#A BIG WRITING THING!!!

[ezra-iolite]

One Last Wish- Chapter 1 (A Pirateformers AU Fanfic)

The Immortal Sun finally arrives on the sea border of Joka Ardhi, the homeland of their Dragonkin crewmate, Asya Mutheru. There, all is revealed about her past and why she has returned to the land that exiled her. Gathering a small army, including her polyamorous spouses Captain Elbent and Verglaust, they march across the desert to the capital to face the tyrant emperor of the kingdom, Dragon Lord Jhamal, and stop his crusade to invade the northern kingdoms before it begins… And fulfil the prophecy of the Throne of Crimson Sands.

The Pirateformers AU, Elbent and Verglaust belong to @tigracespace

The brief mention of Solclave belongs to @dimorphodon-x

Blue Heron belongs to @hyraxas

Asya and Apophis/Apo belong to me

Chapter 1: Legacy of the Burning Prince

“So… This is Joka Ardhi, huh? The legendary Kingdom of Crimson Sands… You still haven’t told us why we’re here, Asya. And after six months of you playing my role as the navigator, I think now’s a good time as any to tell us what exactly is going on here.”

“I told you already, Blue. All will be explained in time. For now, we just need to stay on this side of the sea border and begin planning.”

The taller native of the desert kingdom turned her back to Blue Heron to face their destination, its glimmering red sands and many colourful and small sandstone buildings of the port city now within sight on the horizon. His focus, however, remained on the Jokani woman as he spotted her long pointed ears droop ever so slightly, a motion caused by the shiver that spread up her back the moment she spotted her homelands far ahead.

“Wait, I-I’m sorry, I must have misheard you over the strong wind. I thought I heard you say that you didn’t-”

“You heard me, Blue… I know I’m normally the “I’ve got a plan, let’s get going” kind of person, but… I honestly don’t know what to expect the moment we enter Jokani territory. I… I-I mean, come on, Blue! It’s been forty years since I left this place, and I haven’t even dared to sail past the equator until now. I’ve never been able to gather the courage to come back here since my exile, not even when they…”

Asya’s words caught in her throat as another shiver ran up her spine, this time accompanied by an audible whimper as she hugged herself to be rid of the chills of her past. Blue’s anger immediately fell as he approached the Dragonkin and held her shoulder, drawing her teary eyed attention back onto him.

“Asya… You’re here now, and that’s all you need to know that you’re ready to face whatever lies ahead. You faced your fear by asking your wife, our captain, to be the navigator for this mission you told her was vital and would be explained later, and your courage has since brought us all the way here. So whatever happens next… You won’t be alone in facing this challenge. But, Asya… We all need to know what you think we’ll face, once we dock in that city. If this is a dangerous mission you’ve started, we need to know what to expect. So please, Asya… tell us why we’re here.”

Sniffling loudly, Asya quickly dried her eyes on her dress sleeve before she sighed and turned to fully face Blue Heron. “Not here… I need everyone to hear this. Gather the entire crew here, then I’ll tell you everything.”

“I understand. I won’t be long.”

“Take your time… And Heron?”

Blue looked over his shoulder as he neared the door to head below deck. Asya let out a long sigh before she looked back up at him with a half-smile.

“Do you trust me?”

“… With my life, my friend. Or… how do you say it in your tongue? A friend?”

Asya chuckled with a soft blush blooming on her dark ebony cheeks. “It’s rafiki. You’re my rafiki, darling… my friend.”

“Huh…. It’s nice to hear your true accent again, and not your preferred posh Primus one,”

“I- Wait, how do you know about tha-”

“But… To answer your question… I trust you, as my rafiki, with my life. And I hope that you can trust me in turn with whatever you need to do here. We’re a crew, Asya… Nothing will change that.” With a wink, Blue slipped through the door and vanished down the stairs, leaving Asya alone in her shocked realization on the deck.

Letting out another heavy sigh to release the tension within her, Asya reached up to her headband and carefully untied its knot under her dreadlocks, removing her most valuable treasure and holding the thin strip of silk in both hands, before her thumb squeezed out the small hard lump within its folded layers to reveal a large ruby that plopped into her palm. Holding the ruby up between her fingers, Asya gazed at the soft glimmer of orange magic within the crystal, letting out another sigh to steel her nerves as she closed her fist around it.

“If only you knew, Blue. I have no idea what might happen the moment I step off this ship. But I know one thing’s for certain… I’m not running away. Not anymore. Bori… Mama… Kamaria… I’m done hiding the real me. It’s finally time to do this… Right, Apo?”

A golden string of pure magic flickered into reality from her chest, its glimmering soft light revealing itself slowly across the deck and up towards the mast, where a red ball of fire roared into life at the end of the golden string and soon formed the shape of a giant feathered amphiptere dragon, his outline and form made entirely out of red fire that did not burn any of the wood of the Immortal Sun’s exterior. Gripping the mast with a winged claw, he hoisted himself up to the empty crow’s nest and used his fiery serpent tongue to wrap around the chest hidden under the floorboard, pulling it out and clambering down to place it in front of Asya before he stood tall before her and finally spoke.

“The throne awaits, my queen~” Apophis purred, wrapping his coils under himself to perch before his soul-bound ward, the string connecting their very souls turning invisible once more as Asya kicked the chest open and knelt down to rummage inside it, placing the crystal and her beloved headscarf in her dress pocket for the time being.

“Don’t call me that… There’s too much that needs to be done before I can even dare to announce my claim to the crown. And luckily, it’s a three day journey from Wajiri to Oasis. And… I still need to actually consider the consequences of what will happen when I show my face there.”

“Well, forty mortal years is a long time for anyone to remember such a detail as your exile. And who knows? Maybe there are those who hate the Tyrant too that will happily choose you over him?” Apo crossed his winged arms over his chest as he coiled his serpentine body under himself to perch before Asya.

Asya glared over the lid of the chest at Apo. “Really? You actually think they’ll side with me? The unwanted runt who was nearly killed for simply coming out as a woman, who then had the entire Lord’s Hand hunt me down the day I left, and killed those who helped me? Really, Apo?! Tell me something, then… If they truly did support me after all this time, then tell me right now that there isn’t a decomposed body being hung on display on the outskirts of that same city my entire first family were slaughtered in. Tell me that they finally buried the only mortal man who ever made me feel loved and helped me escape this hellish kingdom…. Only then will I finally believe you, that the people of this kingdom have truly changed and will willingly betray the crown for me.”

Apo dared to only look briefly to the horizon, before he muttered a soft, “I don’t know… I cannot smell him.”

