If your taking requests can you please do Yandere Tengen uzui and his wives with a reader who died and was born as Tengens wives. ( a bit like recantation mawhnas)
Reincarnated Wife to be |Â Yandere Uzui Tengen + Wives
Being reborn into the world of shinobi is hard
Your higher intelligence is helpful for somethings but it still doesnât compare to strength training before you can properly walk
Not to mention its the TaishĆ eraÂ
Everything is differentÂ
No plumbingÂ
No typical school
And on top of all that demons are alive and well
In your new lifetime demons donât physically appear until your early teens
âThat manâŠâ
âYeah a demon. Those overpowered slugs got to our target before us.â
Itâs brutalÂ
That the clan you come from was just so nonchalant of an epidemic on humanity
That was arguably much more brutal then sending a shuriken before an unsuspecting personâs eyes
You only realize they intend to give you away when you hear whispers of the arranged marriage
âHeâs the only one whoâs survivedâŠâ
âAh he must have the best genesâŠâ
â....or the only one who actually can learn from those graves on their property.â
âWhat are they atâŠ.six?â
The final nail in the coffin is when your prepped to meet with your fellow wives
âMake sure you take note of their weaknesses. Itâll make all the difference when it comes to his favorites.â
Your hesitant
By now you recognize the venue, your sister wives, his surname
But despite how cool it is you donât want to marry the future sound hashira
You know how it goesÂ
And your not sure if youâd survive with your addition to the other wives
So you run
Using your built up skill and knowledge to get as far as you can from your family if you could call it that
Your plan is to hide in someplace until you can gather enough wisteria to give yourself a private sanctuary
In the meantime you try to find the mineral of nichirin
Enough for you to craft a decent weapon that bodes well when demons occassionaly attack you
For years youâre sure your scott-freeÂ
Able to slowly widdle at the demonâs population in your little sanctuaryÂ
That is until you stop at the sound of jingling chains from the roof
âI heard there were talks about a mysterious ninja outside of demon corp! To think itâd be just who I was looking for!âÂ
You barely escape a young but powerful demon slayer who you canât seem to decipher
Is he trying to kill you?Â
To catch you?
Why does he keep following?
You hold up pretty well for a while unil you narrowly dodge a star thrown in your direction
âWe really liked you (Y/n). Whyâd you choose to run away?â
If it wasnât worse already all three of them seem to arrive from the shadows to continue their assault
You try to reason with themÂ
âCanât you understand?! I didnât want to be forced to marry some guy I didnât know!â
âBut you knew us! Doesnât that make it better?!â
âNo it really doesnât!â
Itâs getting overwhelmingÂ
So unless youâve mastered some kind of style of your own
Theyâll overpower you
âYack!âÂ
Your strength is preying on their care for one anotherÂ
Sending an unusual violent kick toward HinatsuruÂ
You take advantage of them running to help her
Easily disarming a distracted Tengen, you run offÂ
But you arenât home freeÂ
For whatever reason your ex-fiancees are just so hung up about youÂ
And between Uzuiâs new occupation heâs aiming for your capture
âYouâre just as flashy as Iâd hoped! When I do win, thereâs sure to be fireworks.â
Saw an idea from @frogchiro and decided to write some feral content. Send her some love â€
TW: yandere, monster fucking, werewolves, some crack/funny thoughts, talks about pregnancy/having pups (still gender-neutral), and knotting stuff.
Imagine TF-141 being yandere werewolf hybrids, falling for you all at once, each sharing their own yandere traits; which, causes all of them to be wherever you are. The need to scent you. Need you to be beside them at all times. And soon bring you home as theirs.
And now, you're their mate, sharing is needed â pack mates practically share everything, no?
Out of the four, Soap and Gaz are the absolute worst â they're feral, energized through the roof, and has to follow you around constantly; nudging into your crotch as they need to smell you. Smell your addictive scent that makes them all types of crazy, causing them to start nipping at your poor skin, growling at each other as the need for breeding comes along.
They both love to yap and bark at you, gently grasping your hand to guide you back to your bed (aka nest) so they can cuddle you (or stuff you full of their knot, their fluffy fur likely suffocating you.)
Though, you are often saved by Simon, and Price, whom are the biggest. They growl at them to watch it and gently bite their ears on scolding, snarling at them of needing to be more careful, and to not hurt you. You're their perfect mate!
Of course, Soap and Gaz make it up with sloppy kisses. And how can you not forgive them? Their obvious doggy eyes working perfectly.
Simon and Price are more so on the chiller side. Watching from afar, and demand cuddles that end up with their heads laying on your lap, the thumping of their tails on the chewed-up couch shows their appreciation when you finally decide to pay them attention.
But don't think they don't get possessive â because they do. More often or not, the hickeys and knots come from them. Though, they're regularly the nicest, rarely one to hurt you, and more aware of their size.
But, their breeding cycles are the fucking worse. Soap and Gaz are naturally horny, biting at your form as their tongue hangs out, but Simon and Price are a menace when in heat. Being more vocal, possessive, and often nipping at your ankles to not stray too far.
Regularly dragging you by the scruff of your clothes where the two of you can mate, spending their heat in peace. Making sure that you can see Price flexing his burly muscles, wanting you to admire their wagging fluffy tails, and showing off how thick, glossy Simon's fur is, and how both of them. All of them, really, can provide you with pleasant things, including a healthy litter of pups.
Despite them being pack mates, all of them are fighting on a regular basis â they all want to be the first one to breed, knot, and have you carry their pups.
When in their full werewolf forms, soap is more prone to chasing butterflies, and bringing you back half-alive birds, barking at you for his proud hunt â his mouth and chest covered in deepening blood.
Though, Gaz, and Price, actually bring actual gifts that are thoughtful â plopping full landscape roses in front of you, the roots still connected to the plant as their tail wag violently as they wait for your praise.
Simon, on the other hand, brings actual food. Like⊠steals a whole ass barbecued-chicken from someone's backyard, and nudges it closer to you as it's still warm.
Stares at you to eat it, his hazel eyes demanding for you to take it, but immediately snaps at Johnny, who only cackles back. He tries so hard to steal the items every time Simon gifts you something (he just wants a bite out of your food â sharing means caring!).
Everywhere on your body is marked by them, the harsh-but-yet healed maw-marked implanted into your skin. Their marks are typically licked, and kissed on by them.
Bring me some more ideas, please!! I fucking love these men who are feral for you â especially as werewolves đ€
When you have the time, yandere chain reaction to reader wanting to help by making dishes from our world for them? Like pizza, breaded chicken, spaghetti, lasagna, grilled cheese sandwiches,ect. Dishes you don't see in hyrule ya know? Maybe they first got to cook for them when wild is too exhausted or sick to cook? Actually, I don't think they know how to make boiled eggs or popcorn. Be funny if reader invented popcorn for hyrule. Hope you have a great week
Okay, I love this. You too, anon! đč ( part 2 )
cw: a mention of them possibly crossing your boundaries (at the end)
We'll set the mood by saying The Chain has had an absolutely exhaustive day. They've had to fight off multiple monsters of varying varieties, and to top off the sundae of shit, you have the rotten cherry of all of you being pushed into another portal. You're soaked in things you don't even want to imagine; all of your yanderes are neglecting their health and trying to take care of you; and you are hangry. You end up snapping at them and then getting gaslit for about twenty minutes.Â
That's when they learned about the wonderful world of âš human cuisine âš âpeanut butter and jelly sandwiches, meat pies, rice balls, etc...
You were on the edge of your seat, and Wild was exhausted, so you told them that if they left you alone for an hour, you'd cook for them. After a bit of convincing the more worried and overbearing yanderes, you finally got more than five feet away from them. That's when you cooked a dish from your homeland.
Let me tell you, you just fell into a deeper hole than you already were. They are already dependent on you for love, affection, and attention. Now, they want you to always cook meals for them. They are all trying to get the recipes for your favorite meals out of you so they can win your favor. Naturally, Wild has them outmatched in this sense, and none of them are happy about it.
Wild gets all of your attention when it comes to cooking things. You get to share recipes and learn from each other. Sometimes Sage is able to join since he has more refined cooking abilities, except his Zonai arm always acts up because it reacts to his suppressed yandere tendencies towards you. It's a weird quirk his arm has gotten into. He still isn't sure why. Everyone else in The Chain always tries to undermine Wild's cooking skills when you aren't around.Â
It backfires when Wild gets to be the one to cuddle up to you, and he manipulates you by telling you how the others hate him. They hate him because he is different. They hate him because he has you. They hate him because he is everything they are not. It just all seems so vulnerable and raw. Why would you not believe him? Do you not trust him? Do you not love him?
Over all, they are fascinated, and it only feeds into their worship of you. They are enamored by the foods you have brought them. Any of them practically drops dead when you make one of your native snacks for just one of them. Oh my, you made it just for him? No one else. You must really love only that Link! Fierce is even willing to use his deity magic to get ingredients from your world for you.
How did Fierce do this?
Does this mean he is able to get you home?
No, uhâhis power is limited because of the mask. Something, something, a convincing lie to get you to stay and not question him. He is a deity, after all. He knows better than you.
They may crave your food, but there is one thing they long for moreâyou. How long will you be able to deprive them of your body before they take what is rightfully theirs?
âDonât cry, (Y/n). We were never going to kill you.â
The reveal that the small townâs biggest menace was your friends Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto. To think that the golden boys of Jujutsu High who were dating two of the victims were hanging off one another in their bloodied costumes. Smiles wider than theyâd ever been with their supposed partners, the reality sinking made the bile rise in your throat.Â
Thinking about your meditation you close your eyes. The smell of partygoers rotting all over the small beach house fills your nose. The sound of the back screen door bumping against the frame as the beach breeze goes in and out with the tide surging outside. The taste of pennies filled your mouth as you gnawed at the inside of your cheek. The twitch of your fingers awkwardly hovered in front of your chest as they flexed in and out. On top of your breathing didnât calm you as much as it usually did.
â(Y/n) did you hear what I said?â
The voice of Suguru somehow made it past the warbled sound of absolute confusion that clouded your brain. The leather glove lightly held your left hand as he slowly came closer to youâre shivering state. Those brown eyes looking so deeply into your own, it felt wrong to look away.Â
âAll you have to do is say we left early.â
You opened your mouth to ask but the growing sound of sirens stopped you. Gojo was the first to let out a curse, giggling about running away. He shook his raven-haired partner who hushed him with an amused smile, turning back to you.Â
âYou can do that for me canât you Dove?â
The duo left out the back. That screen door screeched as they ran through it; returning to bang against the frame angrily. Its aggressive banging triggered an all-new set of shivers to wrack your body, causing you to fall to the floor. Closing your eyes you try to level yourself again but the sound of your own heartbeat is deafening and the eyes of your best friend pleading with you.
It will haunt you forever.
The sight of Detective Choso brought an uncomfortable pit into your stomach. The man youâd met years ago in another cityâyour city, with his hair down and his eyes had bags like a masked vigilante.Â
âHeâs out.â
The news didnât scare you. Not as it should have. Many may find it strange to know you dreamt about serial killers on death row. But it warned you. Prepared you for the day youâd need to run as far as possible from anything you knew. On the anniversary of that day no less.
âWhatâs the plan?â
The detective pursed his lip and his eyes wandered. His feet, running the flat of his oxfords on the carpet of the entrance to your apartment. The silent scratch of the wool under his shoe irritated you almost as much as his request.
âWe wanted to lure him out. Will youââ
He didnât need to finish before the door was slammed in his face, pushing him back into the apartment hallway. Choso groaned to himself, the situation's futility ebbing at his already short patience. He calmly knocked on the door again.
A muffled, âGo away!â
He sighed, lightly banging his head on the rusted number of the apartment. With his ear so close to the door he could hear the receding footsteps and the mumbled curses directed at him. He looked down the hall making eye contact with the local departmentâs plant taking out the trash. He didnât feel completely terrible leaving when there was a guard there, making a note to try again in 24 hours.Â
âIâll be back.â
It was meant to be assuring but Choso worried it came off threatening as heard a defiant thump on the opposite side of the door. Resisting the urge to sigh again Choso turned tail, making his way to the elevator. Pulling out his phone he scrolled through his contacts, landing on the name: Idiot surrounded by blue hearts.Â
Holding the phone at his waist he timed the ringing until he heard said idiot singing out a âhello.â Only then did he bring the phone to his ear and respond.Â
âThe eggs secured and itâs staying in the next. Howâs the snake?â
Gojo Satoru finished his lecture with a grand gesture as though he had finished giving a presentation. When in fact, heâd pressed play on the schoolâs TV the second his students got in their seats. Maybe in the back of his mind, heâd thought to make himself look better for the detective standing just outside the classroom. Even though they both knew it didnât matter.
âI appreciate you waiting until the kids were outta the classroom. Wouldnât want to explain to the parents why the police were in their school.â
The white-haired teacher spoke so cheerfully, that his familiarity with the detective might have seemed positive. The detective wasted no time calling their partners in; the stout one stood at the door while the taller one pulled at the blinds of the classroom. With the classroom darkened and the school slowly emptying the head detective decided to speak. Making a dramatic move of pulling a voice recorder out of his pocket he held it up as he asked his question.
