happy relatives, once, twice and three times while you walked down the runway, he wasn’t there. Layla, his wife is there with a smile on her face, your grandfather is there beside her clapping and grinning a happy toothy grin, but he isn’t.

When you take the diploma and begin heading down you double check, hope that you may have missed him in the sea of people. Sometimes he did like to lurk in the shadows. But….when you step down, reality sets, illusions fall. After all the promises, all the tender words, all the caring, it all amounts to nothing at this moment.

“Your father is ungrateful. He’s a bad man who does bad things. Wolfie, he doesn’t care, but I do. I love you.”

——

*SOME TIME LATER. NEW YORK*

A proud smirk tugs on your lips as you see the artifact in your hand gleam gold under the colorful lights flashing overhead.

Another successful grab.

“Item secured,” you talk through the mic hidden in your ear. “I’m on my way, start the car.” You shove the artifact in your bag and quicken your stride as you see the back door approaching.

You approach it and push the door open, but as the door gets thrown back you come face to face with four men dressed in fancy suits.

Fuck.

Just don’t panic. Smile and act normal.

“Pardon,” you mumble and try to walk past them, but one of them steps in your way and grabs your arm to yank you towards him. “Excuse—get your hands off me,” you sneer and knee his crotch before you use your bracelet to zap his neck.

The man lets you go right away and groans and grunts out in pain, letting you turn to return inside even as the three men chase after you.

“I’m…compromised,” you say in your mic between pants whilst you turn the hall and push past people. “Turn at 22nd ave.”

“Shit watch it!” Someone yells out.

You throw your hand out to apologize and don’t bother to look back as you turn a sharp right to head towards the elevators.

“Shit, y/n, what the hell happened?” Layla responds. “How many?”

You peer back and hear the commotion of hurried footsteps so you slam on the elevator button with desperation.

“Four. But I took one down, so three. I’ll lose them.” You assure her and keep slamming your fist on the button, but to no avail. “Fuck. Damn it. Damn it!”

What kind of fancy building doesn’t have working elevators!

You snap your head from side to side until you see emergency stairs at the end of the other hall. So you quickly proceed to break into a sprint, having to swerve to the side so as to miss hitting some passersby.

When you reach the stairs though, the three men catch up to you. One tries to pull you back, but you throw your elbow back and hit his nose, before pulling out a dagger hidden in your bracelet to stab another man's arm before throwing the door open and rushing up the stairs.

The three men keep following you nevertheless.

“Come here if you know what’s good for you, you little rat!” One of them yells from below the stairs.

You glance down and see the three down one flight of stairs. Damn.

“Y/N where are you now?” Layla comes in through the mic again. “If you don’t respond in thirty seconds I am going up there I don’t care what you want.”

You try to quicken your pace up the damn stairs and talk back between heavier pants. “Running up the stairs, thanking you for dragging me on morning jogs. I’ll be going radio silent until I reach the car. Bye.”

“No! Y/N! Wolf! Wolfie! Don’t you dare—!”

You lift your hand to your ear and turn off the mic in your ear even after Layla’s protest, ending up grinning as you reach the top of the stairs and see the exit.

Finally!

You shove the door open and in that instant see two more fucking men!

Yet you don’t let that bring you down, instead you slowly begin to grin at them. “Gentlemen,” you greet. “I was just coming out for a smoke in the silence.”

One of the men on the right scoffs and pierces his green eyes on you. “Hand it over gently and we won’t have to hurt you, girl,” he spats.

You blink repeatedly and touch your chest. “Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about, I came out here to smoke.” You step to the side and the men follow your step. “Now if you don’t mind please leave me alone.”

The second man to the left rolls his eyes in annoyance, and the three men who were chasing you finally catch up, all breathing very heavily.

“Her bag,” one of them groans. “It’s in her bag.”

You sigh and slowly lose your smile. The first man reaches over, but you grab his wrist in time and manage to just slightly turn him whilst you kick the second guy in the chest to knock the air out of him. You then lunge forward and proceed to use a small blade in your ring to swing it from the first man’s cheekbone to his eye, making him scream and stumble back.

The men behind you try to reach you, but you turn and slam the door shut on one man’s hand.

“Okay,” you whisper in panic and rummage through your bag until you pull out a small gadget that you stick on the knob that surrounds the metal in electricity so they wouldn’t touch it. “Perfect.” You smirk and turn to head towards the fire escape.

But of course just as you reach it the man who you knocked out at first is climbing up them. You turn to try and your luck back inside, but the men find a way through your gadget and begin to come at you with their guns now.

“Great,” you breathe out and stand in the middle. “Look,” you address all of them. “I promise I’m not worth all this trouble, I have nothing.”

“Why are you running then?” The man climbing out of the fire escape asks.

You peer over at him and acted frightened. “Because you’re after me. All of you, four scary man after me, a woman.” You feign a frown and force tears to your eyes. “I’m just scared.”

One of the men that comes from inside the building slowly begins to lower his gun. And you think it’s because somehow your shitty acting got to him, but when you hear a thud behind you, you look back and see…Spider-Man turning away from the man he just trapped on the floor with his web.

Spider-Man. Fucking Spider-man, it’s—he’s actually not so tall, he has more muscle than the pictures do justice—no, focus. Get out of here.

“Please—” however, before you can finish asking for help his arms suddenly wrap around you, and he rapidly swings you around to save you from the bullets.

“Oh my god,” you pant and grab onto his arms.

No matter how many dangerous situations you’ve been in, being shot at isn’t something you’ve gotten used to yet.

“Just hold on,” Spider-Man says in a very young voice, yet not so young to make you believe he’s a teen, he’s maybe a young adult. “Stay here, you’ll be okay,” he continues and slowly pulls away from you.

You meet his big white eyes and nod before you watch him turn and use his webs to pull one gun away from one man. He then uses that gun and swings it to hit the second man.

“Don’t you have something better than to pick on a girl half your size?”He says and you quietly take this time to turn around and head towards the fire escape.

As soon as you reach it you check back, and when you notice Spider-Man still fighting the men you quickly climb down.

“Layla,” you say after you turn on your mic.

“Y/N! Oh thank goodness! Where are you?!” Layla immediately responds.

To reach the ground quicker you instead you the ladders to slide down to the ground. “I’m on my way,” you let her know with a small smile.

Your feet touch the ground and just as you’re pulling away to finally leave the damned street, suddenly something sticky keeps your hand against the railing. When you look back you see a web.

“I can’t let you do that,” you hear Spider-Man say from behind you.

You let out a small sigh and look over your shoulder with a feigned hurt look. “Look, I’m not with them I promise. I just want to go home.”

Spider-Man begins to walk over to you, and you follow every step he takes. “That’s why they were chasing you with guns?” He retorts with a bit of snark in his tone.

You keep taking your innocence nevertheless. “Yeah, they wanted to hurt me. I managed to run away, but they kept chasing me.”

Spider-Man makes it in front of you and his white bug eyes narrow. “So if I check your bag now there would be nothing in there.”

You shrug. “Unless you’re, like, into pads and stuff like that then no.”

Spider-Man scoffs in amusement and takes a step toward you, and you tilt your head.

“Can I say,” you continue whilst you slowly smile. “I’m a big fan. I’ve been one since your early days when you’d wear….sweats.”

He huffs. “Look,” he says as he drops his head. “I’m going to make it simple since you look like a…nice girl.” He faces you again. “Give me what you stole and I will let you go. Simple.”

You narrow your glare and check him out, catching the gadget where his webs come out of, and meeting his eyes again.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you continue to act dumb and watch him get very close. “Let me go, my mom is waiting for me, she'll begin to worry.” Layla wasn’t your real mother but he didn’t need to know that.

“Okay,” he sighs and tilts his head just sligtly. “Show me that you don’t have what you stole and I’ll walk you to your mom.”

“Promise?” You ask sweetly and bat your eyelashes.

Spider-Man blinks and you see his Adam’s apple lift and slide back down. He then nods and pretends to reach for your bag, but you turn rapidly and use the blade in your ring and manage to cut the web to free your hand. Spider-man tries to retaliate by trapping you again, but as he throws out his hand to shoot his web, you throw your blade from your bracelet and just barely manage to hit his web gadget and disable it with electricity.

“What the…” Spider-Man gasps in disbelief and looks at you and his gadget with bewilderment.

You quickly rush him and try to kick his chest, but he manages to grab your foot. “Not so fast.”

You hold his gaze and smirk at him before you yank your foot back, and counterattack by kicking him back before you lunge forward and use a smoke gadget you had to paralyze him.

“Wow,” you say all giddy as you pick up your crescent snapped blade. “I took you down. That’s…” you sigh and turn to beam at him. “I, hm. Wow.”

Spider-Man coughs and his eyes widen. “No, yeah props to you, but you completely proved me right just now.”

You shrug sweetly. “Maybe I did,” you retort and begin to walk away. “Does that earn a name?”

Spider-Man tilts his head and shakes it. “No,” he says. “Beats the purpose of a secret identity.”

“Hm, worth the question,” you sigh and smirk at him. “One, the paralyzation will wear off in about ten minutes. Two, I don’t steal. They’ve already been stolen.” You scoff softly and pull out a piece of paper to jot down your number, as you walk to him you offer him a sweet smile before placing the paper on his hand he had stuck.

“Okay, thanks,” he whispers in disbelief. “That’s, uh, b-bold. What if I’m an old man?”

You shrug. “It’s okay, I’ll take the risk.” You wave at him and walk away from the alleyway. “Bye-bye now Spidey. Text me, maybe we can run into each other again someday.” You turn the corner and hear a distant response.

“Bye…I…bye.”

You grin slightly as you pull off the wig from your head and throw it aside, before you pull off your jacket and throw it in some trashcan as you stride down the street towards Layla.

Luckily you don’t get chased down by Spider-Man so you make it to the car safely. And once Layla sees you her eyes brighten and relief finally washes over her.

“Y/N, what the hell where have you been?” She asks as you open the car door.

You climb in and close the door before pulling the artifact out of your bag and showing it off to her with a very proud smile. “Got it, there were some snags along the way, like, Spider-Man, but I managed to take him down. Now drive before he finds us.”

Layla shifts to drive and blinks in disbelief before looking at you. “Excuse you did what?”

You meet her gaze and nod. “Yeah, no, I took down Spider-Man! With my paralyzation gas.” You show off.

Layla faces the street and hums. “That worked,” she mumbles in disbelief.

You nod and put the artifact back in your bag.

“Okay,” Layla sighs. “My turn.”

You blink and slightly narrow your gaze in confusion.

Layla glances at you before she hands you her phone. “Check the recently called list,” she says.

You carefully grab the phone and smile nervously before dropping your gaze to unlock the phone and checking what she said. The moment you see the recently called section your eyes widen, and a small gasp comes out of your lips.

“What,” you mumble. “This can’t be. He’s gone totally MIA. Are you sure?”

Layla nods. “No, yeah, I’m sure, it was him. His voice. He quickly hung up though. Can you maybe trace the call?”

You return your gaze to the phone and read the name again, Marc Spector.

Your dad. He called Layla his wife. After so long he finally called.

——

*LONDON*

“If I knew he was home we could’ve never left.” You mutter as you put your sunglasses on and hop on your scooter.

Layla puts on her helmet and adds, “we needed to go, I mean wasn’t it worth it? There’s only so much you can see of your campus online.”

You shrug. “I suppose but…” you start the engine. “You should’ve seen the virtual tour. It’s a lot better than they were six years ago. Besides,” you sigh. “Is it really smart to leave with my dad MIA?”

Layla looks over at you and shakes her head. “I told you when the time comes and if we still haven’t found your dad, he’s not yours to worry about.” She narrows her gaze and her serious demeanor doesn’t falter. “Do you understand y/n?”

No matter how much of a deadbeat he’s been, especially ever since you came back, he’s still your father, you’re still worried.

“Yeah,” you mutter. “I understand.”

Layla nods and looks ahead again. “Okay, let’s go.” She pushes back her kickstand and leads the way.

Fortunately there isn’t much traffic so you’re able to keep up without having to be cut off, or having to lose sight of her because people can’t respect those on motorcycles.

And futhermore, unlike New York, the sights you drive by are more enjoyable and more beautiful…

Then again maybe that’s just because you’re a bit bitter about leaving. Even if Layla and your grandfather say “it’s good for you wolf, you’re going to gain a lot of new experiences.”.

It’s whatever. The far more enjoyable experiences are made by Layla’s side going on adventures. The great experiences are—

Suddenly out of nowhere Layla comes to a sudden halt and you’re forced to turn to the side to break so you wouldn’t crash into her. However, as your use your feet to come to a skidding stop you see your…your dad on the ground.

“Marc?” Layla asks in disbelief. “Where have you been?”

Said man pulls his arm away from his face and looks over at her. “Ar-ar—Layla?” He asks.

You pull your sunglasses off and lean forward. “Dad?”

Immediately your dad snaps his eyes towards you and furrows his eyebrows even deeper. “I—you—who are you?”

You share a confused look with Layla and then narrow your gaze back on him. “What are you on about?” You question him almost offendedly.

Your dad slowly begins to push himself to his feet and shakes his head as he looks behind him. “Something is after me. It was just behind me.”

You glance at the building but just see casual passerbyers minding their own business. No one comes running out, nor is there any screams.

“What are you talking about, Marc?” Layla asks.

He scoffs. “Just please help me get out of here. Please take me home.”

Layla shares one last puzzled look with you before she addresses your dad. “Get on. Let’s go y/n.”

You put your sunglasses back on and follow after her through the streets of London. It seems that she and your dad are having a conversation but due to your helmet and the air that keeps hitting you as you drive, you can’t hear shit. And she keeps looking away from her mirrors so you can’t read her lips either. All you have is expressions and she keeps the same angry and annoyed one since you found him.

He however is different. He looks scared and confused. Something strange to see on a man you thought was incredibly fearless. It’s like he’s in a state of anxiety by the looks of his tensed shoulders and widened eyes. He almost seems like a different person. More so when you speak to him once you finally make it to some apartment complex not far from home.

“Where the hell have you been, dad? We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Your dad looks back at you and swallows thickly before he shakes his head. “I’m sorry,” he stammers as he walks you two to the elevator shaft. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You clench your jaw and feel your eyes flicker away from him, whilst Layla shoots him a glare.

“Marc, what are you doing?” She scolds him.

Said man walks you inside and presses the button to his floor once you’re all inside. “Let’s just wait. Just wait,” he interjects nervously and stands at the far end of the elevator that's as far from both Layla and you.

He stands stiff, he just keeps stealing looks as if he’s actually confused. And you keep trying to avoid looking at him now so as to not get even more mad than you already were. It makes things awkward in the elevator and makes the ride quite uncomfortable and longer than it actually was.

Once the elevator comes to a halt it actually feels like you can breathe again. Yet your anger doesn’t subside. It only heightens as he walks you into an actual apartment that seems to have been occupied for quite some time, basing off all the damn clutter spread everywhere.

“Damn,” you mutter. “This place is a piece of junk.”

“Excuse me?” Your dad asks.

You scoff as you put your sunglasses away and look around at all the bookshelves, papers hung up against the wall, and finally land your eyes on a big fish tank that contains one single goldfish.

“Huh,” you interject beside Layla. “Cute.” You step back and continue to wander around, managing to catch your father muttering something.

“I just want my life back.”

You scoff in annoyance and just let Layla answer. “Yeah. I’m getting that.”

“No, no.” He interjects right away. “Sorry, I wasn’t talking to you, just talking to myself. Sort of.”

You come to a stop in front of a sand barrier that’s around the bed, and slowly look up and see chains and cuffs….

Disgusting.

“Wow,” you breathe out and squint your eyes to make sure those were actually cuffs. “Kinky are we?”

Footsteps approach, and as you glance back you see Layla and your father approaching—“uh, this is your flat, Marc?” She asks.

“Um, I’m Steven,” he corrects her, making you briefly narrow your eyes before you turn and catch Layla finally seeing the same thing you did.

“Are you living here with someone else?” She demands to know.

“Oh, no, no, no,” he quickly assures her. “No, um, this is my mum’s flat.”

You look over at your dad and part your lips out of shock. “Grandma has a flat in London?”

He meets your gaze and stays quiet as he looks away more confused now. “Mmm-hmm,” he hums after a while.

Huh, she never mentioned.

You hum in response and move away.

“But,” he adds. “My mum never mentioned you. At all.”

You scoff. “What are you talking about?” You snap in annoyance. “You left me with them. Or what?” You begin to walk over to him and shoot him a pointed glare. “Did you take advantage of the five years I disappeared to actually erase me from your life?”

He stays quiet and begins fiddling with his fingers.

You wait for a response, for something but he just shakes his head.

“Right,” you scoff and shake your head. “I get it, dad,” you sneer and turn away to walk off and snoop somewhere else

“Marceline Desbordes-Valmore?” Layla thankfully interjects the silence.

They bond over the poem, whilst you find French and Hieroglyphic books on his overpiled desk.

“So, you’re learning French and hieroglyphics?” You ask as you pick up a book off the desk.

Layla walks over and overlooks the things you were looking at too.

“Yeah, well…that’s not that impressive, really. It’s not like hieroglyphs are a whole language,” your dad says as he walks over too. “It’s more like a…”

“Like an alphabet?” You finish saying for him as you put the book down. “Yeah. Layla told me.”

He glances at Layla behind you and then back at you to continue. “Yeah, and…well, you still have to know ancient Egyptian to read it.”

Yep learning that.

“Sure,” you scoff, and he doesn’t stop talking.

“For example, like this one here, right?” He points to an example.

You look over and recognize it thanks to Layla’s teachings. “Funeral rites,” you mention dryly.

“Well, someone knows their unilaterals. You.” He points, and you pass a weird look. “That’s amazing.” He says nervously.

You narrow your gaze and feel your lips flicker to weird frown, whilst Layla begins to chuckle.

“Sorry,” he immediately interjects as he looks over at Layla. “I don’t mean that in a creepy way to your daughter.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Layla says and meets his gaze. “I’m not buying this, Marc. Use whatever accent you want. Yeah. Come on, Wolf.” She begins to walk off, and you don’t hesitate to follow her without even as much considering your father—“let’s just get this over with. You sent these papers but you never signed them.” She grabs her bag and pulls out the divorce papers.

“Did I?” Your dad stammers. “Uh…”

Layla hands him the papers and he begins to search for something in his jacket.

“This is what you wanted,” she says as he ends up pulling out glasses you’ve never seen him wear before.

“Let’s have a look here,” he mumbles.

“After everything, you told me that we needed to move on,” Layla continues. “But I'm not forgetting y/n. We can be whatever you want Marc, I don't care, but I'm still going to be in her life.”

You smile faintly and watch as your father reads the papers he had sent her. “All right. Divo…Divorce?”

You further narrow your gaze and keep watching him.

“Yeah,” Layla nods. “Are we doing this or not?”

“I would never divorce you.” He retorts and just adds more confusion.

“What are you doing?” Layla snaps.

“Look, you both seem absolutely lovely,” your dad says and looks between the both of you. “Even with the snappy attitude…”

You smirk faintly at his comment and move back to the door to fold your arms over your chest.

“…This Marc, on the other hand, is a right twit, yeah?” He continues to say. “I don’t know how to explain what’s been happening. I don’t expect you to believe me. I honestly don’t really believe it myself, all I can do is try to…try to show you what I found.” He moves to the gym back on a small table. “I found this bag in the storage locker. And inside of it is all sorts…” he unzips the bag and begins to look through it. “…of things.”

You step closer and raise your head to look over his shoulder.

“Most interestingly…” he suddenly pauses and looks up and gets his eyes lost on nothing ahead of him.

“Most interestingly is what?” Layla queries.

You tilt your head and squint.

“Nothing,” he then deadpans.

“Nothing?” Layla retorts.

Once again your father faces her and repeats himself. “Nothing nevermind.”

Layla walks to him to press further. “What’s in there?”

You drop your arms and step forward.

“Nothing…wait—” he trails off as you shove him aside and rummage through the bag. Layla walks to your side and watches until you pull out a golden scarab.

“Is this?” You mumble and slowly face Layla. “Is this it?”

Layla’s eyes widen and she reaches over to grab it from your hand before glaring at your dad. “The scarab pointing to Ammit’s ushabti? What we fought side by side for.”

“No,” he mumbles.

“This whole one-man show is just what?” Layla argues. “So that you can keep it for yourself?”

You look at him up and down in disappointment and some confusion, but keep quiet since you’ve only recently been told about their adventures, you’ve only recently been involved thanks to Layla.

“No, no. I swear…” he tries to say but gets cut off by Layla.

“Wow. After all that we’ve been through—no, no just stop! I’m supposed to believe anything you say with this shoved in wh-what, a gym bag?”

You look back down at said bag and continue to rummage through in hopes you’d find something valuable. But it’s not there. You do end up finding something else though, an invitation and a pass to your graduation ceremony.

The envelope seal is open, but the papers inside are still straight and clean. As if it was untouched. As if he never debated going.

And this is where he shoved it, in this damn bag.

“Take it,” your father says to Layla. “Take it, you can have it. Take it, take it. I don’t want it. I don’t want it. I swear. Have it.”

Layla shakes her head and stays quiet.

“I am not Marc Spector,” he keeps insisting. “I’m Steven Grant…”

That’s not what his actual passport says. Or his birth certificate, or your years of actually knowing him.

“I work in a gift shop. Well, I used to work in a gift shop,” he says almost as if wants to cry. “And I think I’m in real danger, and I think maybe that you might be the only person that can help me….Please.”

You look up and keep staring at your father.

“You really don’t remember why we’ve been looking for this?” Layla asks, and your father shakes his head. “Our adventures. Or our life together?”

He shakes his head and mutters, “oh, God, I wish I could.”

He’s really committed to this Steven persona isn’t he?

Nevertheless, a knock raps on the door and a woman’s voice echoes from behind the door. “Steven Grant, can we have a word?”

Your fathers eyes widen out of panic. “See?” He points to the door. “Oh, God, they’ve come for me.”

You step towards the door and look over at him. “Why?” You ask.

“I vandalized a toilet.” He shares, and you snort quietly.

The knocking proceeds to continue and your father finally answers. “Yeah, just a minute!” He then begins slowly sneaking towards the door as the woman continues.

“Steven Grant?”

“Yeah?”

She hasn’t announced who she’s here in part of. No title, nothing.

“Wa—” you end up cutting yourself off as you feel Layla's hand on your arm to begin pulling you back.

“DC Fitzgerald and DC Kennedy here.”

You look around the room and point to the window.

“Yeah, yeah, one second.”

Layla sneaks over there and tries to avoid dropping any books piled on the floor as she pulls open the window as quietly as she can.

When it is opened, she waves you to climb out to the roof first before she follows once you carefully step to the side. As you’re on the roof, you look down and see it’s quite a fall so you grip onto the ledge of the roof and slowly climb higher up so Layla can grab onto the ledge too.

The moment you hear footeapes approach from the inside she pushes you back, and proceeds to press her back against the wall until you hear those same footsteps recede.

“You’re in possession of a stolen item,” you hear a man’s voice from the inside. It’s distant and barely audible thanks to the damn outside noise.

“I can barely hear,” you complain.

Layla huffs and puts her hand out so you can wait there as she carefully steps closer to the window to listen for the both of you. You try to step forward but your foot slips and you claw your nails in the wall so you wouldn't fall and drag Layla down with you.

“What are they—”

You’re shused again but this time she only stays quiet for a few minutes before she looks back at you slightly panicked. “They’re taking him.”

You gasp softly. “What?”

Layla presses her ear close to the window and waves you over as she begins to slowly walk back to the window. You follow in tow and jump back inside, but accidently knock down a pile of your fathers many books.

“Oh, shit,” you sneer.

Layla walks to the door and assures you over her shoulder, “it’s okay they’re not here anymore. But we’ll lose them if we don’t follow.”

You nod and make it out of the house to return to your scooters.

“Do you believe him?” You ask Layla as you’re in the elevator.

Layla pulls out the scarab and sighs as she shrugs. “I don’t know what to believe. Part of me does because he actually sounds so convincing, but as I look at this I contradict that belief. You?” She asks as she glances at you.

You let out a deep breath and shrug. “I don’t know, really. I find his behavior weird but….he’s left me before, so it’s hard to believe him and not think of this as some sort of trick to push me away again. On the other hand I’m trying not to let my anger blind me, I’m trying not to let my grandma's voice get to me, I want to believe him, so I don’t know,” you scoff and drop your head.

Layla places her hand on your shoulder and gently squeezes it as the elevator doors open. “You have every right to be angry. We’ll try and figure him out after we help him.”

You nod and don’t add anything, you just walk out and catch a man and a woman walking your father out of the building. They get in some black four door car. You follow but make sure to keep your distance so they wouldn't see.

And while you drove you couldn’t help but think about Layla, how you used to be angry because you were afraid she’d steal your father away. You used to be jealous of her. You’d actively wish for their downfall, you were cruel, but….after coming back she was there and he wasn’t.

Every bit of life changed, it was overwhelming and he was never there, but she was, she was always there even if she had no actual reason to. So now you can’t imagine life without her. She’s like the mother you never got to have. So part of the reason why you’re actually in search of the deadbeat is because of her, because she gives you hope and tries to sway you to look at Marc differently, not in the way your grandmother tried to make you see him. It’s because of her that you’re now following his kidnappers to some far lively residential area.

“It’s very…” you comment as you look around at all the people, at the goat passing by. “Lively.”

Layla looks back and nods stiffly. “I’ll say.”

“Should we…” you look away from the goat and keep looking ahead. “Just go inside or something?”

“There,” Layla points. You follow her finger and see the man and the woman that had taken your father. “That’s them.” Confirming that they weren’t actually any kind of authority.

You scoff. “But…he’s not with them.” You look away and catch some people walking into some old brick building at the end of the pathway.

“What even is this place?” Layla mutters.

You shrug. “Who knows,” you sigh. “But look, there. People are going in there.”

“Let’s have a look.” She says and quickens her pace.

As you follow her inside you see more people inside, they’re all doing their own thing; watching things, eating, talking. It’s like a community, this whole place. It’s…cute. Yet you don’t see your father, nor do you take the obvious straight path further inside the rundown building, you follow Layla around the hall and listen to the distant voices that become less muffled the closer you get to the other side.

“…I kinda draw a line there, at child murder…”

Your eyes brighten at the sound of his voice. His new accent.

However, the voices turn quieter, muffled, and then louder again.

“I need to know, where is the scarab?”

Oh shit. That’s a new voice.

“Where is the scarab?” The manly voice asks again to who you most likely assume is your father.

Layla catches the sound of the demands and begins to quicken her pace. You follow and notice people in the hall the closer you get.

“Where is the scarab?”

“No.”

“Where is the scarab?” The mysterious man asks again.

As the archway comes to view, Layla rounds the corner and announces herself quickly. “I have it.”

When you round the corner, you see those same peaceful people gathered around your father, and see an older man with hair a bit above his shoulder and a cane in his hand in front of him.

“You couldn’t possibly understand the value of what you’re holding,” the man directs at Layla.

You clench your fists to be ready for anything, and meet your fathers gaze, noticing that he actually seems relieved to see you this time.

“Let me have that, I’ll keep it safe.” The man continues. And as you walk closer to your father people begin to crowd around you too.

“Summon the suit,” Layla instructs your father. And for the first time since you found out about this, time stealing god, you actually agree with Layla.

“S-sorry, what?” He queries.

Layla and you both look at him and she repeats herself. “Summon the suit.”

People begin to get closer and inch closer to Layla as you keep your eyes on the people.

“Summon the soup?” He asks in confusion. “What are you saying?”

Oh wow.

“The suit,” you sneer as you look back. “Your suit. Summon it!”

He meets your gaze with more confusion and shakes his head. “The suit?”

Layla presses the scarab against him and adds, “and keep this safe.” She turns and the man finally gives up.

“So be it,” he says, causing Layla to break into a run.

You quickly follow, and your father does but grabs onto her as if he’s scared.

Men try to stop her from taking your father but she shoves them away and leads the way up the stairs. She makes it to the runway, but you come to a quick halt as a man cuts off your fathers path. And rather than fighting him off, your dad grabs your arm and pulls you away.

“What are you doing?” You snap and let him pull you up some stairs.

He doesn’t answer though because you then reach the top of the stairs and see Layla fighting off some man before she throws him off the stairs. Your father looks down at the man as he crashes down a wooden surface, and follows your line of gaze over to the old man chanting something as he has his cane pressed against the ground, causing it to crack.

Layla proceeds to run over to grab your father to pull him with her.

“That was awesome,” he compliments her. You follow her up more stairs and run down messy halls until you all finally reach some kind of storage room.

“Here. Bold the door,” Layla instructs your dad, whilst you gasp as you see all the sarcophagus in the room.

“This is all a whole lot of bad luck,” you mumble as you proceed to look for a way out.

“Oh my god,” your dad gasps. “I’m going to die in an evil magicians man cave,” he panics, making Layla approach him, and for you to watch him with a puzzled look.

“No, no. Hey. Listen to me. Listen to me,” Layla tries to calm him down as she grabs his hands. “Your name is Marc. There’s a suit. I’ve seen you wear it. You bring it out.”

“No.” He shakes his head.

You scoff and roll your eyes before you step towards him to try and snap him out of this weird persona. “Dad, where are you? We need you to fight.”

He keeps shaking his head and sounds more distressed. “No, no. I can’t. Stop, please the three of you. Please, stop!”

You blink in disbelief, but fight off your confusion and slight fear of this new reaction of his and pull his arms towards you so he can look at you. “Listen to me. Your name is Marc Spector.”

He looks away but you grab his face and pull him back.

“Your name is Marc. You’re my dad, you’re Layla’s husband. You have a weird suit that I hate, but you need to bring it out! Dad!”

He keeps looking away, and more sweat gleams his face. Layla then joins in to try and get him to snap out of it too. “Where the hell are you? You need to fight!”

“Dad—”

“Stop, stop. leave me alone, the three of you! No.”

You kneel down and continue as you grab his arms.

“Hey, look at me you—”

“No,” he snaps at you. “No! Do you not understand I am not Marc! I’m not your dad! You’re wrong, you’re mistaken, I’m not your dad. You’re not my daughter!”

You go rigid and feel your breath catch as you blink in disbelief. He pushes your hands off him and drops his head again.

He’s been absent, you’ve been angry, but you still held onto hope. You foolishly still cherished your past memories even with all the stuff your grandmother would say, you never let her poison you. Even with all your anger you still did love him. More than anyone. But hearing him say those words now, hearing him yell them out begins to darken all that good stuff you still carried.

It’s like you could hear your heart cracking inside. Everything’s so quiet, so bleak.

“Y/N, listen to me he didn't mean it,” Layla tries to excuse him again. She always did that.

“I,” you breathe out and meet her gaze. “I don’t care,” you deadpan even if tears cloud your eyes, even if you feel like sobbing and screaming, even if you want to curl up in a ball.

You stand up and step away from the pair to look for a way out.

“You can do this, I promise!” Layla tries to comfort him now. Marc. Steven whoever the hell he goes by. “Steven…”

“I can’t,” he whispers. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Of course he can’t. No surprise.

You scoff and turn away to run over and check the windows.

“I can’t. I can’t do it.”

“It’s alright,” Layla continues to comfort him. “It’s all right. Okay. We’ll just find another way.”

Layla then joins you and tries to search with you. However he doesn’t follow, he stays and continues to panic, this time he spews out nonsense as the doors get barged open.

“Jackal. Jackal. Jackal!”

You look over but see nothing. “What jackal?” You ask and then look over at him as he steps back and keeps pointing at nothing.

“Jackal. Jackal…” he then trails off as he suddenly gets shoved out the window.

Without thinking you gasp and rush over to the broken window. “No,” you yell.

But once you look over you see him land perfectly, like, in a weird hero pose.

“Is he okay?” Layla asks.

You nod and sigh in relief. “Yep. He just…landed.” You remember your anger and betrayal and look away to continue finding a way out for yourself, not for him.

Thankfully, Layla finds a fire escape and you climb down on the side of the building. Now albeit, Layla wants to find Marc, so you stick with her.

And luckily as you were going to walk out of the alleyway, Marc comes crashing through another wall. This time he’s dressed differently though. You’ve seen his suit before, it’s quite cool if you should admit, but this one doesn’t have a cape, there’s no gold crescent moon on his chest, no hood. He’s just in a suit. A plain white suit.

Regardless, he quickly finds his footing and proceeds to tear a bumper off a car.

“You look different,” Layla stammers seconds before Marc gets pushed to the floor and then gets pulled back. You would’ve questioned it, the invisible jackal, but there's really no need. It all must be a part of how he has his powers. It’s inconvenient though, not being able to see whatever is attacking and shoving Marc to cars.

