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gingerteaonthetardis · 4 months ago

Note

ThreeRose and cozy maybe? 😳

hm... perhaps writing about rose tyler and liz shaw in the same room during my most favorite bisexual classic who era has fixed me? this is a bit of a long one. please enjoy.

[read on AO3] [prompt me!]

The Doctor chose to blame the Brigadier, of course, given that very little was allowed to be his fault. Only in matters of supreme cosmic importance—Rose had often noticed and remarked upon this—did he enthusiastically drag the responsibility square onto his own shoulders and insist on keeping it there.

It was a trait almost as endearing as it was infuriating.

But when it came to practicalities, such as, “Did you actually ask about rooms while Liz and I were out chasing the escaped Cryptons, or did you just interrogate the poor bartender?” the answer was almost always something like, “Well, what do we even bother with UNIT for if they don't take care of room and board, Rose? Tell me that!”

The result was the same, however, regardless of who took the blame: the four of them had been left out in the cold—figuratively speaking—for the night. No rooms to let, and nowhere else in the postage stamp-sized town to ride out what was sure to be a long, rainy night. Only through Rose’s efforts and the barman's good grace were they being allowed to pass the hours, however sleeplessly, in the shelter of the pub which made up the bottom floor of the Wolf & Badger.

Fortunately, they had managed to secure—and retain—a comfortable corner booth and a steady supply of drinks. Or rather, Rose had done. By buttering up said barman, who had been quite friendly to her even before she slipped a stack of bills across the bartop.

Her UNIT salary was good for something, at least.

Viewed from any angle, the booth was the best seat in the house: just the right distance from the hearth to keep everyone warm without overheating, but secluded enough that they could talk in relative privacy. Not too far from the bartender either—named Lewis, Rose reported back, Lewis Badger, as in Wolf & Badger; he had two daughters, a Cocker Spaniel named Katrina, and a passion for model trains. She was thrilled to report he poured quite generously.

On top of the comfort factor, the window just behind Liz's head allowed them a clear view of the street, in case any more Cryptons came toddling through the square before the rest of the UNIT convoy could arrive. Their ETA, according to the Brigadier, was sometime around dawn.

Which meant they just had to hang on—Rose reached over and checked the Brigadier’s watch—about five more hours.

She'd never particularly looked forward to sleeping in the back of a UNIT service Jeep, but she'd done it before, and by god, she planned to do it again.

“Miss Tyler,” drawled the Brigadier, withdrawing his wrist from her grasp, “I'm afraid your constant examinations of my timepiece will lead you to the same conclusion all sane people inevitably reach: time does not speed up simply because you wish it.”

He frowned as he spoke—he was always frowning at her, always furrowing his brow and calling her “Miss Tyler” while Liz got the “my dear” treatment.

She was never sure whether she ought to be insulted or flattered by his presumed deference. It seemed to stem largely from her existence as the Doctor’s “plus one,” a factor placing her firmly outside the normal UNIT hierarchy. But the Brigadier carried on calling her “Miss Tyler,” as if the formality alone could make her in some capacity “official,” and therefore less of a thorn in his stiff, well-starched side.

To his credit, it had sort of worked. Eventually. She was a consultant now, like Liz.

Next to her, the Doctor sat up a little straighter, and she stifled a smile. She’d been lost in her thoughts, but she still ought to have known he couldn’t let such a generalised assertion from his old friend stand.

Now you've done it, Alistair.

“Actually, Brigadier, I think you're wrong about that,” the Doctor pronounced with typical paternalistic glee. “There are certain corners of reality where wishes have immense power—power enough to shape the entire universe, bending time and space to the rules of that wish. They're called Spero Quadrants. Highly rare.”

The name sounded distantly familiar, and she squinted through the haze of her memory. “Hang on, we’ve been to one of those. Couple… hundred years ago?”

The Brigadier’s eyebrows arched expressively. “Hundred years?”

“She's older than she looks,” the Doctor replied, patting her arm with affection before visibly noticing her empty pint glass.

He hadn't so much as touched his own drink, but that was hardly surprising. Her alien often claimed he didn’t understand the human preoccupation with intoxication, though she did recall certain… rather lushy moments in their jumbled up future-past. She was nonetheless charmed by how swiftly he switched his full glass for hers, tossing her a smile and a wink along the way.

“Now, as for Spero Quadrants,” he went on, “they are a relatively new phenomenon—on the scale of the universe, I mean. Been around maybe a few hundred million years or so. Typically, they are religious in origin, but they've evolved mostly away from—”

“Hang on,” Liz piped up, finally taking an interest in the conversation. “That's nonsense.”

Though her voice was slightly slurred, it was not by drink. Of all of them, Liz was the least night-owlish; she’d once confessed to Rose that her preferred routine, when the Doctor wasn't mucking it up, often had her in bed by half past nine and rising again about five in the morning. Given the lateness of the hour and the longness of the day, Liz was just starting to become charmingly sleepy. Rose grinned.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was making a show of being affronted. “What's nonsense?”

He took great care to foster their endearingly adversarial relationship, Rose always noticed with a smile. It was important to him. Liz was something like the retro Scully to his extraterrestrial Mulder—that is, if Mulder and Scully had played with lab equipment and were more prone to fits of schoolgirlish laughter.

