#secluded!reader

[the-enchanted-archivist]

Pffft, Secluded!Reader and Philip have a moment like the one in Our Flag Means Death where Blackbeard doesn't tell Stede he is Blackbeard at first and Stede mistakes Izzy for him. Could be one of the Coven Heads that has seen Philip's face and realizes that he's doing this either for fun or that he lost it in his old age. This comes after the whole castle has a heart attack over finding the Emperor missing.

Darius: Okay, okay, fun's over. Come out. I know you did this because you were bored and I get it. Seriously now. Don't make me send Eberwolf down there.

Philip: *down in the old captain's quarters with you, looking through old texts that he had stashed away in the fortress when he was a crusader that you found* Hm. Forgot about that one...

You: *ignoring him while on edge listening to the unknown man since you overheard someone say the "Emperor is in there", not understanding they were speaking of the man that was with you. It seemed the stranger was talking to you at first. You lowered your voice and moved closer* I-Is that the Emperor?

Philip: Hm? What? *turns but doesn't look at you, his eyes sweeping across the page he was on*

You: *takes his arm, trying to force the idea that you might be cornered and will be taken out of your head* That guy, i-is that Emperor Belos?

Philip: *nonchalantly* No, I'm Emperor Belos.

You: *turns your attention slowly from the ceiling to him* ... ... ... What...?

Philip: *realizes what he said before sighing and meeting your gaze with a cross expression of guilt and amusement* I'm Emperor Belos.

[the-enchanted-archivist]

The room grew cold as the last ember of the fire was snuffed out and you curled up tighter under your blanket with a shiver. Opening your eyes, you glared at the wall with a growl.

"Damn Coven Scouts..."

If it weren't for them hanging around the area to try to kidnap you to meet the Emperor, you would have been able to gather the supplies you needed. The time-freeze glyph you had discovered was making you sick and you didn't want to waste any more time dealing with the massive migraine it gave you just to get past those idiots. The fire glyph still needed kindling after all.

Before you could move, the fire suddenly burst to life and caused you to jump. Sitting up in shock, you found that the fire was higher than it ever was, and beyond it was a sight that made your blood run cold. You weren't alone. Someone had infiltrated the fortress. The figure was tall and clad in black with their face hidden under a heavy winter hood. A pair of brilliant blue eyes watched you, paired with a soft, amused smile.

"I didn't mean to frighten you. Better?"

His voice was soft and... British? The figure lowered himself to a seat behind him and he reached up, pulling his hood back to reveal an older man with light hair that tumbled from it in a long ponytail. Across his face was a massive green scar that was hard to miss. For a moment, you thought you were face to face with another human.

"Who... Who are you?"

"Just a traveler, my dear. I couldn't help but notice the large Coven Scout army at this place while I was passing through early. I found it strange, as this fortress has been abandoned for so long. I must stay my curiosity got the best of me when they left empty-handed. At first, I was unsure of what I would find."

The more he spoke, the calmer you felt, as if his presence had a soothing effect. For a moment, you forgot that this man had essentially broken into your fortress, bypassed all the traps that Kikimora and her Coven Scouts couldn't, and entered your sleeping quarters without breaking a sweat.

"You're human, aren't you?" he leaned forward, snapping you out of any thoughts you had at the moment. "If that is the case, I could see why they were after you. Humans are incredibly rare in this place."

"I... take it you're a witch then?" you sighed, feeling a part of you deflating at the fact that he was not human. The man let out a soft hum.

"Is that a problem?"

"N-No... It's just that... The locals don't seem to be the friendliest."

"Ah, I see. Well, people tend to be cautious around things they don't understand or know. I'm sorry that you haven't had the best time here."

"Not much difference between here and where I come from then..."

"Hm?"

"Nothing... How... did you get past my traps, anyway? None of the witches were able to-"

"OH, well, that's quite simple. I found a hole in the defenses along the south side and used it. I noticed it while the fortress was under siege. Those Coven Scouts don't seem to be the brightest..."

"What?!" you gasped, jumping to your feet, your head snapping to the door. The witch put his hands up and shook his head.

