#two chapters just sounds unreal

[glassartpeasants]

How to Love

Eustass Kid/Trafalgar Law x F!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, semi-slow burn?, beginnings to chapters are hard </3

A/N: yeah here we are. just wanted to set a light on what the base plan is. Also, this takes place RIGHT after the prologue ends. hopefully, it's good for a first chapter.

~~~

Your heart beats harshly against your ribs as the events of only moments ago replay in your mind like a broken record. The images of the two most significant people in your world, your boyfriend and your best friend, betraying you, makes your head spin. It almost feels unreal, like a nightmare instead of reality.

But it wasn’t a dream. It was a harsh reality, a stark contrast to the life you thought you were living.

Instead of waking up next to your boyfriend, you find yourself in a disorienting place: your ex-best friend's ex-boyfriend's car. Random items you managed to grab scattered across the passenger side and on your lap. The smell of Eustass’s cologne, a scent that used to bring comfort, now only added to your heartbreak, still plaguing your nose.

“Thank you, Law. You really didn’t have to.” Despite being almost inaudible, Law still heard you like you were screaming. The tremble in your voice notifies him of his own inability to speak without breaking down.

“It’s fine. Thank you for telling me about (.....)-ya’s infidelity.” The fact you even told him in the first place shocked him. You had known (.....) for years, and she was your best friend, while you only had a class project with him. Given that it was a whole semester-long, you were willing to throw away a friendship just like that. 

“You're a good guy, Law. You don’t deserve to be cheated on. Whether we’re friends or strangers. I would have told you regardless. No one deserves such heartbreak.” Law can see tears slipping down your cheeks out of the corner of his eyes. The fact that you're trying to stay strong after being the one to discover the affair is admirable in a sense. It could also be that you didn’t want him to see you cry. The latter sounds more plausible.

“I'm glad I didn’t delete your number. It would have been awkward if I had tried to catch you at work.” A small, sad chuckle left your lips. The tension in the car was too much, and you needed something to keep your mind distracted so you didn’t start wailing in front of Law.

“That would have been a scene I’m grateful we avoided. I like to keep my private life and work life separate.” 

“I’m the same in a sense. I don’t tell my co-workers much except to recommend shows or movies. I know you're more of a book guy, but have you seen any shows or movies recently?”

“(.....)-ya made me watch a movie the other day. It was a horror movie.”

“Oh. Was it good?”

“No, it was terrible.” You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at Law's cold tone.

“Bad effects, or was it a storyline issue?”

“I could’ve made a better movie with a budget of two dollars.” Even though tears still fall from your eyes against your wishes, Law manages to make you laugh to ease the pain.

“Well, have you read any good books recently?”

“Haven’t had the time.” Law’s admission made your eyes furrow together. You know the medical field could be rough, but there wasn't enough time for him to read?

"The bookworm hasn't read recently? Are you sure you're the real Law?" A small smile tugs at the corner of Law’s lips as he listens to you talk, but even he can only hide the effects of heartbreak for so long.

Whether Law knew it or not, you could see tiny droplets of water gather in his eyes. Seeing him trying to hold it together made it just a bit harder to prevent yourself from breaking down. You grip the seat of his car and try to regulate your breathing. Clenching your teeth together,  you lay your head on the window and look outside. The sudden tap of water hitting the glass makes you jump. You look around and watch as more water droplets start hitting the car. 

“It’s raining. I thought it was supposed to be sunny all day?”

“I thought so, too.” The thick, tense silence rose once again, making it hard to breathe. If there had been enough room, you would have curled yourself up in a ball and cried. But you could do that when you get to...

“Where are we going?”

“My apartment. Just for now.”

“Ah, okay. Do you have any alcohol at your place?”

“Maybe some (.....)-ya left. Why?”

“So we can drink away our sadness.”

“I’m not much of a drinker.” A second silence covers the car.

“So I can drink away our sadness.”

“We’ll see when we get there.”

~~~

Your feet feel heavy as you walk into Law’s apartment. It’s been a while since you’ve been inside it. After the project was finished, you stopped coming over. Law’s busy schedule and your own just didn’t mix. Sometimes, you’d text him to check up on him and ask him how he was doing. He’d take hours or a day to respond, but you never held it against him. He always answered before it had been 48 hours, so it was okay with you.

Looking around his apartment, you see things that hadn’t been there before: some plants, many pictures on the wall, a TV, and some knickknacks you recognize that belong to (.....). The atmosphere was more welcoming than when you first visited Law’s apartment. If an apartment could feel like a hospital waiting room, then that’d be Law’s place before (.....) put her touch on it.

Placing your things near the couch, you take a deep breath as you rub your sternum to try and soothe the pain in your chest. All the pictures of Law and (.....) smiling happily nailed to the walls made your throat go dry. The images of your own apartment clouded your vision as you remembered your own photos with Eustass. Pictures of times when you did matching Halloween costumes, went to concerts together, relaxed at a beach together, or the two of you would just stay home. Every picture held a memory. 

A once cherished memory is now tainted by the image of betrayal. No amount of effort can make that image disappear. Even your happiest memories become blurry when you hear (.....) calling out Eustass's name. It ignites a fiery rage inside you, and seeing (.....)'s face everywhere makes you clench your teeth. You feel like tearing apart every picture of Law and (.....) just to remove her face from your sight. Every bone in your body screams at you to lose control. To destroy everything that reminds you of Eustass and (.....) until it is nothing but microscopic pieces.

But you weren’t home. The home you once had was now lost to time. For now, your ‘home’ depends on whether Law will allow you to stay the night for tonight.

“You can stay the night on the couch for tonight if you want. I have blankets in the closet over there.” You let out an internal breath of relief from Law, answering your question without being asked.

“Thank you, Law. Can I make you dinner or something? Just so I can repay your kindness?” You watch Law lean against the kitchen counter before crossing his arms. His eyes staring out into space.

“I haven’t gone shopping yet this week, so I don’t have much.”

“I’m sure I can craft up something.”

“If you want, then go ahead.” The sound of a ringtone brings a silence to the both of you. You check your phone and see the screen’s black.

“I think it’s yours.” Pulling out his phone from his pocket, you watch Law look at the screen. A frown crosses his face immediately, letting you know the caller. Letting out a heavy sigh, you watch him answer the phone.

“What do you want (.....)-ya?” While you couldn’t understand what she was saying, the tone of her voice was frantic. You could hear sobs coming from the other line. Hearing them pissed you off to hell and back. Didn’t (.....) have a shred of decency? How dare she plead and beg after she committed such an act?

You had to sit on the couch to calm yourself down just so you wouldn’t start screaming at (.....) through the phone. As soon as your body relaxed on the couch, a wave of soreness came over you. It feels as if you’ve been working out for hours on end and only now stopped. Even your eyelids felt heavy as you feel tears starting to form and blur your vision. Trying to breathe normally falls short as you begin to hyperventilate. Your lungs burn as you can feel your throat constricting. It feels like you're swallowing your heart just to keep yourself quiet.

“I meant what I said (.....)-ya. I’m breaking up with you, and that’s final. You can come get your things tomorrow afternoon.” Hearing Law’s voice helped soothe a part of your aching soul. Hearing something other than your own ragged breathing helped calm down the streams of tears that were flowing down your face.

“I’m done talking with you (.....)-ya. Goodbye.” The sound of Law’s calls ending made you rub your face, trying to hide the tears that plagued you seconds ago.

“Your more civil than I would have been. I probably wouldn’t have even picked up her call.” Your voice cracked as you tried to let out a small laugh.

“She was asking me for a ride. Apparently, her and Eustass got in a fight, and he threw her out in the rain.” Scoffing in disbelief, you turn your head to look at Law, hoping he wouldn’t notice your puffy eyes.

“She asked you for a ride after cheating on you? Serves her right, getting thrown in the rain. Hope she gets a cold.” You can see Law’s body tremble and how he bites his lip. His eyes get glassy as he looks at the ceiling.

“Fucking a man.” Even from across the room, you can hear Law whispering to himself. You hated seeing him like this. Watching someone you care about hurt only adds to the pain you feel.

“Hey…do you wanna watch something to get our minds off them?”

“I should go back to work. They probably need me.” You let out a hum, hearing his words. A slight feeling of rejection crosses your mind, but you're quick to shake it off. The last thing you wanted was to make him uncomfortable. And if he was the type to work away his feelings, who were you to stop him?

“Well, drive safe. It sounds like the rain is hitting harder.” The sound of rain beating against the windows of Law’s apartment was finally acknowledged. Its beat almost matched Law’s own heartbeat as he thought about the phone call only minutes ago.

Hearing (.....)’s voice felt like nails on a chalkboard as she tried to explain what happened. The voice that once calmed his aching heart was now the reason it hurt. It was astonishing how fast his whole world flipped upside down. Earlier today, he couldn’t wait to come home and see (.....) and have her talk to him about her day. But now, instead of (.....) smiling at him, you were sitting on his couch with puffy eyes.

The way he could hear the tremble in your voice and how the light shined against the path of tears left on your face made his own wave of emotions try to surface. Even if he could tell you were trying hard to hold them back, he could see tears collect against your eyelashes. The sight had tears accumulating in his own eyes, making him look up at the ceiling to try and stop them. He didn’t need to show how bad (.....)’s betrayal has affected him. At least not in front of you.

Sure, you guys were going through the same thing together, but it wouldn’t help him or you if he let his own emotions out. It’d just be easier to shove them down, ignore them, and work until the pain left. He’s done it before, so he can do it again. 

“Um, Law?” Looking back down, he sees you standing in front of him. You refuse to meet his eyes as you fiddle with the bottom of your shirt.

“Yeah?”

“Can I hug you?” Law felt his heart skip a beat hearing your request. A part of him told himself no that he’d break down the moment you wrapped your arms around him. Yet, the voice of someone he used to know told him something different.

“Okay.” As soon as the words left his lips, he felt your body smushed up against his. Your arms held him in a tight embrace as the sound of your hushed sniffles made Law finally cave. Wrapping his own arms around you, a sense of comfort filled him. The feeling of being cared for once again was nice yet terrifying. As soon as the feeling would come, it’d leave just as fast.

But for now, he’ll indulge in your hold.

~~~

The blanket that wrapped around you did little to replicate Law’s hug. Sure, you were warm, but it wasn’t the same. It reminded you of how alone you were. You had no family in this city, and your only friends were (.....) and Law, but you wouldn’t count him as an option due to the current predicament. It felt like you were running in circles with every idea that popped into your head. Always leading to a dead end and making you start all over again.

You couldn’t go back home. It’d take you around three to four hours to drive there! Plus, you didn’t leave on a good note with your parents when you left for college. And if their last words to you were anything to go by, they didn’t want you back. You shake your head at the thought of your parents.

“No. No need to drag myself down even more thinking about them.” Slithering your hand out of your blanket cocoon, you grab your phone that was on your right. The black screen stared at you as it showed your reflection. Eyes red from tears earlier and a cut lip from biting on it so hard earlier.

A ding echoes across the empty apartment as the phone's black screen soon turns on. The quick flash makes your eyes burn before squinting to try and get used to the brightness. Once adjusted, you see a message from Law hiding in your notification bar.

-“I need a favor from you.”

-“Sure, what ya need?”

-“(.....)-ya is supposed to be getting her things this morning. I want you to make sure she takes everything and leaves her key in the dish by the door.”

A frown skims across your face as the thought of seeing (.....)’s face makes your stomach churn. It’s only been a day, and you're already forced to see her face? At the same time, Law did allow you to stay the night last night. So, despite your distaste for seeing (.....), you agreed.

-“Will do. Can count on me :)”

-“Thanks.”

-“How’s working going so far?”

-“Fine.”

-“That's good”

The urge to ask him what his plans were with you after you did him this favor ate at your conscience as soon as you sent that last text. Law was really the only one whose place you felt safe enough to sleep at. And he’s the only person you have in the entire city. You didn’t have a license since a lot of things were always within walking distance, so you never had a reason to. 

But now, you were on the complete other side of the city. What used to be a five-minute walk to your job now would take at least thirty minutes. You had no idea where anything was on this side of the city. Sure, you and Law would go grab an energy drink from the gas station when the two of you worked the night away on that old project, but that was two years ago. Who knows? Maybe that gas station doesn’t even exist anymore!

“Do you go here a lot?”

“To buy an energy drink and coffee every now and then.” The sound of small pebbles crunching under your and Law’s shoes goes unnoticed as you walk next to him.

“Okay, so every day then?” A laugh escapes your lips as Law rolls his eyes, yet a small smile plays against his lips.

“This gas station is the only place that sells my favorite one.”

“Which is?”

“Can’t tell you. What if you take it?” A smirk appears on his lips as he puts his hands in his pockets. Scoffing, you place your hand on your chest in fake offense.

“I can’t believe you’d think so lowly of me. Stealing your beloved drink? Only a monster could be so heartless!” Hearing Law let out a chuckle from your words made a heavy feeling of confidence run through your veins. He was always relatively quiet when in class, so it was nice to see him show emotion other than ‘bored.’

“How much farther? I’m dying to know the favorite drink of the future best doctor in the world.” A faint pink tints Law’s skin as he tries to look away from you, hoping you don’t see what your comment did to him.

“You really think so?” Despite trying to copy your playful tone, you can hear his self-doubt and hopefulness that your words were true.

“I know so! No one works harder than you! If anyone says otherwise, tell me and I’ll kick their ass.” Law could feel his palms grow sweaty, and his heart beat a little faster. 

Sure, he’s gotten praise from his teacher, but hearing it come from someone he had just met and barely knew felt a little more sincere? Why, he didn’t know, but he won’t complain.

“Will do.”

KNOCK KNOCK

The sound of light knowing pulls you from your memories. Looking up at the clock, you see it’s nearly three pm. You sigh as you shed the multiple layers of blankets you were snuggled in. The rage and anger from yesterday are still strong in your system, making you clench your fists. You walk towards the door when you hear your fingers popping from the sheer force. Unlocking it, you take a deep breath before fully opening it.

In front of you stood a very unkempt (.....). Her hair was in a messy ponytail, accompanied by red eyes and a red face. Makeup from the night before was still applied to her skin as mascara streaked down her face. Your eyes even caught the barely covered hickeys and bite marks that shined through her concealer.

“(Y-Y/N)?...Why are you…Where’s Law?” Her pitiful voice made you squeeze the doorknob tighter to try and calm yourself.

“He’s at work. Not that it’s any of your business, but he was kind enough to let me spend the night.” Your eyes narrowed at her as you couldn’t help but glare daggers at the marks on her neck. Noticing your stare, (.....) moved her shoulder to cover her neck.

“I see…” You move to let her in and shut the door behind her. She lets out a shaky breath before beginning to take down the multiple pictures hanging along the wall. The sound of sniffles hits your ears as you watch her grab the frames with shaky hands. Listening to her hold back tears made you struggle to hold your own.

How could she have done this? Years of friendship only to throw it away for some dick? Did you mean so little to her? You’ve been with her for everything! Breakups, grandparents passing, getting in trouble together, anything and everything you’ve done for her! If she needed a kidney transplant, you would’ve volunteered right away!

Now, seeing how a friendship can easily be thrown away like trash after years made bitterness fill your heart. If your best friend and boyfriend could betray you without so much of a second thought, what does that say about the strangers all around you?

What does that say about you? Did you do something to deserve this? Was (.....) mad at you and thought fucking your lover would get back at you? There had to be a reason. To be an explanation for the horror you saw yesterday. Maybe after a drink or two after (.....) leaves will calm you down.

~~~

“You got everything?”

“Yeah.” Just as she was about to walk out the door, you remembered that she still hadn't given you the key.

“I need the apartment key.” Putting your hand out, you move your eyes to your hand and back at her.

“I-I don’t have it.” Furrowing your brows, you sigh.

“Don’t bullshit me. I’ve known you for years, and I know when you lie. Now give me the goddamn keys (.....).” You watch (.....) bite her lip before digging into her jacket pocket. The light shined off the key as she gently put it in your hands.

“Can you say goodbye to Bepo for me?” Confusion hit you like a train at her request.

“What the hell are-you know what? Fine. I’ll say bye.”

“Thanks.” Closing the door, you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. After locking the door behind her, you placed her old key in the dish Law has near the door for his keys. (.....) request puzzled you as you tried to think of what she was talking about.

“What the hell is a Bepo?”

Just then, a light pitter-patter echos in the apartment. Your heart stops as the sound gets closer. There shouldn’t be anyone else in the apartment but you. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you try to move quietly towards the kitchen to grab something to defend yourself.

“Meow!” You stop in your tracks upon hearing that noise. Embarrassment floods your body as you move even closer to the noise. Upon turning the corner, you see a white cat walking in your direction. A big white cat.

“Can’t believe I got spooked by a damn cat. Didn’t even know Law had a cat…a fatass one nonetheless.” Bending down, you move your hand to let the cat smell you. A smile appears on your face when it rubs against you.

“Hmm? What’s this?” Moving the fluff from his neck, you see a collar with a tag. Squinting your eyes, you finally see the name engraved on the tag.

“Ohhh…your Bepo! Well, aren’t you a cutie-pie?” With (.....) 's request finally making sense, you fight to actually fulfill it. With a sigh, you pick up Bepo and hold him gently. 

“Let’s send your dad a selfie. I think he’ll appreciate it.” You go to the couch, pick up your phone, and find the right angle for the picture. When you find the right spot, you smile as Bepo rubs his head against your face.

“Say cheese!”

~~~

It’d been a long day at the hospital. It felt like nothing went right. Sure, he put in his all, but he had to tell people how they were diagnosed with a terminal illness or dealing with dumb co-workers. The only good thing today did for him was keep (.....) out of his head. But now that work was over, the nagging thoughts could finally bother him once more.

Sighing as he unlocked his apartment door, he was immediately hit with the smell of something cooking. Whatever it was, it smelled good, and he was happy that he didn’t have to make anything tonight. When he went to put his keys in the dish designated for them, he saw (.....)’s key lying in the middle. A wave of relief washed over him as he finished taking off his shoes and coat.

“Oh, Law, are you home?” Your voice rings in his ears as he walks further into his apartment. He spots you setting up the table while humming to yourself.

“Yeah, I’m back. Did you make something?”

“Well, you’ve been at work for sixteen hours, so obviously, you should be hungry! Not to mention that you deserved a home-cooked meal after working so hard.” Moving closer to the dinner table, he sees a plate of grilled fish along with a can of what looks to be sparkling water. The smell of his favorite food drew him closer, and he felt a sense of calm filled him. It’d be the second night in a row you made him dinner.

“Where did you get the fish? I don’t remember having any?”

“Oh, after (.....) took her stuff and left, I used GPS to find a store nearby, and there was an organic type of food store only two blocks away! So I went shopping and got things! Except for beverages, so I stopped by the gas station we used to go to and got sparkling water 'cause you don’t drink and no way you’d drink an energy boost at eight pm.” You continued talking, but it was lost on Law’s ears as he stared at the set-up table. The fact you put yourself to go grocery shopping and making him dinner made his sour mood from only moments ago lighten.

“Thank you.” As he moves to wash his hands in the sink, he sees his beloved cat following you and purring.

“I see you’ve met Bepo.” Upon speaking, the cat changed his attention to Law. Bepo begins to meow as he prances towards Law’s feet before rubbing against them. Leaning down, Law gives him a few pets before washing his hands.

“I didn’t even know you had a cat. Did you just get him?”

“No. I’ve had him for almost a year and a half. Why?” He watches you lift your eyebrows and look at Bepo before looking back at Law.

“What?”

“Law. Do you see how big that cat is?” Despite just washing his hands, Law picks up Bepo and holds him in his arms.

“What about it? He’s growing.”

“That cat is obese. He needs a diet.”

“Bepo is perfect the way he is.” You couldn’t help but giggle as you watched him hold Bepo protectively and away from you.

“You can be delusional all you want, but come eat before the food gets cold.” Turning your back, you begin to dish up after washing your hands. You can hear Law rewashing his own before sitting on the opposite side of the table.

As awkward as it may be, the presence of one another brings a slight calm to your new chaotic world.

~~~

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#one piece x reader #trafalgar law x reader #trafalgar d law x reader #law x reader

[risuola]

BROKEN PROMISE — F. READER x GOJO SATORU

He promised he will never leave you.

cw: angst, manga SPOILERS – AND I MEAN IT, IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW THE MANGA DO NOT READ (spoilers regarding chapters 223-236), hurt, blood, death, sadness – all of that jazz, reader is pregnant — 1,1k words

a/n: one of TWO endings to PROMISE – this one's angsty, it’ll rub salt into open wounds, it might make you cry, read the warnings please. If sadness and sorrow isn’t what you’re looking for right now, check THIS FLUFFY alternate ending out!

He made a promise, so he had to keep it.

Satoru promised to never leave you and your daughter, so why you felt like this?

Sitting there, watching how the fight was moving, following every movement of your dearest husband only to see him fail, time after time, over and over. Every time he seemed to be on top, the cursed king crawled back up. Every time something unimaginable happened, something equally unreal followed. Why were you here, stuck in the room full of tv’s, unable to do anything?

Waves of nausea were crashing over you one after another, your breaths slowly turned sharp and shallow as the terror in front of your own eyes played like the bad horror movie. You kept your shaky hands over your belly, smoothing nervous circles over it and your daughter that up until this time was sleeping with calm, now began turning. Your nerves finally got to her.

Your chest began rising and falling at an alarming rate as the panic slowly was taking over, and it’s only the reassuring squeeze on your shoulders, Shoko’s trembling hands, that kept you somewhat grounded. You didn’t even notice her there before, you barely noticed anything in the room. It was only him, struggling to win the fight that from the beginning felt unwinnable.