“All of it! It's patently ridiculous. If such places existed and were as powerful as you say,” Liz said, getting into it a little, sloe-eyed stare refilling with its usual keen light, “surely one poorly thought out wish would have undone the entire fabric of reality by now!”

“My dear girl,” replied the Doctor—really, had he and the Brigadier gotten some sort of pet name memo or something? “I did mention that they are rare. And you'll recall I also said ‘change,’ not ‘destroy’! Spero Quadrants are by no means lawless, anarchic places. In fact—”

“Oi, this is our table!”

The entire party looked up at the interruption, which came in the form of a wiry, totally inoffensive but also truly drunk man in a tweed waistcoat. He was scowling fit to set his face that way, and had thumped his hands down on their table as he spoke, violently rattling their glasses.

The Brigadier, who was closest to the man, reacted first. “I beg your pardon?” His moustache twitched.

The drunk man didn’t recognise what Rose knew to be a clear warning shot.

“You heard me,” the stranger hurled back. His weight leaned heavily on his arms, as if he needed the table’s support to keep him upright. “S’our table. Best seat in the house—”

“Hear, hear!” Liz agreed, lifting up a pint glass that was very much not hers. Probably one of the Brigadier’s. Rose snickered.

But he wasn’t done. “You nicked it hours back and we’ve waited our turn, but it’s our regular table, we sit here every Wednesday, you know! We’re good, regular cust’mers,” he said, stretching the word regular to epic proportions, chewing on it like it ought to contain more syllables in its gristle. “Not like you lot. So, now—now—th-the fellows and I figure you’d best be going!” The man punctuated his point with an accusing finger and an intense wobble. “‘Cause it’s ours!”

“Yes, you’ve mentioned that several times,” the Doctor drily replied. “My good man, I really think you ought to sit down now.”

The man merely blinked.

“I think that’s what he’s trying to do,” Rose pointed out. “And there’s no reason he shouldn’t—actually, shift,” and she wiggled closer to Liz, tugging the Doctor’s sleeve, “there’s plenty of room for one more. Maybe two, if we squeeze in. It’ll be a bit snug—”

“Miss Tyler,” cut in the Brigadier, “I hardly think that’s—”

“Don’t be rude, Brigadier! The man just wants a minute with his special table. It is nice, with the fire and everything. Very intimate. Here,” and she smirked to see Liz already snuggling up beside the Brigadier, uncomplaining, her drowsy head tipping toward his shoulder. “There you go. Nice and comfortable. Doctor?”

But she didn’t need to say a word. The Doctor, too, had wedged himself in closer beside her, right where the booth began to curve. His eyes twinkled with repressed amusement as he draped an arm around her shoulders under the guise of squeezing in. Velvet tickled the back of her neck.

But no such joy from the Brigadier. “Doctor!” His moustache was really going now, his brows hanging like blades about to come down on some unlucky bloke’s head. “Would you please—”

“Now, now, dear Brigadier. Rose is right. We needn’t be stingy with our good fortune. Come,” and the Doctor patted the seat beside him, looking back at the drunk man, “rest your weary bones a minute, sir, you look as if you’re about to tip over.”

The confusion in the man’s eyes was a sight to behold. He couldn’t seem to settle on where to look—at the sanguine expression Rose wore while she curled up to the Doctor, or at the glowering Brigadier, or at Liz, nestled comfortably between the former and the latter, looking for all the world as drunk as he. “Is this some sort of a joke?” he said, with a note of accusation. “I said we want it to our-selves, not to share with a load of—”

“Steady on, mate,” Rose interrupted briskly. “I’ve smacked men for less.”

The Doctor nodded. “She really has.” He couldn’t seem to help sounding admiring, which further widened her smile.

“Remember King Markitron? God, he was just begging for it, with all that robot overlord stuff.”

“I do remember that, quite clearly,” the Doctor replied with a smirk. “Still, it was a lovely visit. Not exactly right for a romantic outing, but I’ve always found a sun-soaked sapient revolution quite stimulating—”

“Good Lord,” the Brigadier sighed, head falling into his hands. Rose hid her laugh in the lapel of the Doctor’s coat.

“Look, are you going to sit down or not?” the Doctor asked, returning his attention once more to their drunken interruptor. “We haven’t got all night—or, rather, we do have all night, but I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind, and you’ll answer them better when you look a little less green.”

“He does look ill,” Liz observed, yawning in a rather loud, squeaking way that plainly embarrassed her. “Sorry.”

“It’s perfectly all right, my dear.” The Doctor said warmly, while Rose reached over, giving Liz’s hand a comforting squeeze. “It is rather late, and you’ve had a dreadfully long day. Most upright citizens would be in bed by now! Luckily for us, this man appears quite the fellow degenerate. Now, where was I? Yes,” he nodded, “my first question is: if there was one thing you could wish for—one thing in all the world, with no limitations—I’m trying to prove a point—what would it be, sir? What would be your greatest desire?”

And that seemed to be the final straw for the man. His glassy eyes grew wide in his flushed face, and he shook his head rapidly before pushing off the table with a stagger. “You’re all sick,” he croaked, looking between them all again, at their various states of interconnectedness. “And quite possibly mad!”

“Quite possibly,” the Brigadier glumly agreed.

“Perhaps you’d better save yourself,” Rose suggested.