“Exactly… Only his bones are surely still there. The rest of the Dunefarers were at least burned at the pyre for aiding in my escape. They were given mercy, Apo… He gave them mercy for daring to aid the runt of a child he wanted dead. And I still remember the laughter of the Lord’s Hand members, those damned humans who swore such eager loyalty to him and only him… I remember them laughing as they hunted Bori down… And I could only watch from the drifting ship as he was gutted alive and… Apo, I can’t. I can’t face him again, after what he did to Bori… To the one man I felt safe enough to consider being my Dad, when…. My own blood father killed him, Apo!! Just for helping me and giving me the family I yearned for in that accursed desert!!,”

A hiccup caught in her throat as Asya gripped the sides of the chest with one hand, the other tightly holding onto the red cloth parcel she was looking for, shakily pulling it out to reveal the blood splatters of that day still staining the fabric. Sobbing into the parcel, Apo leaned down to nuzzle his snout against Asya’s shoulder.

“And you’re telling me… I have to see him again, after what he did to me and the Dunefarers? To Bori?”

“Someone has to stand up to him, before he begins his crusade to the north,” Apo whispered as he wrapped his wings around his ward, swaddling her in feathers of harmless fire. “Kamaria would never have sent that letter if her vision wasn’t true. That same vision is surely how the old Seer figured out where to send it in order for it to reach us on time. How else could she have known when none from our old home knows our whereabouts?”

“That… That’s Kamaria for you. Always the first to know what to do in any situation. She’s the Elder Seer for a reason, after all.” Asya sniffled, her grip on the parcel finally loosened to allow her to unwrap it and reveal the gold and leather armour within.

“So then, if you don’t believe me or that Heron fellow that you are ready to do this, then will you at least believe in old ‘Maria? She’s seen an empire rise and fall before, remember? She was there when your forefather, my grandson, took the throne and emerged in fire as her new Dragon Lord. She was there to serve his heir as the first Seer and formed the Mwonaji Council of other Dragonkin Seers. That old hag is the strongest ally we have, and who is luckily hidden on the inside. She knows what you’re capable of… And what your father will do if you don’t stop him.”

“… And what if I have to kill him?” Asya’s thumb brushed over the old bloodstain on her aged armour as Apo’s fiery form shrunk down to the size of a large dog to meet her gaze.

“Then you’ll have an army. Not just on this ship… but along the path to the capital. You are not the first nor only noble of Alunnui’s bloodline to have been born in the wrong body. Your great grandmother was born a male too. And yet she was more than able to carry and deliver your grandfather and his brother. Just as how you delivered Sira. That alone is proof that your father is an idiot for thinking that only a man deserves the crown.”

“But others follow his sexist logic, Apo… Others will try to stop me from doing this.  What if they outnumber those who wish to see my father step down? What if no one wants me in his place?”

“Tell the crew your story… They will be your voice to convince the people of why he must be stopped.”

“But what if they-”

“They have known you for twenty of their mortal years. And while you may hide it, Asya… The closer we’ve gotten to the border, the stronger you’ve become. Your connection to our homeland’s magic is growing stronger, and your once stunted appearance has finally changed. You’re not the same person you were when you left these lands, or when you first stepped onto this ship… These people got to know you as you grew, in both power and through gaining a family. One look at the real you and upon hearing your story of why you left… It will be enough. If you cannot trust in yourself to convince them… Trust me. They deserve to hear the full story.”

“About my ancestor… or about you?” Asya chuckled softly as she dried her eyes and closed the chest, allowing Apo to use his tail to wrap around it and carry it behind him as he slithered over to the mast.

“Why not the both of us? Not many know the tale of the Burning Prince… or why I am bound to your soul. So… why not tell them everything? And show them why you need their help to stop running from what you fear most. After all… You said it yourself. You’re done running… Aren’t you?”

“I am. And I’m tired of hiding it all. I came out once before… It couldn’t hurt to do it again, right?,” Pulling the ruby out of her pocket, Asya looked at it within her palm before looking back up at Apo. “…I’m done hiding from him and from everyone. It ends now.”

Closing her eyes with a heavy sigh, Asya hugged the wrapped armour close to her chest, and with one more look to her fist, she crushed the gem into tiny shards, each one that fell from her opened hand vanishing as they turned into red sand that blew away in the wind before they could hit the wooden floor. The orange glittery magic swirled like a sandstorm around her, rising up from the soles of her boots to the top of her head before it too blew away with the wind, towards the sun high above. As Apo’s form returned to its full size to allow him to hide the chest within the crow’s nest once again, he looked down from above her with a proud smile.

“And there she is… A blessing of the sun itself. Orange suits you, my dear~ So… What’s the plan?”

“I’m not sure yet, but… I think I might change before they arrive. These heels are killing me.”

Apo chuckled as he lowered his tail to her, allowing Asya to sit down on it and lift her up into the crow’s nest, a flash of orange scales appearing under her dress as a tail wrapped around Apo’s own.

~*~

“Seventy-seven… Seventy-eight… Has anyone seen Solclave? I thought he came up here with Elbent?”

“He’s coming up in a sec, Blue! He’s just busy with something,” Elbent called out, as she waved Verglaust over to join her side. “Over here, hun! Is Kevin and Bryn’ with you? Did either of them find Asya yet?”

“Kevin’s fetching the kids right now, and Bryn’ is helping him with that. They’ll be here soon,” Verglaust assured, peering over the massive crowd now gathered on the deck. “But no, they’ve been too busy to look for Asya. But I doubt we need to, since she’s the one who asked Blue to bring us here. He said she had something to tell everyone, about why we’re in Joka Ardhi.”

“Oh, good. As long as she’s… Wait, you don’t think this is about… that, do you?” Elbent gripped onto Verglaust’s arm as she looked up at him.

“We’ll have to wait and see what she says. But I have a bad feeling it might be that.”

As Verglaust turned his attention back on the crowd, he spotted the two half-giants, Brynjolf and Solclave, coming through the door, with Kevin and five children in tow. But just as he waved them over to reunite the family amongst the hoard of crewmembers, a flash of red zipped down the mast from the crow’s nest and landed on the quarter deck above the crowd.

Standing before the entire crew of the Immortal Sun was a warrior wrapped in red fabric that hid her face in a hood, which continued as a drape that wrapped from over her right shoulder and around her chest under a golden half plate of armour shaped as an under-bust corset, leaving her ebony shoulders exposed. From her elbows to her hands, bright orange scales formed a natural armour for her exposed arms, armed with lethal claws for hands that rested upon her pleated skirt of dark brown leather strips, woven with leather string on top of the underskirt of more red fabric that peeked out under the leather to reach her knees, all held together by a belt of cheetah skin and braided red fabric, on top of a tan coloured strip of leather that formed the large belt around the entirety of her stomach and waist. As she made her way to the stairs towards the deck, her bare digitigrade legs were finally revealed to also have orange scales below the knee, leading down to talon bearing paws for feet that made no sound whatsoever as she stepped onto the usually creaking wood of the stairs and stopped halfway to stay in everyone’s line of sight, a long tail of orange scales and black fur covering the tip revealing itself as it curled around her leg.