âWhere were you the night of October 7th?â
Gojo sat on his desk, kicking his feet as he mockingly thought hard. He pretended to put his fingers to his temple as though that would provide answers. The detective associates sneered at the childish display.Â
âHm on the night of October let me seeââ
The man trailed off as he reached over his desk, pulling a calendar out of a drawer. Flipping through it he animatedly pointed his index at the circled date on the calendar.Â
Smiling up at the detective Gojo exclaimed, âThe anniversary of those horrible murders? Well, I was grieving over the victims by grading my kiddies homework.â
The detective snatched the calendar from him, letting his eyes glaze over the marked paper. Confirming the statement, he tossed the calendar back to him.Â
âCan anyone confirm this statement?â
Gojo let out a playful whine in annoyance as he dramatically flung back on his desk. The detective and their bodyguards all flinched at the large movement, hands hovering over the fire-arms tucked under their coats and at their belts..Â
âItâs always evidence with you guys, geez. I have it on the calendar, I never left my house you can ask my neighbors about that.â
âYour neighbors all live three kilometers away from you, Thatâs not an option.â
âSo critical. If I personally broke out some poor inmate on death row do you really think I would have let you just walk into my space like this?â
The question had the detective hovering over their weapon again. Gauging the posture of the white-haired man who was only smirking in their direction with an unsetting nonchalance. The pause that ensued allowed the detectives to reluctantly let their hands drift from their weapons as the sound of multiple chattering students hurriedly approached the empty classroom. The door previously closed swung open to reveal Gojoâs most loyal studentâa pink-haired teen leading the charge.
âTeacher! Did you see my post?â
With that smug persisting smirk on his face, Gojo turns his head feigning surprise.Â
âUnfortunately no. I was too busy talking with these old friends of mine. Whatâs up?â
âDude! The police are totally raiding your place!â
The teen turned his phone around to reveal a short video of police and armored vehicles surrounding the luxurious Gojo estate. Plenty of onlookers also recorded the unnatural phenomenon for the typically small town. Granted the amount of paparazzi that constantly come in and out of the town to film anything they can on the Gojo head wasnât all that rare, but the authorities looking so closely was. And like everything in this town, it was all anyone would talk about for months.Â
âWell, Detective Mahito am I under arrest?â
The long-haired detective sent a look to his partners and the curious teens absorbing the situation. Coming to a decision he openly hovered his hand over his weapon.Â
âYou are not under arrest but for your safety, you need to come with us.â
Of course, there was a video preceding this of the beloved teacher being escorted into an unmarked vehicle and the students behind the camera being shooed away as it drove off. With all the interested eyes on this case, it almost felt impossible that anything would slip under the radar of millions of curious eyes.
(Y/n) remembered the way the couple went public with one another. After the tragedy that ensued at the annual Hallowâs Eve party, it was of minor shock that the two golden boys of the high school found solace in one another. Everyone chalked it up to the bonding of trauma after both lost their girlfriends.
âI just found that no one could relate like he can.âÂ
You heard the reasoning in passing, always around the surrounding crowds curious about the latest scoop on the survivors of the Hallowâs Eve tragedy. No doubt some of them will have turned around to tell the outlets interested in the story as well while others would theorize about the identity of the masked killer.
âMaybe it was them!â
âYeah, what a defense! âI donât talk anymore after what Iâve seen!â As if!â
The nauseating feeling would eventually go away but the pressure was suffocating then. Haunting your mind with their echoed speculations and the image of your dead friends. Whatâs worse was the killers so happily parading their sorrowed expressions along the halls. Accepting the gift baskets and surface-level condolences without an ounce of suspicion. The feeling of your hair raising along your skin when one of them mocked their sympathy towards you.
âDonât be so hard on them, theyâve seen things no one should have to see.â
The constant threat of tears was a reoccurring pain, as you replayed the events of that party. It was never to be soothed by the couple whoâd spend their free time pestering you. Often leaving quickly thereafter to repeat their sick game.Â
âJust keep quiet, Dove. We were here the whole time after all.â
âYup, and to prove it weâll take a picture. Donât tell anyone okay?â
You couldnât bare listening to them any longer.Â
Conveniently the press that did have your new contact information werenât as insistent as before. Quietly asking for a comment on the criminal notoriously associated with Hallowâs Eve murders. After all the rumored victim of the killer was recently detained, surely as the witness that convicted the killer to death row youâd have something to say. You kept quiet. Deleting emails and hanging up phone calls from unidentified numbers, solely focused on getting to your plane on time.Â
âIâm so sorry but all commercial planes have been grounded for the foreseeable future.â
Like glass breaking at the perfectly angled rock, you started to crack.Â
âWhat. Do. You. Mean?â
This poor employee didnât deserve your wrath but she also wasnât betting on this plane to save her life. Sheâd nervously stutter and stumble over her words as she denied every out or once of compensation to make this any better.Â
âThere may be some private planes but those are in incredibly high demandââ
âIâll go! I donât care how much just tell me where!â
She seemed reluctant to say but she still told you. Maybe it was because she felt bad, seeing someone so desperate to get away or maybe it was because you were inches from her face. Either way, you were on the tarmac within the hour, along with a few others desperate enough to pay privately. Only to be crestfallen when you arrived at the staircase to enter the plane; letting the other exasperated passengers pass by your still form.Â
âMay I help you with your bags?â
An attendant, with a shining smile and neatly pressed uniform with the planeâs company proudly pressed right above his heart. Greeting you with nothing but an offer to help; you cursed the involuntary reaction to vomit.
âAre allâŠthe private planes availableâŠfrom this private airline?â
You tried to keep the tremor in your voice to a minimum as you nervously wrung your hands around the handles of your bag.Â
The attendantânone the wiserâsmiled and gestured to the other planes lining up the tarmac with rows of people.
âYes, they are. Gojo Airlines is offering a discount during these trying timesââ
He kept talking but you werenât listening. Turning around to leave, ignoring the airport security and the attendants who were preparing to let you onto the plane. It meant nothing to you for the beating of your heart and your panicked breathing is all you can hear. When you finally waved down a taxi, you quickly dialed a familiar number.
Detective Jogo looked nervously at the contact of his partner miles away. Since the week that their missing subject committed the grand massacre, he was infamous for. Because of the nature of the parties involved, he was strictly instructed to not call unless absolutely necessary considering they suspected their phones were compromised.Â
âYou eat yet?â
The question came with a warm bagel and a cup of coffee. Held over his seated form by the burly officer Hanami; coming from the breakroom on the other side of the station. For the first two weeks, it was just following the heir around. But with the inmate scheduled for death row at large and another anniversary coming up, it was decided theyâd move the heir into one of their holding cells. Of course, it was lavished with furniture and decorations all chosen by the illustrious Gojo Satoru. He did whine when they demanded to inspect and bug his phone and laptop but the station was taking no chances when it came to this specific case.Â
The rumors were enough too.
âHave you checked on him within the last few hours?â
Hanami tilted her head looking at the one-way glass of the blue-eyed witness pacing casually in the fortified room. From the glimpses that Jogo got from his chair across the room, their witness was unusually chipper. The days they spent guarding him throughout the day were incredibly boring; temporarily leaving his job as a teacher to gallivant around a hotel of his choosing didnât make it better. Throughout those weeks Gojo had subjected the team to an aggravating amount of chatterânone of it helpful or even worth repeating. Detective Mahito was plenty great at keeping up but Jogo and Hanami opted for alternating earplugs. Even with the earplugs in he could pick out the strong hints of annoyance bubbling underneath his wide smile and piercing gaze.Â
The change unnerved him. Especially with the rumors circulating around this specific witness.Â
âDidnât want to besides Iâm watching from the camera.â
Blunt and unforgiving Jogo wouldnât expect anything more from the officer. It didnât put him at ease.Â
âWhereâs Mahito? Still investigating that place?â
If it was possible Hanamiâs apathetic expression tightened, her brows knitting at the thought.Â
âYes. Last he called all the evidence had been scrubbed and all we can hope now is that they forgot something we could use.â
Jogo sucked his teeth in shared annoyance. The rumor he was dreading was more like an undisclosed fact. The true masterminds behind the Halloween Massacre were both Gojo Satoru and the death row inmate Suguru Geto. The files say the Gojo family lawyer fought hard for the heir; effectively blaming it all on Suguru Geto. With prints, hair, witness testimony, and photographic evidence all on the heir they were able to plead for coercion by malicious manipulation. Getting their heir off and painting his partner in crime to be a greater threat than he. The whole fiasco of the jewel of the Gojo clan being involved made the whole case a living nightmare, that their superior Choso Kamo rose to fame with. By finally encouraging the only witness with viable evidence to testify Suguru Geto was sentenced to death row. And through expert lawyers mysteriously hired, he remained waiting for years.Â
Choso, before he left to guard the witness, believed it wasnât just an escape attempt but a chance for the killers to tie everything up. Destroy the evidence, stop the search for the death row inmate, exact revenge on all who participated in the case, and reunite with their loved ones by the end of Halloween.Â
Of course, it was their best detective leaving to protect the witness who was in the most danger. Leaving his underlingsâMahito and Jogo to keep them on the pulse of the case and their eyes on the man believed to get off scot-free.Â
If it werenât for him knowing Choso cared so much for this specific witness; he would have thought he was leaving them the rough side of this mission. He knew the hardened detective could be a compassionate manâa hard thing to retain in this line of work.Â
Jogo huffed taking a sip of his coffee,â I hope heâs having a better time than we.â
Hanami made a grunt of agreement before returning to the hall to stare at the monitors she had been for the past couple of days. He would have offered to switch if he didnât think he thought this pit in his stomach could be resolved.Â
The 40-year-old detective stood from his seat. Careful to nurse the leg heâd fractured from two cases ago. He took his uneaten bagel, noting it retained some of its heat. He headed to the holding cell. Sending a look to the guard at his station, a buzzer rang and the door unlocked. With the final swipe of his keycard, he let himself into the semi-messy room. The culprit was sitting on his bed, a smile still on his smug little face.
âHungry?â
Those cerulean eyes werenât on him the second he came in, instead looking at the clock left graciously in the upper corner of the room. Nor did they flicker when Jogo asked his question. The disrespect made the Detectiveâs eyebrows twitch as he kept his hand holding the bagel.Â
âIâm not going to eat your leftovers, old man.âÂ
âNot good enough for you!? Not up to your snobby standards,â was what Jogo wanted to say but he didnât need to get kicked off this case for suspected bias. It didnât help that the man still wasnât looking at him, laughing to himself as though Jogo told the funniest joke.Â
âHave you eaten anything today?âÂ
Jogo was trying. He really was.
âNope, but Iâll eat later today.â
Jogo loosened up,â Have any idea what you want?â
The Gojo heirâs smile didnât compare to the smirk he had on before. His smile practically reached his ears and those haunting eyes staring right through Jogo, âAll of your livers.âÂ
âWhat?!â
The suspect wasnât speaking anymore and Jogoâs phone was ringing.Â
Jogo had a decision to make. Answer the call or make sure he just heard what he did.Â
âYou should answer that. He might never call again.â
Despite his better judgment, Jogo pulls out his phone, seeing the name of his fellow detective and the goofy photo they took on his phone. Another look at the white-haired man and he answered the call. Immediately his ears were assaulted with the sounds of wood crackling; the unnatural sound made his mind piece together what was happening.
âI-itâs a trap!â the tearful voice of Mahito rings the loudest. Jogo almost doesnât want to speak as if that would make what he heard go away. âG-get outââ
The sound of something large falling and the frantic screaming from either the detective or some other poor soul being abruptly cut off. Punctuated by the phone call ending.Â
Jogo couldnât take it anymore throwing his phone aside to reel his fist back to punch the chuckling man in the face. Prepared to fight against the guards that would be arriving any second he aimed with urgency. He was certain heâd have time to get in one. One good hit to the face of the man responsible for the chance that his partner might be dead.Â
âDid you really think Iâd just let that happen? Thatâs cute.â
Jogoâs fist was easily captured by Gojoâs hand, a careless gesture strong enough to keep the shaking fist static and far from its intended target. Unnerved by that restraint the detective launched his other fist only for it to receive the same treatment. Pushing with all his might Jogoâin the split seconds of any fightâfound himself at an impasse. Figuring if both his fists were being thwarted heâd go to the next best thingâhis legs. Cursing the ache heâd have later he aimed to kick the heir in the gut.Â
âBut not that cute.â
The quip was a warning barely processed as Gojo caught the man off-guard, releasing his fists to latch onto the outstretched leg. Gripping the ankle of the old man swung the body of the detective into the one-way glass. It crackled under his weight bursting with shards of glass as the stout man rolled past the curious guardâs post.Â
Jogo didnât feel like he could get up but he did watching the blue-eyed man let himself out of the holding cell, a stolen I.D. being twirled in his hands. He didnât need the guard to let him out, outright kicking the metal door until it flew off its hinges. Of course, the guards in the room moved with a taser and baton in hand.Â
âYou guys are so dramatic! How about you go out begging then maybe I wonât make you suffer.â
The guards didnât bother responding to the one with the baton going first. Swinging from above any normal man could barely manage to dodge but Gojo was by no means normal. He easily sidestepped the baton using the downward stroke of the officer to grab at his neck. At speeds, Jogo couldnât comprehend the officerâs head was facing the opposite direction. Even worse they werenât dead their eyes darting around as they tried to screamâmaking a gargled plea instead. The one with the taser barely had time to fire, missing the dodging assailant who easily grabbed the coils beaming with electricity to pull the gun from the guard's shaking hands. Defeated with a hand slicing toward their exposed neck also making the man gurgle as he fell to the floor.
âNow what was it we were talking about?âÂ
The question was directed to Jogo and the pain paralyzed him to the floor. Helplessly watching as Gojo slowly walked closer. The old manâs eyes darted nervously around searching for anything to use. His thoughts raged with an all-manner of possibilities running through his mind there was one tool bound to stop the incredibly durable heir. His gun. Jogo took great care to not let this realization be made. Planning to only reveal this when he needed which would be soon, judging by the way Gojo was cracking his knuckles.Â
âAbout how this was all planned by you?â
Jogo was stalling but it didnât seem Gojo was listening. The heir tapped his foot impatiently against the floor as he looked annoyed at the aching detective.Â
âAre you done because otherwise, Iâm just going to endââ
In a large flash of blue, the heir stood back just barely dodging the hurling form of Hanami. Using her natural height against him she aimed a violent punch into the ground, cracking the concrete the heir was standing over just a moment before sidestepping. Jogo felt his heart lift, who greater to fight alongside than Hanamiâthe human tank with punches as strong as steel. Surely now they had a chance.
