#Besides Blue Sky in the Portal fandom

[spectralsleuth]

Favorite fics? Doesn't have to be rise or even turtle related

Oh man I got very excited for this ask. I have been in a lot of different fandoms for a very long time- but lets start with some of my all timers.

Now What I'm Going To Say May Sound Indelicate (Rated E)

A Reddie fic for It CH2, which I've probably reread about fifty times. It's unfinished, and probably never will be finished, but it's absolutely worth a read. The writing is incredible, and it's my singular favorite fic of all time. A lot of medical procedures and recovery, since (spoiler) someone gets impaled at the end of the movie and this is exploring how they might live through that.

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Blue Sky (Rated T (from what I remember))

PDF VERSION

I hope this link works- the first link is fanfiction dot net, which is hard to use after so many years, and the other is a pdf I found of someone who downloaded a version to share. This fic is from 2011, and is actually pretty famous. Based off of Portal 2, what happens when Wheatley gets a body? I've actually been meaning to reread it because I barely remember it at this point, but this fic came out about a year before I graduated high school and opened my eyes to the fact that fanfiction can be actual published novel quality.

Also friendly reminder that if you love a fic, download it. Not to repost obviously, but websites disappear and works get deleted for any number of reasons and you may in fact be helping an author out.

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Wow. This is fucking wild-

From Out the Ocean Risen (Rated T)

A Pacific Rim fic that started publishing in 2013- last time I reread this, YEARS AGO, the series was as of yet unfinished. It's a fantastic body-horror-esque story of the implications of aliens and hiveminds and what makes a monster. It's Newton Giezler-centric and FANTASTICALLY written-

and it JUST updated this month in 2023. I had no idea, but searching through my fic list made me notice. I thought, surely it's just an update to apologize for abandoning the fic- but no! It's an actual new chapter.

If you guys ever wanted to show support for a fic that's been abandoned, this one deserves it immensely. Show it some love, it's never too late to hop on board and enjoy a fic and you never know what someone will return to.

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Pirate King Laurence (Rated T)

'His Majesties Dragon' is a super good age of sail book series, sometimes called 'Temeraire', that's as if a Pride and Prejudice character was captain of a dragon crew. This is a little bit of an AU to that, and is one of my all time favorite Temeraire fic series.

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the run and go (Rated M)

Post Homestuck fic. 560k words. Still being updated- enough said, it's fantastic. This is probably the longest fic on my list. Involves a lot of unpacking about Dave and Bro and not just what it's like recovering from an abusive childhood, but reconciling with the person you love who abused you. Also everyone lives. Everyone.

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>Dave: survive three years on this rock (Rated T)

One more Homestuck fic for the road- there was a period of time where the Homestuck tag was nothing BUT meteor fic. If you were in the fandom, iykyk. This one was probably the most in character Dave and great portrayal of what it would be like actually living within a universe made up of date game mechanics.

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The Other Hawke (Rated E)

If anyone's gone through the rest of my fic besides TMNT stuff, they've seen my SECOND largest fandom I've written for, which was Dragon Age. More specifically, I fixated on most peoples least favorite character on the whole series- Carver Hawke. Hahaha. I just really fixate on the oddest characters, huh?

This is a fic about what his life outside of his brother is like, and giving him a lot of depth that you don't get in the video game series. Also he is getting dicked down by Fenris, which is a fantastic pairing I didn't know I needed. It's hilarious, and romantic, and very tense.

Man. I gotta reread a lot of these. Thanks so much for the ask! Sorry if it got a little out of hand haha.

[uni-writes-things]

I've decided to start this with the first fic I've ever posted. It's not the best but...meh. The first chapter of the fic is under the cut, but if you're interested in the rest, the ao3 link is there.

Time's POV

“Not another portal! We just got here!” Wind groaned.

I couldn’t help but agree, Lon Lon Ranch was the only break we have in between fighting monsters. “Alright everyone, pairs.” I ordered.

