Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah...

The Red String of Fate: Ch. 4

Pair: Donatello x Reader

Word Count: 4.6k

Rating: T?? (Characters depicted are adults)

Content/Trigger Warnings: None other than minor injury?? (I never know what needs warning or tagged. If there's anything let me know!!)

Authors Notes: aaaaAAAAAHHHH!! It's finally done!! 😭 I apologize again for this taking so long. I got hit with writers' block pretty bad, but it's finally here!! I just hope you all like it. 🥺 This chapter is very dialogue heavy btw, but onto the story!~

||Chapter 1|| ||Chapter 2|| ||Chapter 3|| ||Chapter 4||

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CHAPTER 4: FATE FULFILLED

Pain throbbed from the top of your head and you had a hard time opening your eyes. Your lids feeling heavy as they blinked, your vision blurry and dark. Just as your sight began to clear, you felt something touch your hand. Turning your head to the source, you saw a figure squatting next to you. Picking up your arm from the ground and reaching for the glowing light on your finger, and it was then that you remembered what was going on… 

You had gone out tonight in search of your soulmate all by your lonesome, without any means to protect yourself, and some fool had mistaken your cosmic tether for a real piece of jewelry and attacked you for it. Now you had to hope that your assailant was sane enough, doubtful, to leave you be once they realized that the ring wasn’t actually tangible. But of course, you weren’t that lucky… No, it only made them more curious when they couldn’t pry the light from your finger, and they took a cautious step closer to your body. Surely to inspect your being for any other possible valuables, since their first inquiry was technically a bust. 

Stupidly, you parted your lips to inform them that you had nothing on you. Except for your phone, which would suck if they stole it, but it would be better losing that than your own life. As soon as you took in a breath to speak however, the assailant suddenly levitated from the ground, and you heard them cry out as they were thrown into some nearby clutter. 

Your eyes grew wide, realizing this was your chance to escape. Quickly, you used your hands to push up from the ground and sit up. But just as you got on one knee, a spell of dizziness rushed to your head and your vision began to fade. Feeling that you were going to pass out, you put your hands to the cold hard ground once more and just as you braced yourself everything went black. 

You weren’t sure how long you had been out for, but there had been a strange sound of something solid colliding with, what you could only assume was your assailant by the groans of pain that followed; that brought you back to consciousness. You opened your eyes to find yourself lying on the ground again. Remembering that you had feinted, you opted to pick yourself up slowly this time, despite the concerning circumstance. The last thing you needed was to slip and knock yourself out entirely after being given the opportunity to escape. 

Shuffling onto your knees, you sat up carefully and rubbed the cloudiness from your eyes until you felt something wet on your left hand. Looking at the back of your palm, you squinted to make out the substance, but it became clear when red leaked into your vision. 

That would certainly explain why you were having so much trouble picking yourself up. 

“Please…” Your assailant croaked, but the only response that was given was another smack of that reinforced noise you had heard before. 

While you knew you should just mind your own business and get the hell out of dodge, there was a part of you that wanted to know who had come to your rescue. Quietly, you turned your body to face the scene. With your head still swimming from the blow and the limited light in the alleyway, you weren’t confident you were seeing things clearly. Looming over your assailant was a giant of a figure. You blinked in disbelief, not quite understanding the outline of their body. There appeared to be a large apparatus on their back covered with a variety of vaguely recognizable objects attached to it. 

They wielded a weapon that was foreign to you. There had been rumor of a masked vigilante in New York who would use a hockey stick, or cricket bat to fight off assailants. But this mysterious figure had been using what looked like a long metal rod, just as tall as they were to fend off your aggressor. You were unsure you could trust your eyes with anything you saw in the darkness of that alley, but there was one thing that couldn’t be mistaken. And that was the was your soulmate.

This shadowy savior that was violently beating down the fiend that attacked you, was your soulmate.

Your throat tickled with unease, forcing you to swallow your disbelief. Although, it did make sense. The love-binding string had led you to this area, and as unfortunate as it was to admit, you couldn’t count on the average New Yorker to come to your aid in an attack. A strange sense of pride and appreciation clashed with your concerned nerves, however, at the sight of your soulmate’s brutal retaliation on your behalf. If you didn’t stop them, they were going to kill the stranger who attacked you. And regardless of what their intentions were, you weren’t gonna let your soulmate commit such a tragedy for you. Even if the two of you were cosmically tied. 

“S-Stop…” Your voice came out weak, and it was clear that the command hadn’t reached your soulmates ears as they lifted the long rod over their head again; rearing to bring it down once more over the thief. “Stop! Please!!” You exclaimed with all of your chest and that struck them. 

They immediately froze on the spot. Their weapon halfway through its swing. 

You stared in silence at them, trying to take in their features now that they were standing still. Unfortunately, they had their back turned towards you, and the gold light that shined from their hand was mostly blocked by their massive stature. You extended a hand to inch yourself forward on the ground, and they suddenly moved. Turning their body quickly, and making an attempt to flee. 

“Wait!!” You called out to them and they stopped again, their back still facing you. “Please, don’t go! I–” You fumbled for words as you tried to come up with a reasonable excuse for them to stay. They should want to stay on their own, shouldn’t they? Didn’t they know that you two were soulmates? Fated by the magical string? But as you pondered these thoughts, you remembered your plea before you had been attacked. 

You had been begging for them to show their self. You knew they were in the alleyway with you, but they had chosen to stay hidden. They were… afraid. Which seemed a bit ironic for the fact that they nearly had beat a person to death, but perhaps that added to their fear. 

Blood trembling down your forehead and over your eyelid snapped you out of your thoughts. You rubbed the back of your hand over your eyes and injury. Smearing the red substance across your skin, but you could care less about that at the moment. “L-Look…” You placed your hands back to the ground and began to pick yourself up. “We don’t have to talk about the soulmate thing but could you help me get some medical assistance? I think there’s a gash on my forehead…”

Your soulmates' breath hitched and they covered the gold light on their hand. Submerging their self in the shadows completely, but you could hear them shuffling indecisively in the dark. If it had been anyone else, you would’ve just disregarded them and been on your way. But you came out tonight with the goal of meeting your soulmate… You just hoped they would make their decision before you passed out from blood loss. 

Finally, they spoke and it took you by surprise. Your own breath catching in your throat.  “I… want to help, it’s just–” they paused briefly before continuing their explanation. “I-I’m going to step out of the shadows now. Please, don’t scream.” 

You’d be lying if that didn’t rustle your nerves. Anytime you heard that phrase be used, it unintentionally gave you the heebie-jeebies. However, there was a tenderness to their voice that quelled your unease. You might’ve been more easily swayed since it was your soulmate the horror movie line had come from. Regardless, you could tell by their tone that they were genuinely concerned about coming face-to-face with you, and it tickled your heart.