“Thank you for coming, everyone. I know you all have questions, and they will be answered soon,” The warrior spoke, revealing herself by voice alone to be the Dragonkin.

Pulling down her hood, Asya looked down at the crowd with bright aquamarine, draconic slit eyes, her pointed ears now long enough to reach past her head behind her, and long, curved horns of charcoal black peeked through her tied back dreadlocks and grew above her head slightly before they swooped towards the back into sharp, curved tips, the rings along the horns glimmering like polished crystals that glowed in the colours and red veins akin to volcanic magma. Stopping at the middle step along the short flight of stairs, Asya spoke once more to the entire crew.

“In order to answer at least some of them, I wish to tell you about this kingdom we’re in… About the history of Joka Ardhi. Apo… Would you mind starting us off?”

Closing her eyes, Asya’s head suddenly twitched to the side with a soft crack of her neck, but instead of her blue gaze greeting the crowd, golden eyes that glowed with power and pride narrowed with mischief, as a grin formed to flash sharp fangs in a playful smile and a masculine voice purred from Asya’s lips, as Apo spoke to the crowd.

“Certainly, my dear~”

With a snap of his fingers, Apo brought the lanterns around the entire deck to life with red flames that casted long dark shadows over the deck, startling many of the crewmates as they huddled to one side of the deck, as the fires sputtered and grew brighter within their glass lantern prisons. The midday sun seemed to nearly dull as darkness covered the deck like a tent roof, and from the shadows rose silhouettes outlined by the fires… Silhouettes of dragons soaring through the air.

“Three thousand years ago, dragons ruled the world. They were, however, found to be the most plentiful in the south, where no humans or mortals lived due to the harsh sun and the shifting sands. So, the south gained its name from the main inhabitants of the land… For to this day, it is still known as the Dragon Lands, merely called so in a different tongue. You know it to today… as Joka Ardhi.”

The shadows changed as Apo stepped onto the deck, the light swirling behind him to reveal his true shadow, that of a giant serpentine dragon. As he turned to face the crowd, his eyes in the shadow glowed gold behind him, but around his neck shone the reflections of ruby shards in the shape of a crescent. Beside his shadow were two wyverns, both bearing blue eyes just like Asya’s.

“Three thousand years ago… I ruled the Dragon Lands as their Lord. My reign was supreme in every continent for no dragon could best me in battle, but my seat of power was here in the south. I ruled with my Alpha and wife, Jua… and our many children, including my eldest daughter, Princess Citrine. She was to be my heir, to become Dragon Queen of the skies, the seas and the lands across the world. Then, one day… The first humans arrived.”

His shadow changed as Apo paced to the left, now revealing him sitting like a regal sphinx facing a group of humans that bowed on one knee to him, a large fleet of ships behind them.

“They came from the far north, even farther than the shores of Primus or Unicron. They told me that day that they came to my domain in search of a home, for a place they could begin a new life and to build a culture of their own. I granted them the right of shelter and aided in building their first settlement, and for a time… there was peace. They respected our laws and culture, and in turn we learned about the beauty of humanity, our ability to shapeshift in order to appear like them and walk in their shoes for a time, and the advancements one generation could craft in such a short lifespan. By the time my daughter was in her adult years, the settlement had become a vast village and they were already spreading out to create more for their ever growing numbers. But with such rapid growth and pride in one’s growing strength… came humanity’s true form of hubris.”

The fires dimmed as the shadows changed once more, revealing a cave where Apo and the two wyverns slept around a nest of eggs. Apo’s fist clenched at his side as he spoke with a growl to his voice.

“I…. Rrrrgghhh…. I was nearing the day where I would give my mantle of Dragon Lord to my daughter, for she had already started a family and had asked me to be their guardian in my retirement. I was happy… so happy… to settle down and see my family grow. One night, my den was invaded by humans… seeking something they once swore loyalty to, but now sought to have for themselves.”

The fires suddenly rose into a bright blaze to reveal the humans wielding spears and swords at the mouth of the cave, many of whom had already plunged them into the two wyverns, while others stormed through the nest, breaking the eggs and spilling their precious yolks. The humans that surrounded Apo’s shadow plunged their spears into his neck, ripping off the collar of rubies he wore and frantically started pulling them off the collar.

“They called themselves the Founders, for they deemed their half of humanity as the true inhabitants of the kingdom, and none should dare oppose their right to rule their own kind. So… they took my mantle and crown and killed my family before my very eyes. And with my dying breath, I swore to them that the kingdom of mankind would fall, for the sands have always been home to the dragons, and we do not die that easily. I remember only their laughter at my words… before a spear was plunged between my eyes.”

Darkness then fell over the entire ship, as the wind blew harshly over them all, bringing a chill to their spines as somewhere within the breeze… distant war cries echoed, the clashing of swords and the roar of dragons boomed far off into the distance.

“And so began the Founder’s War… A battle for the right to own the kingdom of the sands… But for my people, it was a battle for survival of the species. A war against humanity’s desire for our extermination. We were once called Titans by them… but now they deemed us pests, monsters… mere beasts. However… during the twelve-year conflict, a miracle happened.”

Out from beside Apo, a new shadow dragon rose, glowing red with blue eyes just like Jua and Citrine’s, with a single ruby shard upon his neck. Beside him… a female human that held his raised claw and looked up at him with awe and adoration.

“My youngest son, Prince Rhodon, led my kind against the human Founders in the war, making him the last true Dragon Lord for a time. However, during the war… He fell in love. With a human of all things, but the human was a leader too. Her name… was Seraphina, and she led a resistance of other humans that saw the dragons as equals, and as such did everything they could to persuade their own species to stop the crusade. In fact, because of their secret union, many other dragons fell for humans too and just like my son and his forbidden bride, they hid their love from the world and used it as motivation to stop the war for good. But… the humans had lived on our lands long enough to learn magic, especially our kind of magic… Fire. And while we used fire as both our weapon and lifeforce, we also used it as our leverage to keep our numbers alive… We had Soulfire. White flames made from the very essence of our souls, we could use it to bring someone from within death’s grip back to life, in exchange for a piece of our soul. A life for a life, something we rarely did only when absolutely necessary. And somehow… Humans learned about our secret and managed to find a way to create its exact opposite. By human hand alone, they made the most forbidden form of magic to this day… Grimfire or, what my people called it back then… Blackfire.”

