Pairing: The Assassin x reader
Summary: After the unexpected encounter with one of the Fates and the disappearance of your mother, you now have many problems and few solutions, and definitely the main one of these problems was the luckless coin, because no matter how much you tried your best, you decided to ask him for help through the coin.
Warnings: I don't know if there is any warning?, terrible writing
Author's Note: I finally wrote part 2 of this fic, so I hope you like it. English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes.
Words: 1.8K
— She can't have gone very far — Your sister, Donatella says, her voice clearly showing frustration and fear — She's not fully recovered yet and the Fates have just woken up!
Upon hearing the comment about the return of the Fates, goosebumps ran throughout your body. You remembered him again, his face still well etched in your memory, his green eyes staring deeply at you and the weight of the luckless coin in your pocket.
— Hey! Are you well? Tella asks, looking at your worried expression.
— Ah… yes, of course, I think we should start looking for her. She really couldn't have gone very far — Your eyes staring at the empty bed in your room
Your sisters took a while to come back that fateful day, you were finished, confused and devastated, a strange mix of feelings. Your mother disappeared and you were deeply saddened by this event, but at the same time, curious about Fate's sudden interest in you. Your feelings were stronger than you, you couldn't deny it, but the fact that your "flirting" worked took away a good night's sleep from you.
And now you and your sisters were here, in your room, where your mother was until yesterday afternoon, discussing a plan to bring her back.
—Then it's done. — Scarlett finally lets go — Let's split up, Julian and I go to The Satine District, Tella and Dante can go to the Temple District and you, Y/N, can stay downtown looking for her — Then Scarlett pauses, as if she was thinking about what she just said — But… you're going to be alone… no, how are we going to divide ourselves?
You see the desperation on your sister's face and are aware that she was so worried about rescuing your mother that she didn't even think through the plan.
A sigh comes out of your mouth
— It's okay Scarlett, really — You approach your older sister and touch her shoulders, as a way of reassuring your statement — I won't be in danger, I know how to handle myself, I guarantee that we will return today with our mother. return home
Scarlett's lips form a smile, despite her expression being concerned.
— Are you sure?
— Absolutely.
— Good, then it's settled! — Donatella puts on her shoe and walks towards the door — We better go quickly, every time we stand here the longer she stays away!
And like that, she disappears among the crowds of Valenda.
—She's like that, you know. She's also worried about our mother as much as we both are. — Scarlett gives you a smile — Come on Y/N, when the night comes, we'll be a complete family again.
And just like Tella, Scarlett also disappears among the crowds.
You leave the house and take a look at the city, the movement has actually dropped. As much as the Empress ordered not to make the Fates' return public, the whispers and comments were stronger and more present than any public revelation. The sky was lovely, there were few clouds in it and you assumed you only had a few hours before it got dark and you needed to go home. "I hope they've already met up with Dante and Julian," you thought, wondering what you were going to do now.
Although some stores were closed, people were still walking around the city, small groups of children were playing in the streets and women took the opportunity to gossip during this time. Well, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, at least that's what your vision told you. So, you decide to approach one of these women and ask for some information about your mother's whereabouts.
— Hello! Sorry to ask suddenly, but I would like to know if you have ever seen or heard of any women with thick dark hair and… well, running like her life depended on it? — You form a shy smile.
Women look at each other before answering your question
— No girl, we haven't seen anything like that so far. — One of them responds — These streets are full of strange people, we wake up not knowing what we are going to witness that day!
Your hope of getting some information is erased and you find yourself increasingly trapped in an abyss.
— Ah… I see, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. — You thank them and leave.
— I hope you find this woman soon!
— Thanks! — You hoped so.
And so, you say goodbye to the two women and head towards another crowd of people. This time you decide to ask a merchant, since they are here every day. The merchant in question sold various devices and books related to the Fates, this explained the fact that he was one of the few who were still open selling their products.
— Hello beautiful young lady, what do you want from my store? — The gray-haired man asks, showing some interest.
—Actually, I'd like to know if you've seen a woman with thick dark hair and… tall and… well, desperate? Running around? — You ask hopefully.
The man puts his hand to his chin, demonstrating that he is searching his memory, which was probably already faulty.
— I've seen several women like that running through these streets, but with the description you gave me… well, she's quite unique. — He responds, looking around — I'm sorry I can't help you, young lady, but I hope you find this woman, she seems important to you.
You give a brief smile and wave before walking away, again, into the crowd.
Time was passing and you hadn't even gotten any information from your mother. You felt like running around looking for her wouldn't help anything either.
Tired and unmotivated to continue, you sit on one of the benches in a square, rest your head in one of your hands and stare at the ground, thinking about what you could do now that it seemed like your chances were running out. "What the hell, it's going to be impossible to find her like that", your frustrations take over you, the feeling of impotence, of having no more options and of not being able to find anything. Just as you were about to give up and leave, a weight in the pocket of your dress reminded you that you had yet another option. The luckless coin, there, next to you, YOUR luckless coin, given by none other than The Assassin.
You take the coin out of your pocket and stare at it deeply, wondering if it was worth the risk. The coin stares back at you too, a deep strength and magic emanating from it. "It's ridiculous to think about that", your mind constantly warning you that this risk wasn't worth it. However, your heart said otherwise, you knew it, you wanted to see him again.
— It better work out… — Because it was your only option.
After taking a long sigh, you remember the Fate that made your heart race the day before. “Please, please,” you begging him to show up with all your might.
But nothing happens.
You feel ridiculous, disappointed to say the least. You had placed your trust in this coin, blindly believed that it would come to help you, and here you were, sitting on a random bench, staring at the coin with the greatest shame possible.
— That's why they call it Luckless Coin — You say and then throw the coin on the floor.
How ridiculous, to imagine that a Fate could help you, it's quite comical. What if he hadn't put in a Luckless coin? And yes maybe just a random coin to trick you? You became even more frustrated. You close your eyes, fighting to hold back the tears, both from sadness at not having made any progress and from anger at having been stupid through your own fault. You could hear the laughter of children, the footsteps of the exquisite shoes of the aristocracy, the cries of merchants, the singing of birds, the wind blowing through your hair and…
A cold hand touching your shoulders?