“Only if you don’t judge me for coming out bare foot and in my pj’s.” You joked, and swallowed nervously when you didn’t receive an amused response from them. 

You strained your ears to listen for their approach, but they caught you off guard when they silently emerged from the shadows and into the minimal light of the alleyway. Your gaze was pulled upwards as you took in their towering height. They had looked massive before, but it simply did not compare to actually standing in front of them. Your eyes met along the way of taking in their stature. Emerald pools circumferenced with bronze halos, glimmered behind glass lens, and just as you noticed the purple material framing their eyes; you were blinded by a gold light that erupted from below. 

You recoiled from the abrupt light, shielding your eyes with an arm.

“Oh! Sorry…” They quickly smothered the light with their other hand once more.

“It’s okay.” You squinted your eyes to help adjust your vision. 

This time, they slowly revealed the golden light, which in turn illuminated the rest of their shadowed features. Your eyes expanded at the sight of them. 

Pebbled olive colored flesh patterned the top of their dome, and covered their cheeks. The texture extending down their neck and exposed skin of their upper body. Toned muscles stiffened behind what looked like pale plates of armor covering their torso. Which explained how they so easily maneuvered the long weapon against your assailant. You noticed that the weapon itself had been sheathed behind their back, on what you thought was a large pack of some sort, but now that you were in close proximity for inspection….. You still weren’t sure what it was.

Besides some knee pads and a few strips of purple colored fabric, the only clothes were modified pants and boots to fit the armored body of your soulmate. They brought up their left hand, giving you a meek wave, the golden light bringing attention to their digits… Or lack thereof. Three fingers, instead of the average five, and in an instant, it became abundantly clear why they were hesitant in revealing their self to you. What you were looking at… wasn’t human.

Your lips parted in awe, and you hadn’t even realized you didn’t return the small gesture until they frowned and dropped their hand. Fidgeting with their other, they turned slightly and averted their gaze from yours. The skittish motion made you frown in response, and you immediately felt compelled to console them. There was a part of you that questioned the sudden need to be so sympathetic to a total stranger but– They weren’t really a stranger… They were your soulmate. 

“I’m sorry, I just–” The two of you spoke at the exact same time and that pulled their attention back to you. Their eyes blinking in disbelief just like yours had at the strange occurrence. 

“You go ahead–” You echoed one another, followed by nervous laughter. 

“Ah–” A frustrated huff expelled from their nostrils after you both parted your lips to speak once more. However, they finally took initiative. Taking a step closer to you, you drew in a silent breath as you braced yourself. Lips pursing into a thin line as you stared up at them with curious eyes. 

You watched as their right hand approached your face. Noticing that the underside of the three-digit palm was lighter in hue than the top. Just before they made contact with your skin, their hand flinched and they pulled it back. Realization flickering in their gaze. They swallowed and you saw the tiniest blip of pink swipe over their bottom lip before it disappeared back inside their mouth. 

“Is it… Okay if I touch you?” They paused waiting for your approval but quickly added on to their statement, “J-Just to take a look at your injury?” 

You felt your cheeks rise as a small smile carved into your face. “What are you, a doctor?” you teased and your heart fluttered seeing their lips curve upwards into a soft smile as well. 

“Well, I don’t have a degree perse…” Their head cocked slightly as they inspected your injury with just their eyes. “But I am quite knowledgeable in the medical field.” 

A soft snort blew out of your nose. “Then sure.” 

They reached out for your forehead again, but stopped just before touching it once more. Their tongue clicked against the roof of their mouth. It opening to speak but nothing came out. Instead, there was a brief moment of silence where you noticed something processing behind their eyes. Their smaller digit curled downwards as the larger pointed up.

“Actually… Would it be okay if I– Took you somewhere else to be checked over? I promise I’m not trying to be weird or anything it’s just that right now I’m–”

“Exposed?” You filled in the blank, and they looked at you with genuine surprise. Although, it wasn’t exactly hard to guess. If they were hiding from you, their soulmate, then it was probably safe to assume that they kept their self hidden from others as well. Not to mention the fact that they were some giant reptilian man thing… 

“...Yes.” They confirmed with a slow nod of their head. 

“Ye–Yeah…” You nodded your head back but internally cringed at how hesitant you sounded. You wanted to trust them; they were your soulmate after all. But it was still a scary scenario to be put in, especially after what had just happened. At the thought, you leaned past your soulmate and back at your assailant who was lying on the ground. You couldn’t make out much through the dim alleyway lighting, but you could hear the sounds of labored breath, wheezing from their lungs. You couldn’t help but wonder what kind of injury they had sustained from your soulmate’s hand and it made you frown again.

“Will they– be okay?” You asked hesitantly.

Your soulmate turned to the source of your inquiry, as if they had completely forgotten about the person they had just beaten down. “...They should be.” They answered solemnly, their tone making your eyebrows arch but before you could ask anything more, you were suddenly lifted off your feet. In one quick motion, they had positioned you in their arms. One hand pressed against your back, and the other in the pit of your knees. The shock and sudden motion sending a rush of dizziness to your head again.

The same heaviness that had hit you just before you passed out the first two times came over you again. Your vision blurred and darkened, but through it all, you heard the voice of your soulmate call out to you. 

“Oh no… H-Hey! Stay with me!” They commanded and you mumbled in compliance. Although it was difficult to keep your head up and eyes open. Feeling the abrupt sensation of ascension, consciousness was futile. Your head rolled onto your shoulders and your eyes fell shut as you drifted away for the third time this night. 

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You regained consciousness feeling your shoulder being gently shaken. “Hey… Hey…” Your soulmate called, and you forced your eyes open. Albeit your vision came back slowly. You blinked the blurriness from your eyes and when everything cleared, you found your soulmate kneeling before you. Even on their knees they still towered in height. 

You couldn’t help but notice the change in lighting. Soft blue rays from the moon cascaded down from above, making more of your soulmates' features evident, than the dim lighting of the alleyway had. Your eyes focused on their shoulders and specifically the way the skin there seemed to be pulled into the textured rim that clung to their back. Just as you drew the observation it finally clicked for you. 

“You’re a… turtle?” You breathed. 

They blinked behind their glasses and their chest deflated with a soft sigh expelling from their nostrils. “Correct....” They answered sounding a little surprised. Without taking their eyes off of you, they reached behind their back and pulled out a small black container. Opening it, you saw a small stash of medical supplies that could be found in the average household. Band-Aids, disinfectant wipes, gauze, Q-tips, a wash cloth, etc… This time they didn’t bother asking your permission before going to work on your head.

You flinched and hissed at the touch of the wet wipe doing its job, sterilizing the cut on your forehead. 

“Sorry…” They cringed in response but you nodded your head for them to carry on.

“Is it bad?” You asked, and there was a click again as they parted their lips to answer but they lingered in thought. Their eyes flickered down to yours just as they noticed your brows bend with worry and they quickly spoke up.