And just like that, the stranger was stumbling off, back to his already dispersing group of friends. He kept shooting them furtive glances while slipping on his rain coat and mumbling what she assumed were virulent oaths to his friends, but it went no further than that. The other men barely seemed to have noticed his absence, let alone the loss of their “regular table.”

However, even once he was gone, neither Rose, Liz, or the Doctor made any effort to move. Except in the shoulder region: both Rose and the Doctor’s began to shake with laughter that couldn’t completely be held back.

“The poor man,” Rose giggled. “I think we really frightened him.”

“Oh, yes, quite. There is nothing as terrifying as a warm welcome!”

“Was that your plan?” the Brigadier accused Rose. “Repelling flies with honey?”

“Don’t think that’s how the saying goes,” she shrugged, “but a little friendliness goes a long way.”

“Well said! It is a lesson you could stand to learn, Brigadier,” the Doctor needled, though his smile was only growing wider. He so loved to disconcert the man.

“I am perfectly capable of achieving my aims in a given social situation.” The Brigadier all but turned up his nose at them, as if they would be fools for thinking otherwise. “Though my methods are less… uncouth than Miss Tyler’s, they are equally effective.”

“So, you agree!” Rose teased with another laugh. “I am effective.”

His eyes glinted. “And brash. And impulsive.”

“Well, I have to take my compliments where I can get them, don’t I, Alistair?” She preened a little when his lips quirked—there was the twinge of humour he was rumoured to possess—and leaned back even further into the Doctor’s embrace.

Between his body and the fire, she was nice and settled now. She hardly minded the ache beginning in her back from sitting so long after all the running she’d done earlier. And the company was good, even if diminishing by the moment.

She watched Liz’s head give a final slump toward the Brigadier, who seemed resigned—in fact, not entirely upset—to be playing her pillow. His eyes kept darting down to the amber crown of her head and then away again, lips pressing and uncompressing. Something warmed in her chest.

“He didn’t allow me to prove my point,” the Doctor said absently.

Rose peered up at him, reaching to comb her fingers through his hair. “And what was your point, my darling, big-brained alien?” Across the table, Alistair cleared his throat, but she just tossed him a grin. She really must have been more tired than she felt; her mind and muscles were all sort of lax, and she was feeling terribly endeared to everybody. “That if wishes were fishes, we’d all swim in riches?”

The Doctor looked quite amused. “No, my love.” Ah, sod the memo. She was really doing just fine, wasn’t she? “We’ll try it again with Miss Shaw. Liz, my dear girl, are you awake?”

“Yes, Doctor,” came the muddled reply.

“I pose the same question to you that I posed earlier: what would you wish for, right now, if you could wish for anything?”

Liz’s eyes opened, and though they held weariness, they were still impressively thoughtful. “Well, seeing how I’ve no wish to unravel the very fabric of the universe,” she emphasised, “I think I’d wish… to be in my own bed, with my own soft sheets…” She turned her head into Alistair’s shoulder and sighed happily. “And pillows. Fluffy pillows.”

Rose’s eyes met the Brigadier’s, and she shook her head, smiling.

“And you, Brigadier?”

“I don’t see what the use—”

“Come now,” the Doctor said, rather softly. “If you could wish for anything.”

There was a brief pause in which she thought Alistair might try to argue again. But then his gaze again turned to Liz, and to his pint glass, which was nearly empty now. Then to the fire, just off to the side. It crackled merrily, casting its warm light over the whole of the table. She realised he was giving the question serious consideration.

“The same sort of thing, I suppose,” he answered gruffly, after a few moments. “Maybe health and happiness for my family. I know the decent thing is to wish for peace in our time, the end of all wars and all that…” For about half a second, he actually looked quite sheepish. “But mostly I wish to end my career in good standing, reputation intact, without some new alien menace blowing up decades of work.”

The three with eyes still open exchanged small, knowing smiles. It was a rather unlikely proposition, put that way—certainly worthy of a massive, cosmic wish.

“What of you, Rose? Do you remember what you wished for?”

“Galoshes,” she replied.

The Brigadier sputtered, but the Doctor looked delighted. “Really?”

“Yeah, galoshes and a rain kit. I’d just ruined mine on Elsignon. That whole big Sontaran invasion, you remember? Their lasers tore my jacket to ribbons. And we were a good million billion miles from the nearest M&S, so I just wished for galoshes and a new coat.” She turned to pat the glossy red rain coat hanging over the edge of the booth behind her. “I already had everything else I wanted.”

“You do talk such nonsense, Miss Tyler,” the Brigadier said, but she swore he sounded almost fond that time.

She nodded her head at him politely. “Why, thank you, Brigadier. What did you wish for, Doctor?”

“A little more than galoshes,” he answered with a laugh, nudging his thigh against hers. “We hadn’t been travelling together long, if you’ll remember.”

And she did; Rose remembered very clearly what an irritant she’d been to him back then. In what she came to find out was his first body, he had hardly any patience for her at all. But they’d still forged a kind of connection, however unlikely, she thought with a rush of fondness. Sometimes she even missed the old codger—always going on about samples and non-interference and where has Susan got to?

“At the time,” the Doctor went on, “I found your presence most… how can I say it? Vexing.”

Alistair cleared his throat again. “A wholly unique experience, I’m sure.” She kicked him underneath the table—not hard, barely more than a nudge—but of course, he was far too mature to respond in kind. Still, his lips twitched again. Victory.