"Don't worry. I've fixed it. Though you may want to look over your traps once more to make sure there isn't another one. Right now isn't quite the time to do it. It's freezing outside and you don't seem to have the right kind of gear needed to brave the cold that is starting to set in. You are quite close to the Knee and winter is upon us."

You slowly lowered yourself onto your cot as you watched the fire in thought. Winter? So soon? He was right that you didn't have any winter gear as it had completely slipped your mind when you were looking for supplies. You were more preoccupied with making sure you had enough kindling, food, and materials for the traps while you holed yourself up during attempted Coven Scout raids. It hadn't been cold enough lately to make you think the weather was going to have such a drastic change. Then again, you were on the side of a cliff overlooking the Boiling Seas.

"How about this? If you allow me to stay for the night, I will be happy to take a look at them in the morning for you. I have had my share of surviving the wilderness."

Your attention snapped to him. The genuine smile on his face put you at ease for some reason. You were so cautious with everyone you met up until that point but his presence was a lot different. If it were anyone else, you would probably have nixed the offer immediately.

"Ah... Well... that's kind of you-"

"If you are having issues with the locals, I could also accompany you to the nearby town for better winter clothing. I'm sure with me at your side, they may be more welcoming toward you and you can get what you need."

Upon hearing this, you bit your lip. You really did need supplies. They had dwindled a lot quicker than you had hoped in the past couple of days. If you turned him down, what was going to be your next move? You still needed warm clothes or you weren't going to survive. What if you ran out of kindling in the middle of winter? With a soft, defeated sigh, you smiled back at him.

"Seems like I don't have a choice either way so if you insist... Mr...?"

The man leaned forward and offered you his hand.

"Philip."

"Philip..." you repeated, slipping your hand in his. "Y/N..."

[the-enchanted-archivist]

Belos only found out about Secluded!Reader due to a spell you found in "Philip's" books. It's a time freeze spell that lasts about an hour or so before time resumes.

The first time it happened, the Collector is the one who notices and recognizes it then unfreeze Belos to tell him as he too fell prey to it.

"Yeah, you know that time spell I taught you? Someone is using it. Isn't that exciting?!"

Belos FREAKS and tries to figure out who is using it.

You, on the other hand, were taking advantage of the spell to gather supplies when you realized what it did, and everyone around you was frozen.

The two of you come face to face when your curiosity got the better of you and you wanted to see the castle, mainly what this so-called emperor looked like. You didn't find him, but he found you. Belos had learned to counteract the spell when it happened and only faked being frozen when he caught your movement in the hall. He was dressed down without his mask when you found him and he overheard you wondering aloud if he was some sort of advisor due to where you found him.

He was FLOORED when he saw you. Instead of the witch he was expecting, you were clearly human.

When you wandered away from him, he carefully got up and started to follow you silently, just stunned at your presence, but the moment you heard movement, you panicked, used a cloaking spell you had learned from the same source and bolted from the castle as the hour ran out.

Belos wasn't stupid. He knew you found his research. However, he also knew if you kept using that spell, you were going to fall ill like he did. Part of him wanted to chase you down to find out how much you knew. The other part was afraid of scaring you further.

Your presence put him in a great mood afterward, which scared his subordinates. He had to figure out how to bring you to him.

[the-enchanted-archivist]

I'm not sure how far Belos can see everything outside of the castle, but the thought of him watching Kikimora and the Coven Heads try to get to Secluded! Reader and watching them fail is too funny. He has to witness those he put closest to him fail to catch one human just because the human is that clever and doesn't want to be bothered.

I think as long as someone who is under his rule is present, he's able to see everything. Seeing his men go through "Home Alone" style traps in an old seaside fort his scouts hadn't used in decades because you want to be left alone amuses him to no end. XD Kikimora is livid, Steve is getting his ass handed to him, Adrian is out cold in the background and covered in what LOOKS like red paint, several scouts are being treated for severe burns, and Belos is wondering how you're able to keep them at bay for so long. Did you have a Palisman helping you (Enter Honktavious or any palisman resembling a solitary animal that latched onto you when you first met it)? How many glyphs have you found at that point?