“You won’t need stitches, but I’m worried you might have a concussion.” They finally answered, dropping the disinfectant wipe to then pick up a roll of gauze. They unfurled a section of the medical dressing before wrapping it around your head. Ripping it apart when the area of your injury was covered and securely taping it off to make sure it wouldn’t come undone. “I’m gonna ask you a series of question, answer to the best of your abilities.” They explained and pulled out a small flashlight from one of their pants pockets. 

You had a few questions of your own…

“Well, isn’t that slick?” You huffed and they paused briefly before running the light over your eyes. 

“What do you mean?”

You followed the light back and forth until they were satisfied with… whatever results was needed from this kind of test. You never knew what it was for when you went to the doctor's... “Claiming that I might have a concussion so that you can get information out of me.” Your lips curled upwards just a bit, but they just stared in confusion. You could tell they were processing the insinuation in their head, and when they finally got what you had meant their eyes popped. The prescription of their glasses making the expression look a tad comedic.

…But in a cute way.

“Don’t be–Don’t be silly! I’m genuinely concerned for your well-being! Not trying to inadvertently learn things about you!…” They refuted and dropped their gaze in avoidance. “But… Would that be so wrong if I was curious about you?” They sheepishly glanced back your way and you smirked. 

“Fine. Shoot.” You sighed, leaning back into whatever is what that had you propped up. Although, the soft smile that carved into your soulmates face at your compliance made your brows perk with attention and you felt a flutter in your chest once more.

“What’s your name?” They asked first.

“Y/N…”

“What state do you live in?”

“New York.”

“What were you doing before this?”

“Looking for you.” 

They blinked and shifted back slightly. Their gaze dropping once more but it flickered between you and their hands as they contemplated over something internally. “Right…” They finally spoke. Their voice coming out low and quiet. You were quickly realizing that your soulmate didn’t have much of a poker face as it was evident by their soured expression that something was eating away at them. 

“Are we… on a rooftop?” You tried to distract. 

“Yes,” they answered but their voice was distant. Obviously, still caught up in their thoughts. 

Still, you had to take a moment to let the amazement sink in. Even though it was clear that they had the muscle to support you, you still wondered how they maneuvered to the top of a building with your unconscious body. Regardless, your brows furrowed at the failed attempt to distract them from whatever was on their mind, so you tried a different approach.

“Can I ask some questions about you?” 

Finally, they turned their attention back to you. Success. 

“Ah…” Their body shifted, readjusting their weight that had been put on their one knee. You saw the bulge in their neck bob as they swallowed nervously. “Ah, yeah… Shoot.” They forced a reassuring smile. 

“What’s your name?”

“Donatello. Although, most refer to me by ‘Donnie.’”

Most, huh? So, there were other’s that knew him? Were they like him or was he talking about other humans? You’d be lying if you said the query didn’t prick at you. You were just so curious to know, but you didn’t want to pry. Not right now at least… So, you stuck with the basics. 

“Do you… also live in New York?” Your brows arched with interest.

His chest swelled at the question and he smiled again. Although, this one was genuine. “Born and raised.” 

You couldn’t help but to smile back at that response, but it was short-lived because of your next inquiry. “What’s bothering you?” You asked, or really commanded to know and he gave you that same wide-eyed look of surprise that you had caught him off guard again. 

“Don’t you…” He started but paused on his thought. Hesitant to finish what he was going to say. “...wanna know why I’m a giant turtle man thing?”

“Well, yes, but I figured that’s a subject I can ask about at any time because you’re always gonna be a giant turtle man thing. Unless… You’re a wereturtle by night?” One brow rose over the other and you smirked. 

Air blew from his nostrils in amusement. “Noo…” 

“I didn’t think so.” You smiled softly. “....So what’s the matter?” 

The corner of his mouth twitched and he lowered his gaze once again. He bent his other knee down on the rooftop and sat back on his rear. Hands in his lap. “It’s just…” He started, and you saw the little bit of pink wet his bottom lip again. “If I hadn’t been such a coward, I wouldn’t have to be concerned about you having a concussion right now. And because you were hurt, I lost control of myself… That’s never happened before.” His voice was quiet as he spoke, regret evident in his tone. 

You straightened your back at his admission. Feeling warmth spread throughout your chest, but there was also a sting of sadness in your heart. It was sweet knowing that he cared so much about your wellbeing, but he wouldn’t be so troubled if you hadn’t been foolish in going out tonight like you had. Your gaze dropped to his lap and your eyes were pulled to the golden glowing string attached to the smaller digit on his left hand. Just a few minutes of preparation and you might not have been attacked, but in those few minutes you might’ve missed the opportunity to meet your soulmate.

The situation might not have been ideal, but you didn’t regret it.

You extended your arm, reaching out with your left hand and gently placing it atop his. A small smile pulling at the corners of your lips feeling the texture of his scales against your smooth fingertips. You hadn’t noticed before when he initially picked you up, but they weren’t as rough as you expected them to be. When you looked back up, you found him staring down at your hand as if you were the one to only have three fingers. 

“You’re not a coward. Anyone with some common sense could understand why you would be hesitant on revealing yourself to strangers–” You saw him begin to part his lips to interject, so you hardened your gaze and continued before he could get anything out. “But what ended up happening was not on you, okay?” You spoke firmly and gave them a short nod. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing for putting the both of us in that situation.” 

You watched as he took in a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds in thought before letting out his exhaustion through his nose. “I just can’t accept that.” He shook his head.

Your brows furrowed with frustration, and your lips puckered in a small pout at his defiance. “Why not?”

“Because… I’m–I’m supposed to protect the citizens of New York. It’s… kind of the reason for the way I am.” He explained, averting his gaze again. 

You weren’t sure if it was a nervous gesture of his, or if it was because the whole ‘soulmate’ thing was making him more bashful the normal but it stung every time he looked away from you. You wanted to look into those beautiful hazel-colored eyes that lit up the dark. You needed him to know that he didn’t have to be afraid of you. So… you did something unexpected. 

“But Donatello…” You started, and then slowly wrapped your fingers around the top of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

That did the trick.

Instantly, he turned his attention back to you. His eyes flickering between your gaze and the hand wrapped around his. You couldn’t help but smile at the flustered response, but you continued. “You did protect me. You saved me and now I’m here, with you... The only place I wanted to be tonight.” 

His chest swelled and the pigment of his cheeks turned a shade darker at your words. He parted his lips to speak, but whatever he was thinking about saying got lodged in his throat so you took initiative again. 

Delicately, you moved your fingers between his. Your pinky on the outside of his largest digit and thumb, ring and middle finger in the gap of his hand, and your index and thumb between his smaller digit. It was… different than what you were used to, but it felt right.