Jogo pulled out his gun aiming at the dodging heir. Waiting for just the right moment to pull the trigger and finally end the menace that got to run free.Â
âThis really was fun but Iâm tired of this place.â The declaration sounded petulant like a child,â and Iâm tired of you.â
Almost in annunciation a pale hand shot through the chest of Officer Hanamiâthe human tank stopping her assault to look down at the hand pulling out of her. Before Gojoâs bloodied hand could leave a spray of her blood dousing her face and eyes. Fear-filled eyes watched his partner struggle as a waterfall of viscous carnage poured out of her baffled mouth.Â
Through the tears growing in his eyes, Jogo fired his gun.Â
Over a year spent in the police academy and being a rookie in the small town. To a supervisor to a junior detective who humbled himself to learn the young genius detective. More than certain his aim was true, he collapsed into himself. The weight of both his partners, his friends dead when just hours ago they were as lively as ever.Â
Thankful that the beast responsible was gone.
âGlad you came I was just about ready to clean up myself.â
The monster he thought heâd defeated was standing above him casually calling out to another down the hall. Whoever this was holding a disembodied arm and was casually walking in the halls surrounded by bloody remains of the investigative team.Â
As frightening as it was to revel in the new threat having gotten past security and was brutal enough to be carrying the limbs of his coworkers. But it didnât take away from the horror of realizing his gun never did go off. Instead, his gun was squished with the bloodied hands of Gojo Satrou, who sent one last disgusted look in his direction before dropping the disfigured gun in his lap.Â
âI told you, I had it under control.â
âWhatever you say âkuna.â
âDonât call me that. Now go on get to your âdate.ââ
If Gojo had taken the talons he called fingers and torn out Jogoâs heart it would have been better than recognizing the pink-haired, tattooed man, covered in blood. To think heâd have the privilege to die near the detective-turned-mercenary Ryomen Sukuna. Face ashen and succumbing to his fate, he wistfully watches the white-haired man skip over the carnage of the force. Without so much of a glance, the Gojo Satoru had taken everything from him in a matter of minutes.Â
The only thing he did have left was doomed to be gone soon.
âYou ready to fight to your death?â
An idol asking a question worthy of someone who wasnât likely paralyzed by merely being thrown through a window and failing to shoot the man responsible for the destruction of an effort to maintain justice no matter who the suspect is. There was only one thing he could say as Sukuna awaited his answer.Â
Today was the day youâd broken your silence all those years ago. Once again traveling with the detective to the far reaches of a rural town far away within the safe confines of a car. It didnât soothe you in the slightest. From the airport incident, the unnerving shiftiness within your stomach hadnât settled not like it did when Suguru was finally shipped off to prison and not like when Gojo was sent to a foreign exchange school. It wasnât over.
âHow are you doing?â
The question was worthless but you hadnât said anything since Choso dignified the plan. A lot was unspoken between you but talking was still necessary.
âLike throwing up. Howâs your brother?â
The immediate question was not just a deflection, it was the easiest way to distract the detective. Choso was a proud older brother who at any topic that reminded him of his little brother ensued in long rambles about said brother. Itâs a perfect soundtrack to drown your thoughts and avoid playing therapist with the detective youâre effectively running away with.
âSince you askedââ
Seeing the tired straight-faced detective finally begin to smile as he proceeded to rant. Itâs a nice change to the gloom you both permeate. You figured youâd help stave it off for a while with some light chatter.Â
â---and his little friends all look up to him like the natural-born leader he is!â
âHeâs in high school now right?â
âHe is. Heâs actuallyâŠ.â Choso trails off as his smile falls,â heâs actually going to Jujutsu High.â
The name of the familiar school renews the tense atmosphere and with terrifying speed, the synapses of your brain begin to fire off. Suddenly you can guess why Choso insisted the plant stay behind or how he refused the undercover police escort. Or why instead of awkwardly attempting to cheer you up he keeps his tired eyes on the road ahead.Â
âSo the safe house was a lie.â
Choso visibly grimaced, âNot entirely. I wouldnât give you to them if I wasnât sure youâd be safe.â
âThem!?â
He dared to look at you out of the corner of his eye.Â
âI know what theyâre after and theyâre not going to hurt you.â
You rolled your eyes, âYou trusted the serial killers who promised they werenât going to hurt me?! Gee, what a smart detective you are, letâs blindly trust the guys who have a death wish for me!â
Choso had the nerve to look offended at that. You didnât bother holding back your glare, anxious to hear the reasoning behind this betrayal. His hands tightening against the wheel told you there was some turmoilâas if that would resolve the bubbling fury that had you debating about taking the wheel and driving you both off the road.
âMy partners went back to the place, searching for evidence.â He spared a look towards you as if confirming youâd shrink in on yourself at the mention of that Halloween Night. âIt was rigged to explode after they found some evidence. My other partners that were meant to guard himâŠ.â
His tired eyes were blinking in a futile effort to hold back tears. Thankfully he had the decent to pull over before clasping his hands over his tired face. With only the light sniveling filling the car, you were forced to remember that night. The fire. The blood. It was all too much. You reached for the handle of the door, pulling at it to get into the open fields Choso pulled in. Only to find the door would not give.
â(Y/n), their funerals will be closed caskets and the cause of death will be chalked to some accident that explains the state of the bodies.â
He was trying to look at you, to get you to look at him. The droplets clouding your vision and the frantic breathing you were trying to regulate werenât helping. Recognizing your struggling he grasped your hands, holding them the way he did when you first fought to retell the tale that imprisoned one of the most infamous killers to exist. Rubbing his rough thumbs over your knuckles in comforting circles encouraging you to slowly inhale and exhale.
âThey did that to the ones they wanted dead for years. They told me, the last thing they wanted to do was harm a hair on your head.â
The tears were running as Choso pulled you into a hug, listening to you blubber about it being a lie.
âI think if they wanted you dead they would have done so by now.â
His assessment was crude but the truth. Deep down underneath the fear and noxious feeling of encountering those two again, there was still disbelief. A part of you that always denied that the friends youâd seen reveal themselves to you would ever think about reducing you to one of their many victims. Perhaps for your sanity, youâll have to trust in the friends you know. The friends that confided in such a secret all that time ago.
âSo your brotherâŠanyone else?â
He knew what you meant and as he lit a cigarette; he answered with a puff.Â
âThe whole town. Practically wiped out the entire workforce with the stunt they pulled.â
He inhaled with a wince, taking in another painful huff. He hated smoking.
âIf they did do anything the whole town would be completely at their mercyâŠâ
Reaching into his coat pocket, you pulled out a cigarette for yourself swiping his lighter to enjoy your cancer stick. Both of you fill the inside of the car with your despair, smoking your anxieties into something smaller. Hopefully weaker.Â
âWell if itâs for your brother and the whole town then I guess itâs a worthy sacrifice.â
Both of you joylessly laughed, taking long pained drags of the sticksâall the while licking at the tears that escaped your blinking eyes. A couple more puffs of smoke were had before Choso pulled back onto the road.
For whatever reason things were lighter as if that would take away to the possibly dangerous future youâd be subjected to.
âWhen you can, you should take Itadori to see the city. Thatâll really change his life.â
âAny places you recommend?â
âDo you want a list?â
It was nice to fill the space with something positiveâa rare activity you two partook in after the court case. It was nice to do it one last time.Â
The drive wasnât much longer, eventually pulling up to a small neatly painted house with no car in sight, if it werenât for Chosoâs intel youâd have been none the wiser.Â
As he put the car in park, he looked at you. As sincerely as heâs always done despite visible tiredness in his face. His arm wrapped around yours with a hesitant hand.Â
âIf you really donât want to do this you donât have to. You can punch me and we can say you ran off into those cornfields we passed by earlier.â
Mustering a smile as you leaned your head against his chest, âIâll be fine Choso. Say âhiâ to Yuji for me.â
He helped you get your bags, knocking in a specific tune on the door. The door opened and an old woman revealed herself, welcoming you with a warm smile inviting you both inside. You looked to Choso in confusion as you followed closely behind leading you to a parlour filled with hideously dated and flowery decor. She insisted you sit, promising to fix some lemonade for you both.Â
âOh, young man can I have your help with this? Iâd get it myself if it werenât so high.â
Choso hurriedly followed after her, sending a look for you to sit and relax.Â
This felt weird throwing off your expectations for your meeting with the murderous duo. Managing the burden of a fate to come you allowed your hands and eyes to wander. Letting your eyes glaze over with thoughts of how old the intricate wooden end stand is. Playing with the frayed edges of the quilt decoratively draped over the couch. It kept you distracted long enough, finally breaking out when you saw the long and pale hands coming to wrap around your chest. In a perfect world, it would have been Choso being oddly affectionate but these fingers were longer than his, sculpted to the very knuckle to become a living weapon. Accompanied by an inhale against the top of your head the owner of these hands pulled you further against the back of the couch; further pulling you into the warm soft and sturdy chest of a man youâd feared. A curtain of silky black hair much longer than you remembered dropped just past your shoulders, daring you to look up at its owner who refused you the luxury of space as the shadow-colored eyes stared deeply into yours.
âHello, Dove. You look radiant as ever.â
Velvety as the day he testified and was sentenced was Suguru Geto. Older but just as handsome as the day you met; exuding the air of gentleness that made anyone feel at ease. That is until he didnât need to. Those hands long and spindly trailed from your chest and on to your neck tracing your collarbone through your clothes. Finally resting on the middle of your neck, index fingers toying with the organ underneath your skin.
âHum for me Dove.â
It was just like old times, unwilling to speak and yet plagued by the demand into those dark eyes to give something. So you hummed broken and uneven, in your ears it was hardly the symphony he claimed it was. But it didnât really matter what you thought now.
âThatâs my Dove.â
He annunciated proudly moving his hands to hold your face up, keeping you in place as he softly explored your mouth. Nibbles were soft but urgent as though there was a timer for this reacquaintance unlocking the memories of this exact kiss.Â
Under the stairwell after a big game, the first after the reveal. Satoru was insistent you come, unable to goad a word out of you, he had you hum. A promise to come to their game and cheer them on. As per usual they won, despite suffering from so many late players the team relied on their surviving all-star players. Unsurprisingly Satoru was majorly credited with their win, allowing Suguru to pick you out from the cheering crowd leading you under the stairwell.
âArenât you proud of me, Dove? Show me how proud of me you are.â
The kiss was just like this, still soft but needy. Hands methodically wandering to allow for an opening; some easier access to melt his body into yours in the minutes he had before the others came. It was just like this.
âAw gorgeous, you missed us?â
Playful as always and hands eagerly running under the hem of your shirt to rub thumbs along the soft expanse of your skin. Pecks in between the hands creeping higher all the while Sugure tightens his grip on your jaw a warning not to forget him. Not ever again.
When Suguru does pull away itâs to suck at your neck, holding you by your shoulders as youâre hands wiggle with uncertainty. Even subconsciously you hesitate to have your hands reciprocate while the two assaulted you with kisses that were getting rougher by the minute. Satoru ignored Suguru when he climbed up higher to meet your lips; and worked to intertwine his fingers with yours. With another attempt, he roughly pulled at Suguruâs lips with his teeth demanding they share a deep kiss of their own before returning to you.
âOh Gorgeous weâve been waiting to do this since forever.â
Two more final pecks from each of them, allowed you to breathe leaving you limp and pliable for the especially touchy Gojo Satoru who slotted you into his lap as he settled onto the older couch. Suguru sat closely his arm reaching over the top of the couch to let his hand rub at your neck once again.Â
âMissed you at the airport.â
The pit in your stomach returned at the loaded judgment and came with a pinch into your side. Under Suguruâs scrutinizing gaze and the feeling of Satoruâs eyes from behind you, had you hoping to defend yourself.
âI thought you were going to kill me.â
You said it with attempted laughter, begging for the laughter of the killers youâve feared for yearsâall to confirm that still wasnât the plan.Â
Suguru in his forever-contained demeanor sent you a smile with half-lidded eyes. The most unclear answer to the anxiety that hadnât rested even with the butterflies of kissing these two again. The vibration of a laugh from behind wasnât an answer either and neither were the muscular arms circling you.Â
Suguru released your neck, and brought his hand to hold up his head,â So you and the detective. Did you get together, after I left?â
The growl behind his smile reminded you of why it took so much courage to speak out. Something you bore witness to since the couple decided to reveal themselves to you. Not only for the fear of ending up like their victims but for the entirely personal punishment only Suguru in all his infinite fury could conjure.
âNo! Iâve been single this whole time.â
That got you a squeal from Satoru who lightly squeezed you tightly into him giving light pecks to your neck. Not stopping anytime soon you turned your attention back to Suguru, who still didnât look pleased.
âHm, Iâm not convinced.â
The nonchalant claim made you feel like crying again. You remember this conversation when it came to an old friend. Even when you pleaded, silently albeit heâd scoff and smile at you while he remained âunconvincedâ. Kissing your forehead before leaving to claim another victim for the masked killer.Â
âHe brought you to me âŠhe-he convinced me to talk.â
That wasnât true. It was you. Through a month of self-care and therapy, you were able to muster the ability to speak again. Choso was great support but it was you who did it. You who gained the courage to move away and restart your life away from the memories of your serial killer boyfriends. Speaking of, you whimper at the sting of pain along your neck. Â
Straining your gaze to look at the man whose admiring the mark on your neck. Despite the loving caressing of his hand along your neck, the glare of Satoru Gojo was just as frightening as the killer sitting across from you.