Legend and Sky hopped through, and then shortly after Wind and Warriors followed. Soon everyone was through. “You okay there Old Man?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. Is Four conscious?” I glanced at a pale Four.

“Mmmph.” Four moaned to confirm he was still awake.

“How are you feeling?” Hyrule immediately raced to his side.

“Guys...” Wind whispered.

“I’m a little nauseous and I have a headache.” Four sighed.

“Guys!” Wind urged louder this time.

Nobody seemed to notice him though. “Just rest smithy okay?” Hyrule nodded.

Phew, Four was good. I had always offered to carry him when he was unconscious but it was tiring. “GUYS!” Wind yelled alerting everyone.

“What?” Warriors stared.

“Who’s Hyrule is this?” Wind huffed annoyed at the chain.

Choruses of ‘not mine’s’ from each of the chain were heard. “So, it’s none of ours?” Twilight asked confused.

“Seems to be the case pup.” I shrugged.

“Wait does that mean there’s another Link out there?” Sky blinked.

“We can only assume. Should we try and find a place to stay?” Warriors asked me.

The land was vast and untamed, it was beautiful. I nodded, it was really our best chance at finding a Link. The chain started walking again. “This Hyrule is so huge and beautiful. It reminds me of my Hyrule.” Twilight sighed happily.

I realized it had been weeks since we had been to Twilight’s Hyrule. “If this Hyrule means walking even though my feet hurt like shit I’m gonna quit.” Legend complained.

“Can’t take hikes Vet? Don’t tell me your turning into the Old Man.” Warriors teased.

“NO!” Legend spluttered with an offended look on his face.

Honestly, those two could spend days bickering. “Guys, there are these...ruins here.” Hyrule brought everyone’s attention to the utterly destroyed ruins.

Everyone, including me seemed to be at unease with this sight. “Well fuck.” Legend commented.

“Language.” I reprimanded him... as usual.

“Let’s move on.” Warriors grabbed Wind and started dragging him away.

“Wars, what are you doing?!” Wind wailed as he tried to escape.

“Getting out of here. These ruins aren’t exactly a place to stay.” Warriors deadpanned.

For hours, all of us walked. “My feet feel numb.” “Shit did we go in circles?” “Damn this place is massive.”

“We better set out camp. Who’s cooking tonight?” I asked.

“I think it was my turn. And I found...” Hyrule trailed off.

“NO WAY!” Wind shrieked as he tackled Hyrule.

“Yeah the last time you cooked traveler, you practically killed everybody.” Four laughed.

“I’m not that awful at cooking! Sky’s way worse than me.” Hyrule accused.

“I don’t poison everybody!” Sky shot back.

“Yours was basically alive!” Hyrule snorted.

“I can cook some of my Grandma’s soup?” Wind suggested tentatively.

“It’s okay sailor you’ve cooked enough.” Twilight gagged.

“You just don’t like the broth! Everybody else said it was decent.” Wind accused.

These boys were going to give me a headache. “Your cooking sucks! Everything is dry and burnt to a crisp!” Wind cried.

“What?! Nothing is burnt.” Twilight growled.

“Even I can agree with Wind.” Legend snickered.

“Oh like your any better.” Twilight snarled.

“Fuck off rancher.” Legend hissed.

“Language.” Sky grunted pausing his bickering with Hyrule for a few seconds.

Soon the only ones who were calm and collected were me and Four. Albeit Four was beside himself with laughter at the insults that were shot, his eyes a royal blue. “BOYS!” I yelled.

Everybody paused and looked at me expectantly.

“We all know our opinions on this group’s culinary skills, however we still have a Link to find and a place of civilization to also find. Not only that but we all need food and rest. It will not be achieved by arguing like this.” I sighed exasperated.

“Sorry Time.” Wind apologized.

A few other apologies were sent my way as well. “I can make something, the rest of you can make yourselves comfortable.” I mumbled.

“Okay.” Warriors nodded.

The tension decreased almost instantaneously. “Did I tell you how I got to the Forsaken Fortress?” Wind asked nonchalantly.

“You told us that Aryll was kidnapped and that you went to go save her.” Twilight recalled.