Thoughts clashed inside your head, your mind was racing off the cliff and you felt like no brakes would stop it now. You were hot, feverish even, but the sweat that glistened over your forehead and the back of your neck felt like ice. Your throat was clenching, as if your own heart got stuck there, preventing you from breathing and you felt the tears threatening to roll down your eyes, when Satoru faced three opponents at one. You managed to make the sound of Yuuta’s voice, because he was right next to you. He tried to hop in and help, he wanted to support his sensei and you wanted nothing more than to join Gojo’s side yourself. You wanted nothing more than to give him whatever power was inside of you, to take the burden of this fight off his shoulders, that although broad and strong, seemed to slowly collapse under the weight. “No,” someone told the boy, but you couldn’t recognize the voice. “It’s his fight, we’d only get in his way,” he reasoned, and you knew it was true, but still wondered if anything would go differently if there was someone, anyone, that would support your love on the battlefield?

And then, it was silent. With the grounds of Shinjuku permanently scarred by the largest, most powerful purple that you had a chance to see, everything around you went silent. Sukuna was standing, barely, bearing deep damages over Megumi’s body and Satoru was there as well. He was wounded, but he was fine. Satoru was fine, he won. Satoru won. He won.

“Something’s wrong…”, you whispered, with eyes glued to the screen, paying no mind into the quiet cheers and comments that were coming to your ears from the very back of the rooms. Satoru won, you should be now exhaling in relief, but why it felt that wrong? “Sukuna’s still standing, it’s not over…”

“What are you talking about, he won, he-“ someone tried to scold you, but it took just a second to shut the whole sound down.

You caught a glimpse of a smirk stretching the lips on Megumi’s face and something bright blinded your eyes for a moment. And then, next thing you saw took your breath away. A deafening silence rang inside your brain, your body stiffened, every muscle tensed at the sight of the purest terror. The sight you could never imagine, the sight of Gojo Satoru, cut in half, on the ground. Blood gushing out of his torn out torso, the lower half of his body still standing as if it didn’t realize how light it became.

Gojo lost.

He promised he will never leave you.

The silence suffocated you. You couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t think and only thing that kept you from passing out was the waves of pain shooting out of your shoulder, where Shoko kept her grip iron and shaking. You felt like everything you went through up until this point rushed in front of your eyes, you felt like your own heart was ripped out of your chest and stomped over. Blood left your face and you could feel your body tensing up even more. You could feel your baby girl twisting and turning inside your belly, her feet were constantly kicking your abdominal walls as if she tried to snap you out of the trance. She was the reason you had to keep living, when now you wished nothing more than to die. With him.

Getting up, despite many protests and objections, in few seconds you made your way to the battlefield. As you dropped to your knees right next to Satoru’s body, he still seemed to be aware of what’s around him. He breathed out the smallest huff of air when you landed your hand over his bloodied cheek.

“You did well, Satoru,” you whispered to him.

“So…rry…”, he mouthed, no voice leaving his mouth, but his blue eyes shifted from the sky to your face. “Sorry,” he tried once again and once again, just air slipped over his tongue.

“It’s alright, love,” you told him, caressing his pale skin with your trembling hand.

“I promised,” another try resulted in more blood gushing from his mouth.

“It’s okay. We’ll take care of her together; I know you’ll always be there.”

A tear gathered in the corner of Gojo’s eye, but you were quick to wipe it away with your thumb.

“You don’t need to be the strongest anymore, Satoru,” your whisper caused the corner of his lips go up just slightly. “I love you so much. You can rest now.”

His mouth shivered as he tried to shape them into one more “love you”, before he stilled.

Leaning in, you pressed a kiss to his forehead, gently closing his eyes and finally, the tears burst out of your eyes. It’s as if you were holding them, sparing him the sight of your cries, because if he couldn’t be the strongest anymore, you had to be as strong as you could. But now, you couldn’t feel him anymore.

He lost.

But he promised.

A scream ripped through your throat, burning its way straight out of your heart. A cry of devastation and loss, mourning sound of agony that rushed through your vein as you laid your head down on his unmoving chest; ear over the heart that no longer beat.

He promised.

But now, he was gone.

#jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk imagines #jujutsu kaisen imagines #jjk x you #jujutsu kaisen x you #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #gojo satoru imagines #gojo imagines #gojo satoru #jjk fanfiction #jujutsu kaisen fanfiction #jujutsu kaisen #jjk angst #jujutsu kaisen angst #gojo satoru angst #gojo angst #gojo #satoru #satoru angst #gojou satoru x reader #jjk gojo #jujutsu gojo #jujustu kaisen #jjk #gojo satoru x you #gojo x you #satoru x you #satoru x reader

[greatooglymooglyyy]

The Last Ride Chapter Two (AU Cowboy!C.Sturniolo)

series masterlist

summary: when spoiled and sheltered city girl Y/N finds herself in running in the wrong crowd, her dad gives her an ultimatum. it's either spend the summer of her gap year on her uncle's ranch or face being cut off and finding a job. just when she thinks it can't get any worse, she meets Chris, the brooding farmhand who thinks he knows her type. but as the summer goes on, they both realize there may be more to the other than meets the eye.

requested and advised by @rootbeerworshiper

a/n: ok remember when i said this chapter wasn't gonna be that long? i lied. but i love y'all if that helps. also thx so much for 500 followers. that's unreal.

contains: arguing, general ranch activities, cussing, not really anything crazy, 2.6k words

“Rise and shine, city girl!”

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I peel open my eyes and squint at the annoying figure in my doorway who’s flicking the lights on and off.

“Chris. Please fuck off.” I mumble, rolling over and yanking the covers over my head. I don’t even know what time it is but from the lack of sun pouring in through the curtains, I know it’s too damn early.

“C’mon now. Get up. You’re gonna wanna get a good breakfast in before we start.” He urges but I just reach out from under the blanket and shoo him away.

“Yes! I was hoping it would come to this.” Chris says, sounding way too excited for my liking. I scramble up in suspicion just in time to see him lifting a bucket of water over where my head was.

“Do it and die!” I yell and he grins in response, lowering the bucket.

“Thought you’d see it my way.” He pauses for a second squinting. “Are you wearing fuckin’ Gucci pjs?” He asks, his voice dripping with disbelief.

“Why don’t you mind the business that pays you?” I grumble, throwing my legs off the bed and into my house shoes so he will leave.

“Unfortunately, I am.” He deadpans. “Get dressed. And I swear before the lord, if I see anything designer, I’ma push you into the pig sty.”

“I’m not an idiot, you know!” I call before he can close the door. He looks over his shoulder, eyes catching on my fuzzy slippers before he answers.

“We’ll see.”

He clicks the door shut and I get out of bed, heading to my suitcase in a bit of a panic. I throw it open, hoping that I managed to pack at least one outfit that will work but cursing under my breath when I find I didn’t. I’m about to admit defeat, mourning my Rick Owens, when I turn and look at the duffle bag my dad handed me before we left home.

He’d placed it alongside my other luggage in the foyer and I’d been so angry at him I didn’t bother to ask what it was. I unzip it and sigh with relief when I find several sets of overalls, cheap denim, and basic tees. He even added a pair of the ugliest work boots I’ve ever seen. It makes my heart lurch to think of him being this thoughtful when he was so mad at me and I almost want to call him. Almost.

I mean he did ship me off to bum-fuck Louisiana. The least he could do is give me a wardrobe. I huff in renewed indignation before heading to the bathroom to get ready.

When I’m finally dressed, I head into the kitchen where my aunt and uncle are laughing with Chris at the table.

“Good morning,” I say quietly, heading over to where Aunt Birdie has left me a plate. Chris looks me up and down before shooting me a taunting thumbs up and I glare back.

“You excited for your first day, bunny?” My aunt asks, standing to collect my uncle and Chris’ plates. I give her a look over my fork full of eggs and she laughs. “I promise it won’t be as bad as you think.”

Uncle Buck cuts in with a curt laugh, grunting as he stands up. “Now don’t you go lyin’ to the girl.” He looks at me with an apologetic smile. “Not to scare ya down the road or nothing, honey. But the first couple days are gonna be rough.” He claps a hand on Chris' shoulder, who’s been watching the interaction with a knowing smirk. “But I’m sure our boy here will take it easy on you today.”

“Of course I will.” Chris lies, nodding down at my plate. “But maybe you should eat up, darlin’. You might need it.”

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

“Not like that!” Chris snaps, leaning over my head to run a calming hand over the cow I’m desperately trying to milk. “Don’t tug on her. Just squeeze. Firm but gentle.”

“Well, that’s how they do it in the cartoons so-” I cut myself off and roll my eyes as Chris gives me a look like I have two brain cells. “Why can’t you do it then? And I’ll watch.”

“Because then you won’t won’t learn… obviously.” He says, talking slowly as if I’m a toddler.

He walks around the front of the cow and nuzzles her nose. “Hey, Daisy girl. It’s okay. Sorry about her.”

“How do you know it’s a girl?” I ask as he comes back over and squats down next to me. Chris’ jaw drops and he blinks at me slowly.

“Holy shit. There’s no fuckin’ way-”

“Nevermind-”

“How the fuck would a male pro-”

“Let it go-”

“You think we’re out here milking a bull’s ball-”

“Chris! Just help me!” I cut in, frustration clear in my tone. He sighs and leans forward, readjusting my hand placement and showing me how to squeeze. When milk finally comes out, I squeal in excitement and look over at him. He meets my eye with an amused grin before his face drops and he pulls away.

He clears his throat and stands, wiping his hands off on his jeans. “Yeah, just keep doing that. That’s good.” He comments as I continue following his guidance.

When the cow is all milked I stand, pouring my bucket into the larger one Chris points at and give him a cocky smile. “See. I’m not so stupid after all.”

He rolls his eyes and claps sarcastically. “Mhm. Great job.” He comes over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and turning me to the left. “Now for the other eight.”

I groan in defeat, leaning down to pick my bucket back up. Wonderful.

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

“Okay. For whatever reason, some of the hens don’t like to lay their eggs in the nesting box. We don’t sell those, we just keep them for ourselves and Birdie cooks with ‘em.” He hands me a plastic bucket half filled with hay. “Go walk around and find ‘em all.”

I smile despite myself at this. “Like Easter?”

Chris chuckles and dusts off his hands. “Sure, city girl. Like Easter.”

I roll my eyes as I start looking around the coop, spotting a few eggs in the corner. “Stop calling me city girl.”

“Oh, that’s right. You like bunny better, huh?” He teases, heading over to the nesting box and coaxing the hens out his way.

I toss a glare at his back as I continue my egg hunt. “Or you could just call me my damn name.”

“What’s the fun in that?” He walks over to me and holds up a cracked egg for me to see. “You ever get a defective one like that, you throw it out, you hear? I don’t wanna see it in my pile.”

I scoff at his bossy attitude and I throw him a salute. “Sir, yes, sir.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” He grins, going back to the box. “Why do they call you that anyway? Bunny. Are you really as sweet as all that?”

“Try me and find out,” I reply, scooping up the last of the eggs. I turn and find Chris staring at me with his eyebrows raised, realizing my mistake. “I didn’t mean it like-”

He turns back to the box, cutting me off. “Nah. I think I’ma need to think of something new. Name you somethin’ that fits you better. Let me think.”

“Sure, bud,” I say, stepping closer to him as he explains the difference between the white and brown eggs.

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

“When do we get to go see the horses?” I ask as we load up the pickup truck with more food and water.

He looks over at me in surprise. “You a horse girl? Makes sense. Thought you were weird.”

I glare at him and he chuckles. “Shut up. I just liked to ride a bit when I used to come here.”

He nods and pulls up the tailgate. “It was somebody else’s day to fed ‘em.” He says before he notices the disappointment on my face. “But we can swing by. We’re going that way anyway.”

I give him a small grateful smile and he gestures for me to hop in the truck.

When we pull up to the stables, I’m almost overwhelmed by the memories that flood me. Me standing on a stool to brush my childhood horse, Pinkie Pie. My first time riding, my grandpa stuck like glue to the side of the horse and holding the reins.

I shake it off, not wanting to get emotional and head in behind Chris. He shows me around, pointing to a few of the horses and telling me their names before handing me some oat treats to feed them. I look around at their beautiful faces before I spot one that catches my attention.

She looks almost identical to Pinkie, with chestnut coloring that fades a bit darker around her neck and face. I walk up to her and extend my hand for her to eat from, keeping my palm flat.

“Hold on!” Chris starts but he drops his sentence as she gently begins to eat. I bring up my other hand and stroke her face gently.

“Hey there, gorgeous.”

Chris walks up beside me, clearly dumbfounded. “I can’t believe she’s letting you feed her by hand let alone touch her. Cinnamon’s a mean ole girl. Ain’t that right.” He reaches over the fence and scratches her neck. “She only likes me and your uncle.”

I tut and Cinnamon nuzzles her face close to mine, dropping her ears and closing her eyes.

“Well, I guess she has a new favorite,” I say with satisfaction. I play with her for a few more minutes, giving her love and some more treats before I remember Chris is there.

He’s leaning against the fence staring at us with his arms crossed, a strange dopey look on his face. I raise my eyebrows at him and he clears his throat and pushes up.

“C’mon. Let’s get back to work.”

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

“Lift with your legs and your core, woman. You’re gonna throw your damn back out.” Chris nags as I attempt to pour the pig feed into their container.

“Well, you could be a manly man and lift it for me!” I say breathlessly, grunting with effort. He comes over and snatches the bag from me, lifting it like it was a stick of gum.

“What are you gonna do when I’m not with you?” He says when he’s done, dropping the bag between his feet.

“Oh, I get the feeling you’ll always be over my shoulder so I’m not worried,” I say looking down sadly at my ruined nails. Chris notices and taps his foot for my attention. He's got his evil ass smirk on when I look up at his face and I know I’m in trouble.

“Y’know. I was gonna wait till tomorrow but I reckon it’s about time to weigh a couple of the piglets.”

My eyes widen to saucers at the idea of picking one of those dirty things up. “Chris-”

“Why don’t you go grab us one, huh? Just swing over the fence.” He’s cheesing, seeming the most entertained I’ve seen him yet; and that’s saying something.

I stomp around to the front of the pin, not wanting to let him win. There’s no way I’m sliding over a fence and picking up a pig in the same breath so I unhook the gate and swing it open.

“Wait! Y/N! Don’t-” Chris calls out but it’s too late. A piglet jets his ass out the gate and takes off across the field. I cuss loudly then slam the gate shut before another one can Houdini their way out. Turning on my heel, I take off after the little pig, listening to the laughter of the other workers behind me.

He’s fast, I’ll give him that, and I chase him all the way to the horse stables. He runs in but gets spooked when they neigh and turns back allowing me to scoop him up. He squeals and squirms in protest but I hold on tight.

“Got you. You little trackstar.” I say, out of breath. I turn around and start to head back, stopping in my tracks when I see Chris coming around the corner with a cage.

He takes the piglet from me and I hunch over, trying to stabilize my breathing.

“Bet you listen to me, next time.” He says after he’s got Wilber Jr. secured. But I don’t respond. I just stay bent over exhausted, feeling tears pricking my eyes. Chris notices and comes over, placing a hand on my back and rubbing in circles.

“Hey. I think it’s time for a break. How’s lunch sound?”

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

We sit on the bed of the truck eating the lunches Aunt Birdie packed for us quietly. I scrunch my nose up when I notice him sipping out of a Pepsi can.

“Does Coke not bother sending their product to this fuck ass state?” I say teasingly.

He screws his face up at me and shakes his head. “Not gonna lie. I’m not even surprised when you’re wrong anymore.”

I laugh lightly, taking another bite of my sandwich.

“So…” Chris starts, reaching back, tossing his trash in the bag. “Tell me somethin’ I don’t know about you, Scotch. Got any siblings?”

“Scotch?” I question, raising my eyebrow at the nickname.

“Yeah. Scotch. Cus people always like to say it has all this kick to it… but, uh, it goes down smoother than you’d think.” Chris maintains eye contact with me for a second and then looks away, stretching.

I smile to myself and clear my throat before answering. “Well… anyway. No to the sibling question. I always wanted one though.”

He snaps pointing at me like he’s having a breakthrough. “There it goes. You’re proving my only kid theory.”

I roll my eyes and push his shoulder playfully. “Shut up.”

He grins at me and cracks his fingers. “Okay give me some more. What else?”

“I’m from Los Ang-”

He cuts me off with a shake of his head. “Duh. I asked about you. Not where you’re from.”

I furrow my brows in thought. Those two things have always been one and the same to me. “Um.. okay. Well, how about you go first? Do you just have your sister or are there more of you?” I shudder dramatically.

He raises a brow at the jab but answers anyway. “Just me and her. She’s my everything.” He smiles lightly and then nudges me with his shoulder. “You’re not off the hook. What do you wanna do when you grow up?” He asks, his tone taking on a mock childish quality. I laugh and rest my face on my cheek, thinking.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out but it’s hard,” I say, drumming my fingers against my face.

He scoffs and I look over at him in confusion. “What?”

“Nothin’. It’s just…I don’t get what’s hard about it.” He says simply.

I sit up, my guard snapping back into place. “I don’t understand what you don’t understand. I mean it’s the rest of my life we’re talking about.”

He rubs a hand over his face and shrugs. “I mean not really. If you don’t like it, you’ll just call up mommy and daddy to fix it for you.” I blink at him and he holds his hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying.”

“No, you’re just being an fucking asshole. As usual.” I snap, sliding off the truck, and storming off toward the goats. I don’t know why his judgment is suddenly affecting me at all but it doesn’t matter. The quicker I get this day over, the quicker I can get away from Chris fucking Sturniolo.

🏷️@sturniolho @sttzee @tillies33ssss @miloisdone1 @sstvrnioloo @junnniiieee07 @sturnioloslurps @mrsmiagreer @asturniolos

@teapartyprincess4two @whicked-hazlatwhore @sukiipjs @accio326 @sturniolosmind @imfromthediningtable

#sturniolo triplets #christopher sturniolo #matt sturniolo #nick sturniolo #chris sturniolo x reader #sturniolo fluff #chris sturniolo #chris sturniolo fluff #chris sturniolo oneshot #matt sturniolo x reader #matt sturniolo smut #matthew sturniolo #chris sturniolo smut #chris sturniolo headcanon #chris sturniolo fic #chris sturniolo angst #chris sturniolo x you #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo x reader

[daddypriceugh]

Mr. And Mrs. Mactavish

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

I saw that you guys want fluff so I'm giving you fluff :)

I will maybe upload another fic today, if I don't fall asleep (it's 10:30 pm here)

Anyway enjoy this one <3

Tw: nothing just fluff

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

Today is the day you've never thought would come. It just always seemed unreal. But here you are, standing in your wedding dress in front of the church door waiting for the music to announce your entrance.

Your nerves are playing wild and your body feels on fire. What if you trip? What if he changes his mind? What if-

"Are you alright?"

A voice interrupts your thoughts. You look to your left to see John Price standing next to you, with a worried look on his face.

" Yeah I'm fine. Just nervous"

He nods in understanding and takes your hands in his.

"Trust me it's gonna be okay. Hell don't worry about him changing his mind, I've never seen someone that wipped for a girl before"  he says while laughing at the last part.

A chuckle escapes your throat, which then tightens again when you heard the music start playing.

"Ok ok no panic (Y/N)" you tell yourself, trying to calm down.

You take a deep breath and nod at John, giving your ok to enter the church. He smiles at you and links his arm with yours.

You tear up at the gesture, knowing that your father would have loved to walk you down the aisle.

John had become like a father figure to you -even though he's not that much older- and you're more than grateful that he said yes to walking you into your new chapter of life.

The heavy doors open and you can see the guests standing up at the sound, all of them turning their heads to see the bride.

You take one step after another, gripping John's hand in yours. Looking around you see familiar faces like your mother and some aunts, but the most important person to you was standing at the altar.

Turning your head you lock eyes with him. Time seems to slow down as you take i the sight of him. Damn does he looks handsome. His mohawk was freshly cut and he wore a new black suit with a red tie.

It may look like a unoriginal outfit, but to you it is perfect.

A smiles forms on your face when you stand directly in front of him. John hands him your hand over and shoots a threatening look. It was the "if you ever hurt her I will personally kill you" look.

Before leaving to go to Johnny's man in honor side to stand next to Gaz and Ghost, he gives you a small kiss on your forehead, whispering "I'm proud of you" against it.

Now it was just Johnny and you. Two people that love each other more than words can describe.

The pastor says the usual things but you hear nothing. You just stare into your soon-to-be-husbands eyes, and you could swear to see tears swelling in them.

The pastor speaks up.

"It is now time for the vows"

You take a deep breath and start talking:

"Johnny, I have loved you since the moment I saw you. It was the way you introduced yourself, the way you saved my ass on many missions, it was the way you held me after my father died and it were the many things in-between. You made and still make my life perfect. I finally found a reason to life and I'm glad I get to spend the time with you. You are perfect in any way imaginable. I love you dearly and I will stay by your side in good and bad times"

Your voice cracks midway, tears streaming down your face. But it seems that your fiancé feels the same way. He doesn't hide his emotions anymore embraces the tears.

It was no his turn and he grabs your right hand and puts it on his heart.

"Dearie, you absolutely make me the happiest man alive. I'm blessed to wake up with you next to me evey day. I can't think of something better anymore. I love the way you laugh at all my stupid jokes that I tell the Lieutenant. It seems that his skull is too thick to understand our humour"

Laughter goes through the room, even Simon chuckles at the mentioning of his name.

"I love everything about you and that will never stop. Even after my death. I love you from the bottom of my heart."

You smile at him and place your hand on his cheek.

The pastor raises his hands and announces the moments you have been waiting for.

"I now announce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride"

Not waiting a second longer, Johnny pulls you by your waist and presses his lips to yours. Applause rings through the crowd and people cheer.

