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fanfictionstuff · 1 month ago

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Amaimon X Reader Hanahaki Disease AU

@popinavarro asked what I thought about Amaimon with a reader having Hanahaki disease. But we didn't really talk about it that much, so surprise? lol

Hanahaki disease is when Flowers grow in the lungs and eventually the person will suffocate and die because it blocks their ability to breathe until 1. Person returns their feelings or 2. Remove surgically but then they forget the person and possibly lose ability to love.

“Hey, Ambrosius.” You smile as you sit beside your classmate, who you’ve discovered has a love for all things sweet. “Good morning.” He glances at you from the corner of his eye, a lollipop sticking out of his mouth. “Good morning,” he replies, sounding a bit bored. “My dad took me out last night, and we found a new candy shop that sells all sorts of candies from around the world.” Now you’ve caught his interest. “Where?”

You rub the back of your head awkwardly. "It’s a bit difficult to explain where it is, but I also brought you some candy." With that, you place a small bag on his desk in front of him. “I know you like candy, and these are some I’ve never seen before, so I was curious to know if you’d like them too. Have you tried any of these?" The golden-eyed boy focuses on the bag as he opens it, glancing at the different types of candy inside. "No," he replies, his answers short and straightforward. He picks up a watermelon-shaped candy and pops it into his mouth. “Bite that one. It has a sour gel inside.”

As his eyes widen slightly, a smile inevitably spreads across your face. You’ve developed a small crush on your eccentric classmate. “Do you like it?” he responds with a slight nod before popping a handful into his mouth.

The next day, you find yourself fidgeting in your seat as you wait for Ambrosius to arrive. Yesterday, you caught a few girls chatting about a new dessert café that just opened in town. So, you want to invite him. Knowing Ambrosius has a serious sweet tooth, you’re hoping he’ll accept your invitation.

As he settles into his seat, your instinct is to ask him right away, but you hesitate. What if he refuses? The thought of an awkward silence hanging over the rest of the class makes you cringe. Plus, you have other classes together. Perhaps it’s wiser to save your question for later, maybe even wait until the end of the day? You drum your fingers against the desk, lost in thought, searching for the perfect moment to bring it up.

The day seems to pass slower than the others, and the closer the school day gets to ending, the more anxious you feel. Is asking him out a good idea? When the final bell rings, all your classmates hop up, eager to leave the classroom. Ambrosius moves at a much slower pace than the others, which helps. You catch his forearm as he stands. “Hey, there’s a new café in town that has different desserts. I was thinking about going after school. Do you want to go?”

His first thought is to say ‘yes.’ Of course, Amaimon wants to visit a dessert café, and he doesn’t mind your company. You’re far more intriguing than the other humans he’s encountered. However, he suddenly recalls some orders Mephisto had given him that morning. He can’t go today. “No,” he replies curtly before turning to leave.

“Oh,” you whisper, your shoulders slumping as you watch him walk away. When the door clicks shut behind him, an unusual tickle stirs in your throat, prompting a cough. You cover your mouth with your hand, and when you pull it away, you find a delicate pink petal resting on your palm. Your stomach drops.

It’s fine. Everything is fine. You’ve been telling yourself that since the first petal appeared yesterday, and you haven’t had any more, so it’s fine. Right?

Except it’s not. He seems to be putting more distance between you. Is it because you asked him out? Maybe you should tell him you only meant as friends? Can that fix it?

It doesn’t seem to get better; he appears irritated every time you attempt to talk to him now. With every attempt, more petals slip from your lips, and now it’s becoming increasingly hard to breathe at various moments throughout the day.

Amaimon watches you with a frown, irritation bubbling beneath the surface as you chat animatedly with a human boy. He’s angry that you’d choose to go to a café with someone else, it stings to see you so easily replace him with a mere human. He clenches his jaw as he watches the boy casually drape his arm around your shoulders, a gesture that makes Amaimon’s skin crawl. Mephisto had caught a glimpse of the jealousy brewing in Amaimon and ordered him to pull back, advising him to cool down. But it’s not jealousy, he insists, he just doesn’t like the idea of anyone else spending time with his human. He forces himself to look away and leaves the classroom.

The final bell rings, and you take a deep breath. You’re going to try again. “Hey Ambrosius, I’m going with a few friends to the café today. Do you want to go to?”

“Why would I want to go with you and your friends?”

You manage to suppress the cough until he exits the room. You cough again. Pink petals, slick with your saliva and blood, are scattered across your desk. Maybe it’s best to skip the café.

That night, as you lie in bed, a chill runs through you that’s more than just the cold air in the room. You can’t shake off the thought of how distant he’s been lately, the way his eyes seemed to pierce through you with disapproval. Is he really that repulsed by the idea of going out together? Each anxious thought tightens your chest, making it harder to breathe, and soon you find yourself coughing, gasping for air. With each cough, more bloody petals spill from your mouth. “M-mom?” Your vision is hazy, making it difficult to make out the figure standing in the doorway. “_____?” Her voice is laced with panic, instantly recognizable as your mom. Tears begin to spill down your cheeks, blurring your view further. You can hear her urgently calling for your dad to dial for an ambulance, but before you can process anything more, everything fades to black.

You don’t wake up until two days later, your mom is by your side when you finally do. “______!” She jumps up, and quickly presses the button to call a nurse before grabbing your hand. “How do you feel?” You squint as the harsh fluorescent lights pierce through your eyelids, making everything feel extra bright for a moment. “Mom? What happened?” you ask, your voice hoarse. Looking around, you realize you’re in a hospital room, but a fog of confusion surrounds your memory. Your mom opens her mouth to respond, her expression a mix of worry and hesitation, but then she presses her lips together, as if searching for the right words. The doctor suggested that a psychiatrist might be needed to help explain what’s going on.

A nurse walks in a few moments later to check your vitals, and your mother quietly asks the nurse if they can speak outside the room. As they step into the hallway, you can’t help but glance down at your body, a sharp pain suddenly stabbing through your chest. With trembling hands, you pull away the hospital gown, and your heart sinks as you take in the horrifying sight: a deep, gaping wound crudely stitched together, the edges red with dried blood. What happened? Did I have surgery?

Your mom is gone for just a few minutes, and when she comes back, you’re still staring at your chest in confusion. "Mom, did I have surgery?" you ask, your voice trembling with uncertainty.

“Sweetheart, let’s wait for the doctor, okay? You did have surgery, but it’s better if they explain. Until then, are you hungry?”

You’re nibbling on some fresh fruit that your mother carefully peeled for you when the doctor finally walks in. He’s a young man with a friendly demeanor, wearing tailored grey slacks, a crisp dark blue button-up shirt, and a pristine doctor’s coat. “Good morning, ______. How are you feeling today? I’m really glad to see you awake,” he says, his kind smile radiating warmth and reassurance.

“Honestly, I’m not really sure why I’m here, but I’m doing okay for now. Just feeling a bit sore.” You respond, trying to muster a smile that comes across as comforting, even if it feels a bit forced. He nods, his brow furrowing slightly in thought as he pulls a chair from the corner and slides it next to you. “Do you remember anything at all from before the surgery?”

“I was laying on my bed, I couldn’t breathe, and I was coughing really bad. That’s all I remember.”

He nods. “Do you remember why you were coughing?”

As you shake your head in response, he reaches into his doctor's coat and pulls out a small plastic bag. "Do you recognize this?" you hear him ask. Cautiously, you take the bag from him, and your brow creases in confusion. Inside are some faded and weathered flower petals. A wave of memory washes over you, and you recall the moment they spilled from your lips. “This was blocking my breathing, right?”

“Yes, you had Hanahaki disease. Unfortunately, your case was so severe that it was a matter of life or death, and the surgery had to be performed without discussing it with you first. Typically, we like to prep patients before surgery.” He shares, observing you closely.

Hanahaki disease? That means you fell in love with someone who didn’t return your feelings? You furrow your brow, trying to remember the person. There’s nothing there. I guess the surgery really does wipe them from your memory. “I wish I knew who it was.” You whisper more to yourself. “Do I know the person and just don’t remember I had a crush on them?”

The doctor shakes his head. "You’ll completely forget about him. In fact, you might also lose memories of a few other people. This is a protective mechanism of your brain; it helps avoid making it obvious who’s been cut out of your life. Otherwise, those lingering memories can resurface. If that happens, a second surgery would be required, and there’s a risk you might never be able to fall in love again. If you'd rather not share with your classmates, you can tell them it’s a brain injury. We have a few options you can choose from to explain it," he says, handing you a small pamphlet.

After spending a week in the hospital, you’re finally discharged. But it’s not until a few more days have passed that your parents feel comfortable letting you head out alone. They’re concerned you might run into him because they didn’t know you were interested in anyone. So now, they’re extra cautious whenever you come across random teenage boys, some of whom are completely wiped from your memory. It’s fascinating how the human brain functions to keep you safe.

You’re wearing a lower-cut shirt today, which makes the bandages stand out more. You don’t mind, and you’re open to sharing what happened if anyone asks. There’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. A few classmates have come up to you, wishing you a speedy recovery—some are familiar faces, while others you don’t remember. On your way home, you run into another one you’ve lost memory of. He’s an oddly intriguing young man. “Where have you been?” he asks, his golden eyes narrowing as he notices the bandages.

Another classmate? “Oh, I had surgery. I’ll miss another week of classes; the doctors want the stitches removed before I return to school.” You grin at him.

Amaimon frowns at your answer. “For what?” You hadn’t been sick; why would you have surgery?”

“Hanahaki disease. They had to surgically remove the flowers." You explain to the stranger.

“Hanahaki disease? What's that?" He looks genuinely puzzled.

“You really don’t know?" You raise an eyebrow.

He pauses, his brow furrowing as if he's searching for an answer. “What causes it?"

"It's caused by unrequited love. The guy I liked didn’t feel the same way, and my body ended up growing flowers that made me suffer. Pretty ridiculous, right?" You scoff lightly, shaking your head as you recall the experience. You can remember the pain of coughing up the flowers and not being able to breathe, and your chest will continue to have sharp pain for another few weeks.

“Who was he? I’ll kill him.”

You chuckle at the stranger’s audacious claim. “Sorry, but one of the side effects of my surgery is that I can’t remember a thing about that person.” You give a slight shrug. "Actually, I’ve forgotten a few people along the way." You quickly share what the doctor had explained to you. “I’m sorry to say, but you’re one of them.” You give him an apologetic smile.

His golden eyes widen in disbelief. “You don’t remember me?”

“What’s your name?”

If you had told him, he could have removed it for you. He wouldn’t have had any problem sharing he’s the Demon King of Earth with you to take away the flowers. He wracks his mind as he tries to think of who might have caused it. Then, as your previous disappointed expressions flash through his mind, he grits his teeth. “You stupid human.”

#ao no exorcist #blue exorcist #amaimon #blue exorcist x reader #amaimon x reader #blue exorcist fanfiction #amaimon ao no exorcist #amaimon blue exorcist #amaimon x oc

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fangbangerghoul · 3 months ago

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Fic authors self rec!

When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤️

Thank you so much!

I'm ngl I forget I am a writer sometimes. I haven't really put out anything new since probably the spring semester. But I am more than willing to share some of my favorites that I have written so far! Maybe someone out there will get to enjoy them as much as I did writing them!

1. Neon City Delights

Rated: M WC: 24,897 Fandom: Starfield Completed: Yes Walter Stroud has finally decided to talk to you (Main character) like you are a person at Constellation. So, to prove to yourself and the companion the association has assigned to you as of late, Sam Coe, you now get to walk the streets of your hometown to complete a mission with your lead. What happens at the Astral Lounge doesn't need to be told, right?

This one will always be my favorite because it was the fic that brought me back into writing. It was the first time I felt so inspired by a game that it led me to create my own world within it.

2. Voracious Oblivion

Rated: M WC: 12,297 Fandom: Dragon's Dogma 2 Completed: No Ghoul awakens on the side of a river after falling off of a flying griffin. She knows not of who she was and only a hollow phrase echoes within her mind; 'You are Arisen.' With her lost sense of self and now grappling with what it means to be an Arisen; she travels with her three new companions, Ambrosius, Erik, and Quil. Together they wander the lands putting together pieces of themselves and each other.

This has some of my favorite action scenes in it. Not finished but will continue it one day. I will say this is one of two I come back to in my mind the most.

3. Over Exposure

Rated: M WC: 6,256 Fandom: My Time at Sandrock Completed: No Oh, to be a builder in this economy. Kiichi thought she would have it easy moving from her hometown in Walnut Groove to come to a small town like Sandrock and become one of their builders. She could have her own shop, spend her days doing commissions, helping the tiny civilization in all sorts of ways. Hell, she expected a lot of boring days. But boring is not what she got. Boring would be a blessing for Kiichi. Instead, she was handed new responsibilities, new places to explore, a forced part time position within the civil corps. None of these things were what she wanted, nor she deemed the responsibility of a builder. (or even written in her expected duties within the application she submitted) Now things have gone from interesting to overwhelming. Kiichi just wanted a 9 - 5 and get a chance to explore some new hobbies like her passion in photography. However, she is dealt so much more and has to navigate what it means to be a builder and decide what she is willing to endure for the title.

This is the second one that my mind wanders to throughout my days. I definitely have every intention to come back to this one hopefully before next summer. I really want to do a lot with this story, and I hope to deliver it.

4. Tear You Apart

Rated: Explicit WC: 5,139 Fandom: Starfield Completed: Yes You are now Starborn in search for the remnants of what you have left behind in your new current universe. You rush to be reunited with a new version of those you cared deeply but things go awry.

This story was a birthday gift for a mutual! I ended up having so much fun writing this story and it got better praise than I was expecting. Definitely heed the tags on this one.

5. Fleeting Pleasures

Rated: Explicit WC: 67,721 Fandom: Starfield Competed: Yes Our main character is learning to live a life where her past no longer has to burden them and what life means to them. They have to decide between a future with no limits or a future with stability. (Delgado, Sam Coe, MC love triangle)

Honestly, this one is my baby. I love her very much and consider her to be my first novel. I will never know how I managed to pump this fanfic out last year; but I will forever be grateful for the love and support it received along the way. I know above I said there were only two fics I think about often, but I also have to admit I fondly think of this one. This was my first attempt to create a story that had everything I loved in it.

#fang writes #ask #top 5 fics #starfield #dragons dogma 2 #mtas #ghoul vibes only #starfield delgado #crimson fleet #arisen x pawn #mtas builder

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saturnzskyzz · 1 year ago

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My Nimona headcannon's!!

𝙱𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙱𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝

His favorite color HAS to be periwinkle, you cannot tell me otherwise. He just seems like the type of dude to favor periwinkle because it's a soft color to gaze upon.

Bro has sensory issues, and sometimes will have days where his prosthetic arm will cause him discomfort. I think he would have days where he doesn't wear the prosthetic if he knows he's not going anywhere.

PTSD and Anxiety tics when he thinks back to the ceremony incident. This poor dude cannot get enough of the past.

He will have recurring nightmares of the incident that makes him wake up in cold sweats. (Ambrosius would comfort him anytime he has those nightmares)

Bro has a book collection that are mostly action and thriller genre books. (Maybe even fairytale books)

CRAVES physical affection on a daily basis ever since he’s been away from Ambrosius for so long.

Based on the indented headcannon above, I would say that Ballister wasn't this clingy when he was first with Ambrosius, but now that he had to endure YEARS of not seeing him after the incident, he's been more clingy than Ambrosius has.

He seems the type to run his thumb over Ambrosius’ knuckles as a way to tell him he loves him.