The shadow of a battlefield soon appeared across the deck, with dragon roars and clashing swords growing louder all around the crew as dragons and human warriors clashed claw and weapon over and over again. From beside Apo, three humans adorned with mage robes towered over the battlefield like spires, the one in the middle holding his hands cupped together and a sinister grin grew under his hood. The flames from within two of the lanterns suddenly jumped out of their glass prisons and into the hands of the mage, the fire gathering into a wild and angry blaze that darkened in colour, until it became black with a purple core and outline and brought an unnatural chill to the crew who stood near it. All three human mages laughed as they released the purple flames… only to join in the chorus of blood-curdling screams and screeches alike as both the mages, the dragons and every single shadow on the battlefield was engulfed by the black fire, the deadly flames spreading over their flesh and turning them instantly into skeletons. One such shadow from the battlefield, a large wyvern, jumped out of the flat shadow world and became a solid 3D figure of green flames that flew around the ship and screeched in fear as the black flames gained tendrils and lashed out at the green life-sized dragon. The black fire leapt out and caught the dragon’s tail, turning its green fire into yellow bone shaped flames as the black flames devoured its flesh like burning paper, causing the green wyvern to screech and roar in agony as it crashed next to the ship but it did not touch the surface of the water. More roars suddenly accompanied it as more and more coloured fire-formed dragons began to appear and drop from the sky onto the sea, right where the rocks were all around the ship.

Apo raised his arms and slowly with his movement, the flames dwindled down to take back the darkness and allow the midday sun to shine through his veil of theatrical darkness… Revealing the giant rocks and small islands all around to be covered in weathered bones of dragons, the closest one being a wyvern skeleton with its lower half missing, its head and wings spread across a rock as it struggled in its final moments to climb onto it, its claws dug into the rock to escape its demise with its maw open wide from its final screech. As Apo raised the veil of shadows once more, hushed gasps and murmurs came over the crew, with Elbent looking towards Apo with eyes full of worry and sorrow. Giving her a simple solemn nod, he continued his tale of the past.

“The Blackfire wiped out every single dragon and human Founder across the battlefield, and then upon every fleeing dragon. After twelve years, the humans won as they became the sole survivors of the Blackfire Siege. In turn… the corpses of my kind that fell in battle and died from the Blackfire on land became the reason why the sands turned red and remain so to this day. But… not everything died by the Blackfire in that final battlefield.”

The red flames brought back the shadows of the battlefield, now littered with skeletons and fallen weapons across the sand. Through the field of bones, two humans made their way into the battlefield, as though searching for something. Through the heavy silence came a whisper of a sound, a sound even the shadowed humans could hear as they looked around in a panic. Through the breeze and the chill of death��. Came the cry of a baby.

“There were survivors found that day that weren’t human… But neither were they dragons. And the first of their kind is the reason why I know all this. For I saw the end through his eyes.”

The scene zoomed in on the humans as they reached the bones of a massive amphiptere dragon, just like Apo, and within his wings was the skeleton of a human. And there, within the shelter of the wings and the huddled embrace of the human… was a baby bawling at the top of his lungs, bearing a black burn scar over the side of his entire face and left arm. A baby with tiny nubby horns, red scales that shone like crystals over his healthy arm and legs, with tiny claws for feet.

“Rhodon and Seraphina had a son… And during the final battle, they attempted to flee to save their family so that they could fight another day. When the Blackfire came… they did as any parent would and protected their son with all their love and sacrificed themselves to save him. Rhodon’s last breath… was a breath of Soulfire for his son. That was the day I awoke and saw the world through the eyes of my grandson… trapped and weak within his soul. All I could do was watch as the allies of Seraphina came and rescued the child. A child they knew the name of from their leader’s loving speeches on how she would cherish the child for a better future.”

He paused to sigh as the shadows swirled and the fires brightened to cast one long shadow onto the deck… before it came forth as an illusion of a man, a Dragonkin with long horns, clawed digitigrade feet and an air of royalty on his rugged and determined face… A face and overall appearance that was just like Asya in every way. The same horns, hair, height, face… Identical in every way but gendered appearance, golden eyes like his grandfather Apo, and the scar across his face and over his entire left arm.

“A child she and my son named… Alunnui. He grew up in the care of the human rebels, as they rescued other hybrids like him and hid them in the underground caves my kind once called our home. His kind, the first of the Dragonkin, all grew up together in hiding, for the humans grew confident and in their pride they built the first cities that still stand to this day in the kingdom before you all. And in his years of living in secrecy, Alunnui was told tales of my reign, of how his father and kindred fell to the humans, and how he and his own secret kindred were the last to bear dragon blood. The stories became inspiration… then motivation, as he reached adulthood. Thus, he began to plan… To build… To prepare.”

Behind the shadow of Alunnui, an army of Dragonkin bowed to him, with one handing him a spear covered in colourful beads, feathers and dragon scales.

“With the Prince’s Spear in hand, Alunnui and the Dragonkin marched to the capital and for the first time since the Founder’s War ended, they exposed themselves to the human world and began their attack. I still remember his words that day, when he stood before the gates and spoke to the king that bore my crown…”

The shadows warped behind Alunnui as he faced towering stone gates, the army of Dragonkin behind him on the deck floor. With a powerful slam of his spear, Apo spoke as Alunnui moved his lips to his words to speak to the shadow of a human in a crown on the walkway above the gate.

“Mortal king of the sands, I speak only to you! Your father and his people have slaughtered my kind, and you now stand on a kingdom forever stained in the blood of my ancestors. Hear me, false king, for I stand before you now as the survivor of my people’s royal bloodline, and so I speak as one royal to another… Give back the land that belonged to the Dragons, to whom you once called your neighbour and friend, or my kindred and I will take your cities and reclaim what is ours by birthright! Deny us our right to our own lands and crown, and your kingdom shall fall and burn with you in it! What say you, thief?”

The shadow of the human king laughed soundlessly, before Apo responded for him.

“You ghastly beasts have fallen once before by human hand! If you truly believe I owe you anything, then I shall happily remind you of how your father and his kind fell.”

With a soundless yell accompanied by the roar of flames from his body, Alunnui charged through the gates and lay siege onto the kingdom of shadows, as Apo continued his narration.

“The Dragonkin attacked the capital city of Oasis in a wave of fire and bloodshed… For when night fell, the palace erupted into a tower of flames, where the king fell and the crownless prince emerged before his people, of both human and Dragonkin alike… Where he donned the moniker of the Burning Prince and the first Dragon Lord of his kind. This night became the historical event known to both humans and Dragonkin… as the Night of Crowning Fire.”