That was true. I felt so bad, Wind had lost his sister and then was dragged into a Hylia forsaken quest.

“Well, back on Outset Grandma was so sad that Aryll was gone. I felt like I had to do something, so I searched the island for a way to go and find her. That’s when I met Tetra and her gang. Eventually I said my goodbye’s to everybody on Outset and then left with her. We had made it fairly close and then realized patrol boats were guarding the Forsaken Fortress. So at the last moment she revealed to me her ridiculous and sinister plan. She promptly stuck me in a barrel and launched me off of a catapult! When I got back to her I gave her the most terrifying glare.” Wind explained.

“She launched you off a catapult without warning?” Sky looked rather alarmed.

“Yeah. I did make it to the Fortress though I was a little shook. Nothing I can’t handle!” Wind put on his brave face.

“Jeez.” Four muttered.

“That reminds me of something Sun did.” Sky recalled wistfully.

“Pray tell.” Legend snarked.

“It all started when we were training for the Wing Ceremony. It was to prove that we could move on to being seniors. It involves racing on a loftwing. So Sun shoved me off Skyloft waiting for me to call Crimson. She thinks Crimson will appear. I try 3 times and yet no loftwing comes to catch me. Sun noticed and she got on her blue loftwing and rescued me. She was honestly sorry.” Sky told them.

“Wait what happened? Why didn’t Crimson come?” Hyrule asked.

“It turns out that Groose happened to be a bully back then. He loved Sun and saw me as competition. So he sabotaged me and trapped my bird somewhere in Skyloft so I wouldn’t be able to join the ceremony.” Sky sighed.

I stirred the soup I was making carefully. ‘So Hylia’s incarnation was just as clumsy as her.’ I thought bitterly. I never held any respect nor honour for Hylia. “Well, we should come up with a plan for tomorrow.” The Captain proposed.

“We’ve been wandering aimlessly for hours so doing that again won’t do anything.” Twilight grunted.

“Does anybody have a way to fly? They could scout what’s up ahead.” Legend suggested.

“Not without Crimson.” Sky grimaced.

“Nope.” Wind shrugged.

“Not in a millennia.” Four chuckled.

“No.” I answered.

“I don’t fly.” Warriors snickered.

“Okay, Pretty Boy but your ego does doesn’t it.” Legend mocked.

“No flying for me.” Twilight shook his head.

“I don’t have the magic to fly.” Hyrule groaned.

“Do you know how to fly Legend?” Wind asked.

“No otherwise I would have been fucking airborne already.” Legend scoffed.

“So no to that plan. Can I climb a tree? Please?” Hyrule begged.

“Only if you promise to come to us right after.” I agreed albeit a bit reluctantly.

“Yes sir!” Hyrule saluted and then started his climb.

He was out of sight when I noticed my soup was ready. “Dinner’s ready.” I informed the chain.

I handed out the soup to everyone including myself and sat down. I’ll admit my soup was not that good. But it wasn’t bad either so I counted that as a victory. “HYRULE?” Four yelled after a few moments.

“YES?” Hyrule called from above.

“COME HERE!” Four demanded.

A few seconds and Hyrule was back down with a bowl of soup. “So, did ya see anything?” Wind asked excitedly.

“This Hyrule is massive! And we’re on what looks like a plateau, with huge cliffs. The only one who could go down the cliffs is Sky with his sailcloth. There’s no civilization and the castle...the castle is in ruins.” Hyrule reported.

“The castle is in ruins?” I was very concerned.

“Yeah. Also get this, there were four weird mechanical looking creatures. One was a lizard on what looks to be Death Mountain. There was an elephant on a very shiny mountain. A bird on a tall cliff, and a beast with a long neck in a canyon.” Hyrule shrugged.

“How big were they?” Legend raised an eyebrow.

“Enormous!” Hyrule replied.

“And they were mechanical?” Warriors tilted his head.

“Well, they weren’t alive that’s for sure.” Hyrule affirmed.