“Stay away from me!” Marc yells as Layla tries to approach him.

“Away from what?!” She exclaims before she gets shoved back to the ground.

“Layla!” You exclaim and run over to her.

Marc keeps getting attacked, he begins to get pulled off the ground and seems to be getting choked, not letting Layla accept your offer to help her off the ground because she quickly insists on grabbing a bottle by your feet to throw it at whatever has Marc held up against the car.

When the bottle crashes, the liquid within creates a silhouette of a jaw opening as the monster roars.

Layla proceeds to try and attack it, but it suddenly grabs her too and shoves her and Marc back.

“Fuck,” you murmur and pull your braclet apart to get ahold of your daggers. The monster seems to see your action as he lets the pair go because he growls your way; you feel it’s breath on your face, but don’t see it. So you don’t let it intimidate you. Instead you sprint towards it, but miss hitting anything, instead it continues to push Marc back again.

“Fuck you,” you grimace in annoyance before you pull your arm up and throw your hand down, managing to finally stab some flesh. However, the monster quickly retaliates and hits you back so hard you hit the ground.

You try to quickly push yourself to your feet, but suddenly something cold wraps around your ankles before it drags you back, making you scream.

“Y/N!” Layla yells and tries to fight it off, but it just shoves her back since she can’t see what his position is exactly.

“Get off!” You yell and twist around to begin kicking it. The monster then proceeds to pick you off the ground though and dangles you off the ground with ease. You try to continue kicking it, you try to reach for something in your pockets, but Marc then rushes over with something and hits it before Layla comes over too and stabs it with a dagger you dropped.

Just as it drops you though, it hits Marc and tries to hit Layla but she slides her feet back and dodges.

“Are you okay?” You mutter to Layla in between pants.

She nods and meets your gaze. “You?”

You nod and take back your daggers. “Yep, just trying to figure this invisible thing out.”

“I think I can. Get away from them, you,” Marc shouts, causing you to look over to see him prancing around and taunting it. “Yeah, I see you, you plug-ugly coyote. You’re in the wrongs ends, mate. You’re in my yard now.” He pulls his suit jacket off and throws it on the ground. “Yeah, come on. Come on. That’s right. Come on.”

You stand up to your feet and slightly narrow your gaze as you watch Marc slowly going back into the busy street.

“Ooh, lookie here. Lookie here. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, my name is Steven with a V. Oh, my God. Here you come, come on!” He shouts before he swings arm.

“Did he hit it?” You mumble and pat your pockets to try and find your gadgets.

Layla shrugs. “I don’t know, maybe?”

“Wagwan!” Marc exclaims. “I did it! You got planted!” He laughs as he points ahead of him. “Layla! Girls! Did you see that?”

You narrow your gaze and pull out a paralyzing agent. You don’t intend to answer, just smile awkwardly, but then Marc gets thrown back towards the street, causing traffic to stop, and people to finally gawk.

“I just need to see it,” you mumble and slowly begin to sneak forward towards the spot Marc got hit. “And I can hit.” Since this place is a residential area you don’t bother to get out any explosives as small as they are.

Then again if it gets in the right position you can throw it in his mouth, or Marc can since he sees it.

That’s a smart idea.

“Okay, Layla, let’s go towards it,” you say even if you don’t bother to stop and let her contradict.

She wasn’t of course, but you still gave her no time to argue before you quickened your pace to run to the street.

And just as you’re going to go near Marc as he keeps getting slammed against the bus, you stop as a car comes rushing forward. Marc steps back albeit and it’s possible that he pushes the monster in front of the car to get it run over. You can't really tell since he gets thrown back, but the car didn't seem like it hit him so he couldn’t have made such a big dent.

Regardless you still can’t help but be worried as he doesn’t move. “Hey,” you call out. “Are you—” you cut yourself as you see him beginning to push himself up, he then looks behind him and when you follow his line of gaze, you just see people getting pushed back. That’s it.

The corner of your lips tug to a slight before you break into a sprint towards it.

“Y/N, no, stop!” You hear Layla yell, but you ignore her.

Once you reach the spot people are getting pushed at by nothing, you activate the paralyzing agent and slam it against a big spot that’s between the people. And luckily the monster roars out, you can once again feel its breath and hear it in front of you, but it doesn’t move…

It doesn’t hit you, you don’t feel dry and cold skin slap across your face, or feel it grab your feet. It works again.

It works!

Before the paralyzing agent can wear off, you pull out your dagger and stab its flesh. It roars again so you pull out the small explosive and try to throw it towards where you feel its breath, and feel its spit come out as it roars. But before you can even activate the gadget something cold suddenly wraps around your throat. It lifts you off the ground and moves forwards to slam your back against a brick wall.

You groan and feel sharp pain radiate from your back and the back of your head. It continues to squeeze your throat, blocking out the air that came through, making you begin to gasp and hit at its arms, causing your eyesight to blur and the sounds around you to sound muffled with how fast your heart was racing.

Layla calls out for you, you can hear the muffled sound of your name, but you don’t see her or feel this thing let you go. You try to reach for something to hit it with in the meanwhile, but it slams you against the wall again.

Just as it seems like it might take you out, suddenly it roars before its grip slips off your throat and makes you hit the floor, letting you finally breathe in air again with every deep gasp.

“Hey, hey,” you hear clearer now and recognize that deep voice. “You’re okay. You’re good.”

You rub your throat and look up to see Marc in the old suit now.

“Wolf,” he says without an accent and makes you stare at him in confusion. “You’re okay. You did good.” He grabs your arm to try and help you up, but even if you can breathe again because of him, even if he calls you those names that have a way to reassure you, at the sound of his actual normal voice you grow angry again and rip your arm out of his grip to help yourself up.

Before he can say anything in the respect, the monster roars again.

“Get it out of here!” Layla instructs, and without a second of hesitation Marc runs away and you assume the monster does too, letting Layla and you return to your scooters.

Yet before you can even make it far on your scooters, both Layla and you stop as you see the same older gentleman from before talking to a man.

“I’m sorry, but that belongs to me.”

You can’t see what it is he wants from the man, but you assume it’s the scarab since he’s wasting his time trying to convince the man to hand it over.

“I can offer you food, clothing, but I am unable to offer you this. Thank you.” The older gentleman then grabs the man’s hand as he continues to speak. “I wish you could live to see the world we make.” Then the man's body gets pulled up for a few seconds before he just drops…

The older gentleman lifts the scarab you now see in his hand and looks at it for a few seconds, before he looks over and catches Layla and you staring.

And it’s at that moment that his eyes land on you that Layla drives off, and you follow her home since Marc handled the monster and Layla assumes he wouldn't go home since he knew that’s where you’d find him.

——

*LATER*

“…and if that man has the scarab that means he’s going to go to Ammit’s tomb,” Layla shares as she begins to pack a bag. “Khonshu doesn’t want that, he wants the scarab for himself too, so it means Marc is going there too. Which means we’re going there.”

You hum and stay quiet, you don’t agree or add anything on the matter, you stay sitting at the edge of her bed and just fiddle with your fingers.

Right away Layla notices your silence, she sees the way you’re sitting with your head down, and your back hunched and knows something is wrong.

“You should be packing,” she interjects.

You shake your head. “No,” you mumble. “I’m not going to Egypt with you. I’m going back home, back to Chicago. My grandpa is alone now, I’ll stay with him until I need to go to New York.” You sigh and lift your hand to pull off the gold crescent moon necklace that Marc had gifted you years ago.

“What, but I thought we were doing this together,” Layla argues, and you hear footsteps approaching. “I understand it might be dangerous, but you wanted to do this, don't let him stop you.”

You swallow thickly and sigh. “You heard him,” you mumble. “You heard what he said, I’m not going to go after someone who doesn’t care about me. If he doesn’t want to be a father anymore he doesn’t have to. I’m nineteen now, he has no legal obligation.” You stand up and try to storm off but Layla grabs your arm and turns you to face her.

“I don’t think it was him who said that,” she tries to argue in his defense. “I think that was someone else. Someone your dad didn’t talk to us about.”

You hold her gaze for a second all seriously before you chuckle and shake your head. “You expect me to believe that? He’s obviously lying, he’s making all that shit about being Steven Grant who doesn’t remember his past life, who has a completely new one to run from his old life. To run from me, from you.” You huff out of frustration and pull your arm away from her hand.

“So I’m done, I’m done trying to look for him, and trying to reconnect. He left me for a reason, Layla,” you mutter in a quivering voice. “I’ll respect it.” You turn to head to your room, but she stops you as you reach the door.

“For me then? Come to Egypt for me.” She continues to approach you, and you drop your head and groan. “I need your help. Your gadgets and your brains.”

She’s talking you up. Great.

“Egypt…” you pause and let out a deep breath. “Is a big place, how will you find him?”

Layla comes to a stop behind you, and you practically hear her smirk. “Maybe you have a way to find him?”

You do.

“I do,” you reveal with a slow cocky smirk tugging on your lips.

150 notes · View notes

sevlgi · 3 years

Text

aphrodisiac

requested: no

group: twice

pairing: mina x fem!reader

genre: fluff, extremely mild and short angst

contents: witch!mina, love potions, college!au

warnings: none

synopsis: You’re broke and desperate, so you don’t think twice before taking a love potion that’ll make you fall in love with a mysteriously perfect girl. But maybe you should.

a/n: hehe i like the idea of this!! i’m just not sure how well i executed it 🤔 happy valentines day, my loves ❤

word count: 6.0k

While everyone knew that working the 9-12 weekday shift at the campus bookstore was the worst job you could possibly get, you didn’t feel quite as exhilarated to have been laid off as you should have.

As the one who had suffered at the hand of old Mrs. Lee for almost the entire duration of your time on campus, you knew the torture better than most. So it was an understatement to say that you were exhilarated to be free of ironing book pages out and restocking the shelves at Mrs. Lee’s whims, that you were practically beaming when you got the email.

But on the other hand, it wasn’t like you had much money to spare, or like you had the ability to find another job in the crowded university. When you felt your wallet in your back pocket, completely empty save for a couple crinkled receipts, the grin faded from your face; after all, it would be even harder to survive without the aid of your measly salary.

So as you pinched together a couple quarters to buy yourself a consolatory iced chocolate, you found that being let go from the shittiest job in the world didn’t feel as triumphant as you had expected. Not when you were, once again, scouring the papers stabled to the lightposts around the campus for anything that offered a quick paycheck.

Well, almost anything.

“I will not.”

“Why?” Lisa was close to whining, though the pout that she directed fully at you did her no favors. “You said you needed to get paid.”

You sighed, “I said i needed to get paid, not launched in the air like a damn cannonball.”

Lisa scowled and tapped her fingers on her face, her hands still cupping her chin as she attempted to convince you. “Come on, the dance team’s willing to pay. It costs less to pay you than to get a dummy, so--”

“That’s not helping to convince me,” you warned. As desperate as you were, and as much as you liked Lisa and her fellow dancers, you definitely didn’t trust them not to launch you in the air and break your neck. “Are you sure that you don’t know about any other job offers? Anything that won’t murder me?”

She considered it, chewing on her bottom lip. You could feel other students eyeing where you sat, one of the only seats in the incredibly tiny boba shop, but you refused to budge until Lisa gave you an answer. “Oh! There is one I can think of, actually. You know the bio lab?”

“Yeah.” You watched her suspiciously, arms crossed. “I’ve been there a couple times. Why?”

“Well, it isn’t a normal bio lab,” Lisa mumbled, leaning in as if what she was about to tell you was the greatest secret in the world. “A lot of them are witches, you know.”

It wasn’t like you didn’t believe in witches, or the supernatural-- both had been proven to be true eons ago, and almost half of the students attending your university weren’t completely human. But you were still a little skeptical that the pretty and equally brilliant girls who ran the campus’s bio lab were... “Witches? Are you sure?”

“Why would I be lying?” Lisa rolled her eyes. “I’m friends with a couple of them, and I know that they’re doing an... experiment of sorts, and they need--”

“Lab rats,” you finished for the dancer. In all rationality, being a lab rat for a couple of young witches with access to a high-tech lab was probably worse than getting launched up in the air by a dance team, but when Lisa slid a flyer over and your eyes widened at the offered money, you instantly stood. “Take me.”

Lisa pouted but stood anyway, taking the flyer back to squint at the tiny scribbled building number. “I can’t believe you trust Mina more than you trust me.”

“Mina? Is that the name of the ‘witch’ I’m selling myself to?” you asked, slightly sarcastic but also slightly curious. At the dancer’s nod, you exhaled lightly and shoved your seat in just to watch the next people scramble for it, and hummed on your way out, “Then let’s meet this Mina.”

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that your entire school was close to dilapidated, but something about the bio lab was almost creepy as you approached it. Lisa had long since set off for the dance room (something about Seulgi breaking Ten’s ankle, she claimed), so you hesitated in front of the cloudy glass door alone. But the thought of the $600 dollars scrawled onto the flyer scrunched in your fist prompted you to push the doors open and step into the lab.

There was already a decent amount of people buzzing around inside; you recognized quite a few of them and nearly laughed at the amount of students willing to possibly be poisoned. But you took the nearest empty seat as someone appeared at the front of the room.

“Wow, this is a great turnout.”

The crowd chuckled lightly, and your eyes nearly bugged out at the sight of the girl standing at the front with papers in her hands. Honestly, she was the kind of girl that you imagined people wrote love songs about-- absolutely perfect without having to really do anything, elegant and soft in a way that still stood out. She smiled slightly and waved, eyes darting around the room. “Hi. I’m Mina, I’m part of the coven that sent out the flyers.”

You joined in the chorus of greetings, but your eyes stayed fixed on Mina at the front of the room. You could see several other girls lurking around in the shadows, probably the other members, though they kept beckoning Mina to speak on her own. “Um, I’ll just... explain the project to you,” she chuckled nervously, darting over to the computer.

Once a slide was displayed on the wall, she rushed back to the front and explained, “Being a potions-focused coven and also biology majors, we wanted to conduct an experiment. A love potion, or an aphrodisiac in scientific terms.”

Murmurs arose around you, and even your eyebrows scrunched together; as far as you knew, aphrodisiacs weren’t real, and if they were, they were probably illegal. In response, Mina raised her hands and her voice slightly to call out, “Hey, hey. It’s an experiment. We were originally planning to accept all of you, but... I think it’ll be hard to conduct an experiment with 50 people, so please fill out the form we pass out.”

And like that, Mina joined the rest of her friends in passing out the clipboards. You didn’t watch them, only scanned the lab for any signs that you were about to die, so when you were tapped on the shoulder, you almost fell off your stool. It was Mina herself, a slight pink tinting her pale skin as she held out one of the forms to you. “Uh. Thanks.” You accepted it with a bow of your head, staring down at the paper. It looked legitimate, with areas for your age, your height--

“What’s your name?”

In your haste to read over the paper, you hadn’t noticed that Mina hadn’t left. When you looked back up, you could feel heat burning at the tops of your ears, and you answered, “Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N, though you’ll read it on my application.”

“Oh. Of course. Thanks for coming, Y/N,” Mina mumbled, bowing before moving on to someone else. You noted that she didn’t ask for the name of anyone else, but you passed it off and turned back to the form. Since when did becoming a coven’s lab rat require your blood type, anyway?

After nearly a week, you had almost given up on being accepted into the experiment. But just 5 days after turning your form in, you got the text.

Unknown number [4:57] Is this Y/N Y/L/N? My name is Mina, we met at the bio lab last week. I’m texting to tell you that you got accepted into the program; we’re meeting at the lab again at 9:00 tonight to discuss the experiment further.

You [5:00] yeah, it’s me. i’ll be there.

It wasn’t like what you wore to the meeting mattered; all you were doing was being briefed on exactly what was about to happen to you. But all through your classes of the day, through your futile studying, you couldn’t keep your mind off the experiment that you had somehow been accepted into, and whether it was a good idea to go at all.

Suffice to say, you went.

“Y/N?” the girl at the entrance of the lab asked. You recognized her from the week before-- dark hair, bunny-toothed smile. “You are Y/N, right?”

“Yeah,” you answered, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. “Why?”

“Oh, nothing,” she smiled. “We’re just taking roll, making sure everyone’s here. Take a seat inside, if you will.”

You obliged, nodding awkwardly before brushing past her. To your relief, the lab was nowhere as packed as it had been the week before, 7 people including yourself seated on the stools as the girls fiddled with test tubes in the back. One pair of eyes in particular lingered on you, before Mina was pulled back to talk, but your cheeks warmed nonetheless.

“Okay, everyone!” someone else announced, clapping her hands together. “My name’s Jihyo, I’m the head of the coven. This is Nayeon” -- the bunny-toothed girl from earlier waved-- “and Mina. We’ll be explaining the experiment to you today.”

She pulled the projector down and Nayeon stepped up, flashing a grin at all of you. “Basically, we made an aphrodisiac. And to test it, we’ll have all of you do the exact same things with the exact same person-- Mina.”

Mina stepped forward this time, and you couldn’t help smiling at the shy smile that tugged at her lips. “To keep conditions equal, you’ll all be going on the exact same 2 dates with me,” she explained. “I’ll take notes on how you act around me, and we’ll test how you feel about me at the very end. Any questions?”

The room was basically silent and honestly, you couldn’t see a downside to it either. Take a potion once and go on dates with a pretty girl, then get observed like a hamster on its wheel so you could get paid? A million times better than your old job. “Great,” Jihyo nodded. “Then, we’ll get started. If Y/N could be the first one? You’ll just go into a room with Mina to get interviewed and take your first dose.”

“Don’t die,” someone called out as you passed, and you flashed a glare despite not knowing who it was. Nayeon giggled as she opened the door for you and closed it behind you, leaving you in what you assumed to be a supply closet. Romantic.

“Hi,” Mina greeted softly, already seated across the table. “I’ll just ask you a series of questions, if that’s okay.”

“Go for it.”

“Rate how attracted you are to me on a scale from 1 to 10.”

Your jaw dropped immediately; for the first question, it was awfully invasive, especially when Mina voiced it with such a straight face. But you straightened your spine and answered stiffly, “9.”

It should’ve been 10, but you weren’t trying to look like a literal creep; Mina only hummed and marked a circle on her form, moving on to ask, “Are you considering dating anyone else at the moment?”

“No.”

And in that manner, the questions passed decently quickly, with Mina asking them as flatly as possible and you answering them with the exact same tone. As soon as she set the clipboard aside, though, she returned to her original sweet state. “I’ll just have you swallow this now, if that’s okay.”

The test tube was cold to the touch when you uncapped it, and the liquid inside was suspiciously clear. But you barely gave it a passing glance before downing it like a shot, asking with narrowed eyes, “Is it supposed to taste like nothing?”

“Well, we figured that not everyone would like to taste tequila once a week with none of the good effects,” Mina chuckled and placed the empty test tube in its place.

“How fast will I see results?” you questioned as you stood. “Like, am I gonna wake up in a cold sweat tonight because I can’t handle how much I suddenly love you?”

The girl shook her head, though it was a bit hesitant. “I don’t believe so. It should only become more prominent once you see me more often. Which reminds me, I’ll text you about our first date as soon as I can. Thank you for participating, Y/N.”

You snatched your jacket up and stumbled your way out of the room as quickly as you could, hoping no one was looking as you closed the door behind you with a quivering pulse.

Despite the witch’s words, you were sure that the potion was already taking effect. Why else would your heart start to throb terribly as you looked at her smile?

mina [8:16] Hello Y/N! I was wondering if you had class today?

Mouth full of cheap cup ramen noodles, you stared at your phone screen. If Mina was asking you about your schedule, she had to have something planned (for the experiment, of course. You weren’t delusional). And you weren’t sure if you were mentally ready to see her shy smile again.

But when the thought of the $600 dollar check popped into your head, you reached for your phone and started to type again.

You [8:19] hey, mina. i don’t have class, actually, is this something about the experiment?

mina [8:20] Yes! If possible, please meet me at the front of the school, we’ll be visiting the food trucks at the beach. I’ll pay!

Your stomach growled at the thought of the renowned food trucks at the beach by your university, and you typed out a hasty agreement before stuffing your phone into your bag and setting off for your apartment. There was no way you were enjoying such an opportunity for good food (and perfect company) in a slightly ramen-stained hoodie.

Thankfully, Mina didn’t seem to mind you being late when you approached her. “Hi, Y/N,” she smiled and hitched her bag higher up her shoulder. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Hi,” you breathed. Well, at least you tried to-- you could barely remember how to function when faced with Mina in a slightly cropped red top, her hair tied up in a little ponytail. But you followed her down the street well enough, towards where you vaguely remembered a fleet of various food trucks to be. “So, have you already conducted this part of the experiment with everyone else?”

Mina shook her head and answered, “No, you’re the first. You took the dose first, so you’ll be a bit like the guinea pig within guinea pigs.”

You snickered at that, nearly tripping over one of the raised cracks in the ground. Sure, the way down the hill to the beach wasn’t the safest one ever, but at least it was convenient for conducting test dates. “The lab rat. You know, this doesn’t seem remotely like a scientific experiment.”

“What do you mean?” the other girl asked, eyes on yours.

Coughing, you looked away from her gaze, though you could feel her still staring at the back of your head. “I mean... it’s not exactly normal for 7 people to drink a potion that tastes like nothing, then go on dates with a pretty girl and treat that as testing.”

“You think I’m pretty?”

“That’s what you got from my whole spiel?” you sighed in disbelief, turning to look at Mina. She laughed, gums showing slightly and her eyes twinkling, and you were forced to turn to the front yet again. “Whatever. Which trucks are we raiding first?”

And as it turned out, Mina was... generous. You were tempted to ask how she was going to keep herself from going broke if she bought that much food for everyone, but watching her bring yet another load of snacks over to where you sat on the wall, you weren’t sure if she cared too much. “Hey. Are you gonna pay for every date?”

“Hm?” She looked up from her Americano and considered the question. “Well, yes? I mean, we planned for the second date next week to be the fair, and I wouldn’t want any college student to have to pay for those overpriced tickets.”

“Aren’t you a college student?”

Mina hummed lightly and dug into her ice cream, sucking thoughtfully on the spoon. “Well, my parents are... well off? I’d like to put it that way, at least. And I think that when I can, I’ll use that to make others happy. Or to further our coven’s experiments.”

“Rich family,” you observed. “Cool.” To be honest, you didn’t really care about how much money anyone’s family made, but it was nice to have all that food paid for. After all, the sheer amount of things Mina bought could’ve covered several months worth of the finest ramen that the restaurants around campus could’ve offered. “Then why’d you end up going to college here with us normal people?”

She raised an eyebrow jokingly and gathered her knees to her chest. “Am I not a normal person anymore?” When you opened your mouth, slightly sheepishly, she giggled and waved a hand, answering, “I ended up choosing this college because my best friends came here. We’re all Japanese, and Sana wanted to come to Korea, so Momo and I just came along for the ride.”

“Ah.” You turned to watch the sky, the sun melting golden into the surface of the waves just a couple dozen feet away. You understood why it was called golden hour as you watched bright yellow rays flicker in Mina’s eyes and glow in her hair, and you had to resist the urge to pull out a camera and capture the feeling of a first date, as much of an experiment as it was. “Makes sense. Then-- how’d you find your coven? I don’t remember a Momo or a Sana.”

“Our coven is a bit... unconventional,” Mina nodded. “It’s just me, Nayeon, and Jihyo. You know that most covens form as children, and they train together, but we only met in college. See, none of us had our own coven, so it was natural that we came together. Momo and Sana aren’t witches, or we should’ve been together.”

You nodded in silence, prompting her to go on. And she did, a soft smile pressing her lips against her teeth as she thought about the girls eh seemed to consider her friends, or her family. “And, well, none of the three of us have had great luck finding someone to love. Or, to love us,” Mina added as an afterthought. “A love potion was just the first thing we fixated on.”

“Finding someone to love you?” you repeated, hand pressed up against your cheek. “I don’t mean that I don’t believe you, but it’s kind of hard to imagine that it’s difficult to find someone to love you. You’re pretty great, Mina.”

She laughed, “I’m glad you think so. But there’s a reason why we chose me as the one to test the potion with.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

Mina looked you right in the eyes, a kind of softness swirling in the brown of her own eyes, and responded equally quietly, “We chose me because we thought I was the hardest to fall in love with.”

“Bullshit,” you responded instantly, heat rising to your ears immediately after. But thankfully, the Japanese girl only looked endeared, and you continued, “I mean, I don’t know if this is just the potion talking, but you’re awesome. I... I think I’d like you even if I wasn’t part of this damn experiment.”

She blushed, the hue of her cheeks matching the pink clouds in the sky. “Well, I think you’re exaggerating on that. But it’s not them, I just volunteered myself. I think people just misunderstand me, you know? It’s hard to find the right person for you when you don’t let people see you. And-- I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. On a first date, too.”

“Hey.” When she looked away from you, you reached over to squeeze her hand. Mina didn’t look back up to you, but you knew she was listening from the way she chewed at her bottom lip. “It’s okay. I know what you’re saying. And I can’t say I know you yet, but I can say I wouldn’t mind knowing you. I’d like it, even.”

Mina laughed, barely loud enough for you to hear, and squeezed your hand. “Thank you, Y/N. I think we should finish our food before it gets cold.”

“Oh, yeah.” You let go to reach for one of the many desserts displayed in front of you, barely fazed by the topic change. “Wouldn’t want your parents’ money to go to waste.”

“Please let that go,” she whined.

“Not a chance,” you winked in response, laughing at her pout. “Not. A. Chance.”

“Lili, I think I’m done for.”

“Like, literally?” Lisa asked mindlessly, receiving a light hit on the head in response. “Ow, what was that for?”

You whined, “This isn’t funny. I can feel myself falling, and there’s no cushion underneath me for me to fall onto.”

The dancer rolled her eyes and reached for her milk tea. “Okay, Miss Overdramatic. You know falling doesn’t work like that, no one’s kicking you off a cliff. Especially not Myoui Mina.”

“I’m not being kicked off, I’m sliding.” You made the motions with your hand, a despondent expression on your face as you scowled, “I’m slipping through a puddle of aphrodisiac, that’s what, and Mina poured it at my feet.”

“Okay, enough with the metaphors, I’m not an English major,” Lisa sighed. She tossed a chip at your face, as if being smeared with salt and oil would wake you up from your Mina-induced trance. “You’ve gone on one date with her and spoken to her approximately twice, I think you aren’t falling just yet.”

“Did you forget the part where I’m drugged to fall in love with her?” you deadpanned.

Lisa paused at that. “Okay, I did forget that. Then what? There’s an explanation as to why you’re feeling this way, and there’s a way to get rid of it. Once you get your paycheck, you just stay away from Mina, should be easy enough, since you never met her before this. And you wait for the potion to wear off.”

“Does it wear off?” you groaned into your hands.

“Did you never ask?” Lisa asked in disbelief. “Wow, Y/N, ever heard of fine print?”

You smacked her with your rolled-up notes yet again. “Shut up. But I have a date with her tomorrow, and I don’t know what to do. I’m feeling like this because of the potion, sure, but I’m still feeling like this! And Mina has 6 other people vying for her now, all under the same effect as me. And it feels... bad.”

“Eloquent,” your friend sighed. “Then I have the perfect solution for you. Don’t go on the second date.”

“I need the money,” you shook your head. “Gimme another one.”

Lisa considered it, sucked on her straw as she did, until she shook her head. “I got nothing. All I can tell you is to enjoy it while it lasts, then just... wait. And if it doesn’t wear off, Jisoo unnie’s studying law.”

As horrible as her suggestions were, you could admit that you felt the slightest bit more assured. In the worst case scenario, you could sue Mina for winning your heart, and in the best, the somehow blissful stabs at your heart would be alleviated soon enough.

As it turned out, you got a chauffer to the fair. Not an actual one, of course-- it was just Jeongyeon, introduced as one of Mina’s friends who could actually drive.

You really weren’t intending to talk to her at first. She was quiet, too, didn’t even turn on the radio once she started driving, but when something that Mina said crossed your mind, you had to speak up. “Hey, Jeongyeon. Can I ask you something? About Mina?”

“Shoot,” she answered simply, keeping her eyes on the road.

“Do you think Mina’s hard to fall in love with?”

Jeongyeon glanced at you at that, her expression slightly quizzical. “What do you mean?”

“She said something yesterday,” you explained. “Mina said that they chose her for the experiment because they thought she was the hardest to fell in love with. She said-- something about being misunderstood?”

The older girl nodded in understanding at that and blew her hair out of her face. After a short pause, she sighed, “I think that’s more of what she thinks than the rest of us. Mina... she thinks she’s unapproachable, you know. She doesn’t open up easily, so I’m surprised she told you that at all. But... she’s been hurt several times, and a lot of people think she’s mean or something similarly stupid just because she’s quiet. That’s all.”

“Oh.” You wet your lips and looked forward to the road, where you could see the fair’s Ferris Wheel already in the distance. “I see.”

And that was that. The two of you fell back into silence, and as comfortable as it was, it only gave you more time to think about what you wanted to say.

Maybe you could see why they would choose the girl who thought of herself as unapproachable and quiet to be the test, but they also didn’t seem to think about the obvious warm color to Mina that she presented. She was quiet, sure, but she was sweet, kind... there was plenty to fall in love with, and even if there wasn’t magic coursing through your system, you thought that you could’ve fallen in love with her anyway.

After bidding goodbye to Jeongyeon at the entrance, you found Mina waiting for you by the fair entrance. “Y/N!” she called out, though her voice still wasn’t loud. You could’ve spotted her anywhere anyway, and made your way over. “You’re a bit early.”

“You were earlier,” you smiled. “So. Are we ready to go in?”

“Absolutely.” Mina linked her arm in yours slightly hesitantly and surprised the both of you, but you took it in stride and swung your arm slightly to bring a smile to her face. “I’ll get our tickets, you get in line.”

“I can pay for myself,” you protested, but she waved you off. “...Okay then.”

The fair was loud, a bit too loud to hear Mina’s voice if she talked normally, so you found yourself leaning in every time she spoke. You really didn’t mind it either, feeling her words tickle your ears-- maybe it was closer than you should’ve been comfortable with, but there was a certain adrenaline pumping in your blood that you weren’t really used to. So you continued on, fed cotton candy to her despite her blush, shared a soda, won a teddy bear for her. Nothing that should’ve made your heart beat as fast as it did.

Nonetheless, time ticked by all too quickly, whirling past in a gust of quiet laughter and honestly terrible jokes. The sun set yet again, the streaks of pink and purple across powder blue oddly similar to the first date you had gone on. Mina checked her watch and frowned, “I think we only have time for one more ride before Jeongyeon comes to pick us up. What do you think?”

You barely had to ponder it before you pointed at the tall, neon-lit Ferris wheel with a smile. “Classic date ride, of course.”

“Classic,” Mina laughed in agreement. She let you tug her towards it and stood in line with you with no complaint, digging a selfie stick out from her bag. “Should we take some pictures up there? It’d be a waste of a beautiful view if we don’t.”

You shrugged, “Of course. Might as well have some pictures to remember our last date by, right?”

Mina looked caught between saying something and staying silent, but she settled with a quiet, “Sure” before starting to set her phone up. Your hand in the crook of her elbow, you tugged her forward when it was necessary, keeping your eyes away from her red-tinted lips as much as you could.

Soon enough, wind was blowing your hair off your face and the cart of the ride was creaking slightly under your weight as someone started the wheel. “Whoa,” Mina laughed breathlessly and peered over the edge. “It’s really high up.”

“And we’re only starting,” you agreed, tugging her back by the wrist. “Don’t fall over, I don’t want to get off this ride with a murder charge on my hands.”

“Hm.” Mina reached over to set the selfie stick on the seat opposite the one the two of you shared, shoving you to get you to match her smile. “Come on, 1, 2, 3.”

With every click of her phone camera, you felt yourself coming closer to her, until you could feel the rise and fall of her chest beside you. You were almost at the top of the ride in barely a couple minutes, the soft sunlight almost blinding you. As you waited for the next camera click, you felt Mina’s hand creep up your arm, up, up, until her slightly cold fingers rested on your neck.

And then she tilted your head, fit her nose right next to yours like it belonged there, and slotted your lips together. You couldn’t think, much less fight whatever force pushed you up against her. You kissed back as best as you could with your senses battling within you, until you realized that the camera shutter had gone off at least ten times.

Mina couldn’t meet your eyes when you did pull back, and she reached over to fiddle with the camera. “Was that a part of the experiment too?” you questioned, your voice raspy.

“Maybe,” she answered, and your heart sank. But she looked up with a smile, her eyes just as confused as you felt. “And maybe not.”