The shadows formed a door that suddenly burst into red and orange flames that did not burn the ship, and with a gust of hot air the doors flew open to reveal Alunnui walking through the fire that did him no harm as the humans behind him fell to their death by the scorching flames. The crowd of shadow Dragonkin and humans all watched in awe and horror as Alunnui stepped out of the palace doors and raised a blood covered crown that burned with flames from his arm, a motion that sent every shadow witness to their knees as they bowed to their Dragon Lord.

The shadowy veil then vanished, and the flames from the lanterns went out, giving back the light of day across the ship as Apo stood before the crowd of crewmates and bowed his head. Upon rising back up, blue eyes met the crowd as Asya gained her voice and body back and spoke with her arms behind her back.

“On that day, a new monarchy took hold as old grudges and fears were whittled out, in respect for the history our people shared. Humans and Dragonkin became one civilization… the Jokani. In turn, the Jokani prospered under the rule of the new emperor, Dragon Lord Alunnui, who then sired an heir and began the Ruby Bloodline.”

Summoning orange fire in her palm, Asya created a new illusion in front of her, with each name she called out revealing a Dragonkin, each bearing a crown like the one Alunnui held.

“Dragon Lord Bakari, son of the Burning Prince and Queen Consort Noxolo…

Dragon Lord Mzuri, son of Lord Bakari the Kind and his King Consorts Amri and Shani…

Dragon Queen Citrine the Second, daughter of Lord Mzuri and Priestess Zahara, founder of the Nyotan religion and the Evenstar Church…

Dragon Lord Alhaadi, eldest son of Citrine the Second and King Consort Lauzel…

Dragon Lord heir apparent Amani, eldest son of Alhaadi the Wise and Queen Consort Lulana, who died before he could take the crown and was succeeded by the second eldest of the three children…

Dragon Lord Jhamal and Queen Consort Gasira Mutheru…”

Stepping through the fiery illusion to make it disappear, Asya stood before the entire crew as she raised her head high and spoke louder than before, only this time tears began to form as she struggled to hold back her sobs.

“Prince… A-Andres, son… o-of Lord Jhamal and Queen Consort Gasira. B-But I do not go by that name anymore! Not since I was exiled by my father for coming out as a woman. For I… I am Princess Asya Zahara O-Murchadha-Mutheru of Joka Ardhi, bearer of the Ruby Bloodline, descendant of the Burning Prince, and the next in line to the Throne of Crimson Sands. And I… I brought us here so that I could ask for your help. My father, Jhamal, intends to invade the north and claim Primus, Unicron and every kingdom beyond here as his domain. But I… I cannot allow that to happen. For my father is also known by many as Jhamal the Tyrant, and he earned that name through his cruelty, for neglecting his queen and letting her die alone with their only child f-from a… a mere, curable fever, for draining this land of its once peaceful and prosperous wealth and wellbeing, and for slaughtering the innocent for merely helping me escape his cruelty many years ago. He has been nothing but a heartless and bloodthirsty monster my whole life, and now he is set on claiming the rest of the world as his plaything. I… I can’t let him do this,”

Quickly turning away to dry her eyes, Asya spoke much more softly as her voice struggled to come out between her sobs and hiccups.

“I… I cannot stay hidden any longer and allow this to happen. And so… I come to you all to ask you only one thing… For should you agree, I cannot guarantee your safety the moment we cross into Jokani territory. And should we succeed in my plan… I might not come back here, onto this ship, ever again. For my plan is simply this… I must go back to my homeland, to the palace in the capital city of Oasis, and face my father in battle for the right to reclaim the throne. Should I succeed and overthrow him, I will become the new Dragon Queen and empress of Joka Ardhi. So, I will need everyone’s help in ensuring the safety of the Jokani people, to keep them away from the battle between me and my father, but should I fail… I will need every one of you to try and kill him in my stead.

“So… Now that you know what lies ahead, I fully understand if any of you do not wish to do this, and why I will allow you this one chance to step away and be safe here on the ship. But for those of you who wish to help me save my home and to fight with me to take down my father…,”

Putting out her hand, Asya offered it with tears now rolling down her cheeks towards the crowd as she weakly smiled and looked around to the crew of the Immortal Sun. “… Will you fight beside me and help me reclaim the Throne of Crimson Sands, for the freedom of this and all kingdoms across the world?”

[sanguinarysanguinity]

Expanding a thought from a conversation this morning:

In general, I think "Is X out-of-character?" is not a terribly useful question for a writer. It shuts down possibility, and interesting directions you could take a character.

A better question, I believe, is "What would it take for Character to do X?" What extremity would she find herself in, where X starts to look like a good idea? What loyalties or fears leave him with X as his only option? THAT'S where a potentially interesting story lies.

In practice, I find that you can often justify much more from a character than you initially dreamed you could: some of my best stories come from "What might drive Character to do [thing he would never do]?" As long as you make it clear to the reader what the hell pushed your character to this point, you've got the seed of a compelling story on your hands.

[inkskinned]

this is just my opinion but i think any good media needs obsession behind it. it needs passion, the kind of passion that's no longer "gentle scented candle" and is now "oh shit the house caught on fire". it needs a creator that's biting the floorboards and gnawing the story off their skin. creators are supposed to be wild animals. they are supposed to want to tell a story with the ferocity of eating a good stone fruit while standing over the sink. the same protective, strange instinct as being 7 and making mud potions in pink teacups: you gotta get weird with it.

good media needs unhinged, googling-at-midnight kind of energy. it needs "what kind of seams are invented on this planet" energy and "im just gonna trust the audience to roll with me about this" energy. it needs one person (at least) screaming into the void with so much drive and energy that it forces the story to be real.

sometimes people are baffled when fanfic has some stunning jaw-dropping tattoo-it-on-you lines. and i'm like - well, i don't go here, but that makes sense to me. of fucking course people who have this amount of passion are going to create something good. they moved from a place of genuine love and enjoyment.

so yeah, duh! saturday cartoons have banger lines. random street art is sometimes the most precious heart-wrenching shit you've ever seen. someone singing on tiktok ends up creating your next favorite song. youtubers are giving us 5 hours of carefully researched content. all of this is the impossible equation to latestage capitalism. like, you can't force something to be good. AI cannot make it good. no amount of focus-group testing or market research. what makes a story worth listening to is that someone cares so much about telling it - through dance, art, music, whatever it takes - that they are just a little unhinged about it.

one time my friend told me he stayed up all night researching how many ways there are to peel an orange. he wrote me a poem that made me cry on public transportation. the love came through it like pith, you know? the words all came apart in my hands. it tasted like breakfast.