“This is odd. So do we search this plateau assuming there’s civilization?” Twilight wondered.

“That’s probably our best bet if we hope to find this Link.” I guessed.

“Who’s taking first watch?” Four asked.

“I can.” Twilight offered.

“I’ll take second.” Warriors claimed.

“Anyone want to take third watch?” I asked.

Four threw his hands up to stretch probably. “Smithy can take it.” Legend snickered.

“I-uh didn’t-”

“Good idea, Four is on third watch.” I interrupted Four.

The Smithy sat back and glared at me. “I can tell you guys another story!” Wind bounced.

“I think we’ve had enough sea shanties. Am I right?” Legend interrupted.

“Leeeeeegeeeend.” Wind moaned.

“Wiiiiind.”

“How bout everybody tells the scariest thing they’ve fought?” Twilight recommended.

I internally thanked Twilight for the save. “Redeads are really creepy but if I had to say the scariest, it would have to be the Cubus Sisters. They wear masks and they were on this...this...” Wind suddenly went from excited to dreaded.

I did not like that haunted expression on his face. “It’s okay sailor you don’t have to finish.” Warriors comforted.

Although Warriors seemed worried too. “Yeah, I can tell you mine. I fought the moon.” I deadpanned.

It was true. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Legend snorted.

“Is he serious?” Hyrule asked puzzled.

“I-I don’t know. I can’t tell!” Twilight whined.

I was enjoying this, watching the befuddled chain. “I fought this thing called a Blizzeta.” Twilight shuddered.

“Enough scary talk! I’m tired.” Four demanded.

“Alright well it is time to sleep. Twilight you’re first watch.” I reminded him.

Everybody yawned and crept to their bedrolls. I noticed Wind was crying as quietly as humanely possible. Maybe the Cubus Sisters thing really scared him? Hopefully Twilight or somebody would help Wind sleep, because I was already being pulled into sleep.

[starryinkart]

[CLICK FOR BETTER QUALITY!!!]

(More drawings below!)

A few months ago, I read one of the best fanfic’s I’ve read in a hot minute, The Royal Treatment by @themsoundwaves​ and I still re-read it almost every month because it’s just THAT good! I said I would draw you some fanart and then life got in the way, but I found a way to make it happen! I will deffo be doing more! If you like Stray, I TOTALLY SUGGEST THIS FANFIC! It adds to the story, while keeping the characters VERY interesting! ALSO, Blazer (I didn't like him, but this fanfic gave me a soft spot for him!)

(Also, the game just won 2 awards, so more of a reason to read right :P)

I'm sorry if these are sketchier than not, but I DID try painting with that Gray and Yosh and it turned out pretty good with my first try I think! 

I have been wanting to draw and write something about Gray and the other companions, but I didn’t know if it would be okay. I hope drawing them interacting with Roto isn’t to much (they are just good friends due to their relatability with each other, and Roto becomes good friends with Momo after the wall is opened and they establish a bit Outside).

That is all. You are a big inspiration, and I can’t wait to see what you’ll write even after The Royal Treatment is over for Stray and beyond!!! (I'm honestly excited to see how if anyway they would get along now that the wall is open and just little slices of life, I was thinking of doing something like that for it butttt I didn’t want to get anyone mad, and I’m scared to write Gray :P) (ALSO also other cities are mentioned in this.. but it strays from TRT canon so its just more like a “Give me your fucking iPad moment” for Roto and Gray.)

^^^^The painting (it’s not the best but this is one of my favorite scenes and I wanted to give it justice!)

Hive Gray, cause I kind of like our “MeatMoss” as a side “villain”, I just really hope they don’t kill Gray or hurt him anymore. My heart would never recover. I hope they just decide “eh F it” and decide to leave him be or live with him. Right?....rIghT?

Here’s the full picture!

And here’s some refs and information for Roto! My stray OC! (I’ll Post the full ref later oop I didn’t have it on me atm!)