“I was so ‘vexing’ you tried to wish me away?”

“Not exactly. I wished—and I remember this precisely—I wished that you would ‘find the place you were looking for, the place you truly belonged, so you could bloody well leave off and stop bothering me’!” His impression of himself was spot-on, almost eerily so, though she couldn’t imagine that past body using such language.

She must have been a much greater annoyance than even she’d guessed.

“Oh, lovely,” she mock-sulked. “Ta, Doctor, that’s really nice.”

“Good luck that the wish came true. Albeit… not in the way I expected.” Turning his head, he brushed an uncharacteristically subdued kiss across her hairline. She leaned into it, enjoying its gentle pressure, and for once, there was no throat-clearing from the Brigadier. Then the Doctor said, “That’s the point, isn’t it? Most people don’t really make reality-destroying wishes. It’s all home and comfort, maybe a bit of a better life. The removal of some inconvenience in their way. And let us remember that it is already the nature of all things to change, even—as our sluggish friend puts it—the very fabric of reality. Most wishes are for things which might have come true anyway. They are a selection of one potential option on a massive, cosmic buffet of possibility.

“Of course, there are exceptions… many exceptions,” he added solemnly, “and consequences, and those have to be dealt with when they come. But for the most part, those who stumble upon a Spero Quadrant—for they cannot be sought, that's a very important thing to remember, they can only be found—most of those people come up against a similar problem to the Brigadier, or to you, Rose. They cannot think of a meaningful wish which does not carry with it an implicit risk or danger. Or they cannot think on a grand enough scale, for every species is in some way myopic. Limited, no matter how advanced. Sometimes, they simply fear the prospect of getting what they want.” The hand draped over her shoulder flicked up to tweak her ear. “So even though they could have anything in the universe, they wish for galoshes.”

At that, the table fell into thoughtful silence, with only the background bustle of the closing pub for accompaniment. The sound of dishes being washed, of glasses being put on shelves. Most of the regular customers had gone away; Lewis was only really keeping the lights and the taps on for their sakes, and with that knowledge came a certain sense of shared isolation. Almost like sneaking into a school after dark. The rain outside continued pouring down, and here they were, inside their little pocket of warmth and light and friendship.

Rose wasn’t at all sure of the Doctor's logic. But she couldn't help thinking about the nature of his wish, too—even at his most frustrated, he'd wanted her to find true belonging. That she might find it with him, on the TARDIS and off, alongside all his many varied and wonderful companions, had never occurred to him; it hadn't been a possibility he'd known to anticipate.

So perhaps he was right. About wishes. About the fundamental desires of most beings. Were they really for small things? For warmth and comfort and a bit of peace?

Those things probably weren’t, on the whole, very extravagant or dangerous.

A little longer and she realised she'd been staring at the Brigadier’s hands where they rested on the table. He didn't fidget, just kept his palm calmly on his glass. When she glanced up at his face, he was holding eyes with the Doctor, midway through some kind of silent communication.

At any other time, she might have wondered what was being conveyed—but she found herself too sated and comfortable to give it much thought. Their mysterious exchanges could continue for another day without her interrogation.

“This isn’t so bad, is it, really?” the Doctor finally said, jostling her somehow impossibly closer. She could hear one of his heartbeats, feel it under her cheek. “It’s quite cosy.”

“Very. Don’t think I’d wish for anything.” She hummed sleepily. “You, Alistair?”

“No, Rose,” came the answer, rippling faint surprise over her body. Her eyes grew wider, and she watched him try and fail to repress his amusement at her reaction. A smile living mostly in the eyes. “Not a thing.” The Doctor’s hand found hers and squeezed.

Just a beat too late, Liz mumbled out a fuzzy, “Hear, hear!”

And for a while after that, the only sounds were their muffled laughter and shushing, the rearranging of limbs toward mutual comfort, and the snapping logs in the fireplace, while the rain outside drummed steadily towards the morning.

#this is so pre-polycule vibes lmao BUT I CAN'T HELP IT. I LOVE THEY #dw fic #abbey.txt #doctorrose #timepetals #classic who #third doctor #rose tyler #liz shaw #brigadier alistair gordon lethbridge stewart #fic and chips #prompt fic

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givemerent · 3 months ago

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hiii could i request some sillgy midnightfruitcake (astro x sprout x cosmo)?

image unrelated

snorts cocaine

IM SO SORRY IF IT LOOKS FUNKY D:

#dandy world #dandy's world #dandy's world astro #dw astro #dandy world astro #dandy's world sprout #dw sprout #dandy world sprout #dandy's world cosmo #dw cosmo #dandy world cosmo #art #polycule #cosmo x sprout x astro

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alilbitlesbian · 2 years ago

Text

Wait, the monsterfucker is ACTUALLY the queen?

Reader x Sonia x Rauru

There's many things that run through your mind when something unexpected happens, like: "What did I do to deserve this?", "How do I fix this?", "Are my friends okay?" and "So the queen of this kingdom is ACTUALLY fucking a giant llama man?"

Wherein the reader experiences distress at the way this goddamn kingdom is arranged, Rauru and Sonia become simps and have to excuse themselves, and the reader gets to go off and fight their first enemy.