Anytime Him and Ambrosius are together, either sitting next to each other, or walking while holding hands, he’ll lay his head on Ambrosius’ shoulder on instinct.

(Another headcanon I saw) TRANSMASC CODED!!(transmasc is what it says)RAAAAHHHHH 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

One time he shaved his beard and he had to endure Ambrosius’ laughter for a solid 5 minutes at most because of how young he looked to Ambrosius.

Can not stand horror films. Bro clings onto his man everytime there is a jumpscare.

He holds Ambrosius' hand with his actual hand so he can feel the warmth of his lover.

Continuing with the indent, he makes sure that he touches Ambrosius with his actual hand because he fears that there will be a day where he will never see him again. (This one hurts 🥲)

He has insomnia, what can I say?

He treats Nimona like his own, of course. Bro spoils her 24/7.

Ambrosius and Ballister would always pass notes during their training years. (Todd teased them for it)

He's so tenderheaded. He never let's anyone play with his hair unless it's soft strokes.

... Ticklish Stomach. (You didn't hear that from me 🤫)

Going more with the indented. He gets tickled more than he tickles other people.

When he does get into his ler moods however, you better HOPE you can out run this bitch. He turns into a whole new person when in his ler moods.. 😬

𝙰𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚞𝚜 𝙶𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚕𝚘𝚒𝚗

He has frequent meltdowns because he physically cannot get the image of him cutting Bal's arm off out of his mind.

He's Allergic to cats. (=^ェ^=)

Ever since Ballister brought up a nightmare about Ambrosius telling him He doesn't love him, he's been complimenting Bal every morning, and always make sure that he tells him he loves him.

He teases Bal everyday to see his smile when in a flustered state.

He so gossips to Bal about the drama that happened over at the tower when Ambrosius was working for the Director. "Sit down babe, I gotta tell YOU about this one time..."

He pulls Bal closer to him when they cuddle because he has thoughts of Bal being just a dream.

LOVES HORROR MOVIES. He doesn't seem like the type to go on a horror marathon, but he favors the conjuring movies. 🍿 (he drags Bal along with him just so he can watch Bal cling on to him for dear life.)

He leaves little love notes for Bal to wake up to when Ambrosius leaves to run errands.

It took Ambrosius a LONG while for him to feel comfortable around Nimona because he regrets being mean to her when working for the Director.

He's not one to favor reading books, but he always says yes to Bal when agreeing to go to the book store.

Golden retriever, if you will?

One time, he took an animal quiz with Bal and Nimona to see which animals they would be, and he was mad for the rest of the day when he got a dolphin and not a dog.

He's not that sensitive when it comes to tickling, but Bal knows one spot that gets Ambrosius to take back whatever he might have said to Bal. *cough* *cough* ticklish knees *cough* DAMN, I need a new keyboard, this ones barely working. 👨‍💻 /j

a second dad to Nimona.

𝙽𝚒𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚊

One time she turned into a shark and had Bal walk with her around the neighborhood because he tried to scare Nimona. (She's petty like that)

She has night terrors of the well and Gloreth.

She makes it her JOB to embarrass Bal and Ambrosius when they kiss in public. "Get a room!" "Okay you two LOVE BIRDS!"

She pretends to fall asleep next to Bal so he can put a blanket over her due to being lazy.

One time she locked Bal outside of his home because he won a board game.

She so listens to Evanescence. (Maybe even Avenged sevenfold)

When she's stressed, she shapeshifts into a bird and flies around the city to calm herself down when Bal and Ambrosius aren't at Bal's home.

LOVES to sing outloud.

One time she called Diego out for reading fanfiction when hanging out with Bal and Ambrosius.

"Guys, Diego is reading fanfiction again.." Nimona pointed at Diego's phone.

"Am NOT!" Diego hid his phone away from the others in disbelief.

"Dude, how many times do we have to say it, we don't care if you read fanfiction, just do it on a day where we're NOT hanging out." Ambrosius sighed heavily.

On chill days where Bal, Ambrosius, and Nimona are all hanging out in Bal's livingroom, she would draw, paint, or color a picture.

I feel like she wants to because an artist. She has the creativity and mind like one!

It looks like her favorite color would be pink because of the implications of her shapeshifting into pink animals, but I think her favorite color would be like some type of orange-y red color.

She's a gift giver. She would be the type of person to gift someone a drawing with their favorite color as the main visual.

She seems like a Ler to me. I don't think she's very ticklish, but then again; with her backstory, I don't think she really knows what tickling is until she popped into Bal's and Ambrosius' lives. (Them two lovely doves brings up too many tickle fights around Nimona.)

𝙳𝚒𝚎𝚐𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚛𝚎

He reads AND writes Ao3 fanfictions (he reads them more than he writes them)

The movie portrays him as a distrusting and closed minded person, but I really think he's a hesitant people pleaser.

He avoids conflict BIG TIME.

He so sleeps with stuffed animals. (me too bro, me too)

His social battery is ALWAYS on an all time low.

He avoids small children after what Nimona pulled that one time.

He gives off gay or bi energy.

He blames himself for not showing Bal the video of the director sooner.

Bro has a sweet tooth.

He doesn't seem like the type of person to celebrate Holloween.

I like to believe that he admired the knights who worked for the queen, so he worked his hardest to become the queens Squire as a way to gain recognition due to the fear of being forgotten. Even though the Squire seems like a really overlooked job, everyone knows Diego at the tower, and is mostly favored by many knights.

He was really close with the queen when training to be a Squire. Apart from Ballister and the other knights, I think her death hit him the hardest.

After showing Ballister and Nimona the video evidence of the director sabotaging the ceremony, he had a HUGE wave of guilt put on him, so he soon forced himself to become unknown to everyone from the tower, and the outside world. (I only say this because he was never seen at the ending of the movie from what I remember.) [please tell me otherwise, I don't want to spread misinformation.]

100% lee. Bros too scared to touch other people.

𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚞𝚜 𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚍𝚎

He's an asshole, but he also cries himself to sleep because of the regret he feels after being disrespectful to others.

He makes way too many dirty jokes for his own good.

He feels incredibly bad for all the times he would beat up Ballister. He only did it because he thought that Bal and Nimona were the monsters, and not the Director.

He still has a hard time accepting the fact that the Director was the one who sabotaged the ceremony. He knows she's a monster, but he worked for her for YEARS. That takes a lot of development honestly.

Bro tried to have his hair smell like lavender because of how much he looks up to Ambrosius. (This WILL be cannon 🫵 )

One time he accidentally got one of Bal's and Ambrosius' notes during training class, and decide he wanted to mess with them by sending a note back. (Let's say he never done that again.)

His love language is quality time. If he hangs out with you almost everyday, that's him saying he loves your company. (When did this turn into some romance shit? ⚰️)

Favors board games over online games. If you say or ask anything about video games, he would walk the other direction.

Continuing with the indent; he gets really competitive with board games.

He also has the fear of being forgotten. Hence why he was always jealous of Ambrosius. He always wants to lead everyone to the right direction, but is always overlooked upon because Ambrosius would come in and "steal" his spotlight. (Not saying that Ambrosius was trying to)

He favors salty more than sweets.

100% ler. Bro tickles everybody when given the chance to.

I don't think he's the ticklish type, but getting a certain spot will probably make him giggle at most.

That's all! I hope you enjoyed these headcannon's!

Please let me know if you have any headcannon's for these characters! I would love to know your thoughts on them!!

Anyways! I'm gonna work on the fanfic now that this is out of the way 🏃💨

Take care and always live yourself!!

#nimona headcanon #nimona #saturn headcannons #saturn thoughts

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yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt · 10 months ago

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Hello and sorry for the delay, in regards to the ask I sent in a little while back. What I meant to say was timewise; can you do a drabble where they're (Comicverse A and B) in-between after the Joust incident but before their reconciliation? It would be in the middle of those years where they had a kinda undefined relationship (Not canon but as canon compliant as possible). Could you have it where A maybe takes care of B for an unrelated injury or consoles him thru something mentally? Just something that A does to help B without wanting to gain something from him. Which then that unintentionally builds a little bit of trust back. I hope that helps, sorry if I came across jumbled or made it worse (Lol and my crimes against punctuation). Anyway thank you so much for your time and wanting to clarify w me! I appreciate you so much :)

Hiii!! Thank you so much for clarifying your request, this was a very cute idea and I really enjoyed writing it!! It's a bit on the longer side for a drabble but I hope you like it!!

“God damnit!” Ballister spat, limping towards his hideout. This latest attempt to infiltrate the castle had proven far less successful than he'd hoped. The Institution put in a bunch more booby traps than the plans he'd intercepted showed. His leg was ensnared in barbed wire, as he'd abandoned his armor to fit through the narrow drainage gate. He ended up bloodied before his nemesis even got a chance to show up. He really hoped he wouldn't find him and rub his face in this now.

“Need a hand?” Said a voice from the woods. Ballister narrowed his eyes. “Come to gloat, Goldenloin?”

There was silence and then a rustling of leaves as the shiny, bronze-clad knight stepped out of the shadows. “Come on, don't be like that. I didn't set those traps, I didn't even know they were there! Nobody expected you or anyone else to try and bust in that way.” He looked at Ballister's leg. “You're hurt.”

“Oh gee, I wonder how that happened?” He replied sarcastically. Ambrosius rolled his eyes. “My horse is tied a bit further back on the path. He's good for double-riding, we’ll get you home.”

“I am not escorting you back to my house, have you lost your mind?”

Ambrosius crossed his arms. “Well I can't well let you stumble back there on your own in this state! But fine, I anticipated you might be stubborn about it, so I brought a first aid kit.” He rifled through his pack. “There's a clearing just up the road here.”

Ballister swallowed. Damn, he really didn't want to take help from Ambrosius, the bastard probably had some scheme planned. If he wasn't gonna arrest him, it'd be something else. But what choice did he have? He couldn't get back home in this state, not without getting patched up first. “Fine.”

Ambrosius smirked triumphantly, which was infuriating, and tucked an arm up under Ballister's shoulder on his bad side. Surprisingly gentle, he supported his weight while they limped to a nearby clearing off the road, where they wouldn't be seen.

Ballister hissed looking at his leg when he sat down. It would heal, but it was definitely sprained and torn up.

Ambrosius lit a lantern and took out his medical supplies. So far, Ballister didn't see signs of funny business. He insisted upon inspecting the iodine before allowing Ambrosius to use it, but there appeared to be nothing amiss.

Ambrosius donned a pair of gloves and wire-cutters and began carefully snipping and pulling away the barbed wire. Ballister fought to remain composed, but damn, it hurt like a bitch. For once, Ambrosius was quiet, not mocking. “I know,” he said softly. “I know it hurts. I'm almost done.” He dampened a gauze rag with iodine and dabbed the area.

Ballister’s eyes snapped wide and he bit hard on his tongue to stop from screaming. That shit always burns something awful. He briefly thought maybe Ambrosius was doing this to get pleasure from hurting him, but the way his brow furrowed said something different. “Shhh, take deep breaths. I’m sorry, I'm sorry, almost done.” He examined the leg. “It doesn't look like you need any stitches, so I'll bandage this up, okay?”

Ballister nodded stiffly, and he watched as those hands, bare from the scaled armor that usually concealed them, wrapped clean gauze bandaging around his calf with all the care and precision in the world. His eyes were focused, not manic as usual. He almost looked like the young man Ballister once loved, when he would ice his sprains and stroke his hair. Almost.

Ambrosius tied off the bandage and patted the leg. “That ought to feel better.”

Ballister pulled his leg away and tucked it under himself. “Why are you doing this?”

Ambrosius looked at him, almost puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Oh please. You know it's weird! Why patch me up? What's your angle?”

Ambrosius shrugged. “You know my angle already.” He looked away, and the cocky veneer glossed over his face again, accompanied by a toothy grin. “You're my nemesis. If anything bad happens to you, I'll be out of a job!”

“Ugh!” Ballister rolled to his feet and began limping back to the path.

“Ballis– Lord Blackheart, wait!”

He swiveled. “What do you want, Goldenloin? What do you actually want?”

“Oh! Um–” he played with his hands. “You should take my horse. It will be hard to walk. Just send him back tomorrow.”

“Oh, you got a tracker on him or something?”

Ambrosius rolled his eyes. “I already know where your fortress is! Why would I even– just take him, okay? Just send him back, he'll get sad without his friends at the stable. He can find his own way home, he's done it before.”

Ballister took a deep breath, but he relented. He looked over the beast once Ambrosius retrieved it and as he claimed, there was nothing nefarious that stood out. Looking at that face, the face he once loved so deeply, saying goodbye, it felt somehow different.

Maybe the Ambrosius he loved wasn't all gone, maybe parts of him remained. There was an understanding between them. Maybe not quite trust, but there was something, like it or not, and there always would be

#nimona #drabble requests #nimona fanfic #nimona graphic novel #blackloin #goldenheart #ballister x ambrosius #ballister blackheart #ambrosius goldenloin

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grassyhorizon45 · 11 months ago

Note

Saw you looking for microfic requests… feel free to ignore, but what about a first-date style microfic in Hogsmeade or something? Thinking like year 6 or 7? Not sure if you’ve done one of those before and sorry if this is too broad. Any character(s) would be cool!

aaaa this took me a while to brain but I hope it's what you were looking for 👀

oh and my friend gave me three words to try and incorporate in this too 😅👍

the way he immediately switched to bomb and death :sob:

word count: 1113

ding~

The bell above the door chimed, announcing my entry.

“Welcome to Honeydukes,” the owner, Mr. Flume greeted me. I responded with a subtle nod, not wanting to say anything but not wanting to be rude at the same time.

I scanned the nearby shelves; toffees, chocolates, some Fizzing Whizzbees……

There it was, carved neatly into the wooden sign board were the words ‘Special Effects’.

My gaze was followed by none other than the owner himself.

“Ah, the special effects section. Might I recommend you the–” I stopped him, smiling.

“I've already made up my mind, thanks Mr. Flume.”

Not at all offended, the lovely Ambrosius Flume nodded and left me be.

I grabbed a blue box off the top shelf and brought it to the cashier.

“The finest sugar quills,” he said, taking one look at the box of sweets. “You my dear, must have an eye for confectionery, no?”

I blushed, not taking compliments well.

“It's for a friend,” I explained. To which he replied with a knowing, “I see.”

I never did like giving people chocolates, they were too common. But sugar quills? They're my signature go-to when it comes to gifts, my own little flair you could say.

I left Honeydukes with the box of sweets neatly bagged, roaming the streets of Hogsmeade a while before finally settling down in the Three Broomsticks Inn, giving my watch a quick glance……

Ten more minutes.

“Someone's early.”

His silky voice took me by surprise. I looked up and smirking gray eyes met mine. I smirked back, rolling my eyes.

“Sit down, Malfoy.”

Never in my life would I have expected this. Draco Malfoy, the very guy that tormented me for years, was now on a freaking date with me.

Though it was true that Draco was the one who initiated the date, deep down I knew I too had developed feelings for the boy.

Draco was an absolute player, every soul in Hogwarts knew that; and as the silence between us dragged on, I started to wonder why the heck I was here in the first place.

“Y/n– You okay?” His voice drew me back to reality. “Madam Rosmerta just asked if you'd like to order anything.”

“Oh, huh– I'll just have butterbeer, th-thanks.” Draco only continued staring at me intently, like I was a mystery yet to be solved. I avoided his gaze, mumbling a quick, “Sorry, I zoned out.”

It felt so out of place when he just grinned back. He wasn't making small talk, we weren't talking at all. Was it because of our history with each other? Was this whole thing just a joke to him?

“Hey,” Draco spoke in the most casual way possible, gaining eye contact with me.