I’ll go into more context with him soon, but they are basically an unofficial Outsider that hangs with them and helps them alot when it comes to exploring, keeping record of things on the outside and other things they need help with! They are secret nerd with a BIG knowledge on humans and human things! Alittle cautious and wary of alot of things, he learns how to be brave and more adventurous with them!

I hope you enjoyed! More coming soon for this fic and Stray/art in general!

(REBLOGS > LIKES)

[yurious-george]

House Rules

I can come across a little condescending or contrarian sometimes - sorry about that! It’s not intentional.

I’m more likely to respond to ask games if you include the question with the emoji. (Thank you!)

I don’t do chain/copy paste ask games, but I appreciate getting them!

I won’t post fundraisers sent in my asks or submissions. I just don’t have the spoons to vet them myself, and I have no income besides. I will reblog them, however.

I’m not “pro” or “anti” ship, I go outside, and you should too.

Karibu karibu, enjoy your stay!

I only accept anon hate in the form of limerick. Please be aware of this before sending or your message will be blocked & deleted without comment. My blog MUST remain a silly space.

Blacklist Tags:

#important - catch-all politics & current events tag.

#this is cassandra - talks tag. From the song by Talis Kimberley.

#sadismposting, #the intersection where the bodies meet - horny violence babyyyy

#something rotten in the house - incest, haunted houses, and greek tragedy. context

I can be rather inconsistent when tagging!

Interests:

wazungu wednesday is an occasional wednesday event on my blog where I muse on my life as a previous american-african immigrant, being othered both in and out of Africa explicitly for my whiteness, and how my ostracisation functioned under the same imperial banner as African & Black exploitation. Don't use my suffering to justify your bigotry. Also just african-related goofs and opinions.

For personal reasons, "afab transfem" more accurately describes my relationship with my gender than simply "cis" or even "tme" does, similar to mzungu describing my relationship with my race, rather than what race I am. For all practical applications, I do have cis privilege, and refer to myself as such. But I've had to reclaim my femininity after being de- and mis- gendered for such a long time; I resonate strongly with transfems, and they are my sisters & equals! I regularly post about transmisogyny, but sometimes vent about poor theory. As long as you don't drink t*rf koolaid, you're fine.

I'm trying to engage with more political and economic theory. I’m firmly anti-capitalist, but have occasional criticisms of communism... I identify as an anarchist with strong marxist leanings, but I struggle to read theory, so I’m still working out the kinks. Communist, anarchist, or socialist, everyone who believes in a kinder world & concrete action is welcome on my blog! No tag.

Opera - #opera tag

Textile arts, focused historical techniques & materials. I’ve knitted hand warmers from yarn I cleaned, carded, and spun myself! - #textile, #move the sheep and the fences around

Fashion - mostly “vintage”/historical women’s styles, with the occasional kitenge or si-fi-esque look. - #clothing

Sub-Saharan African mythology & cultures, particularly the Maasai. East Africa for culture, and West Africa for mythology, just because I think the West African gods are cooler. (Sorry, Kenya.😅) - #africa

Farming, homesteading, animal husbandry, etc. No tag. Lots of chickens.

Spiders - #spiders

Ancient legends, media analysis, meta narrative. Enemies to lovers, too; if the Epic of Gilgamesh did it, I can put it here. #can’t argue with a monomyth, #the play that eats the players, #enemies with benefits, #stories

Angels - I am not religious but feel strongly associated with them. #angels

Character tags: #gawainposting, #gearposting, #ishtarposting

Fandoms & medias & sideblogs & such

Abzu, Journey, Sky cotl (@starsfallhome)

Hollow Knight (@bobbinbugs)

comicaurora (no longer like it but left my side blogs up.) (@aurorar34, @gaias-letterbox)

Kiwi Blitz (@normalkiwiblitz)

Dungeon Meshi

Princess Tutu + princess tutu abridged

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Blue Eye Samurai

Lego Monkie Kid

Arcane (loved s1, s2 critical)

Mabel Podcast

House of Leaves

Death Palette, Outer Wilds, Portal 1 & 2, Ultrakill

Hatoful Boyfriend

Paul Shapera (no longer following but soft spot for older works)

Medieval literature

The Epic of Gilgamesh, Inanna's Descent Into the Underworld, various mesopotamian stone tablets

[annaraebananawriter]

I’m Right...Right?