— I don't like it when my luckless coins are thrown on the floor.
You freeze. "It's not possible," a chill ran through your body. "It can't be him." It takes a lot of courage on your part to decide to open your eyes and see who the being in front of you was, who turned out to be the one you feared the most but also the one you cried out the most for.
— I knew you humans didn't like our coins — The deep voice brings you back to reality — But this is the first time I've seen someone have the audacity to do this with them. — He shows the luckless coin in the palm of his hand, an invitation to pick it up again.
As much as that whole being was real, for you it was anything but that. You can't believe it, The Assassin, right here, in front of you, just as you imagined and wished. A feeling of anger arises from you.
— So that's how we call you guys? Throwing, stepping and breaking the coin? — A tone of mockery takes over your voice, even though your eyes were emanating a deep hatred for the Fate for not showing up when you asked.
— We don't usually follow orders.
It was true.
You didn't know how long exactly, but the two of you stood there for a few minutes staring at each other. The more you looked at his features, the more your heart raced, and you didn't know if you liked or hated that feeling. From the little you knew about Fate in specific, you knew that he wasn't one to talk much and that he would probably stay there as long as you wanted, because he has that time, but you don't.
Your sisters depended on your help, they wanted Paloma back safely as much as you wanted and you had promised to help them, one way or another. Maybe your help is right here in front of you and maybe you will regret it later.
— Please… help me find my mother. — You finally give in, your gaze staring at the stone floor of the square where you two were — They… I promised I would help them.
He looks at you with curiosity, even amusement.
— My help has a price, are you willing to pay?
With that sentence you already completely regretted asking him for help, but now it was too late to go back. You were going to face all of this head on, until the end.
— Anything.
You had no idea what a problem you had just gotten yourself into.
Pairing: The Assassin x reader
Summary: You knew you couldn't trust the Fates, after all, they were immortal beings and couldn't feel love, only obsession. However, a certain Fate caught your attention, so you decide to admire it, only from afar, afraid that he would notice your presence and decide to do something to you. You just didn't expect the Fate to have his eye on you too.
Warnings: mention of violence, terrible writing
Author's Note: I really enjoyed writing about one of the Fates. I don't know if I'll keep writing about the Assassin specifically, but I'll definitely write something about Jacks!
Words: 3.8K
Everything had happened so quickly. In one day, all of Valenda was safe; nothing was in danger since all the fates still remained trapped in their respective cards within the Deck of Destiny. But as all good things are short-lived, the next day you received news that Legend had freed all the fates from the deck. Your emotions were a whirlwind. Your head was so confused and worried about everyone's safety that a slight twinge of pain began to appear along with your thoughts. What were you and your sisters going to do now? How were you going to deal with all of this? Before you could start freaking out over your own thoughts, an external voice snapped you out of your reverie.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Scarlett asked
You finally stop staring at the marble floor of the room where you were, and your eyes meet your older sister's brown ones. Scarlett always managed to bring peace, no matter where you were. Maybe it was her "power" as an older sister that gave her this gift, but you couldn't deny that you loved that about her. Whenever you needed a hug or just someone to vent to, you knew you could always count on Scarlett.
"So far, so good. How long ago were the fates released?"
"I think it was a few hours ago; Tella told me that as soon as she arrived here at the palace, apparently Caraval was over and she won."
You were taken by surprise. He knew Caraval was happening, but you didn't know that your sister Tella had won.
"After all, what did she need to do to win this year's Caraval?" You decide to ask, making no effort to hide your look of astonishment at Scarlett's comment.
"She needed to find the deck of destiny. That's what Legend wanted from the beginning."
"Ah yes, it makes sense that he wanted the deck from the beginning, but I confess that it was a little unusual."
You realized that Scarlett was going to open her mouth to respond to your comment; however, you both heard heavy footsteps coming from the hallway towards the room where you were. From the look of those footsteps, it was definitely Julian coming to visit your sister.
"I think Julian is coming!" You comment, getting up quickly and heading towards a cover in the floor that led to the castle's underground corridors. "I wish the best for you both!" A mocking tone left your lips. You knew that the situation between Scarlett and Julian wasn't among the best, so you couldn't waste this chance to mock your sister. "And have pity on poor Julian; sometimes I think he thinks that you bite!"
Scarlett looks at you furiously and says, "If he's not careful, I might end up biting him."
"Ooooh, scary Scarlett," and then you disappear from sight as soon as you enter the corridors.
- Time break: 2 months -
Months had already passed since the last Caraval. You and your sisters had already moved out of the empress's castle and started living in a rented house. It wasn't as comfortable as the castle, but it was still home. Any place where your sisters were would be considered home to you. But even far from the palace, your sisters continued to be busy with various matters, from small problems involving the place you lived to larger problems involving Valenda. And speaking of bigger problems, one that definitely took over your thoughts 24/7 was Paloma. Or Paradise, the Lost, if you could call her that. You discovered that the main reason Donatella went after your mother's Deck of Destiny was precisely to free her. You knew how conflicting Paloma's comment was, but at this exact moment, you were at home waiting for her to wake up. While seeing your mother wake up would bring you feelings like happiness and excitement, it also meant that the other Fates would probably be waking up too.
"Bam!"— a sound coming from the bedroom called you back to reality.
You were scared; you could have even thought that it was the wind, someone, or even a bird that ended up bumping into something, but that only tormented you even more when you remembered that you were alone at home and that the room only had a single window, and you remember locking it.
Should you say something? Should it attract attention? Should you just run out and look for one of your sisters?
Or you could go up and see what actually happened.
And that's what you did. You were worrying too much about something that could easily be insignificant. You started to climb the stairs slowly, avoiding making noise as much as possible. As much as your conscience told you it was nothing serious, a voice inside you told you that it had a chance of being a bigger problem than you expected.