This time it was you who dropped your gaze, but only to look at the gold strings attached to both of your hands. The glow of the fabric mellowed into a serene light, but it was still strong. “Is this… Where you wanted to be tonight?“ You asked, looking back up to him with large, hopeful eyes. 

Finally, he held your gaze. The green-bronze color of his eyes almost disappeared to the black of his pupils as he stared longingly into your pools. It sent an unexpected, but pleasant chill down your spine, and you did your best not to shudder. He drew in a silent breath, and relaxed his shoulders but tightened his grip on your hand before speaking. 

“I didn’t believe in this–” he nodded to his string, “before it appeared to me and even when it did, I was skeptical. It didn’t seem probable for the universe to pick someone like me to be fated to someone like you, but regardless… I came out tonight with the intention of finding you. So yes, this is exactly where I wanted to be.” He smiled and gave your hand a soft squeeze. 

Your heart overflowed with bliss and you could feel your throat seize with emotion. Moisture began to collect in your eyes for the third time tonight, but before they could over flow, the gold light coming from your strings of fate erupted into a flash. You clenched your eyes shut until you sensed the light die out. Peering one eye open slowly, you checked to see what had happened to the magical apparition and both of your eyes shimmered with intrigue when you found something new in its place.

Your once red string of fate had now solidified into a golden band of destiny…

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Iiiiiit's donnnneeee!! FINALLY!! I hoped you enjoyed it. This was a challenge for myself to write something on the fluffier side and I think I did alright. ^^; I do apologize for the lack of.... romance? I guess??? KISSING basically, lol. Idk if people will be mad about reader and Donnie not kissing at the end but the way I see it... Even though they are soulmates, they still gotta build up their relationship! I may do another one-shot in the future diving into some romance, but not any time soon. (I also have ideas for doing a RSOF fic for the other brothers but those too will be put on the back burner for now...)

Anywhoo... Hope you liked it!! Thanks to everyone who liked and reblogged the fic! And to those who sent me messages about it! It means so much to me and always brightened my day to see them! Love ya'll! 💖💕💕💖💕💖

Tag: @eveandtheturtles

新実写詰めver

They are so cute!!! Little turtles!!! Aaawww!!! ^w^

... And the Beast (Yonji Vinsmoke x Reader) Part I

Synopsis: You thought your little crush on Prince Yonji was a well-kept secret. Yonji is mean enough to exploit your eagerness to please in the face of his unrelenting cruelty; the thought of actually developing a soft spot for you never even crossed his mind.

Word Count: 6.1k

Tags/Warnings: Naive!Servant!Reader, No Reader Pronouns, Canonically Mean Vinsmokes, But Reader is Kinda Into It, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Name-Calling, Hitting, Reader Fell First, Yonji Falls Harder

Part I Part II

Notes: Welcome to my current hyperfixation. I guarantee you one hell of a roller coaster. Brace yourselves.

Ichiji had never seen anything like it. 

He had gone into Yonji’s room to talk about something, and from the sight of his brother’s moving lips, it was evident that his question was definitely being answered— by a long monologue, no less. But Ichiji couldn’t hear a word, not when you were zipping around the room, thoughtfully, pathetically doting on his brother as if he were a god. 

None of this would have been out of the ordinary for Ichiji if your position had been that of royal attendant. A butler, a valet, or even one of the maids would have been more appropriate when it came to fussing over his brother so early in the morning, and even if it had been an entire swarm of regular servants, Ichiji wouldn’t have batted an eye. But now that he considered it, Ichiji hadn’t seen a single valet in Yonji’s entire wing. 

In fact, it appeared as though Yonji dismissed all his personal aids in exchange for the company of the royal library attendant. 

The library attendant.

Despite being so far from your typical work environment, you seemed less than bothered by the fact that you had assumed an entirely different job than what you were originally hired for. Rather, Ichiji thought you appeared fairly eager to place yourself at Yonji’s disposal. He could practically see glitter in your eyes, and while he wasn’t exactly surprised— in fact, he was a bit disgusted by the fact that a lowly book roach had the nerve to even think about looking at a member of the royal family in such a way— Ichiji couldn’t help but feel that he’d missed something. 

The library had to have been halfway across the castle, not to mention that Ichiji wasn’t even sure if the library snail was currently docked to either Yonji’s or his own fleet in the first place. 

Yonji’s curly eyebrows creased as he gestured toward himself, continuing to talk— Ichiji still didn’t know what about. Yonji flexed the bare muscles on his bulky arms proudly. 

You held up two nearly identical shirts on two hangers to Yonji’s left, one a bit higher than the other. 

The only real difference between the two was the buttons. The one in your right hand sported large, clear buttons, while the one you held slightly higher had smaller, opaque buttons. Yonji barely spared you a moment of his attention, his eyes flickering to the white shirt with the opaque buttons. His glance communicated enough, and you swiftly placed the rejected shirt back into his ornate, hand-carved wardrobe. 

The two of you had done this routine before. 

Yonji made the shallowest efforts as you swooped in behind him, carefully pulling the fabric over his arms until it draped lightly over his shoulders and chest. He placed his hands in the pockets of his slacks, completely ignoring you as you maneuvered in front of him to begin buttoning his shirt. Yonji spoke over your head as you tucked it into his waistband. 

“Hey!” Yonji’s aggravated growl snapped Ichiji from his trance. Yonji had you by the sleeve, just about tearing your uniform off your shoulder as his nose contorted in a deep snarl. “Where the hell did you put my raid suit?”

“It’s right here, Prince Yonji!” You held up the canister like a precious treasure, eyes glinting at the number marked prominently on the side. Ichiji couldn’t recall ever seeing someone so enthralled by servants' work.

Yonji scoffed, heaving you forward by the corner of your uniform before pushing you back with double the force. He roughly snatched the canister from your hands before he turned to make his way toward the doors. 

“C’mon,” Yonji knocked a hand against Ichiji’s shoulder. “Let’s take a look at that new tech you were tellin’ me about.” 

“Right.” Ichiji nodded, the slightest bit heated that he had been made to forget why he’d visited his brother in the first place. He stood from the plush couch in the middle of the room to follow Yonji. 

“Goodbye, Your Majesties! It has been an honor to serve you today.” Neither brother turned back as you bowed at the waist. The heavy doors closed behind the two, leaving you alone to tend to your chores.

Ichiji considered the closed entrance for a beat before joining Yonji, who strutted down the plush carpet of the hall with an elevated cockiness. Ichiji gave him a once over, studying him with acute curiosity before averting his attention to the view of the sea outside the passing windows. 

“Does the library attendant dress you every morning?” he asked. Yonji let out an obnoxious, bellowing laugh.

“Yeah! And the best part is I didn’t even have to ask!” Yonji cackled in his usual boyish rasp. He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning forward slightly to narrow his eyes mischievously at Ichiji. “What? You like my new personal attendant?” 