“Oh. Okay,” you said dumbly, then reached over for her hand. There was nothing left to say, anyway, nothing that the slight swell to your lips didn’t already say for you, nothing that wasn’t conveyed when you leaned over to kiss her again.

The idea of allowing a love potion to work its wonders on you was like allowing yourself to be tossed into a trap. But instead of a cold, rough, and terrible trap that you would actively try to escape, you found the trap to be warm, cozy, a place that you wanted to stay-- and a place you knew that you would eventually be ejected from by force.

Once you were in the trap, though, there was no way you could pull yourself back out, especially when you didn’t really want to escape at all. You stayed up for all the nights leading up to the last time you would talk with the bio lab, just thinking about what you would do if everything that had passed by in the last couple weeks was just a figment of an aphrodisiac-induced haze. After all that time, you still didn’t quite know.

But Mina texted you often enough to pull you from that stupor. Thankfully, it wasn’t like one of those stories or dramas, where the main leads somehow fought after their first kiss-- maybe that would’ve been easier than being pulled in deeper. Instead, the two of you talked every day, even if it was only for a little while, and Mina was only worsening whatever situation you couldn’t seem to get out of.

And eventually, the day came where you’d be paid, a day that you had been looking forward to, until you began to dread it.

“Well, doesn’t someone look like a newlywed,” Nayeon greeted at the entrance with a smile, though she didn’t seem to be mocking you. “Come on in, Y/N, we’ll get you started right away.”

The closet was the exact same as it had been the first time that you stepped inside for the interview, but Mina’s smile was much more warm. “Hi, Y/N. How’re you feeling?”

“Good. Fine.” You cleared your throat and attempted to peer at her clipboard. “Questions for me?”

“Yes,” Mina nodded, flipping the pages over. “Are you ready to get started, then? On a scale from one to ten, how attracted are you to me?”

“Ten,” you answered without hesitation this time, and your smile only grew when Mina flushed.

“Okay. Are you considering dating anyone other than me right now?”

“No.” You shook your head, but gulped slightly and leaned back when Mina leaned forward to observe you.

“What about me?”

You paused, blinked, though Mina didn’t seem like she was going to move until you answered, “Yes. I would date you, absolutely.”

She flicked through the pages listlessly before setting them aside and turning back to you. Somehow, Mina looked like she was about to drop a bomb on you, her lips quivering as she calculated the right words. “I... Y/N, I have to tell you something. About the experiment.”

“I’m not going to die, am I?”

Your shitty attempt at humor did manage to prompt a smile from Mina, but she remained serious. “Not that. But- do you understand control groups? In experiments?”

“Um. I think so?” you answered, racking your brain for whatever limited knowledge of science remained with you. “It’s the normal group, right? The one that isn’t experimented on.”

“Yes, just about,” Mina nodded. She reached for your hands and clasped them within hers, eyes pleading for you to understand something that you hadn’t heard yet. “Y/N, you were the control. I... we had to make sure that it was the potion working, and not me, and you- we used you for that. You were never given any potion.”

“I...” you stammered out. Every instinct in you was screaming out to pull away from Mina’s grasp, to question every aspect of your existence that had led up to you being tricked into loving her. Somehow, everything being real only made it feel more fake, even though you now knew that what you had felt was completely you. “I don’t understand.”

Mina said softly, “You fell in love with me, or at least liked me, on your own. You didn’t work as a control group because the same thing happened to you as it did to the others, even though you never took the aphrodisiac.”

“So,” you faltered, “all seven of us fell for you. I’m just the sucker who’s in it for real, huh?”

“I was willing to sacrifice my own feelings for the experiment,” Mina clarified, shaking her head. “I knew I would fall for one of you, but I didn’t think that you, as the control, would be the one who I fell for. And who fell for me.”

Silence fell over the two of you, though you remained there, hands clasped together and eyes meeting with a clarity that speech could never capture. But you tried anyway. “Okay.”

“Just okay?” Mina questioned.

You smiled weakly as a response, “Yeah. Um... how about we go on another date to talk? After you finish interrogating everyone else?”

Mina let go of your hands and let you stand up, but you could feel her smiling at your back as you closed the closet door behind you. Like a repetition of when you thought that you’d be induced into loving her, your heart beat in your throat as you leaned against the wood.

But when you knew it was real, when you knew that it wasn’t magic seizing you by the hand and pulling you into the unknown, you smiled. Because it felt... right.

#twice #twice x reader #mina x reader #mina imagines #mina scenarios #twice imagines #twice scenarios #twice reactions #twice mina #mina #mina myoui #myoui mina

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drabbles-mc · 3 years

Text

Try Again

Kozik x OFC (Tawnie Trager) (ft. Dad!Tig Trager)

Request by Anon: Kozik x female reader, where reader is Tig's first daughter (bit older than the twins, called Tawnie for lols) and no-one knows they're together, until Kozik overhears Gemma question Tawnie about the hickeys - who is like "I'm not sure whether to be mad that they're there, or mad that they're not that good" and then Kozik is pretty much like, 'challenge accepted', and Tig catches them when Kozik tries to leave better ones...?

Prequel can be found Here

Warnings: language, alcohol, slight steam

Word Count: 2.7k

A/N: I changed it to an OFC because the prompt felt almost a little too specific to keep it as a reader-insert lol. Hope you don’t mind! Also, y’all really like seeing Kozik come within an inch of his life with Dad!Tig lmaoooo love it

Join my group-chat here: (X)

SOA Taglist: @garbinge @masterlistforimagines @adela-topaz-caelon @mijop @chibsytelford @xladymacbethx @i-just-read-stuff @kkim120 @multiyfandomgirl40 @toni9 @unicornucopia-fuckers @mayans-sauce @shadow-of-wonder (If you want to be added to the taglist, just let me know!)

She walked into the office with a box of files in her hands. Setting it down on Gemma’s desk, she let out a sigh. Rolling and cracking her neck, she pulled her hair back for a moment to help cool down. Normally she wouldn’t be caught dead with her hair down in the middle of summer, but things had gotten a little heated the night before and Kozik had left a scattering of hickeys on the side of her neck. The rule was always to keep it below the collar but they both got a little wrapped up in things. It wasn’t a huge deal when it happened for him—he could blame it on any of the women who hung around the clubhouse. But for her it was a bit of a tougher situation.

Her father had made it clear from the get-go that she and both of her sisters were off-limits to every man in the club. Even men who were friends of the club. No one was to do so much as toss a wink or a potentially flirtatious comment their way. And for as much as she tried to tell her father that he was being ridiculous, that she was a grown woman who could and would make her own decisions, he never budged. After all, Tig had never been known for being a man to compromise.

So it was bad enough that she was sneaking behind her father’s back with someone in the club. What made it even worse was the fact that it was the one person in the MC that he couldn’t stand. She didn’t even remember how her and Kozik fell into the situation that they were in. He was always friendly with her, but he was one of the most cautious around her because he knew that Tig wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in him if he so much as thought Kozik was hitting on his daughter. And yet, somehow that flipped completely around and the two of them were sneaking off whenever the situation allowed for it.

The last few months were playing at hyper-speed in her mind as she let herself breathe for a moment in the privacy of Gemma’s office. She was staring blankly down at the box that she had just brought in, too zoned out to notice the fact that Gemma had walked in behind her.

“Well, well, well,” Gemma chuckled as she walked up behind her, “What’d you get yourself into last night, T?”

Fear shot down her spine and she instantly let her hair go, “What?”

Gemma shook her head, “Too late to hide it now, sweetheart,” she brushed her hair out of the way to get a better look at her neck, “Since you’re busted, you gotta tell me,” she leaned back against the desk, “Who done it, Tawnie?”

She rolled her eyes, “You cannot tell my dad.”

Gemma chuckled, “What Tig doesn’t know won’t hurt him. So,” she nudged Tawnie’s shoulder, “spill the beans, sweetheart.”

Kozik was about to walk in to ask Gemma about something when he heard the two of them talking. He stopped himself, lurking right outside the door. He was curious to see how the conversation was going to go—he wanted to know if Tawnie would actually confide in someone about the two of them. He’d been good, he hadn’t told a single soul about the two of them being together. It was too small of a town and word traveled way too fast. His days were numbered as it was and he didn’t want to shorten his lifespan any more than necessary by having Tig find out that he was hooking up with his daughter.

Tawnie sighed, running her hands down her face, “Kozik.”

Gemma’s eyes went wide, “Honey, why do you want him to get the shit kicked out of him?”

She laughed, “I don’t! I don’t. Please, please don’t tell my dad.”

“I won’t,” Gemma shook her head slightly, “How’d that happen, anyway?”

She shrugged, feeling the heat rise slightly in her cheeks, “I don’t really know. It all sorta just…fell together.”

“How long?”

She paused, not wanting to admit how long they’d been hiding it, “Couple months.”

“A couple months?” Gemma chuckled and shook her head, “You’ve been sneaking around for a couple months and the man still can’t leave a proper hickey?”

She laughed, giving her a playful shove, “Gemma!”

“What? I’m just saying,” she glanced at her neck, “I could leave a better one than that. And your father would be much less pissed off about it.”

“You gonna give him a how-to manual, Gemma?”

She shook her head, “That’s something he’s gotta learn on his own, sweetheart.”

She laughed, “Is that something you’d like updates on?”

Gemma smiled as she fixed Tawnie’s hair, covering back up the marks on her neck, “You won’t need to tell me—I’ll see it for myself.”

There were a few beats of silence before she spoke up again, “Thank you for, y’know, not ratting me out to my dad.”

She smiled, “The girls gotta stick together.”

Taking that as her cue to leave, Tawnie made her way towards the office door. Kozik heard the sound of her footsteps and tried to back off enough so that it wouldn’t seem obvious that he was waiting right outside the door for her. Despite the distance, though, his face gave him away. She could tell from his expression that he was trying to cover for himself, which meant that he had most definitely heard her conversation with Gemma. She felt a little bad, but she also wanted to see what he was going to say.

“Oh, hey,” she smiled, tilting her head slightly, “You good?”

He nodded, “Yea, I’m…I’m good. Is, uh, is Gemma in there?”

So he was going to play it off for the time being. Two could play at that game. She nodded, “Yea, just got in.”

“Alright, cool. Thanks. I’ll see you later?”

She nodded, “Yea of course. You gonna be around tonight for the party?”

“Are you?”

She smiled, “I think so.”

A smirk passed over his face for a moment, “Then I think so too.”

The day went by quickly. She kept herself busy with random things around the garage and the clubhouse. Normally she’d be getting her hands dirty working on whatever needed repairs, but if she couldn’t tie her hair back out of the way, she wasn’t even going to bother. It would’ve been more trouble than it was worth.

She was helping bring in a few cases of beer as people started showing up for the party. It was dark out by that point, music and loud conversations already starting to flow out through the walls of the clubhouse. She smiled and shook her head to herself as she bumped the door open with her hip.

“T,” Jax appeared on the other side of the bar from her and gave his most charming smile, “grab me a beer, please?”

She rolled her eyes but did as he asked. She popped the top off of it before handing it to him, “I’m not a bartender, Teller.”

“If you’re on that side of the bar, you’re a bartender. Those are the rules.”

She laughed and shook her head before grabbing a beer for herself, “Guess you can carry your own shit in next time.”

Making her way back to the side of the bar that wouldn’t land her with more responsibilities, she looked around the clubhouse. Everyone was hanging out having a good time. A few of the guys were playing pool, and some of them already had women draped over their laps. She chuckled as she sat herself down on a stool at the bar. Pressing the beer bottle to her lips, she silently looked for Kozik in the midst of the chaos.

They locked eyes from across the room. He was sitting on the sofa, one of the women from Cara Cara tucked underneath his arm. She almost felt herself getting jealous, but when he smiled at her all of those feelings faded away. They both knew that the price of keeping their relationship a secret was having to allow a certain amount of flirtation from the people around them. He never got too close with any of the women who hung around the clubhouse, but he couldn’t be too cold and dismissive without at least one of the guys giving him shit about it.

Tawnie refused to break eye contact as she took a long drink from her beer bottle. She could see it in his eyes that even though the party had barely started, he already wanted to leave with her. She would’ve been up for that, too, if he asked. But she knew that he wouldn’t. She contented herself with keeping an eye on everyone around her.

Tig walked up, throwing a loving arm around his daughter’s shoulders, “How you doin’, doll?”

She chuckled and leaned against him for a moment, giving him a side-hug, “I’m good, Dad. Enjoying the party?”

“Always,” he laughed, “But are you?”

She chuckled, nodding, “You know me—I’m more than happy to just sit back and watch everyone else get into trouble.”

“Good way to stay out of it.”

“Exactly,” she gave him a playful nudge, “Go keep the boys in line, alright?”

He smiled, pressing a brief kiss to the top of her head, “Love you, T.”

“Love you too,” she laughed as he took off into the fray of things.

Once the party had really gotten underway, Kozik made his way over to her. It felt safer to be closer when there was so much else going on around them—they weren’t on anyone’s radar. He leaned in close so that only she could hear him. At first it was just jokes, off-hand comments about what was going on around them. She’d laugh and shake her head, and Kozik could swear that he’d never heard a better sound.

“Think we could sneak out for a bit?” he asked.

She looked at him, eyebrows raised, “Oh?”

He nodded, “Yea,” he pushed her hair back behind her shoulder, “because apparently I have some work to make up for.”

Heat rushed to her face and she wanted to hide behind her hands. Even though she knew that he had heard the conversation with Gemma, talking about it was an entirely different thing. She looked up at him, a nervous smile on her face.

“I didn’t say—”

“Don’t even,” he laughed and shook his head.

She laughed as well, knowing that there was no trying to soften the blow to his ego. He seemed to be handling it just fine, though. They both looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them before sneaking back towards the dorms.

Once they were in the hall, out of the main cluster of the clubhouse, Kozik instantly had his hands all over her. He walked up behind her, sliding his hands up her sides beneath her top. Without thinking about it, she melted back into him, reaching back with one hand to trail her fingers down the side of his face. His fingers gripped onto her side as he kissed along her shoulder. He spun her around so that her chest was pressed against his, pushing her back against the wall.

He crashed his lips into hers as he pinned her to the wall. She gripped the edges of his kutte and attempted to pull him as close as she possibly could. They knew it was reckless to not even bother waiting to get to his dorm, but she wasn’t in the mood to be telling him to stop. Any and all responsible thoughts left her brain the second he bit down on her bottom lip.

He pulled his lips off of hers, trailing them down along her jaw and peppering her with kisses all along the way. She couldn’t help but to smile as he placed a kiss on her neck, “Gonna give it another shot?”

His laughter vibrated against her skin, “I feel like I have to. Can’t let Gemma disrespect me like that.”

She laughed and was about to make a smart remark when she felt his teeth against the sensitive skin of her neck. Her fingers wound their way into his hair, eyes fluttering shut as his hand slipped up the front of her shirt as he continued to suck a dark mark into the side of her throat. His name was about to fall from her lips in a quiet moan when their moment was interrupted.

“What the fuck is this?” Tig snapped, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.

Kozik immediately backpedaled, nearly plastering himself against the opposite wall from Tig’s daughter. Tawnie’s face was flushed, hair and shirt a mess as she tried to look anywhere but into the eyes of her dad. She knew it was their own doing, but she still didn’t want to have to have this conversation with him.

“You’re a dead motherfucker,” within a split second Tig was charging at Kozik,

“Dad!” Tawnie jumped in, barely being able to wedge herself between the two men before serious damage was done, “Dad, stop!” she shoved him backwards with all the strength she could muster.

Tig’s chest was heaving as he looked down at his daughter, “What the fuck, T?”

“You don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t see,” she sounded much more confident than she really felt.

“This,” he pointed at Kozik, “is not a good choice, Tawnie.”

“You don’t get to decide that for me!”

Kozik’s eyes were bouncing back and forth between the two Tragers. It wasn’t often that he saw Tawnie get heated and defensive about things. He’d certainly never pictured her speaking like that to her own father. He wanted to step in and say something but he had the feeling that that was only going to make it worse.

“And you,” Tig’s eyes bored into his, “what the fuck are you thinking?!”

It was hard to try and sound tough when Tawnie was the only thing standing between him and getting his ass beat. He still tried, though. He rested his hands protectively on her shoulders and looked directly into Tig’s eyes.

“I’m think that she’s right. That you don’t get to make that decision for us.”

“For us?” Tig stepped in closer, his blood boiling.

“I’m an adult, Dad,” Tawnie was shaking her head, “And for what it’s worth, I don’t think you get to criticize who I’m seeing when you were about to bring some random woman back to your dorm,” she cocked one eyebrow.

That got Tig to recoil a bit. He hooked his thumbs onto his belt-loops, trying to figure out what he wanted his next move to be. After a few moments of incredibly tense silence, he looked back at his daughter, “We aren’t done talking about this.”

Before she could try to give any kind of sass in return, Tig turned around and headed back towards the main part of the clubhouse, the woman he was about to whisk away following suit. Tawnie let out a deep sigh of relief as she leaned back against Kozik, taking comfort in the feeling of his arms draped over her shoulders as he kissed the top of her forehead.

“Did you think you were gonna die?” she laughed.

He chuckled, loosely wrapping his arms around her neck as he pulled her back against him, “For a second, yea.”

“My last resort would’ve been telling him that Gemma told you to do it,” she tilted her head back so she could look up at him.

He smiled down at her, “I kinda wish that you did, just so we could see his reaction.”

“He still might’ve killed you.”

“Maybe,” he sighed as he rested his forehead lightly against the back of her head.

“Does this mean you’re going to bail on your redemption plans?”

He slid his hands down so that they were resting on her hips again. Without a word he turned her and began pushing her down the hall in the direction of his dorm. She laughed as she let herself be guided down the row of doors.

“I don’t give up that easy,” he laughed quietly as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

#sons of anarchy #soa #sons of anarchy imagine #soa imagine #kozik #herman kozik #kozik x oc #herman kozik x oc #my writing #fanfiction #drabblesmc #oc tawnie #oc tawnie trager

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hysterialevi · 4 years

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His Name Was Isaac - Ch. 7

Fanfic summary: During a mission to avenge his mother’s death, Isaac hunts down the men responsible for her murder and kills them off one-by-one, only to discover that his last target is taking refuge among the Van der Linde gang. In an attempt to kill them, Isaac attacks the gang and unknowingly becomes enemies with his own father, who is in the process of fighting his own battle for redemption.

Point of view: third-person

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This story is also on AO3

THE NEXT DAY

AURORA BASIN

Hauling the last of their supplies onto the back of the wagon, Arthur lifted up the rear guard and secured them in place, making sure that the few things they had left wouldn’t get lost during the long trek ahead of them.

For the time being, their plan was to head south to Manzanita Post and replace any of the resources that were destroyed, as well as trade for some new weapons with the people there. Afterwards, they’d travel north to Strawberry and search for any tips that could lead them to their next big score.

Arthur didn’t know what could possibly be worth stealing in that small, little settlement, but it wasn’t as if their gang had much of a choice in the matter. Whoever attacked their camp left them with next to nothing, and now, the only money they had left was from the bank job.

If they didn’t find something or someone to rob soon, they’d be at the end of their rope.

And there was no telling what Dutch would do then.

“Arthur!” Someone exclaimed, causing the man to look over his shoulder. It was Joe, coming up to see him.

“What is it?” Arthur asked, moving onto the horses.

Joe stepped next to the mounts, resting a hand on one of the hitching posts.

“I wanted to thank you.” He said.

“Thank me?” Arthur straightened his mount’s saddle, giving it a firm tug. “For what?”

“For savin’ my ass yesterday. Dutch nearly blew my brains out after what happened with Cleet. If you hadn’t intervened, I’d be dead in the ground by now. I owe you one.”

Despite the friendly sentiment, Arthur didn’t return Joe’s appreciative tone.

“Yeah, well... if it turns out you were the traitor after all,” he backed up from the horses, looking Joe in the eye, “...you’ll wish I let Dutch shoot you back there.”

Joe concealed his fear with a subtle gulp. “Of course. I understand. But, I was wondering something else...”

Arthur raised a brow. “...What?”

“Well... was anyone missing from the bank robbery?”

“Missing?” He thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. Everyone we planned to bring showed up. Why?”

“Because if everyone was accounted for, then it makes no sense to say that one of our own people sabotaged the supplies.”

Arthur gave him a firm reminder. “...Assuming you weren’t the rat, of course.”

Joe nodded. “Of course. But Cleet obviously didn’t do anything, and if everyone was present at the robbery, then how the hell is it possible that one of us poisoned the food? We’re a tough gang, but even we can’t be in two places at once.”

Arthur shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe they poisoned it before we left.”

“I’m pretty sure someone would’ve seen that,” the other man argued. “And besides, I think everyone ate in the morning. If the food was already poisoned, y’all would’ve died long before the Pinkertons cornered you.”

The older man sighed, unable to dispute Joe’s point.

“I’ll admit...” he said reluctantly, “it don’t make much sense when you put it that way. Fine. What d’you think then, Joe? If it weren’t one of us that did it, then who?”

Joe checked their surroundings for a second, making sure nobody else was eavesdropping.

“Well, just based on the timing of Cleet’s death, I’d say the food was poisoned while y’all was at the bank. This means that whoever destroyed the supplies knew our schedule. They knew when we’d be the most vulnerable. And most importantly, they knew the layout of the land. Otherwise, there ain’t no way they’d be able to sneak in so easily.”

Arthur placed a hand on his hip. “So, what’re you saying, exactly?”

“I don’t think it was one of us that poisoned the food,” Joe stated. “However, I do think it’s one of us that’s helpin’ them.”

The older man took on a more serious tone. “...And who d’you think that is?”

Joe shook his head in uncertainty. “Whoever has the most to gain.”

Arthur fell silent for a moment, taking in everything Joe just said.

Despite his wariness about the whole situation, he couldn’t deny that the man raised a few good points.

As far as Arthur could recall, nobody was absent from the bank robbery, and there were no disappearances along the way either. So it didn’t make sense to say that the culprit was one of them.

And on top of all that, Arthur highly doubted that whoever poisoned the food would’ve stuck around afterwards. It was more likely that they bolted once the job was done, and hoped that the gang would take it out on somebody else.

Arthur had no idea if it was bounty hunters, or Skinner Brothers, or even the goddamned Pinkertons who were responsible for this, but now that he really thought about it... he was inclined to agree with Joe.

There was no way it could’ve been one of their own men that caused the damage, but it was definitely a Van der Linde that talked.

“Well...” Arthur said lowly, not wanting to reveal too many of his thoughts, “I still dunno what the hell is goin’ on here, but... you might be right. I just don’t understand why anyone would do this. Especially now, of all times.”

Joe shared Arthur’s confusion. “It doesn’t make sense to me either, but if we wanna survive this year, we better find the rat soon. I don’t like the idea of wanderin’ into all that civilization with a traitor among us.”

“Agreed. Lemme know if you see anything strange. Dutch is paranoid enough as it is. We don’t need him worryin’ about mutiny too.”

Joe nodded, taking his leave. “Will do.”

Returning to his business, Arthur finished up preparing the horses as they whinnied in anticipation and swayed their heads excitedly, clearly eager to get out of these treacherous woods.

It wouldn’t be long now before the Pinkertons finally closed in on their location, and if Arthur’s instincts were correct, then Dutch’s plan to get out of Tall Trees wouldn’t go nearly as well as he expected.

There were just too many unknowns. Too many threats lurking in the shadows. For all they knew, the same person who poisoned their food could’ve been watching them as they spoke.

Arthur just hoped that the limitations of civilization would slow them down a bit. Whoever was attacking them didn’t seem to be working with the law -- Pinkertons usually captured their targets alive -- and he doubted that the Skinner Brothers would be so covert with their tactics either.

No... he had a feeling that this was something different. Something more personal. The saboteur clearly had some sort of history with the Van der Linde gang that was motivating these attacks, and in Arthur’s eyes, it almost felt like they were trying to take them out before anyone else could.

He just didn’t know why.

“Arthur!” Dutch suddenly called from a distance, sauntering up to the wagons. “You ready to go?”

Arthur patted his horse on the neck, giving Dutch a firm nod. “Ready when you are. But what about the route we’re plannin’ to take? Everything look okay so far?”

Dutch coughed a few times, not even bothering to hide the weary look on his face. “You’re not gonna believe it. I sent Bill to scout the path ahead earlier, and he tells me one of the bridges we was gonna cross has been destroyed.”

The other man paused. "The hell? But everything was fine yesterday. How did it get destroyed overnight?”

Dutch was at a loss for words. “I have no idea. But this means we’re gonna have to take a detour. We’ll go along the central road to Manzanita Post instead, then head up north once we got the supplies we need.”

Arthur didn’t like the sound of that at all. “North? That’s where most of the Skinner Brother camps are, Dutch.”

“I know, son. But the only alternative route would take us so far south that the Pinkertons would most likely surround us before we even got near the state border. You know how big the Montana River is. They’d be able to pick us off there no problem. I’d rather deal with a few crazies than get captured by the law.”

Arthur let out a deep sigh, unable to think of any other solutions. “...Alright. If that’s the only choice we’ve got.”

Dutch put a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with a sincere gaze. “Thank you for trustin’ me, Arthur. We’ll get through this. Now, c’mon. Strawberry awaits.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A WHILE LATER

TALL TREES

Traversing the uneven terrain of the forest as the local wildlife scurried around them, the Van der Linde gang pushed through the silent woods as they kept their eye on the seemingly unreachable horizon, doing their best to remain hopeful.

Thanks to the collapsed bridge Bill reported earlier, they had been forced into the area of Tall Trees that was most notorious for disappearances, as well as having an alarming amount of Skinner Brother activity.

There wasn’t a single inch of this forest that felt safe to them, and with the constant threat of being attacked clawing at their minds, it was needless to say that the gang felt somewhat on edge.

It was only a matter of time until they snapped.

“How’s it lookin’ back there?” Dutch called out to the wagons behind him. “Everything seem to be in order?”

Shay gestured to the path beneath them. “Yeah, but I’ve noticed a lotta tracks on these roads, Dutch. Looks like someone’s been ridin’ around all over this place.”

Dutch didn’t seem too bothered by the observation. “Probably just Pinkertons searching for us. You see any sign of the bastards yet?”

“No, but we should be careful. These tracks look recent. I reckon whoever left ‘em is still roaming around here somewhere. They might not be friendly.”

Arthur sighed, lightly whipping the reins as Dutch sat beside him.

“Great. Another thing to worry about. You think it could be Skinner Brothers?”

The older man shrugged. “Who knows. There are plenty o’ things that could kill you in Tall Trees. If we’re lucky, it’ll just be a group of bandits targeting these roads.”

“Let’s hope so. I’d take a good, honest holdup over dealin’ with the law any day.”

Dutch chuckled. “Oh, absolutely. I didn’t think we’d ever see Agent Ross again -- not after everything that happened with Milton -- and yet, here he is. More despicable than ever.”

Arthur thought back to the robbery. “Did you see who his new partner was?”

He shook his head. “No, but he looked like a young man to me. Not as weathered as Milton or Ross. He seemed like the type of feller who would lack experience, but make up for it in brawn.” Dutch smirked humorously. “Kinda reminds me of you, all them years ago.”

Arthur laughed softly at that. “Not anymore, though?”

Dutch let out a tired breath. “Oh, I’m afraid not, son. We’re still strong, mind you... but even we ain’t as spry as we used to be. Time will do that to you.”

The younger man’s tone sunk a little. “...And, erm... how’s your health doing? You been feelin’ alright recently?”

Dutch cleared his throat. “About as well as you can expect at my age. I ain’t got long left in this world -- we both know that -- but I don’t want none of you cryin’ over me. I’m not dead yet. Let’s just focus on headin’ east and finding a suitable doctor who can treat me. Then we can start worrying about my health.”

Arthur decided to drop it for now. “Alright. Just... lemme know if you notice anything strange. I don’t wanna wait till it’s too late.”

The other man chuckled. “Worrying about your old man, are we, Mr. Morgan? Well, ain’t that just sweet.”

Bringing their discussion to an end, Dutch’s attention was suddenly diverted from Arthur when Micah shouted at him from behind, pointing out a peculiar obstacle blocking their path.

“Hey, cowpokes! I think I see somethin’ on the road!”

Squinting his eyes, Dutch peered into the distance and tried to make out the large object barricading the road, only to freeze in shock when he realized it was a toppled stagecoach decorated with corpses.

There were no signs of the culprit as far as Dutch could see, but judging by the freshness of the bodies and the smoke rising from the coach, he assumed they were killed not too long ago.

“...Ah, shit.” He murmured to himself, taking in the morbid scene. “This probably just happened. Poor bastards. Who d’you think did this?”

An alarm went off in Arthur’s head. “Well, I dunno who did it, but I sure as hell recognize those bodies. Is it just me, or do they look like Skinner Brothers?”

Dutch examined their mottled skin and diseased faces, unable to deny the resemblance.

“No, it ain’t just you...” He replied grimly. “But who in their right mind would attack Skinner Brothers? And in broad daylight? Surely, that would bring nothing good.”

Arthur was at a loss. “It’s beyond me. But... somethin’ don’t feel right about this.”

Dutch raised a brow. “What d’you mean?”

“Think about it. Why the hell would you attack someone as crazy as the Skinner Brothers unless you were tryin’ to get attention? And to leave their bodies lying out in the open, right in the middle of the road...” Arthur put a hand on his revolver. “...I think someone wanted us to see this.”

A sense of dread filled the other man’s eyes. “Who?”

“No idea.” Arthur climbed down from the wagon, readying his gun. “But I’m gonna find out. Wait here.”

“Shay!” Dutch called, signaling the man to follow Arthur. “Go with him, will you? Let us know if you find anything.”

Carefully approaching the grotesque scene, Arthur and Shay quickly started to sift through the carnage that was left behind as they searched around for clues, curious to see who on Earth could’ve caused such a mess.

The stagecoach didn’t appear to belong to the Skinner Brothers -- the postal label on the side was enough to confirm that -- but its lockbox was full of cash and food instead of mail.

Right off the bat, Arthur assumed the Skinner Brothers must’ve stolen the coach and been using it to transport any valuables they looted, but he found it odd that whoever attacked them didn’t take any of it for themselves.

It just made him wonder even more what the motivation behind this killing was, and for some unknown reason, part of him began to suspect that the person responsible for this also poisoned their food.

He just couldn’t figure out what the correlation was.

“Hey, Shay,” Arthur said, “you see anything--”

Barely giving them any time to react, a lone bullet suddenly zipped past them and soared straight into a stick of dynamite that had been strapped to a nearby tree, causing it to explode with a bang as the impact sent Arthur and Shay flying backwards.

Meanwhile, the tree’s trunk snapped into two as the upper half collapsed onto the road, separating Arthur and Shay from the rest of the gang.

“Holy shit!” Mackintosh exclaimed, stumbling to his feet. “What the hell is this?!”

Arthur took cover behind the stagecoach, holding his revolver close. “No idea!”

“Hey!” Dutch yelled from the other side. “You boys still alive?”

“...For now!” Arthur answered. “But we can’t stay here! Y’all focus on findin’ another way around! We’ll catch up to you later!”

“But--”

Another bullet planted itself into the ground next to Arthur’s feet, prompting him to become even more frantic.

“--Just go!”

Staying behind while the gang fled in search of a detour, Arthur and Shay remained huddled up by the stagecoach as their pursuer continued to shower them with bullets, scraping off splinters of wood from the vehicle with every shot.

They couldn’t see who was attacking them or where they were, but just based on the direction of the trajectory, Arthur guessed they were firing at them from within the woods.

“Can you see them?!” Shay shouted over all the commotion, peeking around the edge.

“No! But I think they’re using the trees as cover! Keep shootin’ at the woods! I’m gonna try to get this stagecoach back on its wheels!”

Shay threw a bewildered look at him. “What? Why?”

“Because if we can get this thing movin’ again, then we can use it as cover while we make our way down the road. Now help me lift it up!”

“I thought you wanted me to shoot at them!”

Arthur stuttered. “I-- oh, for Chrissake, just lift it!”

Giving the coach a firm heave, the two of them worked together to bring it back to a standing position as their attacker carried on with the assault, trying fervently to take them out.

Arthur didn’t know why, but he got the impression that the assailant was mainly after him. All of their bullets seemed to be aimed in his general direction more so than Shay’s, and the fact that they separated him from the rest of the gang only made him wonder if they were a long-lost enemy he had forgotten.

“Jesus Christ...” He muttered through gritted teeth. He certainly hoped it wasn’t anyone who used to run with the Van der Lindes. Arthur already had a hard enough time when it came to fighting rival gangs or enemies that they encountered on the road, but if this was someone he knew from before... he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to kill them.

“Almost got it...!” Shay groaned in a strained voice, his arms now starting to quiver from the coach’s weight.