âI donât know I think thatâs all the more reason!âÂ
You couldnât restrain yourself from silently pleading with Suguru looking deeper into the house where Choso disappeared with the older woman. Suguru sent a hand through his unrestrained hair as he sighed.
âIâm not pleased with you (Y/n). Telling on us like you did someoneâs got to pay.â
You could hear Gojo smirk behind you.
âSo what do you say, babe round 3 of our favorite Halloween Night?â
Suguru released his locks as he mockingly stuck his nose to the sky,âIâll think about it.â
Suddenly the rickety old house shook from a plane overhead; thinking nothing of it you expectantly looked at Suguru who seemed to be debating. Only for him to abruptly stand and make his way to the door. Satoru hopped up with you in tandem refusing to let you walk on your own without him clinging onto you.
They both made their way to the back porch where the very plane youâd refused to ride a day ago was releasing its stairs. With the steps fully extended Satoru tugged you along as Suguru began to ascend. With the question of Chosoâs life still hanging in the balance you dug your feet into the ground pointing at the house which Satoru barely acknowledged until youâve turned yourself in his direction.
âWait! My bags! Choso has my bags!â
That had Suguru coming down the steps faster than you could turn; feeling that familiar grip on your jaw as he forced your gaze on him.
âYou donât get to choose if we bring that with you. I didnât get to choose what I got to bring when you sent me to that cell. â
You held your gaze as you stood your ground, âNot him. Be mad at me! Not him.â
For a moment those black depths flashed with something violent; a glimpse of what hundreds had seen in their last moments.Â
It wasnât for you but how could you know that?
Suguru sighed lessening his grip on your jaw, using both his hands to hold your face. Running his thumbs along the creases of your face as if he had to remember the texture of your skin against his own. Since his reunion with Gojo, he fought tears, pulling you into a hug. One you returned on instinct, somehow even with the blood splattered on his face with the mask of a serial killer hanging on his head he was still your friend. As Gojo closed in from behind you you reminded that you felt the same for him; more than certain that youâd be rendered the same helpless witness to the deaths of so many friends. It would always end this way.Â
with them at the end of the blade, with the power theyâd always have.Â
Satoru settled a hand on your waist and his other on Suguruâs face, his smile as warm and welcoming as the day you first met.Â
âCome on you two. Letâs spend this Halloween together. Weâll figure out the rest later.â
Finally entering the plane a part of you felt like you lost. That you succumbed to the imbalanced rulers of the system. But the largest part of you knew since youâd gotten involved with these two, youâd been given the footprint of a giant and it really would be better for everyone if you let them win especially this once.Â
At least with certainty, you can say this Halloween no one else is dying because of you.
The thing about introverts is that they need to recharge
They need time by themselves to be able to handle more interaction
They greatly value their lonesomeÂ
Whether to enjoy their imagination without distraction or to put themselves nose-deep in their field of interest
They have a safe space â a time or place meant to belong to them and only them
Itâs why you didnât go out on the unplanned drinking escapade when your boss and his partner offered
âNo, thank you I have something to do tonight.â
Unbeknownst to you, you smashed their hearts into a tiny million pieces with that polite sentence
Though it wouldnât be the first time
The only time they could get you to agree was when they made plans with many of your friends at a significantly later date
They decided to be nice about getting your affection so why was this so hard
Why was it taking so long to get any of your free time
âSugu! Iâm tired of waiting! Why canât we just take them now!?â
âWe both decided to be patient with themâŠyouâve already said you didnât want them to hate you. Right?â
â...YeahâŠâ
âSo weâll be taking the long wayâŠfor now.â
He says that but their patience is running thin
And like a starving pack of wolves, they need something
âOh yeah (Y/n) kind of really needs their alone time.â
They decide to do some digging as to why this keeps happening
by they I mean Suguru eventually gets an answer from your friend
âThey make plans with themselves all the time. Honestly, weâre just lucky the days we do hang out donât fall on the dates theyâve already picked out.â
Why must their darling be oh so fickle?
They decide to go to their other planÂ
One theyâve crafted after many trips with you home where they stayed 3 meters behind and you didnât know they were there
Passing by an ally you always do stopping at a familiar sound
âOh my! Two cute friendly kitties in one day? I must be dreaming!â
You arenât and when you return home youâve got two fluffy cats that refuse to leave your side
Finally the perfect turnaround of seeing you composed and restrained at work
Then seeing you fawn and coddle them when they transform into cats in your home
Suguru and Satoru had gained their wealth through several means
Privilege, hard work, physical prowess, and agility that made them a force to be reckoned with in the underworld
Suddenly their ability to transform into their âlesser formsâ comes in handy when they feel the need to have more of your time
This time when you cancel going out with them theyâre not too hurt
Knowing you're already running back home to be with them
Itâs the perfect little plan that lets them have see so much more of you:
âAwww my little Nightsky~your like my little guardian! Even when Iâm in the bath you watch after me, thank you!â
The black, purple-eyed cat purred in contentment as you let your fingers massage the catâs head. Readjusting your robe you slipped into your slippers and made your way to your bed. On your way, you lightly rubbed the cheek of your white cat who was sat on his cat tree aggressively flicking his tail.Â
You cooed,â Donât be jealous Cream, itâs just that you get a little crazy whenever I let you in while Iâm taking a bath.â
The cat meowed indignantly. Chuckling to yourself you grabbed your phone from your nightstand. Plopping on your bed you started scrolling through unanswered messages sent to you. In your peripheral you watched the cats mew at one another before beginning to playfully wrestle.
âBe careful on the cat tree, you two.â
They seemed to ignore you subsequently rolling off the perch and onto the floor. Having seen them do this exact action before you didnât bother looking away as you read the messages from your friend in your department. Your lips pursed as the string of messages ended with a voice note.
âHey, those two are still asking about you. Why donât you give them a chance? Maybe they just want to be your friends?â
Sighing you prepped yourself to make your own voice note, unaware of both your catsâ attention solely directed towards you.
âIf they do want thatâand I highly doubt thatâdonât they feel off? Like did you see how that grumpy old man gets so mousy when theyâre around? I just donât think Iâd want to associate with that.â
After ending and sending your voice note, you hold your phone as it pings with messages from your friend. Holding in a giggle you tap back your response. Conveniently Cream and Nightsky are at your side rubbing their bodies and tails in front of your face as they both sprawl out on your forearms.
âGuys!â
You scold them but you have no plans to move them instead continuing to text your friend. Occasionally kissing your catâs heads you continue to inform themâyour friendâof even more dirt youâd found on your overly-friendly employers. It lightly amuses you how it looks like your cats are reading the texts as well though you're sure itâs your fingers quickly moving that theyâre so entranced by.
A ping goes off and you quickly shoot up to throw on some clothes. The cats look curiously as you crazily hop around before snatching your keys. You smiled at your approaching cats,â Okay boys! Our delivery gal got caught at the gate. So Iâm going to go get food be my good boys!â
Blowing kisses, you disappear with a slam and locking of the door.
Your footsteps disappear down the hallway.Â
And your apartment is silent.Â
For a little while.
âGeez are we really that off-putting?â
Standing and looking longingly at the door is the pouting and naked, Gojo Satoru. An owner of the company (Y/n) is currently employed at and the only white-haired man who was rubbing his face into the intimate threads of their robe.
Suguru Geto, also stark naked and the CEO of that company was sighing and holding the bridge of his nose, â Perhaps we really wonât be able to convince them otherwise.â
âWhy donât we just take them now? Burn the condo and sweep âem off their feet?â
âBecause I know you know theyâd hate that.â
Satoru lifted his head with a sadistic smirk and shrugged his shoulders,â So? Theyâll get over it!â
Suguru put a disappointed hand over his face if only to hide the smile that tickled his lips. âTheyâre not like meâŠor youâŠwe have to be gentle. Too much shock and weâll ruin them forever.â
Satoru whined, abandoning the robe he snagged to join Suguru on the couch. Posturing himself right above his husband, âCâmmmooonnn! Theyâre strong enough, they can take it!â
The ravenette wasnât swayed, teasingly turning his head as he rested he his chin on his hand. âNo âToru too high a risk.â
âThen why donât we take another approach, Satoru lightly turned Suguruâs head towards him flashing his award-winning smile,â How about we work a different angle.â
Suguruâs brow quirked in intrigue.
âOne where we happened to be their perfectly timed saviors.â
âDo you really think thatâd work?â
âI say we try it! Otherwise, Iâm back to Plan: A!â
Suguru couldnât help but laugh bringing the man down to nuzzle his own nose. Planting a kiss on his lips, he opened wider as Satoru dove in. Pulling away after a minute Suguru cutely mimicked his cat form as he batted his eyes,â Am I forgiven for me and (Y/n)âs time in the bath?â
Satoru sucked his teeth. âYou almost made me forget you slimy snake! How dare you?!â
Suguru shrugged with a smirk on his face, sending a scolding look when Gojo growled and angrily clutched at his hair. The tension was released when they both let out boisterous laughter.Â
The apartment wasnât silent anymore.
And youâd returned from getting takeout a while ago.
Visiting the controversial but fascinating zoo: Twisted Territories is something you finally got around to doing. Usually satisfied with the attached aquarium and petting zoo; itâs a bit of an adventure going into the very popular exhibit.Â
âHere is our exhibit for our Nagas! If you donât see them donât feel bad they are a little shy. So if you like you may look up at the screen where we have some footage of our training with themââ
The zookeeper kept talking as the crowd made a makeshift line along the glass of the giant enclosureâmoving awfully quickly because of the lack of action. Letting yourself fall into the back of the line you took your time admiring the grand enclosure. Much larger than any youâve seen it was likely they couldâve been in plain sight camouflaging with the foliage inside it. Finally telling yourself to move on you take one last look at a specific spot in the bushes. Doing a double take you try to see if you saw the shimmer of someoneâs eyes.Â
âMommy, when will I get a chance to see?â
Hearing the childâs whining you decide your time at the glass was up, writing off what youâd seen as an especially shiny plant in the exhibit. Pushing it to the back of your mind, the memory fades with the attraction of the merpeople and the wolf-hybrids who were much more present. Itâs good enough to encourage you to come back, once again giving the Naga exhibit a chance.Â
Spending a little while looking at the unreal nature, hoping youâll find some hidden pattern of scales or a tiny bit of movement that reveals where the Nagas may be. It didnât take long before your eyes were drawn to the open space right behind the glass. Only having time to look befuddled before a crowd of people started to form around you.Â
âLook that snake-man came right up to the glass! Quick get your camera!â
As so many voices began to point out, a pale upper human half with a silver tail coiling behind him was right up against the glass. Hands-on the glass with his dark eyes trained on you, this Naga with a choppy bowl cut didnât seem keen on moving. His intense eye-bags made it hard to tell if you were angering him or just entertaining him. You werenât keen to find out.Â
It took a while but you let the crowd take your place struggling to get through them to move on to the next exhibit. Taking advantage of the crowdâs excitement, when you looked back you couldnât see the Naga which you could delude yourself into believing it was pure coincidence. Trying to enjoy the rest of your trip to the zoo, once again you tried to push your weird encounter into the back of your head. When that doesnât work you settle for calling yourself âlucky.â Who else has gotten such a close view of one of the illusive Nagas in the enclosure?Â
This is why you internally scold yourself when you find a special invitation to that part of the zoo again. The email claims it's a prize for being such a frequent visitor and it makes sense that they offer a discounted price. If only to shake away the memories of the odd encounter you do again this time avoiding that exhibit for last, with plans to go at the end of your stay. You try to hurriedly rush through the path without incident.
The sound of a glass being banged and a muted hiss has you turning to look at the nagas exhibit. This time there are twoâthe grey one whoâs tail was still on the glass and the other whose tail is a vibrant blue with hair to match. The blue one was coiled in on himself practically hiding behind the grey haired oneâbut he was also looking at you. Both leaning in tandem as you tested going further down the path. Once again the crowd was in an uproar surrounding the spot. You could see the blue one hurriedly retreat into the bushes of the exhibit while the grey one lingered. Through the surrounding crowd you found yourself locking eyes with dark grey ones. The glare was the same as beforeâa demanding sort of stare that weirdly made you feel guilty for turning away.Â
âHi, can you please please come to the zoo again? Iâm asking personally because legally that wouldnât be right but thereâs this neat grey area where I canââ
Cater couldnât help but ramble as he spoke to the former frequent guest of the zoo. Tasked by his superiors to do whatever was needed to get the Nagas corporation. Since uniting the three specimens their murderous tendencies had increased. For a time there were vague signals of in-fighting but that quickly died down and suddenly their scientists and zookeepers were turning up dead.Â
It seemed like there was no end to the carnage.Â
Until (Y/n) came along.
In the zooâs database, they were listed as a common face. An annual pass and accessories to match it was a matter of time before they visited the new mystical exhibits. What no one expected that itâd be them who got the Nagas to be active. With cameras placed on the ceiling and some trees, the scientist smart enough not to go inside could watch. But the Nagas were smart they knew precisely where they were and their intense strength didnât help. Taking advantage of the terrain that didnât need to be changed the Nagas made their supposed nest in a cave which meant that no scientists could see them even at rest.Â
So it shocked everyone when they saw multiple dashes across the screen at the fifth big crowd of the day. Unlike some of their other creatures who had fun toying with the guests and were rewarded for it. The Naga s were never a part of this group usually ignoring guests or making themselves completely unseen on purpose. But now they were rushing to the edges of the forest without a care for the cameras or the eyes of amazed onlookers all to look at one person in particular.
âThat one human. When will they be here again?â
Cater was the unlucky understudy who was finally spoken to rather than immediately suffocated for simply delivering food. He was shaking like a leaf as he promised to find out for them. It was a wonder they spoke at all let alone the biggest one of all.Â
The creatures Twisted Territories had gathered were oddly enough quite close to one another. Already having split themselves into factions and hierarchies that fit with their species. But the greatest predator and the most feared was none other than the rumored dragon. Illusive and feared the only reason he hadnât decided to end the organization was because he was looking for something specific.Â
He said this after leaving nothing of an army of men and women.Â
No bones. No blood. No survivors to speak of.