Yonji laughed again as the two stepped into a winding stairwell. The sound resounded upward, bouncing off the stone walls. He squared his shoulders back, a wide, self-satisfied smirk plastered to his lips. Ichiji hummed, trying to decide how invested he was. 

“Retaining a valet or two like Niji and me would be more logical. Perhaps a few chambermaids instead of some creepy roach,” Ichiji frowned. “Your taste in toys has always been… unique.”

“What can I say? I can never get sick of that stupid, wide-eyed face!” Yonji snickered behind closed teeth, tugging absentmindedly on the loose collar of his shirt. Neither he nor Ichiji spared a second glance at the soldiers who greeted them as they made their way across the courtyard. “I could kick it and still get an offer to shine my boots. A proper servant should consider it a privilege to serve.” 

Yonji continued to hiss, and Ichiji hummed again. He had grown tired of the subject, but Ichiji couldn’t help but consider that there was something about your dynamic that he couldn’t quite wrap his head around. 

“All this excitement over a little attention from a servant,” Ichiji muttered. 

Yonji’s self-assured smirk wavered as his pace slowed. He fell just short of Ichiji, who continued ahead. Yonji’s brows wrinkled in disgust, and his lips quickly contorted into a disdainful scowl. He huffed, turning his nose to the side, before widening his strikes to catch up with his older brother.

“I’m being treated the way royalty outta,” Yonji spat. He hardly noticed how the doors to their destination opened in their presence. “What does it matter if I get a laugh out of breaking this one, too?” 

Ichiji didn’t humor him with a response. The two brothers disappeared into the building, both finally tired from talking about you.

***

“Oh my god!” a cleaning woman gasped, quickly slapping a hand over her mouth as she gaped in horror at the sight just outside the window. A crowd of other house servants gathered around her, all careening to look down at the training grounds below. They muttered to themselves in panicked horror, causing more staff to drift from the hall and into the storage room to catch a glimpse of what was happening on the ground below. 

On one side of the yard stood all three Vinsmoke brothers, each donning their respective raid suits as they talked amongst each other. However, the Vinsmoke princes were the last thing the hoard of staff pressed up against the four medium-sized windows appeared concerned with. 

You stood directly in the middle of the opposite end of the training ground. Three large books were stacked on top of your head, and a basket of crisp, green apples was in your hands. You wabbled, teetering slightly as you tried to balance the books. Perhaps you could have if there were fewer of them or maybe if the princes hadn’t chosen an encyclopedia each. 

All the upstairs staff could do was watch as Yonji sauntered over to you and plucked an apple from your basket. He placed it on top of the stack of books, tongue poking out from his lips as he rotated the fruit on top of the book cover until the orientation was to his liking. 

“Don’t you dare move a muscle,” Yonji sniggered. As if he were studying a piece of art, he peered at you tauntingly with one eye closed through a box shape he made with his fingers. He chuckled again, pivoting to retreat to the other side of the training ground. Ichiji and Niji were already waiting for him, sinister smirks contorting their faces to reveal sharp incisors. 

“Oh my god, I can’t look! I can’t watch someone’s head get blown off!” one of the upstairs maids turned from the window to push through the hoard of gathered servants. Her spot was quickly filled in. 

“I wonder what brought on such a brutal punishment,” a laundryman remarked to a pantrygirl. The gathering of servants shifted around to accommodate the new bodies that gathered. “Does anyone know what happened?” 

Cosette had just appeared at the end of the hall as the group's muttering grew louder. Unlike many other servants who gathered around the windows, Cosette had actual work to do in the kitchen storage closet. Still, it hardly took a moment of her standing in the doorway to realize something was terribly wrong.

“What’s going on?” she asked a scullion, a wave of dread washing over her like a bucket of cold water.

“The princes have someone down there that they’re using for target practice,” he answered, gesturing to the top of his head. The scullion ushered her forward, allowing Cosette to slide in at the edge of the very last window. She squinted at the sight below before gasping in horror at the sight of it all.

The books, the apple on top, and the giant basket of more shiny green apples that you gripped in your hands. 

And on the other side of the yard, Yonji was winding up.

“Who is that?” Cosette gasped in mortification. Your form looked more than familiar, but Cosette couldn't see your face from the angle she was looking. In a moment of realization, her eyes widened. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Someone said it was the library attendant,” another servant answered, and Cosette ran into the same question that every other servant in the room considered upon hearing that information. 

What business did the princes have with the library attendant?

Tormenting the staff, especially over the slightest perceived infractions, wasn’t out of the realm of possibility when it came to the Vinsmokes. However, given that your post was strictly the library, and nowhere else, none of the gathered staff could fathom a scenario in which the custodian of the library would even have to make contact with any of the princes—let alone all three. None of them ever held any interest in books, after all.

 Other than Judge, the other Vinsmokes assumed interests that they deemed more valuable than Germa’s extensive archive. Not to mention that all scientific notes and heavily referenced texts on technical information were kept in their own room near the central laboratory. On rare occasions when a member of the royal family wanted to seek knowledge that would enhance their combat abilities, they would have a servant deliver a text, no matter where it was stored.

The books you maintained comprised a vast collection of lesser-used texts. From general encyclopedias to old records and files to more niche topics, most of your domain was compiled during the days that Judge was strictly a man of science and included the extensive accumulation of the late queen. It was primarily due to record-keeping reasons— and perhaps sentimentality— that the Germa Kingdom kept a library attendant at all.

If your head were about to roll with those chances, the rest of the staff would have no hope.

“You better hold still!” Yonji warned. The motor in his gauntlet whirred to life. 

You stared straight ahead with your back erect and your muscles as halted as your untrained body could muster. Your teetering from before had subsided, and while you continued to shake slightly from effort, Yonji couldn’t help but consider that you didn’t look nearly terrified enough. And as you stared directly into his dark irises with your stupidly eager gaze, Yonji decided that he’d give you something to be afraid of for once. 

His winch whipped out of his forearm, the metal wire extending many times the length of his own body as he swung his weapon clockwise in a swiping motion. It barreled towards your head at lightning speed. The horrified screams from the gathered servants above were drowned out by the thundering boom that exploded as Yonji’s winch crashed into the castle wall to your far left.

And for just a moment, before the windows in front of the servants broke and the castle violently trembled, Yonji's winch swiped away the second book on your head. The green apple and the book it sat on fell neatly onto the text directly on your hair before you were blasted into the dirt. 

You tumbled across the training ground as the castle wall dented, the accouterments on your head leaving a trail to mark where you stood. The basket of apples had tumbled to the ground, causing the fruits to roll across the field. The three princes bellowed with laughter as Yonji recalled his weapon. 

“I told ya that you better hold still!” he sneered.

The dust cleared, revealing your overpowered body in the dirt. You lay motionless.

“I think your new toy’s broken!” Niji howled. 