You slowly pulled out the pocket knife you had inside your boot and pointed it at the door that was now in front of you. Your breathing was labored, and you were shaking, as much as you hated to admit it. You hated feeling weak and afraid, but that was exactly what was taking over you. You took about 5 deep breaths before finally holding the door handle firmly and only then opening the door sharply.
"Who's there?" you screamed.
But the only thing that greeted you as soon as you entered the room was a wind that came from a window with broken glass, along with an empty bed. The bed is where Paloma should be lying and resting. Your eyes were amazed at the view that the room had left, and you quickly went to the window, hoping that you would get a glimpse of your mother walking through the streets of Valenda.
"This is bad. This is terrible!" You commented on yourself.
How would you tell your sisters that all of a sudden your mother just woke up and then ran away, breaking the bedroom window? And this also only got worse when you realized that the fact that Paloma woke up could only highlight one other thing. The Fates also woke up.
Just the idea of thinking that the Fates could be loose in Valenda, causing chaos throughout the city, made your body shudder. You weren't prepared for that. Nobody was prepared for that. Only you, your sisters, and some people in the palace knew that the fates were released and that they could wake up at any moment. You wanted to believe that all of this was just fiction, that fate's waking up was just another one of Legend's stories for the theme of the next Caraval. But you realized too quickly that everything was real—too real.
You started to hear some screams of terror from some specific places, like dark alleys. So it was real; they really woke up. You seriously considered staying huddled in your room, shaking in fear as you waited for your sisters to return, but you also couldn't just let the defenseless civilians be targets of the fates. Fighting against your own will, you go down the stairs of the corridor that connected the living room to the bedrooms and decide to go out into the street, trying to do everything in your power to protect those people. The Fates fed on fear, so you needed to stop fear from taking over people as quickly as possible, at least until the emperor and the royal guard took control of the situation.
Leaving the house, you ran towards the first alley you saw in front of you. You calmed down when you realized that, apart from a few specific places, the rest of the city seemed to be quiet, as if it were just another normal day. This was good; it meant that the population still didn't have full knowledge that the Fates had woken up or had any contact with some of them yet. As soon as you entered the alley, you were greeted by a bearded man with stripped clothes and an expression of pure fear, running quickly towards the exit of that place.
"Get out of here, girl; this place isn't safe for young people like you! Even more so after what I saw!"
Before he could run away again, you grabbed his arm and quickly asked, "What exactly did you see?"
The man, apparently too scared, said quickly, running over his words, the vision of hell they had witnessed just now: "A hooded man, miss, that's exactly what I saw! He walked with a dagger in his hand, and it looked like he was there to cause a mess! Run for your life, miss, before he takes it from you!" He commented, trembling with fear.
"Where exactly was this hooded man?" you decide to risk asking
"Still planning to see it with your own eyes? There really are still many foolish people in the world." He finally freed himself from your grip. "First street on the left; get to the end of it, and you will see the vision of the horror I had. Good luck, miss, if I must wish you that. I hope you're alive to see tomorrow after deciding to go after the reason for my fear." and, in the end, finally left.
"Okay, no jokes; the situation might be worse than I imagined," you thought.
Still with the knife in hand, you slowly head in the direction in which the man had guided you to follow.
After turning the first street to the left, the air instantly became heavier. The cold wind took over the place and welcomed you to what was the sight of hell for man. The dark alley, which only had one or two bars, was strangely empty—too empty. Your eyes could barely see what was in front of you. Instinctively, you held the knife tighter in your hand. You promised yourself that, regardless of who approached, that person would receive a blow from your knife if you weren't careful. Straining your vision a little, you noticed a man who perfectly matched the descriptions he had given you. A man wearing a heavy hood stood at the bend of the alley. His back was turned, so you couldn't see him properly. Without fear of dying at that exact moment, you decide to get a little closer, very slowly, just enough so that you could get a detailed view of the person that was causing a commotion. If it really was fate, it would be important to know which one it was in order to alert the palace and ensure that they had definitely woken up. They needed to know which of them was already disturbing Valenda's peace. As you got close enough to the strange figure, a voice filled your ears. A laugh. But it didn't seem to match the information given by the man, who fled in despair. Because you don't remember the man mentioning a female voice.
"You need to improve those jokes of yours!"
A light, effeminate voice takes over your ears. It was a voice that was quite satisfying to hear. It didn't sound like the voice of someone who was disturbing the peace in Valenda or someone who would like to go around killing and torturing people. Holding your breath, you take a few more steps forward, hoping to finally get a glimpse of what exactly was in front of you.
Stopping a few meters away from where the peculiar figure was, you try to hear a little more of the mysterious voice and strain your eyes a little to be able to see better in that darkness.
"It's only a matter of time before the royal guard discovers that we've woken up. We're finally free after years of imprisonment! But I'm tired of living with this cage over my head. I wish there was someone who had the courage to go against him."
Him? Him who? There were many questions and few answers for his poor head. You couldn't give up now and return with the little information you had gathered so far; you needed more; you were going to do the full job. However, you already had an idea of who it was. The only Fate you remembered having a cage on her head was The Maiden Death. A shiver spread throughout your body. Until now, everything you knew about the Fates was just a story that your elders told, which gave you the freedom to wonder if they really existed. However, for the first time, you managed to witness the existence of a fate, for real! It was there in front of you, in the flesh! A feeling of exaltation came over you. You couldn't believe it was real. Few people had the courage to get so close to these mystical beings and walk away unharmed after contact, so you could definitely consider yourself very lucky! You even imagined the possibility of Mistress Luck being present here, somewhere.
"Maybe we'll be lucky this time"—finally, a male voice appeared in the conversation.
Wow, just wow. The atmosphere was blessed by a harsh and discordant voice. You hated the fact that you were attracted to a fate, especially unique and exclusively for his voice. But again, wow. You knew you had a lot of weaknesses when it came to men, but until that moment, you didn't know your voice was one of them. But this was already getting too dangerous. Going after a fate was enough of a problem; now falling in love with one? You didn't know how long that conversation would last, but you knew that your time there was already up. You had already gathered enough information not to return empty-handed. You needed to get out of there now!
The moment you turned to leave that alley, the voice once again took over the place.