This is why it was a miracle that Cater was able to return to the guffawing scientists with a message at all. Bringing this up to the Superiors he was praised and tasked with making sure that their requests were fulfilled.Â
Did these creatures have a type they liked to kill?
An interest in specific blood types or was it something else?
Was it a mating interest?
Competition?
The possibilities were endless and those superiors of his were hungry for answers. Granted it would come at the cost of this poor personâs life but he wasnât in a position to argue. Not when he told the dragon heâd find you himself.
âIâm not really interested in returning anytime soon.â
That wasnât going to work.
âIâŠactually would like to offer you an exclusive look at one of our exhibits. Weâll give you a free meal and some extra merchââ
âIâm sorry but I really donât want to. Those Nagas really put me on edge.â
Caterâs heart sunk even deeper into his stomach. Letting his mind wander to the consequences of failing to get the subject to come willingly. His superiors would no doubt go to the extremesâ buying the land around them, blackmailing, entrapping their family. It would be so much worse than a simple call.Â
âI shouldnât be saying this but the next time someone calls you about comingâŠthere will be dire consequences.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âI donât know if theyâve already heard meâŠjust pack a bag and come, please. I donât know what theyâll do.â
Cater hung up the call, his heart aching in his chest. Looking at his feet he was acutely aware of the shadow that stretched in the doorway near them.Â
He thought he was safe.
He thought he was essential.
The first one to speak to The Dragon without being dead.
Perhaps he wouldnât get to deliver the guest to the dragon himself.Â
âWelcome (Y/n) (L/n) to your official behind-the-scenes of Twisted Terrain. Is there anything I can get you before we start?â
âThe guy I was talking toâŠwhere is he?â
â.....Right this way honored guest.â
You didnât like how they deflected but it prepared you for what you may be dealing with. Despite the media denouncing it, youâve been looking at the forums. Written off as hurtful conspiracies to zoos they provided their speculation about the zooâs latest additions and how far their willing to go to keep them. Sadly it aligned with everything thatâs happened so far; more people with suits surrounded you as you further traversed into the maze of staff-only doors. It didnât make you feel so bad about scheduling a post about this thing. Theyâd take it down eventually sure but if you were never coming back itâd be best to warn others about this wolf in sheepâs clothing.Â
âSo here is the private extension of the Naga exhibit, where our scientists do their best to learn while taking care of our reptile friends.â
Seeing where this part of the exhibit expanded from the one the public saw was shocking. From a previous perspective, it already looked like a small forest, this larger part just made it so much larger. You realize this makes the Nagaâs interest in one specific side of the glass that much weirder.
âNow if youâll do me a favor and step up to the glass so you can have a closer look at their habitat?â
It wasnât really a question, the slight inching of the others in suits said so. Adjusting your hold on the strap you were holding some luggage with, you step forward. In your heart of hearts, you almost hope that nothing will happen. That this would all turn out to be some ruse that happened to be triggered by the environment or the color of the clothes you wore.Â
Like the feeling of realizing something so uncomfortable, so nightmarish, happening to you, and when you blink your eyes, you are not dreaming. The whole wood seemed to rustle as a long green tail much larger than the other Nagasâ youâd seen reached for the glass between you two. Almost caressing the glass.Â
âSpectacular! I wouldâve never believed it if I hadnât seen it! Alright, letâs get them in there! Get those cameras ready I donât want to miss an angleââ
âWhat?! Ahhh!â
The people in suits held you tight, maneuvering to a vault-like door where they took you and your bag inside. Feeling the bruises on your skin you tried to regulate your breathing and it was proving hopeless. The gaggle of people surrounding you in lab coats with cameras and notepads, it seemed as though they truly were prepared to feed you to these Naga. The feeling really sunk in when you were slammed into the dirt watching from over your shoulder as thousands of people watched like an audience of Colosseumâpractically cheering for your massacre. Breathing in and out, you tried to ignore the burning ache of cuts on your hands and knees. You squeezed the handle of your bag as you walked into the forest, a glance back showed the gaggle behind the glass groaning and whining that you didnât stand in the clearing the gate opened up.
You thought about flipping them off but this would have to do.
The second you stepped past the forestâs edge it was that same green tail that gently wrapped around your back guiding you through the forest. It was alarming but oddly comforting that the muscles underneath those evergreen scales were somehow softer than the humans who brought you here.Â
âWhere are you taking me?â
You continued to follow its light pushing and support over more rocky terrain. It eventually stops at the mouth of a cave, the tail disappearing into its darkness. Popping out again to imitate a finger calling you to come in.
You patted your pockets for your phone; coming up empty they mustâve swiped it while they were manhandling you into the enclosure. Figuring youâre better off relying on another sense you let your hand drag along one side of the cave, leaning on it as the ground dipped as you got even farther.Â
âI canât believe they brought you.â
Turning to the left of you, you were sure you heard a voice there. Looking in the darkness for any kind of movement you continued along. After that, you make sure to listen for some kind of sliding equated with the sound of Naga s slithering but you hear nothing.Â
âD-did they put any wires on you?â
Turning again and seeing no one you put your back to the wall. Hoping that this will eliminate the directions someone can come at you. Shimmying along the wall you debate with yourself about how to react to these voices around you, whether youâd respond or swipe if only to prove you werenât going insane. Before you could decide you felt something swiftly pull at your clothes.
âAh!â
âS-s-orry itâs just that they did put something on you.â
âUh, thanks?â
Whoever was the owner of this shaky voice made a sound youâve never heard before. It sounded close but when you dared to reach a hand out you found nothing again. Continuing on your way, you wondered how far youâd get before you reached wherever you should have gone.
A cool sensation spread across your waist, making you jump. Thinking it was water or something you sent a speculative finger down to check finding what stopped you in your tracks was a Naga tail. It pulled you from the wall into a warm and lean chest; for good measure matching pair of arms wrapped around you trapping you against what you assumed to be one of the Nagas you were meant to meet. Seeing as the coils that wrapped around you were only moderately squeezing you figured you could let your guard down.Â
âTo think you had to be with those nasty humans this whole time makes me sick.â
That voice was the first you heard. The voice was smooth authoritative and a little snobbish you wondered which of the Nagas youâd seen was the owner.Â
âUm, can I ask someâAcK!â
âDonât squirm, Iâm checking past these infernal coverings.â
The hands inspecting you were just as chilly as his tail which was maneuvering you in all sorts of ways to help remove the âinfernal coverings.â Trying to push the hands away proved to be nothing but a nuisance to the Naga who casually slapped your hands away to continue trying to remove your clothes.
âWait donâtââ
âStop whining! I can look better if you just stopââ
âRollo, please.â
The voice that spoke from somewhere unusually close was deep, a baritone that practically shook the air of the cave. A command that had the Naga holding you stopping their attempt at removing your clothes, letting you rest in their coils.
The light draft of the cave became more intense, wafting against your cheeks in a cold thrush. A light brush became an intense whirl, making you shut your eyes from the dark expanse of the cave. There was the sound of something cackling like a fire and then the faint wave of light reaching through the cover of your eyelids. Opening your eyes to a whole new cave, a green flame burning on a torch being the main reason.
âYou must be gentle. Their eyesight is much different than ours it makes sense theyâd be disoriented.â
The owner of the deep voice was a pale man with hair as long and dark as the cave, youâd entered. With a pair of horns on his head and evergreen scales trailing from his cheeks down his unclothed chest blending with the length of his tail. His tail was hard to see for its true color with the glow of the green flame but accounting for it you recognized the scales for the evergreen ones that guided you into the cave. Looking at the now illuminated ground it was that same evergreen tail that seemed to curve and coil all around. Trying to pinpoint the end of the tail to its beginnings led you to meet its owner. Resting on one of many coils of his, with a fanged smile you could feel the heat rising from the pit of your stomach as slitted evergreen eyes looked deep into your own.Â
Taking a gulp you tried to speak,â You led me here right?â
 He was still smiling at you, making you wonder if he planned to respond to you at all. Unable to hold his gaze you found yourself looking away.Â
âHaha, I did!â
His laugh reverberated through the cave sending shivers up your spine. When you dared to look again he was much closer. Seconds ago he was leagues away now barely a hair from your nose, it only served to make you turn away again in embarrassment.
âI am glad you found a way in here considering how dark it is for you.â
âT-thanks.â
âI donât see what that has to do with checking you for wounds.â
The snobbish voice of your captor reminded you that he was there, finally looking over to put a face to the voice. He was the gray-haired Naga with tired eyes that you recalled glaring at you through the glass.Â
âYou!?â
âIs there a reason you're pointing at me like that?â
âYou were the one who was glaring at me that one time I came.â
He sighed exasperated as though it was tiresome to recount the frightening experience. He crossed his arms upturning his nose at you as he turned his head, all the while keeping those grey eyes trained on you.
âI wasnât glaring. I was watching.â
âWhyâd you slam against the glass then!?â
âYou werenât looking, it was just a light tap to get your attention.â
âAnd the hissing?!â
âWell, I think it was wrong of you to just ignore me like that, especially after you left last time.â
âYou freaked me out! Of course, I left!â
He rolled his eyes at you, âI donât see why this is still important.â
The one with the black hair came close again, tilting his head in your direction.Â
âFirst impressions are very important Rollo. If you scared them you have to take responsibility.â
âY-y-yeah!âÂ
The Naga with the grey hairâRollo rolled his eyes again bringing the tip of his tail to cover the bottom half of his face. Very badly hiding the sneer on his face.
âWhatever. Youâve been dodging the topic of those injured of yours. I think whatever Iâve done in the past doesnât quite matter now.â
You immediately wanted to protest as the green-eyed Naga beside you gently grabbed your hands and opened them to reveal scratches from bracing your fall. Trailing up your wrist and to your arm gently caressing the bruises you could feel forming.Â
For the first time since youâd met him, he wasnât smiling. A neutral expression on his face but the sharp twists and twirls of his tail said otherwise. You turned to Rollo who was still holding the tip of his tail over his mouth, this time hiding a subtle act of gritted teeth. His tired eyes were also on your arms where the other Naga was still caressing.Â
âThose in the coats did this to you?â
âUh yes.â
Rollo spoke up again, his tail wrapping around you tighter, âDespicable humans! They canât do a single thing right!â
Shooting him a look, he brought the tip of his tail down to fold his hands in front of him.Â
âDonât get me wrong. I adore you all the same. Itâs just all other humans.â
As if that was any better.Â
A flurry of sparkling lights flooded your vision bringing your attention to the Naga who was solemnly guiding the lights on your wounds. The dull ache coming from them began to dissipate as the open scratches closed themselves and the discoloration from the bruises faded away.Â
âI think this is reason enough.âÂ
âI agree. Iâve been wanting to tear those humans apart the day they brought us here!â
âIf I can take their tech thatâs fine with me!âÂ
The third voice came from behind you, revealing the blue-haired Naga you saw shyly poking out that one day. Now he was smiling happily, slithering closer to the other Naga as he looked at your arms.Â
âIf they did that thereâs no way theyâll be living another day.â
A lot of things were being said and they all pointed to an uprising against the scientists. There was just one glaring issue.Â
âBut why?â
It was like the scratching of a record. They all turned to look at you like youâd grown a second head. Rolloâs face looked almost offended. The blue-haired Nagaâs jaw was dropped. Even the one with the horns had his green eyes widened in shock. You feel your cheeks burn in embarrassment. Closing your eyes to block the image of their judgment being cast.Â
Feeling the cool tips of fingers and elongated claws lightly caress your cheek and jaw; tilting your face upward, goading you to open your eyes. Doing so slowly you were face-to-face with the ethereal face of the Naga who healed you. Eyebrows knitted together with sorrow in his eyes, it felt wrong to look away. Â
âYou are our mate.â
Searching his expression, hoping heâd elaborate it didnât look like he was going to.Â
âLike imprinting?â
Rollo scooched closer to you lightly tugging you from the other Nagaâs grip to put you in his own. Nuzzling his nose into your own, holding you firm when you naturally attempted to back away.
âDeeper than that. Itâs destiny that youâre mine.â
âOurs.â The black-haired Naga corrected.Â
Rollo huffed,â Ours.â
Coming close to him was the blue-haired Naga. Practically snuggling into Rolloâs side he let his tail coil on top of his, lightly shifting you into his hold. Bringing you close to him, he encouraged you to wrap your arms around his neck. Hugging you tightly with his arms you finally got to see his face. Framed by his wild blue tresses, golden eyes, and matching blue lips that were spread in an awkward smile.
âWe were waiting for you this whole time.â
âMe? Are you sure?â
Rollo leaned into the blue-haired one this time, batting at some hair that got in his way. Turning to you with a smirk.
âWe told you, didnât we? You are ours. Guess that human side of yours has a problem with accepting the truth.â
Feeling a kiss on your neck, then a nudge of someone resting their head on your shoulder.Â
Looking down the Nagaâs green eyes practically glowed as he spoke, âThen we will have to fix that. Right, (Y/n)?â
After getting some much-needed introductions and a vague talk about the biological herrings of mates. You would like to be the voice of reason when it comes to this uprising they planned to do.Â
Malleus took his head off your own to cutely tilt his head, âPlan? Do we need one?âÂ
Rolloâs claws dug into the sides of his hands which were folded on top of his coils.Â
âI was going to just go for the ones that disrespected me the most.â
Idia let out that sound you equated with happiness, now that you could see his blue tail wiggle about in excitement.