The kiss doesn't last long but it's perfect. Johnny then suddenly lifts you up and carries you towards the exit, and your friends and family follow.

Time skip:

The evening goes smooth. People are laughing and having fun. You are currently sitting on your husbands lap after having danced to two songs.

Head laying on his shoulder while you're admiring him, tracing every scar with your thumb.

"And how does it feel to be married"

"Feels incredible my darlin'. Absolutely the best feeling ever" You hum in response looking up to him. He catches your stare and smiles.

"I hope you won't grow tired of me Mr. Mactavish"

"I would never in my life. I promise you that Mrs. Mactavish"

You laugh and move you face to his to meet in a kiss. This time it's more passionate, full of love and excitement for what the future holds.

#cod x reader #ghost x reader #call of duty #cod fluff #john soap mactavish x reader #soap x reader #john mctavish x reader

[tonyspank]

EPILOGUE | GET ME

Jenna Ortega x G!P Reader

Warnings: fluffy

Words: 2.0k

A/N: I was like awww writing this chapter

series masterlist | main masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

"There have been speculations that Y/N didn't deserve her spot in the NBA...but now with eight seconds left on the clock of the game, she led her team to a championship in her first season ever. She silenced all the critics and proved that she belonged in the league.

—Her leadership and determination were undeniable and she earned her spot as one of the best players in the game, so young and so early on. She is now one of the most inspiring figures in the sport and a role model for many young players, dreaming of making it to the big leagues. She has set a high standard for future generations, showing that dedication and hard work can make even the wildest dreams come true."

You bend down, your emotions overwhelm you. In three seconds your team has officially won the 2022-2023 NBA Championship. You raise your arms to the sky as tears of joy roll down your cheeks.

You look around to find your teammates, and they are all in the same state of pure elation. They rush over to you, hugging and celebrating. You take a moment to soak it all in, and you can't help but smile. The dream has become a reality.

You look up at the crowd, thousands of cheering fans, and you can't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. You can't help but think about how far you have come, and the journey you have taken to get here. You realize that all of your hard work has paid off.

The team manager places a hat on your head, smiling as she congratulates you. You take a deep breath giving LaMelo Ball a tight hug. You two being one of the best duos to take the court in a while. You close your eyes, feeling the moment, knowing that no matter what happens, you will always have each other's back.

You break away from the hug and look around the room, your teammates cheering and celebrating your success. You laugh, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

"Y/N!" Your head turns at the sound of your name, and you're met with a few cameras pointed your way. You smile and share a look with your manager before walking over to the cameras. Lisa, an interviewer, shakes your hand and introduces herself.

You take a few moments to compose yourself, and then you start to answer her questions. "Y/N, we feel the emotion. Where is it all coming from? How do you feel after leading your team to the championship?"

You adjust your hat, letting out a breath. "I'm honored and proud. It's been a long journey, full of hard work and dedication. I'm thankful to everyone who has been a part of it. Never would I have thought I'd be the first woman to ever play in the NBA, nor even be in the finals in my first season.

—It's just so unreal and I just can't be more grateful for the opportunity I've been given. But at the same time, I know I'm here for a bigger purpose. Representing women everywhere, showing them that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I'm ready to make history and show the world that no dream is too big."

Lisa nods at your words, moving the microphone back to her to ask another question. "Did you feel a lot of pressure on yourself being the first woman in the NBA? If so, did you use that to your advantage and how did you?"

You glance around before answering. "I didn't feel pressure because I knew I was capable. In fact, I embraced it and used it to fuel my drive to succeed. I never let the fact that I was a woman stop me from aiming for the highest achievements."

A crowd begins forming around you which includes your teammates, coaches, managers, and family members. You spot Eli in the crowd and he brings you into a tight hug, and whispers in your ear, "You did it! Congratulations!" He holds you tightly for a few seconds, and then pulls away, patting your chest. You nod at his words, smiling at your best friend.

"You almost got us in the conference finals." Eli gave you a mischievous smile and winked. "Next year, we'll get our get back on you and LaMelo." He laughs. You grin and playfully punch his shoulder. "You think you can handle us?" you asked. "Bring it on," he replied confidently.

Your eyes then meet the ones you've been looking for this entire night. Jenna blows you a kiss as she walks toward you. You dramatically drop your jaw, holding a hand over your heart.

Eli laughs at your reaction. You laugh, eyes still fixed on Jenna. She slowly moves closer, her arms outstretched. You lift her up, spinning her around in a circle. You both laugh, and Eli makes his way over to your parents. Jenna presses her lips to yours, and you swear you can feel sparks between you.

You reluctantly pull away, a giddy smile on your face. You look around, and you can tell your parents and Eli are all sharing the same joy. You have found something special in Jenna, and it feels like it is something that will never fade away. Your parents begin walking to you, holding someone out for you to take.

You smile at your son, who looks as lost as ever and taking him from your parent's grasp. He looks up at you, his eyes brown doe eyes wide. You rock him a bit, smiling at him before you glance at your parents. They smile back at you, proud of who you've become and how much you've accomplished.

Even though you having a child was a complete shocker and scared the living hell out of them, they couldn't be more proud of the parent you have become. They're happy that the two people they care about so much have found peace in each other, and that you have created a beautiful family.

They are confident that you will be able to provide and care for your child with unconditional love. They are relieved and happy that you have found each other and are creating a loving home.

Jenna smiles at you and Kian, taking in the sight of her family. You smile back, feeling a wave of relief and joy. You hug your child tightly, grateful for the opportunity to be a parent. You know that together, you will all be okay.

Jenna laughs at Kian, "He's like what's going on right now? He's so lost." You laugh with her, wiping a bit of drool off his lips. "I know right." Kian looks up at you both with a wide, toothless grin.

You and Jenna both awe at the sight, the innocence of his smile warming your hearts. Jenna leans in and gives him a kiss on the forehead. "He's so cute," she says. Eli speaks up. "I've smiled at you before Jenna and I never got a kiss on the forehead."

Jenna giggles and looks up at Eli with a twinkle in her eye. "That's because you're not as cute as Kian," she says, laughing a bit. Eli just rolls his eyes and then laughs along with the rest of them before taking Kian from you. Eli lowers his voice, whispering into Kian's ear. "If you weren't so cute, I'd fight you about it."

Kian grins and wraps his chubby arms around Eli's neck. Jenna and everyone else laughs as Eli kisses Kian's chubby cheeks. "You're the cutest, Kian," he says, laughing.

Your parents then come over and congratulate you, pulling you into tight hugs as happy tears fall down their faces. It was more than obvious that they felt like they had accomplished something extraordinary. They were so proud of you for all your hard work and dedication. They had seen you grow and mature and were relieved to see you reach your goals.

"We're so proud of you honey." You smiled, clearly overcome with emotion. You couldn't believe that your hard work had finally paid off. You thanked your parents for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout your journey.

Your dad shrugs you off, giving you a warm smile. "It's all you, kid." He pats your shoulder and you can't help but beam with pride. You knew that your parents were always there for you, and you are so grateful for their love and support.

Now back at home with Jenna, Kian, and Eli, you sit in the living room with a bowl of ice cream on your lap. You take a spoonful of the ice cream before sending a glare at Eli, "Please shut the heck up." He smiles, "Look at you! Being a good mom and not cursing in front of your son."

You shook your head and smiled. Kian just continued to crawl on the large black carpet that covered the marble flooring in your living room, oblivious to the bickering between his mom and his uncle.

Jenna walks into the living room, smiling. "Why don't you bother Olivia and not me?" Eli rolls his eyes, leaning back against the couch. "She's on tour! I miss my girlfriend."

You laugh, shaking your head. "You know she's coming back soon." Eli sighs, closing his eyes. "I know. I'm just impatient." Kian looks up, clapping his hands and squealing with laughter.

"Kian!" Kian's head turns at the sound of Jenna's voice, his face lighting up. Jenna kneels down on the carpet and opens her arms to Kian. "He's so whipped man." You mumble, Eli nods in agreement, "I would be too."

You send another glare at Eli before throwing a pillow at his face. Kian lifts himself with help from the leather couch in front of him, taking his first-ever step. Eli ducks the pillow and laughs, while Kian continues to walk to his mom. You sit up in your seat, a huge smile on your face.

Jenna's face matches yours, encouraging Kian to keep walking. "C'mon, baby, come." Kian's movements are still unsteady, but he manages to make it to his mom's.

Jenna gives you a look as her eyes begin to water, and you feel your heart swell with pride. You look at Eli and he smiles, his eyes twinkling with joy. "Oh, my flip-flop," Eli mutters, shocked as he just watched his nephew take his first steps.

Jenna bursts into tears of joy and pulls Kian in for a tight hug. Kian wraps his arms around his mother, his little face filled with joy. You stand up from the couch, walk over to Jenna and Kian, and wrap your arms around the both of them, Eli joins in, jumping up and down in joy.

"He walked! He walked!" Eli says, still jumping up and down. He soon stops, smiling at Kian. "Hi, five!" Kian reaches out his hand, and Eli eagerly gives him a high five. They both laugh, and Eli pats Kai on the back. "You did great!" he says, taking him from Jenna's arms.

"I think he just stole our son," you mutter to Jenna. Kian giggles as Eli carries him around the room. Jenna smiles and takes your hand in hers. "He's in good hands," she says, and you both laugh.

She then takes your hand, leading you into the kitchen with a huge smile on her face. "How does it feel being the first woman in the NBA and leading your team to a championship?"

You pause and take a deep breath, looking at Jenna before responding. "It feels amazing," you say, squeezing her hand. "I'm so proud of what I've accomplished, and I'm so lucky to have you and Kian here with me."

Jenna looks lovingly at you and says, "We're all so proud of you. You've worked hard and it's paid off." She gives your hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it, a warm smile on her face. You smile back at her, bringing her into a kiss.

You hold each other close and savor the moment. You feel a wave of gratitude and love for Jenna, "I love how you get me." You mumble against her head, swaying her back in forth.

She looks deep into your eyes and holds your face in her hands, "I love you too, my love." You kiss one last time and pull away, feeling an indescribable peace.

taglist - @alexkolax @raven-ss @godsfavouritelesbiann @jennasslut @niqmandu @amburntfreeman @returnnofdamac @starry-night17 @get-the-fuck-outta-here @morganismspam23 @tai-hdg @crazyoffher2

#get me #reader insert #jenna ortega x reader #wattpad #jenna marie ortega #jenna ortega x y/n #jenna ortega x you #jenna x reader #jenna ortega #jenna ortega x g!p reader #jenna x g!p reader #jenna x y/n

[daydreamgoddess14]

Support System pt. 2

Thanks for reading! I figure if I can get this out of my head I can get on with the other stuff.... or I'll just be compelled to write more Roy. Who knows?!

MASTERLIST

Chapter 2

Shrieks and giggles and thundering footsteps sounded throughout Sara's house. You sat at either end of the sofa with a large glass of wine and rolled your eyes. 

"I can't decide if someone's going to get hurt or…"

"Nah, they're fine," sudden silence, Sara looked up to the ceiling, "I think…" The giggles returned and she relaxed. "Andy didn't fancy helping out yesterday afternoon then?"

"He had plans apparently." You sigh. "I don't get how he can be this super organised dad for years and then decide he's not that person anymore."

"He's punishing you. For having a better job, for the long hours and the commuting. Typical 'this is what I've been doing for ages, you should be able to do it too?' bullshit. Phebs dad did the same till he buggered off completely."

"He knew my job was tricky, it's never been flexible - that's not new information. Now I'm trying to force flexibility and redo how I work."

"You'll find a balance. It'll take time."

"I just wanted to show Lexie that mum's can have great jobs. That I can do both. I totally fell for the you can have it all bullshit. You can have it all as long as you sacrifice yourself to do it." She patted your knee in comfort. 

"You can have it all. Just never expect to eat a hot meal, shower in peace, or have sex ever again."

"I haven't had any of those things in years anyway!" You laugh. 

"You have half a week alone now - you've never had that before! Time to introduce eating dinner and having sex!"

"It's the weirdest thing. The house is so quiet." A thud comes from upstairs. 

"I know, it's bizarre. Even if Phoebe's not here, I still do everything the same."

"Are we saddos?"

"Definitely. I guess that rules out the sex."

"Hmmm. I guess so!" You'd ordered pizzas for dinner and put on a Disney film for the girls. Sara could do French plaits, but you couldn't, so she braided hair while you painted nails. The girls loved every second. The following morning, Sara, with a rare full weekend off, was taking Phoebe to the Richmond game. She'd text Roy the night before and asked for two extra tickets for you and Lexie. While she was wrangling the girls to the breakfast table, the front door knocked, so you went to answer it. Roy had his back to you, but turned at the sound of the door opening. You were suddenly very conscious of your matching sleep shorts and t-shirt - he looked great in dark jeans and a black henley. He looked from your bare feet, up your legs. Thank god you'd put a bra on. 

"Mornin'" he said gruffly, handing her two tickets, "these are for Sara. Yours will be at the ticket office."

"Oh, thank you. Do you want some money for the tickets?" You turn to find your bag on the coat hooks. 

"Don't be fucking daft, course I don't. You might want to put some more clothes on though, it's cold." He was heading back down the garden path before he'd finished speaking. 

"Duh. I don't exactly go out in public like this." You called.

"Shame." You heard as he rounded the corner to his car. 

"Prick." You had no idea why Phoebe was so obsessed with this rude uncle who took the piss out of everyone. 

~~~~~~~

By the time you'd all gotten dressed and wrapped up, it was nearly time for the match. You walked round to Nelson Road, stopping at the ticket office to collect the tickets he'd left in your name. The noise in the stadium was unreal. It was mid March and the team didn't have long left till the end of the season, they were doing well and everyone had high hopes. Your seats were in the designated family area just behind the dugout. High above you was the owners box and directly in front of you were the Richmond team and coaching staff. Phoebe and Lexie were already joining in the chants and cheers around them. The combination of two 9 year old girls made them significantly louder than normal, Roy turned to seek them out and gave the girls a little wave, catching your eye as he did so.

"Does it remind you of loving boy bands when we were girls?" Sara asked as the stadium began it's 'Jamie Tartt doo doo doo doo' song. 

"Oh yeah, your brother is a real Robbie Williams!" You laugh. The team wins and you have to practically tear the girls apart when it's time to leave. "You'll see each other tomorrow." You reason, but it's not enough. "Why don't we pick Phoebe up in the morning and I'll take you both together?" That suggestion elicits some cheers. 

"Are you sure? I'm on early so I'll be leaving at 6am but Roy will be there. He comes straight from training Jamie at some stupid hour of the morning."

"That's fine, collect her from yours - about 7.30?"

"Yeah perfect, I'll let Roy know you'll be there." 

"Great, hear that girls? We'll get Phoebe and I'll take you both to school." The girls finally seem appeased and you manage to separate them. The rest of the afternoon you spend trying to straighten up the house, do Lexie's homework and cooking. You make sense of the coming week, Lexie gets collected by her dad on Wednesday afternoon so you know that the back half of the week can afford to be crazier and busier. Bathtime and bedtime are quick to arrive and once Lexie's settled, you finally get to sit on the sofa in silence. Sara has text to thank you for a lovely couple of days, and she's sent you Roy's number should you ever need it. Lexie is so excited to see Phoebe the next day that it takes a lot less arguing, bribery and shouting to get ready for school. You find a little extra time to put some effort in yourself with a black shift dress, heels and your hair loose around your shoulders.

"Mum, your hair looks so cute!" Lexie says happily. 

"Thanks bun. Let me brush your hair, see this is what happens when we both have time to get ready properly! No shouting and we both look smart." Lexie rolled her eyes, 

"Yeah yeah. Let's go get Phebs!"

"We'll be too early if we go now, love."

"Pleeeeease?" You check your watch, way too early but hopefully Roy won't be too much of a dick about it. It's a tube day today so you walk the short journey to Sara's. It's Phoebe who flings open the door and the two girls are inseparable once more. 

"You're really early, better come in." Roy calls from the kitchen. 

"We're walking to school so not that early." You clarify. He looks at your shoes, skeptical. 

"Walking to school then to the tube? You must be mad. I'm going past the school, I'll drive and drop you off at the station after." 

"You don't need to do that."

"I know, but I'm only going to end up driving past you in about 20 minutes anyway." He arches an eyebrow, daring you to argue. He pours another cup of coffee and hands it to you. "Besides, now you've got time to for a coffee before your day starts." You take the cup,

"Thank you." The girls come back to the kitchen, angling for extra breakfast so Roy opens a cupboard and hands them little chocolate croissants.

"Lexie's mum, you look lovely and your hair is beautiful today."

"Thanks Phoebe, that's very kind of you." You see her elbow Roy, 

"Doesn't she look lovely uncle Roy."

"Yeah, you look lovely."

"Thank you. Again." You blush, hiding your laugh behind your cup. 

"Got everything girls? We're goin' in a minute." You both finish your coffee while the girls get their bags and coats. Roy's 4x4 feels huge, he holds the door open for you at the same time as he does the same for Phoebe, then goes around to let Lexie in. 

"If this car wasn't so big, maybe it wouldn't be so easy to block you in?" You tease as he starts the car. He looks at you and for the briefest second you think he's angry, then he laughs and it's a low, deep chuckle which lights up his face and makes you feel warm in your belly. You jump out to take the girls into school while he turns the car around and then all too soon, you're outside the station. 

"Did you need me to get Lexie this afternoon?" He asks. It's a stark contrast to everytime you've had this conversation with Andy. Roy asks with ease and without judgement. "I'm getting Phoebe anyway?"

"I should be done in time, but thanks. If I get there first, I can get Phebs?"

"Nah it's OK, her mum should be home in time for bedtime tonight so I won't have her long anyway." You open the door to get out of the car but his warm hand on your elbow stops you, "Let me know if you're running late though, yeah? I don't mind. Sara gave you my number?" You nod, dumbly, "OK. Just call me or something."

"OK. See you… soon."

"Yeah, see you soon." You swear you're still blushing even once you're out of eyeshot and down on the platform. 

~~~~~~

The kids manage to survive by seeing each other at school, and the lighter Monday and Tuesday you'd planned mean for a smoother week. You don't need to call and beg Andy for help and you don't have to lean on Sara or Roy either. It's not until Wednesday morning that you cross paths again. You're waving goodbye to Lexie at the door when she spots Phoebe across the carpark with Roy. Since Lexie refuses to go in until Phoebe is there, you decide to wait for them. The girls hug and race inside for breakfast club. 

"Mornin', you alright?"

"Yeah, not bad. You?"

"Yeah good. Need a lift to the station?"

"That would be great - if you're sure?"

"Wouldn't have offered otherwise. Busy day?"

"Yep, a long one today. Lexie's dad is picking her up so I've got a late meeting." He holds the door open for you.

"What is it you do?"

"Deputy Director of Communications for a charity."

"Nice. Sounds… boring?"

"Hmm. They're not a great company to work for to be honest. They don't really have any people skills so they couldn't give a shit when you need something from them. It's all take take take." He shrugged,

"So leave?'

"Said the millionaire ex footballer with a great job as a coach. I have bills to pay - it's not that simple. Plus anything else at the same level is longer hours and generally more demanding than I can do at the moment."

"Fair enough. This is your stop." He pulls up at the station.

"Thanks. Probably won't see you till next week now, Lexie's with her dad till Saturday so no emergency pick ups needed. I can avoid the school completely."

"Lucky you. Let me know if anything changes and you need me to get the little un." You're suddenly overcome with gratitude for the support he and Sara have given in such a short amount of time. As if sensing how overwhelmed you are, he nudges your shoulder, "Don't be fucking weird about it. Off to work you go."

"Fuck off. I think you're nicer than you let on." You narrow your eyes at him. 

"Yeah well don't get fucking telling everyone. I don't do favours for the whole of the fucking town."

"Just the mums of Phoebe's friends."

"Just one of them."

"Ahh, it's survival of the fittest at the school gates and that's definitely not me."

"You're doing a great job. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, fuck off before you're late." You can see a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. 