"It's rude to spy and then leave!" The voice of Maiden Death warned you.
You didn't surrender the curiosity to look back and finally look at the fate that you had been observing all this time. Your body simply got up and took off. You didn't know if that escape would work; after all, you were running away from Fates; they were much superior to a mere mortal like you. So you ran, ran like your life depended on it (and it really did). When you were finally about to turn around the alley to escape, a hand grabbed one of your arms and violently pulled you back, immediately pressing you against the wall.
Your eyes remained closed; you didn't know if looking into those Fate's eyes would somehow enchant you, but you couldn't deny it; you were shaking, shaking so much that you swore the wall behind you started to shake too. Scared again. The feeling you hated so much was because you felt weak and useless every time you felt it. The whole situation got worse the moment you felt a dagger touch your neck.
"Calm down, Assassin; she's something beautiful. She doesn't look like she would do us any harm." The female voice brings peace to the surroundings and to you too. "Come on, dear, open your eyes and talk to us; this is the first time we've had contact with a human in years!"
As if the fate had taken over your actions, your eyes slowly open, and you are faced with the Assassin holding the dagger that was stuck around your neck and the Maiden Death at his side with an amused expression on her face.
"Let me go!" you say, even though you know they wouldn't just release you.
"Not until you tell us why you've been watching us all this time," she replies. "Don't worry, darling, we won't do you any harm."
"If that really were our will, you would already be dead"—finally, the Assassin responds shortly afterwards.
An uncomfortable silence took over the place instead of the pleasant peace that Maiden Death brought.
"Is this serious?" You find the courage to ask
"Kind of, it was a joke."
Another awkward silence took over.
"Ugh, I already told you that your jokes aren't funny."
When you look again at the man in front of you, you notice brown eyes directing their gaze to Maiden Death and then to you. You hadn't noticed his face until that moment, but you couldn't deny the chills that those eyes could bring to you.
Straining your eyes a little more, you were able to slightly notice his tanned skin. Okay, he was definitely handsome; you just couldn't understand why he hid under that hood. You found yourself trapped in your admiration for Fate, who, at that exact moment, had a dagger pointed at your throat. What your sisters call a lack of sense, you call a lucky shot. As much as you admired several men out there, none of them ever paid you the attention you needed, so you kind of gave up on trying anything serious. Most of the time, you flirt for fun, but deep down, you hope something will work out. It never happened, but what stopped you from flirting with a Fate?
"I can't understand why something cute like you hides under that hood that's also pretty, but not more so than you."
An astonished Maiden Death and a petrified Assassin take over the ambience. The air suddenly became a little lighter—even relaxed, you would say. However, an immense silence was taking over the place, and you couldn't deny that that silence was becoming a little uncomfortable.
"Ok, it was a bit clueless, I know. I'm sorry"—you found yourself imagining how your sisters would react if they were here at that moment with you. Scarlett would probably give you the deadliest of looks, but Donatella would probably be somewhere between laughing and killing you with her gaze too. "You know, it's a joke." It wasn't a joke.
"Look, the Assassin seems to have caught someone's attention"—she let out a little laugh—"I think I'd better leave; I don't want to break the mood!" The Maiden Death then turns and walks away from the two of you. "Guess I'll see you later, Assassin! How funny, mortals really are something!" The last sentence was said almost like a whisper; it would be almost inaudible if the place wasn't completely silent.
And then, a Fate and a mortal who had just flirted were left alone, staring at each other.
As much as you hated how easily you fell in love, you couldn't deny the attraction that fate had awakened in you. The more you looked at him, the more you seemed to fall in love with him. Was this what Tella felt when she looked at Jacks? Well, the Fates really were possessors of unparalleled beauty. Before you could say anything again, you noticed him slowly removing the dagger from your neck, never taking his eyes off you.
"It was a joke?"
You swallow hard when you hear the Fate's question. No. It wasn't a joke. But you also knew that these beings were not something that could be trusted.
"Maybe? I mean, you're pretty, yes, but I wasn't somehow flirting with you or anything." - lie. You were flirting with fate; you just didn't have the courage to admit it.
The Assassin stared at you for a long time; he was probably thinking about whether he would end your life at that exact moment or whether he would let you get out alive. You realized that he was a man of few words—a shame, given the incredible voice he had, rendered useless by silence. You looked away from his gaze; the floor became something very interesting at that moment. The sun was already setting; your sisters should have already returned and seen the damage that the room Paloma was in was left in. You had even forgotten about your mother; you were so absorbed in the idea of the Fates waking up that you forgot to go after the woman you and your sisters spent months waiting to wake up. Your sisters were definitely worried about you; it was likely that right now they were walking the streets of Valenda looking for and calling for you. And while they were worried about you, here you were, pressed against the wall after having just flirted with a Fate who wears a hood, has a harsh voice, and has a brash, flat sense of humor.
As if you had wasted too much time trapped in your own thoughts again, you found yourself released from the wall you were pressed against. A feeling of disappointment and sadness came over you. Was receiving flirtation from you really that bad? Did he not like what he heard? Was he angry at having been desired by a mortal? Again, before you could say anything, the Assassin took something from his pocket and held it out to you.
A luckless coin
You swallowed hard. Normally, the Fates only handed out these coins to mortals they had found interesting or who were the new object of their obsession. A shiver ran across your skin at the thought that perhaps you had aroused the interest of that attractive Fate without meaning to.
Because your flirtations had never worked.
"Take this and leave it with you" he said as he put the coin in one of the pockets of your dress.
You didn't know if you should be grateful for that. You knew the terrible power of that coin, but the fact that you had probably become a Fate's new obsession left you immobile, still processing what was happening. However, your lack of attitude seemed to bother The Assassin, because the tone of voice he used with you definitely scared you.
"Now go away quickly, before I change my mind."
You didn't even think twice. You turned and quickly ran out of that dark alley towards the light of the streetlights on the busy street. What had just happened? You were face-to-face with two fates, and of those two, one of them gave you a luckless coin. Either way, you knew you should give information to your sisters about what you've been doing all this time, but you definitely wouldn't go into details about The Assassin. At least not until you find out his real intentions.