Finally tilting the sturdy vehicle back onto its wheels, Arthur hurriedly yanked one of the doors open and slammed his body against it, pushing the coach forward while Shay fired back at their attacker.

Judging by the way the foliage twitched with the pursuer’s movements, Arthur assumed they were venturing further down the path in an attempt to stop them and probably setting up some other kind of trap.

He had no idea if they had a second stack of dynamite lying around somewhere, or if they were going after the rest of the gang, but at the moment, Arthur only prayed he’d live long enough to find out.

“Shit!” Shay shouted as a bullet darted through one of the coach’s windows. “This bastard’s got good aim!”

Arthur pressed harder against the door. “Well, make sure yours is better!”

Forcing the stagecoach up a steep hill, Arthur mustered as much strength as he possibly could and flattened his palms on the door’s surface, trying to ignore the ache that was now spreading in his arms.

The vehicle budged a little bit, but even with all his effort, it wasn’t nearly enough to get the damned thing over the hill. He’d need help.

“Shay!” Arthur grunted out. “Lend me a hand here!”

Putting his gun down for a moment, Shay jogged over to Arthur’s position and helped the man push the stagecoach up the sharp incline, both of them now battling against its unforgiving weight.

With their strength put together, the coach finally started ascending the hill’s abrupt angle and continued to slide along the path, giving them some much-needed cover from the never-ending storm of gunshots.

“You got it?” Arthur checked, his boots now digging into the ground.

Shay gave the vehicle another shove, clearly struggling with it. “I... I think so...!”

Before anymore progress could be made however, another bullet suddenly hit the side Shay’s leg and sent him tumbling to the ground, causing him to cry out in pain as the stagecoach began to roll backwards.

“Goddammit...!” Arthur exclaimed once he realized the vehicle was headed straight for him.

He tried to leap out of the way of the oncoming stagecoach and dove to the side of the road, but was ultimately rammed directly in the ribs before being thrown into the dirt.

He could hardly breathe. It felt like his heart had just been knocked out of his chest, and the whole world around him looked like it was going black.

He desperately gasped for air and crawled through the slick mud, unable to even see where his gun had dropped.

The only thing he could hear at the moment was his own hammering heartbeat and the feeble croaks that escaped from his battered lungs, accompanied by the muffled sounds of gunfire and shouting.

“...Shay...!” He wheezed, sluggishly rising from the ground. “...Shay...! Where... are you...?”

Scanning his surroundings, Arthur gazed further down the road and managed to spot Mackintosh himself at the top of the hill, scrambling around in panic due to the new wound in his leg. What really caught Arthur’s attention, though... was the fact that he was no longer alone.

Yanking out his hunting knife, Shay frantically tried to get away from the stranger and wildly swung the weapon a few times, only to receive a fist to the face when the assailant grabbed his arm.

The sheer force of the attack sent him reeling back and caused a fresh stream of blood to flow from his nostril, staining his lips and teeth red.

It shocked Mackintosh how strong his opponent was, considering their seemingly young age, but it was more than evident to him now that this man was no stranger to these types of affairs.

There was an undeniable ferocity in the nature of his attacks, and just based on the pure sense of hatred that illuminated from the man’s glare, Shay guessed this was an enemy he had made in the past.

He just couldn’t figure out who he was.

Lunging at the young man again, Shay limped towards the attacker and sliced his knife downwards, cutting a gash in the stranger’s coat but not actually reaching his skin.

He lost balance due to the bullet now buried in his leg and plunged to the ground beside the young man, allowing his opponent to turn the tide of the fight.

Taking out his own knife, the stranger grabbed Shay by the collar and hauled him to his feet, making sure he couldn’t escape. Afterwards, he took hold of Shay’s abdomen and thrust the blade forward, jabbing the weapon deep into his gut.

“...Mackintosh...!” Arthur exclaimed upon witnessing the attack.

He tore himself away from the ground and weakly approached the violent scene, hoping to help Shay even though he knew it was too late.

The man was already bleeding profusely from the stomach and had hardly any color left in his skin, but even then, it was obvious that the young man wasn’t done with him yet.

Ripping the blade out of Shay’s stomach, he slammed the man against a nearby tree and held him in place, looking directly into his tormented eyes.

There was a sense of despair engraved in the young man’s expression, and the longer Shay studied his oddly familiar features, the more he began to recognize him.

“...Shay. Mackintosh.” The stranger growled slowly, his tone sharp with anguish. “I finally have you. After fifteen, goddamned years... I finally have you.

Shay stared at the young man in fear, unsure of whether or not he was identifying him correctly.

“Who... are you?” He breathed out, still exhausted from the fight. “Why are you... tryin’ to kill me...?”

The stranger gave him a firm shake, his grip growing even tighter.

“Look at me,” he urged. “You know me, Shay. Far better than you may think.”

Taking a minute to sift through his memories, Shay practically watched his whole life flash before his eyes as he thought back to where he was fifteen years ago, trying to reshape the world around him.

At first, nothing immediate came to mind, but upon peering deeper into the young man’s sorrowful gaze, a specific memory suddenly jumped out at Shay, and he felt his entire body freeze.

He remembered three other men. Three other outlaws.

Charles Baumann, Thaddeus Blackmore, and Eli Whitley.

They robbed a cabin. Killed the owner too. She was a young woman, hardly into her twenties.

And worst of all, Shay remembered she had a son. A boy of only six years. He witnessed the whole murder, and ended up being taken in by them due to Whitley’s insistence.

But Shay never watched him grow up. He abandoned the small gang not too long after they killed the boy’s mother. The guilt would’ve destroyed him otherwise.

Now, though, everything made sense to him. The Pinkerton ambush, the poisoning of the food, the sabotage of the supplies... it was all linked to him. It was all because of what he did fifteen years ago.

This young man was that same little boy, and he had come for revenge.

“...Isaac Morgan.” Shay said plainly, finally understanding who he was. “It’s you. You’re still alive... after all this time.”

Isaac clenched his jaw, attempting to hide the tears that glossed over his eyes.

“I couldn’t die.” He replied, his voice trembling slightly. “Not without killin’ you first. You and your men... you took everything from me. You took Eliza from me.”

Shay closed his eyes in remorse, not even bothering to bargain with the boy.

“...I know, Isaac.” He said gently. “I know what we did was wrong. That’s why I left. Eli, too.”

A morbid thought crossed Shay’s mind. “...Where is Eli, anyway? Are you lookin’ for him as well? Or have you found him already?”

Isaac nodded. “He’s dead, Shay. Him and the others. You’re the last one.”

Mackintosh wasn’t surprised. “...I thought so.”

Interrupting their exchange, a soft rustle suddenly emitted from behind Isaac’s back and caused him to whip around in curiosity, leading the young man to find himself face-to-face with a new stranger.

Isaac recognized the man as the same gang member Shay was riding with earlier, but contrary to what he expected, the man didn’t appear to be hostile. Instead, he approached the two of them peacefully, and kept his gun in his holster.

Still, Isaac wasn’t willing to take any chances and immediately pulled Shay into his grasp, holding the knife up to his throat.

“Back off!” He warned. “I will kill him!”

The other man raised his hands in a diplomatic manner, attempting to calm the boy down.

“...Easy, Isaac,” he soothed. “It’s okay. Just take it easy.”

The boy paused abruptly, unsure of how to react. “What? How d’you... how d’you know my name? Who are you?”

The man steadily approached him, keeping his hands in the air.

“I heard your conversation with Mackintosh,” he explained. “You... you lost your mother when you was a boy? Is that right?”

That only confused Isaac even more. “How the hell do you know Eliza was my mother? Why do you even care? Answer my question! Who are you?” He pressed the knife harder into Shay’s throat.

The man stopped in his tracks, not wanting to provoke the boy any further. Instead, he decided that actions would speak louder than words in this scenario and simply reached upwards to remove his hat, unveiling the familiar face that hid underneath.

He couldn’t believe it. Mere moments ago, Arthur was dragging himself through the mud, doing anything he could to survive. He genuinely thought today would be the day he died, but now... he was talking to someone who he never thought he’d see again.

He didn’t know if the boy would remember him, or if he would even still love him after all those years of being separated, but one thing was for certain -- Isaac was Arthur’s son.

And against all odds, he was still alive.

“...It’s me.” Arthur revealed, doing his best to keep himself together. “I’m your dad.”

#red dead redemption #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan #isaac morgan #dutch van der linde #Micah Bell #Bill Williamson #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 oc

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therainroguefanfiction · 4 years

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⁂ In WAR✘ and LOVE ♥ (Tomura Shigaraki) Everything You Hate

📑 Table of Contents

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Slice of Life

Word Count: 3,292

Pairing: Reader x Shigaraki

World: Boku no Hero Academia

Prompt: “I love everything you hate about yourself.”

☂ R a i n d r o p from [@kyokosasagawa] ➧➧ “Opps, sorry, didn’t notice that it had to be an open prompt! In that case can I request Shigaraki/Reader with “I love everything you hate about yourself”?”

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You glanced at Shigaraki as he sat at the bar in his black hoodie, fake hand covering his face. Since you had first met him, he seemed to have retreated farther into his shell, despite your attempts to break through his insecurities. Honestly, you wondered if your efforts only made things worse, but you genuinely cared about him and only wanted to help him love himself.

Somewhere along the way, you had fallen in love with the league’s leader, even though you swore to yourself that you wouldn’t. This only fueled you more, though, but he wasn’t having it. He always waved off your attempts and, as of last week, he now took to avoiding you if possible, speaking to you only when he had to and with a clipped tone.

You wondered if you had stepped over the line, but it felt inappropriate to ask him that, especially since he was never alone. He made sure he was never alone with you and when you asked if you could speak to him in private, he flat out told you no, which only got the other members of the league interested in why you needed to speak to the leader and why you couldn’t say it in front of them.

Today was your chance, though.

All of the members were out of the hideout, some on missions and others just screwing around, and you wanted to use this chance while you had it, but Kurogiri was still there, standing behind the bar and polishing the glasses as he did everyday. All you had to do was find some excuse to get rid of him.

‘Sounds easy enough,’ you smiled as you approached the bar, taking a seat a couple stools down from your leader. “Ne, Kuro-chan. When are you planning to go shopping again? Dabi ate all of my cocoa puffs.”

Kurogiri sighed as he set the glass on the counter, sending you a scolding look. “I told you two to stop fighting over the cereal.”

“He had the option to choose a cereal and he chose not to get one, that’s his fault.” You huffed, folding your arms across your chest. “But as soon as you returned home with them, he was more than happy to eat ours! He also ate Toga’s cinnamon toast crunch but she didn’t really care. When they were gone, she just ate Spinner’s lucky charms.”

For a moment, Kurogiri just stared at you as if waiting for you to tell him it was a joke, but your expression did not change. “If you wish, I will go and get some more later this afternoon.”

You chewed on your lip in frustration, glancing at the powder blue-haired male. His head was lowered, fingers resting against the glass of alcohol that he hadn’t even touched. His shoulders were slumped and you could see the deep frown set on his lips. He looked miserable.

Shaking your head, you turned back to the older male. “Would it be possible to go now? If Dabi finds out you got more, I won’t stand a chance. Pretty please~?”

He chuckled, putting his hand on his hip. “If you insist, but you must clean up the kitchen in my absence.”

Your eye twitched as you pictured the kitchen, pretty much destroyed after Toga tried to make pancakes based on a YouTube tutorial and Compress was supposed to be watching her, but he wasn’t and, well… the kitchen reflects that. “Uh… sure thing. It’ll be spotless!” ‘In like five years, maybe…’

Kurogiri opened a warp gate before pausing, his golden eyes shifting to the leader before back to you, lowering his voice. “Leave Shigaraki alone, Y/N.” And then he stepped through the gate, disappearing.

‘Sorry, Kuro-chan, but I just can’t do that.’ Taking a breath, you stood up and headed behind the bar to stand in front of Shigaraki. “Your drink is watery. Do you want me to get you a new one, boss?”

His shoulders visibly tensed at the sound of your voice so close to him, his fingers twitching around the glass. “No.”

You frowned, folding your arms on the bar top as you tried to see his face behind the hand. “Can I do anything for you?”

“Kurogiri gave you an order,” he muttered, turning his head away from you as he bit the inside of his cheek. Why did you keep trying to talk to him even though he clearly didn’t want to talk to you? It made no sense to him and he hated it. He hated how you looked at him, without an ounce of disgust within those beautiful eyes. You talked to him willingly, always kind and respectful to him. Always giving him a beautiful smile.

But that’s what you were to him – beautiful. You were like the sun, lighting up his bleak world whether he wanted you to or not. Always looking after him, making sure he was eating properly and not scratching himself too much. You also looked after the other league members, of course, but you always seemed to pay extra attention to him and his needs. It was like you knew when he was feeling stressed or upset, when he needed to be picked up or left alone.

Was he really such an open book to you? He didn’t like the way you made him feel, how vulnerable he was around you. It would be so much easier if you were just disgusted by his appearance, if you hated him for the monster that he was. And he truly believed that he was a monster in many different ways.

Shigaraki felt ugly, inside and out, his skin broken and cracked, like the dried ground in the desert. When he got overwhelmed, he scratched at his skin until it was raw and bloody. He believed that he was too skinny, his ribs standing out against his pale skin. He knew that he was emotionally inept, unable to offer what a normal human being could. He didn’t know how to act toward you and often found himself snapping at you, only to feel like a total ass afterward.

There wasn’t a single thing he could say that he liked about himself, but the list of things he hated was endless. But you didn’t share these sentiments. When you looked at Shigaraki, you saw his flaws, of course, but you found them to be beautiful. His flaws are what made him who he is, after all. Yes, he was full of flaws, but so were you, even if he didn’t believe so.

“I promise I’m going to get it done to his specifications, but I wanted to check on you first.” You smiled at him, but it was a bit sad. “Say… can I ask you something, boss?”

“What?”

“Am I… bothering you?” You wondered softly, using your nail to scratch at the black spot on the wooden bar top. “I don’t mean to, I just… I worry about you, you know? I want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself to the best of your ability but I also don’t want to overstep or upset you.”

His lips parted, a shaky breath escaping him at your words. You worry about him? Why did that make his heart start to race within his chest? Why did he always experience this strange feeling whenever you were around? He hated it. “I don’t need your worry, just go do what you were told to do.”

You winced at his harsh tone, bowing your head. “Yes, sir. I apologize.” And then you scurried into away from him toward the kitchen, heaving a heavy sigh as you went. You had definitely overstepped and upset him, but how in the world would you fix it? Apologizing seemed to be the only thing you were capable of doing.

With your mood already dampened, you were unable to hold back the groan that bubbled up within your throat when you stepped through the door into the kitchen. Batter was slung everywhere, sticking to the walls and the ceiling like discolored slugs. It was burnt over the stove, blueberries mushed on the counter and fuzzy with the beginnings of mold. Glass was broken in the corner under the small round table, reflecting the dull yellow light above.

The sink was overflowing with dirty, crusty dishes and one of the chairs was missing its leg, which you found stuffed in the fridge behind the cartoon of lumpy milk. You didn’t even know where to begin and you were fairly certain that there was a rat lurking somewhere, its little squeaks breaking you from your thoughts at intermittent intervals.

After a small internal debate, you decided to start on the dishes, pulling them from the sink and onto the counter so you’d have room to wash them properly. With the small amount of soap available, you doubted you would be able to get through all of them before the soap ran out, so you sent a quick message to Kurogiri letting him know that you would need more.

As you got to work, you hummed a soft tune that you had learned by watching an anime called My Otome, a beautiful song known by the chosen three. Unbeknownst to you, Shigaraki had followed you to the kitchen, hiding in the shadows beyond the doorway, his red eyes trained on you, following your every movement.

There was so much he wanted to say to you, but he was unable to form the words and even if he were able to, he knew he would be unable to speak them aloud. He could could watch you from the shadows as he had since the day he met you, wishing that you could be his but knowing that someone so dark could never have someone so bright.

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You stifled a yawn as you stepped into the bar, your body sore and tired after a week-long mission. You were thankful to be back home and you couldn’t wait to crawl under your blanket and get some much needed sleep.

“It’s about damn time you got back,” Dabi drawled, turning his icy blue eyes to you when you entered. He was lounging on the dirty old sofa, his boots crossed on the coffee table.

You quirked a brow, offering him a smile. “Aw, did you miss me, Dabs?”

“Hell no,” he smirked. “But handy man clearly did.”

“Eh?”

“He locked himself in his room as soon as you left and hasn’t come out since.”

“He’s been in there a week?” You frowned, turning toward Kurogiri, whose golden eyes met yours. “Has he eaten anything?”

“I’m afraid not,” the villain responded with a shake of his head. “He has refused to eat.”

“Will you make him something? I’ll see if I can’t get him to eat it.” Rather than waiting for a response, you headed toward his bedroom with your heart hammering in your chest. There was no light coming from underneath his door and, when you pressed your ear to the door, there was no sound coming from within. Your knuckles rapped on the wood to get his attention. “Boss? I’ve returned from my mission… if you’ll let me in, I can give you my report on what happened.”

Silence.

Your fingers wrapped around the doorknob, attempting to turn it, but it was locked. You rapped your knuckles on the door again, raising your voice. “Boss, please open the door.” You caught movement from the end of the hall and you noticed Kurogiri approaching with a plate of food. “You have to eat something. I have some food for you.”

Without a word, Kurogiri handed you the plate before slipping away silently.

“Boss~ Please?” You rested your forehead against the wood for a moment, hearing shuffling behind the door. Finally, you sighed and pulled away, turning away from the door, but you only made it a few steps before you heard the clicking of the lock, the door creaking as it opened enough for you to see him.

Shigaraki was paler than normal, dark bags beneath his tired eyes. His stomach was growling loudly, making him wince as his eyes fell on the plate of food, the smell wafting to his nose.

You offered him a warm smile, unable to keep the worry from your eyes as you handed him the plate. “Here, Kurogiri just made it. Can I get you anything?”

He said nothing as he took the plate from your hands, turning on his heel to go farther into the dark room, leaving the door open. You hesitated, wondering if it would be okay to follow him inside, but since he hadn’t closed the door, you assumed that he was okay with it. Stepping inside, you squinted against the darkness, closing the door behind you.

He flopped onto the small red couch, the springs squeaking under his weight as he did so. The small TV across from him was casting a soft white light onto him, making it seem like he was glowing in the darkness. He didn’t even look your way as you cautiously approached him, settling down onto the couch.

“Would it… be okay if I give you my report?” You wondered softly, glancing at the TV screen, where the pause screen of a fighting game sat, waiting for him to return to it. He nodded, keeping his eyes on the food, and you proceeded to tell him about your recon mission and the information that you had obtained.

Though he heard you speaking, the words didn’t really register with him. He was just happy that you were back home, safe and sound. He was happy that he could be near you again, hear your voice and feel the heat of your body. He felt so much lighter with you back at his side, as if you were meant to be there.

“…it almost got hairy, but I was able to stop him in the end. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the files that we were looking for, but we did find a new lead. I sent it to Kurogiri and he has Spinner out tracking it down now.”

He realized that you were looking at him expectantly, waiting for his reaction or orders, but he hadn’t heard a word that you had uttered to him, too focused on his own jumbled thoughts and feelings.

You frowned at his silence, reaching your hand out, only to hesitate. You knew he didn’t like being touched, but you needed him to know that you were there for him. With a sense of determination that might see you killed, you rested your hand over his, making his body tense up and freeze in place. “Forgive me if I’m overstepping, but… I’m worried about you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve been locked in this room for a week and not eating,” you scowled. “That’s super unhealthy and -”

“Why?” He repeated, lips tugged downward as his red eyes met yours, clouded with confusion and annoyance and something else you couldn’t quite place. “Why do you care?”

“Because I -” you clamped your lips shut, feeling your cheeks heat up as you realized that you had almost confessed. Not only would he not accept your feelings, you figured he would be pretty upset at the confession, mostly because he wouldn’t know how to properly handle it. “You mean a lot to me, boss. I’d hate for anything to happen to you!”

Despite himself, he felt heat rush to his cheeks and he quickly moved his head so you couldn’t see, not that you could in the low light anyway.

You could feel his hand shaking beneath yours and you tightened your grip, sliding your hand into his but he jerked away, nearly jumping off of the couch. The plate clattered to the ground but didn’t break, thankfully.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” He growled, eyes wide and wild.

You winced at his harsh tone. “I’m sorry, boss.”

“Shut up!” He cried, his body shaking. “Who the hell do you think you are? Coming into my life and making me feel like this. Caring about me, looking after me. Do you pity me? Feel sorry for me? Tell me why!”

“It’s not like that at all!” You jumped up, meeting his gaze. “I don’t pity you, boss, I respect you! After everything you’ve been through, you keep moving forward. You have a goal and you chase that goal without stopping. Sure, you have setbacks and you sure, you get deterred sometimes, but you always get back on track. I care because I… I’m in love with you, Tomura.”

His brow furrowed, eyes shaking with disbelief and pain as he turned his gaze to the ground. “Love me? Don’t play with me! As if anyone could ever love me. As if someone like you could ever love me…” His hands shook as they reached for his neck, nails digging into his skin.

“Stop that,” you scolded, grabbing his hands and forcing them away.

“Don’t touch me, idiot! You know I can’t…” He pictured using his power on you by accident, watching the life leave your eyes as you crumbled before him and that made his heart squeeze tightly, painfully within his chest. If he hurt you, he would never be able to forgive himself.

“I trust you,” you stated calmly, resting your hands over his. “It’s okay if you don’t believe me, but I’m in love with you and I will tell you every single day until you do believe me. It’s okay if you don’t return my feelings, I never expected you to, but I will still be here by your side, taking care of you and watching over you.”

Shigaraki clamped down hard on his bottom lip as tears stung at his eyes, lowering his head so you wouldn’t be able to see. What was this warmth blooming in his chest? He hated it, but… he also didn’t want it to stop.

You smiled warmly, taking his face between your hands, using your thumbs to brush away his tears. “Look at me.”

He shook his head, trying to control the tears streaming down his cheeks, but he couldn’t seem to make them stop.

“Tomura.”

His eyes widened, snapping to yours. While he couldn’t identify the emotions lingering within your eyes, he could feel the warmth you were radiating and even if he didn’t fully believe them, he knew that you were being honest, genuine. You meant every single word you said to him.

Shigaraki did not deserve you. He wasn’t good enough for you, wasn’t good enough for the light and warmth you provided. That’s what he told himself, tried to convince himself, but…

“Tomura Shigaraki, I love everything you hate about yourself.”

He wasn’t sure what came over him, but he threw himself into your arms, nuzzling his face into your neck, his tears soaking into your shirt. You threaded your fingers through his matted hair, using your other hand to rub circles into his back. Your lips brushed against his ear as you whispered to him, telling him that everything would be okay. His hands clutched at your shirt as he tried to get a hold of his emotions, to understand them.

It would take a while before he could do so, but you would be there, patiently waiting for him to sort out his feelings and you would never stop loving him. And he would never stop craving your warmth and touch. Even if he never figured it out, as long as you were by his side, that’s all he cared about.

Tomura Shigaraki would literally destroy the world for you, and you’d do the same.

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 4 years

Text

...& Steel for Humans (Geralt x fem!Witchress, Part 2.)

Series description: The Butcher of Blaviken has a long and famous past, thanks to his friend Jaskier. Yet, neither of those dies easily and it still lurks behind Geralt like a shadow after all those years. History, neither unfriendly relationships, doesn't die easily.

Part summary: After a talk with your old friend, there is one thing - a contract which is supposed to keep you rich for at least other ten years. But there are things you are not going to like about is.

A/N: Honestly, Dijsktra is one of my favourite in-game characters and I sincerely hope that he will make an appearence in the Netflix series. That mf is so fun honestly.

Tagging: (tell me and I will add you :)) @osgon-azure @davnwillcome

Word count: 2.1 K

Master list: H E R E

To your good luck, Dijkstra was very clear with the place of his staying - that fat rat was hiding at the Novigradian Bathhouse. You never held anything against Dijkstra - he was being a dick? You told him. That man knew famous non-humans like Geralt and even legends upon men, like Vernon Roche or the Redenian King Radovid. And he didn't hesitate to shove those connections into other people's faces. And you were one of them at that point.

So naturally, it didn't mean anything good when Dijkstra not only contacted you but knew where you were staying at the time. Novigrad was just three days of a slow ride on your horse and you didn't have anywhere to rush. Dijkstra only informed you, very kindly you must've said, that he would like to speak to you once you reach the city walls. It was for an important matter of saving lives or what.

Yeah, you weren't over your heels because of his demand. But you stopped in front of the famous bathhouse two days after the whole werewolf situation with a cape in your face. It wouldn't be exactly clever to walk around one of the biggest cities of the Northern Kingdoms just showing your face to everyone around you. Novigrad was looking just as you remembered it - it was dirty, it stank, beggars were on every corner and elf prostitutes only. That was the thing you didn't like on Novigrad. You had to be either a demon of a shapeshifter to cover that you're a non-human or you had to be a prostitute to be a non-human living in this city.

The cult of Eternal Flame was going nuts there. One of the priests even noticed that cats were hissing at you and that dogs ran away when your warhorse was driving through the streets and tried to verbally insult you and on top of that, he was calling you a heretic and a sinner. Instead of pinning him to a wall with your sword as a warning, you scoffed at his words and continued to Passiflora where you turned left. Not too long after that, you were standing in front of the bathhouse.

A bald man took your house, saying his name is Happen, and lead it to the nearby stable so the people there would take care of the poor animal. It needed some proper rest and some clear water, you couldn't deny that you weren't able to give your horse this kind of comfort on your travels.

To be honest, from the first moment you stepped in, you knew that the bathhouse stank. You hated those lingering, sweet smells that usually settled on the tip of your nose. Bathhouses usually used these scents because the humans found it more relaxing. Yet it was like a catalyzer for your damn nose - that was maybe for the first time in the last years when you sneezed. And it was damn uncomfortable.

Finding Sigismund wasn't exactly challenging - that man couldn't be ignored with the bright colors he tended to wear and with the size of his body. One of his legs also wasn't exactly in the best shape, so the limbing was quite easy to recognize when he was on the moe. At least to witchress's ears, it was unique.

Once you entered his office, you could see him sitting behind a table, going through some papers. You were quiet, so it took him a while to notice a caped person standing in the corner of the room. His face lit up with a smile that wasn't soothing nor comforting; he looked like a dick if you had to be honest.

"It is always a pleasure to see old friends. Have a seat with me, come on." - He said when you took the hood off and your face and white hair could be finally seen. You snorted when you sat down, taking a few grapes without even asking Dijkstra a word. He was quickly pouring you some of the sweet wine he had on the table but both of you knew that your lips won't even touch the drink.

"We aren't friends, Dijkstra. And also, it is never a good sign when you can find me without too much of trying." - A short answer to his greeting could be heard while your eyes scanned the books in his bookcases. Law things, political archives, some of the Novigrad's biggest family chronicles, nothing too extraordinary or interesting. Yet the Gwent packs caught your eye, so you took the Northern Kingdoms deck and started to go through it, looking at the cards with interest.

"Well, it didn't take too much of an effort to figure out that a witcher is in the Mire West currently. People talk and news spread quickly, don't forget about that. Especially quickly when you know who to ask for details." - The man slowly leaned into the chair behind his back while you turned your attention back to him, eating the grapes slowly.

"You torture people, you don't ask for details, Sigismund, don't you try to make me laugh because I am not in the mood for jests. You're just as much of a bitch as I am." - You smiled ironically, being tired of his little welcoming games. - "What is it that you need? Don't tell me that I came all the fucking way to Novigrad from Mire West just to see your fucking handsome face. And lemme tell you, you are fucking ugly."

At that, Sigismund laughed and shook his head. You two couldn't be exactly considered friends since everybody knew that you don't like Sigismund one bit. That wasn't too hard to understand - Sigismund was a spy who couldn't be trusted. But you two couldn't be even called enemies, since most of the time, you both stood at one side of a case - if you ever decided to take a stand in anything political.

"I have a friend in need and I told her that I will try to ask you for a helping hand." - He looked you in the eyes. Sigismund had a job... For a witchress? With that, you rose your eyebrows and furrowed. - "She offers you a ridiculous amount of coin - for searching and killing the source. And also invites you for a damn dance and pays for your stay Novigrad, no matter which inn you'd name." - He told very seriously so you could understand that Dijkstra isn't in a mood for games either.

"Damn. That must be a real matter of life and death if they're putting so much coin into it. What is going on?" - You asked and stole another grape from the small silver plate, putting the deck back on its place. You liked the grapes, they were sweet. Dijkstra surely had to offer them in Passiflora, the whorehouse just a while from Saint Gregory's bridge.

"No-one knows. We only know that whatever the fuck it is, it breaks trees and rocks like small wooden sticks and that it cooks humans for dinner. We dunno much more than what I've told ya." - Dijkstra told you and your face got even sourer than before. This wasn't just some ordinary Vampire, nor a Fiend. - "It lives in the mountains east from Novigrad and the Vegelbuds are rather concerned with it. No matter what in the horse's ass it is, it already massacred two villages."

Again, you pushed yourself more into the plushy chair Dijkstra had offered you. This wasn't a matter you could laugh at. Whether you liked it or not, it was more than fucking serious. Women and children were killed, men could be eaten or stomped to death.

"Bullshit. There ain't no monster who can destroy a whole damn village just because it wants to in Redenia. There ain't one like that on the whole Continent. Before you jump in with Fiends, they are too lazy for any that." - You started slowly and put a strand of your hair behind your ears.

"Dijkstra, honestly, I ain't a dumb bitch. You're the mediator between me and the Veganbrods or what the fuck is their name and I know that you'll have a lot of money from this. But no witcher, squirrel, or human will take this fucking job. This ain't a job. This is suicide." - You said, looking him in the eyes.

"Oh, Y/N, I just love how honest you can be with me. This ain't a one-man job, of course. We already have some... Takers who are gladly willing to accompany you." - Dijkstra said in a solid-sure tone.

"If it's Letho of the Viper school, tell him to fuck off right away. I hope it's not a sorceress either, I can't stand these bitches either. Lambert would be a nice company, tho and I wouldn't mind me an Eskel either." - You said honestly with a small smile. Yeah. You knew how did your witcher brothers work on their contracts, you knew you would get along with them and if there would be anything that would go bad, they would have your back.

You liked Lambert the most of all the witchers you knew - it didn't matter if they were from your school or the Griffin school or the Vipers, you just liked Lambert the most. There were rumors that you and he had some kind of a relationship - whether it had ended up or was going on. And any of that wasn't confirmed either denied by any of you. When people asked you, you both just smiled and changed the subject.

"It's not Lambert, unfortunately, but it is someone you know, which is some good fucking news. And it is someone you don't like, I have to say - one of them sings all the fucking time and the other one is a grumpy moron who had fucked up my leg. But don't think about that. Business is business, darling, it's not about liking someone. It's about money and surviving the fucking trip to the mountains." - Dijkstra looked you right in the eyes. You sat there in silence, watching the man with a dead serious face.

Of course. Of fucking course. Your partner for the trip, who you had to believe with all your will power, the partner who was supposed to be someone you should be able to trust with whole life, that man was supposed to be the white-haired moron. And his possibly gay friend. You looked at Dijkstra, having that daring look on your face.

"I can still say no, you ugly bastard." - You said honestly. At that, the idiot sitting opposite of you started laughing.

"No-one denies your right to deny - only your financial state and the reputation you have around Novigrad and other big cities now. Tell me, Y/N, you and the other witchers have some kind of a competition which should determine who is the worst person of you all?" - Dijkstra asked, having you speechless for a moment. - "Because according to my people, you have the leading position now. The incident with Stjepan got pretty known here over the last few days. And I know you like to keep your honor clean."

"I had never hurt a woman or a child. And that's it." - Was the sentence you said coldly as ice.

"People heard otherwise. Almost dragging the children out of the bed, abducting them so you can bring them to your witcher school as payment and all of that came with your promise of the next generation of witchresses... Oh Y/N, you know that one small rumor can completely ruin your business, huh?" - He leaned in, closer to you, watching your reactions. You hated Sigismund but there was one thing that needed to be said - he was a damn good businessman.

Why did that hiding rat want you to take the contract? You had no idea. But even though you didn't want it for some reason, he knew how to make you take it.

So it was said and done - you were supposed to travel to the mountain alongside Geralt of Rivia and his small musician puppy Julian. But not before a grand ball held at the Vegelbud family residence three hours away from Novigrad. Which, on the other side, you were excited about.