"Bye Roy!" You hop out of the car and turn back with a quick smile. 

~~~~~~~~

The second half of the week is as hectic as you expect it to be. You call Lexie each evening through yawns, promising her a fun weekend of baking. When Andy drops her off on Saturday morning, he invites himself into the kitchen despite you trying to avoid him. 

"Did you take her to the football last week?" He asks. 

"Yeah, her little bestie Phoebe got us tickets. Her uncle is one of the Richmond coaches."

"Not that miserable twat who picks her up from school? Roy Kent?"

"Yeah him. Phoebe adores him," you don't hesitate before adding, "I think Lex has taken a shine to him as well. And he's not a twat." 

"He had a go at me yesterday in the playground. I ain't having her go to a Richmond match, she should be West Ham."

"You can't force her to support anyone. She doesn't even have to like football. She likes Phoebe, she's a good friend and her mum is just as nice." You reply with a shrug. "Why did he have a go at you? Did you park on the hatches?"

"No I bloody didn't. I said Lex couldn't sleepover and he told me she could if she wanted to."

"Course she can if she wants to. Look, if you don't want her to spend time with her friends when she's with you, then fine. But when she's with me, we work out our plans together and we do what makes her happy." He shook his head and slammed the front door. It was barely 9am and you were done with his bullshit. You pull out your phone and text Sara, Going to the park if you want to come. Coffee on me x Then you call Lexie.

"Come on babe, let's go to the park and then we'll do some baking later." You don't get a reply from Sara so you head out anyway. Lexie is somewhere near the top of the big climbing frame when Phoebe barrels into you for a quick hug, and then goes off to join her best friend. "Hey Phebs!" You don't really want to turn away from the climbing frame but you do a quick scout around to see how far away Sara is. But it's not Sara on her way over, it's Roy with Phoebe's backpack on one shoulder and two coffees in his hands. He hands you one with a small smirk. 

"Park this early?"

"Thanks, rough morning. I heard you and Andy had a delightful conversation at school yesterday?"

"Dickhead said Lex couldn't have a sleepover with Phebs when it's his time with her."

"I know. I told him she could do whatever the fuck made her happy when she's with me."

"That's what I said," He growled. "Did he tell you he made some sly dig about it being so you can go off and do whatever or whoever you want?" You spin in anger to face him, his eyes stayed on the top of the climbing frame. 

"What?! No, he didn't dare say that to me. Ugh, he knows full well that single mums aren't exactly beating prospective new partners off with a stick. Just cos he's already met someone." You wipe your hand across your cheeks, shaking your head. Roy doesn't say anything. He reaches into Phoebe's bag, pulls out a paper bag and passes it to you. A chocolate star biscuit sits inside. 

"It's not a gold star, but whatever. You're a million times better than he is. More than that. You don't need validation from him and you don't need to compare yourself to him." He holds your gaze, his dark eyes are the darkest you've ever seen. He glances at your lips so briefly you think you imagined it. You smile sadly.

"Thank you. Chocolate's better anyway."

"Course it fucking is." He smiles.

#ted lasso #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fic #roy kent fluff #roy kent fanfiction #roy kent fic #roy kent #roy kent x reader

[mostly-marvel-musings]

Typical Stark - Chapter 9

A/N: A series nobody saw coming indeed. We’re approaching the final chapter now. There’s a LOT happening in this one.. Leave a comment, like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader

Warnings: 18+ fluffy smut, lil bit of angst?

Word count: 2.3k

Typical Stark Masterlist

.

“Oh my fucking God! Don’t stop!” you cried, fingers gripping the sheets beneath you like vice while Tony’s fingers curled inside your tight heat, finding just the spot that made you see stars.

He held your hips in place, nipping the skin over your pubic bone to keep them from involuntarily rising above the bed. The way your body reacted to him, the way your walls clamped around his fingers, the sweet, sweet sounds that left your lips, the man was enjoying every last second of it. He kept at his ministrations until you were pushed over the edge for the second time that night, gushing all over his fingers while your thighs shook with the pleasure that pulsed through.

With a sudden change of position, he laid on his back, taking you with him; gently but firmly guiding your core over his mouth until you were left straddling the man’s face. You didn’t think you could take it, but Tony seemed too determined to deny it.

“Tony, I don’t think I can…” your voice betrayed you there, lust laden and weak, you sounded too unlike yourself.

“I know you can, sweetheart. You’ve got another one in there for me. Come on, you said I’m your favourite toy, didn’t you? Use me.” His big brown eyes swum with such passion and want, you found yourself lowering your hips and carding your fingers through his soft hair, using it like your anchor.

Tony’s mouth latched onto your oversensitive clit, sending waves of pleasure down your body, the familiar pressure building deep within your belly. The man was too skilled.

You hadn’t experienced the kind of desire or pleasure with your previous lovers. Tony was attentive and giving in bed, smug, sure, but un-fucking-believable. Nothing would ever come close.

Gripping your thighs firmly, he lapped at your cunt, allowing you to ride his face as you pleased, his tongue expertly coaxing yet another orgasm out of you. You came loud and hard, grabbing the headboard for support while your body went lax against him.

“You’re unreal, you know that?” you whispered, cheeks reddening looking at his glistening lips as you fell onto your back, unable to do much else given how spent you were.

“Oh I know. But I am all yours.” He murmured, climbing back in bed once he was done cleaning up.

“That you are. All mine.” you agreed, draping your sheets over the two of you and snuggling close. Your heart swelled with pride every time Tony mentioned he belonged to you, and you to him.

What started as a simple wine and dine date for two of you two weeks after you moved in together had turned into a rather naughty night.

Not that you were complaining.

.

“Okay, I can be there in twenty minutes? Give or take.” you spoke assertively on the phone to Nick Fury, pacing about in the living room of your shared apartment while your boyfriend followed you like a puppy, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Certainly. I’ll see you there, boss.”

Once you were done, you were met with expectant doe eyes which instantly brought a smile to your face.

“I’ve been summoned to HQ. Something about classified files that need urgent sorting. And no, nobody with a lower pay grade can do it. Fury insisted it has to be me, so it looks like it's gonna be a long day for me.”

You answered one of Tony’s questions that you saw forming in his genius brain, walking over to the man to kiss the pout off his lips.

“Fiinee. I’ll be in my lab blowing things up. Text me if you need saving.” he winked, rubbing your arms up and down before pulling you in for a kiss goodbye.

“I will. And don’t miss me too much, Stark.” you murmured, toying with the ends of his slightly longer hair.

“That I can’t do, sweetheart.”

.

At the headquarters, you were assigned with sorting archived hard copies of Hydra files since there was a data breach in the system, Fury needed all hands on deck and it was very well going to be an all-nighter.

Tony texted you every so often, keeping you entertained in between your otherwise boring work at hand.

That was until a sudden interruption outside. A flurry of people and hushed murmurs and discussions made you hurry downstairs to where Fury was.

The large screen promptly displayed what the furor was about; a hostage situation at the Grand Central Terminal caused several panicked citizens to scramble out of the place while several gunshot sounds echoed, which you hoped to God weren’t aimed at any innocent lives.

Nick Fury stood with his hands behind his back, as usual, watching the scene unfold calmly, almost like he were watching a movie.

“What’s happening, boss? Who are these men? Hydra?” You exclaimed, watching in horror as more bullets were fired followed closely by screams and shrieks of the people they had captured.

“Looks like it. Don’t worry, Y/L/N, I’ve got the lead of my boy band taking care of them.” He nodded, giving you his signature look.

As if on cue, your boyfriend flew in, landing right outside the station in a pose that almost made you roll your eyes. Such a show off.

Soon after, you watched Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff jump into action, carefully guiding the hostage civilians out to safety while Stark zoomed in and out of the footage available for you.

It was always a thrill watching Iron Man in action, the man was a sight and he knew it. Before you got to know him, you’d roll your eyes at his ostentatious nature, this time around though, you felt a sense of pride as you watched your man take down the bad guys.

And then, something happened in a fraction of a second that felt like an eternity to you.

Tony had half stepped out of his suit and taken one step down the stairs when a bomb detonated. The blast flung him in the air and you could do nothing but watch as he landed in rubble. You felt the air being knocked out of your lungs as he lay there unconscious, injured, barely breathing.

He had to be alive. He had to be.

Getting out of HQ and to the infirmary where Tony was brought in was all a blur, you were on autopilot and it all seemed to be happening too quickly and too slow all at once. He had been taken into emergency surgery, shrapnel had damaged his arc reactor and it had to be removed.

You paced outside the operating room, trying your level best to keep it together and not crumble on the floor.

He would make it, he had to.

Tony had been strong enough to survive in a cave in Afghanistan, he would be strong enough to survive this as well. You kept repeating it to yourself.

The doctors walked out of the operating room a couple of hours later, giving you a squeeze on your shoulder.

“He’s fine, Miss Y/L/N. A broken rib and several contusions to his body. We had to remove the arc reactor from his chest along with the shrapnel that had been lodged all those years ago. His heart is safe now. He’s resting.”

After what seemed like a long, long while, you breathed a sigh of relief, thanking them for saving his life. Your heart thumped as you made your way inside the ICU, you’d always hated hospitals. They rarely brought happy memories back.

It would still be a couple of days before he was permitted visitors, a glance through the glass window was all you were allowed for now. Tears pooled in your eyes at the sight of him lying in bed with tubes and IVs hooked onto him. All the bandages made him look smaller in the bed as he breathed evenly, eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his battered face.

But he was alive.

…

You refused to move from his bedside, now that the doctors had allowed you inside, you spent your time reading to him, holding his hand and feeling his pulse, hoping he’d open his beautiful brown eyes for you.

Grabbing a coffee for yourself, you looked at your reflection in the mirror you passed in his room, dark circles under your eyes conveyed lack of sleep.

“Hey gorgeous.”

Tony’s croaky voice reached your ears before you turned to see him offer you a weak smile. Tears that you had strictly kept at bay for so many days threatened to spill from your eyes as you hurried next to him, taking his hand on yours.

“Tony! You’re awake. How–how’re you feeling?” you cried, letting the tears fall freely as you kissed the back of his hand softly.

“Besides the fact that I’m bruised like a peach, I’m fabulous. I missed you.”

You chuckled at his admission, allowing him to wipe your tears with slightly trembling hands. Perching yourself on the edge of his bed, you leaned down to give him a soft kiss against his lips, feeling him smile against yours.

“Have you slept at all? You look terrible.” he commented with a smirk, albeit his voice was full of worry.

“You’re one to talk, Stark. You need a good scrub down, and a shave.” You teased back, running your fingers over his stubble, your heart full of love as Tony leaned into your touch, turning his head to kiss your palm.

“I was so scared, Tony.” you whispered, a few unshed tears escaping down your cheeks as you touched your forehead to his.

“I’m right here, honey. Right here with you.” he murmured, cupping your face tenderly, reassuring you of his presence while you nodded.

He was really here, with you. And he was safe.

.

Your fingers were tracing the scar that now marked the former housing place for Tony’s arc reactor, a reminder of all the things he’d been through. Tony laid his head against his hand while the other caressed your back, pressing kisses against your hair while you two caught your breath.

Under normal circumstances, Tony was chatty after sex, either talking about the randomest of things or you’d be convincing him for a little nap. However, his energy felt different today, nervous, almost apprehensive. You could sense it by the way his foot tapped against the entangled sheets and the way his fingers stopped midway along your naked skin, as if pausing to think before he resumed.

“Tones…”

“Yeah?”

“What’s wrong? You’re awfully quiet today.” you murmured, placing your chin under your hand as you looked up at him.

“Nothing’s wrong, um. I’m good, growing old maybe. I’m tired.” He tried making a joke but you weren’t buying it, giving him a look that made him sigh and sit up against the headboard.

“I’ve been thinking. That blow-up made me realize how fleeting time is. I couldn’t imagine what you must’ve gone through, what I would’ve done if God forbid you were in my situation, you know? God knows our jobs aren’t exactly ‘safe’.”

His hold on you tightened unconsciously, making you press a soft kiss against his cheek, encouraging him to continue.

“I love you more than I could ever imagine loving someone, Y/N and I don’t want to spend any more time apart. Waking up next to you is my favorite thing in the whole world, hearing about your day, ranting to you about mine, and the sex? I mean, I

could go on and on and on…”

You giggled, stopping his rambling by covering his mouth with your hand, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Tony gently peeled your hand away, kissing the back of it before holding it over his heart, letting you feel his steady heartbeat. You swore your heart was about to beat its way out of your ribcage any minute now, given where Tony’s speech was going.

“Basically what I’m trying to say is, my former battery-operated heart belongs to you now. You’re my home. So Y/N Y/L/N, would you do me the honor of dancing with me naked in our bedroom right now?”

Your breath almost hitched until he said what he did, taking you by surprise yet again.

Did you even hear it right?

“What?” you sounded too unlike yourself as Tony stifled a smirk, wrapping the sheets around your bodies and guiding you out of bed, pulling you flush against his chest and gently swaying you both.

“I want to do exactly this, now and forever. You and me. What do you say? Think you can handle me for the rest of your life?”

His eyes held all the honesty you were looking for, big brown orbs swimming with love as he flashed you his winning smile, waiting for you to answer.

“Oh, I can handle you alright. I love you Anthony Edward Stark. But only for the mind-blowing sex.” you teased, letting out a yelp when he playfully slapped your butt.

He dipped his head down to meet your lips in a kiss that made you swoon. All the words unsaid were conveyed in the kiss and all the unasked questions went answered. .

“What? No ‘typical Stark’ this time?” Tony mumbled against your lips, carding his fingers through your hair and brushing your nose with his.

“Shut up and kiss me, Stark.”

“Yes ma’am.”

…

What do we think???!!!

#tony stark x you #tony stark x reader #tony stark fluff #tony stark fanfiction #tony stark imagine #tony stark smut #tony stark fic #iron man fanfiction #iron man x reader #iron man #the stark squad #marvel fanfiction #mostly marvel musings

[louroth]

Hello everyone :> 

It's been a month! it's incredible how much my life has changed- while I'm still adjusting I'm just...still walking on clouds. it feels unreal. the patreon took off and I can almost make a living wage on it which is frankly fucking insane, and the discord is so vibrant it scared me for a moment (not anymore- shooting the shit with the people there is the favorite part of my day, even if I sometimes just leave a trail of emotes lskjdhajksdhkjasd.) I couldn't have asked for a better community. YES I am crying about it. Thank you, so, so much. I am cradling your face in my hands. crying.

But as always, enough of my bleeding heart. Let's get to it!

The first two weeks after posting the update, I took a sort of quasi vacation and only wrote a handful of story-words each day, and spent some time fooling around in the discord + brushed off my smut archive to refine for Patreon. There are already 4 stories up, and a new one coming tomorrow- though I haven't decided yet whether it will be possessive/jealous L sfw short or one very nasty short where you come across a particularly insistent species of vines while trekking the forest. hehe. we'll see. >:3

But, even though I had to rest not to combust after work, I am very pleased to say that the next chapter is coming along great, with the skeleton finished for its entirety, and about 45% and some change already written (it's very hard to gauge because I jump around a lot when I write.) This is the final chapter before the forest, filled with action and the heart wrenching drama of offering tenderness to a certain someone, and deciding for your hunter when enough is truly enough. I have teared up writing certain scenes and I genuinely cannot wait for you to experience this next part yourselves. 

It is so funny reading things I wrote for this chapter six months ago, or longer, because I knew exactly what emotions I wanted to bake in and couldn't really nail it, but now it is coming together beautifully! Sure, it will still be wonky first draft writing, but the core is there and that is all that matters for now. I'm saying soon™ for the update for now, because I am allowing myself to adapt to writing full time- I didn't quit my job to become my own nightmare boss, and I truly want to enjoy this process. I think, in the long run, it will result in a better story. Patience is my mantra. All in due time- I cannot force quality creative work. But by everything wretched and sinful, I cannot wait to share this next part with you!!! I'm frothing at the mouth!!!

In other news, y'all. I need to get organized. I get heartburn thinking about all the different variations of files and notes and notebooks and scraps of paper and variables and branches of plot and just generally, the things to keep track of is getting to the point of a dragon hoard of scary 'oh no I forgot about that part'. I'm gritting my teeth through it until this chapter is out, but after it, I am going to spend some time to

 1) get my shit together in gorgeous, beautiful spreadsheets

2) get serious about finding beta- and proofreaders. (me @ u: 🥺)

But that's it, my friends! I scrapped an entire progress report because I started sounded corporate and listing points which was just... sad. I really hope I evolve into writing these in a more fun way, which would make them more fun for you to read too! But for now, I think this will do. I hope you have a beautiful day/night, and if you would like to see more in depth dev-logs of my writing life, or random sneak peeks, I post those weekly on patreon!

Or join our discord, which. It's just the nicest place, I can't even come up with words that do it justice. It's my favorite daily newspaper.

Until next time! x

#OUROBOROS #ouroboros-if #interactive fiction #dev log #progress report #im scuttling off to finish character moodboards now like a gremlin #i am wholly soaked and immersed in the world of ouro and that just feels... so nice. I never want to leave #on asks: sorry they have taken low priority while I adapt to everything happening. I read every single one and smile and laugh and ponder #but when it comes to actually answering my words just stop working. its a soup up there #send thots and prayers 😔 #(or come join the discord where I answer questions with gusto on the daily)

[arece]

hiii i was wondering if i could request john comforting the reader after they get some sort of nightmare or they get scared i guess it would be the opposite of the baba yaga intimidation that john has thank you in advance you’re awesome🤍

♤ a/n: The comfort we all needed after all that angst in the last chapter. This was a fun and cute little write I enjoyed! The series this drabble belongs to can be found here!

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A year had gone and passed quickly since the events with the Spade’s. You were shocked that John had allowed you to stay in his home, even Winston and Charon welcomed you to the Continental for check-ins.

It felt unreal and you still struggled with processing it all. Unconsciously a part of you was still waiting for John to kick you out, to realize his obligation to you was over and you were nothing but a lingering parasite.

You were always tense, on guard, never fully settling completely in the home. Of course, John being the ever observant man he is, noticed this. He had assumed that you were still weary from the attacks with the Spade’s, he’d be shocked if you weren’t. It was a very traumatizing thing to go through at such a young age.

The stress of your doubts had now reached your unconscious mind. Practically every night you were having nightmares that woke you up at odd hours. Usually you were able to stay quiet enough that John remained unaware of your predicament. 

Only Dog was aware and she now slept by your side to offer her comfort when you needed it, much to John’s confusion. Although Dog loved you, never before had she reached the point of picking to stay at your side over John’s at the rare instances you two were separated.

Though your luck had apparently run out tonight. John had finally realized what a waste of his time and skills it was to have you around. Lately, it seemed like you couldn’t do anything right; you messed up during training, broke a glass by accident, and forgot to help him with groceries like he had asked of you earlier in the day.

You could feel his frustration grow for you by the minute. You tried to make yourself scarce to prevent any further annoyance but it only seemed to backfire. He reached his limit, already having a bag pre-packed for you.

You understood where he was coming from but it still hurt. You tried not to cry, not wanting to show anymore just how weak you are. He passed you a lousy twenty dollar bill and told you to be careful in case the Spade’s got word you were on your own.

You were on your own. It’s not the first time, before Aurelio you were living on the streets. This time it felt different, you felt like you were missing something. You felt lost. Finding a small and empty alleyway for the night wasn’t very hard, finding a clean one however, was.

It had taken you hours and you were exhausted by then. With the sun setting you curled into a little ball, hoping it would help prevent any body heat loss throughout the cold night. Just when your luck couldn’t get any worse it began to rain like you were in some cliche sitcom.

You trembled, bottom lip quivering as you used the rain to hide the tears now let loose, though the sounds of your cries were bound to give you away. You looked up to see a dark figure enter the alley. You reached for the knife John gave you only to remember he had taken it back.

You couldn’t run as they were blocking the only exit. They reached for you with a tight grip, you tried to fight back but it was proving to be useless. “John!” You called out pitfully, knowing full well he couldn’t hear you and if he did, he wouldn’t help.

“John!” You screamed as two arms wrapped tightly around you, pulling your back to a firm chest. You squirmed with all your might but it wasn’t working. “It’s me. Hey, it’s me.” Your fighting slowly came to a stop when you finally processed the voice.

John. What was John doing here? You slowly blinked, regaining awareness. You were in the guest bedroom that John had now officially claimed as yours. You relaxed in his hold realizing it was just a dream, a nightmare.

He still held onto you even when he felt you physically calm. “The Spade’s aren’t coming for you,” he tried to reassure you. You softly shook your head, “it wasn’t the Spade’s - at least not till the end.”

He let you go in confusion, letting you turn to face him. “You kicked me out, I wasn’t enough to keep around and you realized it.” You could see the flicker of realization in his eyes, complete understanding for your behavior of the past year.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he grunted as he slowly laid down. It was your turn to show confusion, “what’re you doing?” He patted the side of the bed and Dog immediately jumped up, licking your face before curling at the end of the bed by your feet.

“It wouldn’t be right not having you around. You’re not going anywhere and I’m not going anywhere.” He tucked you in beside him, staying with you and Dog even long after you fell asleep. Prepared to reassure you if you were to wake up again that he was here and always would be.

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taglist: @khaleesihavilliard @ihatemyselfmorethanmydepression @tamnight @hesvoid34 @scarletmeii @romanreignsluver1 @wi1steria @not-a-big-slay @howlerwolfmax @mizzy-pop @sarapaprikas-blog

#john wick x reader #john wick x you #john wick x fem!reader #john wick #platonic #fem reader #john wick father figure #fanfic #john wick imagine #john wick one shot #arece drabbles

[sunandflame]

Flame and Water, Chapter 13

Ship & Trope: Kyojuro x Fem!Reader (Water Pillars Tsuguko) / Slowburn

Warnings: fluff / canon-type stuff / nsfw

Word Count: 4497 Words

pinterest board of Flame and Water

spotify playlist for Flame and Water

crossposted on AO3

Masterlist of Flame and Water

Weeks had passed and as cheesy as it might sound, you were on cloud nine not able to take your eyes off each other. The other was always present, whether mentally or physically. Your time together was one of the most beautiful moments in your life, always present with each other, whether mentally or physically, and it was so unreal how each day could be better than the day before. You made the best of it knowing about the life of a Slayer and how quickly it could end. Which was why the decision to become Kyojuro’s Tsugoku was easy for you to decide. To make it official, you both sent your Kasugai crows, Shimizu and Kaname, to Giyuu and Ubuyashiki, respectively, to inform them. Ubuyashiki approved the joint missions and thus the time together.

So it surprised you that such an introverted person that you were, was perfectly fine with spending 24/7 with such an energetic and extroverted person. It should exhaust you, but you enjoyed the time with him and were happier than ever. You were thankful that you now knew everything about your past, even if meeting Shinjuro ended in chaos, because now you were able to handle your fear of flames better than before.

In your training sessions, it didn't count that you were together. The training with Kyojuro continued to stay hard and your teacher, and boyfriend, was merciless as usual. You could really see and feel the results and one day it finally happened. You managed to use the flame breathing. You cried out in surprise at your first success, just to drop your bokken to jump into Kyojuro's arms, beaming with joy. It was a big success for you and also for him a dream come true. The dream of a Tsuguko who could use flame breathing. But neglecting water breathing was out of the question for you as it was a crucial part of your being. You would learn to use both of them in combination and you did after endless hours of training. Flame and water were now in harmony.

"If you keep it up like that you'll surpass me, my water lily! Or should I call you now my little flame?" He laughed when he stepped towards you to give you a kiss on your temple.

"I will never be able to surpass you, since you are my eternal flame." You surprised him with a kiss on his lips before giggling and pulling away so you both could continue with the training.

Water lily was a term of endearment that he came up with during a little picnic at a nearby lake to the Rengoku estate. Senjuro was there too and the boy seemed really attached to you. You couldn't blame him since you were the first female role model in his life and he was still so young and innocent. The food was delicious and the conversation delightful. Kyojuro fished a water lily out of the lake to put the flower in your hair and then gently caressed your cheek. "You are as beautiful and pure as this water lily..." Words he whispered into your ear before giving you a soft kiss on the ear. 

Senjuro had watched the interaction between the both of you with bright eyes. "I know I have no recollection of mother, but you two give me hope that mother and father were just as loving towards each other."

You and Kyojuro locked eyes just before turning to Senjuro. You didn't know much about Ruka because Kyojuro didn't talk much about her. Except that she was the one who taught him her strong morals. You admired the woman who made Kyojuro the man you love so much today and at the same time you were sad that you would never have the opportunity to get to know her.

Kyojuro turned away from you to turn towards Senjuro, taking his small hands in his big calloused ones. "Father and mother loved each other very much, which is also the reason for father's long-lasting grief."

Kyojuro's words gave you something to think about and you slowly came to understand the bitter man you hadn't seen anymore after the one confrontation. His love for his wife must have been so strong that he had to numb the pain of her loss with alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol changes people for the worse. Your thoughts were interrupted by Kyojuro's next words. "I know you were too young when your mother died, but if you want to imagine her, watch Y/N. She is just as wise, gentle and graceful as mother was." He turned his face to you and gave you a soft smile.

Senjuro's eyes radiated a childish delight as his gaze darted back and forth between you and his brother. "You have no idea how happy that makes me, Aniue. That Y/N is now part of our family too, as a big sister." Big tears rolled down his cheeks and you too felt the tears dwelling at the corner of your eyes. 

You moved up to the two boys and hugged them lovingly like a mother would. "Yes, we will always stay together..."

So the nickname Water Lily not only stood for the love Kyojuro had for you, but also for the new and fresh family bond that had also developed between the three of you. You held it and the meaning behind it dear to you because it was full of love and affection.