When you arrived in front of your house, you let out a heavy sigh. You didn't notice that you were tense the whole moment. The relief of being alive and being able to see your sisters one more day came over you. No matter how many other problems took over your life later, you had not lost your life to one of the fates.
Pairings: Armando x reader
Summary: Armando and some actors from Lenda were going to present a play for Empress Elantine during dinner, so you, like a good girlfriend, helped him get ready
Warnings: Insecurity, Terrible writing
Author's Note: After reading this scene in Legendary I couldn't control myself, so I had to write something related. HELP THIS TURNED OUT BIGGER THAN I EXPECTED.
Words: 3.1K
You were accompanying Tella through the long corridors of the empress's castle, listening to her laments as you thought of some way to help her (or not). As a Caraval actress, you knew Legend's identity and his desires, but you couldn't just go around telling her what you knew and what she wanted to hear. Legend wanted her to win and you would help her, but she would need to play the game. That means that she will have to uncover your tips for the next clues by hook or by crook.
Last Caraval you had a lot of fun with Scarlett while playing with the confusing tips you gave her. It was stronger than you, after all, it was your role to get closer to the players and discover their weaknesses and strengths, so that you could give some slightly wrong information. And in turn, your boyfriend Armando used the information and played the role of villain whenever he could.
Ah… Armando, always getting into trouble. You've lost count of how many times you've had to break up arguments your boyfriend was involved in. It was a terrible gift he possessed. You wondered where he was right now. You hadn't seen him since the beginning of Caraval. No matter how much you looked for him, you never found him. You came to think that maybe, for some reason, he was avoiding you…
"…and now I don't know what to do to help Julian win my sister back." - stuck in your thoughts, you end up listening to only part of Donatella's outbursts - "I think Julian deserved it after lying to Scarlett twice, but still… I see that he regrets it and cares a lot with her. In the end, I just wanted the two of them to understand each other again."
"I see, love is something really complicated, but I think it's better for you to let the two of them to resolve it" - You commented while observing her distressed look - "You getting involved might just make things more difficult. I think you should focus on the game at the moment, after all, the time is passing and you haven't even found the next clue yet!" - you laugh
"Scarlett already told me about your type, so I don't want any help from you!" - Donatella comments, directing a disdainful look at you
"Really? Your sister mentioned me? What a great honor! To have my name mentioned by none other than Scarlett Dragna!" - your typical mockery - "You know that every Caraval the roles change, right?"
"I don't know if I want to find out from you now, but if you're my last option, I'll look for you." - she looks at one of the several cuckoo clocks in the castle and her expression changes to astonishment - "It's almost dinner time! I promised I would have dinner with them today!" - she says in a hurried tone, increasing the pace of her steps
"Wait! They who??"
"Jacks and the empress! I promised I would meet with them NOW!" - unable to keep up with Donatella's speed, you couldn't get any more information from her and also decided not to bother her anymore - "We'll talk later!" - and then she disappears when turning into the long corridor on the right
"Talk to me? I thought she didn't want my information!" - you laugh at her last comment
In fact, in this Caraval Legend asked you to confuse her less, since for some reason he really wanted her to win. So orders are orders! If Donatella appears on your path again, you will help her. As you made your way back to the castle exit, trying to have fun with the other players, a voice ended up catching your attention.
"Psst! Here!"
When you turned around, you came face to face with an Aiko inside a hole in the ground, with only her head and part of her chest showing. She was wearing a wonderful white parchment dress. Why did Legend only give Aiko the prettiest clothes?
"Why do you only wear the best clothes?!?"
"Is it serious that of the whole scene that was what caught your attention the most?" - Aiko scoffs at your question
"Yes? I mean… I think seeing you having just emerged from an apparently plugged hole in the middle of one of the castle's many corridors was the least strange thing I've ever witnessed at Caraval" - your memories of the hundreds of times you've acted in Caraval start to appear - "As an actress, I don't expect much from this game"
"You actually have a point" - Aiko lets out a laugh at your comment - "But I came here at someone's request"
"Really? Who? Legend? Did I do something wrong?" - the fear of having done something wrong in Legend’s view tormented you
"No, silly, your boyfriend. Armando asked me to look for you" - she said, making a gesture with her hand that asked you to enter that hole and follow her - "But you need to be quick, we don't have much time"
"Armando? Did something serious happen??" - obeying Aiko, you enter the hole and start following her while thinking about all the worst situations that could have happened - "I haven't seen him since the beginning of the Caraval!"
"I think knowing too much about people is making you paranoid" - she comments with a worried look in your direction - "You should ask Legend to put you in another role"
"Not to show off, but I know I'm the best at what I do" - you let a smile appear on your face - "And my information is also great for all of you to fulfill your roles"
Aiko just rolls her eyes
"I think Armando really is a perfect match for you. I can't see anyone better than you" - Aiko then stops at a certain part of the route and tries to loosen the hole cover
"Do you really think so Aiko?" - your voice instantly became softer, her comment left your face red with embarrassment, as you had no idea that others saw your relationship that way
"I think so, and the change in the tone of your voice the moment I mentioned your relationship only makes it more evident" - she struggles to turn the cover which only resulted in a failed attempt to release it - "Damn" - she grumbles almost inaudible - "I won't be able to get there in time like this. Come here and help me remove this thing!"
You still didn't know why Aiko was in such a hurry, but being stuck in this corridor with her getting more and more stressed with each failed attempt scared you. Then you both tried hard to open the cover, but it seemed that the more and more you tried, the more it seemed like it wouldn't budge.
"Don't you think we better scream for help? I doubt this cover will open Aiko-"
And as if by magic, the cover simply comes off.
"Do the ladies need a little help?"
Your gaze finds Armando's smiling face. You wanted to jump out and hug him tightly, afraid he would disappear from you again. But it was okay, after all, he was there, looking and smiling at you. Your boyfriend.
"Why didn't you come sooner?!?!" - an irritated Aiko asks after being helped by Armando to get out of the hole - "I still need to get ready for the presentation which is in a few minutes Armando!"