âIâm so glad you askedââ
He held nothing back as he rambled on and on about the plan he had. While you were following for the first half you couldnât keep up after he mentioned opening an interdimensional portal. Feeling the vibrations of laughter on your back you looked to Malleus who was doing just as you felt. Perching his head back on the top of yours, he squeezed you closer to his chest turning his head to whisper just above your ear.
âCan you tell now? We really do need you.â
You couldnât help to chuckle along with him. Noticing that Idia had run out of breath and was panting over the schematics heâd drawn in the dirt. While Rollo looked disgusted that he was heaving so heavily. Clapping your hands to get their attention they turned to you.Â
The Yandere that Inserts themselves but You two have issues
Inspired by @tinypixl's post about the yandere in a polyamorous relationship and how intriguing it is when they aren't the unified couple that has a shared love. But instead a Yandere being the outsider to your otherwise normal relationship please check out their post: here. Read it and then come back to this it'll make so much more sense.
All the aforementioned scenarios are equally horrifying because itâs like a freight-train ramming into your relationship. Itâs a whole new dynamic and theyâre obsession changes everything. But itâs more than just another person; itâs the flaws that you or your partner already have that get more pronounced with someone else to spur them on.
In the instance where they start off simply by liking your partner, they are going to see you devolve into your worst very quickly. So a sane sensible person will calmly sit this other person maybe with their partner in tow to peacefully resolve this personâs infatuation or threaten going to police. But if youâre hot headed the second the Yandere in their delusions goes too far, youâll grab them by the collar and threaten to drop them in the river with cement. Of course your partner, the foil to your anger is going to pull you off them and rub your arms as you take deep breaths and center yourself. Meanwhile the yandere is reeling because theyâve never realized how attractive you are when youâre seconds away from committing murder. So the encroaching third person is not going to stop in fact they might go further just to get a rise out of you and then reveal their infatuation for you both. They arenât above lightly sedating you if your temper is too much and your partner with their easygoing personality is going to yield to their confidence. Itâs a match made perfect by the yandere.
Or for the yandere thatâs isekaiâd or parasocially attached to your relationship. Maybe you two are actors or streamers who game and perform together, the likelihood of the lonely hikikimori being so in love with your harmonious relationship that they want to see all of you two. Like theyâll spend everything to get their hands on your shared address so they can watch you two in your private domestic lives. But oh no! Right after stream neither of you are kissing!? What a travesty!! They just have to make sure you two are keeping the love alive and they know just the thing to do it! What better way to make you both cling to each other closer then fear. Theyâll let themselves into your house change your security codes and threaten you both at gunpoint to have you show your affection for one another. RIP if you have an avoidant attachment style or if pda makes you embarrassed, the yandere in your relationship wonât have it. And if you think youâre safe when they cheerfully let you go to auditions and events. They show up with a crew badge and blackmail that would ruin your lives.Â
Or the childhood friend whoâs obsessed with you and begrudgingly accepts that youâre coupled up. No matter, theyâll just plan to break you up but when they find that the planted evidence they made for to expose your partner to you is instead met with evidence of them concocting the scheme and being exposed in turn. Ruining everything in their life. Pictures of them in their underwear composing the photoshop or bragging about the fake account in a diary page. Theyâre aghast as you look at them in disgust and their embarrassed to realize theyâve been out done by your partner who may or may not be getting revenge on them for something in their childhood. Because surprise surprise your current partner changed everything about themself to get your affections and always had a thing with your childhood friend. Like how can their greatest obstacle be so cute all defeated and helpless? So you might steer your pity for your friend when you realize your partner is such a menace to them. And nonchalantly invite them to âhang outâ as an apology for ruining their current livelihood. I mean itâd be really screwed up if the two of them if they both latched onto you expecting you to accept both of their conniving personalities and obsessive moralities.Â
Or your partnerâs annoying friend who is ALWAYS around. On your dates. On activities. Inbetween you both on the couch. You hate it! But you know your partner would never oust them for anything reasonable, when theyâre allowed to make passes at you. Like theyâll call you âbabeâ and hold your waist and kiss your nose. Even worse if when you turn to your partner with wide eyes they say nothing. Because theyâre such a pushover youâll come to find that this âfriendâ has been doing this stuff with your partner before you two ever met. And theyâll both look at you crazy when you suggest the two of them date instead of you. Theyâll both whine and cry and call you crazy for rocking the boat. Like how dare you let your jealousy ruin this wonderful perfect thing. Even worse if the âfriendâ who inserts themself knows exactly why youâre reacting this way and is slyly smirking when your partner blows off them sleeping in the same bed as you.
Finally the one neither of you really know, similar to the parasocial but somehow worse. Someone big like a CEO or a Mafia Boss or royal from some other foreign country who really just happens to see you in passing but somehow falls so deeply that theyâve already decided youâre both theirs. Maybe itâs because you both work for them or maybe neither of you do but itâs because theyâre so entitled theyâre already sending match jewelry to you two. And you both might believe itâs from the both of you until you sit down and talk expenses; suddenly you both realize this isnât your family or friends itâs someone else and itâs getting worse. Somehow the yanderes upset the both of you are appalled its someone else, especially if you try talking to the police because obviously theyâre in their pocket. So you both are in needing of punishment in their perspective so theyâll get you both fired, drive up your rent, and then demand you do some gesture to make them feel better. Itâs horrifying that this faceless entity controls your life by demanding they be apart of your relationship. But to make things work your partner canât take it, theyâll try leaving in the middle of the night only to be pulled into a sleek black car and declared dead in the news. Youâre too devastated to even open up your high-profile stalker loverâs letter explaining they decided to take them for âmisbehavingâ. So it just seems like this mysterious person is putting a hit out on you two for no good reason. So of course youâll be desperate and itâd be so easy if you just ran to the nearest authority figure and plead with them for protection. Even more juicy if who you run to is their greatest rival who sees this as a great opportunity to mess with their competitor and your mystery lover is no longer being âpassiveâ about their love and has your face show up as a criminal Most Wanted: Alive Only! Literally putting a bounty on your head to get you to come home to them and your other partner. Busy properly âbreaking them inâ theyâll both be eagerly waiting for one of their hitmen to successfully bring you home. What a mess.
Long story short though Yanderes who arenât apart make everything crazy but whats worse is if you and your partner arenât ready to accept them.
My response to @sweethoneyrose83's writing prompt about yandere poly pirates.
Took me forever but I just had to get it out my system!
đ€đ€đ€đ€đ€đ€
âThis meetinâs officially called to order.â First Mate Ran is glaring at the scallywags of his Captainâs crew, without an ounce of sympathy for the guilty-looking few, âSeems like yâall have been costinâ us a month's worth of travel delaying our biggest job yet.â
The six pairs of eyes looked anywhere but Ran or the glaring Captain Lu at the head of the table. Some of them didnât have the decency to look away with guilt but at the wooden ceiling whistling familiar tunes, rocking on the chairs they were leaning in. Ran didnât know if that indifference bothered him more.
âSince yâall think itâs not worth cominâ straight ta me or the Captain weâll be goinâ over each of yer failâres.â
Black eyes scanned the long table, a relic earned on a heist of a Queenâs museum. The history within its worn wooden finish and stone markings was of the infamous pirate bandâDeadmanâs Collectâa band of pirates that would meet at the table to plan their grandest loots. For a crew descended from the captainâs owned it, collectively they decided it was better off in their hands than in the museum of a royal, who fought for their executions. As it belonged, it was serving pirates once again on a mission to defy the oppressive oligarchy they were forced to live in.Â
âLooks like youâll be firstâHeine brothers.âÂ
All heads turned to look at the mischievous pair of twins, their silent smiles graduated to smirks Their unbrushed and untamed heads of burgundy hair, fashioned like the manes of the lion statues standing guard in front of the Western Kingâs palace. Almost indistinguishable from one another thereâs Klaus and Kurtâthe strong hands of the ship and the muscle in every fight. Despite not always being the first to come up with a plan or scheme, neither needed to be goaded to do whatever it took to keep the crew safe. Usually, that was what they preferred to do rather than be patient and not kill everyone in their path. Their dynamic with the crew was silently loved; always up for a joke, and their overprotectness of everyone, especially the crewâs weaker members. So it was the most shocking for Ran to discover the brothers no longer poking at the prisoner but playing with them.Â
âIn our defense,â Kurt spoke playing with a strand of his unruly hair,â we found the little Pearl incredibly entertaining.â
Klaus giggled diabolically as he thought back to their interactions with the prisoner. Of course, it wasnât unusual that when there was fresh meat the twins enjoyed torturing them but never would they take it farther than that. But of course, there was something different about the Kingâs Pearl.Â
âGetting seasick?â Klaus had taken advantage of Ranâs divided attention to sneak off to the brig, where the most expensive item theyâd ever had on their boat was.
âNope. As the eldest of the North Creston Name, Iâve been on plenty of ships before!âÂ
Klaus chuckled watching them stick their nose up and then stumble as the boat rocked. Checking the narrow stairway down, the redhead tested his luck, looking around for the key to let himself in. Finding it in a barrel out of the cellâs field of vision he quickly unlocked the cell, making its only occupant jump.
âYou lyinâ to me arenât you?â
âW-what? Iâm not! Itâs the truth!â
His smile dropped, green eyes giving a death glare hundreds had seen before their deaths. Without breaking eye contact he pulled out his favorite dagger, twirling the jagged blade expertly in his hand.Â
âYâknow what we do to liars, meat?â
âNo.â
âWe mark âem. Make sure the truth is carved into their skin forever,â he held the dagger under their chin making them lift their head so that Klaus could enjoy the fearful expression on their face,â like a tattoo except ours is going to be..muchâŠdeeper.â
Suddenly the expression was gone and a look of curiosity remained instead.Â
âWait whatâs a tattoo?â
What a setup! He could stab them and theyâd have their answer, but the tilt of their head despite the dagger less than a hair away let him humor them.Â
âItâs easier if I just show ya.â
They lit up, moving forward so fast he almost didnât have time to pull his dagger away. Sheathing it he knelt to their level, pulling back his opened collar more to reveal the marking underneath his collarbone. A gnarly twist of snakes and daggers on a rotting corpse. It was his go-to for torture; the well-known marking striking just as much fear if not more than they were already experiencing.Â
âWow,â their eyes were wide and their mouth open,â does it hurt at all?â
âHa not really I donâtââ he was going to continue to rave about how pain doesnât scare him in the slightest instead he felt the warm and soft hands trailing the design.Â
âCool!âÂ
They looked up at him with an unfamiliar expression. One of wonder. Something Klaus wasnât exactly known for inducing. It made something in his heart tug, a feeling exclusive to his adored pirates. Usually looking up at him in admiration of his strength or with a challenge but thisâŠ.was nothing heâd ever felt before.
âIâll be back, gotta go!â
âOh uhm bye then.â
Ignoring the way that same tug reappeared as he, hearing them sadly play with their fingers. He left as soon as possible, barely remembering to close the gate before heading up the stairs to safety.Â
It just couldnât be!
He needed his other half to be sure.
âOh, itâs you again!â
The joyful greeting was not what Kurt was expecting. Just returning the key his brother was carelessly carrying around. If the Captain figured out it was misplaced theyâd never hear the end of it.
The prisoner couldnât go far thanks to the chain and cuff attaching them to the bed, but they were standing looking starry-eyed and smiling as they mistook him for his brother. Alas, Kurt wasnât devoid of mischievousness, even though some may consider him the more behaved brother, when an opportunity presented itself he just couldnât refuse!
âDo you by any chance have more of those tattoos to show me?â
Kurt held back a laugh before agreeing to unlock the cell once again to do what he knew his brother would have done, choosing another one. Lifting the sleeves of shirt up to his shoulder he showed off his bicep, trying not to react when he was so willingly touched.
âWow! So many! Super duper cool!â
Kurt scoffed to himself. So a little gushing was what got him all worked up, how cute! Heâd be sure to tease him with this laterâ
âAnd youâre so strong! I reckonâsorry Iâm real sure you could just carry me! Wait letâs try it!â
The absolute invasion of the prisoner hanging on his curled bicep is startling but not as much as the end of it when they clumsily dismount falling into his chest. For a moment, maybe itâs instinct that his arm wraps around to steady them. Leaving him unguarded for the unbelievably carefree face staring up at him.
âThanks! Sorry for stumbling over you like this, if you donât mind we can try again!â
Kurt liked being looked up to and praised, but this was making his heart thump the same way it did when he cornered their bratty cabin boy. Even still this was a whole new feeling and he wouldnât be a Heine if he didnât explore this further!
âBut of course!â
From that moment forward the twins decided theyâd extend their efforts from lightly teasing with their crew to outright delaying them. They couldnât deny it hurt their heart to hear them complain about the waning supplies and the money they needed to repair the oldest parts of the ship. But they figured the extra time was worth it to know of the intense feelings they had for their dear prisoner.
âJust cause ya caught feelinâs, that excuses youâre behavior?â
Klaus hummed looking carelessly at the steps that led to the upper deck of the ship as if he could see their Pearl through the wooden door. It bothered Ran that Kurt wasnât even paying attention in his brotherâs stead, like he usually did, only slowly blinking up at the ceiling with a lovestruck smile on his face.Â
âItâs without a doubt Klaus and I have fallen deeply for our little Pearl. Iâd definitely give you trouble if you tried to turn them in now.â
Ran was openly glaring as twin pairs of emerald eyes glared back with an intensity typically reserved for the bedroom the pirates on this ship. As much as heâd like to dismiss it as an over-exaggeration from them heâd seen the kind of devotion they had.Â
âHello (Y/n) youâre getting better at using that mop.â
Klaus and Kurt had managed to slip away after breakfast to visit their favorite prisoner, who had graduated from daydreaming in their cell. After the first two weeks of being delayed, the Captain approved of them having a few chores of course while always being monitored. Though it was very quickly learned they didnât have to worry about them escaping too much at all.