Yonji’s brow creased in disapproval, taking in the sight of pages and apples strewn across the yard. He glanced around wildly, an undetectable hesitancy stalling him where he stood.

“Hey!” He stormed forward, jaw clenched as he kicked a few fruits across the lawn. “Hey! What the hell did I tell you? You better get your ass up!”

You propped yourself up weakly, barely mustering the strength. Yonji’s eyes bored into the back of your head as you tried to pick yourself up. His impatience trumped your efforts as he wasted no time in grabbing you and hauling you to your feet roughly. He shook you with barely restrained rage.

“You got the nerve to disobey me, huh?” Yonji jerked you violently, his grip around your bicep punishing. 

Your head snapped back, and only then did Yonji notice the water pooling in your eyes. The glossiness clouding your pretty irises was enough to redirect his rage into a wide, toothy grin. Self-satisfied, he let you drop to your knees.

“Prince Yonji!—” you cried out just as he turned to walk away. 

His earlier annoyance had just about melted instantly, and in its place came a righteous sense of power and control. Yonji had allowed you to fawn all over him for long enough now, and now that he had broken you, your novelty had worn off. He sighed to himself, letting his eyes close as you slowly stood somewhere behind him. It was time to find something new to play with.

—“That was awesome!” 

Yonji’s eyes snapped open, and without thinking, he pivoted on his heel to face you. The tears that he saw in your eyes were present, but the look on your face was nowhere near the expression of terror that he anticipated. Instead, you looked up at him with pure admiration and a dumb smile on your lips. The complete subversion of his expectations left him at nothing less than a loss as he couldn’t help but stare while you blabbered on about how amazing you thought he was. 

—“considering the width of the cable, the damage amounted to a force of equal magnitude to your highness’s strike—!” 

Yonji shook his head as if the physical motion would reset his thoughts. His hand came up to his forehead as he cringed into his glove. And with a motion of dismissal, Yonji turned away from you once again.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just pick all this stuff up…” You didn’t need to be told twice. You grabbed your basket, ready to chase all the apples around the training ground. 

Just as you were about to reach for your first one, Niji kicked it into a nearby shrub.

“On your hands and knees. You can collect these with your mouth,” Niji taunted. He toyed with another one under his shoe, and lining it up with the side of his boot, he kicked it up into the air and right into the side of your head. “Fetch, doggie.”

“You better pick ‘em up quickly and get those books back on your head, library roach,” Ichiji gruffed. His red light energy glinted, sparking threateningly around his form. “We’re not done with you yet.”

***

Yonji eventually sent you to the medical ward. Although he immensely enjoyed looking at the nasty scapes and bruises that marred your skin, he considered the dirt and blood unsightly. So, when the Vinsmoke family was to be having dinner, you were given strict instructions to make yourself presentable and bring an extra helping of dessert back to Yonji’s quarters.

By the time you arrived, the kitchen was just beginning to wind down, having already presented the royal family with their courses. Cosette nearly jumped when she spotted you just inside the kitchen’s entrance, sputtering out a few more directions to her staff before making a beeline to you. Despite your refreshed uniform, Cosette’s eyes were immediately drawn to the tech bandages that littered your body. 

“Oh my god, you’re alive! Are you okay?” She ran up to you, placing her hands on your cheeks to inspect your head. (Your face was miraculously devoid of damage.) Having seen most of what you had gone through today, her question was clearly rhetorical: “Are you hurt? What are you doing here?” 

You took Cosette’s hands in your own. With the library always being so far away from the main parts of the castle and Cosette’s promotion to head chef, the two of you hardly saw each other anymore. And after what she had witnessed just a few hours prior, she worried about what had happened during the time and distance you had been apart. 

“Prince Yonji sent me to bring back dessert,” you answered, returning your attention to Cosette’s widened eyes. “Do you happen to have any cake?”

Cosette couldn’t help but recoil, hands hovering hesitantly between you. A cleaning boy passed through the tight space where you and Cosette stood. She pulled you out of the way as dirty water from a dish splashed the floor. 

She opened her mouth to address the servant, but your question blocked out any focus she had on kitchen affairs. Cosette blinked a few times as if your words would make sense. Your name crawled from her lips in confusion and concern. 

“What happened to the library?” she opted to ask. The crease in her forehead deepened with distress. She ran a hand down her face to center herself, but a bulky chef carrying the compost bag began to shimmy past the two of you. You pulled her out of the way, and both of you pressed yourselves flat against the wall as the chef passed. Cosette grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes. “Save that thought!” 

She determinedly nodded, pulling you through the kitchen and into the pantry. Cosette tugged the light on before closing the door behind the two of you. Your name left her mouth again in a frantic hiss.

“What is going on? Everyone was saying you were being punished for something. Everyone was watching because Madame Thénardier spied you from the third-story storage closet, and everyone thought you were about to die—!” She waved her hands frantically, pacing herself in a circle. —“And I told everyone to leave once I learned it was you—” Cosette curtly gestured in the air. —“But then Master Yonji hit the castle, and the glass was everywhere—!” You moved in front of her before she could hit her head on a bundle of carrots.

“Cosette,” you stressed, and she stopped for a moment. But only for a moment. You grasped her gently by the shoulders. “I am more than alright. I still work at the library.” You offered her a single, soft nod, but her shoulders remained tense under your grasp. “But Prince Yonji needs me sometimes, that’s all.” 

You glanced off sheepishly at a bag of potatoes. 

“He needs you…” Cosette glanced you up and down. You nodded adamantly. 

Cosette heaved a heavy sigh, drifting away from what you intended as a reassuring touch. She sat herself on a barrel of flour, both arms wrapped around the knees she pulled up to her chest. She puffed out her cheeks, not entirely eager to listen as her back slouched. 

“I don’t doubt that, but…” She nodded a few times in punctuation.

The door to the pantry opened. A cook with a pile of boxes quickly turned back around at the frantic wave of Cosette’s hand, letting the door shut again. She met your gaze, tilting her head to the side. 

“I don’t doubt that, but you almost got your head blown off today… I worry about you… I don’t know if you realize how scary today was.” Cosette trailed off, letting her feet fall back to the floor. She thought, zoning out on a random tile past your knees. “Getting so close to a person who doesn’t have a heart… it’s dangerous.”

The pantry went quiet. 

Noise continued outside. Pots clanged together. Water ran from faucets. The kitchen staff called out to each other; their voices muffled through the door. 

You took a deep breath before you spoke.

“Thank you,” you started. “For being so concerned about me. You’ve always been a great friend.”

Cosette didn’t answer you, and silence overtook the pantry once again, and the kitchen noise continued.

She wasn’t convinced about your safety in the slightest.

And with this talk about the Vinsmoke prince needing you, Cosette wasn’t even convinced that your own words convinced you. 

She remained quiet, at a loss for what to say or even think about the whole bizarre situation.