"Calm down Aiko! I arrived in the room not even five minutes ago! It was when I entered that I started to hear some murmurs from inside the room and I started looking for where they were coming from, that's when I found you two!" - he replied showing his beautiful smile
Aiko rolled her eyes again
"Um… can someone help me…?" - you ask shyly
"You don't even need to ask, my love" - Armando approaches you and pulls you by the arm, finally taking you out of that corridor - "I hope Aiko didn't bother you too much" - he responds, showing a mocking smile as he directs your gaze for Aiko
Sometimes you suspected that your boyfriend liked to play with death. But oddly enough, Aiko just returns her disdainful look and heads towards the door.
"Next time you ask me for something I will charge you 3 days of your life"
After Aiko left, the air in the room became considerably lighter. The walls painted with several stripes of different colors brought a lively and fun atmosphere to the room. Clothes and accessories scattered around the room along with various makeup tools welcomed you. A half-open closet with many of fallen clothes and several racks with different types of hats, scarves and actors' coats gave the final verdict that the place where you were was definitely a place where only the Legend actors had access.
The wooden floor and the ceiling painted in a light blue brought a certain peace to the place. But putting all these characteristics together, it was complete chaos. You wouldn't expect anything less from something related to the Caraval actors, each one with their own peculiarity. Your curiosity really wanted to know where you were and what it was all about.
A mirror leaning against one of the walls showed you and Armando in its reflection, he was still holding you, not with the same strength as before, but his touch was softer. You found yourself trapped in your boyfriend's reflection in the mirror, admiring everything your eyes could see, like his slightly messy black hair, his naturally vain expressions bringing out his elegance, his red lips forming a smile that awakened in you your most carnal desires and finally, his emerald green eyes that made you blush whenever they looked at you, but at this moment you were so lost in your daydreams that you didn't really notice that he was also looking at you through the reflection.
"You know, I don't mind being admired by you for long hours, but I think both you and I want more than just to settle for each other's reflections." - his voice finally brings you back to reality, leaving you embarrassed at how you were caught shamelessly admiring your boyfriend.
"I wasn't admiring you!" - you try to defend yourself
"Really? Then why did your face turn red out of nowhere?"
"He didn't turn red!"
"Well, okay, I can't waste time with this discussion, but know that you lost it" - he comments, letting go of your arm and walking towards a makeup bag that was on the floor - "I know you really want to kiss me and do other things, but unfortunately I don't have much time left" - he squats down and picks up an eyeshadow palette - "I thought maybe we could enjoy our last few minutes together with you helping me finish my makeup"
"Ah yes… of course" - you take the eyeshadow palette he held out to you and start using it on him - "I'm glad you thought of me"
"There isn't a minute that goes by without thinking about you my love" - he replies while staring at you intensely - "I know you want to ask some questions, so you better take advantage while you can"
You wonder if you should spend these minutes clarifying the curiosity of your questions, but it didn't seem like Armando bothered answering them. So after a long minute, you decide to finally question him.
"Why have you disappeared since the beginning of Caraval?" - you stop putting on makeup and look at him - "I looked for you from the beginning and I didn't find you"
"I know, I'm sorry about that" - you would even be surprised that Armando had apologized, but you knew it was reserved just for you - "But Legend has placed a big burden on me this Caraval, I need to be everywhere at all times, that's why the underground tunnels, that's where we're moving and getting to places fairly quickly" - he responds, giving you a serene smile - "I wanted to see you and spend some time with you, but unfortunately I hadn't found any until now"
You didn't know how to react, you felt guilty for thinking that he didn't want to see you or that he was avoiding you. In the end, he spent all this time looking for some way to find you, even if it was just for a few seconds.
"I'm sorry honey, I thought you were avoiding me for some reason" - you put makeup on him again as a way to avoid his gaze - "But I'm glad we could finally have this little moment together" - you had already finished his makeup it´s been a while, but you couldn't think of doing anything other than that at that moment.
"Dear, look at me"
"One moment honey, I'm finishing your makeup-"
"Look at me" - abruptly, Armando removes the eyeshadow palette from your hand and with the other he holds your chin firmly, leaning you against the wall, forcing you to look at him
His breathing was now much closer than before, his emerald eyes moving from your gaze to your mouth. Your hands resting on his chest desperately yearned to touch him, to explore Armando's body again. Unconsciously your body wanted him to do the same to you, for him to touch you in different places, but you both knew that unfortunately you didn't have time, the minutes were numbered.
"Hey! Armando! It's almost time! We're going to introduce ourselves in 2 minutes! The only thing left is you! Get out of there before I send Aiko in and drag you out here!" - a voice coming from outside the door of the place where you were ends up waking you both up again to the commitment that Armando had to fulfill
"I'll be ready in 2 minutes!" - he shouts in response
You couldn't hide the disappointment in your eyes due to the interrupted atmosphere and the short time you had, you wanted Armando all to yourself, deep down you knew it was selfish of you, it was difficult for the two of you to make so much time for each other during Caraval, but perhaps the stress is greater because there have been two Caravals in less than a year, one after the other without rest.
"After all, what do you need to do in 2 minutes?" - you finally decide to ask
"We are going to present a little theater for the royal family's dinner" - he replies, also clearly disappointed by the intrusion
"I see, what theater exactly?"
"We will tell a little history about the Fates, after all, this is the theme of this year's Caraval"
"Of course, I forgot for a moment" - you let out a light laugh as you look at your hands on Armando's chest - "I think you should go, it must have been 2 minutes already and I honestly don't want to see an angry Aiko fighting with you and with me consequently"
Armando looks at one of the several cuckoo clocks that the castle had before looking back at you.
"It's only been a minute, and I said I'd be ready in two" - he responds, approaching you again - "I'm already ready for the theater, so we can take advantage of this one minute for ourselves"
A faint glimmer of hope appeared in your eyes after hearing your boyfriend's words.