#the witcher #andrzej sapkowski #the world of the witcher #geralt of rivia #witcher lambert #witcher eskel #witcher leo #sigismund dijkstra #sigi reuven #jaskier #geralt of rivia x reader #Geralt of rivia x female! Witchress

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rosesforshego · 4 years

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𝓘𝓯 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓒𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓜𝔂 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓭, 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 3: ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀʏʜᴇᴍ

“August 24th, 2002 8:00 pm.

Dinner with the Possibles was . . . surprisingly uneventful.

At least, in the way that Drew would define "uneventful" to be.”

Jim and Tim, the two who were deemed the most likely to launch their fork-fulls of lasagna at each other, dutifully ate their dinner in hopes to excuse themselves as soon as possible—presumably to scorch James' perfectly manicured lawn. Kim remained fairly quiet and interjected into the conversation when she felt it was necessary. Ron, who sat beside her, continuously shoveled heaping amounts of lasagna into his gullet while simultaneously slipping some under the table to feed his naked mole-rat. Rufus, an honored guest in the Possible house, was spoiled with his own, ceramic plate that Ron had made during his, albeit regrettable, summer at Camp Wannaweep, but remained under the table during family dinner. He didn't seem to mind. Rufus perched upon Ron's toes as if he were seated at the table with the rest of the family and only emerged from under the table cloth when he felt the need to join the conversation—just like Kim.

Per usual, the round-table discussion took a very boring turn for the children. Ann and James discussed their grueling workdays with Drew. James, who had been home all day, tirelessly worked on the newest, top-secret project that the Middleton Space Center had provided for him. When asked about said project, James responded with "It's a secret, but I can tell you one thing: it involves rockets", which prompted a well-deserved eye-roll from Drew, followed by a "No, duh"—a phrase that he had picked up from Kim, herself. She smiled. He was learning.

Ann, however, was not as lucky as her husband. She was forced into work by an emergency operation, which proved to be exhausting as the dark circles under her eyes shifted in the artificial lighting that illuminated the dining room.

When asked about the operation, Ann, with a sigh, responded with "Long". Drew's cheerful look softened into one of empathy. The one word told Drew what he needed to know, and it broke his heart.

"Brain surgery is not easy."

His lips tightened into a fine line. He never assumed that it was and he had always applauded Ann for her commitment to the profession. Nearly every operation, Ann played a delicate balancing act between life and death—a balance that toyed with the stranger that sat beneath her scalpel. On a good day, Ann, in all of her excitement, would give her friend a call and explain to him the intricate details of her latest, and greatest operation. Drew always anticipated those calls—not because he was fascinated by the process that Ann underwent with each procedure, but because it filled him with joy to hear his friend's voice full of exuberance: the product of an adrenaline high. But, when he failed to receive even a peep from Ann Possible, Drew understood. He could only imagine the stains that littered her steering wheel from the salty tears that stung her eyes.

"I-," Drew never knew what to say, so he let his words slip. He hoped that with his somber expression, Ann would understand that he held a deep sorrow within his heart for her.

"I'm sorry."

Eyes downcast onto her scarcely-touched plate of pasta, a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"It's okay," her blue irises rose with a faint gleam that reflected the lamplight. Drew found his breath caught in his throat.

Ann was a strong woman—the strongest that Drew had ever known. To see her eyes reflect a sort of helplessness that he felt deep within his old soul nearly brought tears to his as their gaze locked from across the table. Quickly, Drew pulled away, afraid to lose himself within the deep regret that swam within her sapphire eyes, and turned towards James, who held the same worried expression as his own.

Thankfully, the children, who continued to devour their dinner, were none-the-wiser.

"Y'know," Ann's voice broke the thick silence that laid between them, "I'm just glad that I made it home in time, or else a certain someone would've had to cook."

The side of Drew's lip curled into a half-hearted grin. The last time James tried to cook, he nearly set the kitchen ablaze.

"So, you mean we'd be eating Chinese takeout?"

"You would be correct," James interjected as he tore his troubled gaze away from his wife and stabbed his mountain of sauce-covered pasta with his fork.

A light chuckle, shared between Ann and Drew, dissipated the heavy atmosphere that had befallen upon them. They both knew that dinner would be better off if James didn't don the apron.

Drew's elbows found themselves at home atop the tablecloth as his chin rested upon the back of his hands, "I thought Mama Possible taught her kids how to cook."

"She did," Ann smirked as she mirrored Drew's position, "Slim took all the talent."

Cheeks stuffed with ricotta, James returned to the conversation with a scowl of disapproval. Drew covered his mouth with his free hand in a poor attempt to stifle a laugh while a loud snort escaped Ann's throat, followed by cheeky grins that formed around the table from the children who found enjoyment in poking-fun at the adults in the conversation. It was one against six and James opted to remain silent on the matter. He knew better than to defend himself against the vicious mockery that filled his home with laughter.

Ann's playful snicker that rang within Drew's ears was effortlessly replaced with a jarring ruckus—its origin from the rocket that launched from the patch of scorched grass in front of him.

"See, Uncle Drew?"

"Isn't that so cool?"

Drew rested his arms upon his lap as he watched colorful sparks of hot electricity evaporate into the stillness of the warm, summer night. Fourteen years after the Ol' Faithful incident, he remained a prisoner to his astonishment that his two best friends had created three beautiful, and exceptionally intelligent, children.

They were going to change the world.

"Very," a brief commentary from Drew seemed to suffice. The biochemist was always at a loss for words.

Wide grins spread across the youthful cheeks of the twins as they continued with their project of mayhem. While Drew could never offer a meaningful conversation about rocket science to his two nephews, the twins seemed satisfied with his one-word answers and the look of bewilderment and awe that seized his features. If they wanted constructive criticism, Jim and Tim would have asked their father for assistance. Drew was simply a witness to their greatness.

The twins entered a discussion about intricate theories as to how they could improve the hunk of metal that they had just shot into the night sky. Drew could not understand a single word, the conversation littered with scientific terms and twin-language that were foreign to his cultured ears, yet he remained enthralled by their nuanced conversation.

"Uncle Drew?"

Kim's soft, candied voice shoved away Drew's daydreams. He turned to his left to see his niece close to his frame: her knees crossed; her mind deep in thought.

"What's high school like?"

A slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"If you're looking for a simple answer, Kimmie, you're not going to get one."

Her eyes, a piercing, verdant green, squinted as a deep frown rested upon the smooth elasticity of her skin. That was not what she wanted to hear.

"I figured," she retorted, though she had hoped otherwise.

Drew's smile dwindled as Kim's eager demeanor faltered at the utterance of his statement.

The day Drew laid his eyes upon little Kimberly Ann, he knew that he was absolutely smitten. She may not have been his own flesh-and-blood, but, from the moment she arrived home from the hospital, she had been like the daughter he had always wanted—bright and brilliant with an unquenchable thirst to understand life itself. But, as Drew learned, in this quest for answers, within the shadows lurked heartbreak, sorrow, and an immense amount of raw pain that was always ready to pounce upon their next, optimistic victim. Upon discovering his own answers, these horrendous monsters had burrowed their way into the core of Drew's being, filling his veins with a thick sludge of despair that silently spread throughout his body. This kind of pain, embedded in his very identity, could not be washed away with a simple, supportive gesture and, instead, required copious amounts of synthetic chemicals to keep his disorderly mind in check. So, as soon as little Kimmie entered this unforgiving world in the back of his Sedan, Drew made a silent promise to himself to forbid the demons of despondency, that patiently waited behind her rose-tinted glasses, to destroy her.

Drew slowly closed his eyes as the image of a tiny Kimberly faded beneath his eyelids. She was no longer a helpless child who hid from the menacing shadows that skulked across her bedroom wall. She was fourteen years old. Drew could no longer hold her little hand within the palm of his. He had to let her go because he knew that if he continued to coddle her, he would have committed a great injustice. As an uncle, and a Godfather, he continuously tightrope-walked the fine-line between protection and liberation—his guidance in Kim's life was necessary, there was no disputing that, but she had to learn how to make mistakes and part of Drew felt an intense pang of guilt over the way he had protected her all these years.

It was time for Kim to understand that the world will not abide by her rules. Yet, he knew that as soon as she put down her glasses, the world would attempt to devourer her.

Drew was at a loss. All he could do was hope for the best.

"High school is. . ." Drew pondered for a moment, attempting to pluck his words from thin air, "complicated. There are ups, and downs, just like any other part of life." He wasn't sure if she understood, but he continued, "But if you keep a positive attitude, you'll be golden."

That, she could do. After all, she was Kimberly Ann Possible. As her father had told her time and time again, she could do anything.

This sense of immortality terrified Drew.

Kim's head bobbed, as if she gained an understanding, while her green irises maintained a sort of vacancy. She could not comprehend the complexities of which her uncle had spoken, but she grasped onto his vague way of saying "look for the silver lining" and hoped that this was the correct message he was trying to send.

Drew understood the mystifying mysteries that came with this world on a much deeper level than Kim. As much as she longed for the answers as well, she knew that her uncle was not going to let her cheat, but, every-so-often, he did drop a clue or two to guide her along life's journey. So, as much as Drew's message worried the optimistic teen, she didn't hesitate to take his advice to heart.

"The real question is," the man turned his head towards the young teen who used his shoulder as a comfortable pillow, "how do you feel about high school?"

Kim lifted her head as her brows knitted into a tight furrow. She had pondered her answer to this question on many occasions, though no one had ever asked her before. At first, she was petrified. The old eight-graders loved to disperse rumors into the clamor of the middle school halls—horrid rumors that described terrible tales that had befallen their elder siblings; putrid tales of betrayal, hurt, and self-deprecating violence at the hands of broken friendships. But, as she climbed the ranks of the middle school social hierarchy with each passing grade, Kim had learned the hard way that the pool was, indeed, not located in the school's musty basement, so every tale that the eight-graders fed to her sixth-grader self was a lie, right?

"Well," she started, the word rolling off of her tongue like molasses as she used the pause to cultivate her answer, "I feel. . . good."

"Good?" Drew asked, inquisitively, "Only good?"

"What do you mean by only?"

"I thought you'd have a grander reaction, Kimmie," Drew responded. It was the truth. Kim was known for her grandiose reactions to changes in her life. From the time she was allowed to babysit the twins to when she put her best foot forward and embarked on her career as the world-renowned, teen-hero, Kim had often expressed her exuberance through screams of delight and conversations that moved at lightning speed. So, as Kim's next adventure grew nearer, for her to state that this exciting time of her life was simply good, perplexed her uncle.

She shrugged her shoulders, "I mean, high school is just an extension of middle school, right?"

Drew lifted an eyebrow. She couldn't be more wrong.

"Kim—"

"Sure, I may have to study more, but I have cheer tryouts next week, which I feel confident about—"

And Drew did not doubt that she was going to make the team, but that wasn't the point.

"But, Kim—"

"And there are the dances to look forwards to—"

And boys. Drew shuddered. Again, not the point.

"Kim—"

"On top of saving the world? Uncle Drew, I think I can handle it."

Drew lifted a finger as his brows contorted into a minute scowl. He was delighted to hear that there were aspects of high school that thrilled her, but Drew knew that if she were to step foot into Middleton High with this type of attitude, she would be crushed under the weight of reality that she had continuously neglected to accept.

"Yeah," Ron interjected, interrupting Drew before the man could utter a word, "this is Kim Possible we're talkin' 'bout. She's been doin' this for years. Why would high school be any different?"

Drew closed his eyes once again as a deep sigh parted his lips. Oh, how naïve they were.

"Kimberly."

Kim, who believed she had proved her point, closed her mouth at the sound of her name. This got her attention.

"Let me be the first to tell you that high school and middle school are two, completely different fiends."

Ron's once confident expression fell as he gingerly placed his cheek against his knees. That was something he didn't want to hear.

"Fiends," Drew continued, "that can be tamed with an exceptional amount of dedication and patience."

Great. As if middle school wasn't hard enough, the two teens would have to put in additional effort to "tame" the wild beast that was Middleton High. Weren't the adolescent years supposed to be fun? The promise of wild entertainment, coupled with copious amounts of simple, immediate gratification was what Kim and Ron had looked forward to. No one told them that they had to work for it.

Kim released the tension that she held within her arms at the realization that life does not get any easier. Defeated, she turned towards Ron, whose expression of discontent mirrored her own.

"Listen, I'll be frank with you two," Drew stated, his voice low with a hint of a somber tone laced within it. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but someone had to ground these two eager teens in reality, and as sure as hell James wasn't going to be the one to do it. "High school is a lot of work—"

Their lips nestled into a deeper frown, but the teens let him continue without protest.

"But it's a wonderful time to learn who you are, in here," he brought the tips of his fingers, that were encased in crumbs from his peanut butter stickies, to his sternum.

This did not seem to dissuade his pseudo kids.

"At this point in your life, you will face hardships—some that are easy to overcome, some that are difficult to comprehend—but each challenge, each experience, will contain a certain amount of significance to you and only you."

Subconsciously, Kim and Ron found their bodies leaning towards Drew as they found themselves unexpectedly captivated by his statement.

"Unfortunately, not everything will come up roses—you will encounter failure—"

Kim's eyes narrowed as her gaze bore holes in her uncle's demeanor. Failure was not in her blood. Ron, on the other hand, battled dry-eye as his eyelids continued to widen in fear. More failures? Why couldn't he catch a break?

"But remember that while you're competing at cheer competitions, dancing at prom, or," he turned towards Ron, "spending your afternoons at Bueno Nacho—"

Did Uncle D just call him out? Ouch.

"These experiences don't define who you are, what you do with them will."

Kim and Ron, simultaneously, leaned forward to share a similar, perplexed look. "What you do with them"? What was that supposed to mean?

"But, I believe," Drew continued, unaware that he may have lost the two teens within his philosophical rant, "that you two can overcome whatever challenges life throws at you. Kim—"

She tore her attention away from her best friend and returned to the conversation at hand.

"I understand that your family has the motto 'anything's possible for a Possible', but I truly believe that you have what it takes to go above and beyond—to attain the goals that you set for yourself, despite life's complications."

A soft smile, welcomed by the warmth that rose to Kim's cheeks, returned, "Mom always said I came into this work with a fearsome kick."

Drew couldn't help but offer a smile in return, "She's right."

On impulse, Drew's left arm stealthy snaked out from beside his frame and gently wrapped around Kim's shoulder. He pulled her closer to his chest as her head resumed its position on his protruding shoulder. She exhaled, long as slow, as she let her body relax in Drew's embrace, allowing his arm to hold her in place. This is where she belonged.

"And Ron," his right arm mimicked his left as he brought his other nephew closer to the unconditional love that radiated from the cold caverns of his chest, "Don't sell yourself short, okay?"

Ron stammered as his body followed the coaxing arm of his uncle, "Wh-what do ya mean?"

"You're a bright, young man with a rather," Drew's lips tightened as he searched the recesses of his mind for the word he wanted to use, ". . . interesting outlook on life—"

Interesting was an understatement.

"Use that to your advantage. Solve problems with your creativity," he commanded as Ron's tuff of blond hair tickled the side of his cheek.

"You'll do great things, Ronald, I'm sure of it."

The intensity of Ron's fearful gaze subsided as a small wave of confidence washed over his features. If Drew believed that the meager teenager could achieve great feats, then Ron believed it, too.

Uncle D had never been wrong before.

As Ron leaned into Drew, the chemist felt the tension that the two teens held in their bodies dissolve as their backs pressed against his arms. With a sigh from Kim and a crunch next to Drew's ear as Ron took another, generous bite of his cookie, everything seemed. . . right.

And, for the remainder of the night, the three sat together and blissfully watched Jim and Tim relaunch their rocket into the blackened sky.

Maybe the world was not so cruel after all.

#drakken #dr drakken #drew lipsky #drakgo #kim possible #ron stoppable #kp fanfiction #drakgo fanfiction #if you could read my mind love #iycrmml #iycrmml update

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sadoeuphemist · 5 years

Text

“You ever wonder where all these little caches of gold come from?” Glyph mused.

Tinker's flail lashed out, smashing open another set of pots. She knelt over the little piles of gold glinting amidst the clay shards. “Not particularly. Other adventurers, I assume? Ventured into the dungeons, managed to scrape together a little stash of gold, got killed by some unlucky encounter, and presto, gold for the taking.”

“But why so little?” said Glyph, humming in circuits over her head. “You’ve already got over ten times that amount on you, and we’ve been down here not half an hour. It’s always such piddling amounts, isn’t it? So that you’ve got to scrounge up at least a dozen caches just to afford a half-decent weapon.”

Tinker jangled the gold pieces thoughtfully in one hand. “That’s true,” she said.

“Who keeps that little on them? Assuming - let’s just say, that you’re an exceptional adventurer -”

“Very generous of you,” Tinker said.

“Even one of those loutish bandits who keep hassling you could manage a run long enough to scrape up a decent amount.” Glyph flitted by the damp dungeon walls, illuminating them in a flickering blue light. “How come you never find a single cache of gold large enough to say, ‘Well, that’s all my expenses sorted out! New set of armor right there! That’s another downpayment done on my pyromancy lessons!’”

“All right,” said Tinker, standing up. “Why do I have the feeling like you’ve already deciphered this mystery and are just waiting to enlighten me?”

Glyph made a thrum much like clearing her throat. “Tiny adventurers.”

“Excuse me?” Tinker said.

“Like when you kill a dragon, and get to loot its hoard,” said Glyph, humming around excitedly. “Now there’s a payday! Great heaps of gold! But it’s not a vast treasure to the dragon itself, is it? That’s just, you know, its personal savings. It’s what a beast of its size has managed to accumulate just going about its day to day.”

Tinker frowned. “I ... I suppose?”

“So you scale it down,” said Glyph, shifting into calleagh, the lore configuration. “Tiny adventurers. Crawling through the cracks and crevasses of the dungeon, invisible in the shadows, carving passages between the brick and the mortar. Clad in leaves and scraps of leather, armed with shards of iron. A leather pouch slung across their back, bulging with the weight of gold, accumulated coin by coin!”

“Tiny adventurers,” Tinker repeated.

“Just imagine them! Timing their dashes, their leaps, watching the massive colossi trod their paths along the flagstones and waiting for a safe moment to strike! They’d fight those vicious black rats, frothing like wild beasts; spiders and their trip-webs; coiling centipedes with a hundred hooked legs; and who knows what other sorts of beasts you’d crush unknowingly beneath your boots without a second thought. Colossi bearing burning torches in one upraised limb, like dragons sending showers of sparks raining down like meteors. And where would they go to set their tents, light their campfires, unroll their bedding? Why, through the cracks of a pot, of course, or slipping between the boards of an old crate. An abandoned refuge, a crumbling shelter, wooden or clay, wherein to unburden themselves of their treasure, and in a moment’s respite admire the golden sheen of their accomplishments.”

“No, no, now hold on,” said Tinker, shaking her head. “That can’t be right. I’ve come across my fair share of skeletons down here, certainly, rummaged through abandoned knapsacks, but I’ve never seen any of them in miniature, any tiny rusted swords, or any of that sort of thing ...“

“Oh, really?” Glyph challenged. “Can you honestly say you’d have noticed, say, the crumbled remains of a tunic made of leaves, or a rusted iron nail that once served as a lance? Have you seen the skeleton of a flea? If I smote a mite to pieces and scattered its limbs, would you even notice that as carnage?”

“Well ...” Tinker frowned. “No ...”

“And that’s not even getting into all the ethereal arts of the fae - silk armor woven from cobwebs, slivers of moonbeams sharpened into blades, that sort of thing.” Glyph shifted into the healing legheas configuration for no reason, glowing green in self-satisfaction. “I mean, it’s only sensible, right? It only stands to reason, that if we’re down here raiding things bigger than we are, there’s a, you know, sub-economy going on beneath us, responsible for the clustering of gold and resources ...”

“I suppose...” Tinker murmured, looking down at her pitiful handful of coins. “That’s really sad!” she said suddenly, clenching her fist and glaring at Glyph. “Why would you tell me all of that?!”

“What? What’’s sad about it? You were previously under the assumption that you were looting the stashes of deceased adventurers! It’s the exact same thing!”

“Yeah,” said Tinker, very aggressively winding her flail back onto her belt. “But they’re small! That’s what’s the difference!”

Glyph gave a chiming laugh. “They’re small?”

“Yeah!” said Tinker. She shoved the handful of coins into her money pouch and adjusted her knapsack on her back. “And don’t laugh at me about it! It’s sad! That’s what it is! Some tiny and pitiful creature venturing into the dungeons and scraping up their measly pile of gold just so I could -” She sniffed loudly. “Shut up, okay?”

Tinker raised her torch again and they ventured deeper into the dungeon, Glyph bobbing behind silently, much dimmed. The circle of torchlight illuminated the walls of black stone, and the passageway leading forward like a pit, and the darkness of everything that lay ahead. The automatons recessed into the walls, the pit traps, the spinning blades, the soft scraping of bone that marked the passage of the patrolling undead - dangers lurking unseen just until they ventured into the circle of the light. Great bone claws emerged, a plume of flame arced through the air and splashed against the flagstones as Tinker leapt aside, sprinting out of the radius of the spreading flame. The Bone Dragoon leered out at them with its many teeth. Tinker beat out a patch of flame spreading up her thigh, and unfurled her flail.

“If it’s any consolation,” Glyph piped up, “if and when you die down here, you’re going to provide a bounty the likes of the little people have never seen. The carcass of a fallen titan, spilling gold - they’ll make pilgrimages to you, probably. It’s like a dragon’s hoard, without having to actually fight the dragon first -”

Tinker looked up at the Bone Dragoon, all armor and spines, thrice her size, another oily globule of floating flame building up in its rib cage. She shifted, feeling the weight of the gold hanging off her. Not for the first time, she wondered how she had gotten into this line of work to begin with. The Dragoon glared at her malevolently, hatred radiating off it like a furnace. Tinker wet her lips.

“Thanks,” she said. “That helps.”

#fiction

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imaginefan · 5 years

Note

What you did that caught their attention and what drew them into you. Jeremy, Enzo, Kol, John, Stephen, Matt, Klaus, Chris, Jake, Adam and Elijah.

Jeremy

Jeremy had known you for a long time so it surprised you when he did start to pursue you, you see you hadn’t done anything differently it was just the way that you were but when the threat was looking for Jeremy and you stepped in that was what caught his attention.

“Where is he?” Kol asked and you rolled your eyes.

“Now why would I tell you that?” You asked moved around the bar serving people drinks.

“I could kill you.” He warned Damon who was sitting a few seats away from you tensed.

“Do you want a drink or not?” You asked and Damon looked at you and smirked.

“Don’t test me.” He warned.

“Then don’t ask me questions I don’t know the answer to.” You muttered and he walked out of the bar after that had not got what he wanted and you picked up your phone again.

“Sorry about that.” You apologised to Jeremy who was on the other end of the phone. “That holiday sounds like a good idea now that I know what we’re dealing with.” but there was no answer from Jeremy who was stunned into silence after hearing you talk to an Original that way.

Enzo

It was the moment that you jumped in front of him, your bravery and quick thinking that drew him towards you, you had managed to almost get yourself killed in hopes that you could save him.

“What the hell were you thinking!?” Enzo asked.

“I was thinking that I saved you.” You informed him and he glared.

“I heal.” He answered.

“So do I.” You argued and he glared knowing that you were just picking holes in his explanations.

“You know what I mean.” He ground out through gritted teeth.

“It doesn’t matter anyway.” You shrugged getting yourself into a more comfortable position before closing your eyes.

“Of course it matters,” Enzo said softly before kissing your forehead and covering you over with a blanket.

Kol

Kol actually didn’t know what it was that had caught his eye at first he thought it was you looks but you were sitting in the café using small amount of magic to complete tasks like warming your coffee up after you let it go cold, he smirked as he walked over and sat in front of you. “What are you doing little witch?” He asked.

“Oh, I don’t know what are you doing Mr Mikaelson?” You asked and he frowned.

“How do you know who I am?” He asked.

“Rare telepath.” You answered.

“Why are you tell me all of this, I could kill you.” He warned and you smiled drinking the rest of your coffee before standing up.

“I know you have no intentions of that.” You smirked before you left.

Elijah

Elijah was not sure of you at first, you were a friend of his brother’s and could be quite volatile at times but the moment that you were taken by the witches everyone was worried for a different reason, everyone apart from Klaus thought that you were going to betray them but the moment that Elijah found you all bloodied and bruised he knew that he was wrong.

“(Y/N). Look at me.” He ordered and your eyes opened slowly.

“Elijah hi.” You smiled and that was what got him the fact that you could still smile despite everything that happened.

“Come let’s get you home.” He suggested.

“I’d like that,” you said softly.

John

John loved that the smile never left your face you rarely left the Lair but there was never a time when you weren’t laughing or smiling, you could see a bright side to everything and he wished that he could do the same so he kept you close as a way to see the light no matter what.

“John, you were looking for me?” You asked, he looked up to see the smile stretch across your face as you closed the door.

“There you are.” He breathed gesturing for you to come over to him, he was sitting on the sofa, you walked over and he pulled you down into his lap.

“Was there something that you needed?” You asked and he shook his head before poking your side and making you giggle which only served to make him smile.

“That was all I needed.” He answered and you frowned.

“Me laughing?” You asked.

“You laughing.” He confirmed before pulling you into a tight hug.

*Full*

Stephen

Stephen loved that you didn’t care what people thought about you, you often spoke your mind and you didn’t think about it first, that leads to a lot of fights in the Lair, he would often come back to find that you had gotten into some kind of trouble.

“What the hell happened!?” Stephen asked and you looked at him and shrugged as you held the ice to your eye.

“You should see the other girl.” You smirked.

“I have that’s why I’m asking.” He answered as he pulled the ice away to look at your eyes.

“It was nothing I just said that she looked like a drown rat is all.” You answered. “After throwing water at her.”

“Why did you do that?” He asked pressing the ice back to your eye.

“She wasn’t being very nice to our newbie.” You answered.

“You have to stop this.” He ordered.

“Yes, sir!” You saluted and he rolled his eyes.

“No need to be snarky.” He smiled before pecking your lips.

Matt

Matt loved your morals, it didn’t matter who you were fighting or what you were fighting, you had a strong set of morals that you followed you made sure to make your voice her in regards to that and you walked away from anything that went against them.

You were sitting on the sofa when he came home, he knew the moment that he saw you that something was wrong, something was troubling you “What happened?” He asked and you looked at him.

“What’s the point in try to save all these people, they never listen to me.” You answered honestly.

“You talking about Elena and friends?” He asked and you looked at him and he could see how torn up you were about it so he took off his jacket and walked over the sofa where you were sitting and pulled you into a hug, “you can only control your actions and if you are doing what you think is right then that is the best that you can do.”

“Thanks.” You said softly as you snuggled into him closing your eyes and trying to forget everything that had happened that day.

Klaus

Klaus didn’t think that he would find someone that believed in him as wholeheartedly as you did, you never wavered in loyalty and you carried out every order in the belief that he had a plan that would work.

“You think that I would use my child as a weapon?” He asked and Elijah and Hayley said nothing.

“No you wouldn’t” You spoke up, Klaus’ eyes moved to you and seemed to soften for a second as he took in your form leaning against the porch railings. “As much as Klaus doesn’t want to admit it, this baby means a lot to him.”

“How would you know that?” Hayley asked and you raised an eyebrow.

“He’s here isn’t he?” You asked and she looked at him before glaring.

“That doesn’t prove anything.” She answered.

“You’re lucky you’re the one pregnant with the kid.” You threatened through gritted teeth as Elijah took a step in front of Hayley now facing you, there was growl from Klaus before he appeared behind his brother biting him before appearing next to you offering you a hand of support.

“Don’t ever accuse me of using my child again and never threaten (Y/N).” He warned before leading you away.

Chris

Chris knew that he shouldn’t take a special interest in anyone but the moment that you offered to help him, he wasn’t going to be sticking to his rule, he knew that he would have to leave you at some point but so did you, you just need to enjoy what time you had.

You were both looking through the Book of Shadows to help the sisters. “I don’t know if we’re going to find the answer here without knowing what we are looking for.” You said and he shrugged.

“It was worth a try.” He answered.

“Yeah you know I always want to help maybe we can find someone who was there we can find out something that will help.” You suggested and he sighed.

“That looks like our best option right now.” He agreed.

“Well let’s go.” You ordered.

Jake

Jake was not expecting that there was going to anyone that interested him when it went Chance Harbor but then he met you, you were the only person that didn’t seem to step on eggshells around him you told him what you thought and how you felt.

“What is your problem?” You asked and he looked at you and frowned.

“I don’t know what you talking about.” He answered and you nodded.

“Alright, then I’ll see you later.” You answered standing up ready to leave and frowned grabbing your wrist.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“Home.” You answered.

“Why?” He asked.

“Because you’re in a mood.” You answered “call me when you feel better.” as he watched you walk out he bit his lip, you got his attention, now he wanted you.

*Full*

Adam

Your innocent look outlook on life was what got him, he knew what was lurking in the dark corners of the world and you still had the light of a child, you could separate what you knew about the supernatural from the rest of the world when he was with you it was like you were normal teenagers.

“What’s wrong?” You asked as cute frown on your face as you walked over to him in the school hall.

“It’s nothing.” He answered.

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.” You argued and he sighed before smiling and grabbing your hand.

“Just some fighting in the circle, nothing we can’t get past.” He promised.

“Then let’s go do something.” You answered.

“Something like what?” He asked shifting in a backpack and wrapping an arm around your waist.

“Something like fun.” You answered as you both left the school building.

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frivery · 3 years

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Annnnnd it's Daiden's birthday piece! Hooray! POV of Daiden as he makes first true contact with other people. A warning that there are a lot of things Daiden does not know the words or functions for since he exists completely separate from others. EX. he doesn't know what armor is, he knows the concept but not the word. Doesn't know what paper is and therefor is a stranger to all things written.

The creature crept through the deep groves of nature, shadows of green sticking to his form as he stalked along the edge of one of many messy paths through the deep forest maze. His eyes dripped ice, hands leaving frost in their wake when he brushed cold and clawed fingertips along the closely grown trees of the grove. These trees were ancient, reaching towards the heavens like they would not elsewhere, and massive in diameter with smaller, stock-thin, saps stuffed between them creating an ever-constant thick blanket of leaves to blend in with. The bushes were thick and tall, lush emerald brushing across the thick bear-pelt at his hip as he carefully stepped over fallen branches, dead leaves, and uncovered roots.

He could hear the tone of travelers along that path through the thicket, travelers needing to go through the maze for one reason or another, as he often did he crouched to wait for them.

Among them was a small, green-toned, being with pointed ears. He did not know what a creature such as that would be called but he knew it was only slightly taller than half the size of most of the people who came this way. Pad of something, feather in the other, as she gestured and scrapped the metal-tipped edge into the soft-seeming white of the object. Symbols, shapes, of some kind that had no meaning to him but that she seemed to know by heart, her eyes not lifting from her work. Many of the other travelers were much in the same boat, unobservant in nature, chattering like early-season birds, reading books, or even... picking leaves from the bushes as they passed to press them into a thing, not unlike the one that the green-person had. What he didn't see was the individual he was expecting, the tall man with vines twisting around his arms from the sheer amount of time he spent exposed to this deep magic. That man was a leader, or guide, of some kind and was the only familiar face he knew, and for some reason he wasn't here today.

The creature could recall when he first encountered the man, following the massive being on his trek through the dangerous woods out of curiosity, the man seeming relaxed and carefree despite the inherent threat of the Labyrinth. He hadn't realized how much attention the man was actually paying to his surroundings until the goliath turned and met his eyes in the tree's dark, spinning on his heel and pinning him to the foliage in which he hid with shocking accuracy. The creature had expected fear, or aggression, instead the two had stared at each other across the several bear-length expanses. Neither moving. 'Huh' is all the man had said, eventually, seeming to glance over the creature's form in the dark before resuming his trek through the woods. He had almosst thought that the man hadn't actually seen him, returning to his usual behaviour, until the man set down for camp and placed several strange fruits on a piece of cloth. He had thought it strange for the man to need two clothes to eat, until the man got up and left the one on the ground untouched. For... him? It had been an odd experience at the time but the creature and the guide were both much older beings now. It had become an exchange, the man would leave him food whenever his traveling party ate and in exchange the creature would shadow him and distract any predators that the group happened upon.

But this being, dressed in soot-colored metal sheets to protect and wearing a strange dragon-shaped hood-mask over its face, was not the man he was used to. It was much smaller than the man, felt different in the air, and led the group with both more leniency and more rigidness. Allowing the weak ones to prattle like overly-comfortable squirrels, while holding none of the comfortable, relaxed, banter that the other could at a much lower volume. Where was the usual guide?