~~~

Kyojuro brought out the best in you and thanks to him you became more open and no longer afraid to express your feelings without fear of being judged for it. He always gave you the feeling as you were the most special thing in this world. He had influenced you, but your nature also influenced him. He allowed himself to be sad every now and then, and talk about the things he couldn't even think about. It was as if fire and water complemented each other and made the most of their properties. You were like Yin and Yang. You couldn't do it without each other and you were also a very good team in combat.

So it wasn't difficult to kill this one strong demon that was raging in Kyojuro's area. Nevertheless, both of you were too exhausted to start the return journey immediately. So you entered a hostel that immediately recognized you as the people, who had rescued them, and gave you the best room with a private onsen for free. It was too much of a thank you, but you didn't want to be so rude as to refuse the gift and a hot bath sounded just so good in both your ears.

It was a beautiful room and you couldn't decide what you wanted to see first. So you didn’t even notice how your loving but impatient boyfriend had taken off his clothes. With a wrapped towel around his waist, he pushed the door aside that headed towards the onsen.

Your cheeks turned red as you took in your boyfriend's muscular and broad back. He turned his head slightly towards you with a wide grin, not knowing what the sight of his body was doing to you. "Hope it's okay if I use the onsen first, I will hurry up so you can have it for you the whole evening!"

Your heart was in your mouth and you first had to sit down on the large bed of the room. You spent a lot of time together and when you slept you both usually shared a futon to lay in each other's arms, but you were always fully dressed and there were never indecent thoughts about it. That had now changed in one fell swoop. Your mind was now filled with suggestive images and you tried to control the flush on your face and your heart that was beating wildly in your chest. Suggestive images of naked limbs entwined together in an inappropriate way when suddenly the color drained from your face as you remembered how your own body looked like. 

He was so handsome and you were just - damaged. Filled with scars and hideous burns. Kyojuro would never find you desirable. Those were the thoughts you told yourself and yet you couldn't help but think of what you just had seen. Even if you had only caught a glimpse, you had seen his scars and scratches, and there were a great number of them.

This was probably the toll of being a hashira. Then why were you so consumed by self-doubt and self-hatred? Kyojuro would never bully you about your scars or say anything about them. Still, there was the fear, the fear of seeing disgust or something else in his eyes.

You shook off any doubts and undressed yourself, not waiting any longer. Covered with a thin towel you stepped onto the cold stone outdoors with your bare feet. As quiet as your steps were, Kyojuro noticed your presence immediately and turned to you with a wide grin, only to be speechless the next moment.

“I hope it's okay if I join you?” The Flame Hashira was still speechless and could only nod. His face and body had turned red and you weren't sure if it was because of the hot water. You still feigned confidence, but on the inside, your nerves were stretched to the breaking point. You slid the towel along your curves to the floor and used your toes to feel the heat of the water, only the next moment to slowly immerse yourself until your breasts and entire lower body were covered under the water.

There was a short, awkward silence where you both didn't dare to look at each other. Too embarrassed of this new situation you forced on the both of you. You were about to open your mouth to say something when he opened his mouth too. Both of you immediately closed your mouth to let the other finish, but now you were lulled into silence again.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so impatient. I'll wait for you to finish-"

"No!" You were already standing up with your upper body. Kyojuro's eyes fell on your breasts and his cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. "No, please don't go!" And so you sank back into the water and silence surrounded you and no sight of relaxation. Only this time Kyojuro dared to stare at you.

"Kyojuro... You are staring..." you began to whisper, cheeks flushed.

“I am sorry- I just can’t keep my eyes from you.”

The smile on your lips turned bitter, because you knew exactly why he was staring. It was the same reason why you wanted to avoid it. “I know I look hide-”

"- beautiful..." He didn’t let you finish the word, knowing what you wanted to say. He looked at you so sincerely, so full of desperate love. "Can I come closer...?" He was so careful and gentle with his question that it brought tears to your eyes. 

You nodded slightly. “You never have to ask.” He slowly approached you, just to take your face in his hand and kiss you on the lips. 

It was a soft and tender kiss and you both sighed into the kiss before breaking and leaning your foreheads against each other. His gaze wandered to your left shoulder where the brand mark started. It went over your left arm to your elbow. Your right side and breasts were unharmed but not the right part of your stomach - it went over to your back which was completely scarred, like your left leg. 

With cautious fingers he ran down your shoulder to your arm, fascinated by the different texture of the skin. Kyojuro looked worried. "I'm not hurting you, right?" He'd stopped immediately when he thought about the possibility of hurting you. 

You shook your head. "No.."

“Do they still hurt?” There was no pity in his voice, only concern and curiosity. His hand stroked your skin again and you slowly dared to touch him too. Your hand ran down his strong shoulders along his arms where you felt the strong biceps. You felt his tremble and saw how he enjoyed it, which is why you didn't stop. 

“It did hurt in the past. Sometimes it still does, especially when I feel stressed or troubled. Then the skin feels tight. Especially the back, that’s where it's the worst.”

He looked at you with an undefined look. "May I...?"

You just nodded wordlessly and turned around, taking your hair and draping it over your shoulder.

You waited patiently, letting him take in the image of your scarred back, knowing it wasn't something he saw every day probably. You were about to say something when you suddenly felt the searing heat of his lips on your back. A shudder ran down your spine and you tried to stifle the whimper that came out of your mouth. Especially when you felt his hands on your waist, holding you steady while his mouth worked up along your spine only to stop at your neck and take a deep breath. "Your scent... It's so intoxicating to me. Sweeter than any sweet potato..." he chuckled before sinking his face back into the hollow between your neck and shoulder and nibbled at the skin. His hands had meanwhile wandered higher up to your breasts. Your whimper turned to a moan as you felt his large calloused hand slowly and deliberately kneading your breasts.

"I can stop anytime…” Kyojuro groaned more than talked and you could hear the desire in his voice. With what kind of self-control would he stop now? It all felt way too good, you just wanted to look at him. As if he had read your mind, he turned you around and grabbed your face with both hands and kissed you so hard that you couldn't breathe. 

“Are you sure you are able to stop anytime?” Your both foreheads touched each other while gasping for air. There was a teasing undertone in your voice and while you both took a breath your hands were not able to keep still. Your hands caressed along his big muscular chest, that he seems to hide well while under the slayer uniform. You've never felt anything like desire for another person, but the sight of him made your mouth water. And before you could even think your lips were on his skin, kissing and nibbling along his pec. You heard a hiss coming out between his teeth and you immediately stopped to look up.

His face was red, but not in pain. “If you keep teasing me like this, then I can’t guarantee anything, my water lily.” 

“Oh- Was it too much?” You immediately pulled your hands away and stepped back. That means you wanted to step back, but he immediately had his hands on your waist, pulling you flush against him. 

“No, please don’t stop touching me…” You looked up at him and realized something. Namely that Kyojuro was apparently touch-starved. It made sense when you consider how he was raised. So it was not really a surprise. 

“I won’t…” you smiled and laid your hands on his face, pulling him down for a deep kiss.

At one point Kyojuro had carried you from the onsen to the bed. You kept your promise and your hands did not leave his body, touching everywhere where you could reach. You lay there entwined and he worshiped every part of your body, from head to toe. Praising them with words and kisses to let you know how much he loved you.

"I never did this with anyone else before. I should feel nervous and unsure, but with you it just feels right. It seems like my body and soul knows what to do.” And he was right. You didn’t feel nervous even though it was the first time for both of you. You both just let your feelings and your love guide you. Now and then there were moments when you both had to laugh about some mishaps, but it brought you both only closer.

There was a little bit of restraint at the beginning, but his kisses and words soothed the sharp quick pain. Your bodies were connected and it was like you both were one soul.

~~~

You lay exhausted on his chest, both of your hair were totally disheveled. It was good that you were both trained Slayers and had more stamina than normal people. So it was possible for both of you to get through 1-2 more rounds after getting a taste for how good sex really felt, but now you had reached your limit.

Your fingers drew lazy circles on his chest and surveyed all the small scars that adorned his body. For every scar there was a story he told you. It was exciting to listen to and it only made him more beautiful in your eyes. “How are those scars make you sexier while mine are just plain ugly. Though those old scars on my body are probably the only reminder to my past.”

"You are not your scars my love.”

“I know I just think I look hideous. How do you even still love me after seeing them?” You said it half-jokingly and laughed as you went, but one look at Kyojuro was enough to see that he didn't find it funny. His everlasting smile was gone. He grabbed your hand and kissed every fingertip.

“Never say something like this about yourself again. You are so beautiful, it frustrates me that you can’t see your own beauty. Y/N, look at me. Would you stop loving me if I lost an eye or adorn a huge scar on my torso?”

“Kyojuro don't say things like that! Of course I would! I- I am sorry... It's hard to let go of old habits. But I will try to see myself through your eyes.”

“I don’t ask for more.” You had looked into his eyes and saw his unconditional love for you. There was not a spark of doubt in it and as hot as the fire was, so was his love for you.

~~~

"Is this really the same person we met months ago? She seems so different so-"

"Kyaa! So adorable!" You heard the pink-haired girl squeak and interrupt the tall man who was the Sound Pillar.

“Y/N, you really seem like a different person. I am glad that you feel better.” Kocho gave you a soft smile. 

“Who cares! Most important is if she can fight and not run away as soon as she sees Rengoku! Where is he actually?” Shinazugawa's gaze pierced you, but you just stared at him without moving.

“You are right. Was he not the one who called for this meeting?”

“Apologies for the delay! I had Senjuro wrap up some food for us as I have something important to announce!” Some rolled their eyes in exasperation until they heard his next words. “Y/N and I are getting married!” And left everyone flabbergasted. Your heart had already jumped up happily when he stood next to you and put his strong arm around your waist and gave you a kiss on the cheek in greeting.

After a brief silence of shock, you were immediately bombarded with questions. Kyojuro laughed, remaining vague on some of the answers and you started to blush under the sudden attention of them all.

Yes, your beloved Kyojuro didn't wait long to pop the question, adding that he didn't see the point of waiting long, since he already knew that you were the only person he would love in his life and that he wanted to grow old with you with a lot of children. You had laughed at the sudden change and about this wonderful fantasy of his that might come true in the future. With tears of happiness you agreed to his proposal and became his fiance.

All in all it was a beautiful day. The engagement of the two of you was celebrated with the food that Kyojuro brought, although some were reluctant to participate. But overall it was a nice distraction from the mundane of a Demon Slayer which was all about death and grief. 

"So that's why you're Rengoku-san's Tsuguko?" Giyuu joined you, while you watched the love of your life laughing and talking to Tengen about something.

“No, not just because of that.” Your gaze wandered over to your old master. “He taught me to come out of myself. I am no longer haunted by the things that have happened to me. I am no longer ashamed that I am alive.”

"Yes, I see that. You look happier."

"I am," you gave him a soft smile. "Giyuu, you too deserve to be happy." No matter what the other Hashiras thought about the Water Pillar, he was still an important person to you, you might even say he was like an elder brother to you and he deserved to be freed from his personal demons. You wished for it with all your heart.

~~~

Days passed, missions were done together, until you sustained an injury. You had broken your arm and even more shameful was how it happened. It hadn't happened during a mission or during a brutal fight against a demon. No, it was a bright day when you and Kyojuro trained together. Senjuro had called you and that little moment of inattention had cost you.

Kyojuro didn't turn his head to him like you did, but attacked you with the bokken. In the corner of your eye you could still see the wooden sword coming towards you and you managed to dodge it, but it was so inelegant and so out of balance that you fell down on your right arm and broke it.

You were terribly embarrassed when Kyojuro panicked and carried you in his arms to the Butterfly Mansion, but you allowed it, even though you were able to walk. The arm was straightened and put in a cast and it was sweet to see how worried your fiancé was and yet you couldn't help but notice how nervous he was seeing you like this.

With your uninjured hand you took his and squeezed lightly. "Hey, I'm fine. Only, my sword arm is broken, which means we can't do any missions together right now."

"Yeah, I understand..." His voice was quiet, his face looked distant and now you were really worried. You put your hand on his cheek and brought him back to the here and now. "Sorry, my water lily... I was just thinking about my mother in her final days of sickness.”

“Oh Kyojuro…” You pulled him closer to you to give him a tight hug. “I am okay, it’s only broken. In a few weeks I will be okay. Look, in the meantime I can plan our wedding if you want, since I am not able to train much.”

"That sounds good." And there was his smile again that you loved so much.

Since it was not a complicated break, you could go right back with Kyojuro. He wanted to carry you in his arms again, but this time you firmly refused. You were too embarrassed as someone else might see it, and yet you found it incredibly sweet how he cared about you. Just like Senjuro who had apologized to you several times. You had to assure him that it wasn't his fault but just your carelessness.

You were pampered with your favorite food and everything else there was. A week passed before Kyojuro was called to a mission, alone without you.

“I don't like sending you alone on a mission, even though I know you'll come back to me safely.” 

Your arm was still in a cast, making you ineligible for any missions. Your good hand smoothed his white haori over his shoulder before you rested your cheek against his chest, his strong arms holding you in a tight embrace while you listened to his strong and steady heartbeat.

Still in his embrace, Kyojuro looked down at you and gave you a soft smile. His calloused hand brushed against your cheek. You blinked slowly with a smile to indicate that you were okay, thanks to him. It was so easy to communicate with him without saying a word. It was as if an invisible and inseparable bond connected you. He leaned down, brought his face closer to yours to meet up your lips, sharing a long and passionate kiss that made you both flush in desire.

You bit your lip and looked up shyly. "Do you have to go immediately? Maybe we could- I mean who knows how many weeks this mission will take…”

You heard his low chuckle and felt his lips on your forehead. "If you knew how much I'd like to share the futon with you right now, but you know trains wait for no one."

~~~

The fight had been brutal and if there was any hope of victory, it was dashed when Akaza's arm pierced through his torso. But he was not saddened. Even though he hadn't managed to kill the demon, he had managed to keep everyone alive and safe and that was also a merit, right?

It was difficult for him to breathe with only one lung. The demon's arm had dissolved while he was saying his last words to the Kamado boy he had grown so fond of in such a short time.

“I want you to tell my little brother Senjuro to take the path that he thinks is right, to follow his heart. And tell my father to take care of himself…” He tried not to breathe too deeply and paused as his strength was slowly fading while pain in his chest was excruciating. "And please tell my Y/N not to grieve too much and to feel free to let me wait in the afterlife. I will be waiting for her." He was sad for the moment knowing how much his water lily will grieve for him, but he knows that she was strong.

He could feel the blood oozing and turning the ground around him red. He saw his mother once more before closing his eyes with a smile, before he woke up again with a loud gasp.

His face was panicked as the young history student clutched at his chest, feeling bewilderment over the dream of his death. He was sweating, and checked for his eye that had seemed to be smashed too. 

Everything was still there. 

He was healthy and alive, so why did he keep seeing those weird dreams of himself as a swordsman and his brutal death? And who was this Y/N he kept thinking of? Questions upon questions he couldn't answer in the middle of the night, only he knew that these dreams had a deeper meaning than they should have.

🌊 🔥🌊 🔥🌊 🔥🌊 🔥🌊 🔥🌊 🔥🌊 🔥🌊 🔥🌊 🔥🌊 🔥

*sighs* Damn that was hard... Even for me. This story means so much for me and I wanna thank everyone who was with me along this way. I wanna apologize to everyone too. I know that some of you might be mad at me, which is totally understandable, but please (!) stay tuned till the epilogue comes out which I will post in a few hours. Than you may understand why I chose this route.

Big thanks to my lovely friend @desi-the-blue-eyed-kakushi for beta reading and editing who thinks that I am the incarnation of evil for writing this. (I know you still love me.)

Also don't forget to check out the playlist I made for Flame and Water. It will set the mood for the epilogue

Taglist:

@krillfromsky @kingmultiverse404 @deepressed @nelissecrectplace @yomoya-girl @theycallmemrsbarnes @roninishere @beelzmunchkin @kyojurismo @stuckinthewrongworld @lynnw @love-me-satoru @felix99999l @noarawriteszr @strawberrymm @rye-flower @demonslayeranimex @kittenssss-blog-blog @hanatsuki-hime @kxthxrinx3180 @thatw3ird0 @lovely-nayiq @annie-napier @cole-silas @inonezu-808 @witchy-scribblings @drowsydoggy @anjox @xkanrojimitsurix @ahashiraswife @mamayan @flametrashira @crazycatlddy

#sunnys work #flame and water #demon slayer #demon slayer fanfic #kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba fanfic #kny #kny fanfic #kyojuro rengoku #rengoku kyojuro #senjuro rengoku #rengoku senjuro #kyojuro x reader #kyojuro x y/n #kyojuro x you #kyojuro x oc #rengoku #rengoku x y/n #rengoku x reader #rengoku x you #rengoku x oc #kny x reader #demon slayer x reader #kny x y/n #kny x you

[whumpwillow]

Hazeshift 14 | villain whump

This is a series! masterlist    

ummmm yeah here ya go

{ Chapter summary: Haze, delirious, shows him images with his powers of what happened to him at Lisle’s hands }

warnings: past torture, unreality, hospital setting, low self worth, imposter syndrome

//

Two Davians. Two Davians.

Haze’s mind spun trying to work out why this was important. He knew somehow that it was, but couldn’t figure out why.

He felt lightheaded. Every part of his body buzzed with pain. That wasn’t unusual. He felt hot and sticky, and it took him a bit to remember that it was blood. He was being beaten. By Davian. Or Davians. Was that why there were two now? Because the first one was tired so the second came to take his place?

His fears seemed to prove true for an instant as he saw one of the Davian’s move closer to him with alarming speed, running toward him. That Davian punched the other one, sending him flying backwards and crashing into the far wall. Haze watched, stunned, as the man who’d been beating him just moments prior became nothing more than a ragdoll on the floor.

This new Davian crouched down at Haze’s side and threaded his fingers through his bloody hair. He didn’t tear or rip or pull, but held him gently, resting Haze’s head in his lap.

Ah, so this was another one of those peaceful visions.

He must have had his fill of pain and his mind had conjured up this image to comfort him, just like Davian giving him the apples. The blankets. Holding him like he was now, stroking his bloody cheeks with his thumbs, caressing him like he was something precious and breakable.

Haze tried to smile, split lips pulling back to reveal bloodied teeth. His eyes became glazed and unfocused and he saw Davian’s own lips moving, saying something but making no sound. Haze couldn’t tell what the words meant, even if the world seemed to play out in slow-motion. Davian’s mouth moved and made words, but all Haze could hear was ringing in his ears. He tried to focus on the shape of Davian’s lips, what they were trying to say, but all he got from that was how he’d never really taken a chance to look at them and realize how beautiful they were.

…

Davian looked down at the villain in his lap, heart thumping so hard against his ribcage he thought it might break. The sting of his fist from punching Lisle was negligible, incomparable to the hot blood that slicked over his fingers as he touched Haze. He reached out slowly at first, disbelieving of the battered figure that lay on the floor in front of him was the man who had lain in his bed with him just yesterday.

The Haze now was practically unrecognizable from that man. He lay near-motionless on the ground, covered in blood, his arms out at his sides and one of them bent at an unnatural angle. His hair was mussed and matted, wet and sticky, and his eyes had glazed over and now stared right through him. What scared him the most was the smile—sharp and bitter, like nothing he’d ever seen before, it was plastered over Haze’s face with blood-stained teeth and malice. So much malice.

Davian would’ve thought the man dead if it weren’t for the subtle rise and fall of his chest, the unstable rhythm of his hitching breaths.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream.

Why did this have to happen? He’d told Haze that he was safe. That he’d be safe here. He was supposed to be safe.