"So let's take this one minute"
Without wasting another second, Armando takes your lips in a desperate kiss. Your arms wrap around his neck while your hands take the opportunity to caress his hair. Armando passes his hands around your waist and then enters your shirt, caressing your skin with his warm hands, causing you to shiver. The two of you just broke the kiss to get air, as each time you returned the kiss became more intense. Your tongues exploring each other's mouths more and more. Always yearning for more. You had lost control of your thoughts, you were no longer responsible for your actions, desire simply took over both of you. You definitely would have done more if it weren't for a cuckoo clock beeping and letting you know it was 7pm.
The remaining one minute had already passed
"Shit" - you heard your boyfriend swear - "It went by too fast" - he let go of you and went towards the mirror to quickly adjust himself
When you looked in the mirror, you saw your mouth covered in red lipstick, definitely the lipstick from Armando's costume. As you looked at the image of your boyfriend, you noticed his mouth was all blurry thanks to what the two of you had just done.
"Damn, I can't find the lipstick anywhere" - he says while desperately searching for the lipstick in the mess of the room
Before you can help him, an angry Aiko opens the door and walks towards Armando.
"I thought I asked Jovan to tell you that there were only two minutes left, Armando." - Aiko says furiously while handing him the red lipstick - "Next time, find time and a room" - this time she said looking in your direction - "You are lucky that the empress is a patient and kind woman" - after finally finishing fixing his lipstick, Aiko pulls Armando by the arm and takes him towards the exit - "I'm going to take him away from you now dear, enjoy your freedom in the rest of Caraval while you can!" - she finally responds and leaves, taking your boyfriend with her
Abandoned in the chaos of the actors' costume room, you finally let out a sigh and stared at the cover of the hole that leads to the corridors.
Pairings: Armando x reader
Summary: During the second caraval, you decide to participate in the game again alongside Donatella, but a certain man continues to disturb your thoughts throughout the game.
Warnings: Terrible writing
Author's Note: No judgment for an extra having a set all to himself
Words: 2.4K
You had followed in Tela's footsteps thus far during Caraval, believing that remaining in your sister's shadow would protect you from certain inconvenient encounters.
Seeking to get some help by finding the second clue, you and your sister headed towards the Church of Legend in Valenda. You found it a little comical how much Legend was revered anywhere in the world, even though without his powers he would just be an ordinary man. There was a crowd in front of tasseled curtains that seemed to be waiting for some magic show or for something incredible to appear in front of them.
"What do you think will happen here?" - Tella asked
"I have no idea. Coming from Caraval, anything is possible." - you commented, letting out a laugh when you noticed your sister's excited look - "I wouldn't be surprised if all the Fates appeared behind those curtains"
"No kidding!" - Tella scolded you with an irritated tone of voice - "If that really happened, no one here would come out alive!"
"I'm sure more than half of the people here are Legend actors, if that really happened, at the end of the game they would come back to life"
"Well, either way, let's hope it's something that takes us to the next clue" - Tella seemed to have noticed something interesting in the crowd as she was staring at some people.
This was your second Caraval in the same year. In the first one, you had participated with Scarlett while you were looking for Donatella, but what you did more was to disturb than help, even though Scarlett said several times that she wouldn't have done it without you. And now you felt the same way about this Caraval with Tella. It seemed like you always depended on your sisters for everything, even to know which side to take. It disturbed you day and night. But today, you decided that would change. Today you, for the first time, would be able to help your sister in some way, whether it cost you your life or not.
"What do you think about us taking separate ways?"
"What?" - Tella replied with a shocked expression on her face.
"Little by little the crowd is increasing and our time is decreasing, I feel that somehow we are wasting our time here" - you said looking around - "If we separate, there is a great chance that we will get some clue soon!"
Tella looked at you with a mix of strangeness and admiration. You knew that deep down your sister wanted to protect you, but she couldn't always do that. In a way, you suspected that she had been keeping some secret for a while now and, that whatever this secret was, it was costing her a lot of time, precious time for Tella, that she couldn't lose. That was why you knew she wouldn't refuse your suggestion.
"Maybe then, but you have to promise me that you'll stay out of trouble. Scarlett would kill us both if she found out, me especially"
"It's a promise" - you respond, taking one last look at your sister before losing sight of her to the crowd. You could have sworn you saw a man with identical appearance to Dante heading towards her the moment the two of you separated.
"Now it's time to look everywhere" - you said as you walked around the place taking a good look at everything around you - "The clue could be anything-"
"It's not safe for young women to walk around here alone, you know?" - a strangely familiar voice took you out of your reverie, making you look quickly towards the person.
And your eyes met Armando's stunning green. A look that seemed to have shot an arrow right into you heart. His emerald eyes were like slaps to your heart. Those eyes that made you go crazy just imagining them in your head. Your mind screamed at you to get out of there and look for your sister, but your heart insisted that you should give it a chance.
You took a deep breath.
Armando was the actor who tricked you and your sisters by pretending to be Scarlett's fiancé, which made them feel an aversion to him for playing the role of the villain in the last game. Less you. He was so ridiculously attractive that it irritated you, how could a man be that handsome? You decided to ignore Armando and turn around, heading back towards the place where you and Tella had initially separated, silently praying that he would lose sight of you. What was in vain. Because right then you felt a hand pull your arm towards a warm and strong body. Your sisters would kill Armando if they saw how close he was to you, but reluctantly, you were thankful that your sisters were out of sight and that you could enjoy this little time with the man who kept taking over your thoughts every day.
"Where do you think you're going?" - his hot breath tickled your ear and your face flushed at the possibility of Armando being able to hear your heartbeat.
You manage to free yourself from Armando's tight hug and face him again.
"I know very well what I'm doing here"
"Really? Because it looked like you were lost looking for something" - he said letting out a mocking laugh - "It even looked like you were looking for the next clue"
There he was, the real Armando you knew. The man who liked to irritate and provoke you in every way possible. The ability he had to read your feelings as if they were an open book was incredible.