“Hi?” Was the only thing I could think to blurt.

He smiled at this.

“First time, love?”

How did he know—

“And I bet you've been on tons,” I slipped, echoing the negative thoughts in my head.

Draco tilted his head. “And why would you say that?”

I looked away, “No reason.”

He grabbed my chin and forced me to face him. Draco's touch was gentle but unfamiliar, sending shivers down my spine.

“I know you think im some asshole that loves messing around,” his voice was stern, the very kind he used when he was actually being serious. “But I really want you to trust me on this. You and I, this isn't a little fling I'm playing at.”

The man in front of me knew me more than I knew myself. At times I saw it through his insults and bullying, but at times I saw it through the way he secretly cared for me…… Maybe that was the reason I'm here.

“Please?”

I nodded, “Okay.”

His stern face melted away and was replaced with an indifferent one. “So tell me about yourself,” he tried.

“Seriously? I've known you since year two…” I mumbled.

“Well, tell me something I don't know then, y/n.” There was a tinge of harshness to his voice but that somehow only turned me on even more.

“I don't think I could live a day without you.”

Shocked, Draco was completely speachless. And I only realised the weight of my words after I'd blurted it.

“I-It's true… I don't know what I'd do without your daily snarky remarks and insults… Th-They give me a sense of hope that somewhere under all that,” I gulped. “Y-You cared.”

It was a strange feeling, wanting his attention. It was even weirder that I was admitting all of this to him but that's just how I am, an absolute pushover.

Our drinks arrived just then and I dived into my mug of butterbeer without a thought, wanting to wave off the bomb of awkwardness I had just dropped.

“Look, y/n… I do care,” he stated. “I care about you way more than you know. It's just something I don't find easy to show, I've never felt this way for someone before.”

I smiled at him, he smiled back, and I felt blush creep all the way up to my ears.

“Oh! I almost forgot–” I pulled out the lapis blue box I had bought from earlier. “I got you something…”

“Hm?” Draco took the box from me, “You didn't have to...”

I caught him take a quick peek at the sugar quills inside.

“Just something small, I didn't want to show up empty handed.”

He chuckled, putting the gift aside. “Thanks.”

Secretly, I was relieved; I didn't want to see his reaction anyways.

Draco and I chatted as we slowly drank our butterbeers, touching topics like school and family, basically filling the empty silence we would otherwise have between us.

But as our drinks neared their end so did our conversation burn out, leaving us to sit there silently in each other's presence.

The silence this time round was oddly soothing, knowing there wouldn't be any judgment from either party. We were already close before this, taking this ‘date’ as a progression in our relationship from enemies to lovers.

Draco got up to pay short after, leaving me alone at the table. The box of sugar quills was open in front of his seat and it looked like he'd already gone through one over the course of our conversation. I smiled, I think this relationship is gonna work out just fine.

Two gentle hands found themselves on my shoulder from behind. I tilted my head upwards and was once again met with his loving gray eyes.

“So, what do you say? You, me, we make this official.”

I smiled back at him. “Deal.”

He grinned. “Alright then……

Till death do us part.”

#draco x y/n #microfic #draco malfoy #butterbeer #hogsmeade #draco × reader #fluff #honeydukes #microfiction #oneshot #writing requests #requests open #draco x you #first date #enemies to lovers #enemies to friends to lovers #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry

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thornsnfeathers · 4 years ago

Photo

(I already had started with this comparison in another post but in this one I’m trying to find the logic behind it)

In Uncovered (v6ch2), the episode where Ruby uses the Lamp, we get the flashback where Oz tells the kids what it does. And it’s also where we get this comment from Ren, after Nora’s intervention:

The Relic of Knowledge doesn’t do wishes; the Staff might, with a little work put into figuring out the loopholes in Ambrosius’ mention of rules that prevents him from bringing people back.

Because we have the body, all that’s needed is a bit of aura and considering how Clover always used his pin to channel his semblance...

Qrow might as well get his wish come true, once he gets his hands on Atlas’ Relic.

#Clover Ebi #staff of creation theory #rwby #rwby v8 #rwby spoilers #Clover's death tw #blood tw #ch12 tw #v7ch12 tw #i made this in december <3 #Ambrosius brought this back up in my mind #YOU BETTER MAKE A WISH LIKE THE FISHERMAN #rwby ramblings

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douxie-casperan · 4 years ago

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Rise of the Titans and the assassination Hisirdoux Casperan’s character development

I’ve been ranting so much since Wednesday morning that I finally condensed by thoughts of WHY this one subject keeps setting me off namely the utterly diabolical way they handled Douxie and Archie’s relationship in Rise of the Titans and how it wasn’t just enough to hit him with the nerf bat.

Please note I’m at the point where I literally cannot tell the difference between Aaron headcanons, Teny headcanons and my own they are all mixed together in the blender that does funky things. I also apologise for typo/weird wording it’s half 1 in the morning and I’d rather sleep than edit.

If asked to sum up Hisirdoux Casperan there are certainly several things that come to mind:

Sees the value in people as a whole and will find do anything if there is a chance of help someone out

Prefers tactics that disable/banish rather than kill an enemy yet willing and able to pull the trigger if circumstances become forced

While not academically inclined he is very capable of thinking on his feet and outside the box calling back to his time on the streets where a split-second decision making is the difference between being caught and not

Terrible at planning he’ll be in there figuring it out as he goes along which is what makes the previous point so vital to literally how he goes through life

A natural charmer that would let him talk his way out of trouble 9/10 providing a perfect cover for his distrustful nature and reluctance to be touched by random people

Very down to earth, humble and never one to brag unless outright sassing someone

Will bang out some hot tunes at the drop of a hat, his love of music has never wavered once since he caught the bug despite instrument hopping ironically becoming a jack of all trades much like his magic style

The earliest memories he can recall are him as a young boy lost in the woods where he was for an unknown amount of time before his soon to be familiar finds him amongst the roots covered in dirt and drying tears, there is nothing before that. Unbeknownst to him is the colour of his magic matches the blue of a lost mother’s eyes and the song that haunts his nightmares as much as fire could well be hers though there is no way to be sure. From that moment on Archibald, shortened to Archie, would become his entire world and their friendship only becoming closer during the years they prowled Camelot together trying to keep themselves in one piece until the fateful day Douxie tricks the wrong person leading him straight into the path of the famous wizard Merlin Ambrosius.

It's no real secret that Merlin is a very closed off person who keeps his emotions as well guarded as his secrets, prefers the style of negative reinforcement over positive encouragement and is a very strict perfectionist in his. At this point in his life he can be very easily described as a disaster that is genuinely doing his best with every little mistake held of his head and his future self when brought back to that time period is belittled by Lancelot (Errand boy) and Arthur (Boy) too meaning it’s hardly a wonder his confidence was very fragile revelling in the times where he could do things without being told off for it. With Morgana largely ignoring him too (Though personally I like to think as he got older she’d occasionally take an interest until the blistering arguments with their master started to talk over daily life) a certain disguised dragon would have remained a lifeline and give that physical affection he craved much like being told he’d done well never seemed able to earn.

With Killahead he’d lose that home and family he made leaving just the two of them behind struggling to figure out their place in the world that had abandoned them.

There wouldn’t have been the words for it back then but the way he had been treated prior was outright abusive instilling very bad habits into Douxie yet by irony he was always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and help those in trouble without thinking earning a reputation as the Shepard of Fire. He refused to become like him seeking to be better, perhaps not as a wizard (Even though he was learning new charms and spells along the way) but certainly as a person. Despite everything he suffers through or witnesses in the intervening years, the loss of friends and kindling of far newer ones he never loses his good heart

That said is it any wonder that after rightfully sassing Merlin for resurfacing, ignoring his existence despite being in the same town and only visiting him to run a finding errand that all the confidence he’d managed to build completely from scratch after Camelot wavered causing him to fall back solely into trying impressing his old Master who was acting like his humble apprentice must have coasted the past few centuries who himself fell back into old habits of belittling? It’s only when Merlin started to truly listen and acknowledge that this was not the same Moppet he once knew after Excalibur was fixed that their relationship finally started to become more like equals. After the defeat of Janus the changeling that broke into the castle he touched Douxie’s shoulder with a genuine smile and for a second he simply didn’t know what to do because the old man never did this before his brain kicked into gear and realised he’d finally earned that one thing he’d been so desperate for his entire life: That in Merlin’s eyes he could be more than a failure who only caused problems for the closest thing to a father figure he’d ever had, never solved them.

A staff will be earned, history would be set back on trap by banishing Morgana tag teaming with Archie because they know one another inside and out, as promised he’d get the kids back to the present but soon after things would go badly wrong. They’d lose Jim and because of his very nature he’d make a gamble to try and get him back because that life is worth trying for just for in a moment of surprising selflessness Merlin would be sacrificed to save him. The only constant in his life apart from Archie would apologise, openly express pride and how the greatest thing he’d ever done was saving this orphan, call him son for the first and final time before turning into ash in his arms. There would be no time to grieve for things will barrel into the crescendo of Douxie sacrificing his own life to buy everyone time to escape because if they did that everything he’d ever done would be worth it with one last whispered goodbye.

(Zoe sees him fall, so does Archie – His heart would break if he was conscious just like theirs does when his body crumples into the ground)

On the very fringes of the Light Realm he is gifted one more conversation with Merlin in a truly heart-breaking sequence (THANKS TENY) where they can just talk without any fear of consequence or politics and just be completely honest. Douxie is allowed to stand equal to Merlin, to have the hug he’d needed since he was a child and be allowed to simply let go of every pretense and cry his heart out because this can never happen again. He’s allowed to say goodbye to both his master and Morgana who had both shaped so very much of his life but like the painting he’d always remained firmly in the long shadows of until that moment.

When Hisirdoux Casperan finally leaves Wizards if we just accidently deliberately put the shawarma back in along with checking in with Zoe before departure, it is with having learned to live during his wandering years but this is the point of true freedom because he can finally escape into his own light with Archie by his side to keep Nari out of the hands of those that would see the world harmed. It won’t be easy but it feels possible somehow even with the knowledge everything is simply running on borrowed time.

Then Rise of the Titans happens.

At first everything is genuinely fine! No more running, they engineer a solution shut the Order’s magic down to make them a lot less dangerous and potentially at least incapacitate them until they can come up with a longer-term solution but all the best laid plans and all that. Douxie’s quick thinking stops the train from crushing any of the people below and it’s a very him style move to switch places with Nari to stall for time because for some reason the plot disabled Claire from portaling her or any of the threatened people/heroes to safety. He openly sasses the Order despite knowing the consequences will be bad for him because once again he’s managed to trick them, buy time that at the other end isn’t even slightly utilised until he’s forced back into his own body in excruciating pain. Archie immediately mobs him with comfort just as he has done every single time the wizard is distressed or collapsed with exhaustion without thinking because that is what their bond is like, incredibly close and far more than the Soul Bond mark that connects them together. They’re very alike in that regard, you have to earn the right to touch while equally knowing exactly what form the other needs the most in that precise moment in a way very few others could.

Bar the moment of figuring out that an illusion is in place to hide where the Order is opening the Genesis Seals and the brief insistence on reconnecting with Nari somehow Douxie manages to forget everything that makes him who he is after this point choosing to stand in the background being very no thoughts head empty or can only use the most basic spells of his youthful days not the seasoned master wizard he should be. Nomura is treated like an innocent slip rather than an outright death he did absolutely nothing to prevent (Not to mention the stupid daytime thing) nor seems to care particularly about afterwards yet with Nari’s he’s allowed to openly grieve in a gorgeously animated visual showing how he’d failed to keep her safe despite everything. He did nothing to help here either mind despite allowing himself to be tortured in the same piece of media to keep her safe, just watched another loss happen right in front of his eyes in his conga long line of them.

Then there’s Archie, oh god then there was Archie.

The dragon who even here he’d been shown to have an incredibly close bond with him decides you know what sod that tell him goodbye I’m going to make a joke about having a kingdom now dad and me are trapped in here forever. Douxie on his part looked sad for all of three seconds saying that he hoped he’s happy like it's a pet that wandered out into the world one day and never came back instead of a lifelong companion that has been there for as long as he can remember. He was now completely alone in the world since Zoe was also written out entirely and because every bit of his background had been forgotten about it somehow meant nothing. This wasn’t “I know you miss him, I know you need to grieve but you are running out of time” moment like things had been with Charlie, this was “cool shapeshifting dragon cat is now stuck in a plot hole that’s a shame” with zero pay off or any of the genuine reaction that should have been there or hell even trying to Ohana him back that very second because it never should have happened in the first place. Then even this wasn’t enough somehow, they managed to de-power Douxie even further into uselessness bar the (Admittedly nifty!) sticky feet stunt, the one who fought Skrael and Bellroc to a stalemate was shunted aside with barely a thought and his head would somehow get even emptier.

The one person who knew the danger of time magic the most stood by and said nothing.

The one person who would suffer the most by a reset because the lynchpin to his issues would be asleep if you got it wrong and should have drilled it into Jim’s head the best time to aim for stood by and said nothing.

The one person who had just suffered the loss of his familiar, best friend and only family along with the almost sister like Nari stood by and said nothing.

Then to add further insult to injury the caption when Douxie and Archie is shown says Some go their entire lives living an existence of quiet desperation because every drop of his character growth, his ability to finally start addressing his trauma instilled back in the 12th century, the staff he longed for was instead openly mocked by going “Aww he got his cat friend back how nice!” Everything he’d rightfully earned and had now would be unable to progress until certain criteria are met because it hinges entirely on the Trollhunter going to Merlin’s tomb and there’s only so much your support network of two (One if she’s written out) can do, the root of the majority of his issues all stem from one man.

And this folks is why I’ve been going on multiple rants about Douxie in particular, everyone was hit with the out of character bat to some degree in this film but when they came for him they didn’t just stop after they took his legs out because they wanted him to suffer from something he’s never had any control over to begin with all over again. Abuse survivors deserve better, these characters deserve better and we as viewers deserve far far better writing than we were forced to endure.

#Ooc - Behind the curtains #Rise of the Titans #Rise of the Titans spoilers #RotT Spoilers #RoT spoilers #Wizards #Tales of Arcadia #ToAWizards #Hisirdoux Casperan #Douxie Casperan

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itsclydebitches · 3 years ago

Note

You've just been hired as the new Writer for Volume 9 of RWBY. Yay! Now how do you fix the shitstorm of broken writing now that Salem has the staff of instant win? Salem should use magic to make her voice heard across all of Vacuo that she will use the staff to summon a giant city wide rock in the air, where gravity will make it fall and crush everyone, if the relic isn't handed over to her, along with Ozma while your at it. Because we know that won't happen, and yet it clearly should.