The creature followed, curious and unsure, peaking at the new guide through the leaves as he carefully stalked the traveling group along their journey. It had been several hours like this before the group settled down to camp in one of the usual small clearings. Usually, the man would sit on the stump near the middle of the clearing, a great tree felled long before either of their time creating a place to rest not on the dirt floor, but this new one allowed a being of shiny cloth to perch on the rest instead... giving up the high ground to an unobservant mortal instead of keeping it for itself. Was this new guide not taking the maze seriously? Getting lost was the least of one's worries in such a place, the reason so many went missing was from the monsters that lurked. Surely, this being knew that.

A hot bubbling feeling in his chest the more he watched the group interact, at how this new being was not taking the dangers here seriously, during his blood warm before the hooded being turned and looked over its shoulder. Glancing with what must be wind eyes over the shadows that he hid in, before blinking and doing it again but more carefully. It had seen him, he could tell when it went stock still like a deer spotting its hunter. It seemed to doubt itself, glancing around again before the eyes focused in on him. What would it do? Run? Try to attack him? Curiosity smothered the frustration that had started in him, not unlike what he had felt when he had first encountered the other guide. The metal-coated being drew a long-sword, pushing the green-toned small woman behind him with his foot to join the now scurrying group of travelers that flattened like rats behind the guide. Leave them, or push the issue?

The creature tilted its head, blinking ice-lorn eyes before creeping out of the bushes like a caught, but still satisfied, quillrunner. Posture relaxed, confident. Now, out in the open, the being looked him over as if sizing him up. The brambles that fell away from his skin, deeply embedded within his flesh and growing into tangled swathes like thorny braids that cascaded down his body marked him as a creature of this place. Showed that the labyrinth had long since begun to consume him, just like it had the real guide with vines wrapped around his fists. Pelts covered him where the various plants growing out of his skin would not, a large wolf cloak pulled over his head, a black bear cut to wrap his shoulders and waist. A hunter, he belonged here, this being in shiny black did not.

"Who... who are you?" its voice cracked the first try, he watched it wince through its mask, seeming to steal itself before getting out the entire sentence. The creatures behind it cowered like cornered prey does, he could almost feel their racing heartbeats from across the clearing. Still so far...

"I will ask, again. Who are you?" more firm now, a cub finding its voice, eyes turning stern.

"He is....dubbed, Daiden." his own voice cracked dry from disuse, snapping through the syllables like vines under too much pressure, it too lending to his belonging to the maze.

"Daiden? Alright, uh, I am Leesil." the sword in its hand wavered slightly, glancing away as they spoke, before its posture tightened and the look returned. " Why are you following my expedition? What do you want?"

"Ex-sped-it-on?" he repeated back, slowly, he could not remember the last time he had spoken, his voice like dried bark being wrung out. The word the being had said he did not know, but he supposed if it as important he would have learned it long ago so he continued when the being moved as if to respond. "He always follows, has for a very long time, the old guide knew this."

"Valiant?" the masked creature asked, throwing it out like it should mean something but he offered no response to it. "Why do you follow, what do you want?" it repeated it's question, lowering the sword towards the earth. The creature took this as invitation, glancing ice eyes over the cowering mice before slowly, deliberately, approaching the shiny being in black. They did not shy away, merely dipping their head slightly and pinning eyes of warning on him when he got too close. Hand gripping sword tighter, the sound of leather squeaking against it. 'No closer' it wordlessly said, and he complied.

"I follow as a... trick for your hunters. The beasts hear your companions, like rabbits, and they see feast. They track you, hunt you, and he watches. He watches so when they get close he can lead them away."

"You distract them for us?" surprise on the creature's voice? He tilted his head to the side, looking at the being sideways with frozen irises.

"You still haven't told me why." the Leesil repeated.

"The guide gives offerings of... many fruits, Daiden keep travelers safe from predators."

"Oh... really? That's it?" more surprise? The creature continued to look at the other sideways, watching it put the sword back. The gesture, as well as the relaxing posture, seemed to signal to the others that they no longer need to huddle together like freezing swallows. The little green one, a woman of extremely small stature, approached him with her feather out while the guide fumbled through their bags for something.

"Woooow, you are covered in flora! So much it almost looks like its apart of you. Is that the nature magic effects or is that camouflaged to blend in here?" the tiny woman questioned, eyes gleaming in an almost dangerous way. The creature knitted it's eyebrows together and took a step back. Retreat got him nowhere, however, as she somehow seemed to take this as invitation. Now closer than before, she reached out to brush a finger across the surface of one of the petals flowering out of his leg. Stems wrapped, thorny, around his calf down to his feet, flowers of red peppering his darker-stained legs with color like blood.

"It's frozen." she said before he pulled away, taking another retreating step away that she allowed as she gestured with her feather at that strange multi-layer block thing. "Is it wild magic? Everything you have on you seems to have a layer of frost on it."

"He... just is?" he responded slowly. She frowned at the answer but the creature did not care for whatever this green thing was.

"Elpis, please do not torment the being who could, very well, end up with your life in his claws." the Leesil warned her, allowing him to return his gaze to the shiny guide. In the being's hands was a clay cup filled with some of those strange fruits that the other guide would generally offer him. Blues, and purples, and reds, gleamed in the cup tempting, holding all of the creature's attention as the new guide approached him with it held out like... an offering? "I was a little confused when I saw these in our provisions earlier, we don't usually carry berries around on scorcher expedi-... treks, I guess Valiant meant them to be for you."

The creature said nothing, carefully, cautiously, taking the clay thing from the masked guide. An accidental brush of his own skin on theirs, causing a sharp-intake of air as a moment of frost spread to their hand before receding as he stepped away with the cup of fruit in hand. To say he was pleased would be an understatement, the majority of his meals were of meats or edible flowers, most of the fruit that grew here being poison on his tongue. Beautiful and tempting but dangerous... these were just sweet. No danger. Normally, when the tall guide would give him fruit, it would be left on small piece of clean cloth. He would take it, keeping the fruit until the travelers would rest for the night and eating it then. But... he didn't think he could do that with this clay thing and eating in company was only a good idea if you knew they were not a danger. It made you vulnerable. His mind wavered like this, deeply wanting to just down all of the berries as quickly as possible with how much he wanted it, but on the other hand his caution told him to not risk letting his guard down just for a few tasty morsels.

"What... are you exactly?" the new guide mentioned, drawing his dripping eyes up from the cup to blink at them.

"He is Daiden."

"No, yeah, your name is Daiden but you are not part of a species named Daiden, are you?" he stared at the being, not understanding what exactly the question was.

"What is a Leesil?" he responded, looking down at the cup of berries again as his mind decided what he was going to do. Picking up one to put it, testingly, in his mouth.

"I am not 'a Leesil'. I am Leesil, that's my name, but I am an elf. What are you?" so... it was Leesil and it belonged to a group called elf.

"What is elf?"

"You don't know what an elf is?" said like it was absurd, the creature putting a couple of the sweet fruits into his mouth instead of responding in affirmation. It should be pretty obvious he didn't know what elf was.

"Okay, do you know what Valiant is?"

"Courage." the creature responded quickly, throat beginning to ache from speaking so much.

"That's... the word's meaning, yes. Valiant is the name of the other deepscorcher that travels here."

"What is deepscorcher?"

"I am a deepscorcher." the Leesil said.

"He thought Leesil was Elf."

"I am, I am called Leesil, I am an Elf, I belong to a group called the deepscorchers." why did they need so many titles? He got along just fine with the one.

"I don't think you'll be able to get him to understand so easily. He obviously doesn't interact with other people much." the green woman said, he had been aware of her continued observation for a while and it was making eating his berries difficult.

"He sees the Valiant guide." the creature defended, causing the small being to laugh.

"You see him, you don't even know his name so I doubt you've ever spoken with him." he frowned at the woman's words, narrowing his icy eyes at her. She did not seem phased with the look, strange how she had been cowering like a mouse before, pulling a semi see-through box out of her bag and tapping on it with a sharp look.

"Tell me, Daiden, have you ever had a cake before?"

"What is cake?"

"Food, it is very sweet. We call it a dessert, something so delicious you aren't supposed to eat it very often." the creature eyed the green-thing's box, his berry cup almost empty. "I will give you some cake if you sit down and let me examine you."

"Elpis, honestly now, don't you think it's a little bit immoral to take advantage of-"

"Give cake." her gaze shifted back to him, sharp like a cunning cougar watching a large bird waiting for it to slip up.

"Then you agree to my terms? I offer you a cake and in exchange Daiden allows me to research him?"

"Elpis-" the Leesil sounded exasperated.

"Yes." he cut off, holding out his hand for the box. The Elpis placed it into his palm, the strange container feeling slick and flimsy in his claws.

"Sit down, please." she hummed, the creature complying and settling onto the dirt floor to finish his berries. The new guide sighed, looking towards the canopy-covered sky, before sitting down next to them as if to keep an eye on them. The Elpis promptly reached out a finger and hooked it around one of the vines that fell over his shoulder, pulling it away from his cold skin until he could feel a slight pulling sensation along the nape of his neck.

"Oh, wow, these do grow out of you. Can you feel them?"

"Yes, the tangles grow along spine." a short answer, putting the now empty cup down to examine the weird container.

"Let me show you how to open that." the Leesil offered, quietly, offering a hand that the creature started at distrustingly for a long moment before handing it over.

"Oh, that is sooo strange, I wonder if the roots are tangled in the nerves. Is all of the flora on you actually part of you?" he watched the guide open the strange box, it making a loud sound as the bottom pulled away from the top, and the elf passed the 'cake' back to him.

"Yes." a belated answer to her question, no elaboration. This 'cake' was a pink color, bright as a freshly bloomed flower in dew, with small red sliced things in it. What would this thing taste like? He took a bite, the texture soft and spongy and sweet as the sweetest berry. Daidan was so awestruck that he didn't even notice the Elpis touching his bare-arm experimentally. When eating you were supposed to just swallow the food in the mouth but the creature couldn't bring himself to do that. It was the best thing he had ever tasted.

"Interesting. Your skin beginning to transfer ice on contact, creating a layer of frost on all of the things on you, but touching the vines or flowers growing from you don't do that." it was a good thing the green-one hadn't been expecting an answer from him, he was too invested in the taste in his mouth to pay attention.

"Wow, that good huh?" the Leesil said, tone light and breezy as the creature looked up at them. For a long moment he just stared at the guide, mind refusing to think of anything but cake, before slowly nodding.

"I will let Valiant know of your new found love for dessert, maybe he'll bring you more for your help." he suddenly liked this Leesil creature. Now that he knew this would not be the only cake he ever had he felt much less guilty for eating it, swallowing the bite he had taken and returning to eating it at a much more reasonable pace. Maybe being spotted be this creatures wasn't such a bad things anymore.

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box-of-muses · 6 years

Text

Shall extract based on events happening with a high school AU RP with - @mysmemuses No matter how pure she may believe him to be, he knew all too well how tainted his soul truly was. It did not matter, of course. His ‘devil’ only flew free when people he loved got hurt by those who enjoyed the sick twisted fantasy of pushing the ‘weak’ around.

At the age of thirteen, he had taken his first life. Vanderwood was beyond any type of salvation but he’d chosen not to lose himself to the darkness either. Instead - he was more like a tightly sprung coil - ready to strike if the need arisen. And that night was such a need. A few days had passed since he had sat holding Rika between his arms, gentle words and touches unable to take aware the pain and fear that was present within her voice, to take away the self-hate that dripped from every word she spoke. Even though she had been a victim, bullied into acting out - to defend herself, she had laid there in tears, blaming herself for every wrong thing to have ever happened. He had been unable to do anything but to listen and to try and comfort - but Vanderwood's skill with words wasn’t his greatest asset and at times he had to wonder if he was doing any good or just adding to the girl's confusion. He sighed, blowing out the smoke from the cigarette that he’s lit a few moments earlier, deep brown eyes searching through the crowd of students below from where he sat half hidden within the treetops that hung over the side of the school walls. Security concerns were the least of his problems - these overlooked issues were what made this place the best type of hideout that he had found for over a year now. Though there was no use in pretending. He stayed here for Rika’s sake too. He was placing himself at risk, the longer that he stuck around - yet he knew that he wasn’t going anywhere - not until that girl could stand on her own two feet. Not until she’d found that strength inside that he had been trying to show she had from day one. He could do nothing to help protect her against her parents. But against the other students? Well - he wasn’t gifted with words, but his fists were another story altogether. Now - he was no thug. A stalker perhaps, spying on his possible victims for well over a month in advance, taking in all the wrongdoings that the small group of boys seemed to enjoy taking part in. Rika was far from the only girl being bullied by these fools and only when it seemed as though they might go too far did he make some type of noise to make them scatter. He wasn’t about to allow them to attack anyone if he was nearby but he had seen enough to reassure himself that this was the correct action to take. A simple beating would not be enough. He needed to send the entire school a message. Anyone who laid a finger on Rika or attempted to bully her in order to get some ‘weird’ reaction, would suffer the same fate as these boys. A bit extreme, perhaps - and no doubt he would end up attracting the type of attention that he had been hoping to keep away from. His family would hear about this, but this was a risk worth taking. To see that smile shine on his Angels face at least once more. To know that if he were to ever vanish - Rika would be able to stand on her own two feet. The night was new, a dull light still present in the sky, the silence of the playground broken only by the scraping of a metal pole being dragged along the wall as he wandered around towards the back of the building. He knew now that the three boys often met there on friday nights - to share out their ‘winnings’ from the past weeks bullying. He could already hear their muffled arguments - one boy complaining loudly about being tricked while another spoke of a strange hooded figure that seemed to always be around, watching over ‘their girls’. Vanderwood rolled his eyes slightly, tugging his hood up as he walked out into their pathway - smirking behind his scarf, well Rika’s scarf, at the silence to greet him. He supposes he must have been some sight. A tall, scruffy looking male, wearing torn clothing that looked as though it had seen better days, a long floral scarf covering half his face while he bounced a steel pipe between his hands - eyes taking in each of the ground in turn. He could see that they were shocked, unsure on how to take him. One, the skinniest and smallest, burst out into laughter and pointed at the scarf he worse. “Isn’t that the crazy bitches?” He barely had time to blink through as Vanderwood’s patience snapped right there and then, a sickening crunch like noise being heard a split second before a blood-curdling scream split through the night sky as the pipe struck out and landed with force into the speakers kneecap, the young man crumpling to the ground in agony as Vanderwood quickly moved away from the punches thrown at him from the other two. The fast one was down a lot quicker than he had anticipated - pipe tossed off to one side as he instead begun to narrowly avoid the blows sent in his direction. “You crazy bastard! My father’s a cop”, one yelled. Not that the threat meant much to him. His father was even worse than a cop and besides, he was here for Rika’s sake. He didn’t care much about how this man pan out for him. He glanced down towards where the skinny kid had curled up hugging into his broken leg. Good. Two against one - and these two would be made to suffer even worse. A blow landed on the side of his cheek, forcing him to have to listen to the gleeful laughter of the one who had struck him, the other managing to hit his side. But all this was a ploy, a way to both make them have a false belief of his ability and for him to learn about there’s. He was a quick learner - watching how they moved, how slow certain cuts and kicks came - how they used one another to try and give him as little opening as possible in which to react. Unfortunately for them, he wasn’t just some street rat. He was trained in martial arts from an early age and though they may be designed to help more in self-defense - they could easily be turned into a deadly weapon too. Not that he wished to kill anyone. If he had his way - his uncle would be the only life he ever took - but something told him that would not be the case. However - for now, he simply wished to send these bastards to the nearest hospital. A grin formed, hidden behind his scarf as he suddenly sidestepped out of their range, narrowing avoiding a fist to the eye, only to chuckle as the two idiots ended up landing their blows on one another instead. He was still silent. Watching as the skinny kid continued to hug into his leg and as the other two boys rubbed at their new injuries, glares being sent in his direction. Oh. He’d pissed them off? Seemed as though the dance was over then. Pity. He was going to let them play for a bit longer - but he noticed that one of the vile scum had managed to get blood on his scarf and his small amount of self-control snapped. What followed next would differ between reports. All three of the boys would speak of a ‘smiling’ monster who moved a quick as the wind, who showed no mercy as he rained punches and kicks down upon their bodies with very little mercy, floral printed scarf hiding most of his face but the grin could be ‘felt’ somehow. They spoke of a dangerous aura and whispers of Rika’s ‘guard dog’ spread throughout the campus at an alarming rate. One of the small group was on crutches for months later and was reported to suffer from nightmares - often claiming to see his attacker around the school grounds yet no one ever seemed able to pinpoint such a presence. Another of the small group was in the hospital for a few weeks and was moved to a new school upon his release while the remaining boy did everything to avoid being alone for too long and avoiding Rika as much as was possible. It wasn’t as if Vanderwood got out of it without any type of injury. A few blows had found their mark and hiding such pain from Rika was rather difficult - explaining the blood on her scarf had meant that he couldn’t hide from what he had done. Not that he would have been able to anyways. Even he had heard rumours about Rika’s ‘crazed guard dog’ and all he did was lurking in the shadows most of the day. Well, it didn’t matter. It had the desired effect of making Rika’s life a little easier and allowed him to work more during the day since he knew that Rika would be safe enough alone at school. Besides - Crazed Guard Dog had a somewhat nice ring to it.

#Vanderwood #rp:Vanderwood #v:highschool au #//I tired!#//but omg I suck at action rps >_<#//and how did we end up shipping these two?

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jojotier · 7 years

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Yo, it's near Halloween, so I'd love to see your take on Dio and Kakyoin's first meeting for that fanfic request. Sexy vampires, horror, flesh buds, all that good stuff.

(ohoho i couldnt not do this one! Sorry for the long length haha)

Ah, dammit. It looked like Noriaki had lost his way.

He didn’t know how exactly it had happened, nor where exactly the sight of his parents had faded into the crowded marketplace- or even how the crowded marketplace had given way to an empty stone labyrinth- but somehow Noriaki had lost track of time and wandered a little too far off from the main streets. Now he found himself in a dim set of alleyways, mapless and alone, as the once overbearing heat of the sun began to wane and dip behind the old stone of Cairo that bespoke of a long history. It was a history that he might have taken the time to immerse himself in, trying to piece together the kinds of architecture from one of the many pamphlets or books he had back in the hotel room, had the night been so quickly approaching. Noriaki stepped into another, equally empty alley.

Mother would begin to get worried, soon enough. His parents worried and worried and worried some more on a normal day, with no clue as to the guardian that appeared and coiled itself around Noriaki’s shoulders protectively. While the three of them were in a foreign land? That concern was simply ramped up eleven notches, and Noriaki was already beginning to dread the stern telling off he was going to get once he found his way again. If not back to his parents, then back to the hotel. Noriaki found a corner that seemed familiar- had he passed it already?

That is, if he could begin to get out of this maze- it seemed to be getting more convoluted all the time, as if every stone was scuttling around behind his back to transform the way he’d come into an entirely new direction not found on any mortal compass. The alleyway he was in was silent and still as death, with nothing to greet him but the sound of his own footsteps tapping tapping tapping on the cobbles. As his way grew more dim, the light waning until a deep, yawning abyss awaited him, his dearest companion shed light on the situation. Noriaki turned a corner. He honestly didn’t know if the radioactive green glow helped matters- it simply made the path that lay ahead more ominous, blackened and burned. As if the landscape had long gone up in flames.

There was the sharp sound of claws scratching along the stone. Noriaki’s heart skipped a beat as he turned his head around, preparing an Emerald Splash- but there was nothing there. Nothing except the tail end of a rat hurrying away into the yawning blackness of two separate paths behind him. Had that second path always been there, or had that been the path in a previous fork in the road that he had neglected? He swallowed thickly, and tried not to think about going in circles. There had to be some way out of this.

He continued forwards for a long while, legs moving automatically forward as his friend stretched partially ahead. Noriaki watched as the last of the light flickered behind the stone walls before retreating, leaving him in a dim darkness with nothing but soft green to color the slowly narrowing walls of what he soon found to be buildings. Buildings seemed to stretch on around him for eternity, and would likely remain for just as long, and each and every one of them only held a palpable abyss behind each and every threshold. Noriaki stepped and stepped and stepped forward, trying to quiet his own footsteps against the suffocating silence that hung around him like a dark cloud.

There should have been someone around here. In a city as populous as Cairo, there had to be at least one soul here, someone who lived or worked or existed. But when Noriaki paused for a moment to catch his breath, harsh and gasping from his throat, he still heard nothing except his own strange wheezing. He hadn’t been running- merely walking quickly. Now that he couldn’t see the sunlight anymore, it was getting to be rather worrisome. Who knew what could be lurking, if he stopped and paid it any mind. Noriaki took a deep breath, found his center, and began to walk again.

The emerald glow on the cobbles around him began to mix with the far off color of embers in the distance, but Noriaki couldn’t see what lay ahead very well. He dispelled his friend, mumbling a quiet apology to him, and allowed the alleyway (more like a tunnel, at this point, with how far up the buildings twisted away from him and into the skyline, overbearing, crushing) to grow dark around him. Through the isolating black, he could make out the barest hint of yellow, peeking out at Noriaki like stars against the bubbling ink of nothingness.

There was a sudden crash behind him and Noriaki twirled around quickly, summoning his friend and very quickly shoving as many projectiles as he possibly could towards the target behind him. The glimmering emeralds shone bright in the darkness, illuminating nothing more than an empty passageway and a window that had a suspiciously empty ledge. His friend slithered behind him to inspect, always keeping some strands of himself tied tight around Noriaki’s arm, and investigated- but it was only a clay pot shattered on the ground. Noriaki stood stock still for a moment, his heart thumping thumping thumping in his chest, and swallowed thickly. Then he turned back around and continued straight ahead, towards where the light lay.

The light could mean danger. He could be flying straight into a trap. Or Noriaki could- more likely- find someone ahead who could help him find his way out of the damn place, where everything was strange and stagnant and he couldn’t tell how much time had passed since he found himself there.

As he drew closer, he could make out the outline of torches, with the warm yellow light mixing with his creature’s glow. His friend wrapped a tentacle around his wrist and tugged insistently, causing Noriaki to pause and look at him. The spirit pointed insistently in another direction, towards where a narrow little crevice lay, and Noriaki’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know if I’d even be able to fit in there.” His wrist was tugged more fiercely, and the crevice was pointed at more insistently as his friend drew closer, trying to puff up and appear more intimidating.

“What is with you?” Noriaki asked, prying his wrist away from the spirit’s hold. “I doubt that’s going to actually lead us anywhere- don’t get huffy with me. If there’s someone ahead, they can point us in the correct direction.” His spirit shook his head, eyes fixed on that crevice, and Noriaki rolled his own before turning around. “Come back here- I’ll find a way from here on my own.” He could feel something aching and long suffering settle into his core as the green light diminished, leaving nothing but the faint fires just in front of Noriaki’s vision. Noriaki continued.

He walked alone for a strange amount of time through the corridor where not even the torches could take away from the coils of darkness that nipped at his ankles. He passed by points of warmth, but all it did was force Noriaki to feel the sudden chill more acutely, to feel how every hair on the back of his neck raised. The lights continued to pass in the corners of Noriaki’s vision, and he felt that perhaps he was dazzled by them, but he couldn’t be sure. He wasn’t stopping. He continued forwards, onward, towards the next pair of torches.

Then there was a sickly sweet smell that wafted through the air. It was all very faint at first- just the barest hint of perfume, something that along with the lights left him lightheaded. The corridor seemed to simply be getting narrower and narrower, the flickering flames causing shadows to dance along the edges of his vision like spectres reaching their hands out for him, to try and pull him backwards. Noriaki wasn’t able to look back. He didn’t know why, but turning back, seeing whatever hid in the shadows and gently tapped tapped tapped along after him, would be enough to make his frantically beating heart stop dead in his chest.

There were stories that he used to read, when he was young- stories about people who saw something so frightening that they died on the spot. He used to laugh at the very notion of something like that, of something so terrifying that it cut life short, but now he could truly see where that fear came from. His heart drummed against his ribcage, banging over and over and over as if begging to be let out so that it could run in the opposite direction when Noriaki was too enraptured in his current path to do so. He was alone, and the walls were closing in around him, constricting his chest and forcing his lungs to press just as insistently against his chest as his heart did.

If he dropped dead here, that would be it. Noriaki would be all alone. He would have no one, with no one to mourn his death and no one to even realize his time had been cut short. At most, his parents would see that he’d gone missing, and then they would realize that their little strange burden was gone. Noriaki would be alone. He would be all alone.

The words stuck fast in his mind, each syllable clinging to him as he sped up, his pace going more rapid. Up ahead, there was the gentle light of the outside world to greet him. If he turned back, he would be alone. So his legs began to run, cutting through the darkness that raced past his legs and the fire that threatened to cut through his clothes. The sickly scent was getting thicker, clogging up the air with a deep, rich sweetness that left the taste of iron in his mouth. It was hiding something. There was something hiding in it, something raw and wrong, but Noriaki didn’t care. The opening to the alleyway was getting closer. He wouldn’t have to face being alone.

He ran. He ran and pushed past his wheezing breaths and the fog that began to take a hold of his mind. He ran and ignored his lungs as they thrashed against his chest in a potent, unrelenting mass of fear and a deep, aching loneliness. Noriaki ran further until the light of the moon overhead overtook the glow of the torches, illuminating the form of someone up ahead. There was someone here after all. Noriaki wasn’t alone. Noriaki wouldn’t be alone.

It was only when he’d finally left the alleyway that Noriaki realized he’d made a horrible mistake.

There were dozens of roses, spreading out along the ground in bramble upon bramble in thorny vines, catching the light of the reddened moon smelling so terribly sweet that it nearly choked Noriaki on the perfume. He had been right- the scent had been hiding something. That something were the bodies that lay in front of him, stone still. Noriaki’s heart stopped in his chest as his eyes caught the eternally frozen gaze of one man, his face frozen in pure agony as foam dripped from his still gaping mouth.

Noriaki only realized that his hands were shaking when he tried to bring them up to cover his mouth, and before he could scream out, his gaze was held captive by the figure in front of him. Against the backdrop of the night, with nothing illuminating his mammoth form except red and nothing at his feet but viscera and vines, the man in front of Noriaki was a sight. Bright orange eyes, unnatural in their glow and in how easily they commanded Noriaki’s attention, bore straight through him.

He tried to open his mouth to say something, but every word that tried to form on his tongue changed into sickly sweet syrup, covering his senses with roses and chill. Noriaki barely felt the creeping up his legs, keeping him anchored in place as he stared back at the murderer. There was nothing he could say anyway. What could he do- plead for his life? Beg him to wait just a moment, would you kindly, so that he could have his friend come out?

There was no waiting. Everything was heavy and sweet and he was frozen up in- fear. Cold, certain fear. It was the kind of fear that froze up every muscle, that caused his stomach to roil. If he could move, he might have just thrown up, but it seemed that not even the possible distraction of something disgusting could save him now, not when his spirit was just as frozen in place inside of him, just trying to keep Noriaki’s chest from imploding in on itself from the thumping thumping thumping of his own heart or the harsh breaths forcing their way out of his lungs-

It was too much. There was too much- his head was spinning and there was nothing he could do, nothing he could say, nowhere to run or hide or get away get away get away get away from me please I can’t take this-

The man stepped closer, a sculpted, alluring figure with teeth glinting in the light. Noriaki was working through a mind that was too muddled, and he couldn’t help but latch onto that fact- this man was beautiful, he knew, in some awful, terrifying way that made him want to vomit. He took another step forwards and the vines around Noriaki’s legs tightened, digging in with thorns that he couldn’t even feel. With that beautiful, devilish smile, Noriaki knew just one thing- he was sure to be next.

Another step taken, and then suddenly he was gone. Noriaki’s brain had no time to process when he felt warm air against his neck. He- the man, he was- he was in front of Noriaki, just before, there was no way that he could have gotten there that fast. There was no way he could be bringing a hand to Noriaki’s face, gently cupping it with fingers that were soft, so soft, and claws that threatened to tear his cheek wide open.

He wasn’t human. This man couldn’t be human. Noriaki’s heart kept beating faster and faster and faster still, falling into a staccato that left him dizzy as his eyes caught sight of the creature’s again. His gaze was taken, and his breath was stolen away immediately.

In that moment, there was nothing but sticky sweetness dripping through every pore of Noriaki’s body, the visage of the beautiful beast that looked at him with a face that seemed so unbearably gentle, and Noriaki alone. This was the end, with his heart thumpingthumpingthumping and his hands trembling, begging to every god he could think of, please make this quick please make this painless please please please don’t I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die-

“Kakyoin-kun…”

His voice was so sweet against his ear, sultry and velvet smooth. It was so beautiful, and so low and dangerous, and it made Noriaki’s heart stop dead in his chest. “You have such lovely potential…” The words were sweet, just as sickly sweet as the roses or the fog of fear that clouded Noriaki’s every thought. How? How could this man say something like that? How did he know Kakyoin? How did he know Kakyoin’s name? It was too much, far too much and he didn’t know how long he could do this, be here like this, how long it would take before he was able to do something–

“Kakyoin… be my friend.”

The words were so out of place, especially coming from the man’s mouth in that tone of voice that sounded like pure sex. The putrid, pungent smell of roses and blood surrounded him, even moreso now that this being was there, staring holes through his very soul. This beast that could brutally eviscerate Noriaki, that could utterly destroy him and cast him into lonely darkness for the rest of eternity- he was asking Noriaki to be his friend. Such an innocent request, from the lips of what Noriaki knew to be a murderer. But everything was wrong. Everything had been turned upside down and inside out, and everything in his body felt like it wasn’t his own,

But it was what Noriaki wanted. He wanted it so badly- to have someone. To have anyone. So that when he died, he wouldn’t be alone, so that he would have someone, like his mother had his father, and his father had his mother. Like his peers and the people of every city, every country he’d ever seen, had at least fifty or a hundred someones, if not thousands of them. Maybe, if he agreed- maybe if he gave in to this sweet torture rolling throughout his entire body, and gave in to the soft caress on his cheeks, as if he was something precious, to be remembered, perhaps-

“Yes.” He whispered shakily, through his fear and loathing, and he felt such relief, such wonderful relief, as it passed his lips. “Yes, yes, yes yesyesyes, please-”

“Shh now,” The man told him, and Noriaki shuddered as a cold wave of fear passed over him, before forcing himself to still. If Noriaki didn’t do what he wanted, he might not want to be friends- and all things considered, dying alone was far too terrifying to even accept. “Shhh, Kakyoin-kun… I just need you to do something for me. Something very easy… You won’t even feel a thing.”

“I’ll do it.” He said automatically. He didn’t want to have this terrifying, beautiful monster angry with him- not when he looked so sweet and kind, tipping his chin up and smoothing his hair back.

“Good boy, Kakyoin-kun… I have a feeling that the both of us are going to be very close. Especially with that lovely spirit of yours.” Behind him, above his head, Noriaki could make out the shape of vines creeping up towards the sky, poising their petals towards him. A manic smile swept over his face, unable to stop himself- he was sure he pleased the divine being in front of him. He would get to live. He would live, and this time- he would be understood, finally, finally finally finally he wouldn’t be alone

One of the tendrils shot into Noriaki’s forehead.

He was only conscious long enough to scream.

#my writing #jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #noriaki kakyoin #dio brando #fleshbud #horror #tw: death #tw: blood #canon typical violence #listen man this was too much fun to write #im at least 80% sure i blacked out while writing this

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renaroo · 7 years

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Day 17 Smile: An Endangered Species

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and related properties are owned by IDW/Viacom/Mirage Studios. Warnings: Canon-typical violence Rating: K+ Pairings: AprilxKarai Synopsis: Only with some teamwork are the girls of the Hamato Clan really able to bring an end to an unexpected sewer intruder. But even under those circumstances, April couldn’t have predicted the rare sight she found with Karai that day. KaraixApril. Sapphic September: Smile

A/N: Another hand on 2k12 TMNT and AprilxKarai~

Karai had very particular habits. The kind that could easily work on the nerves of jumpier, less well prepared ninja. And what would certainly frighten the kind of unexpected kunoichi who played with fans instead of swords.

Among those habits included sticking to the shadows and crawling around the edges of the periphery when it was obvious that someone wanted to travel alone — or at the very least was working to travel without Karai specifically.

These sorts of habits were precisely what Karai had come to rely upon during her tumultuous stay with the Hamato Clan, the family she never knew and the brothers and father that she had never desired before. Keeping to the shadows, keeping hidden, helped Karai stray away from conversations and questions she was not ready to have. With bonds she was not ready to nurture. And with people she had spent a not insignificant amount of time attempting to murder.

But among those complications, none seemed stranger and more aggravating to Karai’s sensibilities than April O’Neil, or the fellow teen’s absolute refusal to give Karai that second chance that Master Splinter — Hamato Yoshi — was so adamant that Karai be allowed to have.