[chiptrillino-art]

something stranger and more wonderful

(ID in ALT text)

my art for @faux-fires (ao3 Link) fic "something stranger and more wonderful"

beta red by @ranilla-bean (ao3 Link) for this years @zukkabigbang2024 event. its truly a beautiful fic. Keeping you on your toes while reading. making you worry about sokka exposed to the whims of nature and zuko, all alone.

big thank you to reikah and rana for all the handholding during this project! And stoping me form overthinking details.

[bunnyyyuu]

includes: f! reader, aged up! megumi, breeding, short, pregnancy mentioned

megumi is obsessed with cumming inside you.

don't even bring up condoms to him. he’ll shoot you the dirtiest glares.

he can't help it, it's just human nature. it's only natural that he wants to fill you up, wants to finger his cum back into your leaking hole. what's so wrong with that?

he seriously can't cum without being inside you anymore. jacking off isn't even an option. he’s calling you the second he's hard. he needs to have his seed filling your womb, not wasted on his hand. that's how it should be.

you know better than to say anything about pulling out to megumi by now. he's slamming harder into you when he gets close, in fact. his tip rams against your cervix over and over again as his eyes roll back into his skull.

“fuck,” he groans, “gonna—ha—gonna fill you up real good,” he says breathlessly.

he brings a hand to cup your tummy, calloused fingers holding you so gently in contrast to how hard he’s fucking you. he watches the bulge of his cock in your stomach appear and disappear with each harsh thrust and suddenly you feel it.

white, hot, and sticky. it fills up your womb, his tip pushed so so deep inside you as he cums. he squeezes the fat of your stomach just a little tighter as he finishes in you.

thank god for birth control is always your first thought.

on the other hand, megumi is dreaming of the day you'll be getting pregnant.

[llamahearted]

two people will go through similar things & learn to cope in different ways

print ♥︎ song

[hay-bails]

went kind of bonkers this afternoon

[teddybeartoji]

18+ mdni; gn!reader

thinking about roomie!suguru, who steps out of the bathroom with just a towel hanging loosely around his waist. it's dangerously low and his happy trail is... leading your eyes to a forbidden place. water droplets cascade down his temple and his neck, his scarred chest and his toned muscles.

he finishes drying his hair with another, smaller towel before slinging it over his shoulder. he gives you a warm smile. there's still a bit of sleep in his tired eyes but he looks fresh, he looks good.

(he looks more than good.)

the morning light shines in through the small window of your shared kitchen and he hums at the smell of coffee. you're an angel leaning on the counter, hands busy with preparing your drink as he steps inside.

he chuckles. he asked you a question but you didn't hear it. he smells so fucking good; the smell of his shampoo and his fancy conditioner wash over your senses and it's easy to forget where you are. his eyes flick behind you before walking over to you with a smug little grin.

he bores his sharp purple eyes into yours – he loves how you react to him. he doesn't shy away from it, he's cockier than he looks. he loves the attention, he loves to be in your spotlight. he wouldn't care so much if you were a stranger, if you were a random person on the street ogling away, ut you're neither of those things, are you? no, you're something else.

he exudes warmth as he towers over you, his head tilted down to keep his eyes on you. he wants to play with you a little – he loves the way you're staring up at him right now. eyes big and wide, lip tucked under between your teeth. he's good with people, he can read them like a book and you're no different. he sees you swallow a dry lump, he sees you grace him with a flustered smile as you try to brush by the fact that he caught you admiring him red handed. he sees the way you're taking deeper breaths than normal, surely just to keep your composure. he can't wait to break you.

his arm reaches behind you to turn off the coffee machine with a small click.

"wouldn't wanna make a mess this early in the morning, now would we?"

melting. crumbling. falling down to your knees. you hate how much he teases (you love it), you hate how patronizing he sounds (it's hot). he's the only one that can get away with it – a charming smile that hides his deepest desires of sinking his teeth into little lambs like you, soft eyes that hide the need to watch them unfold before him.

his gentle hands long to hold, long to keep and covet. he thinks about you a lot; your shared mornings and afternoons, your exhausted naps and bitter rants about your days. shy gazes and lingering touches, stupid jokes and the cute little hidden sounds he keeps hearing from your room in the late hours. he's being patient, he's warming you up.

he's just as infatuated with you as you are with him. he's just more subtle with it.

or is he?

because you've heard him, too.

you don't know whether he's doing it unknowingly or he's actually trying to make you go insane – whichever it is, you are ready to bend at his will. soft groans accompanied by a steady slick pump; you didn't mean to listen in. you just wanted to make sure he's okay!

ear against the wooden door, you listened to him think about you. your name was on the tip of his tongue, but it was too early for that. he wants to smear you with his honey, he wants to drag you in but he needs to wait for it. this is perfect.

he did know you're were there.

he heard the floor creak, he heard the cutest gasp that left your pretty lips. fuck, you're perfect. his head was lolled back as he stroked himself to the thought of your wide, doe-eyes. how flustered you'd be, how flustered you were in that very moment. he imagined your trembling hands and your stuttered words and his dick twitched in his palm.

he thought about inviting you in and just making him watch as a form of punishment, for being a little pervert. he shuddered out a laugh and watched a glob of pre-cum cover his own fingers before mixing with the saliva and spit that's covering him already. he thought about making you sit between his legs so he could jerk off right in front of your beautiful face, he thought about your wobbly lips, your teary eyes. the way your thighs would press together.

your fingers would itch and twitch and he'd make you place them on your legs. he wouldn't want you to touch. yet. maybe he'd make you apologize and maybe he'd make you kiss the tip. he thought about how good you'd smell, how good you'd taste. another raspy groan crawled up his throat and you were about to cum untouched behind his door. like a creep.

he loves it. he's proud of you, he wants to push you even further. he wants to see what else he can make you do. this is exciting and he can't wait to devour you whole as a reward after he's done bullying himself into your body and your mind. utterly loved and corrupted—

— you're meant for him.

[tarvek-sturmvoraus]

bats: tim are you going to tell us anything you did while searching for bruce tim: not unless everyone gets real cool about a bunch of stuff really quickly

[pretend-theres-a-name-here]

Little thing I wrote while procrastinating writing part 5 of Hide Your Heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve Harrington who knows his kid brother is obsessed with some niche, up and coming metal band. Steve Harrington who groans and grumbles and carries on about having to drive him around to shows and listen to him nerding out but does it anyway. Steve Harrington who doesn’t really pay attention because the lights on the stage are too bright and drown out whoever’s playing. Steve Harrington who is currently wading through a crowd making their way to the door, going against the current and stumbling as he searches for the mop of hair he promised to get home.