Now that I’ve literally written tens of thousands of words on Our Flag Means Death and (somewhat) purged it from my system, we can return to our regularly scheduled RWBY posting :D

It’s pure coincidence that @invincibleweasel and you posted back-to-back, anon. Putting aside the rather dubious honor of being in charge of Volume 9 (lol), my mind immediately went to the far less entertaining question: “Does Salem know the Staff's password yet?” We know Cinder’s got it because she used Ambrosius to summon fire and obliterate the group’s getaway bridge, but as far as I can recall, Cinder never uses Ambrosius’ name while meeting back up with Salem in the finale. She just hands the Staff over, says she “added more flames,” and tells a couple of lies about how Neo killed Ruby and she prioritized the Relics' safety over the Maiden. Actually, looking back at this conversation, it really highlights how little RT thinks through the “Who knows what?” question—why in the world would Salem assume that Cinder not only managed to, somehow, discover the Staff’s password but ALSO used it (“You said they used the Staff. I assume you rid the world of their creation. What did you create in its stead?”) when she herself has spent the last two Volumes trying to figure out/use the Lamp and failing??—but my point here is that, as of yet, Cinder hasn’t actually given Salem the means with which to use the Staff. So, you know, she doesn’t have to in the future. If Cinder refuses to give up Ambrosius’ name for whatever self-serving reasons of her own, the Staff will remain just a pretty bauble in Salem’s hands (albeit one capable of summoning the Gods if it’s brought near the others). The group is currently lost on the island, Penny is dead, Ironwood is dead, Watts is dead, the others are in Vacuo, Qrow was never a part of the Ambrosius conversation to begin with and we already know Ozpin doesn't give out this information lightly… Cinder is the only one currently nearby who could tell her Ambrosius' name. So maybe Cinder high-tails it out of there before Salem asks (because Salem is stupid and never takes the obvious, easiest route to victory). Maybe Cinder tries to blackmail Salem with it for something she wants. Maybe she gives a false name and then tries to convince Salem that she’s just as surprised as she is when, suddenly, it doesn’t work. Idk. Honestly, if the show were to go this kind of route—one where Cinder keeps access to the Staff to herself for some future plan—it would have been much better if Cinder never told Salem she’d used it, period. She could have easily told all those other lies and simply said that the group escaped without ever mentioning that, oh yeah, I destroyed said escape route because I figured out the password. Better to have Salem think she's just as ignorant about how to use it.

Honestly though, I like Weasel’s idea better: maybe Salem can’t use the Staff because the magic doesn’t consider her to be human enough anymore. (Though, frankly, I don’t want RT to even touch the faunus question. Let’s just work under the assumption that “humanity” means all soul-having peoples of the world, kind of like how we sometimes say “men” even though we mean men, women, non-binary folk, etc. It’s a narrow-minded term, but one that really just means all non-grimm on Remnant.) It could definitely work, especially if we consider that Light created these objects in opposition to Darkness’ forces, ergo someone who has been twisted by a grimm pool is out of the running, so to speak. Though frankly, that’s another idea I would have preferred to have been worked into the story proper right from the get-go. This could explain why Salem hasn’t gone after the Relics until now—she knows she can’t use them and it’s only recently that she’s decided she’d prefer to just die by bringing them together and summoning the Gods. We could have had a scene where Cinder has to convince Jinn and Ambrosius to obey her, considering they’re on the fence given her grimm bug and grimm arm. Or maybe that obstacle is only hinted at with Jinn recoiling from Cinder when she's summoned, but it’s actually Watts who asks what the group has been up to, dodging the need to reveal yet that Cinder doesn't have this power. Then later Ambrosius refuses to obey her at all and Jaune has to fall some other way, Watts dies some other way, etc. Hell, this could even explain why Ozpin hasn’t won his side of the war either: maybe a guy whose soul has been warped by reincarnation across thousands of years by merging with others' isn’t considered human enough either, despite the fact that he’s technically the one in charge of Light’s goals (a bit of tragic irony there). Give us a snow scene where Ozpin tries to tackle Ruby because he literally can't just ask a question of Jinn first. The concept of the Relics having a “humanity only” requirement could be a very easy way to explain why both our Big Bad and Big Good haven’t used the all-powerful, magical objects to obliterate each other yet… but it’s an idea RWBY needed to know about and implement much earlier than Volume 9 to make it worthwhile.

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

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astoria00 · 4 years ago

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Cinder's actions in retrospect

For most of us volume 8 is over already and now we are left with the hiatus and lots of information to process. And if there was one character most debated about it was probably Cinder. Some said the last episode ruined all of her depth the earlier episodes had built. Sounds oddly familiar if you think back on volume 4 and 5 and how most of the fandom reacted there. But I'm not here to talk about people's inability to understand forshadowing and character growth in negative and positive directions.

I am here to talk about Cinder's behavior. Mainly onward from after the hiatus. I already saw plenty of takes calling Cinder cold, unfeeling, selfish, irredeemable and yes, Cinder is a villain, but she is also human. This volume wanted to show us that even more. It is supposed to lay a foundation. For years people claimed Cinder fans were reaching when we called the child abuse and her trauma dictating her quest for power and I don't expect it to change now, but how about we view our dear Fall Maiden's behavior from a different angle.

We know Cinder was chewed out by Watts, had to make good on her deal with Neo to get her on board, had a breakdown beforehand and lied to Salem.

Now let's think about this from the idea that Cinder actually liked Neo more than she liked to admit. They had their own unique and sassy dynamic going on.

Before anything turns south for her, Cinder is sent to get what she wants after being tortured and gently prodded by Salem. Then the Whale blows up and she doesn't get an answer from anybody leaving her with Watts, who starts to rip into her and her deepest fears, making her cry and tells her that her trauma means nothing. And then someone does message her and at first she is relieved, until she sees it's content, Neo has betrayed her, stolen the relic to blackmail her, with her very own life at stake.

So not only was Cinder incredibly stressed, she was emotionally vulnerable at that. Everything seemed to unravel. She was constantly failing, her past began to catch up with her...she was right back at the place where she had been...a scared helpless child yearning for love and freedom and people telling her she would need to be better, smarter, stronger, worthy.

Neo messages her and something inside her cracks. She doesn't know why it bothers her...why it hurts, but it's there.

And yet when they meet, her child theme plays in the background. She acknowledges that maybe...she was at fault here...that she hasn't been a good partner. That she hadn't kept her word....

She apologizes. She means it. This is fixable...she still doesn't know why she cares at all...

and then she finds out Emerald betrayed her as well. Someone she never gave any reason to do that in her mind. Something unexplainable...personal even. She saved Emerald...did what Rhodes didn't do for her...and she was still left for Ruby and her merry band of all people. The person responsible for Cinder's gravest loss in her mind. Everything feels like a lie. Emerald lied. She didn't care about her like she always said she did. Those were just empty words. it hurts even more this time. Cinder doesn't know what it is, but she doesn't like it. It weights on her. Anger would be easier and safer to deal with, but it never worked in her favor. She feels out of control.

If Emerald was able to betray her...then so would Neo...she already proved she could and would. They both didn't care about her at all. Emerald brought her back to the Whale to be tortured and Neo stole the lamp ready to have her killed by it.

So if she couldn't trust any of them, this time she would be one step ahead of them. This time she would betray them first before they would get another chance to hurt her.

She would cut herself free from all those strings that got wrapped around her heart.

She gets Neo to fall into the void and at first it feels good. She can't ponder over her feelings at the moment. She is on a tight schedule here. Cinder feels Salem returning, everything falls into place just like she hoped and wanted. She doesn't get the powers. It stings, but she needs the relics more. She needs Salem. A fact she had tried very hard to drown out, had wanted to grow out of, but this worked better. She was better, stronger, worthy.

She summons Ambrosius and barricades Watts into the control station, locking him into Atlas like the Atleasians Elite he was. The man who thought his own drama outweighted Cinder's. Who called her suffering little. Looking down on her. Ripping away on her until she broke down in tears. Who dared to make her feel vulnerable. Who made her cry.

Cinder is done trying to find herself. She has gone back to being the most competent version of herself. The one that imitates Salem. And extension of her master.

And one day she will realize that this is not what she wants at all.

So those were just my humble thoughts on the matter, seeing as the Cinder tag will be swarmed with hate posts again, I thought I share them. Stay safe Cinder fans.

#rwby #cinder fall #rwby spoilers #rwby8 #rwby8 spoilers #just my thoughts on this

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littlemisssquiggles · 4 years ago

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The Fall of RWBY

“Let’s try the quick version…can you make a bunch of doorways in Atlas that open at a single spot in Vacuo?”

“Sure. I’ll just need coordinates and specs for each door, an explanation for bending space and time to account for much greater traffic on one side and a single point of exit on the other.”

“Okay. That’s about what we expected. So we need to funnel everybody through a central location first.”

“You’re gonna have to tell me more about this central location. For starters, uh…where is it?”

“Here. A place like these vaults. Wherever they are, they’re not a part of Remnant. Only accessible if you know the right way in. Seems like a safe enough place for thousands of refugees.”

“You kids are either smart or much more foolish than you realize…”

“... A place like these vaults. Wherever they are, they’re not a part of Remnant. Only accessible if you know the right way in...”

I have a curious question or rather…a curious thought. If the worlds inside of the vaults do not exist anywhere in Remnant, as affirmed by Yang in today’s episode then where exactly does this Other World inside the vault exists?

We know from the Lost Fable episode that Remnant was merely an experiment by the Brother Gods before they “left” Remnant. We also know from the Lost Fable that the Relics when brought together are the key to summoning the Gods back to Remnant for humanity to face Judgement Day.

My question is…summoning the Gods from where exactly? Where exactly did the Brother Gods go after they left Remnant? I know in the RWBY Fairytales from Remnant novel, it was hinted in the Two Brothers tale that the Gods never truly left Remnant and have actually been sleeping in wait until the day they would be awakened to rise up and judge the world they created and left to itself in their absence.

An exert from the Two Brother fairytale:

Finally, the God of Light call a truce. “Look around, Brother. We are tearing the world apart.”

“Let it burn,” the God of Darkness said.

“We are making people miserable and interfering in Humanity’s divine destiny,” the God of Light said. “Perhaps it is time we leave the world in their hands and see what they make of it.”

“Yes. Let us leave and go our separate ways at last,” the God of Darkness agreed.

But just as the two brothers were closely linked to each other, they were also closely tied to the world and their creations, most of all Humanity. In the act of creation, they had become less than they had been. They had given too much of themselves to be able to leave.

“We must take back our gifts,” the God of Darkness said. “Reclaim our power and wipe this experiment from existence.”

“I disagree,” the God of Light said. “And we promised to share in the fate of our joint creation.” He gave a might yawn. “Let us rest, and when the time comes, we will see what Humanity has become in our absence.

…The two brothers agreed. But even in rest, they needed some distance from each other. Each dragon transformed himself into a new continent at one end of their world. And there, the dragons still sleep, until the day that the gods will waken, rise and judge…”

Keeping that thought in mind, I think it might be a safe assumption to say that the Gods are still on Remnant. I’d like to believe that the allusion of the Gods transforming themselves into continents at the opposites ends of Remnant is true since anyone who has ever peaked at a map of Remnant can clearly see the two dragons on the map.

One of the two dragons---which is I believe to be the God of Light---is represented by the continent of Anima where the Kingdom of Mistral and the City of Argus are located. While the second continent is the unknown one that has no name but exists opposite from Anima while Sanus (where the Kingdoms of Vale and Vacuo are located) rests between them.

I guess, in a nutshell, the point I’m trying to make here is a theory I have for the finale of V8. I can’t shake Ambrosius’ warning to RWBY and Penny in the Vault of the Winter Maiden.

“People enter from Atlas and Mantle on one side and leave on the other side with one way ticket to Vacuo.”

“Well everything seems to be in order. You were quite thorough. Disappointingly so.”

“So…it’s done.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh and one last point of clarification about this central location of yours. Do not fall. Okay and with that dire warning.”

He told them not to fall within the central zone and as we know, the central zone is an unknown world that, much like the worlds within the vaults, does not exist anywhere in Remnant but is connected to Remnant courtesy of Relics.

So my hunch is that at some point during finale, either RWBY will end up trapped in the Other World or rather…it will just be Ruby Rose who ends up falling and becoming trapped in the Other World and the only way to save her rests on ALPN and the discovery of the remaining two relics and vaults.

As we saw back in V6, as soon as the Relic of Knowledge was removed from its respective vault, the world that existed around it disappeared thus rendering the vault null and void. Thus, I think the same will happen with the Vault of the Winter Maiden. Now that RWBY_P have retrieved the Staff, the world within the vault will collapse and no longer exist thus tethering the vault’s connection to Remnant.

This will leave the vaults of the Summer and Fall Maidens remaining. However, since during V8, Tyrian and Mercury Black were seen heading toward Vacuo with an army of Grimm, my assumption is that Vacuo’s vault will become compromised by Salem’s forces.

Not to mention that we still don’t the true whereabouts of the Relic of Choice since according to Salem, that is the only vault that has yet to be found by her forces and not even Oscar knows about that one since that secret is one that Ozma would hold onto longer according to Salem. Not to mention that it was also stated by Oz back in V5 that he made it difficult for the Vault of the Fall Maiden to be found.

Nevertheless, I do believe that something major will happen to either one or all of Team RWBY. I think our heroes will end up trapped in the same world that housed the Relics and thus, their only way out is to traverse this mysterious Other World and find the location of the vaults on its end while their comrades look for a way to open the remaining vaults to bring their comrades back to Remnant on the other side.

Meaning that if someone were to become trapped in such world, they’d probably have to travel to wherever another vault is located and try to get out from that door way, granted that the Relic within that vault isn’t removed since it may seem that the Relics and the vaults are the only thing connecting Remnant to whatever mysterious world is inside of the vaults.

This is why I’m questioning what the world within the vault is. I was always of the opinion that the environments the relics were found in were just a construct of magic after the King of Vale originally built the vaults and the huntsmen academies. Now I’m starting to wonder if the Vaults probably existed long before the King of Vale and he just built the academies around the original doorways to the Other World the Relics were housed in; if that makes any sense.

Either way, I’m not taking Ambrosius’ warning too lightly. Something big is going to happen to one or more of our core heroes. I have a feeling that it’s going to be Team RWBY who end up falling inside of the central zone and becoming trapped in the Unknown World.

At the end of today’s episode, when Penny asked “What now?”; Ruby’s response was “We go to Vacuo. All of us and hope that we thought of everything.”

Obviously this is not going to be the case since our heroes didn’t account for Cinder Fall arriving to foil their plans. So naturally I’m expecting Cinder to finally make her play as the final big boss of this season and do something drastic to prevent all of our heroes from making it to Vacuo.

Given the allusions in today’s episode, my guess is Team RWBY will not make it Vacuo. They will all end up falling and ending up trapped in the Unknown World with no way out and no real way of returning to Remnant…or so it may seem. That’s my assumption.

Whether I’m correct or not, I’ll have to wait and see from the show.

~ LittleMissSquiggles (2021)

#rwby #ruby rose #oscar pine #rwby theories #rwby volume 8 spoilers #rwby volume 8 theories #rwby remarks

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fanfictionstuff · 1 month ago

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Amaimon and the Exorcist (17)

Seti hates everyone. Except you. But he's still pissed at you lmao

“Where is he?” You frown, anxiously waiting for Amaimon to arrive at the train station. “Maybe he changed his mind.” Seti huffs by your feet, glaring in the direction from which the demon king will appear. You glance down at Seti; he has been distant with you for the past couple of weeks. Since you disappeared and returned smelling strongly of Amaimon, he knew instantly why you had that scent and let you know how disgusted he was.

A moment later, the demon king appears, more human-like, dressed in black jeans and a red burgundy shirt. “Amaimon, where have you been?”

He lifts a large plastic bag from the convenience store. “I was buying snacks," he explains. You sigh; of course he was. “Let’s go; the train will be here soon.” He nods and picks up your suitcase. Normally, you would have just used a key to get to your parents' house, but Amaimon has never been on a train before and asked if you could take the train.

“Put the luggage up here.” You gesture toward the overhead compartment for bags. The demon king effortlessly lifts the luggage and places it in its designated spot, along with the small bag of clothes he brought for himself. With the luggage put away, Amaimon settles into the seat, taking the window seat for himself. Seti finds an empty seat a few rows back.

“What’s wrong?”