He gathered Haze into his lap, running a hand through his hair. Was horrified when it came away red. He shivered along with the villain he held, who’s expression hadn’t changed.

“Hey, Haze, Haze, wake up. It’s me. It’s me, Davian.”

Not Lisle.

He’d seen Lisle on the ground, straddling his former torturer’s hips, beating him to a pulp. More accurately, he’d seen himself doing it, the shape-shifted form of himself Haze's tormentor wore. He knew who it was without having to think—he knew all of Lisle’s tricks with shapeshifting from the academy.

Or at least, he thought he did.

Lisle had shifted into Davian himself to beat up Haze…he’d taken on the guise of the one person Haze found safe and desecrated it. A pressure built up in Davian’s chest that he couldn’t seem to get rid of.

Why did this have to happen?

He brushed the back of his hand over Haze’s cheek. “Hey, Haze. It’s okay. You’re alright. You’re safe—sa-fe—”

Davian couldn’t even get the words out. He inhaled sharply in the middle of it, his breath catching in his throat. His eyes burned and soon he felt hot tears escape them, only to land on the unchanging face of the villain he held in his lap.

He wasn’t safe. He was hurt. Davian had failed him, he failed to protect him, he lied lied lied—

Fucking useless, you are! There you go, screwing it all up again, a nasty voice in the back of his mind told him.

Davian was used to it by now, always whispering to him during missions what a failure he was. How he didn’t deserve to be known as the city’s greatest hero. That he was a fraud.

But this wasn’t about him.

So why couldn’t he stop crying?

Through the bleary haze of tears, Davian didn’t notice the smoke building up in the room until it was too late. He tried to cover his mouth, but he knew that would do no good, for this was not real smoke, not the kind from fires or those blasted cigarettes Lisle wouldn’t stop buying. This was the kind that didn’t rise or fall and didn’t blow away in the wind. The kind that brought with it not coughing fits but visions of disaster and torment.

This was Haze’s power.

Davian only had a moment to glance down at Haze’s wrist and the broken armband that had been restraining his powers thus far—evidently damaged in the scene Lisle had caused. After that, the smoke wrapped around him, obscuring his vision until it warped into something else entirely.

Haze sat in his cell, his body curled in on itself. Unhealed wounds wept with fresh blood, though he made no move to fix them. A voice came from behind. Haze turned around.

Lisle.

Then came the salt crystals. Rough, gritty, and coarse, Lisle rubbed it into the lashes on Haze’s back, tearing into them with his hands with a bitter callousness Davian never expected to see from his friend. An awful chill had settled over the man as he tortured the villain, a smile cresting on his face.

You broke faster than I did.

Lisle’s words. Teasing, mocking, vindicated.

He wondered for how long this had been happening, how long Davian had let this happen. Davian sucked in a breath, only filling himself up with more of the vision-smoke. Distantly, he figured it didn’t matter. All that really mattered was what the smoke showed him—how clueless he’d been. How blind.

Haze wasn’t the villain here.

Lisle was.

The smoke shifted again. The air grew thicker and Davian struggled to breathe. He pitched forward, trying desperately to get air into his lungs, but it was only visions. Memories.

The smoke settled and Davian could breathe again.

He was in the hospital room. The visions overlayed itself with where Davian presently sat in reality, though the unconscious body of Lisle that Davian had punched was not lying on the floor in the corner as he realistically should be. No, the vision-Lisle stood by Haze’s bedside, while Haze himself looked up with fearful eyes. Cali was there as well, standing on the other side of the bed. She held out her hands and asked Lisle for confirmation, to which he replied with words that sounded so wrong to Davian’s own ears, but seemed to convince Cali of his goals and her assumed purpose.

No.

Davian realized what they were going to do. He knew what Haze had suffered at the hands of the vigilante Sorrowborn, he knew what this would do to him. Lisle knew it all and intended to use Haze’s greatest fear, his greatest pain, against him. For revenge.

Davian tried to move. He made to leap up and stop the scene from happening, but his body wouldn’t obey. He was trapped, motionless, helpless as he could only watch as Haze thrashed under Cali's power as she sent jolts of electricity into his body. Worse than being tazed, worse even than if he were to stick a fork in an electric socket, the shock tore through the man’s body without mercy.

Davian screamed for them to stop, but the vision never wavered. Haze begged in the same voice as Davian was now, and neither of them could do a thing.

The smoke dissipated and Davian sucked in a breath. He was back in the hospital room, the real one this time, with everything where it had been moments prior. Lisle still lay unconscious to the side, but Davian couldn’t even look at him right now. He didn’t even know what to think about his former friend, the same man he’d gone to the academy with, studied together, laughed together, saved innocent lives together with.

And Haze.

The villain. The monster. The lackey for a group of people so evil that it couldn’t be put into words.

The injured boy. The fragile thing. the one who had been wronged so thoroughly and by so many people. Including himself.

next

#whump #whump writing #my writing #willow writes #original work: hazeshift #oc haze #oc davian #oc lisle #unreality tw #villain whump #villain whumpee #heroes and villains

[yoonia]

the bedroom hymns ● chapter vi

⟶ Chapter summary | Just when you had thought that you could not be more surprised, your father decides to drop you a new reality that you would have to deal with and learn, distorting everything you had believed about your life before living in the palace with the King

⟶Title | The Bedroom Hymns: a Bluebeard’s twist ⟶ Pairings | Min Yoongi x female reader  ⟶ Genre | Fairy Prince!Yoongi, Crown Princess!reader, Fantasy au, Fairy Tale retelling au ⟶ Word count | 6,9k words ⟶ Ratings & Warnings | PG-13, +18 / M for Mature for future chapters; still nothing much, but this chapter may contain/mention manipulation and deceit, curses, dark magic, weapons, discussions about war, act of drinking/alcohol mentioned ⟶ Story Masterlist | ⤎ previous chapter | next chapter ⇢ ⟶ Main Masterlist | Mailbox | Taglist | Feedback | Music Playlist | Ko-fi

chapter vi. the castle by the sea

After dropping such an outlandish response to your gullible question, King Aneas sits you down in front of his desk to give you a chance to process everything. Once you are settled, he goes around his desk to pour you a drink while he slowly begins to tell you a little bit more about this place.

“Imagine yourself looking into a mirror and seeing another world that exists on the other side which appears with your reflection. It looks similar to the world where you are standing in, but it is not quite the same. You might say that this realm and the world you came from exist the same way. The Land Far Far Away is not entirely different to the human realm, except most everyone here was born with mana or aura flowing within them. Magic exists here everywhere you go, and there are also beings that you would never see walking amongst common humans in the other world. Smotia is like a barrier separating the two realms, and it can also act like a magic door which connects both realms under specific conditions. That was one of the reasons why I chose to claim the territory before anyone else could and expanded our empire from here to the land of Smotia.” 

Mana? Aura? A place filled with magic? 

Once again, what you are hearing from your father sounds absurd, and yet, you still believe him. “Everyone? Even you, and all the people here in the castle? Is that how you managed to travel so quickly to get here? With magic?”

A grim smile appears of his face when King Aneas answers you, “Yes, Princess. There is mana here all around us, and within the people you saw here in the castle. There is mana flowing within me, just as much as you have it within you since the day you were born.” 

There is magic…inside me?

Everything seems unreal, and still so many questions continue to come through you. But you believe every word he says, as deep down you know that there is no way your father, would ever try to trick or deceive you. Not about something like this. 

As he sees you falling silent, His Majesty hands you a glass filled with a finger deep amber-coloured drink, something that you are most grateful for. Because after everything that you had been put through, and after listening to all the things that he had just said to you, you are obviously going to need one. The drink tastes unlike anything you have had before, but it does soothe your body and mind a little, allowing you to regain your focus again as he continues, “You were still so little when you were taken away from home, so you might not remember much about the life you had in this palace. I also understand that it might take a while for you to get used to things here, especially when there is no magic exist where The Citadel and the Seacrest Manor are located.” 

You take a few more sips from your drink to stop your head from spinning. You may have recovered quite well from the shock so far, but it doesn’t really mean it would make it easy for you take everything in so quickly. But then something that His Majesty mentioned earlier clicks as your mind wanders back to the forest, when you recall all the peculiarities that the Elcester Forest possesses. 

“You said earlier about our homeland acting as a magic door. Does it have anything to do with Elcester Forest? Is that where these two places meet each other?” 

King Aneas hums approvingly. He even seems quite pleased with your question, but you have no idea why until he explains, “You are correct. The forest acts like a tunnel that opens up to this realm on the specific nights when the flow of mana in the air are the strongest.” 

“Wouldn’t the townsfolk be able to go through the forest and find this place?” you question him, though you quickly recall that there has yet any word of the common people ever reaching the other end of the Elcester Forest, not even the hunters who have free rein of the forest during hunting seasons. 

“Have you heard any of them succeeding so far?” King Aneas questions you, as if he can read your thoughts. “There is a powerful magic that has been set in the forest that prevents the common people from going too far into the forest or to find and go across the borders between the two realms. For common folks, the magic will act as an illusion to confuse them and make them go in circles until they find their way back home to the towns in Smotia. For folks like us, with the right spells casted on the right time, a portal will open on the invisible walls protecting the realm to allow us to pass.” 

“Last night,” —you start, recalling the events which happened during your journey—the rising thick white mist, the peculiar gloom that kept getting intense as you got deeper into the forest, the sightings of the blue flames, and the wall of blue inferno that was so ominous in its presence—and you begin questioning, “Was that the reason why you chose last night, the eve of Lemmus Rising, to send me away from The Citadel? Had it been one of those special nights that you were talking about?” 

Crossing his hands on the desk before him, King Aneas leans forward as he explains, “Lemmus Rising is a phenomenon created by the magic protecting the forest, when the magic grows the strongest that it often manifests into small patterns of mana appearing in various places within the dark forest like guide lights to show you where the portals would be able to appear. Normally, regular humans won’t be able to see them with their bare eyes, yet some of the elders who had lived in Smotia for a long time have caught sights of them and may have mistaken them as the souls of the dead.” 

You remember how you felt seeing the small flames appearing between the thickets, and try to imagine what would have gone through the people’s minds as they saw those lights. “You let them believe it to be true.” 

Laughing gently, your father merely shrugs. “It was the easiest way to hide the truth from the common folks,” he says, not even showing any drop of remorse from deceiving his own people, while you can only shake your head and silently wonder how he can be so lenient about this matter.  

“This is all so confusing.” 

King Aneas nods his head understandingly. “Take your time. You will get used to everything here once you’ve settled down. It’ll be too soon for you to understand everything. I’m sure you’re overwhelmed and you haven’t even had time to rest,” he says as he leans back in his seat, looking as if he is ready to end the conversation for now. “You have Lady Abigail to keep you company, and Lord Gordan to show you the way around the castle. I have also instructed Lord Gordan to teach you all about the castle and this part of the region to help you understand how everything here works, so he may be able to answer some of your questions when I’m not around to help you. You will also be assigned with a new tutor, one who will guide you to learn more about magic and to use the mana you have inside you.” 

Shaking your head, you can only exhale a deep sigh. He was right, after all. You are starting to feel overwhelmed with all of this. “You know that I still have so many questions to ask you.” 

“I’m sure you do, and you shall have all the answers you need,” King Aneas says with a soft chuckle. “Unfortunately, I will not be able to answer them all today as I cannot stay. I have matters to attend to and preparations to deal with, but I shall return later before supper. The lady maids would have sent all of your belongings to your bedchamber by now so you will be able to settle in soon. In the meantime, Lord Gordan will show you the way to your bedchamber where you can freshen up and perhaps take a short nap until breakfast is ready for you. You must have found it hard to rest in the carriage all night long.” 

Nothing else is shared between you and your father until Lord Gordan arrives at the study room under His Majesty’s immediate summon to show you to your bedchamber as your father has instructed him to. This time, there are no guards following you close behind as Lord Gordan guides the way, which lessens all the tension you may be feeling for having extra eyes shadowing your movements. 

Walking down the hallway with large windows overlooking the palace’s grounds, you cannot stop comparing this place to The Citadel. Much like how King Aneas had explained it to you earlier, this castle does remind you a lot to your previous home, with minor details separating the two of them from one another. The inner courtyard appears almost twice the size of the one you would normally see back home, with a few more towers standing all around the castle. There is even one which appears larger than any that you have seen before, standing so grand that you cannot help but pay attention to it as you walk by. 

You curiously point this out to Lord Gordan as he starts explaining a bit about the castle, and he gladly answers for you, “The South Tower does appear quite grand when it is viewed from this distance. On the top floor, you will find the gallery which would allow you to get the perfect view of the entire estate and the surrounding area around the palace, including the ocean and the cliffs which stand across the coastline. You might also get a glimpse of the bluffs and the part of the Elcester Forest that stretches out all the way here from the capital city of Smotia. His Majesty may handle most of his work at The Citadel, but he does spend quite a lot of his time here in the home castle, either in his study room or the South Tower gallery to work when he is not resting in his bedchamber whenever he returns home.”

For some reason, you feel like you are being drawn to the South Tower that you cannot look away from it. Knowing that the King spends a lot of time up there also draws your curiosity that you keep focusing on it until you can no longer see it after walking past a few more windows. Once the tower is out of sight, you turn your gaze towards the end of the courtyard, where you can see a long brick wall with an iron gate at its center, which is surrounded by shrubberies and flowers blooming in various colours, reminding you of the gate which opens up towards the gardens you have back home at The Citadel. Once again, it draws your curiosity and immediately question this to Lord Gordan. 

“That is correct, Your Highness. The gate leads to the palace’s gardens. I’m sure you would love to visit the place as His Majesty himself takes good care of it both with his hands and his magic.” 

Hearing how the garden here may contain your father’s magic, you wonder if you can take a closer look and see if it is truly anything different to the gardens at The Citadel. “Will I be able to explore around?” 

“Why, certainly, Your Highness. You are most welcome to do so anytime you’d like. This place is your home, after all. If you ever need any guide to show you around, you can always ring for me or any of the lady maids which have been assigned to you,” Lord Gordan says just as you finally arrive at your bedchamber. He opens the door for you and ushers you in, and you are immediately met with an astonishing view of a brighter and more spacious bedchamber compared to the one you had previously, with large windows which give you the perfect view of the world outside the palace’s walls instead of a confined view of the palace’s premises. “You may take your time to rest. Breakfast will be set up for you in the dining room. I shall call a servant to come and fetch you once the meal is ready.” 

Lord Gordan excuses himself right after, giving you some privacy and a chance to have some peaceful time after a long night. As the door is closed behind him, you turn to find that your belongings have indeed been set up in the room. It makes you wonder how they had been able to send your luggage here so quickly and you silently question if the magic that your father had spoken about has anything to do with it. 

Even your weapons—the bow and arrows and your short sword which you had brought with you from home—are here, placed orderly on the side of the room together with your luggages. 

Once you are completely alone, however, the unsettling feeling of being in a strange place full of wonders return to you. It makes you feel restless, while at the same time, you also feel curious. Excitement overcomes you when you think about the many wonders that you might see in this new world you have found yourself in. 

Just as you are beginning to think about the promising future, you are suddenly drawn towards the windows, where you can get a clear view of the coastline in the distant. You take a seat on the settee that has been set up on the windowsill to have a good look at the spectacle before you, the sun now shining brightly enough to allow you to take in every little detail you see. 

Gazing out towards the cliffs like this only makes you think about your dreams again. Some parts of the dream may have been starting to fade, yet a few small things are still clear in your memory. The way you felt when the mysterious man first appeared before you, the flutters building up in your chest and the soft tingles that came rushing through your skin when he touched you with his barely-there caress, and then there was his deep voice, and his enthralling words when he said,

“I’ve been searching for you for a very long time.”

How was it possible for a dream to feel so real? 

You have been wondering about this ever since the dream first came to you in your sleep. You can even feel it now, when your necklace seems to grow warmer, and it almost seems like it is vibrating subtly against your skin the more you are thinking about him. Even your skin tingles with the ghost of his touches, as if he wasn’t just a vivid image that your subconscious had created to fill your dream.

Reaching up to the window, you brush the tips of your fingers against the glass, wishing that you can somehow find a way to reach the cliffs in your dreams that now seem within arms reach, and silently wonder if it would be wrong for you to have hopes for your dreams would come true. 

Time seemed to pass by so quickly as you let your mind wander off to the man in your dreams and for getting lost in the beautiful view of the coastline. You managed to doze off for a moment while basking in the warmth coming from the sunlight, but as you woke up, feeling sore from the odd position you found yourself in but somehow refreshed from the quick nap, there was still no sign of a servant or a maid who was sent to fetch you for breakfast.

You even took a quick cold shower as you waited, and even took your time dressing up, but still nobody came knocking at your door after the long wait.  

It didn’t take long for you to feel bored, and you finally gave in to your curiosity. Your desire to see more of the castle instead of staying idle in your bedchamber took over and you decided to leave the bedchamber and do some exploring of your own. Thinking that this castle would have been built similarly to The Citadel, you were confident that you would be able to find the dining room on your own. 

But you found out quite soon enough just how wrong you were. 

You have no idea how much time has passed, but know for sure that you have gone quite far from your bedchamber, yet you still have yet to find the royal dining room where the breakfast is supposed to be prepared for you. Instead, you find yourself getting lost in long hallways, with doors that are locked and windows that do nothing much to show you where to go. 

Just when you are about to give up, you reach up to touch the pendant hanging on your necklace to find warmth and calmness from it. Suddenly, it feels like you are being guided, your intuition telling you where to go and you simply give in to the voice in your head, allowing it to guide you until you find yourself in an indoor atrium with glass ceiling above your head which allows the sunlight to come through. And right at the opposite side of the room, appears to you the doors opening up towards the royal dining room that you have been searching for.  

Is this some sort of magic, much like what His Majesty talked about earlier, or was it my own intuition which led me here? 

You can only wonder silently about this as you make your way to enter the the dining room, where you find that breakfast has been served. You silently apologise out of guilt for knowing that there might be a confused servant out there who may have been sent for you and found your chamber empty, due to your impatience, and promise yourself to reason with the butler or the King’s aide later once you see him again. 

True to his words, His Majesty is nowhere to be found. And so does Nanny Abigail, who is no doubt still resting in her quarter, and to your surprise, neither is Lord Gordan. So you simply enjoy breakfast alone, with a couple of servants—who had rushed in the moment you walked into the dining room as if they had heard you coming—attending to you with plates of fresh fruits, pastries, and endless refills of your warm drink. 

After breakfast is done, you refuse the help from the servants to help guide you back to your bedchamber, insisting to go on your own. Yet, instead of retreating immediately to your bedroom and wait for Lord Gordan to fetch you for your trip around the castle, you decide to make a detour, continuing what you had started earlier to do a little more exploring around the castle by yourself. 

From the dining room, you try to find your way towards the garden. Ever since the moment you laid eyes on the open courtyard and the iron gate that was said to open up the way towards the gardens, you have felt the urge to be there, if only to see if you can find any traces of your mother’s touch. But instead of finding your way to the courtyard in mind, you simply find yourself lost yet again, as you keep finding long hallways that remind you quite a bit to a maze. 

The large windows facing the outer side of the palace are the only ones that help you feel less disoriented, but still cannot do much to help guide your way through the labyrinth. Yet, much like what you did before, you simply follow your intuition and let it guide you, until you find some more interesting rooms to see and explore—various atriums and foyers leading towards different areas in the castle that only seem to be more intriguing mazes and labyrinths where you could get lost in without a guide showing you the way—and more long hallways filled with rows and rows of doors which quickly draw your curiosity.  

Doors with various sizes, intriguing in the way they are standing with various embellishments on each of their surfaces. You try to open some of them, always finding them locked and secured with not a single budge no matter how hard you try. It makes you even more curious to know what they are, and where they would lead to, wondering why such a castle would have so many closed doors and so many rooms placed not too far away from each other when it doesn’t seem like there are that many people living in these quarters, as you have yet to come across any other palace staff other than the ones you met in the dining area. 

You continue to explore away from the massive rooms and the heavy locked doors, until you reach a foyer leading towards a stairway winding up a connecting tower. From down below, the stairway seems intimidating. You cannot see what is up there but faint shades of sunlight surrounded by darkness. 

But the not knowing does nothing to deter you. So up you go with your curiosity leading your way, until you finally reach the top, where the landing opens up to a spacious gallery with four sided walls surrounding its center hall. At the heart of the gallery appears a seating lounge adorned with a few loveseats placed in a circular angle, some glass drawers are placed against the walls, and a reading nook situated on one of its corners. On the two walls opposite to each other stand large windows, going so far from the floor and up near the ceiling. You walk up to the side which is facing towards the South. From the sight you see outside, you come to realise that you have arrived in the South Tower, the place that Lord Gordan spoke of as the place where the King would reside to whenever he needs time to work alone.

Pushing the thoughts of your father side, you look out the window, finding the view itself magnificent from up here. From where you are standing, you have a clear view of the side of the castle which was not visible at your first arrival. It appears to you that not only had the castle been built on top of the cliff and right above the sea as you assumed it to be, the castle itself seems to stand on the very edge of the precipice. From here, you can see the outer walls which seem to blend into the rocky cliff walls below, which goes almost a thousand feet down until there is nothing but the deep water and rough waves waiting for you. 

And the height itself seems so unbelievable that it takes your breath away. 

You can tell from one look that if you should ever drop from this window, nothing would be able to stop your fall except for those welcoming waves crashing against the rocks below. 

The thought of it alone gives you a cold chill, yet you remain there for a moment, marvelling at the view as you catch the sunlight reflecting on the surface of the ocean and finding the waves on the far side of the ocean much more calming than the closer ones. You enjoy the sight until you have enough and then step away, leaving the intimidating view below as you approach the windows on the opposite side of the room which seem to be looking out towards the other side of the tower. 