âReally?!â
They werenât, but Kurt thought the way they struggled with waving the mop nonsensically on the deck was incredibly cute. His brother, of the same mindset, cooed before pinching and squishing their cheeks.
âSo cute! Maybe I should show you my technique with the mop?â
âOh, you will? Iâd love that Klaus!â
Kurt rolled his eyes. He knew what his brother was doing and he wished he thought of it before him. He frowned at his brother as he slotted himself behind (Y/n) and clasped his hands around their awkward grip on the mop. Kurt settled to stand aside already concocting a way to intervene, in the meantime hoping they wouldnât catch onto his brother closing the distance.
â--So if you want you should bend back into me andââ
âI didnât know you had others on the crew!â
âYes, Iâd love it if you bent intoâwait what?!
Kurt followed your gaze toward a man attempting to hide behind some barrels, and looking further past them he could tell others were coming up the side of the boat. It was supposed to be a silent ambush, from some amateur pirates. They mustâve counted their crew and thought itâd be an easy job. Theyâd be dead wrong.Â
The brothers already had their hands on their trusted knuckle knives and jeweled punch knuckles. They spared a second to look at one anotherâthe silent orchestrating of a plan to quickly dispatch the intruders only for their Pearl to speak out before them.
âHey! What are you doing sneaking around for?â
The first head that had been hiding figured their cover was blown or would be if he didnât dispatch one of the waving witnesses, charging with a long knife. Kurt and Klaus sprung into action, the former twin breaking the arm of the lunging intruder, holding his other hand on their face casually snapping their neck. By then Klaus had spun (Y/n) around excusing the intruders' attendance on the ship; it was refreshing having someone so unfamiliar with their gritty style of life around. But it came with its own challenges. Challenges Klaus and Kurt would love to have. Kurt quickly threw the corpse where it was hiding before, joining Klaus in encouraging (Y/n) to go to the kitchen.Â
âWe have to dismiss our unwanted guests, so if you would please go help Marie in the kitchen.â
âOh okay but if Angel comes back youâll have to tell him why the deck isnât swabbed.â
âSure sure little Pearl. Bye-bye now!â
The brothers turned to the intruders who they purposely lightly incapacitated quietly groaning as they attempted to get up. They wanted them to be lucid for the âfunâ the twins planned to have. Ran recalled finding the aftermath of said intruders and not clearly being able to tell how many originally invaded. The twins infamously spend a quarter of their day reducing their enemies into a bloody, burnt mess. With great pride, they confided in him, how they wished they could show (Y/n) but the First Mate convinced them not to. Part of the agreement was that no permanent damage was inflicted and Ran was sure looking at the amalgamation of human corpses would scar them for life. Ran was certain such a reaction was only reserved for the crew.
âAre you openly admitting to betraying this crew on behalf of a prisoner?â
The twins shrugged and Ran had half a thought to throw them in the brig just for their nonchalance. He was going to do just that before their Angel spoke up. Always the odd one out of a crew of pirates, his hair was the brightest blond almost white. Combed and maintained just a little past his ears, his skin lightly sunkissed an active choice many on a pirate crew wouldnât care to do. Despite technically being the cabin boy Angelâs almond-shaped red eyes with long lashes to boot were a soft spot for the whole crew.Â
Blushing oh so cutely, he faked a cough to bring attention to himself,â Ahem, I alsoâŠlike them and would like them not to be delivered.â
His statement made all but the twins and Captain Lu gasp in shock. The Captain smiled, her dagger-like silver teeth glinting from the sparse lanterns around. She was leaning forward, her talon-covered index fingers tapping excitedly on the table, leaning even closer to the petite cabin boy on her left. His blush intensified as she twirled a talon around one of his blonde strands. The surrounding crew getting just as hot as him.
âI thought you wanted them âgone as soon as possibleâ?â
He closed his eyes as though that would stop everyoneâs curious gazes, with his nose slightly in the air he made his case.
âWell Iâve changed my mindâŠlast time I checked that wasnât a crime.â
The Captain chuckled her metal claw softly grazing from his hair to his naked neck,â It isnât, but what made you change your mind?â
The question saddled Angel with too many different memories. In the short time, his Pearl arrived on the ship he couldnât deny the fluffy feeling in his chest when there was any inkling of their prisoner involved. But it wasnât always this way. Firstly he didnât mind all that much, the crew had held hostages before. It was the change that was taking over the crew that made him reevaluate. Two weeks into their imprisonment already half the crew were sneaking off and arguing about sneaking off to âplayâ with the prisoner. Ignoring Angelâs usually coveted advances was an easy way to earn his hatred. Which resulted in his usual routine with the Captainâcuddled up to her after a particularly passionate romp to ask for the one thing that would cure his sadness.
âYou want me to get rid of our big-ticket prisoner?â
âYes! I mean arenât you worried about all the stalling the royals have been doing? Donât you think theyâre stringing you along? And heck we donât even need to keep all of them alive and just keep a finger that we can send forâŠmotivation!â
For a second, Angel thought heâd won. The Captain cooed, running her dark hands through his tussled hair and lovingly kissing his forehead. Barely able to hide his victory his pink lips curved into a smile, that dropped with the Captainâs knowing smirk.
âYouâre jealous of them?â
âWhat jealous!?â Instinctively Angel perked up sitting up in the bed, completely ignoring his worried damsel routine.Â
âI have nothing to be jealous of! That barnacle is getting everyone worked up for no good reason!â
âHow do you know?â
âWhat?â
âHow do you know they arenât worth the fuss if youâve never played with them yourself?â
Angel crossed his arms to pout, managing his dramatic fall into the captain's bed (minding his sore behind). Glaring at the wooden grooves of the decorated wall as if they were the ones denying him.Â
âI donât need to know.â
âWell maybe you shouldâŠ.then you could leverage it for some much-needed time with everyone.â
Angel hated knowing that he was taking the Captainâs advice in the first place. Fully accepting the task of making the pampered prisoner useful by sharing his chores with them. The collective groans from the disappointed crew only spurred him on. Harshly shoving a pale and scrub into their hands and screaming for them to scrub the deck. Leaning back on a barrel as he styled his hair looking in the reflection of a compact mirror that Kurt stole just for him, he was sure itâd be easy. âSpending time to learnâ while the prisoner he hated did his chores sounded like a wonderful dream. Except this prisoner was like nothing heâd dealt with before.
âAlright so make sure to scrub the floor. Donât be too heavy with the watââ
SPLASH
â...OkayâŠthatâs a bit much butââ
SPLISH! SPLISH!
âSTOP STOP! What are you doing?! Serves me right to believe some rich kid would know how to scrub a floor!â
âWell Iâm sorry but I wasnât exactly allowed to learn at home.â
âBut Iâm sure someone was scrubbing the floors, wouldnât hurt to watch them right?â
âI was strictly forbidden from spending time with othersâŠ.including the maids.â
â...Well youâre going to learn. Grab the scrub.â
He hated to admit, that he enjoyed watching them flounder with the new tasks. Turning to him with that wide-eyed curious stare admitting they had no idea what a âsea shantyâ was. It was weirdly endearing, to be the one looked up to despite being the shortest. To be asked for his opinion on things other than costumes for a disguise. Being the one to do the pinning against the wall when heâs being particularly mean.
Angel hated to admit it but when he was confided in about an arranged marriage, he actually intervened.Â
âSo weâre docking at Restwood Kingdom. Small town. Youâre not going to get to see it though.â
âThatâs okay Iâve already been.â
â...You have?â
âYeah, myâŠ.betrothed lives there.â
â.....Your betrothed?â
â...Yeah my family wasnât thrilled but they said he would have been the best for me.â
âDo you feel the same way?â
He studied their face so intensely then, studying the quirk in their lips and their wandering eyes. He prided himself on knowing when his Pearl was happy. When they were reminiscing. This was not one of those timesâŠthere was something off.
âIt doesnât really matter,â the sad smile made him sick, â when I go back theyâre going to start the wedding plans.â
â...Hm thatâs a shame.âÂ
Angel felt no remorse, casually reminding Ran of a juicy bit of information the prisoner let slip. Handing over the drawn map he convinced them to draw to âsee the gardenâ they talked so much about. Pretending to be just as distraught that a headline of the prince being massacred is published during their stay. Hiding the smile that threatened to come while cuddling a crying (Y/n) into the bed he was sharing with Marie.Â
âSo yes. I changed my mind because as much as I hate to admit I doâŠlike them.â
âWhoa so they were gonna marry that prick,â Kurt piped up, smiling wide as he looked at the pinned headline in the brig. Klaus and a few others at the table snickered an air of pride exuding from everyone in the room, making Ran roll his eyes. They were getting distracted again.Â
âThat explains your sudden necessity for aâŠnobleâs headâŠmovinâ on. Willow? What about yer navigation blunders? Youâve purposely been leading us astray fer over a month now. I thought yer vow of loyalty trumped that.âÂ
The islander navigator sighed, âIâm loyal to my heart. That is why I came on this ship, in the first place.â
A series of cheers and whoops erupted from the table, Marie and Reese high-fiving her from both sides, much to Ranâs displeasure. Willow simply shrugs, her hooped earrings jingling against her necklaces as she shakes her head. Even without her cultureâs morals influencing her, she was always inclined to follow her heart. Why else would she leave the stifling paradise of the islands and its familiar grottos and underwater caves and the singing with sirens if not for love? Watching the Captain, then the twins, then the others all falling for the poor prisoner. She recalled when she first laid eyes on the little Pearl, freshly plucked from the protective mouth of the royal clam. The Captain and the First Mate had headed the mission, relying on Reese and her to keep their passage out clear. It was but a moment when they needed to get past a crowd of marching guards. Reese had been the one to ask what everyone was thinking.
âUh, are we going to gag them or something? What if they screamed right now?â
They didnât respond instead the prisoner that was tied up and currently sitting on the sewer floor was attempting to raise their hands as if they were in school. The Captain snickered and Ran rolled his eyes, as Reese watched their eager attempt to ask for permission. Willow was the one who finally let them speak, with a finger to her lips. The prisonerâs expression lit upâŠlike a teacherâs pet who could finally speak.
âOooh I promised I wouldnât make a sound for the whole trip! As long as I get a street beignet in the end!âÂ
Willow quietly laughed along with Reese before they were on the move again. Watching as their untouched ankle was shackled in their cell and the expression on their face not even changing did something to her. Something she found not many of her current partners had. Not that they werenât sympathetic or understanding, just that they couldnât possibly know how easy it was to be swept away by the pirates when she met them. And she knew that her Pearl felt the same way.
âDid you really promise not to speak for some pastries?â
âYes!âÂ
âBut werenât you afraid? Didnât you want to be helped?â
âIâŠkindof have always wanted to sneak away I just could never do it. If that makes sense.â
âIt does. More than youâll ever know.â
She recalled their conversations between the bars of the cell. Animated and intrigued with every word that came from her typically untalkative self. Even her dreams were filled with their endless chatter and entrancing smiles. Being a follower of her heart meant listening to her dreams and more than anything telling her destiny demanded she have them. Have you. And sheâd do anything to keep you.
 âMmmh Willow.â
âSorry little Pearl, Iâm almost done.â
âS-s-so this is kind of like a tattoo? Except with your mouth?â
âYes,â she licked lovingly at the puncture marks along their neck. Pride filled her heart as she watched the blood underneath their skin coagulate, âsomething like that.â
Thatâs probably why she could only stare in response to Ranâs question.
âYouâre asking if Iâd join the twins? If they were to ever rebel for them?â
Ran nodded.
âOf course, I would.â
Kurt and Klaus cheered roping a reluctant Angel into it too, making Ran send a scathing look for them to stop. It didnât and without his prompting Marie, the brunette chef spoke her peace.Â
âIâd also reckon they deserve a place with us, forever. Donât think I could bear it if they left me now!â
The freckled chef had their own share of tantalizing conversations over the meals sheâd deliver. The kind she often never could have with the other pirates being as close as they were, it was lovely having a new taster.
âHmmm so goodâŠthough.â
âWhat? What is it?â
âI think this could useâŠsome more spice.â
âReally?! But I tried using that oregano they got for me.â
âNo no, another spice maybe try,,,, coriander.â
âIâll have to give that a try.â
Marie would love to say that she too had waited for a long while before she was enraptured but that just wasnât the case. From the second they scarfed down and happily ate her food she was hooked. She just loved a good eater! Dreaming about what else she could feed their lovely little captive, who was just so responsive. So responsive they rarely ever refused her dishes even when they were well beyond the point of full. Not exactly free to roam around the ship, sheâd fill them up with her concoctions and recipes until they couldnât move. Her favorite instance was during their first day out of the cell, finally allowed to be out but only with a chaperone. Marie had volunteered, shoving her stuffed Pearl into her bed, taking advantage of their feast and the sleepiness that followed. With a few exhausted groans, they were asleep giving her free range to poke and squish the fat of their stomach. Squealing to herself at its light firmness, she delighted in the freedom to do so. Her other lovers on the ship were freaky open but not enough for her to do all she pleased. But her Pearl was different so oblivious asleep they wouldnât protest her hands wandering to explore and touch and taste.
âYouâre so easy, (Y/n)...so mine.â
Sheâd only felt inclined to stop when Reese had walked in on her, a silent warning to go no further as she nibbled on an ear and placed a grape into her Pearlâs lips. There was no one she could do this to without being scolded or with anyone so unaware of their own limits that they would stop her. Not to mention she adored the compliments given to her without caring where the meat sheâd gotten came from. At this point, she could never go back.