Your head snaps toward Amaimon; you hadn’t realized he had been watching you. “Oh, I was just thinking about when you meet my parents. We’ve got a few things down, right? You’re Ambrosius Faust. You were once trained as an exorcist, but now you work in demon studies.” You gaze into his golden eyes, “You appear human. As long as you keep that ring on, it should be fine.” Amaimon nods. “Okay.”

You draw him closer and gently press your lips against his cheek. “You’re so cute when you blush," you tease, brushing your fingers along his cheeks. "If you don’t stop, I’m going to make you blush," he responds bluntly as you playfully tug on his normal-shaped ear.

When the train arrives at its destination, you have to call a taxi. Your parents had offered to pick you up, but you’re still nervous about how everything will go with Amaimon. You would rather them meet him in a private setting in case he says something dumb.

You stare at your house, mind blank. You had thought of all these things to say to your parents regarding Amaimon, and it’s all gone. “______?” Amaimon tilts his head in confusion. “What’s wrong? You’re shaking.” His eyes drop to your hands.

“I’ve never brought someone home before. What do I say?”

Seti sighs. “Maybe begin with 'Hi Mom and Dad, I’ve missed you.'"

“Smartass. Alright, I’m good. Nothing to worry about. You remember your name, right Ambrosius?” Honestly, you’re more concerned about forgetting to call him Ambrosius than about him forgetting that his name is supposed to be Ambrosius.

As you approach the door and raise your hand to knock, it swings open unexpectedly. “______!” Your mom beams at you. "It’s been so long! I’ve missed you so much." Before you can even respond, she wraps you in a warm hug. “Mom, wait.” You push the woman away. “Seti?” Confusion spreads across her face as she notices the humanoid fox, and almost as an afterthought, her eyes land on Amaimon. “I suppose this is Ambrosius?” Her gaze sweeps over the man beside you. He looks nothing like what she had envisioned; she had been trying to imagine what he might look like, but the green-haired, golden-eyed man wasn’t something she could’ve ever thought up.

A grin quickly spread across her face. “It’s nice to meet you! I couldn’t believe it when ______ told me she had a boyfriend. How did you manage to get past Seti?” She laughs.

Amaimon observes your mother as she reaches for Seti, but the fox gives a soft hiss and steps away. The older woman grins at Amaimon, unbothered by the moody fox and she bends down to place some slippers in front of him. Amaimon’s brow furrows as he watches Seti step as far from your mother as possible. Like he’s worried she might touch him.

“______!” A man comes from the kitchen, grinning widely at you. “I missed you.” He pulls you into a hug. “Hey dad.” You pat his back awkwardly. “Let me go.” You complain but he just tightens his hold. Seti lets out a low growl and your father finally lets go. His brows raise as he notices Seti’s appearance. “You want a hug too?”

“I will kill you if you touch me.” Seti warns.

Quietly, your mother approaches Amaimon, gently taking hold of the crook of his arm. "Ambrosius," she says softly, pulling him a little closer. “How long has Seti been in that form?” she whispers. “Why?”

“He’s more sensitive in that form; he doesn’t like being touched, and he always seems angry when he’s in that form. Though, I don’t know much about Seti, and he might be upset about something that led him to take that form. Seti is a mystery to both my husband and me." she admits while observing the irate fox.

“Mystery?”

“Yes, he doesn’t seem to care about most people. However, whenever he’s in that form he appears more irritable.”

“How is he a mystery to you? Hasn’t he been ______’s familiar for years?”

“Yes, he has been her familiar since childhood. However, he has always been distant toward my husband and me. He keeps us updated about _____, telling us when she is injured and other important things, but on a personal level, he is distant. My husband believes it’s due to the type of demon he is. Perhaps you know more about it since you study demons.” Amaimon clinches his jaw. The fox is a bigger problem than he originally thought.

You give Amaimon a curious look when you notice your mother speaking to him. But he doesn’t give any hint of what she might be telling him. Your father wraps his arm around your shoulder. “Why don’t you show Ambrosius the bedroom he can drop his bags off in.”

“He’s staying in my bedroom with me,” you say, shrugging off his arm. “Come on, Ambrosius, I’ll show you my room.” You lead the demon king down the hallway to your room. “I guess they thought you’d sleep in the guest room.” You shake your head as you open your luggage to throw a few items onto your bed, which is smaller than you remembered. “But if you prefer, you can sleep in the guest room. You’d have more space there.” You laugh. “You like to sleep on top of me.” Amaimon bluntly responds, “So it doesn’t matter that the bed is small.”

"...No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

You pull Amaimon back into the living room and take a seat on the sofa across from your parents. Instead of joining you on the sofa, Seti chooses to sit in the middle of the floor, facing you.

“So, how is your job going, sweetheart?” Your mother places a hand on her left shoulder. “Seti told us you were injured pretty bad. Are you okay now?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Everything is kind of fine,” you say, stumbling over your words. What you want to express lingers just at the tip of your tongue, but your nerves about everyone’s reactions hold you back. You haven’t even talked to Amaimon or Seti about this, and you might be making a terrible mistake right now. Only time will tell.

“So, about work, I sort of…” Usually, you would glance at Seti for help, and he would effortlessly take over, articulating what you struggle to express. The realization that you can’t even have a difficult conversation without Seti hits you hard, like a slap in the face. Just how much do you really depend on the fox? It starts to feel like you’ve got cotton in your mouth as you search for the right words.

“I-I don’t want to be an exorcist anymore.” The words spill out, quick and uncertain.

Silence washes over the living room. Everyone stares at you in disbelief, even Amaimon looks surprised. Seti is the first to react. “What are you talking about ______?”

You fidget awkwardly, “I just don’t want to do it anymore, it doesn’t feel right.” You admit. It’s never felt right but it didn’t feel wrong, just nothing. But now, with Amaimon by your side, it’s beginning to feel wrong.

Your parents listen to your awful explanation that gives no insight into how you feel and why you’ve suddenly chosen this. Your mom takes the lead to find out more information. “_____, what are you planning to do? It wouldn’t be that serious if you were still in high school, but you’ve graduated and have a stable job as an exorcist. You’ll have to go to university to find a good job with a decent paying salary now.” Concerns fills her eyes as she speaks. “You need to think about this more. I know sometimes it doesn’t feel right, but we all have our ups and downs as exorcists.”

“What about Seti?” your father asks, glancing at the humanoid fox. “He’s your familiar, assisting you as an exorcist. What will happen?”

You glance at Seti, his brown eyes piercing into yours while his ears twitch in irritation as he sits cross-legged in front of you. “I figured you might go to one of my cousins or perhaps their kids?” You suggest an option that will appease the fox demon.

Seti stares at you as if you’re insane. “Are you stupid? I’m not leaving you.” His eyes flicker to Amaimon. I’m not leaving you alone with him. It is left unspoken, but you know he wants to say it. “Who do you think you are? You can’t get rid of me like I’m nothing. I’ve taken care of you for over fifteen years now. I’m not being passed to your cousins or any kids they have.” Seti snaps.

Amaimon watches you silently and with curiosity the whole time “Really?”

Your attention shifts from the furious fox to Amaimon, who is gazing at you blankly, not revealing his thoughts. “Yes.”

Your father interrupts. “Wait, _____, what are you going to do? Will you go back to school? How are you going to survive without the income?”

Amaimon turns to look at your parents. “I will m—” he’s cut off as Seti grabs the demon, yanking him off the sofa and gripping the back of Amaimon’s head, forcing him to bow before her parents. Before Amaimon can react, Seti hisses lowly, "It’s custom. Bow and ask for her hand in marriage.” He snarls quietly enough that only Amaimon can hear. A montage of movies Amaimon has watched flashes through his mind.

When Seti notices Amaimon beginning to relax, he releases him, and the demon king sits on his knees. Amaimon slowly turns to look at you for a moment before glancing back at your parents and lowering his head. "Please allow me to marry _____.” He narrows his eyes at the floor, displeased with having to ask for permission.

Your parents' eyes snap to you, but you’re just as shocked. Amaimon doesn’t lift his head right away, so you glance at Seti, who is sitting cross-legged a bit behind Amaimon, using his fist to prop up his head and expressing his displeasure with the king. When Seti notices your gaze, he straightens up and starts to say… something. He’s complaining to you in his native language.

“Wait…” your mom starts, and Amaimon lifts his head, appearing somewhat bored. “______, you’re not pregnant, are you?”

“No!” You reach for Amaimon and pull him back onto the sofa with you. “What are you doing?”

“The fox said I need to ask permission.”

Your father is the one who tries to calm everything down by letting out an awkward laugh. “Seti must’ve been joking with you.” He has noticed that Amaimon has odd mannerisms from the short time he’s met him; he almost seems curious about everything. Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding. “Why don’t we—"

“I bought you a ring," Amaimon said, reaching into his pocket to produce a velvet case. “Here.” He opened the case and smoothly slid the ring onto your left hand's ring finger.

Your jaw drops. “Ambrosius, is this a real diamond?” You stare at the single stone adorning your finger. It’s beautiful—perfect in size and shape. Although it fits perfectly on your finger and doesn’t seem overly extravagant, you can’t shake the feeling that a diamond like this must be expensive. “It is.”

“I see. How much did you pay for it?"

“Two and a half million.”

You shake your head, remove the ring, and hand it back to him. “Ama—Ambrosius, I can’t accept this."

The Earth King tilts his head in confusion. “You don’t like it? Oh, maybe you should come with me to choose a different one."

“That’s not what I meant. I appreciate it; it’s beautiful, but it’s far too expensive. I can’t accept something at that price.” You explain, certain that the money originated from Mephisto, and you can’t help but wonder if he knows that Amaimon bought you a ring this expensive.

He blinks. “So, you do like it?” Without hesitation, he takes your hand again. “Then wear it.”

Your mother finally cuts in. “Sorry, if you don’t mind me asking, how long did the two of you say you’ve been together?” Amaimon ignores your mother’s question as he puts the ring on your finger again.

Unsure what to say, you glance at Seti, who in return scoffs. “Idiot, answer her question.”

With no support from Seti, you glance at Amaimon. “Uh, um, well, you see-“ You have no idea how to answer the question. It’s really simple, it’s only been a couple of months, but how are you supposed to tell your family that? “We’ve been together for awhile…”

Now your dad narrows his eyes, concerned about how long ‘awhile’ is for you, and why the man before him is proposing to you so quickly because he has an idea that ‘awhile’ is too little time for him to propose. “Which is how long.”

“Oh, you know…awhile.”

Seti drags his hand over his face at your stupidity.

Your dad focuses on Seti. “What’s your opinion of him?”

“I hate him.”

Your father blinks. “Oh.”

“Seti hates anyone who looks at _____.” Your mom reminds him.

“Yes, but I especially hate him.” Seti glances at Amaimon, frowning. “You can’t even take care of her. I’m always taking care of her. The only way you take care of her is sexually.” Seti and Amaimon glare at each other.

“Enough.” Your father glares at the two demons. “Seti, nobody is going to live up to your standards for ______. You say he can’t take care of her, but have you backed off long enough for him to do anything?” He hates being strict like this, and pissing off the fox is usually a bad idea. But, the tension between the fox and your boyfriend is ridiculous. “You’ve even changed forms to intimidate him, haven’t you? Seti, maybe it’s time to give ______ space. She’s clearly happy with Ambrosius-“

“Fine.” Seti snarls, rising to his full height, his figure towering over everyone else seated in the living room. “I have taken care of her for years, and now you expect me just to leave her in the hands of the Earth King. Fine.” He disappears from the living room.

Your parents gaze at where the fox had just been before shifting their focus to you. “Uh, sweetheart," your mom begins. “What did he mean when he said leave you in the hands of the Earth King?”

You stare at the spot where Seti had just been, you can feel all three adults’ eyes on you, and you have no idea what to say. “I don’t know.” Apparently, you didn’t sound convincing because your mom’s tone becomes more commanding. “______ what did he mean?”

“I don’t know.” Maybe you sounded more convincing that time? You glance up at your parents. Yeah, they think you’re full of shit. “I really don’t know.” You groan, covering your face. This is a nightmare. Everything was supposed to go smoothly, even Amaimon was being mostly normal.

“What is really going on ______?” Your dad presses.

“Seti hates Ambrosius.” You stare at the floor, fingers digging into your knees.

Your mother glances from the ring on your finger to the man sitting beside you, Seti might hate the man, but he wouldn’t make false comments like that only to cause drama. “Earth King.” She stares at the man, choosing to address him. “What did he mean, tell me the truth.”

Amaimon removes the ring that conceals his true appearance. His human hands transform as dark claws take the place of his nails, his ears elongate into sharper points, and when he meets your mother’s gaze, she notices his now sharpened canines. “I am Amaimon, the Demon King of Earth.”

#ao no exorcist #blue exorcist #amaimon #blue exorcist x reader #amaimon x reader #blue exorcist fanfiction #amaimon ao no exorcist #amaimon blue exorcist

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furblrwurblr · 4 years ago

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Moppet!Douxie x GN!Reader, Soulmate AU | Hurt/Comfort, Fluff

Warnings: Fire/Explosion, lots of crying, self esteem issues, misunderstandings cause a lot of emotional turmoil

Note: This is my first fic! I know fics have it worse than art, but if you'd consider leaving tips in the comments, I'd be super grateful! Thanks for taking a look!

It was springtime in Camelot, near the turn of the season. The sun was high, the birds were singing, and you... were late. As a magic user, your life was in constant jeopardy regardless of your employment as the Crowmaster, Crowlord Corbin’s apprentice, penning and sending letters for the kingdom. And in this kingdom, tardiness was not appreciated. Racing through the castle halls with the king’s letters in hand, you noticed movement on your forearms.

“I wonder what color their eyes are. I bet they’re lovely.”

Your lips curled in a tender smile at the curling words that appeared on your skin. Similar musings crossed your soulmate’s mind daily, not leaving your body free of the enigmatic “ink” for years.

No one, not even the renowned Merlin Ambrosius, knew the precise nature of the words that would mark people’s skin, only that they were your soulmate’s thoughts about you. Soulmates were a fickle thing, their connections varying with different cultural beliefs and changing as countries developed. In England, the written words made finding your soulmate a tad difficult as one couldn’t know if their other half was paying any mind when they tried to share personal details. It was said that once you know them wholly, you’re complete in all things. Whatever that means.

You’d once been impatient to meet your own, to know what it means to be complete, but after years of black markings coming and going, covering your body in kind words of admiration, you deemed them worth the wait.

You were shocked from your reverie in a flutter of parchment. You’d bumped into someone, the king’s letters falling to the ground right into… was that slorr juice? You didn’t even apologize to the raven-haired young man whose spell material you’d just gotten all over the floor. You were far too panicked. Knowing your animal magic was of no help here, you scrambled to salvage what you could.

Hisirdoux was in trouble. Merlin would have his head when he told him he lost the slorr juice to another bout of soulmate pondering, and have it again when he discovered that said juice is the reason the king didn’t receive his news regarding the upcoming royal summit. Douxie leaned forward to help but instead opted to frantically search his brace for anything that could help the poor apprentice in front of him.

When he’d finally found the rune, the Crowmaster had just finished shaking off what liquid they could from the sensitive documents. He quickly dried them hoping to save the ink on them as best he could, long fingers flitting over each. In a hurried frenzy of apologies and farewells, the hallway was emptied.

Merlin was less than pleased, and frankly, a little concerned. Douxie usually gets so cautious after a mistake that even Merlin feels his stress, but this was the third time this week. Why was he so focused on his soulmate? After a right scolding, Douxie retired to his room to study. Merlin nearly did a double-take at what was written on his young apprentice’s neck.

“He was quite kind.”

So they’d met. Did his soulmate know? Did Douxie know?