So, I shortened this chapter for ease of reading and whatnot, I've uploaded chap 1 and now this chap onto AO3 though! Please go to https://archiveofourown.org/works/47646451/chapters/120093241#workskin for the rest of the chapter!

You’d been leading the horses down a downtrodden path for roughly an hour and a half, judging by the sun’s position, you breached a hill and finally saw Rauru, Sonia and Zelda, still a bit ahead of you, but you could catch up if you directed the horses into a gallop.

You had not tried a gallop yet.

The mare under you tossed her head, almost hitting you in the face, you could barely contain her as-is, trying to gallop would likely end up with you on your ass and the horse off in the Hebra region.

You were impatient, not having seen Zelda for a few hours as you'd gone off to capture the horses for her and the others to hopefully cut down on the travel time to Hyrule castle. But risking losing the horses you'd worked so hard to acquire wasn't worth the spared time.

You kept trotting until you were right behind the small group, then pulled back on the reigns ttho get the three horses to slow down into a walk.

The others didn’t even pause or look back, Sonia gently steering Zelda to the right of the path to let you pass, you did pass them, walking a few meters so they wouldn’t get hit by a stray hoof and pulled on the reigns, turning and stopping in the middle of the path, your horse’s hooves scraped impatiently against the sand, when you turned to the others, Rauru scowled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Excuse me-”

“Y/n!” Zelda charged past the llama man, whose face lit up in recognition as he actually looked at you, Zelda rushed over to you, and you got off your horse and wrapped her in a hug.

“What have you been up to!?!” She held you by the shoulders, pushing away from you a bit to look at the three horses, Zelda’s horse stepped forward, nosing the blonde, and you laughed. The flaxen caramel horse you'd picked out for her nickered softly.

“I thought we could cut down travel time.” You smirked, Zelda looked entranced by the mare, you knew how quickly Zelda could get attached to an animal (her father never allowed pets) and gently shoved her toward the horse. It huffed loudly in her face, causing strands of hair to bounce around and into her eyes. Zelda let the steed approach her hand, gently petting its snout as she turned to you.

“That was so smart of you!” You preened a bit under the praise, gently untying Zelda’s new horse from your mare and handing the reins to her, she smiled, taking the reins before continuing to spoil the mare with pets and scraps of food she dug through her pockets for.

Ignoring Rauru, you set the gelding’s reins into Sonia’s hands, she looked up at the steed, it was very large, you understood her apprehension, but you smiled kindly to her.

“Don’t worry, he’s very polite.” You pat the beast on the snout, out of the corner of your eye, you saw Zelda’s new horse shove her lightly with it’s snout, Zelda laughed, nudging it back, seems they were making good friends.

Sonia approached the gelding curiously, petting his snout, you smiled a bit, but left quickly as soon as Rauru approached.

You helped Zelda into the saddle, got up on your own mare (she would need a name) and waited for Sonia and Rauru to do the same, they did choose share the horse in the end, Sonia in front with Rauru sitting behind her. She clicked her tongue and the steed moved, you kicked your horse’s side and she set off as well, Zelda beside you.

“Your guard is.. Very stubborn.” Sonia noted as the horse the young woman rode upon tried to bite her once again, the steed that Sonia and Rauru rode calmed down quickly, and Zelda’s only hesitated a few times, when they had to cross a bridge and once when they had to go through a puddle, but the mare the knight rode was wild in a way that was concerning, every now and then, it’d attempt to gallop or trot when that wasn’t the set pace, and the knight had to contain the horse with their arms and legs alone, often veering off the path as the wild horse bucked and paced backward.

Despite having passed several more herds, even a town and a stable, she did not attempt to change horses, Zelda nodded, smiling softly. Like it was expected.

“Ah, well, yes. But I believe that they chose right, a horse must be strong-willed for a soldier to ride it, if they manage to tame it, it will trust them with its life, and they will be able to do the same for it.” She smiled lightly, and Rauru hummed, Sonia knew he was lightly annoyed with the two’s insistence that danger was around every corner, he took it personally, like they didn’t believe that he, as a king, could keep his people safe.

Later, Sonia and him could talk about it, she’d be able to soothe his worries and remind him these two probably never knew anything else than danger, it wasn’t a reflection on him. They were just.. Surviving, in the only way they knew how.

She did not stop him from speaking though, his low voice caused the knight to tense from where she rode ahead, still in earshot.

They hadn’t said anything in... A while, Sonia wondered if the knight was always this quiet, she noted that the rider was paying attention, every conversation, even as their eyes remained pinned on the horizon, scanning the surrounding forests and paths like something may jump out at any moment.

“Truthfully, Miss Zelda, there are no threats in Hyrule, you and your companion do not have to fear, or prepare for anything.” The young girl shook her head, a forced smile on her lips.

“Even I find that hard to believe, King Rauru, no offense, but where we come from… It hasn’t been safe in a long, long time. It is unthinkable to travel alone, and a death sentence to let your guard down.” The king sighed, but nodded, seemingly accepting the answer, although a bit reluctantly.

“I hope you will come to believe me with time.” Is all he offered.

The ride was quite pleasant, all-in-all, it had been delightful and calm as you led the way over the downtrodden path, eyes set on the horizon. A beautiful forest sprawled to the right, the trees thinning out until it became an open valley that bordered a cliff, it wasn't extremely high, just leading down into another forest, but you were still wary of it.