And he's not in any hurry to scoop you up. You have everything under control considering your tactical position and, bonus, you had no interest in interacting with witches. He figures you'll be along when the time is right. Or, he might surmise, you're waiting on him to come to get you when that time comes. If you're captured before he does, it's still a win, though when he found out what his people were doing, a threat goes out to make them rethink their strategy: If you are harmed in any way, there would be hell to pay.

[the-enchanted-archivist]

Listened to this and had an idea.

There's another human on the Boiling Isles, similar to the TitanTrapper!Reader but Belos hadn't run into yet. He knows of you but isn't sure how to approach you. There's a chance he's at a part of his plan that disables him from going to look for you.

Cue Kikimora finding out about you and that the Emperor wishes he could meet you and she goes to find you. She thinks it'd be an easy task since who in their right mind would turn down an audience with the Emperor? You should feel honored he wanted to reach out first! She figures you would be the perfect gift to Belos and she might gain points in his favor. Humans are rare, after all.

Well, turns out you don't want to be messed with. Maybe you had run-ins with the locals who weren't very hospitable and liked keeping to yourself after you established a place to stay, possibly in a ruined fortress on the far side of the isles. You also don't believe anything around you is real. This is either some fever dream from playing too many fantasy RPGs or that you're dead and ended up somewhere you weren't supposed to. You have, however, found the fire and plant glyphs during your time there from just screwing around.

Either way, when Kiki shows up, you turn her down flat.

She also finds out that several of the Coven Heads overheard her plan and are now joining the race to get you to Belos.

Cue the Looney Tune antics from you in order to get them to leave you alone >XD

You: *had your ears covered when Kikimora first approached you* Human? Human... Do they have round ears like this? *shows your ears*

Kikimora: *eyes light up and nods* Why yes! They do!

You: *gives a couple more suggestions that Kikimora gets excited about and nods*

Kikimora: Yes, yes, and yes! Have you seen them!? The Emperor would love nothing more than to meet them!

You: Is that right? Huh... Let's see... Nope, sorry, never heard of them. *goes to walk off*

Kikimora: *drops her arms in disappointment* Oh... Thank you for your time, anyway. *sighs then goes to leave in the opposite direction but then stops and squints* Wait a minute...

With how small and polite she is, she'll make you think of Marvin the Martian >XD

[the-enchanted-archivist]

You sat up in a cold sweat. Another nightmare.

Ever since that little demon started showing up with the "Emperor's Coven" to try to get you to meet the emperor, you've been having the same nightmare over and over again.

It always started out after you ran Kikimora and the scouts off. Before you could go back into your domicile, you caught movement out of the corner of your eye. Whatever it was, it was huge and moved on all fours. You'd find nothing the first handful of times but when you were sure the fortress was locked down for the night, whatever was stalking you somehow got in. You could feel its presence behind you. It loomed over you and you could hear it breathing. However, whenever you tried to look, you just got a flash of blue eyes, and whatever it was attacked you. That's when you woke up.

Despite losing track of how long you've been in the Boiling Isles, you had been here long enough to be desensitized by the fauna of the Boiling Isles. You even got a baby Slither Beast to act like a Golden Retriever around you when you figured out what to feed it. With the aid of the palisman that took a shine to you and the newly acquired Ice Glyph, raising your glyph count to three, you found yourself a lot less fearful of the world around you.

Whatever you were seeing in your nightmares was something new. It felt intelligent. It knew what it was doing. Was this a warning of some sort?

[the-enchanted-archivist]

Based on that spiderman meme.

Secluded!Reader and Philip : *watching the coven scouts, coven heads and Kikimora fail miserably*

Secluded!Reader : do you see this shit, Philip?

PFFFT

Philip's grinning like mad because NO ONE recognizes him and he's loving the fact he's sowing even more chaos and destruction with the people he hates so much.

[the-enchanted-archivist]

OOOOooooo~ Philip manages to get close enough to Secluded!Reader to supposedly help. Really love the take here, curious about what'll happen next!

Well, think about this:

HE'S the one making it harder for the Coven Scouts to get to you |3 Not only is it keeping you safe, but it's a form of entertainment for him to watch all of them fail. >XD