Over the next few weeks, you two kept running into one another. A passing here, an acknowledgment there. After about a month you’d come to look forward to seeing the boy trip over himself en route to Merlin’s study. You helped him carry supplies when the Crowlord was away and talked when he dropped off Merlin’s letters to the court magicians across England. For some reason, you found yourself hanging on his every word and smiling whenever you caught a glimpse of his adorable manbun weaving through the streets.

He felt the same. It was never enough to speak to you in passing and he even left long conversations with you feeling wanting. He doesn’t quite remember how he started, but it’d become a habit to watch you work through the large western tower window. He’d admire your tenderness with the crows and was warmed by your bond with your hawk familiar.

As you left the tower to retire for the night, he always thought you might be cold, but never gathered the courage to walk you to your chambers.

Douxie was concerned. The day was halfway through, winter clouds covering the high sun, and you were nowhere to be seen. He’d watched you enter the western tower at dawn and the candlelight hadn’t been extinguished once. He was principally done with Merlin’s tasks for the day, perhaps he could pop his head in? “just for a minute,” he decided.

He exited his chambers (Merlin’s storage closet) and rapped a knuckle on his master’s desk, pulling his attention from some blueprints. Merlin didn’t speak, just gave an expectant look.

Douxie ran a near-trembling hand through his tied black hair before cautiously speaking up. “Master, may I have the rest of the day off?”

“Whatever brought this on? After the way you’ve been acting these past months?”

Douxie averted his gaze, suddenly finding his shoes far more interesting. “I’d… I’d like to see someone today.”

After a beat, the master wizard quickly scribbled something down on a piece of parchment and handed it to the boy.

“Finish these and I’ll consider your time served for the day,” Merlin sighed.

Douxie had been sure he would shut down. He quickly snatched the list and ran to the door, uttering a rushed ‘thank you master’ before it shut behind him. Merlin watched him leave, fondness in his eyes.

The sun was just dipping past the high kingdom walls, turning the town a vibrant orange. Douxie hung the herbs he’d just gathered, heaving a sigh of great relief when the last one was in place. He raced across the west side, eager to visit his… friend? Is that who you were to him? He banished the thought as he came upon the west tower, dark eyebrows shooting up in surprise. Citizens, a lot of them, stood in a line from the tower out down the hallway.

“What’s going on?” he asked a young woman.

“I’m here with my children, the Crowmaster is penning wishlists for Saint Nick. Just a shilling each!”

Douxie nodded and thanked her, then made his way to the tower. He gently pushed past the mob gathered in the doorway, stammering apologies. At last, he reached the Crowlord’s desk. The man himself was nowhere to be seen and you were alone, writing away at the whim of an excited child. He caught a glimpse of your face, you looked tired. Had you really been doing this all day?

Exhausted wasn’t a big enough word to describe how you felt. The only thing keeping you going was reading the various forms of concern written on your skin. By now, you knew you’d met them, but you couldn’t place who it could be. However, thinking was only making you more fatigued as your aching wrist swept across the parchment.

Douxie said nothing, just pulled out the Crowlord’s chair, and sat down. You looked at him, eyes wide, but the only explanation offered was a kind smile. He picked up a quill and called out for the next person to step forward. You turned back to the young girl asking for a sword, your smile wide and heart swelling.

By the time you two finished, the sun was half past the horizon. The last patron left the tower and you both heaved a sigh of relief.

“I can’t than-”

“Um, do you think-”

You looked at one another and laughed, waiting for the other to speak. Douxie hesitated, then took a deep breath.

“Uhm, do you think you’ve some time? I’d like to show you something,” he asked, lifting his eyes to your face.

“Sure,” you replied, smiling and holding out your elbow.

He beamed, quickly grabbing two pieces of parchment, a quill, and an inkwell. You raised a brow but let him be as he threaded your arm through his and started walking.

The young wizard’s apprentice couldn’t bring himself to speak, he was far too nervous. Thankfully, you found the silence comfortable as he led you up a winding staircase at the corner of the castle. Once you both reached the top, he gestured to the sea. It was breathtaking. The salty breeze floated through your hair as you admired the sun’s glow over the water and the colors of twilight.

Douxie broke the quiet. “I thought you’d like this. Hmm, it isn’t enough light to write by though.” He waved his hand, sending blue wisps to swirl around you both. You watched them float about, eyes finally landing on Douxie who was making himself comfortable in a crenel, placing the supplies he’d brought with him on the merlon in front of him. You settled across from him, reaching for the quill.

His slender hand caught yours and laid in on the stone, gently massaging your wrist. “You’ll injure yourself at this rate. Let someone else write for you today.” His gaze caught yours, hazel eyes full of concern, and… something else you couldn’t place.

A gentle smile spread across your face as you reveled in the sun on your skin and the breeze on your lips. Douxie shuffled his papers around and spoke up again a moment later.

“So! What’s your wish?” Douxie asked, smiling wide.

“What?” you said, puzzled.

Douxie rose a brow, pointing out “All today, has anyone penned you a wishlist?”

“I suppose not,” you said, the smile settling back onto your face.

He beamed and set the quill to the parchment again. “Fantastic. Not that I think it’s fantastic no one’s offered, I’m just glad I get to- oh, I never even asked. I should have asked first, I’m so sorry-,” His shoulders tensed, but he stopped abruptly when he felt your hand on his.

“Hisirdoux, thank you. I’d love it if you did, there’s no need to worry.”

You started telling him things you wanted for Christmas and conversation flowed from there. Teasing banter and loud laughter filled the sky as it turned to night, blue magic floating around you both excitedly in time with your synchronized heartbeats as he finally walked you to your chambers, even offering you his hood. What could he do? He thought you looked cold.

It was just past noon on Christmas day. The ground sparkled a bright white and children’s laughter rang through the air. You took a deep breath of the crisp air and let it out in a contented sigh, taking a sip of the warm cider your master bought you before he left to celebrate with his family. He invited you to join them, but you opted to celebrate it yourself. You placed the cider on the table next to the window you were sitting in and picked up the small wood block you were fashioning into a present for Douxie. The small wooden cat-dragon only needed his hind leg to be freed from its timber prison. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s the thought that counts. As you worked, sentences curled up your arms and swirling letters kissed the base of your fingers. You paused your whittling with a frown. The only feeling behind this gift was love. You’d accepted you loved Douxie after that night bathed in twilight and lonely smiles, but you felt so incredibly twisted about it. You’d already met your soulmate and they thought about you often. Did your soulmate also worry they’d fallen in love with the wrong person? You shook your head, clearing your mind at the sound of wingbeats. Your hawk familiar landed on your raised knee and began to preen themself, looking at you smugly through pristine feathers.

“I can feel you overthinking things from across the castle,” they spoke, masking concern under teasing.

You scoffed, knowing they were right. “What am I meant to do? I can’t go on like this when I’ve got a soulmate out there. I can’t even try, it’s against the law! They know we’re bonded, what if they see me with him? I don’t want to hurt them like that. Not to mention, what if he’s not perfect for me? I want the soulbond to experience all of another person, but should I give that up for love?”

Your familiar shook their head and flew away, leaving you with your question hanging in the air. Watching them leave, you noticed someone walking towards the slorr’s stable. The manbun was too recognizable for there to be a shred of doubt: Douxie was being put to work on Christmas Day. You turned the wooden Archie in your hand and pushed off the windowsill. Just because you love him doesn’t mean you can’t stay friends.

Douxie was in flux. Archie saw the boy’s neutral expression turn sour as he read what he could of his soulmate’s thoughts. They loved someone else? Would they give him up for someone they’d already met? He couldn’t exactly criticize, he was in the same boat. Y/N was so important to him, but if he found his soulmate, could he quell the confusing little thing they had together for someone he barely knew? He decided he’d understand if his soulmate didn’t love him, he’d want them to do the same. He loved Y/N too much to let them go.

He looked up from his arm and startled. You were waiting for him, leaning against the slorr’s gate, your hawk familiar preening themself. While you laughed at his absentmindedness, he frantically rolled his ¾ sleeves down over the words that betrayed his true heart.

“Y-Y/N! W-what are you doing here? Aren’t you- um, aren’t you meant to be celebrating?” Douxie stammered out as his heart rate slowed.

You pushed off the gate and grabbed the pail he was holding in his hands that were still light with adrenaline. “I am! I opted not to celebrate with Master Corbin and his family, take the day for myself and see where it leads,” you said, a hopeful grin rising to your lips.

Douxie broke into a giddy smile, his heart afloat. They had all of Christmas to enjoy the town and they were here with him? He couldn’t believe his fortune. “Then I’m glad it led you here!” he exclaimed.

Archie curled himself around your leg, butting his dark head into your calf. “Are you here to enjoy the show?” he asked with a purr.

Your laugh was the only thing keeping Douxie from strangling his bespectacled familiar, so he settled for a pout you internally cooed at.

Both of you paused in front of the gate, reluctant to enter. He swung it open with a bow. “Ladies first.”

“Cheeky,” you said to him over your shoulder.

Archie and your familiar started playing with one another as you two prepared to take on the slorr together.

Hm. This was a mess. The slorr seemed to enjoy the happy atmosphere you’d both created so she was a tad more cooperative, but it took longer for her to calm down. You and Douxie were covered head to toe in the glowing blue liquid, trying to remove what you could into the pail Merlin gave him. Your shared laughter slowed to silence as you noticed him staring at you, eyes slowly roving over your face. Did he look… sad? No, that wasn’t it. Before you could scrutinize him further, you felt it. Gentle fingers caressing your cheek, going up, up… Your breath hitched as he laid his palm to your cheek, thumb slowly moving across your face. You let out a shaky breath and he jolted, noticing your wide eyes fixed on his and quickly withdrawing his hand.

He shook some juice from his hand and gesticulated wildly, stammering through an apology. “You- you had some juice on your cheek, I’m so sorry, Merlin’s tower, I shouldn’t have done that-”

“It’s okay, really. Thanks for getting it for me,” you interrupted. You wanted to say more, but his sleeve had risen in his fervor, swirling lines reminding you he wasn’t yours to comfort. Hisirdoux was such an emotional and empathetic being, he wouldn’t leave his soulmate. Especially since his soulmate would have to be an absolute saint, it’s no less than he deserved. Taking a deep breath in, you looked back at him. “Don’t bite your lips, you’ll chap them. Was that your last task for the day?”

Douxie released his lip, fighting the urge to continue chewing it. “It was, and I’ve no clue how I’m going to use the rest of the afternoon,” he said, watching as his familiar and yours playfully wrestled for a mouse.

Your heart leaped, this was your chance! “How would you like to spend it together? There are tons of things to do in town and I’ve saved up my pay for a while so I’ve some wiggle room. Not to mention, I’ve made you something.”

The nervous cloud around you both dissolved as Douxie eagerly agreed and begged you to reveal what you had for him. You denied him with a laugh, smile widening with his every impatient groan. Your familiars ran ahead of you both, swirling in a frenzy of playful fighting and laughter as you walked out of the castle, arm-in-arm.

The town was a sight to behold. Holly curled around door frames, red berries nestled among twisted wreaths. Mistletoe hung from building corners, tracks disrupted the perfect layers of fresh snow, and children weaved and ducked through throngs of people gathered around street musicians. Snowballs were flying at the end of every street, laughter and song floating in the air with the excited chatter of families buying wares for their families, and lines of crushed berries stained the ground. It was an English tradition to wish to meet your soulmate sooner by spreading holly berries in a line on Christmas as a nod to the Chinese legends of the soulstring, a red string that connected soulmates there. Sure, it made a mess of your shoes but you always found it cute.

The first few minutes were unsure, both of you fishing for ideas on what to do first. Archie and your familiar were already deep in conversation, but you and Douxie were struggling. That is, until, the smell of sweet buns reached him. His stomach let out a mighty grumble, a testament to how he’d been working for longer than you and likely hadn’t eaten lunch yet. He covered his pale face with his free hand, too embarrassed to bear seeing you fight a rising smile. You slid your hand down his forearm and grasped his cold fingers, pulling him towards the source of the heavenly aroma. A fiery blush rose to his ears when he registered your fingers lacing with his while you waited in line. Reaching the front, Douxie’s protests fell on deaf ears as you swatted his hands away, insisting you’d pay. The baker gave a soft smile and handed you two of the high coveted baked goods, bidding you both a happy Christmas. Just two apprentices walking hand in hand, browsing stalls, eating together, and enjoying one another's company.

Douxie heard something on the wind and perked up. Lively music came from the town square and Douxie wasn’t about to miss the chance to dance with you. He pulled you from the daggers you were eyeing, making a note of which you lingered on before pulling you close and weaving through the other partygoers. Soon enough, you made it to the musicians, seeing the space before them where a group was dispersing as the song ended. The vocalist started up again, solo for a few lines until the band swelled. Douxie bounced on his heels, recognizing the tune as The Bear and the Maiden Fair. His excitement sent a wave of courage through him and he slipped his fingers from yours, instead grabbing you by the wrist to drag you to the open space. Others joined, forming a circle. Claps and stomps interrupted the smooth movement of the ring. Laughter mixed with the joyful notes of the flute. Hisirdoux couldn’t stop looking at your joined hands, sometimes lifting his gaze to your eyes closed in a laugh. When the vocalist reached the line “lifted her high into the air”, Douxie broke his hand away from the person opposite you, lifted you by the waist, and spun. Your clothes fluttered and for a moment, you were weightless. Douxie’s laughter rang in your ears, lingering just like the feeling of his fingers intertwined with yours. His hands were warm and firm on your midsection, the heat replaced with a chill as he set you down. You absently continued the dance, happiness clouding the passage of time. Douxie kept your hand in his, allowing your arms to fall to your sides. You looked at each other, breathless smiles lingering on your faces as the song changed once more. You both walked on, catching your breath and coming down from the high.

A few hours later, you’d both had more interaction with each other than you’d had with anyone else all year. It was a welcome break from the same hallways, the same people, and the same routines. You’d bought each other dinner, talked about everything under the sun, and danced through seemingly all of Camelot, only separating for maybe an hour to buy gifts that may or may not have been for one another.

The day was coming to a close, the sun once again a deep vermillion, the snow reflecting it like gems. As you were heading back to the castle, you passed a holly berry stall. Douxie saw you looking at it, sobered by the reminder you were both promised to complete strangers. Just today, he’d fallen so much more in love with you than he thought possible, and if you wanted your soulmate, who was he to deny you? He tugged on your arm, wordlessly offering a pound to the vendor. The woman raised a brow at your intertwined fingers but offered the small basket of berries without a question. You looked at him quizzically when he drew his hand from yours, pouring a good amount into his hand and giving you the remainder. Enjoying the bittersweet silence, you two took turns placing the berries in a line. Archie swatted your familiar’s eager beak from the line of red that was stark against the slow-melting snow. Once you’d finished, Douxie sent you a sad smile and asked if you’d like to exchange gifts in his chambers. You agreed, once again arm-in-arm, streets quiet except for the soft crunching of snow beneath your heavy feet and the pound of heavy hearts.

Hisirdoux lit all his candles as the sun peeked just over the horizon. Archie made himself comfortable on his wizard’s pillow, curling around a tired hawk familiar. Your own wizard associate preened themselves while you and Doux sat on the bed, eventually opting to preen Archie when they were satisfied. Archie let out a yelp when she preened the edge of his ear, earning a look from you. Douxie pulled out a handful of items from his satchel with a flourish and showed you all the things he’d found one by one. Polish for Lancelot’s sword, a garlic braid for one of Galahad’s more ambitious brews, cooked salmon for Archie, and other things spread out in front of him.