“I think he really likes me.” You smiled at your shoes.

Cosette most definitely didn’t know what to say to that.

Her shoulders deflated. She toyed with the end of her apron as she quietly considered you. You leaned against one of the shelves, admiring a basket of green peas with a quiet giddiness. 

“I think…” she pursed her lips, following your line of sight to the basket. “I think that perhaps his Highness likes the idea of you liking the idea of him liking you.” Cosette squinted her eyes, facing a random direction, as she lowered her hand in a slicing motion on her opposite palm. 

“You think he knows?” Your eyes widened at the prospect. You bolted up from where you were leaning, slamming the top of your head against the shelf above. “Ow!” You covered the sore spot with your hand. And as you were rubbing away the acute pain, you missed the softness that spread over Cosette’s gentle features. 

She quietly rose from her barrel and took your arm in hers. 

“Come now,” she sighed, opening the pantry door. “Let’s get that cake the prince was asking for. I wouldn’t want to make you late.”

***

You beat Yonji to his quarters, although it was probably for the best that you didn’t arrive after him.

You shut the doors quietly behind you with your shoe, taking in the eerie stillness of his room. It always felt odd being there without Yonji, and anticipating his presence left you with a nervous, looming feeling—like you weren’t supposed to be there. And, at least according to your job description, you weren’t. 

Most of the room was just how you left it. Yonji’s king bed sat opposite the door, with the headboard positioned in the middle of the wall. The microfiber sheets were neatly made just as you left them, and the pillows remained perfectly fluffed. 

All surfaces were clear and freshly dusted except for the circular table in the corner of the room near the door. Two large sake cups sat empty; condensation from earlier had already stained the wooden finish. You spotted the sake bottle on the floor.

You stepped down into the lowered lounge area to collect it and the cups. The two curved, leather couches were usually riddled with personal items, tools, and technical parts—which you were never to touch—but a space next to the table had been conveniently cleared off. 

You could only assume that the princes had been in Yonji’s room while you were in the medical ward. You wondered if you would be punished for your absence later.

The holo-screen glowed in the corner, and a large, detailed map of Germa’s next assignment was displayed and annotated with green and blue markers. 

You stared at the depiction of the sparsely populated city, placing the bottle with the cups on the table. In your other hand, you held the covered plate with Yonji’s cake. The green marker, a more neon color than the matte blue marker, depicted a series of vectors of the same size in various sections of the city, each ending with an “X” symbol. Meanwhile, the blue markings were dotted lines and small, boxed-in buildings. The trail ended at the coast.

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” 

Your heart nearly leaped out of your chest, and with it, the cake almost toppled over as you turned to face Yonji. You had expected him to tease you, but he stood silently with his hands in his pockets. His expression was not one you usually saw. Yonji gazed at the holo-map, face grave.

“I can’t say I’m a fan,” Yonji grumbled. His eyes flickered to yours, locking you into an intense stare with a frown. “But you know, now that you’ve seen this—” He pointed a finger at the map, tilting his head to the side.  —“I’m gonna have to kill you.” His face contorted into a wolfish grin.

“Oh, I see.” You glanced back at the annotations, unfazed by how Yonji’s nose scrunched up in amusement. He prowled around the upper level, approaching the two steps down into the lowered corner lounge.

“Mission information is confidential.” Yonji placed his hands in his pockets. He stood directly behind you, the minor elevation allowing him to more than dwarf your form as he quietly blocked your only exit. “For the eyes of Germa 66 only.” 

“The arrows,” the words slipped out of your mouth. “They’re the radius of your winch.” You had most definitely meant it as a question, but the observation came out with more certainly than you anticipated.  

You turned your head for confirmation. Yonji’s chin jutted slightly back in acute surprise, his curly brows knitting together as he sneered. You stared at him silently, waiting for an answer, but Yonji only continued to look at you disapprovingly.

“The arrows are the radius of Your Highness’s weapon,” you corrected (as if that was the issue). 

Yonji’s scowl deepened as he snatched the bottle of sake from the wooden table. Unexpectedly, there was still some left. He flicked off the cap, shook his head a few times, and took a swig.

“Yeah? So?” Yonji circled the upper level, eyeing you closely as you stepped closer to the map. 

There were several levels to the city upon closer inspection. The entire diagram rotated upon your approach, revealing a multi-layered, three-dimensional diagram. The markings followed, remaining proportional despite the new angles. 

“Is this Speleothem?” you wondered aloud. Yonji took another swig of his bottle somewhere behind you.

“Yeah,” he said, sounding distant. You hadn’t noticed. “You been?”

“I’ve only read about it in books.” You reached out to touch the hologram.

The motion sent it into a tizzy, the diagram spinning erratically, causing you to step back. But once the image settled, it revealed an entire blueprint of the island with the green and blue markings still trapped inside.

Speleothem was a nation comprised of a single, large mountain. Uninhabitable on the outside, the people who lived on the island dedicated generations to carving out the dense rock, leaving a vast network of tunnels on the inside and an extremely rocky coast in the surrounding waters. But most critically, at least to Germa, were its five small entrances. 

Two canals passed through the island's base, intercrossing in the middle to split the system into quarters. Just above the water’s intersection, a vertical tunnel had been dug straight through the peak of the mountain to let in natural sunlight. 

You could see the problem. None accommodated the circumference of Yonji’s winch, and the tunnel system was far too narrow to support his typical brute-force attacks without collapsing a massive sector of the island. You wondered why he was concerned with being careful in the first place, too lost in your thoughts to remember where you were.

Yonji swiped the cake platter from your hands. You stiffened as you were rudely snapped from your daze. Yonji laughed at you that time. He turned on his heel, flicking the top off of the container. It clattered to the floor where the sake bottle— now empty— sat once again. 

“The hell are you still doing here?” he chewed. Yonji pushed past you, shoulder-checking you on his way back up the two stairs into the center of the bedroom. The fork that Cosette included already had a second bite of cake on it. 

“I thought you needed to kill me.”

“Not worth my effort,” he announced, mouth still full as he waved a now clean fork behind his head at you. “And I don’t want your corpse making a mess of my room when I have shit to do in the morning.”

Yonji plopped down on a different pair of couches in the middle of the room. The two ornate fixtures boasted intricate designs and velvet seating, both flanking an equally intricate coffee table in the middle, on which Yonji kicked his feet up. The set appeared to be a part of the same collection as his wardrobe, and the craftsmanship was a stark difference from the technologically sleek appearance of the furniture in the lower corner lounge. 

The back of his head faced you as he took an oversized bite of his extra dessert.

You were sure his ignorance of you was your cue to leave. 

You picked the serving lid up off the floor and held it upside down. As quietly as possible, you placed the empty sake bottle and the two cups into it. Yonji didn’t spare you even a glance as you quietly made for the door, unamused by you at the current moment. 