"I don't have to give you any explanations"
"It's not like it's very difficult to identify them. Because it seems like your body is craving it" - he replied, walking towards a table, picking up the Deck of Destiny that was on top of it and shuffling it - "If you really want to find the second clue, you should pay more attention and don't travel while you're walking around" - Armando finished shuffling the Deck of Destiny and placed it over the table, motioning for you to sit down and join him.
"I don't know if I want to know about my future"
"It's not like you really have any other option. Either you play with me or you waste the chance to surprise your sister with the next clue. It's up to you!"
The ticking of the clock showed that you couldn't waste any more time playing his game, you needed this clue, Tella needed it more than you did, and you swore you were willing to do anything for her. Even if that meant seeing your future in Armando's hands. You decide to sit in front of him at the table where the deck was, choosing four cards, one at a time.
And then, the first card appeared.
The Lady Prisioner
You lost your breath for a few seconds as you searched for some explanation for the card you had just turned over. Armando looked with some curiosity.
"At least you won't die single" - he directed his gaze to you, which in your unconscious seemed to be a mix of curiosity and jealousy - "I wonder who will be the unlucky one"
Still very lost with the first card to give some kind of answer, you decide to turn the second, with high expectations for what was to come.
The Unwed Bride
Armando let out a mocking laugh.
"As you are unlucky, the first card promises you love and in the second, this love is destined not to last" - he adjusts his clothes - "It seems that the Fates are not on your side"
"I would be very happy if you could stop making fun of me"
"And miss the fun of seeing your frustrated face? No thanks!"
Pretending not to pay him any more attention, you turn over the third card.
Mad Jester
The moment you turn the card over and find a jester staring at you, you silently begin to curse the Fates for choosing such a bad fate for you. What had you done to deserve such an unfortunate fate?
"Mad Jester huh? Happiness destined not to last" - At that moment you thought he would let out another laugh and mock you again for your bad luck, but surprisingly you just saw Armando with a worried look and a frown looking at the fourth and final letter - "I am beginning to feel a slight pity and sadness for you. If it console you, I will pray for your good to the Fates"
"This was supposed to make me feel good?" - You commented, too distressed to notice Armando's sudden change in mood.
"Maybe? I don't like seeing people get along so badly" - His eyes fixed on the last card that hadn't yet been turned over on the table - "Finish this reading quickly, this is starting to be horrible for both me and you"
The Mistress Luck
A whistle came out of Armando's mouth when he saw the last card. You also couldn't deny the relief your body felt when you saw Mistress Luck staring at you from the table, unconsciously letting out a heavy sigh that showed how distressed you were this whole time. You were never a fan of the Fates, but at that moment, she had definitely just become your favorite Fate.
"I'm glad your future awaits luck" - he said as he took the cards and put them back into the deck - "I think Mistress Luck has a special eye on you" - he commented as he shuffled the deck and then put it away again - "You're not that unlucky after all"
Already tired of Armando's provocations, you finally look at him irritated.
"I did what I promised you, I played this ridiculous Deck of Destiny with you in search of the next clue, it's time for you to give me what you owe me!"
Armando's gaze fixed on you
"Yes, I'll tell you the next clue, since you didn't pay much attention to your surroundings while you were engrossed in this "ridiculous" Deck of Destiny" - and then he approaches you - "But in Caraval, everything has a price, even if it´s a simple card game"
You could feel your face turning red as you felt Armando's hot breath approaching your mouth and you cursed your thoughts for imagining and longing for the taste of his kiss.
"B-but I thought the game was payment for the next clue!"
A big mischievous smile formed on Armando's lips.
"The deck was just a distraction to get your attention, but now that I have it" - his gaze went to your lips - "Now I can tell you what I really want in payment"
Your mind was begging you to get out of there as quickly as possible, but for some reason your body just couldn't move. You were trapped under Armando's spell. You were mesmerized by his pretty face and your carnal desire. If Tella showed up now, you would never forgive your sister.
"And what do you want as payment?"
"How about a kiss?"
He could only be going crazy, it seems like he read your thoughts
"A-A kiss?!?"
Your frustrated face only made Armando enjoy the whole situation even more.
"Yes. Either a kiss or not knowing what the next clue is"
Damn, he knew very well how to have you in the palm of his hand. However as much as you wanted to give in to the desire to kiss him, the fear of being caught by your sister still tormented you. You took a quick look around the place where you were, realizing that the flow of people had decreased considerably, meaning you would have some kind of intimacy alone.
"So, what do you say?"
You let out a light sigh
"Okay, a kiss in exchange for the next clue" - you replied noticing Armando's sudden approach - "B-but it's just a kiss! Nothing more! One kiss and that's it"
"You're making too many excuses for someone who has been looking forward to this moment all along."
"And you seem very excited for someone who takes pleasure in mocking me."
"You think? Maybe you don't know me well enough yet."
"You know my sister could arrive at any time right?"
"Yes, that's why you need to be quick!" - and the mischievous smile takes over his face again
So it was now or never.
You closed your eyes and gave in to desire. The kiss was slow, as if he wanted to keep that moment in his memory, enjoying the kiss in every detail. Slowly he placed his hand behind your head, bringing you even closer to him. Your hands found themselves fixed on his chest, ready to either bring him closer and closer to you or to move him away at the slightest sign of interruption, despite the fact that you were already slowly bringing him closer to you every second.You couldn't deny it, you'd been longing for this moment since the first time you saw him at Caraval. You fell in love with the villain of this game, with the man who, when this all was over, would forget everything you had experienced. As much as you were afraid of getting hurt, you would regret it even more if you hadn't even tried, and that's why you're here, right now, kissing Armando, exchanging caresses and tasting each other. The kiss intensified. Armando tasted like mint and citrus fruits, his lips took more and more advantage of the kiss while his tongue yearned to explore your mouth even more.
His caresses sent shivers throughout your body, making you go crazy and crave for more. He really knew how to make you mad longing for him. For a moment, you realized how mischievous these caresses were becoming, not that it was wrong, but you seemed to have forgotten that you were in a public setting, which meant that you could be caught at any moment in the middle of your caresses... So that means you definitely didn't pay attention to a blonde-haired woman approaching the two of you along with a tall, muscular man by her side.