âThat would leave you ReeseâŠdo you too feel this way about our hostage.â
All eyes were on Reese. The impish, pick-pocketer with a big smile, an aloof personality, and hair dark as the sea. Suspicious as he was a good fighter, rarely was he on the receiving end of such big questions. Often preferring to go with the flow of his fellow pirates and backing his Captain in any way possible. When the plan was in motion to abduct the greatest payoff that theyâd ever attempted he was all for it. Dismissing their weird behavior and the Captainâs quiet opinion of them. Not once had he tried to risk it, until heâd seen it. Everyone on the ship had dopey faces and distracted behaviorâit was so out of character for everyone. It didnât take long before heâd found the culprit and was tempted to do what he did to all his problems.
Chuck it off the plank.
âAre you sure this is a fun game? It just seems a little scary to me!â
âThatâs part of the fun! That little adrenaline rush is how you know youâre playing it right!â
âOh okay!âÂ
It was just too easy. The simple proposal of a âpirate game; had them following like an obedient dog, completely unaware their owner was going to shoot them in the back of the head. Reese didnât think heâd feel bad about it. Chalking it up to another kill of some enemy to his crew, heâd done it before so many times. Using his tricks and wit to outsmart them; it really was too easy to instruct them to balance themself on the plank above the sea.
âOkay Iâm at the end Reese I did it!â
âGoodâŠreal good.â
âWow the water isââ
It was second hand to slam his foot on the end of the plank, sending their hostage slightly in the air and tumbling into the depths below. From his safety on the ship's railing, he watched them resurface once, reaching out to him and struggling to call his name.Â
âReeââ
Seeing their face disappear under the waves Reese thought he should feel free, yet his feet refused to turn away. Staring at the unmoving water trying to decipher why there was a piece of him hoping theyâd resurface. But he recalls a conversation heâd had with them. It was a one-off something he probably didnât even initiate.
âOh yeah, I donât know how to swim. My family told me Iâd never need to!â
He remembered thinking the same thing he was now.
How helpless.
They need me.
He was only reassured when he finally dove in, a floating device tied to him as he held them up. Wet coughing and puking of saltwater against his chest and their hands hanging tightly around his neck. It was the tears that had him hugging back.
âReeseâŠâ
âYes?â
âI-I really donât like this game.âÂ
âI know me neither.â
âC-can we g-gâgo home?âÂ
Home. Thatâs where they needed to be because they were so darn helpless. He had to make sure they did just that, forever.
âYup they gotta be here, I donât know how theyâll survive otherwise.â
Once again the pirates around the table began to cheer, a collective air of acceptance of the same truth it all stopped though as everyone was reminded of had the real say. Captain Lu sat at the head of the table with her talon-covered hands folded underneath her face. Her luscious lips are straight, her expression far too apathetic for the cheering pirates before her. They held their breaths in anticipationâa silence encompassing the mess hall as they waited on her command.Â
Her First Mate turned to her, his words suddenly so much heavier,â Capân Lu, do you want to keep the prisoner or dâya prefer to return âem and get our reward?âÂ
The Captain leaned back into her chairâher throne observing the faces of her pirates whom she adored, all waiting for her word as they ought to. She, like many here, felt as though someone was missing from their ranksâŠ.and she couldnât agree more. Having been the one to receive a message in the bottle written by the Kingâs beloved child. On the parchment was a plea to see the world, to see the ocean for themselves, and to find love. Â
Well, now they had eight.Â
There was an apparent thrill for Luâwith every successful treasure hunt, there was a small part of her that felt satisfied. There truly was nothing that beat pure ale down her throat, a lover at her knees, and a view of the treasures sheâd acquired burying her other lovers. It beat a hard day's work. It beats an âhonest job.â She could think of nothing as fulfilling until she met (Y/n) in the flesh.Â
She and Ran lead the heist, letting only themselves into the innards of the intensely guarded wing of the castle. It felt disgustingly perfect to be trampling the lightly pink rug of the castle bedroom, leaving the faint dirt print within its wool. Passing a tray of ornate gifts, ranging from perfumes to portraits and priceless works of art. The handles and doors grand and golden would be fine prizes any other day but Rand and Lu walked right past them. All to stop in front of the completely bored Pearl at the center of it all.Â
âI got your message.â
She handed the bottle over. The original writer tracing their sloppy handwriting from so long ago. A smile spread across their face.
âSo have you come to take me? Like a hero?â
âJust like one.â
âWill IâŠâ they trailed off eying the calendar plastered on the opposite wall. Large and in an overly fancy font mapping out a schedule that didnât change much at all,â get everything I asked for before I come back?â
Without hesitation, she responded, âOf course and so much more.â
With a smile on both of their faces, the Pearl allowed themselves to be tied up. Stopping to negotiate a gag, and then leaving into the sewer systems of the castles. In the comfort of the ship, Lu felt no better place for her Pearl was by her side. In her bed. In her First Mateâs bed. In any of her pirateâs beds.Â
No greater gift than seeing them thereâŠ.among her pile of treasures.
âWhat do you think Ran? What will your Captain say?â
The question made the pirate fluster, shifting their boots along the floor. Dutifully looking into his Captainâs single purple eye. The silent question hanging between themââ What do you want me to say?â. It was easier than breathing, the split-second answer that punctuates every scenario his heart likes to play out.Â
Thinking back to all the new memories heâd made with their Pearl. It was the evening of a minor heist that ended with a fight. Not against the corrupt merchant but with Reese. The pick-pocket had been particularly reckless attacking the knight-in-training whoâd followed their band bag to the ship. Despite shakily holding a sword up, Reese attacked with extreme prejudice. Holding the boy by the neck as he repeatedly stabbed a dull knife into his sternum, dragging through the skin to his intestines. Ran was the first to witness this, surprised by the aggression to someone theyâd usually let live.Â
âHe saw them! Sleeping in the brig! He was going to tell! I canâtâ! I wouldnâtâ! We canât let that happen!â
Ran listened to Reese flounder, the manic look in his blue eyes anxiously darting about. Heâd rarely seen him in such a state. The detached sneak had a habit of masking his pain, a survival instinct he couldnât quite part with. A paranoid obsessiveness that requires unspoken requirements to be fulfilled puts him on edge. People, not tied up, are the usual onesâtoo many opportunities for danger. And apparently, anyone threatening to remove their little Pearl would do the same.Â
Ran did what he usually did when he got in this state. Pulling Reese into his chest, blocking his view of the dying intruder. Letting his rough hands curl within the locks of his shaking partner, holding him tightly as he hummed.Â
âNo oneâs taking our Pearl. They wonât be going anywhere.â
â....Promise?â
Ran didnât hesitate when he promised. He also didnât hesitate when Marie and Willow asked to make a special pitstop. The chef wouldnât stop talking about how their Pearl in passing spoke of a specific spice so fondly, that theyâd die if they never got to see their expression when they finally tasted it again. Stealing anything from the spice merchants meant going out of their way; possibly mingling with other pirates who specialized in the trade. Yet he still said they could. Purposefully stalling their pearl until Marie was in the position to watch excitedly as they gleefully ate her cooking. Sending Willow to âwaitâ with their Pearl for their scheduled bathroom break. Keeping quiet Willow promises to visit later.
âAre you alright with this, Ran?â
âYesâŠyou were very helpfulâŠfor our requests with the prisoner.â
âItâs not a problem. We havenât broken the routine or protocol.â
He did lie just that once about not breaking protocol. He didnât bother saying anything the next time Angel and the twins, confiscated a line of rope. Typically Ran demanded strict ledgers and labeling when it came to any supplies on the ship. It was the best way to make sure everything was in order. So typically heâd have quite a lot to say about the unspecified use of an extra ropeâbut this case was special. It was in front of the twinsâ room, Klaus and Kurt usually kept the door open as an invitation but not this time. Knocking brought out Klaus and Kurt, pink on their cheeks and large smiles on their faces.
âWeâre using it for a game.â
âYes, a very fun game.â
Ran was so annoyed he hadnât figured out why yet,âWell am I getting the rope back?â
The twins shared a look as they usually did before speaking up. Their door opening to reveal a flushed Angel has them stopping and eagerly turning to him.Â
â---Weâre ready for you~ Oh Ran, howâve you been?â
The twins no longer interested in the faux conversation, went into their room leaving Angel to placate their First Mate.Â
âSorry, no guarantees about that rope. It might not survive what we have planned for it.â
Ran wasnât an idiot he recognized the specific shirt he was wearing. The one that was flowy and hung off his shouldersâdeliciously inviting. Though it begs the question who was being strung up if it wasnât him?
âOh, and Iâm chaperoning our Pearl by the way! Bye!â
He quickly disappeared into the room behind him, leaving Ran to burn with the broken rules of any prisoner. Granted special permissions were given, he wondered just how far he was slipping or just how bad it had gotten.
âThank you Ran for helping me! If you can believe it I usually am not allowed to do this completely by myself.â
Beneath him was (Y/n) colloquially dubbed their Pearl bare and resting within the tin washbasin. In his hands was the washcloth lathered in the sudsy remains of a dwindling soap bar. Fighting the burning in his cheeks and begging twitchy hands running over unmarred skin, with the reverence it usually did. It was the quiet splash of the water with the slightest movements, their breathy moans of satisfaction that brought Ran to his knees. In his heart, nay! His very soul was for them.
For them, no amount of gore and death was unnecessary.
For them, no amount of stalling, lying, or breaking of rules was unneeded.
For them, no amount of rope, jewels, or spices could compare.
For them, their Pearl was worth more than all of itâand trading them in for any pile of gold or riches would be a loss. For nothing can compare to the value of their Pearl.Â
âMy Capân, you must say yes. As you already have the greatest of treasures.â
The nervousness you felt was growing exponentially. A little while ago youâd been left in the crowâs nest; Lu assuring youâd be helpful while they had their meeting. For all the stories and headlines youâve read about pirates, itâs crazy to know they demanded to have meetings with one another.Â
Staring at the endless sea and sky full of blue, you let your mind wander. Thinking back to the endless cycle you originally lived through. Waking and being pampered day in and day out, in the same room youâd been in since your youth. Looking at the definition it constituted it being called insanity, but this insanity eased all in court. All in the castle. All in the Kingdom. To know their future was locked away, upkept, and healthy.Â
But that was gone now.Â
You were free.
For now.Â
You wondered how long itâd take for your parents to chase, for the pirates to lose interest, for others to learn that the jewel of the crown was easy pickings. It felt so dreamy. To spend your days learning something new, trying what youâve heard adventurous heroes get to do. Daring heists, escaping stormsâŠ.being loved.Â
It was foreign but good.
So good, you dreaded seeing the Royal Messenger ship appearing on the horizon. The white sails instead of red or black proving this was the one to pay whatever it took to bring you home.Â
Quickly you stood, peering into the eye-glass once again. Turning to the ladder you made your way down, running to knock on the closed door of the mess hall. Instead, the door swung open revealing the dressed in purple Captain Lu smiling her infamous smile. Reminding you of the first day you finally met⊠a shame itâd be your last.
âCaptain the Royal ship is here on the North horizon.â
She hums stepping to the side to reveal the others who had heard such major news. The first to step out was Marie, her bottom lip jutted out and quivering with an onset of tears. Throwing herself at you, you caught her to the best of your ability. The chef was petite but her grip around you was tight, making her dead weight a problem for you.Â
âDonât tell me yer gunna leave me (Y/n)! How will I go on?!â
You had nothing to say, just patting her flowing brown hair. Saving you from outright admitting youâve never comforted anyone ever, Angel piped up.
âYouâll be fine,â he lightly kicked her, looping an arm around yours, âget up weâve got work to do.â
âSo what do we have to do to get ready? How do ransoms work exactly?â
The pirates around you stopped for a moment, something unfamiliar jading their expressions. But as quick as it came it was gone, them smiling and laughing like youâd told a funny story. You didnât hide your curious faceâŠwas that the wrong thing to say? You felt a nibble against your earlobe, the familiar smell of lemons invading your senses as Angel pulled you close.
âYou're absolutely hilarious, (Y/n).â
Klaus sauntered towards you coming on your opposite side, to hold your chin up. A light peck was all he got in before Kurt butted in. Holding the gesture for much longer before his brother pulled at his matching messy hair. The tug of war continued for a while until you heard a large a two smacks occurring simultaneously. Klaus and Kurt snapping upright clutching their behinds with a smirk and a flustered smile directed at Willow, who took advantage of their surprise to squeeze in pressing a kiss to your neck.Â
âWeâve come to an agrâment, Pearl. You wonât be going.â
âWhat?!â
âIsnât this just the best,â Marie piped up. Tears gone and her grip now fondling the fat of your waist,â You get to try to fill up on all the new ideas Iâve got cookinâ up!â
Reese stepped forward minding Marie still kneeling on the ground, he looked you deep into your eyes a warm smile spreading on his face.Â
âYouâre stayinâ I doubt that ships going to get within boardinâ distance of us before theyâre blown to smithereens.â
You donât choose to focus on the dark look on his face or the way they all seemed to smile along with him. With Angel still clinging onto you, you turn to Lu whoâs tucking her own spyglass into her coat pocket.Â
âWhat dâya say, Pearl? Gettinâ a little bit more than you asked for.â
Your first meeting ran through your head, and you nodded. Looking past her to see Ran who has a rare smile on his face. You pull Angel and Marie into a hug, leaning backward when Kurt, Klaus, and Willow join. Reese comes forward slipping past the arms going for him before he runs for the crow's nest.Â
A look is shared with Ran as he runs off, making the First Mate fake cough to get your attention.Â
âNow (Y/n), your traininâ as a pirate begins now, and for yer first lesson: weâll be discussinâ battle at sea!â
You beamed, wiggling free to follow Ran who was cleaning his handgun. Watching in awe as he practiced his aim at the incoming ship.Â
âAre we really going to hurt them?â
He hummed, âOnly if they choose not to leave us be. As a pirate, we protect our own first and foremost. You think you can handle that (Y/n)?â
It wouldnât hurt to enjoy this adventure a little while longer!