Despite that, you were quite relaxed, closing your eyes and swaying with your horse's movement, the path was right at the forest's border, meaning the wind wasn't quite as harsh as out in the valley, and soft birdsong carried through the trees. It was an enjoyable ride with a soft ambience to which you could relax.

Or, you had been.

Your gaze cut right, horse halting with a whinny and a snort.

“Princess.” You murmured, eyes still fixed on the forest, you saw something move, a monster? No, you hadn’t seen any yet, and it wasn't the correct shape for any monster you'd expect to be here. only chuchus hung out in trees, and this wasn’t the best place for bokoblins to camp.. It seemed unlikely at all that it'd be a monster.

(It wasn’t because Sonia and Rauru said there were no monsters, and you found yourself believing them for some inconceivable reason. It wasn’t because of that.)

Then that left one thing.

Wildlife.

“Get back.” You hissed, low and focused, you couldn’t see if she nodded or not, but her horse slowly backed away from yours, putting some distance between whatever threat you saw and herself.

Your eyes remained on the treeline, searching, you thought you’d seen it, and it certainly seemed like it was spring in this world, but maybe you’d been wrong..

Rauru cleared his throat, his impatience clueing you in that a few minutes had already passed, you must be feeling paranoid.

Just as you turn to let your horse walk again, you see it, and it sees you, and you see it’s children as well.

“Fuck!” You yell, and your horse neighs, ears pinning back as the boar charges for you.

It might not be huge, but it certainly isn’t small, and those tusks could do some serious damage to your horse and to you.

It charges for you, and your horse, brand new as she is, spooks.

You weren’t focused on her, and for the first time today, she easily bucked you off, sending you soaring until you fall onto your shoulders with a crack, it takes you a few seconds too many to breathe again, that choked feeling that hadn’t left you since you had arrived here not allowing it. At least your head was tucked, or you’d have something much worse to worry about.

Your horse runs off, and the boar goes for you, you manage to slice it with your sword, narrowly avoiding it hitting you, it runs past you, turns, and with a scream, charges again.

It does bowl you over this time, you manage to give it another nasty cut though, enough to garner a shriek from it and for it to bolt back into the woods, your sword slick with blood.

“Lyra! Are you alright?” The princess’ shout came, and Sonia slipped from the saddle to approach you where you still lay in the dirt. Breaths rattling as you surveyed the scene, you horse running away.

You saw your horse’s form still running, panicked, scrambling, you get up, kicking away from Sonia and dropping your sword to follow the steed, afraid she may get hurt.

When you approached her, she reared and bolted again, you followed her, not wanting her to hurt herself in her panicked state.

Maybe little too late, she ran toward the edge of a cliff steep cliff that led down into some forestry, you bolted after her, calling for her, she’d certainly break something trying to make that jump, you heard Sonia and Zelda call for you.

No! Your mind hissed as the horse approached the cliff’s edge, you heard a shout as you took out your bow, hand reaching behind you to pull the cool finish of one of your arrows out, twirling it easily and expertly placing it in your bow.

A loud shout came, angry or confused, from Rauru, but your arrow already left your bowstring, pursuing your target.

Bullseye.

You heard gasps, but didn't see Sonia pause, Rauru looking horrified from where he sat on his own horse, mouth covered by one of his clawed hands, you didn’t spare them much thought as you ran to your steed.

The horse stood frozen in the plain, mid-run, you ran over, grabbing the frozen reigns and planting yourself in the grass. Out of the corner of your eyes, you saw the others, looking more closely to see the king and Queen looking puzzled and angry, you gave an apologetic smile, realising how it must’ve seemed, you shooting an arrow at the fleeing horse

It didn’t take long for the magic to break, and while the horse’s earlier momentum had been broken, she still tried to pull away, you pulled back, causing her to swing back to face you.

The horse huffed, loud and angry, but not panicked any more, and after a second, she stopped tugging, the reins were taut between you, but you felt safe enough to step forward.

She stepped back, her hoof clattering against the stone under you, she shook out her mane, taking in the scene, her eyes weren’t as blown out now.

You took another step, and she stayed still, enough for you to approach and pet her nose.

Her fur twitched in the way she did when bugs rested on her coat, alright, thank god.

“What was that?” Sonia questioned, approaching you as you returned to the others, you waited until Rauru was in earshot before you answered.

“An ice arrow, it froze her for just a moment, she should be fine, maybe a bit cold.” The horse huffed, following you with her head hung low, maybe exhausted or ashamed.

“Thank goodness, I was so worried when I saw you grab your bow, I’ve seen people using arrows to scare horses and direct them.. But it often goes wrong.” You nodded, gently picking up your blade from the soft grass, wiping it on a mossy tree before seathing it once more and climbing up on the blanket adorning your horse’s back before continuing with a sigh, you led the way, and with the newest adrenaline rush you just felt so, so tired.

Eventually, the others stopped you to set up camp for the night, you helped them, cooked with some of the materials you’d scavenged and made sure Princess Zelda was comfortable.

You sat against the side of your horse, who lay flat, maybe just as tired as you after the day, you sat as tall as you could, surveying the surroundings, the moon had risen high above, you felt your eyes close several times, blinks growing longer and longer as your body tried to drag you to sleep.

“Burning the midnight oil?” The soft voice woke you. Your chin lifted, you met the gaze of Sonia.