He gave a nervous smile. “Close your eyes,” he breathed.

You smiled as your eyes slid shut. His slim, cold fingers touched your hand, causing goosebumps to rise on your arm as he pressed something small into your palm.

“And… open!” He slid his hands from yours and into his lap, an expectant look on his long face. Looking down, you gasped. There laid a ring that looked to be made of vines, weaving around each other and wrapping around the base of a tiny white flower.

“I found a curltrap in the forest on my last herb run and thought you might like it, so I made it into a ring. It won’t wilt. Um… do you? Like it, I mean,” he asked, brows pinching.

You slipped it on and looked at him in awe. Leaning forward, you softly put your arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. “Douxie, it’s beautiful. No one’s ever given me such a thoughtful gift, thank you for making it.” He laid his hands on your back and laid his face in the crook of your neck to return the gesture, hand trailing after when you pulled away.

“Your turn!” You reached into your bag and paused. “Close your eyes.”

Douxie pouted but held his hand out after doing as he was told. He felt something hard and contoured, slowly curling his long fingers around it. He opened his eyes and stared at it in awe. It was wood whittled in Archie’s likeness, complete with small green gems for eyes and tiny glasses frames made of wire. His wings were unfurled, his posture inquisitive. Archie looked at it, speechless.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I played it safe. When I told the carpenter it was for you he offered to inlay the gems for free. You’re more appreciated than you think!” you exclaimed with a smile. He whispered a “thank you” as he turned it over in his hands, admiring the details. In all honesty, he’d already committed every dip and groove to memory, he was just replaying your words in his mind. “You’re more appreciated than you think!” He never thought about the impact he had on others, he was too busy being concerned with Merlin’s opinion of him. That’d be something he’d have to work on if it made you smile like that.

The rest of the evening flew by, laughter and the sound of a lute seeping through Douxie’s chamber door and into Merlin’s study. By now you’d fallen asleep on his bed having drifted off while Douxie softly sang a folk lullaby you’d requested. He lifted the blanket over you and laid down, the blanket layered between you two. He stared at you while you slept, soaking you in. The shadows your eyelashes cast on your cheeks. Your chest rising and falling in tandem with his. The black lines swirling to your collarbone- wait. Douxie watched as a thought appeared on your skin, hidden under your shirt. Archie moved in circles at the foot of the bed and stopped abruptly feeling Douxie’s sudden fear. He was so tempted to look but he couldn’t risk you hating him… it’s just to see what they think of you. To see if they deserve you. Yeah, that was a viable excuse. Archie hissed quietly at his friend, watching Douxie’s trembling fingers gingerly expose the skin towards your shoulder. He looked at the two words, puzzled. “They’re breathtaking.” Did they see you in the square? Had it been when you’d separated? Douxie was torn from his own thoughts when you made a noise, your brow furrowing for a moment and relaxing. His hand still had your collarbone exposed, and he watched in equal parts elation and horror as his own thought scrawled itself onto your skin.

“I don’t know if I can let you go.”

His blood ran cold, breath hitching and mind flailing.

You were his. You were fated to be his. But you loved someone else.

Spring had returned to Camelot, plants thriving in the sun’s warmth. The flowers were happy, fluttering in the sea breeze. You furrowed your brow when your heart clenched at the thought of such beautiful blossoms mocking you. A shadow passed over your face as you looked to the flower that still curled itself around your finger. It’d been three months since the best Christmas you’d ever had, but the memory was now stained. Douxie and you still talked, but for some reason, he made excuses to avoid you and felt distant when you were able to cajole him into a short walk. At first, it seemed like he was busy with the amulet, but then he was absent even when Merlin said he was stuck and didn’t require his apprentice’s help. You were disappointed and confused, feeling hurt every time he blew you off with some excuse of running errands for Merlin.

Hisirdoux wasn’t feeling any better. He missed you greatly and seeing what you thought of his excuses only deepened his guilt. But wasn’t this what you wanted? Why would you be so disappointed he wouldn’t spend as much time with you if you loved someone else? He chalked it up to the soulmate bond, ignoring Archie’s concern and attempts at advice. His eyes were sunken in and puffy, due in part to crying himself to sleep watching your pain at his sudden distance write itself on his skin. He’d go to bed with swirling lines of magical ink torturing his dreams and awake a blank slate, ready for it to start all over again.

Archie couldn’t take this. For the past week, he’d been pushing his magic through their psychic bond, pouring parts of a sleep spell into his charge, but that would only work for so long. Douxie was destroying himself from the inside out, all because he couldn’t be selfish for once and speak up. The shifter waited for Douxie to leave for the day, telling him he’d find him at noon. Archie stayed in front of the door until the young man’s voice faded. He sighed, whispering an apology. Douxie wouldn’t want anyone to know, but the boy needed an intervention.

“Merlin? We need to talk.”

Merlin had noticed Douxie’s exhaustion and had purposefully lightened his load, but the boy kept working regardless. Merlin thought less work could allow him to spend more time with the Crowmaster (who at this point couldn’t be anyone BUT Douxie’s soulmate considering how quickly they bonded and how much time they spent together), but he’d come back to his study to see the books sorted a different way every week, the suits of armor impossibly polished, and the herb rack overflowing with all kinds of magical flora. As Archie relayed the events of the past few months, Merlin felt his chest constrict tighter and tighter. His heart bled for the boy, growing angry at just how oblivious you both were. And then, an idea. Not one of his best or subtlest, but it’d get the job done fast and serve as a bit of punishment for confusing his apprentice’s heart.

It was that time of year again. The yearly royal summit had you and the Crowlord running circles around one another, both of you rapidly penning and sending letters and the occasional need to coerce the grumpiest crow, Corvus, to carry just one more letter for the day. Between your familiar’s regular several-day flights to Spain, your scurrying around the castle, and the magic you were giving the crows for some extra juice, you were exhausted. Your eyes were sunken, you weren’t sleeping properly, and you missed Douxie. You didn’t know why, but his absence made your heart hurt. Every time you collected letters from Merlin, your throat closed at seeing his apprentice’s chamber door. Catching a glimpse of him through doorways and windows made your mouth dry. Both Master Corbin and Galahad had noticed your change in attitude, asking you to rest and why Douxie wasn’t with you, confused why you were no longer attached by the hip. You were tired. Everything fell by the wayside as you rushed from official to official. The king himself was concerned for you. Well, as concerned as he was willing to be towards a mage.

Finally, there was a lull. You were able to rest for a while but didn’t dare leave the tower, knowing something would pop up eventually. Sitting down for what felt like the first time in weeks, you let everything go. The “mother hen” of the tower crows, Corinth, coaxed it out of you bit by bit until the dam burst. She preened your scalp while you cried, hot tears rolling down your twisted features. The feeling was comforting, helping to ease your upset. Finally, you were able to speak.

“...I love him, Corinth. I don’t know how I hurt him and I don’t know how to fix it, but I love him. He isn’t mine and he never will be, I know it, I do, so why does it still hurt so much?” you whimpered, drawing your knees to your chest.

“Perhaps he’s blind,” she said sagely.

“He can see perfectly well,” you whispered with an insincere chuckle, still not trusting your ability to speak without breaking down again.

Her eyes glinted in the noontime sun. “Stupid, then.”

You laughed, eyes crinkling and forcing tears that were left on your lashes to fall. “Douxie may well be stupid, but he isn’t simple. It’s one of his many charms.” A soft smile lingered on your face, heart lighter than before. “Thank you Corinth, you listen well.”

She shook out her plumage and settled on your knees, cuddling into your bosom. You stroked her gently, the silence pushing in on your curled form.

༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓

Poor Hisirdoux was in flux again. He sat on his bed turning the wooden Archie over in his hands. Merlin had left not too long ago and given him the day. Douxie’s hands felt light without a task. Come to think of it, his head felt light too. He couldn’t sleep yet, but he desperately needed a pick-me-up. A sigh escaped him when he realized his basin was nearly empty. He’d wanted something to do so he might as well refill it. Upon picking up the basin he dropped it immediately, water splashing violently across the floor along with the clatter of wood on stone. Archie yowled, shifting into his dragon form. The boy’s eyes were wide in horror as he recalled his reflection in the water. You see, in England, not only are the words of a soulmate tie important, but their placing on the skin holds equal meaning. Douxie had only ever gotten them on his limbs and the base of his skull when he was younger, but ever since he met Y/N, they began showing on his torso and the left side of his chest. But this… this couldn’t mean anything good. Scrawled black lines, no longer smooth and flourished, curled around his throat. They began from seemingly nowhere and writhed downwards in a creeping spiral, the end reaching for his heart.

“Arch!” he cried. “What’s happening? Why are they like this? What do they say? Arch, Arch, please I need to know what’s wrong!” Tears welled in his hazel eyes as he dragged his hands down his throat, futilely trying to smudge the twisted lines.

Archie felt his fear so strongly his back arched on its own accord, but he found his way to Douxie quickly. He scampered to the boy just as he fell to his knees, his mind nothing but questions. Archie shifted, paws pulling Douxie’s frantic hands into his lap as he curled his wings around the boy’s shoulders. He sniffed and shuddered to a halt, shaky breaths drawing in and out as he lifted his head for Archie to read the swirling text.

Archie’s reaction to your thoughts was well hidden. He knew you two loved each other, but this hurt him just as much as it did Douxie. “...I love him, Corinth. I don’t know how I hurt him and I don’t know how to fix it, but I love him. He isn’t mine and he never will be, I know it, I do, so why does it still hurt so much?” The next bit made him breathe a laugh, but he realized that while it wouldn’t be easy to tell Douxie just how much you were both hurt by each other’s assumptions, it was just the proof he needed. Archie tugged the reluctant apprentice out into Merlin’s study.

Hisirdoux approached the mirror, looking back at Archie before he confronted the letters snaking down his collarbone. He twisted this way and that, heart falling to pieces over and over with every word.

He shifted his hood back into place, fluffing the collar to cast the letters in shadow. One look at Archie’s concerned face was all it took. He sank against the wall, gathering Archie into his arms and burying his face into his familiar’s side. Glistening tears wet Archie’s fur as the cat dragon purred loudly to offer comfort.

Hisirdoux’s breathing evened out. “Arch, what have I done? What can I do?” he whispered, clutching the familiar ever closer.

Archie placed a large paw on the boy’s chest, near his heart. “You can go after them. Tell them what you know.”

Douxie nodded after a beat and gathered himself, quickly walking out of Merlin’s tower and towards the western wing of the castle.

༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓

The king and his court mages piled into a carriage in preparation for the trip to the port where they’d depart to Spain for the royal summit. Merlin and Morgana sat next to each other and shared a look when the carriage lurched forward. Of course Merlin enlisted Morgana’s help, she’s a trusted source of chaos. He felt for the Crowlord’s aura in the tower and nodded to her once he confirmed Corbin was away. While Arthur was distracted, they sent their magic out. Tendrils of light bobbed, weaved, and merged to form two fluorescent lime balls. They floated around as if to get their bearings, then flew at the west tower. Nestled just below the ridge leading from the doorway was a sack of Dworkstone, its contents belonging to various trolls imprisoned in the castle dungeons. One ball started to vibrate just before it pushed to the center of the sack, starting the movement needed for a mother of an explosion The other flattened into a shield, curling itself around the sack. And they waited.

༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓

You were still curled on the floor, Corinth in your lap when the crows began to beat their wings against their cages. Corinth was panicked but managed to push what coherent thought she could into your mind.

“The door… danger... hurry…” She struggled, taking off out the window in a flutter of black.

You felt the disturbance, dread rising in the pit of your stomach. Scrambling to your feet, you barely managed to stand before a loud boom shook the tower. The shield swelled, Trollfire stretching the ward into the room. Your frantic hands undid locks and bonds as quickly as they could, ushering the crows to safety through the large window. The ward began to thin, crackles of green sparks coming undone as the fire fought against Merlin’s magic. You barely managed to throw the last crow out the window before the ward burst into a violent, moving wall of green flames.

You were pushed into the far wall, falling and splitting your brow on the cobblestone. All you could hear was ringing as your vision went white, slowly fading back to normal. You were trapped under the desk and a few chairs, too weak to lift them off. The screech of a hawk sounded far off as your hearing faded in and out. Fire blazed all around you, easily spreading along the hay bedding in the open cages. You coughed, smoke already in the air. Wait. It shouldn’t be this low yet, it’s only been a few moments since the explosion. You quickly sobered into a panic when you realized the wood piled on top of you was burning. Great. Now you were scared and disoriented. A perfect mix for getting out of sticky situations. The only thing to do now was wait.

Douxie could swear he felt his soul leave his body. He was on his way to tell you-- well, everything. You were his everything. He felt it before he heard it. The tingle of troll and human magic filled the air before a loud explosion shook the western tower. The western tower? Fuzzbuckets, you were on duty today! Crows flew from the open window, a whole murder blackening the sky for a few moments. They’d dispersed by the time he made it to the tower entrance. There was a small crowd a few paces back, Lancelot and another knight inspecting the swelling ward full of fire. Douxie pushed through the crowd just in time to see Lancelot raising his sword.

“No! Everyone run!” he screamed.

Lance was already going full swing when he heard it, looking back at Douxie in fear. Douxie grabbed the knight and made the best ward he could on short notice before the shield burst. They were all blasted backward, a few serfs’ tunics setting on fire. His dark hair was thoroughly windswept, his entire body frozen in shock on the ground. Lancelot might have been screaming, but Douxie couldn’t hear it. Blood dripped down his pale face, but Douxie couldn’t feel it. He could have been floating, his head was so light. Sure, his ears rang, his hands trembled, his chest heaved, but all he could feel was you. Your confusion, your panic. You were definitely inside. Douxie struggled to his feet and stumbled forward into the tower, ignoring Galahad’s voice yelling for him to stop.

If he wasn’t suffocating before, he sure was now. Douxie brought his hood to his mouth to filter some of the air and began searching for you. It wasn’t a very big room, but between the fire, smoke, and items strewn throughout, it was proving more difficult than he’d hoped.

You let out a groan, the table pushing splinters into your leg.

He whipped his head towards the source of the sound, hoping to catch a glimpse of movement. “Y/N?! Y/N, where are you?” he cried.

Weakly, you spoke through a great cough. “...Douxie? Is that you?”

He hurried to the large pile of wood and began tearing it apart. “It’s me, it’s me, love. Please be alright, please, please, please, you can’t die. You’re not going to die, love.”

Hisirdoux heaved the table off you just as you slumped to the floor. He lifted you by the arms with a mighty roar, dragging you towards the open doorway. Galahad and the knight from earlier ran to catch you both as Douxie slipped into unconsciousness.

༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓

Two days. You hadn’t stirred for two days. The sun shone softly through the long linen curtains. Your familiar was perched on the headboard, asleep. Douxie was sat up by your bedside, bandaged hands gingerly holding one of yours while Archie slept on your legs. The boy had gotten burned pulling the debris off of you. He hadn’t left your side, save when the castle nurses forced him to eat, bathe, and sleep. They knew him well, uncoordinated as he was, and it broke their hearts to see him look so tired although the past couple of days were the most rested he’d ever been. He was scared. Everything had gone downhill when he found out you were soulmates and he blamed himself.

“None of this would have happened if I’d just told you. You could have been away from the tower, safe with me. I was too afraid of losing you. All I knew was you loved someone else and I couldn’t let you guilt yourself into abandoning ‘him’ because we’re bonded. I was on my way to tell you, you know. I saw what you were thinking to Corinth and Archie convinced me to go after you. I-” his voice cracked, fresh tears coming to his eyes. “I love you, Y/N. I have long before I knew about the bond. I hurt you. I hurt us both. If only I wasn’t such a coward…” He was weeping now, head hung low and shoulders shaking. “I love you so much, and I still let this happen,” he stammered between quiet sobs. He brought your hand to his forehead, cradling it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. And to him, you were.