“Henderson!” He cups his hands around his mouth, “Where is that kid?” 

He finds himself pushed to the outskirts of the mass of bodies, plastered to a wall but he still pitches forward when a particularly rowdy young woman rams into him. He thinks he’s going to go all the way to the floor when a hand snags his elbow, holding him up. He turns to rush out an apology, a few thanks for the save, but stops before he can get the words out because holy shit the guy is gorgeous.

And Steve—well Steve has been doing some thinking about himself. About how most guys don’t have to mentally prepare themselves to go into the locker room after pe class. About how most guys don’t let their friends paint their nails pretty colors. Robin told him that there was this thing called being bisexual and he thought some things were clicking into place. So he’s gotten used to going out and noticing more than just girls, it’s not uncommon, but this guy is hot, like really hot. 

He’s dressed in leather pants and a cut off tank top that hangs around his sides. Tattoos, more doodles than actual designs, on full display for the world to see, running up his arms and peeking out from his ribs. His hair is in curly tangles, sweat sticking it to his forehead but he’s grinning. He has a jacket, leather, in his other hand. 

He’s also still holding on to Steve’s arm. Warm rings press into the inside of his elbow as he rights himself.

“First time?” The man asks.

“Y-yeah.” Steve gets out, “I’m supposed to be here with my brother, he’s a huge fan of some band playing here. Molded Coffin or something.”

The guy’s face breaks out into a full on smile, humor sparking in his eyes but Steve doesn’t know if what he said was that funny.

“Yeah? Where’s he at?” The guy still hasn’t let go, leading Steve away from the crowd and further into the room where there were less people.

“I’m actually looking for him now. Left him alone for five minutes to get a drink and he disappears.”

“You need help? These things can get a little crazy.” The man offers.

“You do this a lot?” Steve asks, immediately mentally face palming. He practically asked the guy if he came here often, he was going to think he was flirting. Was he?

The man just smiled, “You could say that. Eddie.” He finally released Steve’s arm in favor of holding out his hand. They shook hands and Steve told the man—Eddie—his name.

They talked for a while, Eddie got them drinks and Steve told himself that Dustin was old enough to behave himself for 15 minutes. Eddie kept an arm around his shoulders the whole time, shielding him from the chaos of the dwindling crowd was his excuse. Steve would have told him he didn’t need an excuse if that didn’t seem too forward.

 Eddie was just asking for his number when someone behind them called, “Ed! Quite flirting and get your ass over here! You’re helping us tear down this time!”

Eddie sighed, “Duty calls.” He scribbled something on to a napkin, patting it against Steve’s chest and backing away, “I’ll be waiting for yours, sweetheart.”

And Steve was either drunk or insane because he actually laughed at that. Laughed again when he looked at the napkin and saw numbers almost unreadable, a winking face below them.

“Steve! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you—What’s that?” Dustin’s tone went from annoyed to prying as soon as he saw the napkin.

“None of your business.” He stuffed the napkin in his pocket, “Are you ready to go or what, kid, I’ve been waiting forever.” He poked Dustin’s shoulder until he got moving and then he poked it again when Dustin scowled at him.

In the car he was once again subjected to Dustin’s after show rant about how cool it was. The guitarist apparently broke two strings and flipped the crowd off with his bloody fingers—which they went wild for, which Dustin screeched along with them for. They played a new song, but it all sounded the same to Steve. That was as much as he heard, though, his mind kept wandering back to the man after the show. To the number in his pocket. He debated putting it to use, was the next day too soon? How long was too long until Eddie forgot about him? A guy like that probably had a mountain of napkins with numbers thrown at him every day. He decided to get over himself and call late the next day. 

“Hi, this is Steve.” He suddenly felt very silly for calling but it was too late now.

“Steve, pretty boy from the show last night Steve?” And just like that he forgot why he hesitated to call.

“That would be me.” He cringed, “No, wait, that sounds so self centered.”

“Not self centered if it’s a compliment.” Eddie argued.

“If you say so.”

They talked, got 10 whole minutes of random conversations Steve never wanted to end before Eddie cursed.

“I’m sorry, I promised my uncle I’d help at the shop.” He muttered, “I’m gonna be late.”

“That’s fine, you should go help him.”

“I’ll call you later?” Eddie asked, and if Steve didn’t know any better he’d say it sounded hopeful.

“I’ll be here later.” He responded. 

They called all the time after that, whenever they were both free. They even met up in person, it was just to the park because Eddie found out Steve had never fed ducks before, but it ended with another day scheduled to spend together and then another and then a month had passed and he could say they were officially dating. It was the best time Steve had had in a long time and he really didn’t want it to end. The realization came to him one night, after another day with Eddie, and it wasn’t as shocking as he thought it would be. It was a Friday night, Eddie was busy most Saturdays—something about going to shows with the guys—so a lot of their slow nights were Fridays. They were watching TV on the couch in Eddie’s trailer, which was quickly becoming Steve’s favorite place, when he found himself watching the way Eddie laughed and even jumped at whatever horror movie was on more than he was watching the movie itself. 

“I love you.” He whispered. 

Eddie’s head whipped around, eyes wide, movie forgotten, “I love you too!” And then Steve couldn’t be blamed for not watching the movie anymore when he was practically tackled to the couch, laughing the whole way down.

It was a month after that night that he was steeling himself outside of his front door.

“It’ll be fine.” He said to himself, “They’re going to love you.” He said to Eddie who was gripping his hand.

“It’ll be fine.” Eddie agreed and he almost sounded convinced.

Today was the one day that everyone could gather at Steve’s. The whole party had shown up, everyone he had folded into his makeshift family was in his living room waiting for him to get back with the new partner he told them he was introducing. Today was the day they decided to tell people about them.

Steve pushed the door open, taking a deep breath before leading Eddie to the living room. All of his friends sat scattered around the room. On the couch and floor and coffee table. He could do this.

“Uh. Hey.” He cleared his throat, “I’m back.” All eyes snapped to him, eager to know who this mystery person was.

Eddie tried for an awkward wave but their hands were still connected so they just shook between them.

The silence was getting unbearable until finally Robin shot up from the floor and tackled him in a hug, subsequently dragging Eddie along into it.

“I’m so happy for you, dingus.” She laughed as she pulled away, “Robin.” She stuck her hand out to Eddie who visibly relaxed, “Best friend, platonic soulmate, hurt him and I swear to god you’ll wake up with no kneecaps.”

“Eddie.” Eddie squeaked, shaking her hand hastily.