With the apparent raid on Speleothem the next day, he was either very tired or in an extremely good mood. Whatever the case, you knew better than to mess with it. You pressed down the push button at the top of the knob, holding it there as you hesitated.

You should really leave.

You should really leave and take the dishes straight to the kitchen before turning in for the night. 

Ruining Yonji’s fortunate mood and continuing to talk out of term? What a surefire way to get yourself—

“Speleothem uses a water system. That’s how they’re able to keep the tunnels together and carve out more.” Your voice cut through the air. The scraping of Yonji’s fork against his plate died in an instant. You cringed, letting your eyes squeeze closed as you braced yourself. No strike ever came. 

You slowly turned around, hugging your makeshift basket close to your chest. Yonji had an elbow over the back of the couch. His face was nothing less than unreadable as he studied you.

“They have ventilation tunnels that the water gets pumped through, and if those were to be disrupted, I’m sure you—someone—could cause massive structural damage without collapsing the system on something important below.” The words tumbled out of your lips faster than you could stop them, if not for the sheer purpose of filling the uncomfortable silence in the room. 

You could feel his stare boring into you, but you didn’t dare meet his gaze. Out of all the Vinsmoke princes, Yonji wasn’t the strictest when it came to meeting his eye, but it didn’t feel like the appropriate moment to test his generosity. 

He spoke your name, and it sent a shiver through your core. All your better instincts were as on edge as the hairs on your arms, afraid of the powerful man sitting before you. But in a match-up of pure will and power, the fluttering in your chest swiftly outweighed your senses. 

“Yes, Prince Yonji?” You bowed your head. He liked being reminded of his royal status.

There was another beat of silence. 

“Get out.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” 

***

Speleothem was an eyesore. Just a large rock in the ocean surrounded by smaller rocks, Yonji couldn’t say he was particularly pleased about his assignment on an island so dull and fragile. Reiju had, after all, been the one initially assigned to the assassination, but since she had been called for another assignment, Yonji was the one to take her place. 

The entire mission had been too covert for his liking. Unlike his sister, Yonji didn’t have much in his arsenal to cover a large area without compromising the structural integrity of the entire Goddam island. Unfortunately for him, Speleothem needed to be (mostly) intact. 

Yonji couldn’t help but grumble to himself as he fought off another security grunt with a strong uppercut. The sturdy exoskeleton clattered to the side, his compilation of fallen enemies beginning to make a pile around him. A series of high-pitched scraping noises and clicking sounded from just down the tunnel. Yonji ran the back of his gloved hand over his forehead. He despised that he was already working up a sweat, but they just kept coming. 

He ventured down into the main sector to meet the battalion coming his way. Due to the narrow passageways, the footsoldiers practically charged at him in a single file line. Yonji made short work of each one, critically denting their outer armor with each swing of his enhanced fists, but no matter how many times he swung or how many guards fell, more seemed to replace their fallen comrades at a rapid pace. 

The number of troops in front of him didn’t appear to dwindle. By the third round of reinforcements, the dark smirk Yonji typically had during battle had disappeared. He huffed to himself quietly, occasional grunts of effort being the only noise to break the steady rhythm of communication clicks and insect-like scraping. 

When another battalion of guards began to make their way down the tunnel from the opposite end, Yonji was officially annoyed. Even using a fraction of his skills, Yonji could have made short work of the entire section of the island, and he knew it. And if the mission took place at any other location, he could have. Instead, he’d have to play glorified punching bag until Niji gave the signal. 

In the midst of the chaos, Yonji’s eyes flickered up to the tunnel’s ceiling. He had been able to hear the sound of rushing water since the moment he entered.

One of the footsoldiers tackled Yonji from behind, digging his sharp mandibles into Yonji’s shoulder. Yonji moved on instinct, punching up into the ceiling and letting the flood of water wash out the tunnel.

But despite a real lack of excitement, the assignment went off without a hitch. By the end of the morning, Niji and Yonji had safely retreated and were ready to report back to Germa’s central sector, leaving Speleothem flooded and leaderless.

“Smart thinking with the ventilation system! I couldn’t’ve strategized a better distraction!” Niji let out a deep chuckle and smacked Yonji hard in the center of his back. “How the hell did you think that one up?”

Yonji trudged forward, ringing some water out of his orange scarf. While he could fly over the flooding in every other tunnel, Yonji’s raid suit was still wet from the first ventilation duct he broke. 

“Read about it in a book,” Yonji grumbled as he trudged forward. The bite he endured earlier had caused minor damage, breaking the skin just enough for the wound to be irritated by his damp clothes. 

Niji stood behind him, fists on his hips as he let out another hearty laugh.

“You know how to read?”

Yonji hardly heard him, trudging in the direction of his quarters to change into more comfortable clothes.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: He will get better. The soft spot I have for the Germa 66 boys has been absolutely crippling. Alternate names for this fic included "Easy," "Glutton for Punishment," and, of course, "Beauty and the Beast."

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Right, considering the current state of corporate politics on this site, and that it seems that only those affected seem to be actively speaking on the matter, it is up to I, the only fucking cishet on tumblr, to drag this out to a wider audience.

REBLOG IF YOUR ACCOUNT IS A TRANSFEM SAFE SPACE.

We need to show these higher ups how much we truly value them.

eddie would say "this guy's bothering you babe?" every time you accidentally bump into something.

you're just walking around the trailer, taking back your plate to the kitchen when you hit your leg against the table, "ow you son of a bitch!" you'd yell out and eddie comes running from his room. his guitar tossed on the bed and music sheet has flown off his lap and got scattered all across the floor.

"what happened? you okay?" he'd ask then he'd see that the table has moved a bit since he last saw it about thirty minutes ago. "this guy's bothering you, sweetheart?" he'd walk towards the table and stare it down, "do i need to teach you a lesson here? hm? teach you not to hit on girls? and my girl nonetheless." his hands in fists, he'd buff out his chest, acting all tough and scary but it only makes him look adorable like a mad puppy.

"actually eds, technically i hit it." you'd tell him and he'd turn to you.

"babe you don't have to do this. don't defend this asshole just so i wouldn't hurt him." glaring at the table again, "come on bitch! not so brave now huh?"

then he'd act as if he's throwing hands with the table only for him to hit his foot against its leg, hard, and end up on the floor in the fatal position holding his foot in both hands and go "the soldier has fallen. i've been defeated by the evil forces of wooden home furniture. pass my kind regards and sorrow to the queen. long live rock and roll." then in true eddie fashion, he'd pretend to be dead with his tongue out and his middle finger pointed to his new immortal enemy, the table.

A big fan of sleepy hugs

Bartosweep

Teehee~

AAAA HEYYY SORRY I WAS GONE LOL I MADE MY OWN TURTLES!!! MY AU IS CALLED TMNT VEGA⚡🙏🏾