Your ears twitched, she tilted her head at you when you did so, but didn’t comment, you sighed, glancing up at the sky.

“Someone needs to keep watch.” You replied, voice equally soft, she looked out on the empty plains, the soft sound of crickets and the grazing horses surrounding your little improvised camp.

“I… Know that Hyrule is safe.” She says, you feel a bit more tired, unwilling to have this argument again. “There are no monsters, no beasts who will attack us during the night, at most, a mischievous fox or pack of wolves may try to steal our rations.”

You want to argue her, to tell her it doesn’t matter what she thinks, that you need to keep the princess safe. But you're exhausted enough to allow her to continue.

“But, I do understand you are afraid, and that these are instincts you must’ve learned for a reason." You hummed, thankful that she seemed to be trying to understand, maybe she'd let you guard for the rest of the night undisturbed.

"But you will not be able to defend your princess while you are dead on your feet.” her voice is scolding but warm, you sigh, knowing she was right. Back when it was just you and Link, you’d switch halfway across the night, and at day, you'd pick up eachother's slack.

But you were the only warrior now. Rauru could certainly help slightly during the day, Rauru’s claws must do something for defense, but, you weren’t about to ask apparent royalty. You were alone, and solely responsible princess Zelda's safety.

“How about this; I’ll keep watch for you tonight, I can ask Rauru to take the reigns tomorrow, you are riding alone, so that’s not an option for you, and I think we still have a day or so of travel.” You nod, you’re tired enough not to question it, and you think Sonia is reliable enough, being a relative of Zelda already puts her in your good books.

If it was Rauru who offered, your answer would’ve likely been very different.

You lay down next to Zelda, keeping enough distance to be respectful (it wasn’t necessary, you’d cuddled with her many a night, but you weren’t sure what Sonia would think, or if Zelda would be okay doing that today, so you kept your distance.)

You awoke to a tangle of limbs and blonde hair in your face.

It was very much like Zelda to grab you in your sleep, or maybe it had gone the other way around, still, you woke up warm and cozy, to sunshine on your face, a soft cool breeze and the scent of…

Food.

Your eyes opened, seeing both Sonia and Rauru sitting next to the fire and looking at your and Zelda's cuddle pile, you couldn't quite read their expression, too tired to bother anyway.

Stomach rumbling, you propped yourself up on your elbows, then your hands, spitting out some blonde hair and glancing at Sonia and Rauru, who were now bent over the fire and studying the food they made with a critical eye.

“Lyra?” Zelda asked, sitting up herself and stretching out, she yawned, and you yawned in turn, then Rauru did and you averted your eyes as every single one of his very sharp teeth was put on display.

“Hm.” You murmured, helping the princess up and stretching yourself, your bones cracked in complaint, and you bent your limbs as your heavy armor settled and shifted to fit properly again, apparently having gotten messed up in your sleep.

“Come, Rauru made breakfast.” Sonia called to you. You did come, sitting down next to Zelda, the man in question handed you your meal, you kept your eyes on his claws as he served another plate, then handed it to Zelda, making sure he didn't nick skin.

He settled back down, starting to eat his own meal.

Simmered fruit.

You began to eat, it was actually very well-made, you didn’t want to compliment him, but when Zelda told him the food was amazing, he smiled softly and you felt it impolite not to say anything.

“It’s fine.” You stated, succinct, Link would be proud. Rauru chuckled lightly, not hurt by your statement.

Zelda cut you a look, you shrugged, turning back to your meal. You waited patiently until everyone was done eating before cleaning up the camp.

Sonia looked tired, you were glad she had taken her watch seriously, but felt shame that you’d let the queen take watch for a soldier, your sleep-addled mind hadn’t noted how selfish that had been yesterday, but now you felt it full-force, you didn’t dare look her in the eye.

You had forgotten that your responsibility did not lie only with Zelda, but with the two royals as well. If they got hurt, you'd be in major trouble with the kingdom.

One knight for three royals.

How was that any fair?

Rauru did navigate the roads for Sonia, who leaned back against his chest and gazed at the passing scenery.

You shot them a strange look, puzzled, you didn’t understand their relationship, he said he was king but… There hadn’t been a non-hylian king in like, ever.

Actually, there was a bylaw explicitly against it.

He caught your eye, brow raising, and you snapped your head to look forward again, ignoring him. You clicked your tongue and your horse settled into a trot instead, Rauru and Zelda changing pace to keep up.

The castle crested over the hills, you sighed, relieved, letting Zelda overtake you so you were next to her, you weren’t there yet, it may be 2 hours until you’d arrive, Sonia was fast asleep against Rauru, your brow knitted together in guilt, still, you led the way in an even trot, making sure to keep an eye out for possible danger.

The castle was different than what you recognized. You slowed your mare, she neighed, a bit upset, but listened either way, you let both Zelda and the royals overtake you, following them at a respectable distance, you weren’t their equal, best not act like it.

Rauru glanced at you, confused, but didn’t stop or beckon you over, so you remained where you were, following in the royals’ wake and looking at the soldiers (half naked, with wooden weapons) curiously, they, in turn, looked at you like you’d hung the moon and the stars, with your sleek armor and durable weapons, you felt like something exotic to be gawked at.

Great.

You scowled, straightening your features with a twitch of your ears, the king and queen went ahead through the gates, then Zelda, and you managed to get in before the doors gates closed and locked you out.