“Bobbin.” Steve only called her that when she was being particularly over the top because it annoyed her to no end and she knew this, “Tone it down, would you?”

The rest of the group chorused their hellos and introductions and a weight lifted off of Steve’s shoulders at the sight of all of his friends accepting the news without comment. Until he realized there was only one person who hadn’t spoken a word, standing in the middle of the room with a strange look on his face.

“Dustin?” Steve prompted, voice strained.

“Oh my God.” Dustin mumbles in disbelief.

“Dustin…” Steve shot him a warning glance, “If you’ve got a problem with it—”

But Dustin ignores him, he’s staring at Eddie in shock, “Oh my God!” He practically shouts, coming to life to jump and screech, “That’s—! You’re—! You’re Eddie Munson!” 

Eddie grins, seemingly unfazed by this bizarre reaction to meeting your brother’s boyfriend, “I take it you’re a fan?”

“A fan of what?” Steve asks, pulling his hand out of Eddie’s to turn to him face to face.

At the same time, Dustin starts babbling hysterically, “A fan? Only the biggest CC fan in all of Hawkins! I have every song on vinyl, like three posters and—oh my god this is so embarrassing. Eddie Munson is in my house and I’m telling him I have his face on my wall.” 

He keeps talking but it’s more to himself than anyone else in the room so Steve raises an eyebrow at Eddie, “What’s he talking about? Why are you on posters and why does he have them?”

Eddie, for the first time since Steve has known him, looks almost sheepish, “Oh…I guess I’m kind of, maybe the frontman of Corroded Coffin.” He might be blushing.

“You’re that nerd Dustin’s always going on about?!” Steve exclaims.

[plistommy]

Steve takes Eddie’s virginity by riding the older boy after a long session of smoking and drinking inside the metalheads cramped van.

He’d praise Eddie on how good he’s making him feel, how big his dick is and how he’s so pretty under him that it makes Eddie moan loudly, strong hands roaming and squeezing the fat of Steve’s ass as he begs to fuck Steve harder.

”I need to fuck you, Steve- please, sweetheart-”

Steve would kiss him, sloppy and wet as he whines into Eddie’s mouth when the dick inside him hits just right.

When he pulls back, breathless, he picks up the pace and finally lets Eddie buck up to meet his thrusts.

Eddie would just look up at Steve, brown eyes wide and realize he’s so in love with the gorgeous boy on top of him and he never wants to let go. Never.

[benevolenterrancy]

hi!! I think your art is *so cool* o(≧∇≦o)

do you think you could draw more moshang? either post canon or that au you did last time?? (baby mobei has my heart and all I own)

(˵ •̀ ᴗ •́ ˵ ) oh! how about return to childhood—moshang flavor?

don't question this king, shang qinghua, he knows what he's about

[yuukirita]

look... I just miss drawing clothes :/ big pants are cool. though I'm more of a big jacket kind of guy (They have secret pockets, we all love pockets)

I'll expand on these designs- I made them in a rush.

and for those that saw my other human designs wondering what happened to Bee...

He's freaking SKINNY under that termo suit. They're the same- Kind of. I might change both anyway (Cliff does have meat on his bones tought- he's an athlete after all.

[inkskinned]

i love when words fit right. seize was always supposed to be that word, and so was jester. tuesday isn't quite right but thursday should be thursday, that's a good word for it. daisy has the perfect shape to it, almost like you're laughing when you say it; and tulip is correct most of the time. while keynote is fun to say, it's super wrong - i think they have to change the label for that one. but fox is spot-on.

most words are just, like, good enough, even if what they are describing is lovely. the night sky is a fine term for it but it isn't perfect the way november is the correct term for that month.

it's not just in english because in spanish the phrase eso si que es is correct, it should be that. sometimes other languages are also better than the english words, like how blue is sloped too far downwards but azul is perfect and hangs in the air like glitter. while butterfly is sweet, i think probably papillion is more correct, although for some butterflies féileacán is much better. year is fine but bliain is better. sometimes multiple languages got it right though, like how jueves and Πέμπτη are also the right names for thursday. maybe we as a species are just really good at naming thursdays.

and if we were really bored and had a moment and a picnic to split we could all sit down for a moment and sort out all the words that exist and find all the perfect words in every language. i would show you that while i like the word tree (it makes you smile to say it), i think arbor is correct. you could teach me from your language what words fit the right way, and that would be very exciting (exciting is not correct, it's just fine).

i think probably this is what was happening at the tower of babel, before the languages all got shifted across the world and smudged by the hand of god. by the way, hand isn't quite right, but i do like that the word god is only 3 letters, and that it is shaped like it is reflecting into itself, and that it kind of makes your mouth move into an echoing chapel when you cluck it. but the word god could also fit really well with a coathanger, and i can't explain that. i think donut has (weirdly) the same shape as a toothbrush, but we really got bagel right and i am really grateful for that.

grateful is close, but not like thunder. hopefully one day i am going to figure out how to shape the way i love my friends into a little ceramic (ceramic is very good, almost perfect) pot and when they hold it they can feel the weight of my care for them. they can put a plant in there. maybe a daisy.

[rapidhighway]

i made a guy who loves to POSSESS people. Licho it/its but also uses pronouns of people it possesses

[willowser]

you call the baby growing in your belly a multitude of things, like lovebug and gum drop and sprout. cute things, that remind you of how tiny it is and how full of joy you are, and the names don't stop even after you find out what you're having.

katsuki doesn't follow along—at first. every silly little term out of your mouth is only met with an arched brow and a small shake of his head, the occasional roll of his eyes and the even rarer uplift of the corner of his lips.

"he," katsuki always continues. "he ain't gonna care what color his room is, do whatever y'want."

there aren't many appointments he's able to make, something you think eats at him more than you. being involved with a pro hero requires all kinds of sacrifices and you both knew that before your relationship started—but facing the realities isn't always easy; it bothers him, in some deep, dark way he's not able to talk about. even with you.

it's hard to tell how he feels at the first one he comes along for: he stands, quietly, eyes glazed over and lingering on the grainy image of your ultrasound, unmoving. when two little feeties are made clear in the picture, he silently crosses his arms and raises a hand to pick at the skin of his bottom lip—a nervous habit, one that gives him something to do and that hides his face just a bit.

he doesn't say anything for a long time. not until you're out in the car with your pictures in hand, going over them in the passenger seat.

"sooooo," you prod, "what'd'ya think? he's kinda...blobby, huh?"

he casts you a lazy glance, comes alive with a slow inhale before holding his hand out for the photos. the one with the little feet sticks out to him and he snorts, the corner of his lip raising. "yeah," he murmurs, before turning his attention back to the road. "but he's just a little bean, ain't he?"