Looking out from this side of the room, a different view is presented to you. A complete contrast to the intimidating sight that came together with the steady sounds of waves racing below, of the cliff wall and the rough sea, yet just as magnificent still. As far as you can see, you get a clear sight of a sea of green tree tops with some steep hills and occasional sight of deep rifts where the hills and valleys are formed, accompanied by the glowing silver of the river flowing through the forest in the distant. 

The view you are seeing feels so calming that you lose yourself in it for a moment, as you bask in its beauty and the warm sunlight that comes flooding into the gallery enveloping you. 

Just as you are deeply mesmerised by the view, you feel a sudden pull trying to draw you away from the windows. Turning, your eyes fall on the wall at the other side of the atrium which had not caught your attention earlier. 

On the wall beyond you stand a pair of golden framed doors, both of them seem to be shining brightly in the room despite no lights coming out of them. One door appears to be coloured in the shade of radiant blue, while the other appears more subtle, but with more engravings appearing on its surface which are painted in glimmering gold. There is something about those doors that seems to be pulling you towards them. Before you realise it, you have made your way to them, with your hand reaching out to touch and feel them. Much to your dismay, you quickly find that both of them are locked, just like all the other doors you saw during your previous exploring. 

But there seems to be something different about these doors. 

Not only for the embellishments that you are seeing on them which make them appear so grand, but also for the way they seem to be calling you, drawing your attention and your curiosity that it makes it hard for you to look away or step away from them. It almost seems like you can hear these doors humming and whispering to you, drawing you even closer to touch them, to keep trying to open them. 

And yet, you are able to refrain yourself from reaching out to them again. Not sure of what kind of magic that the doors may posses, with your lack of knowledge about magic and spells and all the other wondrous things His Majesty mentioned during your short talk earlier, you begin to fear that they might harm you if you should continue investigating them closely. So you fight against the pull that the doors are emitting and turn away, quickly making your way to leave the gallery so you can continue with your journey through the castle before people would start searching for you.

Alas, the odd occurrence doesn’t stop there. As if the doors truly have minds of their own, just as you are leaving the gallery, the humming you can hear coming out of them seems to grow louder. You quicken your pace, afraid of what the humming might entail should you stay longer to find out what they are, only to faintly hear enchanting voices calling your name as you walk down the stairs to return to the lower ground of the castle. 

Once you have reached far enough from the gallery and the mysterious doors, the voices fade and all the tension that you have been feeling since the first time you heard them is lifted. Resting at the bottom of the stairs, you wonder what they were, or if they would serve any threat to you, knowing that your father would spend a lot of time on that same gallery above where the doors would be accompanying him.

Not one to get lost in your own musings, you use the time to explore a bit further before returning to your quarter. From the tower, it is easy to find your way back to the heart of the castle. Except that you make a different turn this time, hoping to find something new. Alas, it doesn’t take long before you wind up finding more hallways, with rows and rows of doors just like what you have seen before. Doors, doors everywhere you turn and look, all in various shapes and forms, all of them locked and bolted. Only the windows are open to show you the outside world and even those are not sufficient enough to be made as your exit from the main building. 

By the time you return to your bedchamber, not only exhaustion rolls through your body, but also wonder. 

“Welcome home,” the King father had said upon your arrival. 

Deep down, you find it hard to see this place as such, judging from your first exploration of this place. On first glance, and after your first encounter, this castle seems more like a veritable prison, much like the dark castles that the townsfolk would talk about in their dark tales and urban legends.

As you sit on your bed to wait for the day to pass, you spend it wondering just how you are to make this place as your new home without feeling like a prisoner, just like you have been while you were living in the heaven-like prison called The Citadel. 

The home camp for The Brotherhood of Jorn has been lively since the break of dawn. Between the hired soldiers preparing to leave for their jobs and the plans to move camp before the change of season, not a single one of these soldiers have been idle. Meanwhile, at the head of the camp, the Captain himself is preoccupied with his own affair to meddle with his men’s dealings. 

“A carriage traveling through the bluffs, you say?” Min Yoongi questions his attendant as he walks in fast pace towards his horse, carrying his heavy travel bag on his side. 

“Yes, Your Highne—oh, I mean, Captain,” Ansen responds to him, sounding troubled and breathless as he struggles to match his sovereign’s quick pace. “The patrolling guards from the outer borders of Emburn Empire that you ordered to watch over the wastelands claimed to have sensed a disturbance from the uphill woods. So they went out of their scope of patrol to see what was going on. They came and intercepted a carriage going downhill from the source of disturbance, and suspected that their arrival may have something to do with it, even though they was said to have come from the direction of a neighbouring town nearby.” 

Ansen stops talking to catch his breath just in time for Yoongi to reach where his loyal horse has been waiting for him. Once he manages to calm down, Ansen lends a hand as Yoongi begins fastening his bag on the side of his horse’s saddle, all while continuing to rely the message that he had just received from home. “After gaining information from the carriage’s driver, the guards continued their journey uphill but found nothing. There were small traces of magic left behind near the top of the hill, and rough tracks of the carriage wheels that seemed to have come out of nowhere, that’s why the guards suspected the possibility of portals opening in that area but couldn’t find its source.” 

Yoongi halts just as he hears this. His heart starts racing, even if he does feel uneasy about the royal guards going through the bluffs when they weren’t supposed to. 

The bluffs which Ansen mentioned is the uncharted area spread right outside the territory of his true homeland, the Emburn Empire. A territory which has become the main border between the outer region of Emburn Empire in the Land Far Far Away and the human realm. But what makes the territory completely inviolable and considered to be a sacred land is the wastelands located on the other end of the bluffs. 

Hidden under the thick wall of infinite mist and perched atop of the Earthpeak cliff, is the ruins of the Flagon Empire, the mighty kingdom which had fallen during the Great War between the fairy kingdoms of Far Far Away many, many years ago.

The only traces left behind from the missing part of his soul which he is now chasing with all of his will. 

There was a reason why Yoongi had ordered some of his men to pay close attention to the wastelands, as he felt that if something was about to happen, then it would only begin right where everything started many years ago. He just never expected that his men would come too close to the borders where the remnants of the Great War, the toxic spells and dark magic, may still exist.

“And what did they say about the carriage?” Yoongi questions his attendant without daring to look at him, afraid of what kind of expression he might be showing after hearing about activities happening in the bluffs. 

“It was said to be a common carriage, with an emblem that doesn’t seem to represent any nearby kingdom, either in the Far Far Away land or in the human realm,” Ansen explains, suddenly feeling a bit unsure just when he is about to continue. “There is one problem, however. Our soldiers testified that they sensed a magic shield surrounding the carriage as they came past, and as they were leaving the area, they caught sightings of horsemen which seemed to be following them from a fair distance while trying not to be seen.”

Yoongi turns around to face his attendant just then, noticing Sergeant Jang Yijeong who is coming to approach them. Seeing the look on his friend’s eyes, Yoongi can tell that Yijeong has heard what Ansen has been telling him.  

“Did they have a good look at the passengers?” Yoongi asks again, just as Yijeong stands right beside Ansen, and the three of them gather closely as the attendant relays the news to them while making sure that nobody around them would overhear. 

“Yes, Captain. Although, there seems to be a problem with the information given by the messenger,” Ansen looks a bit doubtful for a moment before he begins to explain, “According to the soldier who came to observe the carriage closely, the passengers seemed to be two maidens, one who was a bit older than the other. Both of them were wearing fancy coats with common summer dresses underneath. The other soldier who conversed with the driver was told that the two ladies were out on vacation from a nearby town, and they were out heading towards the coastline to catch the sunrise.” 

Yoongi frowns at this information. Why would a common carriage drive through the bluffs, daring themselves to go as close as the wastelands and almost breaching through the borders of Emburn Empire if they were merely searching for a chance to watch the sunrise, a sight that wasn’t too uncommon on that part of Far Far Away land?

He turns to Yijeong, already recognising the look that his friend is giving him before he even dares him to speak. “Why do I get a feeling that you are also here to give me news?” 

Yijeong’s expression turns grim for a moment, though there is a glimpse of curiosity written on his face when he speaks. “Are you talking about a carriage appearing on the other end of the realm’s border?” he asks, to which Yoongi confirms by sharing a summarised version of Ansen’s report before he requests Yijoeng to relay his news. “Last night, two of our men who were on their way back to camp tried to intercept a carriage leaving The Citadel during the rise of Lemmus Rising. They couldn’t get anywhere near the carriage, unfortunately, as they were caught by the royal guards rather quickly. They were apprehended and questioned about their movements, but were released without any repercussions once the carriage was no longer on sight.” 

“A royal carriage traveling at night into the forest, followed by an appearance of a pair of travellers at the bluffs? This couldn’t be a coincidence,” Ansen wonders loudly just as Yoongi begins wondering the same thing. 

“The Wicked King wouldn’t be that reckless,” Yoongi says to his men, although he still sounds doubtful.  

“But who were the people in the carriage? There were no news or signs of His Majesty leaving The Citadel last night. The men had been convinced by the royal guards that they were lady maids and palace staff being sent out to the orchard house which belongs to the Royal family in the Elcester Forest,” Yijeong inquires, to which Yoongi shakes his head after thinking deeply about this matter.  

“I don’t think that would be the case. We have never seen them sending out their palace staff in their royal carriages, let alone with multiple royal guards escorting them if it was merely for the palace’s business. And it would be odd to send anyone to work during the eve of Lemmus Rising, when the people would be busy doing their rites to pray for their ancestors’ soul,” Yoongi says, trying to be as calm as possible even if he feels like his voice is getting drowned by the sound of his racing heartbeat. “Whoever the Wicked King sent out with the carriage, they must be important to him, and he was using the Lemmus Rising phenomenon to cover it.” 

His voice sounds a bit hollow to his own ears as he says this, only because he is trying his best to tame the burning hope rising in his chest. 

A royal carriage traveling through the forest. The disturbance that was felt at the same exact time he felt a portal opening in the Elcester Forest. Two traveling maidens entering the bluffs merely a short period of time later. 

There could only be one explanation to answer this series of events. “They were in disguises. That was what the magic was for. Whoever they were, the magic must have changed how they appeared in the eyes of people who dared to take a closer look.” 

“Have you any suspicions who they might have been?” Yijeong questions him, but Yoongi cannot find it in him to answer loudly. 

I do. 

“I’m not too sure. But let’s watch closely at the situation until we can find out more,” Yoongi says, completely contradicting his own thoughts as he is suddenly feeling determined to find answers. Yijeong watches closely as Yoongi tightens his coat, only realising now that the white horse standing beside his sovereign is saddled and ready to go, with packed bags being hanged on his side.

“You’re leaving?” 

Yoongi looks at him and nods. “You said it yourself, didn’t you? It’s time for me to go home,” he says. “He is making his moves just as we’re getting closer, so it should be ideal for me to return and heal my mana, just in case it would be needed to handle any situation that may arise in the future. I might also be able to find some answers if I observe the situation closely while planning our next move.” 

Yes, he needs some answers. He needs to know what the Wicked King is up to and if this has anything to do with the recent movements of the neighbouring empire that seems suspicious. 

The only thing that he cannot possibly share to his companions is that he no longer has any mana left to spare. Not when he has been using the last of his mana to find his soulmate. Even if he had only managed to do so through his dreams. 

Yoongi closes his eyes as he recalls the first meeting he had with you the night before. It was some sort of a miracle that he managed to find a mage hiding in Smotia who was capable of using ancient spells to help him trace his soulmate. It was through the mage that he found out that there was a place where the magic concealing your presence would not exist. And through his help, Yoongi was able to see you through the dreamlands, to find that the one he had thought he had lost a long time ago has always been so close within reach, concealed under a spell hidden within the amulet you were seen wearing in the dream. 

The only thing he regretted was wasting the short time he had with you by promising to find you, only to find out that the Wicked King might have moved you to a different place. Will he find you if he returns home and once he recovered his mana? 

I cannot afford to have too much hope, not right now. Not after years and years of failing to find any trace of her in this realm, he silently tells himself, as he continues to wonder what is currently happening with Nythelean Empire. 

If she truly had been one of the maidens inside the carriage, why would he send her out to the wasteland?

Why now? 

— © 2023 Yoonia, all rights reserved. reposting/modifying of any kind, translations, unsanctioned adaptations are not allowed.

#btscreaturescoven #kvanity #bangtansorciere #yoongi scenario #bts scenario #suga scenario #yoongi fanfic #yoongi smut #yoongi angst #yoongi fluff #suga smut #suga angst #suga fluff #yoongi x reader #suga x reader #bts fanfic #bts smut #bts angst #bts fluff #bts x reader

[strangermarvelss]

the pain of letting you go- e.m (pt 10)

Pairing: Ex!Eddie Munson x Ex!AFAB!Reader

Summary: eddie has a solo therapy session and a sit down talk with wayne about everything that’s been going on

Warnings: angst, eddie pov, mentions of past trauma and abuse (please don’t read if the topic is sensitive for you), crying, eddie having a breakthrough, wayne being the g.o.a.t and talking some sense into his nephew, cliffhanger ending

Word Count: 3.7k

A/N: part ten of the series is here! can’t believe it’s almost done, it feels unreal. thank you to everyone for the continued support! reminder: if the topic is sensitive for you, please do not read. also, my two years of taking psychology in high school really came to play in this chapter, so if it doesn't make all kinds of sense, be gentle with my fuzzy brain recollection ! one last thing: eddie's backstory might sound a lot like billy's but that's just how i think it would be in this series! enjoy! :) -sava

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“Do you want to start by telling me what brings you here today?” The lady in front of him asks, her notepad open and a pen situated between her index finger and thumb. Eddie shifts, readjusting his sitting position on the stiff couch in the spacious office as he looks back at the therapist in front of him.

He did exactly what he said he would. He got home that day that Christopher got in the fight and dialed Jonathan Byers’s home number, asking for the name and number of the therapist he and Will used to see back in Hawkins when their parents were getting their divorce. He thanked the man and hung up, quickly dialing the number Jonathan provided and made the first available appoint for the Monday after Thanksgiving, thanks to a recent cancellation. 

Everything he said that day was true, he wanted to make it up to you and he would put the work in for that to happen. He spent the holiday alone, except for the breakfast he had with Wayne before he went back to bed to prepare for his shift at the plant that night. He mentioned wanting to talk with the boy, concerned about his lack of Thanksgiving plans. Eddie hadn’t really kept Wayne in the loop with everything that has happened between you and him, not wanting his uncle to look at him differently for acting so stupid. He was already beating himself up over the situation, he didn’t need more people he loved to turn against him.

“I’ve been an idiot lately,” he tells her simply, crossing his arms in front of him, putting a barrier between his heart and the unfamiliar woman. She smiles a little, looking at her notes before turning back to him.

“Happens to the best of us sometimes. Care to elaborate?” She questions, raising a brow. Eddie lets out a sigh, before opening his mouth to speak once more.

“I asked my wife for a separation, for a really stupid reason, and now that we’re not together anymore, I-I feel nothing but regret and I just want her back,” he explains.

She takes a moment to write in her notebook, before turning back to Eddie. She examines him for a moment, looking him over and Eddie squirms under her intense stare. Therapy was new territory for him. He often wondered how much better his life could’ve been if he attended regularly as a kid, but with money being tight and his asshole father not seeing the point, it was never a solid option. He probably could’ve saved himself a lot of heartache and trouble if he had a healthy outlet to express himself like this, really talking about his problems instead of blasting music and getting high to forget all the troubles the universe threw his way.

“This ‘stupid’ reason you said…what exactly was it? What led you to want to separate from your wife?” She inquires. Another sigh leaves Eddie’s lips as he braces for judgement.

“I-I’m in a band, called Corroded Coffin. I have this bandmate, his name’s Gareth. He made some silly joke about my rockstar image being ‘tainted’ because I’m married to the only girl I’ve ever dated and been with sexually, and already have a kid. Like I said, it’s really stupid, but, I guess I just…let it get to me.”

“And why do you think that is?”

“Why do you keep asking why?” Eddie snaps a little, already getting a little irritated. “I thought you were supposed to tell me all that. Tell me what’s wrong with me so I can go and make shit better.”

“We have to work through it to get to the root of the problem, first. Together,” she answers him, sending him a sweet smile. He huffs, pressing himself further into the uncomfortable couch. “Now, is what your friend Gareth said true? That you’ve only been with one girl your whole life?”

“Yeah, it is. No one ever looked at me that way before Y/N and I started dating, and it just felt right. Then she got pregnant, and we got married after she graduated,” Eddie explains a bit. 

“Did you feel like you married Y/N out of obligation? Because you got her pregnant?”

He takes a moment to think. To reflect on the entire 8 years you spent together in a romantic relationship, and the years before that you spent as friends. He always loved spending time with you, whether you were friends or more than that. He remembers the time he realized he had feelings for you:

The summer of 1982 was hotter than you both wanted it be, even at night. You and Eddie were hanging out in his trailer, listening to his Black Sabbath album ‘Mob Rules’, blasting it with the windows wide open for the whole trailer park to hear. You both were on your third beer of the night, not wanting to celebrate the Fourth of July at the annual fair Hawkins threw every year thanks to Mayor Kline, but instead just having a relaxing night in the trailer, which is why it was okay for you both to blast the music after quiet hours began.

You were both laughing at some silly joke you said about his neighbor’s cat, the alcohol evident in your system and the fuzziness swirling around in both of your brains making any and every thing sound like the best joke in the world. He noticed how sweet your laughter was, and the way your nose crinkled when you giggled at his jokes, your lips curling into the brightest smile he’s ever seen and how you tilt your head back when you found something particularly funny. 

The butterflies were beginning to swirl in his stomach when you flopped on the bed next to him, laughing so hard he thought you’d pee all over his bed and stain it further, since you’d already gone several times that night thanks to the alcohol in your system. He thought he could just laugh at hearing your laugh for the rest of his life, seeing the bright twinkle in your eye when he turned towards you and heat spreading to his cheeks thanks to the staring. 

The laughter died down, the two of you looking at each other with soft eyes and reaching for each other. He grabbed your arm, running his ring clad hand up and down your soft skin, and you went to brush his growing mane out of his face. He felt his heart beating so fast in his chest, thinking it might pop out of him and explode all over your pretty outfit, which was a low cut tank top and high waisted shorts due to the heat, not that Eddie was complaining. 

It felt sudden when you pressed your lips to his, but he didn’t care all that much as he quickly melted into your touch, bringing the hand that was once rubbing up and down your arm to cup your face gently. The two of you had been friends for a while, but it wasn’t weird to be kissing in that moment. The heat that was created between the two of you as your lips moved against each other felt so nice and comforting. Like it was bound to happen any day. Like Eddie always said: It just felt right.

“No, I didn’t feel like I needed to marry her out of obligation. Her parents maybe think that, since they kept hinting towards it throughout the pregnancy, but I didn’t feel pressured by them or her. I did it because I wanted to,” he finally answers the woman before him. She nods at his answer and quickly scribbles something in her notebook again.

“And why did you want to? Think back at how you felt around that time in your life. What made you decide you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her in the first place?” 

“Being with her made me feel truly happy for the first time in my life. I had a shit childhood and everyone bullied me up until I graduated at my third attempt at a senior year, but whenever we were together, even before we were dating, it felt like I didn’t have to worry about ever being unhappy. I just felt-I felt like maybe life didn’t have to suck as much as I used to think it did.”

“Good, that’s good. I think we’re starting to get somewhere. Can you talk to me more about your childhood?” The therapist asks, readjusting her position in the chair in front of him, crossing a leg above her knee and readjusting her notepad. Eddie’s breath hitches for a moment, swallowing it down quickly after. He never reveled in the details about his childhood too often. The last time he had to was some comment Christopher made about a family tree he had to make for school, and he had asked about where his mother and father were and why he only had one set of grandparents he went to visit during the holidays. It wasn’t a lengthy conversation between him and his son, not like it was when he told you all those years ago. He wanted to save that story for when Chris was significantly older. Please, it all still felt very fresh, as if it was happening yesterday.

“Um, yeah…yeah I can. My mom, she was the sweetest woman. Always did her best to care for me a provide some kind of normal childhood with what little we had. But my dad…he was a total prick. An angry drunk who used to beat us every time we breathed wrong. He and my mom would fight a lot, arguing about money and other pointless shit in the end. But it always ended in him ‘winning’, getting a few too many smacks in and taking it out on me when I would try to defend her,” Eddie begins, his hands clasped in front of him as he leans forward on his knees, one leg bouncing uncontrollably as he speaks.

“One day, thinks got a little too heated between the two of them because he lost his job at the body shop he worked at, being drunk on the clock and all. They got into a screaming match, apparently, because money was becoming tighter and tighter, and when he lost his job, my mom was the only one with a stable income coming in. He…he hit her. No, not hit. He punched her. He was going at her and just hurting her worse than he ever had. She ended up in the hospital, broken ribs and eye swollen shut, but panicking about how much it would cost her instead of worrying about her injuries. But she figured it out and once she was better, she left Hawkins. S-she promised she’d come back and get me, and we’d go live in a city together where we didn’t have to deal with that asshole, but after two months of getting the brunt of all his anger about it, I lost hope. Then six months after she left, my dad got locked up and I was put in my Uncle Wayne’s care.”

She nods at his words, taking in all the information spilled at her in such a short amount of time as she writes faster than Eddie thought anyone could. Eddie’s chest feels tight as his mind brings him back to his past. The pain from his father’s fists and the smacking sound he’d create against his chubby pre-teen face still fresh and the exact reason he was so worried when Christopher got into a fight at school. Sure, Eddie knew how to defend himself against bullies when the time called for it, but he tried to not get physical when he felt the need to get violent. The fight with his son, plus the smack you landed on his face when he was being a jealous dickhead about Steve, took him back to the small house he lived in on the outskirts of Hawkins with his father’s harsh words ringing in his ears and horrible actions making his skin sting.