He jumped when your hand slowly withdrew from his. His head snapped up, and there you were. Sun shining behind you like a halo, your eyes glinting in a tearful smile. You wiped the tears from his cheek, just like he’d done to you with the unruly slorr all those months ago, and let out a yelp of surprise. Douxie had thrown his arms around you and buried his face into your shoulder.

“Doux! Your hair tickles,” you croaked, bringing your arms around him. He was crying again, just a little. His chest felt light. You were here. You were okay. Archie had woken when you jumped and was padding up to your face, pushing himself against your cheek. You sat up slowly when Douxie released you and patted the space next to you on the cot. He settled and looked up at you, eyes still sad.

“So, uh. How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough.” You cupped his face. “Douxie. I didn’t fall in love with a coward. I fell in love with the bravest, most selfless wizard in Camelot. Not to mention his adorable manbun. I love you too, Hisirdoux Casperan. Soul bond or not, I want to spend the rest of eternity with you.”

He brought his hand to yours, feeling the tiny curl trap blossom on the ring he made you. Gently, he took their hand in his, admiring the accessory. “Even after all I did, you kept it on.”

“And I don’t plan on ever taking it off,” you smiled.

He slowly removed the ring, taking hold of your left hand. His eyes were hopeful and a little scared when he looked up at you, fingers pausing. Tears welled up in your eyes.

“Promise?”

“With my whole heart, love.”

You placed your hand on the back of his neck, pulling him into a soft, loving kiss as he slipped the promise ring onto your finger.

༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓・༓

Lance had lost his arm in the explosion but was rather excited about his new prosthetic. You two had healed as well, soon going back to work. Every time you passed one another, fingers brushed, kisses were stolen, and smiles were shared. The entire castle ended up hearing about how you two became so close, and soon enough, you were somewhat of a folk tale amongst the townsfolk. Now, every Christmas, soulmates exchange handmade gifts while sharing sweetbuns, now deemed a good omen for true love.

Even now, 900 years later, you’d hide your smiles as Arcadian couples surprised one another with things they’d made while ordering an eclair at Benoit’s. It’d been so long, but it seems some things stay the same, you and Hisirdoux included. Sure, you’d both grown in character, but around you, he was still the same lovesick fool he had been all those years ago. You still had your ring, which he’d embellished a bit on your wedding day. Douxie still thought about you as much as he did then. Today, while you were at your job at HexTech, you smiled adoringly at the words on your wrist.

“Your eyes are such a lovely color. Oh, how far we’ve come from clumsy accidents and runny ink. I love you, darling. More than you can ever know.”

#douxie #douxie x reader #soulmate au #x reader #hisirdoux x reader #hisirdoux casperan #hisirdoux casperan x reader #toa wizards #tales of arcadia wizards #wizards douxie #wizards archie #toa merlin #toa #idfk what tags to use man #furbleart #it counts #furblewrites #yayyy writing tag for all the ideas ive got but will probably never be done

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halothenthehorns · 3 years ago

Text

First Time in the Shrieking Shack

Excerpt from my Marauders prequal; We Were- Chapter 3: Brothers

"You know, I'm starting to think Remus was right," James sighed as he shuffled through his own stack of notes that were the size of the book he finally declared he'd finished.

"I do that from time to time, you lot always seem so surprised," Remus agreed, not looking up from his chess game with Peter.

James ignored the ingrate and resisted chucking the book at him. "I've read this thing cover to cover, I've looked up everything I can think of, but the only passing mention is that a werewolf bite wouldn't affect animals. How is that helpful, we already know werewolf bites don't ruddy hurt werewolves! You can't be a were-werewolf."

"Might be kind of cool though," Sirius said as he continued trying to stack a deck of exploding snap cards on his head, despite the fact the last two had nearly blown his face off. "Think you would change even more frequently, or be like some giant sized werewolf!"

James couldn't fight the impulse that time and actually threw it at him, causing a miniature explosion as he fell off the bed and nearly set his sheets on fire. Considering it had taken until just this month for him to stop avoiding the common room, James considered it a successful rehabilitation he flipped him off while doing it rather than looking likely to pass out.

"I'm glad you lot think this is so funny, really I do," Remus was biting his lip to stop himself laughing.

Peter was doing no such thing and fell off Remus' bed doing so.

"Guess we will have to try something else though, I'll just return it Monday," James grumbled, flopping down in bed and ignoring Sirius' cussing as he stamped out the fire. "Found anything in all those potions books Pete?"

"A gruesome thing here and there about body transformation," Peter agreed as he finally made his next move. "Nothing Remus would want to go through that even resembles a cure. There was this one kind of promising one that would give him a brand new body."

"Sounds kind of cool," Sirius grinned. "Make yourself look like someone other James' ugly mug."

"Sure," Peter's face crinkled in disgust as he recalled, "all you had to do was submerge yourself in this diamond encrusted cauldron on the 24th of June, but the ingredients are insane. Blood of the enemy, bone of the father, and you don't want to know the last one."

"Yeah, no, I'm good," Remus chuckled.

"Well at least we have Hogsmeade tomorrow!" Sirius reminded eagerly. "It's the weekend before Halloween, and nobody's going to be miserable about it if I have to curse you all!"

"We're so scared," James snorted. He'd been as good as his word, Sirius had shown him a copy from the only letter he had from his dad, a very cold and impartial statement to a Quidditch Little League coach from a long ago summer camp about the ineptitude of the man not putting his son in the Seeker position.

"The only time he's tried to vouch for me, and I don't even like that spot," he'd rolled his eyes as he showed it to James, but he'd still seen red as he mocked the jagged letters. McGonagall at least didn't bat an eye as she took it along with the rest of third years the previous class.

Sirius had been doing a very good job of not acknowledging Regulus since the start of term feast, and nobody had brought him up since then thankfully. It was easier than ever to keep him from his mind without glimpsing him around every corner as they passed Filch, and finally walked right past Hogsmeade station into the village proper.

The four were still arguing about which place to visit first as they passed the little sign declaring it was founded by Hengist of Woodcroft in 1714 right before the first few houses, they'd all heard so many mentions from older students it seemed impossible they'd see everything by seventh year, let alone in just one day!

Wide streets, worn dirt road, and shops all had a different, homey feel than Diagon Alley, and they were still bickering which to enter first when they'd finally traversed far enough to scent the air of the best place in the village regardless, and not another protest was heard when the door to Honeydukes was nudged open.

It had to be, rather than slammed by the enthusiastic boys, because the place was crowded wall to wall with not just students but people from all over traveling here for some of the unique sweets.

Mrs. Flume stood at the counter, all fingers as she constantly dealt out transactions from the never ending line, while her husband Ambrosius Flume was practically running a marathon dipping below for more boxes and resupplying the shelves, his thin brown hair plastered to his scalp with sweat. The four were shuffled this way and that, drooling a bit as they couldn't stop eyeing one thing for long.

James and Sirius finally forced their way through, and by the time they left practically had their own year's supply of everything, their bags literally overflowing with zero regrets.

"Merlin I could die happy in there," Sirius moaned as he tried to shove yet another everlasting gobstopper into his mouth, he was going for a dozen and had only gotten to eight.

"I'd give anything to transform in there once a month," Remus agreed as he chose carefully before selecting a different part of his chocolate skeleton. He was devouring it from the toe-phalanges up, and every new bone was a different flavor. He hadn't even known caramel chocolate was a thing, but he was salivating at the chance to get to the femur and find out and pacing himself. The skull promised to be a mixture of the entire thing!

"I can imagine," James said delicately, "but I'll bet anything's better than a hole under a tree. I still want to ask Madam Pomfrey about that, it sounds cruel."

Remus coughed and nearly dropped his sweet in surprise, Peter only just catching it before the skull cracked open.

"Wha, wha id e 'ay," Sirius disjointedly demanded, he was up to ten.

"Well, erm, it's not a hole in the ground," he said distractedly, eyes now on the horizon. "It's, you know, a building. I have a little room to stretch, I even went in there my first night here to see it," he stopped, but sucked in a breath and forced himself to say, "but I kind of regret knowing what it really looks like, keep having nightmares of the place and you lot."

"Ah, Remus," Peter rubbed at his back with a sorrowful face mirrored in the others, and Remus' twisted stomach eased slightly at finally admitting that aloud.

"I ant elev rs a ol ildin r aree?" Sirius slurred, but he was forced to stop his attempt as he lost a gobstopper in his efforts to speak and it landed in the dirt, the drool leaking out of his mouth was taking more effort to wipe away constantly than enjoying himself anyways and he began swallowing them.

"Care to repeat that?" Remus smiled.

"He said what kind of building, or where's this building, one of those," Peter rolled his eyes.

"I said," Sirius huffed, still smacking his lips, "I can't believe there's a whole building under that tree! That's kind of cool, like a reverse Hogwarts!"

"Oh no," Remus corrected, "it's a tunnel, and the building's at the end. Above ground, I imagine, but it was too dark to see outside the window, and it's all boarded up anyways. Magically too, of course, so I can't get out from there. I supposed it's somewhere in the Forbidden Forest and we just haven't found it yet, or maybe it's invisible."

"Maybe you could show us sometime," James grinned at the new idea.

Remus shivered, and it had nothing to do with the chilly breeze. It was over a year since they'd figured out his secret, and he still couldn't believe how casually they all were chatting about this.

"Not during a full moon, obviously," James corrected with an eye roll. "But like, tonight. I'll bet if we bring some of these snacks and spend the night even, it would start feeling like the dorm, maybe get rid of those stupid nightmares." He finished with complete confidence, like Remus would ever hurt them no matter what body he was in.

Sirius and Peter at once agreed enthusiastically. Remus didn't exactly agree, but he couldn't think up a reason to talk them out of it either, and the subject was changed anyways as they came across yet another brilliant shop, Zonko's. James and Sirius' money bags seemed to have no limit, and they came away with yet another treasure trove of things, still laughing hysterically the rest of the day as they finally followed a popular throng to a place called The Three Broomsticks, and were all treated to a Halloween tale by a local man who regaled them with stories of the Shrieking Shack. Ever since its resurrection a few years back strange noises had been echoing from the place, people were already calling it haunted and nobody seemed quite sure why it had been built at all, or even who had, seemingly popping up one night with the screams of its victims echoing in the village ever since.

Nobody exactly led the way confidently that night, even as they all ducked low under the cloak without protest. Every time one of them hesitated too long the others just kept moving, and the four continued this odd shuffling pace until they stood just out of reach of the tree once more. James and Sirius' heritage was starting to rear up despite themselves as they eyed the hole they'd seen Madam Pomfrey once emerge from with an almost dead looking body, and Peter was instinctively shying away as well, but right into Remus without even thinking about it.

Remus did not want to be the one to raise his wand and still the tree, berating himself with mutters under his breath for encouraging them even this far, but it was this familiar habit of his talking to himself that finally kicked Sirius into squaring his shoulders and proving him wrong that they knew exactly what they were getting themselves into that had him mimicking what the school nurse once had, "Wingardium Leviosa," and watching carefully as the little branch rose a few feet, and at the flick of his wand, flew too fast for any of its alive brethren to stop it.

James easily crawled in first, Peter right behind him. "Get on then, my arm's getting tired," Sirius flashed him a smile, barely visible in the thick cloudy night and absent moonlight, so Remus forced himself to swallow and go through once more.

His nose dilated upon the familiar puff of dirt as Sirius plopped in behind him. His eyes adjusted the quickest and traced easily the uneven floor. His body ached oddly, as if it was already trying to tense up for a transformation to come, his fingers even twitched as if he should be removing his clothes from habit.

"Well, this isn't getting any less fun," James still had the gall to say cheerfully as he went off, his hair barely scraped the low ceiling. Sirius had to prod him in the back to get him moving.

After a few moments James began humming to himself out of boredom, and Sirius quickly caught on with the tune and sang some nonsense words off the top of his head, a game they'd been doing since their very first night. The familiarity of it caused Remus and Peter to start chuckling in surprise and even applauding the two, the trek that usually felt like hours were gone by the time they'd wrapped up and James stopped with a curse as his head smacked against something.

The hatch swung up easily, he nearly kicked Peter in the face as he hauled himself up before offering a hand down, but Remus still hesitated taking the now two offerings. Them being in there would only give the nightmares validity surely...

He made a squealing noise of surprise when Sirius grabbed him from behind, actually holding his waist and trying to force him up while saying, "get on then, I don't want to stare at your ass all night!"

Remus had no choice but to grab ahold of James and Peter and look around once more.

It was even worse than he could have imagined. His face quickly flushed with shame, he usually didn't give himself time to really see it, keeping his eyes closed as long as possible until the pain became unbearable and he knew no more. Now he was forced to see years of his handiwork, the torn furniture, gouges and straight chunks missing from the walls, the pitiful shack looked exactly like a wild animal had attacked it, because he did. Only the lack of excrement held him back from bursting into tears, and he vowed he'd have to go up and thank Madam Pomfrey, or Dumbledore, or somebody for clearly having a foresight he'd always lacked in at least semi cleaning this place up.

James whistled as he turned slowly on the spot and took it all in, while Sirius peered around in the gloom with a very curious look in place.

"Damn Remus," Peter said in close to awe, "how big do you get?" He had to crane his neck up to see the ceiling where the chandelier was twisted and torn, all candles long absent, only hanging on by one lone, rusted bracket. Who had even put that in here?!

"I, err," Remus couldn't answer, his chest swelling painfully, he just wanted to crawl back in that hole and die now.

Sirius suddenly took off, and the other two followed, Remus still dragging his feet as he spotted the staircase and slumped up it. There were three doors, James found the one on the left to be a bathroom, Peter's was a broom closet completely bare and empty, and the one directly in front of them on the tiny landing Sirius shoved open looked like a palace in comparison to the rest of the place.

Remus had only been in here the one time, that first time, but he couldn't help but appreciate all over again the forethought Dumbledore seemed to have put into this as a king size four poster bed sat proudly intact against one wall, but it was dusty with disuse, and the lone window was indeed still boarded up and ruined the kind décor.

"You've been plaguing us with your snores when you had a whole house to yourself!" Sirius accused as he made a running jump before bouncing on it, causing even himself to cough and sneeze as much as them but refusing to stop.

"Couldn't say why, can't be the company," Remus finally said, his chest starting to hurt just a little less.

"Flatterer," James scolded as he went to peek out of what little space was available, but still coming up empty. It was just too dark to get a proper sight of anything beyond.

"Didn't Flitwick say something about Undetectable Extension Charms in our seventh year last class?" Sirius suddenly said as he did a belly flop onto the bed. "Maybe we could give this place a little more room."

"This place is weirdly small," Peter agreed, waving his hand in front of his nose still. "Better than the hollow I was picturing before, but no offense Remus, I've seen animals at zoos get more space than this."

"None taken," Remus shrugged, it's not like he was going to disagree. "I don't think it would make a difference though if they'd made it the size of Hogwarts, I'd still take it out on myself all night."

"I've never been to a zoo," James suddenly pouted, "but I'd come see you Remus," he quickly added on. The two started laughing in surprise, and that was all it took. They just hung around talking endlessly about anything that came to mind the rest of the night, tromping up and down the stairs at their pleasure without having other students poke their head out and yelling at the restless bunch to get to bed. This was their place now, and nobody was going to bother them here.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #Marauders #shreicking shack #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Peter Pettigrew

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