Both Rauru and Sonia dismount, you get off your own horse quickly to help Zelda off of her own steed, watching as the horses are quickly led away by some stablehands.

You follow a step behind Zelda as she’s quickly guided away by Sonia and Rauru, you hadn’t paid much attention to their plans aside from the necessary details, Zelda was a distant relative who came to visit, you were her personal guard.

You followed, ignoring the pinning gazes of servants and guards alike, at least you weren’t the only one, Zelda looked just as uncomfortable as you.

Just the two of us in this strange but familiar world.

#breath of the wild #tears of the kingdom #botw #botw reader #reader #Sonia x reader #Rauru x reader #Reader x Rauru x Sonia #Sonia x Rauru x Reader #polycule #these two are so in love with reader and reader is so NOT in love with them #it so funny <33 #dw theyll get swooned by their ethereal beauty soon im just not that into “love at first sight” stuff #love is messy amiright #Sonia please top me <3 #its on ao3 now <3 #its on ao3

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cyncerity · 7 months ago

Text

decided that the best way to get myself out of writers block was to write short things that expanded on stories i’d already written so that’s what i did

anyway take this little thing for the Store Shifter au; this takes place almost immediately after the Sapnap & Bbh Hawk Incident™ (this but it does have v*re), so it takes place years before the main story and Sap and Q are still teens at this point.

btw it’s angst again i’m not sorry i’m not letting Sapnap catch a break in this au

~~~~~

“We need to go” was all Sapnap had been repeating for the past half an hour, and Quackity was mildly really fucking tired of it. “Slow the fuck down. Explain. What the fuck happened.” He grabbed Sapnap’s arm, stopping the boy’s tirade through his bedroom as he threw Quackity’s various clothes and items into the largest bag he owned. And this seemingly wasn’t the first time he’d done this, as he had entered Q’s home holding a massive pack of his own things. “We were thinking about moving, right? No better time than the present, so let’s go.” “Sap, Karls not even here.” “We’ll let him know when he gets back.”

“Sapnap, stop.” He pleaded, grabbing his boyfriend harshly, forcing him to drop the now overflowing pack he was holding. He wouldn’t look Quackity in the eyes. “What brought this on? Why so sudden, talk to me!” He nearly shouted. Sapnap didn’t answer, but took a few moments before he sucked in a breath and lifted his head.

Quackity found people easy to read, Sapnap especially. They’d been friends for so long, even lovers at this point, and Sapnap had always worn his heart proudly on his sleeve.

Which made the fact that he couldn’t quite read the expression painting his boyfriend’s face as worrisome as it was heartbreaking.

He was tired and stressed, the deep bags that had seemingly formed overnight staining his already permanently bruised face, and that near constant fire in his eyes seeming to have been smoldered. But beyond that, there was…well, Quackity didn’t quite know what to call it. Hatred, guilt, exhaustion, all things that he had seen on any face but his Sapnap’s. He couldn’t even be sure that’s what it was, but something was wrong. And it wasn’t even just his expression. His downcast eyes, the was his hands minutely shook, the soft and unsure way he spoke, and the reluctance to look in any sort of reflective surface had all been things he’s noticed when Sapnap had come in his room. Every single one of these things was so uncharacteristic of Sapnap that he had half a mind to drag him down to Sam to talk since he knew he wouldn’t be able to fix whatever had done this alone.

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t because of the one last thing on his face, the part of his expression that would plague Quackity’s mind for years after as he tried to figure out what could have happened to the boy he loved so much.

Fear.

Sapnap was afraid. Afraid of what, he couldn’t say, but he saw the way the fear blocked the light from his eyes and knew he couldn’t convince someone that afraid to do anything logical.

Q sighed and took the bag that Sapnap had dropped, beginning to take the items out and fold and organize them neatly. “Go tell my dad and sis we’re leaving. I’ll go say goodbye to them when i’m finished.” He said calmly, and pretended not to feel even more lost when Sapnap’s whole frame relaxed. “Thank you.” He practically whimpered, tears clear in his voice. “Thank you, Q, thank you so much.”

Q swiped a few stray tears from his own cheeks as Sapnap sprinted from his room. It hurt, knowing he was leaving his family and community with such short notice, he wouldn’t deny that. But more so, it hurt seeing his boyfriend in so much pain, and it hurt worse knowing that he wasn’t privy to what even caused it. But whatever it was, whatever caused the fear he saw, he’d travel for the rest of his life to get away from it if it brought the joy back to Sapnap’s eyes. He’d do anything to avoid whatever caused that unexplainable, hollowing look in the boy he loved.

He just hopes that one day Sapnap will tell him what exactly to avoid.

#get it it’s because Sapnap is afraid of himself #and he deals with a lot of self hatred and trauma after the incident because he’s afraid of doing the same to Q and Karl-#but at the moment MORE afraid of the fallout between him and his dad #so he forces the polycule to leave #dw once they all move out he’ll become more afraid of hurting them #bros got some issues #‘hopefully Sap will tell me what scared him’ bro has no idea #like brother you’re dating what scared him but Sapnap’s not gonna tell you that LMAO #store shifter au #sizeshifter!sapnap au #sizeshifter!sapnap #tiny!quackity #tw vore mention #mcyt gt #mcyt g/t #cyncerity #cynwrites

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