“Do you ever find yourself running away from conflict, Eddie?” The therapist asks, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

“Um…yeah, I guess sometimes I do. But Y/N and I didn’t have any conflict when I asked for the separation, it was because of what Gareth said,” he replies. She hums to herself, raising her eyebrows a bit a shaking her head.

“But what if it was something deeper than that?” She ponders.

“What do you mean?”

She closes the notebook momentarily, setting it on the side table closest to her chair and clasping her hands in front of her. “What if you had a deeper reasoning, something that didn’t click into place until your friend said the joke. Eddie, with all the stuff you just told me, it sounds like the abandonment your mother caused you to feel could have something to do with this, as well as a bit of self sabotage.”

The abandonment was spot on, with the grudge he still held for his mother for leaving him in the hands of an abusive piece-of-shit still very present. But self sabotage? What on earth could he have been sabotaging? And for what reason?

“I’m going to need you to elaborate further, doc,” he pleads.

“Well, you said you never felt truly happy until you were with Y/N. Things were going good between you, so there could’ve been a small part of you just waiting for things to get bad again. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. So instead of you going through any sort of pain on the receiving end, you initiated the bad stuff before it could happen to you. And running away similar to how your mother did, but not exactly the same,” she explains to him. 

Eddie feels as if a lightbulb went off over his head as he listens to what she says. It all makes sense, because there was always a small part of him that told him he never deserved anything good in his life, words his father would spew at him continuing to stay with him many years later. He finally felt happy and let his head overthink that, not truly being able to soak up the feeling and throwing away the best thing he’s ever witnessed in his life. The words the therapist said, mixed with the insecurity of his lack of experience, all made Eddie feel semi-better about knowing what exactly led him to acting so stupid.

As happy as he was to get to the root of the problem, he felt like even more of an idiot for doing so and putting you through the shit that was going on with him. What if he managed to get this kind of help earlier, before acting on Gareth’s words and being a mini manwhore? What if he just talked about how he was feeling instead of keeping it to himself and letting you suffer in the process?

“That actually makes a lot of sense doc…thank you,” he breathes out.

“That’s why I’m here. I think we’ve made some great progress for today, and I’d like to try and see you once more before your family session coming up in a couple of weeks. Talk to the receptionist out front and see where they can squeeze you in,” the therapist says, standing from her chair and extending her hand to him. He shakes it as he stands himself, digging his hands in his pocket before walking out of the room and out into the lobby where the front desk is located.

—————————————————————————————————————————

Staring at Wayne’s truck in the driveway, Eddie takes a deep breath before turning the engine to his van off. Exiting the vehicle, he takes the few steps until he reaches the porch, climbing the stairs and walking in the front door. Wayne’s figure is relaxing in his recliner, feet extended as he watches a show on the tiny television. He meets his nephews eyes, Eddie giving him a shy wave before setting his keys on the kitchen counter.

“Hey boy,” Wayne greets him, pushing the recliner back into the regular sitting position and standing. He walks over towards the kitchen, his arms extending and wrapping around his nephew quickly. “How’ve you been boy?”

Eddie shakes his head, laughing a little as he looks to the floor. “Not good Uncle Wayne. Pretty far from being okay, if I'm being honest”

“C’mere son, lets sit down and talk,” he gestures towards the kitchen table, the two chairs already situated a bit for people to just slide it, the two men having a habit of not pushing them in. Eddie sits down, wringing his hands together as he rests the against the table. Wayne slides in, taking a sip of his drink as he looks at his nephew. “Tell me what’s been going on with you and Y/N.”

Eddie’s eyes shoot up to meet Wayne's, panic in his face hearing his uncle say the words. Wayne hated gossip, so there was no way someone else managed to tell him the situation before he did, right?l

“How did you-“

“Now you know as well as I do how fast word travels in this damn town. I may not like to gossip, but my ears do perk up when they’re talking about my nephew. I would’ve liked to hear it from you though, so talk to me son,” he explains, cutting the younger man off. 

“M’sorry Wayne, I just didn’t want you to be mad at me and be disappointed in me. I've already put you through enough shit...I-I just didn't want to add onto that,” Eddie admits, hanging his head low in shame, staring at the wooden table and tracing the cravings he did years ago with his fingertips.

“Eddie I could never be disappointed in you, and I mean that.”

“Thanks Wayne, I appreciate that,” he pauses, continuing to trace the carvings. “I really screwed things up with Y/N. I got in my head and let her go…and now I feel horrible. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done, and you know me, it says a lot.”

“Yeah son, I do know you. And you’re right, that is the worst thing you’ve ever done,” Wayne tells him. Eddie’s eyes widen, staring at his uncle crazily, a breathy laugh leaving his lips. “No, Eddie, I’m serious. I’ve seen how that girl has changed your life for the better, and leaving her like that was just cruel. She and that boy of yours love you so much, but I can’t for the life of me understand why you did it, because I know how crazy you are about her. So what the hell?”

Eddie frowns, hearing the disappointment in his uncle’s voice. He knew how stupid it was letting the one person other than Wayne who has ever treated him with any kind of love that he deserved go like he did, trading the simple family life for the rockstar life he’s always dreamed of. But now that he had that rockstar life, he hated what he gave up in order to have it. Losing you and your son wasn’t worth all the potential record deals and never having to worry about money again. 

“I know Wayne…I know I messed up. But I’m trying to do better-I am going to do better. I just came back from a therapy session, and we’re going to go as a family so I can see just how much this has effected them and see what I can do to be good to them. I want to be back in their lives and come home to my family every night and tuck my son in without him hating me. I want to lay in bed with my wife at night and hear all about her day and hold her in my arms as we fall asleep, then wake up and do it all over again. I never thought that’d be something I could want, much less have, but now that it’s almost out of my grasp?” Eddie stops, feeling the tears fall down his pale cheeks as he tries his best to compose himself in front of his uncle, turning away and rubbing his eyes with his thumb.

He keeps the sobs to himself, not wanting to look more pathetic than he already felt. He knew it was stupid to cry over his own mistakes, but it just showed how much he cared for you and Christopher. He loves you both so much, and despite everything, he wants nothing but happiness for the both of you, whether that includes him in your lives or not. 

Wayne stands from his chair, walking over and taking Eddie’s figure in his own, wrapping his arms around the boy’s shoulder and holding Eddie’s head close to his figure with his free hand. Eddie immediately hugs him back, his face burying into one of Wayne’s legs as he turns his head to the side, looking out at the living room before closing his eyes once more, fresh tears spilling over the edge.

“I don’t want to lose them, Wayne. I can’t,” Eddie mumbles out. Wayne nods, patting his nephew’s head as he tries to soothe him. 

“I know boy, I know. But you have to keep putting in the work. I know you love them, and they still love you, I can see it when I see Y/N around town sometimes with the way she still manages to flash me a smile. So go and be a better man for them, the husband and father they need you to be and get your head out of your ass,” Wayne says.

Eddie smiles a little, pulling away from his uncle and rubbing his tears on his sleeve. He was going to do whatever you needed him to in order to be on good terms again. He knew things wouldn’t magically heal over night and that he’d be welcomed back to his home with open arms next time you saw both of them, so he would wait as long as he needs for you to be ready and let him back into your life. 

That is, if you still really wanted him there.

#eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson angst #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things imagine #stranger things angst #fanfic #fanfiction #angst #uncle wayne #wayne munson #the pain of letting you go #strangermarvelss

[slashmagpie]

Blood & Snow

Pt. I

Directory: {Pt. II} {Pt. III} {Pt. IV} {Pt. V} {Pt. VI} {Pt. VII} {AO3}

Welcome to my @hermithorrorweek fic! I spent a while trying to figure out seven different fic concepts based on the prompt, and kept coming up blank, up until I decided to combine them all and write a single fic, with each prompt being the theme for a different chapter. Blood & Snow is the result, and at the time of posting it is not quite complete, but I'm excited to share it with you nonetheless. I'm hoping to post a chapter once per day, but later chapters may be delayed depending on how long it takes me to get them written. Some of this builds off concepts I played with in some of my earlier Decked Out 2 ficlets, which you can find in my writing tag. TWs for this chapter include: non-consensual body modification*, unreality*, panic attacks

I. GAME MECHANICS

Game design is simple, really.

Well, no, it’s difficult—but the principles behind it are simple. Make it fun. Make it challenging. Make it rewarding. 

Decked Out 2 is a game.

To be more precise, it’s a long-running, deck-building, dungeon-crawling game. It’s competitive. It has rewards—bragging rights, for one. Trophies, for another. If you win, you can get crowns, and buy things to make you more powerful, to make the game more fun. You get frost embers, which are used to build the deck, and—

Clank is Decked Out’s central mechanic. Trigger a shrieker, generate clank. Easy as that. Taking your artefact will also generate clank, because it angers the spirits of the dungeon. That’s another important thing about game design: atmosphere. Design. Having something that feels cohesive. So—no, max clank isn’t quite as dangerous as it should be, but very few mobs would work to replace the vex, because, well, they’re not the spirits of the dungeon, and—

Hazard is generated every thirty-seven seconds, roughly. It used to be thirty, but that lined up with card draws, and the sound cues were hard to keep track of. So. Hazard is generated every thirty-seven seconds, roughly. Hazard makes the dungeon more dangerous to traverse, by closing doors, raising pathways, and otherwise making certain routes more dangerous or downright impossible to cross. People underestimate hazard at first, but quickly find out that hazard kills. When clank maxes out, that turns into hazard too, because max clank wasn’t dangerous enough by itself, because the vexes aren’t doing their damn jobs—

There were two older systems that got replaced. Not a lot of people know that. Focus could be built up, would synergise with other cards, but it was just—it wasn’t working. It got reworked. No one would miss it. Delve was a difficulty setting, but it was dumb, just press a button to choose your difficulty, that works way better, and—

Game design is simple, really. 

Decked Out is not a game.

Had it ever been a game? In its first iteration, back in season seven, had it hungered the way it does now? Had it slept, slumbering beneath the earth, soaking in blood that would slowly, slowly bring it to life? When the idea had wormed its way into Tango’s head, a sequel—had that been his own thought? Does it matter if it was?

He’d certainly thought it was. Began drafting up plans, re-evaluating what he’d done in the past and putting better spins on them. Decked Out 2 would be huge, would be the biggest project he’d ever worked on, but it wouldn’t take that long. Surely.

…Thirteen months later, Decked Out 2 opened its doors.

Thirteen months. It had started as a hole, as many things do. A hole, a build, a plan, a citadel—Tango had thrown himself into it like he would with any huge project. And at first it had been—it had been a project. A build, a game. A giant hole filled with promise. A castle built in a week. Just Hermitcraft things. The usual.

When had it started? When he’d dug, and dug, for hours and hours upon end? When he’d carved jagged-looking scars into the landscape and dragged the citadel up from them? When he’d started building level one? When he’d begun assembling the redstone? When the ravagers and wardens began to roam its halls? When did Decked Out come alive?

…Had it always been alive?

Okay, better question: when did—

A frozen shard is placed into the barrel. The door lights up, sounds play. The door opens. The hermit—Joe?—begins to take off their armour and items and set up the game. A difficulty button is pressed. A shulker is placed into its slot. The cards begin to filter through the system. A minecart ride, and a pressure plate—

Decked Out turns on.

The Dungeon watches carefully, hungrily. A shrieker triggers. A hazard door closes. The game is running, the game is alive, the game is always alive—

The Dungeon Master floats, untethered, bodiless, watching, speaking, unheard, unseen. His body stands in the dark, empty, eyes sightless and lungs unbreathing. Why would he need to breathe? Dungeons don’t need to breathe, after all. Games don’t need to breathe. And Decked Out isn’t a game, not really, but it still works on principles of game design, and none of those principles require the game to breathe.

So the Dungeon watches, and the Dungeon Master watches, and Joe runs straight into the blood-stained horns of a ravager, and—

And—

Tango tries to blink. To breathe. A hazard door slams open and closed. The wires are crossed, that’s not—he needs to go—an attempt to step forward dispenses a stack of frost embers into the dungeon. They’re not supposed to do that. That’s a bug, he needs to fix—

He needs his hands—

Stone walls aren’t fingers, but they flex all the same, groaning under the strain—

There’s an itching in his legs. Skulk creeps up the walls. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This isn’t—

It’s dark. A warden sniffs. A shrieker howls. Stone becomes sinew becomes skulk becomes shadow becomes smoke becomes a soul. The Dungeon Master wrenches open his sightless eyes, and the Dungeon sees—

(Buildings aren’t meant to have panic attacks. Neither are dungeons. Nor games. But Decked Out is not a game, never really has been, and Tango—)

Joe and Hypno stare in bafflement at the flickering availability metre outside of the dungeon. “Tango, fix your game!” Hypno cries, and—

Ha.

Here’s a better question: when did Tango become Decked Out?

#magpie feather quill #hermitcraft #fanfiction #hermithorrorweek2023 #the *s next to the trigger warnings are because those are the closest words i can think of to describe what is happening #but they're like. not totally right? #i think that if you have issues with ncbm or unreality then you should be careful engaging with this chapter #but i wouldn't say that this chapter necessarily contains ncbm or unreality #idk. it's weird. #also i will update the directory links when i post new chapters lmao

[spoken-tacenda]

〚 how to stay motivated through your studying session? 〛

11 tips to help you get it together and get that A

❥ study in intervals. don't underestimate the power of good breaks to keep you motivated to push forward. a 5-10 minuets break gives you enough energy to go on.

❥ make studying fun. this is very self-explanatory, but try to make your studying more pleasing to do. for example, you can buy a cute set of highlighters or pens or take notes in a notebook that looks nice to you.

of course, be mindful of your money and your budget. you don't have to buy expensive stationary to study well.

❥ break it down. divide your task into smaller goals. a general goal such as 'study biology' can seem daunting. However, if you break it down to 'study chapter one' and 'study chpater two' and so on makes it appears to be more achievable.

❥ find your studying style. everyone has a unique way of studying. some are visual learners or auditory learners. some learn by rewriting what they studied in their own words. try different techniques and see which makes you more efficient and stick with it.

❥ reward yourself for reaching a goal. the reward doesn't have to be anything big. maybe a piece of chocolate for completing a chapter or a cup of your favorite tea after finishing a page of your essay. make sure the reward matches the goal's size. the bigger of a goal you managed to achieve, the bigger the reward.

❥ have a specific place for studying. study in a place that puts your attention and mood on your assignments. try to keep that place clean and neat to improve your focus. remember to keep your phone away from that space.

❥ avoid distractions in your study space. your phone, your rubik cube, your unrelated notes, etc. anything that's considered irrelevant to your task at hand shouldn't stay in your space.

❥ identify your cause of distraction. is it a family member? a friend? your phone? it's better to solve it at the root. if it's a friend or a relative, politely explain that you are studying and you'd get back to them the moment you have a break. get rid of the cause.

❥ create a limit. as much as it sounds nice, don't overstudy. make a minimum and maximum amount of time you can spend studying and try to keep within that bound to help you build habit.

❥ make a study schedule. personally, I find routines to be really helpful, so if you also like creating a schedule and a routine, then by all means do it. However, some also like spontaneity. just remember to write down what you want to do and go through with them.

❥ stop comparing your results. don't compare yourself to your past and to others, especially if you are coming out of a slump. creating false expectation and unreal goals will only dampen your mood and stop you from seeing the results. a step forward is still a step. be proud of it.

#●tips #studyblr #student #studying #studying tips #academia #studyspo #it girl #study motivation #study blog #study

[journeytothewestresearch]

The Crow's Nest Chan Master of JTTW

I am reading back through Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記) and was reminded of a strange, seemingly throwaway character who appears at the end of chapter 19, the "Crow's Nest Chan Master" (Wuchao chanshi, 烏巢禪師). He is described as an accomplished cultivator who lives in a juniper tree nest on Pagoda Mountain (Futu shan, 浮屠山), just beyond the border of Tibet (Wusicang, 烏斯藏). Zhu Bajie claims the master once asked him to jointly practice austerities, but the pig-spirit passed on the opportunity. Flash back to the present, and the pilgrims pass into his domain. After a brief chat, the Crow's Nest Chan master orally passes on the Heart Sutra (Xin jing, 心經) to Tripitaka.

There are two things that interest me about the Chan Master. The first is his magical abilities. Sun Wukong is offended by the monk but fails to hit him with his staff:

Enraged, Pilgrim lifted his iron rod and thrust it upward violently, but garlands of blooming lotus flowers were seen together with a thousand-layered shield of auspicious clouds. Though Pilgrim might have the strength to overturn rivers and seas, he could not catch hold of even one strand of the crow's nest (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 391).

This reminds me of an event from Acts of the Buddha (Sk: Buddhacarita; Ch: Fo suoxing za, 佛所行讚, 2nd-century), an ancient biography of the Buddha:

The host of Mara hastening, as arranged, each one exerting his utmost force, taking each other’s place in turns, threatening every moment to destroy [the Buddha, but] … Their flying spears, lances, and javelins, stuck fast in space, refusing to descend; the angry thunderdrops and mighty hail, with these, were changed into five-colour’d lotus flowers…” (Beal, 1883, pp. 152 and 153).

This points to the Crow's Nest Chan Master having great holy powers.

The second thing that interests me is that he is based on a historical monk, Niaoke Daolin (鳥窠道林, lit: "Bird's Nest" Daolin; 741–824). Here is his full biography from the Records of the Transmission of the Lamp (Jingde chuandenglu, 景德傳燈錄, 1004 to 1007):

Chan master Niaoke Daolin ... was from Fuyang in Hangzhou and his family name was Pan. His mother, whose maiden name was Zhu, once dreamt of the rays of the sun entering her mouth, after which she conceived. When the baby was born a strange fragrance pervaded the room, so the name ‘Fragrant Light’ was given to the boy. He left the home life at the age of nine and received the full precepts at the Guoyuan Temple in Jing (Jingling, Hubei) when he was twenty-one years old. Later he went to the Ximing Monastery in Chang’an to study the Huayan Jing (Avatasaka Sūtra) and the Śāstra on the Arising of Faith (Śraddhotpada Śāstra, Aśvagosa) under the Dharma Teacher Fuli, who also introduced him to the Song of the Real and Unreal, and had him practise meditation. Once Niaoke asked Fuli, ‘Could you say how one meditates and how to exercise the heart?’ Teacher Fuli was silent for a long time, so then the master bowed three times and withdrew. It happened that at this time Tang Emperor Taizong had called the First Teacher in the Empire [Daoqin] of Jing Mountain to the Imperial Palace and Daolin went to pay him a formal visit, obtaining the True Dharma from him. Returning south the master first came to the Yongfu Temple on Mount Gu (Zhejiang), where there was a stūpa dedicated to the Pratyekabuddhas. At this time both monks and laymen were gathering there for a Dharma-talk. The master also entered the hall, carrying his walking stick, which emitted a clicking sound. There was a Dharma-teacher present from a temple called Lingying, whose name was Taoguang, and who asked the master, ‘Why make such a sound in this Dharma-meeting?’ ‘Without making a sound who would know that it was a Dharmameeting?’ replied the master. Later, on Qinwang Mountain, the master saw an old pine tree with lush foliage, its branches shaped like a lid, so he settled himself there, in the tree, which is why the people of that time called him Chan Master Niaoke (Bird’s Nest). Then magpies made their nest by the master’s side and became quite tame through the intimacy with a human – so he was also referred to as the Magpie Nest Monk. One day the master’s attendant Huitong suddenly wished to take his leave. ‘Where are you off to then?’ asked the master. ‘Huitong left the home life for the sake of the Dharma, but the venerable monk has not let fall one word of instruction, so now it’s a question of going here and there to study the Buddha-dharma,’ replied Huitong. ‘If it could be said that there is Buddha-dharma,’ said the master, ‘I also have a little here,’ whereupon he plucked a hair from the robe he was wearing and blew it away. Suddenly Huitong understood the deep meaning. During the Yuan reign period (806-820 CE) Bai Juyi was appointed governor of this commandery and so went to the mountain to pay the master a courtesy call. He asked the master, ‘Is not the Chan Master’s residing here very dangerous?’ ‘Is not your Excellency’s position even more so?’ countered the master. ‘Your humble student’s place is to keep the peace along the waterways and in the mountains. What danger is there in that?’ asked Bai Juyi. ‘When wood and fire meet there is ignition – the nature of thinking is endless,’ replied the master, ‘so how can there not be danger?’ ‘What is the essence of the Buddha-dharma?’ asked Bai. ‘To refrain from all evil and do all that is good,’ answered the master. ‘A three-year-old child already knows these words,’ said Bai. ‘Although a three-year-old can say them, an old man of eighty can’t put them into practice!’ countered the master. Bai then made obeisance. In the fourth year, during the tenth day of the second month of the reign period Changqing (824 CE), the master said to his attendant, ‘Now my time is up.’ And having spoken he sat on his cushion and passed away. He was eighty-four years old and had been a monk for sixty-three years. (Textual note: Some say the master’s name was Yuanxiu, but this is probably his posthumous name.) (Whitfiled, n.d., pp. 56-58).

Sources:

Beal, S. (Trans.). (1883). The Fo-sho-hing-tsan-king: A Life of Buddha by Asvaghosha Bodhisattva. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/foshohingtsankin00asva/mode/2up.

Whitfiled, R. S. (Trans.). (n.d.). Records of the Transmission of the Lamp: Volume 2 - The Early Masters. Hokun Trust. Retrieved from https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Lamp2.pdf

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

#Journey to the West #JTTW #Sun Wukong #Monkey King #Tripitaka #Tang Monk #Tang Sanzang #Xuanzang #Zhu Bajie #Pigsy #Crow's Nest Chan Master #JTTW characters