In a way, Karai felt this made April by far the most intelligent of the subterranean family. She hadn’t done enough to deserve the level of trust they tried so desperately to hand over to her.

In another way, Karai wanted to just strangle the perfect little starchild for being a nut Karai simply did not have the power to crack.

So instead, she settled for following. Creepily. Stalkerishly. In the shadows, like a complete villain despite reformation.

With a deep sigh, Karai realized that perhaps old habits were not ideal to slip back into and was prepared to step out of the shadows and reveal herself when April tensed up and spun around toward Karai. The redhead’s tessens extended and her stance rigidly set for battle.

It was enough to make the more trained ninja roll her eyes before stepping forward. “Drop the theatrics,” Karai advised.

“Karai,” April sniffed before straightening up and crossing her arms. Her chin raised slightly as she looked down her nose at Karai. “I should have guessed it was you. I could hear you from a mile away.”

“You heard me from four feet away, Red,” Karai corrected her, stopping short and putting a hand on her hip. “And that was only because I breathed heavily on purpose. I was getting bored of testing your skills. You failed.”

“Maybe I was testing your stealth and was aware ever since we left the lair that you were following me and only turned around because you finally proved to be so loud that I couldn’t take it anymore!” April countered, pursing her lips defiantly.

Raising her brow, Karai waited for April’s facade to break first.

To her surprise, the freckled girl maintained stubbornly. Even with the most boldfaced and ridiculous lie.”

Rolling her eyes, Karai stepped forward toward April again, disarming the girl with surprise. “Whatever, you don’t want to admit you’re failing ninjitsu training it’s between you and my… between you and Master Splinter. I’m just here for the actually interesting bits.”

“I’m not failing ninjitsu—“ April began to argue impatiently just before Karai snatched the tracker that April had firmly stuck to her belt loop. “Hey! Karai! Give that back!”

“Ninja drop out,” Karai taunted, opening the tracker and looking at the red alarm silently going off on the map. “What’s this all about?”

Through some small miracle, April managed to swipe the tracker back and give Karai a look of complete ire before glancing down to the tracker. “It’s the alarm system signal I was going to check on. Donatello and I spent weeks placing alarm systems in the mile radius around the lair so that we’d have a good chance of catching any intruders.”

“Sounds nerdy,” Karai joked. “And boring. It took you weeks?”

“It covers a lot of sewer,” April admitted. “Too much, honestly. Because that that’s what got us alarms constantly going off for regular sewer rats and roaches all the time. They were too sensitive and just too far out.” She stopped and squinted as a shiver went down her body. “Then there was this whole mold problem when the lights on the alarms kept going off that taught me things about Mikey’s diet I will never be able to unlearn now.”

“So why didn’t you take them all down if it’s such a hassle?” Karai asked. “Obviously it did nothing to stop myself and the Foot… back when I was with the Foot and not a member of the Hamato clan. Obviously.”

It was April’s turn to raise a suspicious eyebrow. “Mhmm,” she hummed in return. “Yeah, well, Don and I did go around and pick up most of the alarms, starting with the faulty ones that went off all the time, then the less active ones. I thought we’d gotten all of them, but this sensor just started going off a little while ago so I figured I’d go ahead and snag it myself while the boys were all out.” She then looked expectantly at Karai. “I can do that, because I’m not a ninja drop out and can take care of myself.”

“Well, that’s not true. Because I failed you. Which is obviously why I’m joining you now,” Karai said, snatching the device again and leading the walk down the sewer tunnel. “That and the lair is excruciatingly dull at the moment. I don’t know if I can handle one more soap opera for the sake of my…. Master Splinter.”

When Karai glanced to her side, she found April looking at her with a fairly unfamiliar look. It was unnerving in its lack of snark.

“What?” she demanded in irritation.

“You can call Master Splinter father, you know,” April answered softly. “He’s a father to all of us in a lot of ways but… I mean for you… it’s a different level.”

“Yeah,” Karai gritted out before glaring April’s way. “Know what else it is? Complicated. I’m calling him Master Splinter. That’s an improvement enough for now.”

April looked unconvinced but she allowed silence to lapse between them.

After a few moments, Karai stopped at the sight of a flashing, silent light on the left wall of the tunnel. Then she glanced over to April. “That it?”

“Yeah,” April answered, stepping forward to begin her nerd thing to deactivate the alarm. “Weird, though. I wonder what set it off — usually the culprit leaves at least a trace.”

“Does it matter?” Karai asked. “One annoyance or another, it’s just a distraction at the end of the day.”

With an aggravated groan, April turned enough to look at Karai over her shoulder. “You know, not everything between us has to be complete sass—“ Her green eyes widened to the size of saucers and she let out a shaky gasp as she looked over Karai’s head. “Karai! Behind you!”

Karai furrowed her brows before turning around, hand on the hilt of her katana to be drawn, when she froze in place. Her jaw dropped and eyes widened as she found herself staring at a large, black, scaly mutant snake with bright red eyes and a thick red hood that extended just behind its head to reveal the tattoos of the Foot emblem.

But despite herself, what Karai saw was a pristine look back into a mirror she had long since convinced herself she shattered.

“No,” Karai shuddered.

The hissing serpent mutant began to launch forward toward her, and Karai was still without even a drawn sword.

But the same teeth which sought purchase in Karai’s skin were stopped with a metallic CHING as April stood between them, her tessens each entrapping the snake’s fangs.

“April,” Karai gasped.

“I used to watch Animal Planet all the time,” April gritted out as she fought the snake, circling with its fangs still stuck in her war fans. “The experts always said… if you control a snake’s head, you control everything else!”

Sure enough, the snake followed each jerk of April’s hands, hissing and snarling as it tried to pull back. But before it could, April quickly used her own momentum to flip herself over, and with that, flipped the Foot assassin with her, slamming its back against the sewer brick.

Finally able to gather her wits, Karai quickly unsheathed her katana and raced forward, leaping onto the exposed belly of the assassin and holding her blades against its throat. The snake looked at her wide eyed.

“Slither back to your master and tell him that no mind games will work on me again, I am free of him, and I am free of what he made me,” Karai ordered. For additional motivation, she pressed her blades against his scales even more. “And do it very quickly. For you wore our patience thin.”

With that, Karai jumped to the side and April released her grip on the snake’s fangs to stand beside her. The mutant hesitated, as if considering to attempt to complete its mission anyway, but then quickly thought better, slithering away at an alarming speed and slipping into the darkness.

The two women of the Hamato Clan watched, on guard, until they were both certain that there was nothing else lurking for them.

“Looks like you failed ninjitsu,” April spoke up first.

Karai, confused, looked at April sternly. “What?”

“Obviously this was a practical test for your skills and you didn’t notice the giant snake monster in the shadows following us,” April continued, sliding her fans closed as she rotated her wrists. “So you flunked ninjitsu. Sorry.”

Silence fell between them as April finally looked back at Karai, reading her face for an expression. Karai was so befuddled she could hardly offer one before she could no longer help herself.

She burst out laughing, gut busting laughter as she doubled over her stomach, a face splitting grin on her face as she couldn’t contain it.

“Hey,” April laughed with her. “You’re laughing! And smiling! At me! And here I thought Karai Smiles were on the endangered species list. Never knew all I had to do for one was be a little twerp.”

“Not a twerp,” Karai laughed, wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her hand. “Just… just you. I just need to be… liked by you.”

April seemed caught off guard for a moment but then a satisfied smile crossed her face and she reached toward Karai with an open hand. “Well, I have to say that you’re well on your way.”

“That’s enough for now,” Karai agreed, accepting her hand and gripping it tightly. “More than enough. Thank you… April.”

Once April helped Karai stand back up, they put away their respective weapons and began to return home without the sensor.

It seemed to have been well placed after all.

#SaphSep2017 #writing #turtle fic #April O'Neil #Karai Hamato #AprilxKarai

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officialdipp · 7 years

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OPEN GROUP VERSE ; DOLLS IN PSEUDO PARADISE

If you’re interested, feel free to reblog this to help spread the word !

Where do things go when they are no longer needed ? If something is deemed as ‘ forgotten ’, ‘ worthless ’, ‘ not worth remembering ’ then surely it would be as if that thing had never truly existed in the first place wouldn’t it ?

Thrown away, abandoned, no better than mere FANTASY.

But what does any of this have to do with you ? You are not a forgotten thing to be thrown away, surely you aren’t. You are surely someone who goes about life in the best way one can. Perhaps you have friends, family, pets, surely you have something, someone, which binds you to this world. ( you are REAL. ) So what does any of this have to do with you ?

A forest with no exit ( how long have you been walking ? ) you don’t remember how long you have been here ( when did you even walk into this forest ? Had you not been SOMEWHERE ELSE ? Walking to school, to work, to somewhere surely… nothing seems to be missing on your person after all… ) Would you not have noticed walking into a forest ? ( But you didn't. You didn’t notice. How are you here ? )

WHY IS THIS FOREST SO QUIET ?

An unnerving atmosphere truly, tall trees with branches reaching up vainly to the rising sun ( when did it become morning ? ) tendrils of mist curling through lush leaf strewn ground, grasping, grabbing, searching to cling desperately onto anything which was foolish enough to walk through these unmarked paths. This forest is unfamiliar, this forest is perhaps just the slightest bit unsettling, but not as unsettling as the vague distinct tingle in the back of one's mind which is all too recognizable as the feeling of being WATCHED ( but from where ? By what ? ) you hear no birds in the trees, you hear no movement of life through the underbrush. ( that isn't normal surely ) but you can FEEL it, you know you can, EYES watching your every move ( like a lion watching a lamb which has strayed from its pen )

Perhaps you walk faster, ( there has to be an exit ! ) perhaps you don’t care, ( you aren’t in any danger right ? So why should you ? ) perhaps you check your phone ( no service ) perhaps you cry out for help ( no response )

Where do things go when they are forgotten ?

Eventually, a breakthrough, through the trees and mist you can make out the distinct outline of a small village ( you weren’t walking in circles after all it seems ) and the closer you get the more you can begin to make out; a school, an apartment complex, and what you are sure is something like a gas station ( signs of civilization ! ) and what's more, among it all you catch sight of other people. A crowd slowly gathering at the center of what you could only assume is some sort of town square, around something, ( around someone ) and surely you soon join the crowd too, no ? It would be better for you than simply standing around ( or risking becoming lost in the woods once more ) this has to be a chance for answers. Then you see her, a women standing upon little more than slightly elevated platform at the center of it all, yet still somehow COMMANDING the attention of every person gathered around her.

Where do things go when they are forgotten ?

SHE has been expecting you it seems. Her blonde hair done up in a tight bun, parasol neatly folded at her side, bright ( unnatural ) violet eyes which at once sweep through the murmuring voices of the forcibly gathered crowd.

❝ My, my, so many things have WASHED UP on my shore it seems... ❞ She speaks suddenly, her voice somehow demanding the attention of every single person gathered before her despite its perfectly carefree tone. ( She isn’t making the effort to raise her voice much higher than the clamoring of the crowd, and why should she RAISE her voice ? Surely you will listen, wont you ? To the only person ( ? ) here who seems to know what's going on. ) ❝ Please DO settle down, all your pointless chitchat is going to give me a headache. I’m sure you all must have SO many questions, no ? ❞ A small chuckle escaped her lips, a small elegant curtsy given to the crowd in one completely fluid motion ( like a magician about to start a great show ) before continuing, ❝ --but as they say, patience is a virtue. All will be revealed with due time I promise you, but for now-- ❞

❝ WELCOME TO MY WONDERLAND ❞

Spirited away to a land of fantasy, trapped in an abandoned mountain village lost to time and space, you find yourself with nothing but the clothes on your back and anything you happened to have on hand. You have been captured, trapped like rats, and your captor, ( a woman calling herself Yukari Yakumo ) claims you have been FORGOTTEN by the world you came from.

The monster in your closet, the shadows that lurk in the night, the supernatural, the paranormal, how shocked must you be to discover they are all VERY much real. Real, and CRAVING for the FEAST they have been denied for so long.

And that is where you come in, your captor has made THAT much PERFECTLY clear. Forgotten to your world and lost in shadow, you are to become food for the creatures of myth and legend that haunt this place. However, your captor has taken pity ( ? ) on you, ( or perhaps simply sending lambs off to the slaughter is much too BORING for her tastes... ) and offers up a DEAL ( how FOND this one is of her GAMES ).

End the current existence of one of your fellow prisoners, and she will set you free, as a bonus, she’ll even grant you your greatest desire --a wish. However, all games need stakes, all games need a challenge ( did you really believe it’d be so SIMPLE ? ). Kill someone and get away with it when put on trial against your equals. If you FAIL you get EATEN by the monsters which lurk within the outskirts of the village. Likewise, if your fellow prisoners do not guess correctly, while you will be freed ( as promised ) the remaining prisoners will make quite the BUFFET in return...

You have been forced into a murder game, though really the better words for this is a game of survival.

Trapped in a land that does not care for you, populated by the creatures who gave humans a reason to FEAR the SHADOWS, trapped in a game of kill or be killed, live or die, escape or be eaten. In the end, lives WILL be lost. ( Your warden made THAT clear too ) Either way, Yukari is intent on getting exactly what she wants from her new PLAYGROUND.

There are NO real RULES here, though Yukari has been kind enough to place several ( actual ) customized street caution signs in the village square for you. Follow them, don’t follow them, she doesn’t really care, though if something goes WRONG don’t say she didn’t WARN YOU.

They are all very simple, and each sign colored in a visible bright yellow, they are as follows:

CAUTION !

The forest holds many dangers, try not to visit after sunset. Steal from the shops at your own risk: punishment will be administered at the whim of the shopkeepers. Property damage should be avoided, unless one is handy enough to fix whatever they broke. Leave offerings at shrines for a little bit of good luck ( you’ll need it ). Attack the sukima youkai at your own risk. Mind the gap.

VERSE INFO

✂—– This is an OPEN VERSE. ANYONE is free to join, canon, oc, multi-muse, etc. THE CUT-OFF POINT FOR CAST WILL BE SOMETIME AFTER THE SECOND CHAPTER BEGINS. Be sure to tag your verse posts with the tag ‘ v; dolls in pseudo paradise ’. Follow it to keep up with the verse’s events ! That is the official tag for the group, and where you will find open starters, group events, new applicants, etc. You’re more than welcome to make your own tag alongside that, though please tag your posts with the official tag so we can find your posts !

✂—– This verse is inspired by the setting of Touhou Project, the murder game mechanics of Dangan Ronpa, with a dash of Fatal Frame and other such horror games of its nature thrown in. as such, dark themes WILL be present. You do not have to be familiar with any of these things to participate, we got you covered on all fronts!

✂—– Youkai muses are allowed and encouraged! There’s only one catch- in this setting, youkai are born from human fear. It’s hard coded into their schematics, they cannot resist their nature. How open they are about their inhuman status amongst their peers is up to you, but given the situation they’re in.... it’s safe to say a wolf among the sheep’s going to cause a little bit of panic, no?

✂—– Yukari has basically spirited away all your muses from their canon verse / your verse of choice and dumped them into a realm which exists as a sort of ‘ wonderland ’, a pocket dimension of sorts with seemingly no exit. They have been kidnapped, ripped right from their ‘ story ’ and dropped right smack dab into the village with only the clothes on their backs and everything they may have on hand at the time.

✂—– As such, memories have been left INTACT ( probably ). Your muse remembers going about their daily life as normal before getting snatched up ( ‘ gapped away ’ literally walking through a rift in space-time which Yukari created ) and without their notice ending up a forest.

✂—– The village at NIGHT TIME leads to many events at RANDOM. There is no set schedule for these. Youkai are roaming in this village after all, and they will do as they please WHEN they please. Occasionally there will be witnesses, some there may not be. Some events may be dangerous to your muse, some might be helpful. But all of them are certainly strange… even the ones among you just seem a little bizarre.

✂—– It is preferable that you follow the ADMINS of this group as found in the admins page though it isn't required.

✂—– For the murder events, the admins will pair off two people ( though volunteers are welcomed ) – one to play the part of ‘ murderer ’ and the other their ‘ victim ’. The max amount of people who can be killed by ONE PERSON is TWO. If no one is willing to take the role, one of the admins will handle it.

✂—– Please. If you take part in this verse, treat each other kindly out of character and please be welcoming to those who join. See an open without notes ? Reply ! Want to plot with someone ? Feel free to ask ! We’re all just a big happy family stuck in a death village on a mountain. No big deal.

✂—– Threads of any length are welcome !

✂—– Trials, murders, and story events will be announced by Yukari. Trials are interactive and will be played out by interacting with other members in the group or by sending IC asks to this blog directed at Yukari. When it comes time to the voting, you’ll also cast your votes by sending them into the blog ! Yukari will also confirm or deny evidence in the trial and investigation if it’s needed or asked ( though whether she wants to or not is a different story-- ).

✂—– The application for this verse is short and simple. Only a few key things will be needed to know about your muse, which will be kept PRIVATE for the sake of moderating this ‘ story ’ New people will be introduced in batches and the masterlist will be updated as the applications come in !

✂—– Doubles are not an issue.

SEND ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS HERE PLEASE CHECK THE FAQ PAGE AND THE TAG AS IT'S UPDATED. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SETTING ITSELF CHECK OUT THIS PAGE SUBMIT APP: HERE APP STATUS: OPEN

Name / Age: Species ( human / youkai / something else ? ): Weakness your character has ? ( physical / mental ): What would make them WANT to kill someone ? Strengths your character has ? ( physical / mental): What would KEEP them from killing ? Would you be willing to play the role of murderer ? Would you be willing to play the role of victim ? Triggers ? URL:

#v; dolls in pseudo paradise #reference #group verse #open group rp #open group verse #long post//

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libbylax16 · 7 years

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Living Among the Dead

Don't own Naruto only the story! Just language in this one really Hope you enjoy my first attempt at fanfiction! R/R would be much appreciated! The city is quiet at night despite all the lights illuminating part of the cold sky. Before the sun is even setting, people are in their houses, the doors locked, and the curtains drawn. So there is absolutely no one out. Even the rats from the sewers seem to know better then to be out past night fall. But tonight is different. With everything happening, it's nice to go for a walk and clear the mind. Even if it's practically forbidden.. The wind is starting to pick up as I make my way towards my house. My light pink hair is beginning to fly everywhere along with my coat. I quickly button the center button so it doesn't fly off. As I make a turn down another street, I hear crunching behind me as if someone else was stupid enough to be out this late. I don't turn around and I definitely do not stop. We've all heard the rumors and stories about why we all stay inside before nightfall. People believe that.. something lurks among the city streets at night, waiting, hunting. For someone who was unlucky enough to be caught out past their bedtime. A lot of people have gone missing after being seen outside after dark. But no one is usually found.. Well alive that is. Numerous bodies have been found before, except for a select few who have never been disovered. All the bodies that we found have had their throats cut out, so that leaves room for superstitions as crazy as they come. I continue walking, picking up the pace as I enter a darker area. I wouldn't even think of going through here if there was a more direct way other than this one alley. The sounds bouncing through the dark and murky walls are creepy to say the least. I know for a fact someone is following me, but I am too tired and too sore to care. I just got out of the hospital after training with Naruto and Sai in the fields. I work at running the hospital as much as possible and usually get caught up with Naruto, either training or eating at Ichibad's before heading home. Tonight, I had worked late but promised the guys I'd eat with them which then basically turned into a training session after a couple stupid things were said. I make it out into the moonlight and basically sprint for my apartment that's further down across the street. It may just be paranoia, but I lock my door with a seal around my apartment as to prevent anyone from getting in that is using an unusual amount of chakra. I walk through and turn on any lights I see necessary to be on this late. "Freaking nerves.." I hiss out as I grab a bottle of wine from my cooler and a glass from the cabinet in the kitchen. It's not a small apartment but it's big enough for a small group to stand comfortably in, which is why I got this really... My friends and I always seem to have gatherings here or at Sai's... I don't know why though he never has anything but art and scrolls.. Not that the art is bad but there's just so much.. Tons and tons of art and scrolls.. That would be the main reason his house is a backup for mine. I walk to my room upstairs with a glass of red wine and my phone. I've learned from past experiences that it's not wise to not answer when one of my boys, or anyone I know really, calls. So I have to keep it on me at all times. I walk over and press play on my old stereo, it lets some weird noise out before playing a random song. I swear the damned thing hisses at me sometimes.. I set my glass down on the dark oak dresser by my door and walk to the bathroom to turn on the shower. I glance at my large balcony window before grabbing my clothes and stepping back into the humid air. I strip down to nothing before stepping into the hot water, letting my aching muscles relax into the warmth. I still can't believe the boys got into another fight, all because of me not drinking at dinner. Naruto thought it was because I was scared of turning into Tsunade who couldn't put the bottle down even as Hokage. Sai on the other hand just thought it was because Sake is disgusting, which it is. So in truth, both of them are right. I can't stand the taste and I don't want to have to try and run a hospital drunk. I can't even imagine trying to be a top medic with an alcohol problem. My thoughts are interrupted as my phone starts going off. "I'm walking on sunshine! Woah! I'm walking on sunshine! Wo-o-oah! I'm walking on sunshine and don't it-" I pick up, knowing who it is by the ringtone. "Naruto, I just saw you-" "Sakura! Can I come over?! It's creepy out here!" "What? Why can't you... Fine." I say tiredly as I turn the water down so I can hear better. "Okay good 'cause I'm outside now!" He says before someone starts banging on my front door. "Ugh hold on." I say before hanging up and turning the water off. I grab my teal towel and slip on my flats before running down the stairs, my hair still dripping all over the place. Honestly I just don't want him out there alone longer then need be. Bad memories.. "Hey! Thanks!" The blonde idiot says before running in behind me, leaving me staring at that dark alley again. A shadow moves slightly as I turn on the porch light. "Whatcha looking at?" He asks from behind me before I shake my head and turn the light off, leaving it dark again. "Thought I saw something.. Now what are you doing here?" I demand as I slam the door and lock it again. "Well you see.. Sai and I were gonna head home, but then we got distracted and ended up back at Ichibad's for another drink and Sai lives close to here so I had to walk alone in the dark and it's pretty damn scary out there." He says laying back against the couch. "And your reasoning for coming here instead of with Sai?" I ask, fixing my towel and walking into the kitchen. "I just wanted to see my Sakura." He says turning on the tv and kicking his shoes off before propping them up on the coffee table. I scoff as he leans back and gives me a sly toothy grin. He's grown a lot in the last few years, insanely handsome with his tan features and messy hair always sticking up in random places. Training in the summer is the best because he just so happens to not have a shirt on most of the time. "Sai wouldn't let you stay, would he?" I say laughing a little before heading towards the stairs. "No.. Hey where ya goin?" He asks as I start on the first step. "To finish showering and go to sleep. Which you need to do too. You reek." I say before walking up the stairs and heading to my room. This is actually a regular occurrence with him. Ever since Sasuke went missing at night, he's been wary about staying out after dark unaccompanied. So I let him stay in the guest room, but most of the time he'll end up in my room at some point during the night when he hears a noise. Which is okay, I mean I enjoy the company sometimes. I make my way to my bathroom and grab my glass I left on the dresser. It seems to have warmed up after being left out, it's a slightly redder color. After taking a sip and almost choking, I lock the door and slip back in the hot water. That wine had a strange irony taste to it, but the bottle isn't from Konoha. I get a lot of my wine from out of town. Okay so I don't drink sake but I do drink wine.. I'm a pretty heavy wine drinker. After finishing my shower, smelling like strawberries, and finishing the glass of wine, I throw on my bra and underwear and step back into the room. "Saku! Hey can I-" Naruto begins before seeing me half naked and standing there like a statue. "Naruto!! The hell?!" I scream before grabbing a shirt and throwing it on. "Sorry! Sorry! I was just uh.. Oh yeah! Can I use your shower?" "No! There's one downstairs for a reason." I say before grabbing my glass and walking back down stairs not bothering to grab pants. "But Sakura.." He whines as he follows me into the kitchen. I just pour another glass before leaning back on the counter and rolling my eyes. "Why?" "Well it gets scary down here and cold and your room is always so warm and smells amazing.. Just like you." He says, watching me as I examine the dark wine bottle. I don't really listen too carefully and instead read the bottle. The label says Dark Desires 1820.. The bottom is carved with a symbol.. "Sasuke?" I say as the symbol matches the Uchiha family symbol. "What?" Naruto says walking next to me and staring at the bottle. "This symbol.. Was Sasuke's family secretly into the wine business or something?" I ask, setting the bottle down and grabbing my glass again to examine the liquid. It's a deep red and doesn't have any bubbles or anything in it. "Not that I remember, but his brother wasn't really around so it could be from him. So can I?" He asks, giving me his sad face. No matter how hard I try I can't say no to his face. I giggle a little, blaming it on the wine and nod, exaggerating my sigh. "But how about I stay down here while you take a shower in the guest room and then go to bed." I say, trying to make a deal. It's not so much the privacy point as much as it is he always gets dirt all of my bathroom that I have to go back over and clean. "Fine.... But will you still see me to bed?" He says waiting for my nod but I simply shake my head causing him to look down sadly before taking off for the bathroom. I laugh a little and take my glass and sit on the couch. I pick up the remote and turn on the tv. The movie Big Fish is on. One of my absolute favorite movies with Ewan McGregor. A lot of things have changed over the years in Konoha. New couples, new missions, new people. Temari and Shikamaru ended up hitting it off after sparring a few times and meeting up on missions. Obviously Ino and Kiba after he helped her out on a mission to Suna. Then there's Naruto and I, mainly we just date without labeling it as that.. It's not that I'm scared of a relationship it's just.. I don't want anything to happen where he gets too attached. He's got a lot more possibilities than I do to become something, Hokage for one. So we keep it simple for now just acting normal unless one of us feels the need to get physical. I feel my eyes getting heavier before I finish off my second glass. - I feel someone pick me up and hold me to their chest. They smell nice.. Wait what? But I'm too tired to care so I just wrap my arms around the person's neck and snuggle into their chest. - "Sakura.." I'm running through the outskirts of town at night. Why? I'm too focused on getting away to even think about why. "Sakura, I will find you." A deep voice says from somewhere around me in the trees. I sense someone moving behind me and before I know it, I'm on the ground. With someone hovering over me. I can't see their face, but their eyes are a dark red and I watch as they get close to my neck. "Sakura, I've missed you." I hear the person say before they sink their teeth into the spot connecting my shoulder to my neck. It's an odd sensation causing me to let out a scream as I'm overcome with an ice feeling running through my veins. - "Sakura!" I shoot forward into someone's arms, shaking. That dream was so freaking real. "You okay?" Naruto asks, hugging me to him tightly. "Y-yeah.. That was just a fucked up dream.." I say quietly. I mean that was one of the realist dreams I've ever had.. And who was the guy? "What.. What time is it?" I ask, backing away from him on the bed. I notice it's finally light outside.. Really light out. "Only like 10." He says in a very nonchalant tone. "Oh ok-..." I begin until I realize what he just said. "It's already 10?!! I'm so freaking late!!" I scream, basically falling out of the bed, only to be caught by my waist. "It's Saturday.." "I have to meet Tsunade at 10:30 to discuss things for a new children's wing on the hospital!! Oh my-" I run into the bathroom and throw my toothbrush in as I run back into the room and fly around, grabbing different articles of clothing. "Sakura-" "Can you throw me that pwease." I say slightly before putting my toothbrush back in. "Sakura!" "What?!" "Granny called earlier and I moved the time for you." I pause and take a breath. "Oh shwe.. She.. you did?" I say, removing the toothbrush. He nods and chuckles at me. I look down and see that I'm half dressed with my hair all on one side and toothpaste on my chest. "Yeah.." I say awkwardly before backing into the bathroom. Oh my jeeze. That was so embarrassing! Wait why was that embarrassing? It's Naruto. I've had a whole wet t-shirt incident happen with him and Sai and Kakashi. Not to mention that time Lee stole my top so I had to run around the field half naked. I quickly pull back my hair and wash my face and chest of toothpaste and get rid of my toothbrush. I put a little eyeliner and mascara on and open the door. "You never got to kiss me goodnight Sakura, maybe that's why you had a bad bad dream?" Naruto says from my bed that he's laying shirtless on with only boxers on... I just roll my eyes and fall down next to him still in my underclothes, consisting of a teal bra and maroon underwear. "Sooo... Can I?" He asks turning to me hopeful. I just laugh until he takes that as a sign to go ahead. He pulls me over to him and begins to kiss me lightly So like I said before, I just haven't accepted telling everyone that we do these things about every other night.. I mean they already assume so why put the effort into that? He rolls me over so I'm on top of him, still kissing. Suddenly his mouth is now on my neck slowly creating circles with his tongue. This goes on for a few more minutes until we go to switch so he's on top. If I had bothered to check for anything weird I wouldn't have missed the man that made it through my window and was now staring at us. "Sai?! The hell is with you guys and sneaking into my apartment, uninvited?!" I basically scream, grabbing the shirt laying on the ground next to the bed and pushing Naruto off of me. "Naruto said I could come over... And nice shirt." He says causing me to glance down at the white shirt with the Uzumaki family crest on it. Literal face palm. "Gahh!!" I feel my eyebrow begin to twitch, so I take off down the stairs to grab breakfast. I reach up and rub my sore neck.. Sore neck? I lower my hand that seems to have something red on it. "The fuck?!" I run to the bathroom down the hall and switch on the light. I rub a sore spot between my collar bone and neck that has red on it. It comes off.. "It's just wine.." I say, letting out a breath of relief. "Hey, Sakura! You okay in there?" Naruto yells from the hallway, not wanting to invade my privacy. That's a first.. "Yeah!" I say coming out into the light cascading through the window to our right. - "Tsunade, we need a children's wing! I mean we don't have enough room already, but-" "Sakura, if you bothered to look before you came.. It's already been done." The hazel eyed woman before me says with a smirk before taking a swig from her sake bottle. "...What?" I say astonished. "You mean.." "Yes, I already had it added." She says causing me to freak. Like really freak. "You are THE best!!! Thank you so much!" I screech before running and hugging my grandmother tightly, almost knocking over the chairs I had been walking around. The reason I've been wanting to add a children's wing is because of the amount of young kids that try to go to the fields and train and end up needing help. Considering the fact we already usually have a large number of adults coming in from missions gone wrong children usually have to wait, so if we added a pediatric ward that would help with the kids getting treated. Plus I'd get my own giant office.. "Yeah, yeah. Now shoo, I've got 'work' to do." She says holding up her bottle and some paper work. I nod quickly before basically skipping out of the room. "Hey, Sakura. How'd it go?" Kakashi asks, leaning outside of the door on the tan wall. I don't even respond, I just hug him tightly, missing the slight red that spreads across his face. "G-Good, I assume." He stutters as I back up. Kakashi Hatake stuttering? Oh well I'm too excited to care. "It's been added! Let's go celebrate.. Wait, no I probably shouldn't, I mean I need to go and.." "No, you deserve it! You've worked over every night for the past two weeks, trying to get it done. I'll take you to the best place around." He says grinning under his mask, I can tell because his eye is squinted upwards. Even not being able to see his face Kakashi is still one of the more attractive men I've seen in my twenty years. With his grey hair sticking back allowing a full view of his handsome features. "Okay. Let's go then." I say smiling and kissing his cheek. The dark cloth tickles my lips as I linger for a second. "Thanks." I add before taking his arm and walking down the dim hall. Most likely dim so the light doesn't kill Tsunade with her hangovers she gets.. Kakashi's POV I can't believe what I'm seeing.. She's got her lab coat on, but only a low tank top and shorts. Not to mention all the skin showing from her beautiful milky legs. I know it's wrong to think about my student like this but.. She's grown into the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Her long pink hair and doe like emerald eyes are enough to push someone over the edge, but her curves are just.. She is the picture of beauty. And I know I'm not the only one who thinks so.. She's just so innocent and pure looking... Until you get her on the training fields then that's a whole other story.. She's made it so far from her younger years where she would need saving, now she's the one saving people. As we step into the sunlight, we are greeted with people scurrying by quickly, unless they see her and they slow down to stare at her. I glare at anyone who dares look longer than a second, but I go back to watching her as we walk over the cracks in the sidewalk. "Hey, Kakashi, you okay?" She asks as we walk out to another busy street. She caught me staring again... "Uh yeah! Yeah! Fine, just.. You've got something red on you." I say quickly, pointing to the red blotch on her neck... "Shoot! I thought I got it all off! I had some wine last night and.. Well the blonde idiot showed up and I fell asleep and apparently he wasn't careful taking the glass from me. Heh.." She says rubbing at the wrong spot. Before I know what I'm doing, I've reached out and rubbed the spot after licking my finger. She freezes and her face turns red. Sakura's POV Oh. My. Fuck. Is Kakashi wiping my neck off? After licking his finger? Woah there.. Calm down! I can't help the redness that crawls onto my face as he rubs against my neck. "S-sorry. You were missing it." He says, clearing his throat and turning into stone. If he's ever caught doing something he thinks is wrong he'll put on his stone façade and continue as usual. "T-thanks.." I basically squeak as we continue walking. Honestly, apart from our age difference, we'd probably be a perfect couple. But alas he's my sensei and more than likely doesn't even try to think of me in that way... It would be amazing though if he did.. I mean with his abilities going on missions with him would be an actual work out and he's helped me more than a few times in the past. Suddenly two arms snake their way around my waist, causing me to send my arm back defensively, only to have it caught by a hand. "Hey! Saku! Kakashi." Naruto says from behind me as he lifts me up. "Put me down!" I scream as he spins me around like a doll. "Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes." Kakashi all but hisses. I glance over to see Sai walking next to us with blank eyes. He's still not too keen with his emotions, but we've been working on that for a while now. "Sorry, were we interrupting something?" Sai says, almost sarcastically. Almost. "We were just headed to- lunch!" I scream as Naruto almost falls over the curb. "Put me down, damnit!!" I add until I'm set down gently. My boys.. Er well Naruto at least.. Naruto is the most rambunctious guy you'll ever meet. But hey, someone's gotta love him for it. "Sorry.." He says sadly before taking my arm. I really don't even try to fight it at this point. "Can we go to Ichibad's?! Please!!" Naruto yells causing me to hold my head. Just because I drink wine doesn't mean I don't get headaches after drinking a few glasses. It works weirdly for me. "We can just eat somewhere different Saturday night." I whisper to Kakashi as we change direction and head towards said place. The streets are filled with people, all busy and running to jobs or lunch. There is a group of kids playing on the street corner. I sigh as I remember the days that we were all kids who would just run around and annoy Kakashi to death, with Sasuke. Somewhere in the outskirts of town "I must have that beautiful doll.." "Didn't she try to kill you..?" "That's irrelevant." "I called dibs, yeah!" "Y'all are fucking wrong! I saw that hot bitch first!" "Yeah she probably loves to be called a bitch." "Bite me fishy!" "I would but I don't eat shit." "Fuck you and-!!" "Hey! I am the leader and what I say goes! Now shut it!" An orange haired man barks as the other men in the room grow silent before starting up again after a few heated glares. "Tobi likes the pretty woman!" "I wonder if she likes fish.." "Oh you fucking wish!" "Like she would ever look at you assholes. But me.. I've known her all my life.." "Wait.. What?! No fair, yeah!" A blonde yells as the younger Uchiha in the room stands up and walks towards the door. "Wrong again, brother. I was here years before you and took care of her when you were still a child." The older Uchiha says, half way snorting at the attitude of his brother. Some boys just have the need to be so damn dramatic.. "Did she ever want to be with you? Or cry when you disappeared? I don't think so!" The younger one yells like an angry toddler before stalking out of the room, earning multiple eye rolls from the other men in the room. "As Fucking if." A silver haired man says, rolling his eyes before continuing in the discussion. "I think it's his time of the month, yeah." Someone remarks earning a few chuckles before hearing a door slam. "Sakura.. I'm finally going to find you.. Tonight.." - "No staying the night at my house again." I say pointing at Naruto, earning a whine. "But Sakura.. I love our sleepovers! You're soo warm and you smell delicious!" I literally go blank. I cover my face with both hands and groan. "That's what you two do when he stays the night." Sai says from beside me, not exactly asking but just trying to call us out on it. "No!! He sleeps on the couch until something scares him and he runs up to me like a little girl!" I yell before stalking off, angrily. It's getting dark out. "I'll walk you home." Sai says as Naruto dramatically makes whining sounds. "No fair!" "Thank you, Sai." I say taking the artist's arm, he tenses up slightly. He tries to hide it but I see his faint blush and him glance at me. I've almost mastered figuring out sullen looking men and their expressionless faces and what they actually mean, lots of practice through the years. "Soo how's life." I say as we walk past Ino's' flower shop and take a right down another street that's full of children running before getting called inside. "Apart from being around idiots all the time. Fine." He says like a stone again. Well there went the hope of improving his emotions.. "'And how was your day my lovely Sakura?'" I say mimicking his voice. "Well thank you for asking, Sai! It was great." I tease, earning a scoff. "Well would you look at that. Here we are." I say looking at the two apartment buildings. Sai lives literally one apartment complex down from me. Naruto is just annoying. Cute and dreamy but annoying nonetheless... "See you tomorrow, Sakura." He says, walking up to his door, but he waits for me to get to mine and we walk into our separate houses at the same time. It may seem silly, but it's just a precaution after so many people have gone missing at night.. I lock my door and put the same seal on my house as last night.. And every other night. After making sure all is in check I walk in and grab a glass of water and walk up the tan carpeted stairs to my dark room to turn on the shower and take a bath. I start to set up my towel and move the curtain only to be interrupted. Funny how I can never just get into the shower right when I want. "Tiptoe through the window, by the window. That's where you'll-" I pick up quickly, I hate that creepy song. I only have it because Ino hates it too and I like messing with her. "What's up, Ino?" "Girl!! You'll never guess what just happened!" "What?! Did you finally learn how to fly?!" I say sarcastically, making a pig reference. "What?! Oh what? Hey, no! Kiba just proposed!!!" She all but squeals into the phone. I put her on speaker and walk around to find my night clothes. "How'd he do it?" I say, trying not to sound jealous. I mean we are twenty finally, but she always does everything before me. And I mean everything.. Except when it comes to work or training. "We were just hanging out, ya know! And next thing I know we're making out and-" "Ino, you know I don't like hearing about your sex life." I say loudly so she can hear me. I pick up my hamper of clean clothes and start putting them away in the appropriate drawers before tossing some on my bed. "Oh stop being so uptight! It's not my problem you won't let anyone touch you. I mean you've got Naruto, Kakashi, and Sai! Three guys! Three! All who want to get in your pants and be with you, obviously really really badly! Oh and Gaara and-" "Get back to your story." I say huffing as I walk back into the bathroom to turn off the water once it's filled the tub. "Okay so we were making out and he grabbed my hands and then Akamaru interrupted us and I was pissed until I saw the dog smiling! Smiling! With a ring on one tooth!! It was soo romantic!" She says, sighing dreamily into the phone. Ugh she always gets things like this first.. Even if it is a ring with dog slobber on it.. "That's great! I call maid of honor!" "Well duh! And I'm sure one day you'll give in to one of those guys and lose your V card. And then live happily ever after." I scoff at her remark and throw off my shirt onto the floor in the bathroom. "Uhh who said I still had it?" I comment, smirking a little as I hear her sputter a bit. "Oh come on, you would've told me.. Right? Right?!" "Congrats Pig, bye!" I say laughing as I hang up and walk back into the bathroom with clean underclothes. I add a strawberry bath bomb to the water and then slip in after it's disintegrated, turning the water a pink color. I sigh a bit thinking about how far she and I have come in our friendship.. Back when we were a lot younger we used to fight all the time once we realized there was a cute boy our age, little did we know how fruitless it was to fight for him. We weren't always brats to each other, I mean she helped my self esteem when I was close to giving up on trying. She would help me with my hair and added a bow to it to bring the attention away as much as possible. Then after a while we were just talking about different things and we both brought up we liked someone and when we found out it was the same person.. We weren't going to let the other win just like everything else we tried for. After I was on the same team with said guy we just fought even more but eventually we both gave up after countless rejections and made up and became really good friends. I wouldn't exactly say I trusted her with my life but everything else? Sure. "Looks like she actually beat me this time.." I sigh out, sinking further into the water. My pink hair starts to rise to the surface before floating around me as I move my head. - After a soothing bath and many strange noises from my room later, I put my bra and underwear on and walk into my now dark room. I almost call out to whatever was here, assuming Naruto just let himself in until I hear something creak in the closet. Even Naruto knows that freaky trying to scare me shit doesn't fly. He learned that the hard way and still has a scar to prove it. I grab a kunai quietly from the dresser and hold it in my defensive stance. I listen for more movement which probably wouldn't have been a big deal had I not seen something move slightly behind the sliding door to the left. I'm not one to fuck around with intruders... Unless it's Naruto.. "I know you're there." I say loudly as I wait for something. I reach over and turn on the light in my closet and room, hearing an instant hissing noise from the same place as the creak. "Sakura.." I recognize the voice almost immediately. I've dreamt of this voice for the past eight years. "S-Sasuke?!" I practically yell as he opens the closet slowly. He's got pale almost white skin and black eyes with a hint of red that seem to be staring right through me. His hair has stayed the same coal color with the back spiked and the front framing his face. His overall appearance seems to have gotten more.. Handsome... If that's even possible for an Uchiha. "What the hell?! What happened to you?! It's been eight years!! What the fuck dude?! We were all worried sick! And I.. I.." I begin before looking at the water in my glass on the dresser. "I need a drink." I say, walking into the hall, completely avoiding the man standing in my room. Sasuke's POV I watch as she walks away, she's even more beautiful than I remember. Her porcelain legs have gotten longer and more toned and her stomach is flat and has a few marks adorning it, probably scars... Her face is unbelievable. She is honestly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.. Her light green eyes and light pink hair give her an innocent look that matches what Ino said about her still being a.. My throat clenches as my brain even tries to think of the word again. It's funny how before I was a total douche and now.. Now I can't imagine not knowing her. She's a picture of beauty in her own unique way, looking innocent but fierce at the same time.. Why the hell is she having this effect on me? "Are you coming?" I hear from down the stairs. I quickly transport myself to the kitchen, not going unnoticed by her. Her eyes widen before she reaches for a kunai laying carelessly on the table. "Are.. Are you a.. A-" She stutters trying to think of the word to describe what I'd have to be to be able to do this. "A demon?" I finish her sentence, leaving her astonished but glaring nonetheless. "Yeah.." She remarks, her finger tips gliding from the top of the blade down to the ring hold, not taking her eyes off of me. "Yes, among others.." I glance briefly at her hand to watch her reaction. Although she used to be weak, her chakra was no where near what I'm sensing now. This fact alone makes me keep my guard up. "Vampires don't belong in the city.. That's why you left? Your brother.. he.. So now you kill people? For no reason other than your own need!" She begins to raise her voice and fully grabs the kunai, prepared to slash at me. I react quickly and activate my eyes. "You will forget that I have to kill people." I grumble out at having to say that to her. It's silly and cliché I know, but hey that's an issue people don't usually like to just gloss over. "So what have you been doing all this time..?" She asks warily, setting down the small weapon before walking towards her wine cooler and pulling out a bottle. I watch as she cautiously moves to get a glass and pour herself a half a glass before mumbling something and pouring it to the brim instead. Unless wine has gotten much more disgusting, that's not wine.. My senses tingle and my eyes begin to turn completely red, everything in my being telling me to attack. "What is that?" I say, smelling the putrid liquid even more. "An odd bottle of wine I got the other day as a gift from someone.." She responds before drinking some out of a glass she poured. Wait.. That's the.. Fuck. "Don't drink any more of that!" I yell, grabbing the bottle and trying to control myself from almost throwing it across the room. Even in my dazed state I can still process that that would not be a very welcome thing to do in her house. "What are you doing?!" She yells back causing me to flinch at how her voice screeches. "This isn't all wine." I explain before I feel her standing closer, looking over my shoulder with her barely clothes chest pressed against my arm as she looks at the bottle. I almost fall to my knees. Her sweet scent blocks out the bottle and leaves tingles throughout my mind. Without thinking I find myself almost leaning my face towards hers. Strange thing is, she's not moving away. Instead she's staring into my eyes as if waiting for instructions on what to do. Sakura's POV I almost drop to the ground at his thundering voice, and almost drop the glass bottle. I regain my composure though and question his yell, only to be met with obsidian eyes that seem to smolder me on the spot. I try to move but can't seem to feel my body at all.. Wait is he leaning towards me? All I can do is stare at his lips and feel my heartbeat increase tenfold. I mean to pull away, but I just can't find it in myself to even look away. It's like I can't control my actions... "Sakura.." He whispers. That voice. That's the one from my dream! I strangely let him venture closer to my lips as I feel his hot breath grace my skin. He sets down the bottle on the table before setting his hand on my waist. "Sakura.." He says once again as we get closer, barely letting there be a hair space between us. I take in his strange scent as he is about to close the gap between us. He smells of rain and.. Pine.. It's intoxicating and I don't realize it until a couple seconds after that we are finally touching. "Mmnmn.." I release a breath I didn't realize I was holding in. The kiss is light, almost tender as I step closer and wrap my arms around his neck kind of reluctantly. I allow him to wrap his arms around my waist, bringing me closer and pressing us together. My tongue suddenly traces his bottom lip, teasing him almost. "S-Sakura.." "Don't stutter. You sound too much like my blonde idiot." I say, smiling against his lips as he does the same. Wait.. My blonde idiot.. My smile fades almost immediately.. He is pulling me flush against him as he begins another kiss that is harder than the first one. I try to force myself to pull away, thinking of Naruto and how wrong this really is, but my body won't move. I don't know why my body is giving into him, I mean I haven't seen him in years and he shows up and takes away my wine.. Well I mean it's not like I don't have more, but still. I feel him slowly nip at my bottom lip before tracing his tongue along it. I somehow manage to regain my composure and pull away quickly. "So care to explain the bottle that someone had to pay for?" I ask as I glance at the bottle that's been completely disregarded. "It isn't wine... My brother and his foolish minions decided to send you a bottle of their.." He begins but oddly shies away before finishing his sentence. "Their what?" I demand, glaring in his general direction with the way this night has gone. "Their blood. Well it is mostly wine. Like 98% wine and 2% blood." He finally gets out, almost rubbing the back of his neck but he refrains. "Oh so like drinking 2% milk. Great. What does that mean for me?" I say as I find another bottle in my cooler. "If you had finished it all, you would almost be like me." "Wait... Why are you here again?" I ask, finally registering everything. This guy comes back after eight years as a vampire and breaks into my apartment for some reason. Sasuke Uchiha is not the visiting type so there's got to be a reason. "Well.. I uh.. Itachi and the Akatsuki group are.. They want you to.." "If you don't spit it out soon I'm going to kick your sulking ass out of my house." I say, getting irritated at his stuttering. It feels like some sort of spell just wore off.. The eyes. He had me with his eyes. That bastard. "The guys want you." He finally says, glaring at the wall behind me. I turn around and try to find the source of his anger. "I see you've decided to get the girl before we had the chance to." A man with dark hair and red eyes says from the chair in the corner of the living room. It's too dark to see features but from the odd chakra I can assume.. "Itachi. Why are you here?" He seethes out before stepping around me. I glare in his direction before stepping beside him, I don't like people trying to fight for me when I can handle myself. "What reason do I have for not claiming the blossom here." The man says before my assumptions are correct and I freeze a little more. Itachi Uchiha. The famous missing killer. He murdered almost all of his clan, but he left his brother and mother. His other family consisted of over 15 people. After the bodies were found, he went missing and no one has seen him since. Even though he left the select few alive.. They were just empty shells.. They had nothing really left, the only thing keeping Sasuke alive was his mother and his decision to live his life in hate towards his brother.. As long as I tried I could never change him out of that and then one day he was just.. Gone.. He stayed out too late and was taken.. His mother seemed on the brink of death but the Hyuuga Clan took her in for some reason.. I think it was for possibly superficial reasons but it did help her, she's still living there today. Okay back to reality here.. I back up a few steps, only to back into someone. I quickly turn and am faced with a giant blue man. He looks like a shark, complete with black eyes and pointed facial features, including gill looking things by his nose. He's got to be at least seven feet in height, I have to look up to see his face which should be intimidating but I'm too focused on what the fuck is happening to even consider intimidation. My eyes go wide and I back up into someone else, this time it's a blonde with blue eyes.. Who looks exactly like Ino... What the fuck? Wait.. No No No. "What's wrong, dear brother? Expecting someone else?" Itachi says, standing up and walking towards the door way. The Ino imposter is staring at my chest and eyeing my figure, I almost growl before his blue eyes snap back to mine. Why was he even.. My face goes red as I realize that I'm topless except for a bra and only have my shortest shorts on.. Why? Because it was supposed to be hot and Naruto was possibly coming over later.. A girl has to present herself sometimes.. As I move to get out from between the two men I hit another body. I look up to see a redhead. A redhead I thought was dead. A few years ago, when I was younger, our group was attacked and this guy decided to try and kill Naruto. I had grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be a katana, and I Thought I had sliced through his torso. Key word now is thought. My breath hitches as I fully start realizing who they all are.. The Akatsuki. The most dangerous.. Creatures within.. Well anywhere. I focus my face back on the red headed demon before me, my eyes slit as I tighten my fist. His chestnut eyes watching my every move with amusement clearly evident in his expression. I feel my blood boil and my chakra start to collect in my fists. "Surprised to see me, doll." Sasori says as he steps forward, causing me to take steps back, right into another freaking person. I turn quickly and come face to face with a silver haired man with violet eyes who has a sly grin on his face. Any other fucking people?! "You're one hot bitch." He says looking at me hungrily. "Excuse me?!" I yell before they all step closer, boxing me in. Before I can retort against this pig I focus on freaking out about all of them.. It's not the fact of being scared so much as the fact of being surrounded by bloodthirsty criminals while you're half naked. "Leave me alone!" I scream as I turn around quickly, watching all of them. Their eyes all red. I begin to freak out, my breathing quickens and I feel lightheaded. "I.." I take a deep intake of breath as my vision blurs. No.. No.. No please no don't faint... "Just relax, yeah." The blonde man says looking into my eyes and taking my arm lightly. "N-Naruto.." I say quietly, hoping he felt the surge I sent him through the floor. My connection with the elements is one of the strongest in the village so I'm able to send vibes through the ground to other people. It's odd but hey I don't question it when it's pretty handy. "Isn't that cute, she has a little boyfriend. But of course, not for long, yeah." The blonde guy says, reaching for my face. I try to tear my face away from his hand but I take another intake of breath and feel myself falling. Sasuke's POV I can't believe them. She never had a chance when they all surrounded her and enacted their eyes. She looked like she was restraining her terrified expression as she fainted into Sasori. Of course it was him. If she knew, she'd attempt to kill him again. We all saw the hatred in her eyes when she saw him.. "What is your problem?" Someone asks as I stalk towards them and her. She fainted with a pained expression. I walk to her and pick her up under her knees and shoulders. "Hey leave the fucking shirt off seriously." Hidan remarks with a grin, earning a couple agreements but I just scoff. "You are all pigs." I say before appearing in her room. I lay her gently on the bed. Her sheets are a lavender color with an odd stitched comforter sprawled out across part of the bed. Her room isn't very big, but it has a lot of... personality.. She has pictures of us hanging on her walls, along with pictures of her with Sai and the other two. His expression looks like me when I was younger. Emotionless. I never showed anything after the massacre of my family. Little did I know the full reason behind it. It's why I'm not As hostile towards my brother as I once was. I walk towards her closet where I assume she has clothes hanging up. How wrong I am. She has a weapons shrine, along with shoes and... Blankets.. She's so odd.. But intriguing nonetheless. "Hn." I walk back to the short, but stout, old dresser that her mother used to have before they went missing. None of us actually know what happened to them though. So it wasn't us.. They honestly just disappeared. Which isn't the better alternative here.. If you really think about it that means that they just up and left their 12 year old daughter to fend for herself... The dobe's family took her in though, until she was 18 and wanted to go out on her own. I find a pair of sweatpants and an oversized shirt. A very oversized shirt. With the Uzumaki crest on it. I throw it to the ground and grab a small long sleeved shirt and gently slip her arms through and then the rest of her into the shirt. She's like a doll, fragile and close to breaking. I try to be as careful as I can hoping she won't wake up to me dressing her, but with how many of them used their eyes she may be out for a while. "What are you doing? We were enjoying the view, yeah!" Deidara yells as the others stand at the threshold of the door. Unwilling or unable to enter the room, except for Sasori.. I smirk as I realize what she did. She put a seal on her room that prevents anyone that she hasn't physically touched from coming in. That would help with any intruders that weren't supposed to be here. I make a low growling noise as the red haired puppet master nears us. "Fuck off strings." I growl out as he eyes her, his fingers start to glow blue before I pick her back up and walk towards the window. There's suddenly loud banging at the front door.. and yelling. We all turn towards the noise and begin to disappear "Sakura?!! Are you okay?!" I hear the blonde haired dobe I used to train with, yelling from outside her front door. I roll my eyes as the others are gone, leaving me to walk back to our base with her. I don't mind in the least bit though, all of them are just ignorant and don't know how to treat her. She's so beautiful.. Her hair has grown way past her shoulders and sways in the wind as I walk. Her expression has turned from pained to.. Relaxed. She slowly curls into my arms, causing me to pause and stare as her small hands work their way up and around my neck so she can rest her head on my shoulder. She almost glows as the moon illuminates her pale skin, giving her the appearance of a ghost almost.. Her dark lashes dust her pink tinted cheeks that lead down to her pink lips slightly stained from the wine she had been drinking earlier. "N.. Naruto.." I hear her almost moan as I start walking again. Of course the dobe would get her.. I should never have left to find Itachi. She tried to stop me, but I was too stubborn to care about what she had to say.. That's why one night I snuck back to erase the memory of me leaving and calling her annoying for crying. I replaced it with the memory of me just disappearing like her parents. Don't know of that's better or worse.. "S..S-" She starts to groan out before her eyes begin to flutter. I freeze. Sakura's POV I had an odd dream. Like really odd. I dreamt that Sasuke showed up and then the whole Akatsuki group appeared in my house. Funny dream.. Why am I swaying? And not in my bed.. I begin to open my eyes and am faced with a dark shirt and pale skin. "What.. What's going on?!" I begin to struggle as I feel arms tighten around me. I start pushing away until I fall to the ground. It's cold and covered in leaves. I'm in the forest surrounding the town of rain. "Sakura, calm down! It just me!" A voice says from above me. It's.. Sasuke.. It wasn't a dream. "Why.. Why am I not in my house?" I say looking around, but keeping him in my peripheral vision. "I told you why.. They want you." "So you kidnap me?!" I begin sending shocks through the ground through my hands. "Naruto will find me. And so will Kakashi and don't get me started on Tsunade." I say as he begins to reach for me. I don't know why I feel threatened but something is up, my memories of everything surrounding him are foggy. "Did.. Did you do something with my head?" I ask before putting my hands to my temples and pushing my chakra into the foggy parts. Words flash through my eyes. Death. Disappearing. Blood. Killer. Akatsuki. "You're.. You kill people." I say blankly as I stare into the sky. "We can discuss everything once we get to the base, the sun is going to be up within the hour." He says before taking one of my hands. I feel instant relief course through my body, but I fight it. This is how they can get people away from others. They feel unthreatened and do anything they are asked. That makes sense with all the missing person cases, it's mainly young or middle aged women, which would be easier to lure away than a grown man. "I.. I don't want to go with you." I finally get out even after my body protests about it. "But what about.. You don't have a choice here." He says before turning cold and grabbing my arms. He throws me over his shoulder as I start to struggle until I look at the trees flying by.. It's beautiful.. They all look like one of those old oil paintings where nothing is definite and it's all blurred together. It looks so unbelievably beautiful that I don't even realize the arms holding me to a firm body. Before I know it, we stop at a large.. Building? It looks like it could be anything from a house to a workers mill. "I'm supposed to take your chakra away so you can't leave." He says stoically as I look around us absentmindedly. "I.. I don't want to disappear." I say looking back at the building and remembering the new addition to my hospital. Tsunade just had it added for me.. "The new ward!.. I'm not.." I say quietly to myself as I realize what's happening. I'm never going to see the new children's ward that I worked so hard to get passed by the committee. I'll never see Tsunade again either.. My own grandmother or mother better yet, she always looked after me when I was a child and even as I grew up. I feel my face drop and I fight back tears thinking about losing all of the people I care for.. Ino and Kiba's wedding.. I won't get to see any of my friends get married.. But I can fight. "I.." I hear him start before a loud banging comes from inside the building. "She's here!!! The beautiful lady is here!! Tobi wants to see her!!" Screaming starts erupting from the doorway of the place. "Get inside!! You'll scare her away! Yeah!" "Fucking dumbass." "Stop!" Suddenly a figure runs from beside the house. Headed directly for me. "Stop him! He's gonna kill her!" The shark man from before yells as the group runs after him. I let out a strangled scream as the guy almost clobbers me, but I'm pulled up just in time to escape him. I stand completely still as I register what just happened. "Holy fuck. Tobi! You almost killed her!" The grey haired man yells as they start to run to where I'm at. The guy that caused all of the noise and everything is a decent height with an orange mask covering his face, he's wearing a black t shirt and black pants that stop at the ankle. His black hair is spiked over the mask and he looks like a grown man just acting like a child, he gives off an odd aura.. This is Tobi? I finally glance down from the tree I'm standing in, but Sasuke is standing there glaring at a spot behind me. "Wha-.." I turn around and find myself in Itachi Uchiha's arms. His face is blank but his dark eyes are gleaming with some sort of emotion.. "I.. You.. He.. Me.." I stutter before feeling his arms push me away. I almost squeal as he just drops me from the branch, but turn brace myself for the fall. Instead of hitting the ground, blue arms wrap around me before my feet can even touch the ground. "Asshole.." Someone grumbles from behind me. I'm just in shock at this point. First I'm kidnapped, then some random kid tries to clobber me to death, and then I'm pushed from a tree. The hell is up with my day?! "Tobi wants to meet the pretty lady!!" The guy from before begins to whine as I'm held in place, midway between the ground and the tree branch. The arms around me belonging to the shark man, the very muscular man... No not even starting that. "I.. What in the hell is going on?!" I demand as I'm set down gently. Everyone stares at me as I look around at them and remember everything. My feet begin to hurt as I realize I'm shoeless and standing in the sharpest bed of roots I've ever stood on. I step down onto something soft.. Of course I stepped on someone's feet. "S-sorry." I apologize quickly and step away onto more roots causing more pain than before. Wait why the hell am I apologizing they are the ones who took my shoes in the first place! "Where are my shoes?!" I yell before I'm picked up again. "Inside." An orange haired man with piercings says as he watches the arms that pick me up like a child. I don't even bother to look at the shark man I know is holding me again. I smell the slightest hint of fish, it's not terrible which isn't a good thing. I need to hate these men. They kill people and don't even care.. But why would he.. Oh never mind. "I.. Don't understand." I say as he begins walking towards the house, followed closely by the others. The door way is hidden slightly under an overhanging porch like thing, causing a shadow to reach out a few yards, it's almost ominous looking if it wasn't for the weird looking... Mailbox? No not a mailbox it's more of a bin with scribbles on it. "So she's the girl everyone is crazy over?" A blue haired woman says as we walk into what I assume is a living room. It's dim and a little too man-cavey for me. There are a couple dark colored couches and a pool table in the far corner, there's a big flat screen against the wall to my left with movies in a bookshelf type thing under it and... Video games? Skilled assassins have a PlayStation... I allow my eyes to look through the rest of the room. There's a lamp and an arm chair in the corner past the tv and then a full sized book case with hundreds of books. After the book case is a small side table and then a door way leading into a dimly lit hallway then another hallway to the right of this doorway, it's under the stairs leading up into blackness. "I can see why." She adds to her previous statement as I'm finally set down onto the soft dark colored rug spread across the floor. "Come on! Go find your own girl! She's into guys!" Someone yells as the woman eyes my figure. I feel my face turn red as she pauses at my chest that's slightly showing too much cleavage. That's why I never wear this shirt in certain situations, it's too revealing. I wrap my arms around my chest after I pull up my shirt. The woman still stares at me through toffee colored eyes and bluish purple hair. Her figure is somewhat hidden under the large black cloak with red clouds on it, I can tell she's barefoot and wearing what seems to be leggings. This is Konan. "You're fucking hot. I'm Hidan." The silver haired man says as he looks me over hungrily. I just roll my eyes, I've dealt with this kind before; overly cocky with inflated pride. "That's great I so wanted to know." I huff out sarcastically before he goes to grab my ass causing me to spin around and deck him square in the jaw. I smirk happily, satisfied after hearing a pop. That is until I hear him groan out like he enjoyed it causing me to scowl at the man now reaching for my leg, he moves his hand up to pop his jaw somehow without a medics help and stands up looking even more intrigued. Fuck my life. I deliver a swift kick to his ribs hearing a crunch even with no shoes on. He falls back, smiling the whole way. "Stop fucking smiling!" I yell before chucking the nearest thing which happened to be a tan colored lamp at him. I successfully hit the part of him I was hoping for causing him to groan even louder but still in pain as any guy would be if they got a lamp to the crotch. "That was so fucking funny!" The blonde one, Deidara I think, says as he is almost rolling on the ground from laughing so hard. "Heh at least it shut him up for once." Kisame, the shark man, says smirking at me almost admiring my work of turning Hidan into a fucking toy. "The lamp! What the fuck we have to pay for that! Who the fuck is she?!" A man with old newspaper looking skin yells as he walks in eyeing the lamp them glaring at me. He's got green eyes and dark hair.. Kakuzu I think. "Who the fuck are you?!" I yell back brazenly as he looks like he could kill me. "Oh shit here we go about finances again.." "I am the financier of this fine establishment and you little bug just destroyed something we will have to waste money on! I should eat you!" He growls out which would've been intimidating had he not been looking at the lamp longingly. "Oh fuck off!" I yell causing him to start stalking towards me only to be cut off by Kisame stepping in front of me and glaring, almost growling at the other man. "Hey! Shut up! It's just a lamp but no more smashing stuff around here to keep the peace. Konan would you please.." Pein, their orange haired leader if I remember correctly says pinching the bridge of his pierced nose. "Don't worry, you'll get used to them soon enough, but for now I'm gonna get you a shirt that doesn't distract everyone so much. I'm Konan, by the way." Said woman says, grabbing my arm and taking off down into the dark hallway under the stairs. Okay I hate the dark. Like nothing in this wide world scares me more. I'd rather be stuck in a burning room then in a pitch black room. "Lights!" I squeak as we walk further into the dark nothingness that's threatening to swallow me whole. "Oh! Sorry! I've gotten so used to it.. Here we go!" She says as the lights along the walls click on. I relax a bit and continue walking through the wood paneled hallway. I start contemplating running out the window at the far end but I feel it would be completely useless due to the group of vampires within this place. It's not that I'm scared believe me I'd beat some ass if given the chance, but I know when I'm outmatched and the whole Akatsuki? Way above my level. I'll just try to beat who I can and go from there.. "So.. I should turn all the lights on around here huh?" Konan says as we walk up a few stairs. At least she's trying to be nice to me compared to the others.. I've had my fair share of men trying to get in my pants but those guys.. whole new level. "Uh yeah.. I can't handle the dark too well." I say quietly before we stop in front of a light oak door with cherry blossom designs carved into it. "Wha.." "They've all been Extremely excited since they decided to snatch you.. Which I guess is understandable, but they're all a bunch of creeps if you ask me.. That's why I'm cool both ways." Who'd have thought they planned taking me so far that they carved a door.. Someone has a bit too much time on their hands.. I bet it was the blonde he looks very... flamboyant. I laugh to myself a little as she reaches for the handle. I gasp loudly as she opens the door, revealing a light purple room that looks exactly like mine.. Except for my pictures.. The bed is on the far right wall next to the bathroom, there's my dresser next to the door we walked in and a closet on the wall across from my bed to the left of us. I see two outlines of windows on the far wall but they're covered by dark curtains. I look over to the bedside table to find my stupid radio and half broken lamp. "Is this.. How?!" "We're supernatural beings with teleportation abilities. We can do anything. Even move furniture from one house to another." I walk in hurriedly and look in my dresser, hoping to find a shirt I had in there before. Naruto's shirt. "Not all of my clothes are here." I comment as I glance around quickly looking for the shirt. If I find it, I can send a message to him through it. It's weird but it works. "Sasuke was the one who dealt with most of it, so I don't know." She says leaning in the doorway. Oh course that asshole would be the one to handle my things.. I know he's not physically an asshole but I sure damn could've mistaken his personality for one. "You do have a nice choice of underwear though." Konan laughs and winks at me but I'm too focused on finding anything that I can that Naruto would've held or anything.. But there's nothing. I look around a bit dumbfounded at this whole thing.. At least the room is nice.. Right?

#sasusaku #narusaku #deisaku #itasaku #kisasaku #sasosaku #kakasaku #sakura haruno #naruto uzumaki #sasuke uchiha #fanfic #Akatsuki

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