Yellow everyone! Here, have a Nightmare centered oneshot! Yep, that’s right: Nightmare. This is mostly because of @dreemurr-skelememer‘s drawing of an argument between the brothers that just vibed with me so much, I had to write an aftermath type thing from what I think Nightmare would react. Hope you enjoy!

Fandom: Undertale, but specifically Dreamtale

Characters: Nightmare (Who belongs to Joku)

Warnings: Self-hatred, language and I think that’s it? Let me know!

Word Count: 1579

~oOo~

The sound of the portal echoed in his ears. He stared at the last place his brother was, not moving, not blinking as he left. The clearing fell into an uneasy quiet, like it too shared his feelings of surprise and anger over what had just happened. He couldn’t even hear any wind. It was, if he was honest, unreal.

Nightmare stared. He stared and stared, although he had no clue why.

He stood there, chest heaving and yet not hearing his breathing; the static in his head too loud.

He should leave. He had no reason to remain here, so the logical thing to do would be to open up a portal, just like Dream did, and leave, forgetting this ever happened. His boys would distract him from thinking about this further with all their games and chaos they do when they aren’t battling. Soon, he would forget this ever happened, just like Dream would. Soon, they would be back to their regular fights, regular taunting and banter, regular pleas and arguments.

Soon…everything would go back to normal.

…

…

…

However…

“You were everything to me…” Broken voice. Tears running down, never-ending. Desperate for an answer that Nightmare couldn’t give because—

…something tells him that won’t happen.

His legs felt as though they were rooted to the ground or as if they hadn’t moved in hundreds of years, probably like Dream’s did after he broke free of that stone prison—he pushed that thought down into the depths of his mind. It wouldn’t help him now. He begged and strained to move them, to step away, turn away from the spot burning into his mind. It didn’t work. Nothing worked.

Which meant there was nothing keeping his thoughts from pouring out of the dam in his mind. Thoughts he had forced down for years, ever since he ate the first apple. Thoughts of regret, guilt, misery and grief and so much more. Thoughts he had hoped he would never think again.

However, the more he stayed, the more he stared, the larger the cracks grew. They grew and grew until the dam cracked and crumbled away, the stream pouring, flooding his mind.

“EXCUSE ME?!” Angry. (Never angry) Hurt. (Not supposed to be) Disbelief. (Nightmare doesn’t understand) “Everything I DID, I DID FOR YOU! Everything I MADE, I MADE FOR YOU!”

Nightmare twitched.

“I DID NOTHING BUT ASK YOU OVER & OVER WHAT WAS WRONG!” Tears of anger and rage. (Not sadness or happiness, the two from before) Hurt voice. (Like he couldn’t understand what Nightmare was thinking) Broken, just…Broken (Nightmare can’t understand) “BUT YOU KEPT LYING TO ME AND NOW YOU SAY THIS?!”

Liar, his mind whispers. Liar! What does he know about anything? He’s always been and forever will be a naïve, selfish, attention-seeking little goody two shoes. He’d done nothing but ignore us in favour of some strangers! He—

“Do…do you think I don’t feel bad…?” (don’t, not your fault) Quiet. (Not supposed to be.) Wrong. (Wrong, wrong, wrong) Ache. (Don’t understand)

Wrong, his heart shouts and aches in retaliation, buried deep beneath walls of stone. Wrong, wrong, wrong! He’s our brother. He always prioritized our feeling and needs over his own. Yes, he went and helped the village and left us alone, but we never told him a thing of what we went through; otherwise, you know he would’ve stayed and protected us! How would he know to stay behind when he viewed our abusers as friends?

“Do you…do you think I never…cared…?” (no) Breaking. (Not supposed to) Aching. (Don’t, can’t, don’t, can’t) Wrong. (Wrongwrongwrong)

His mind was silent.

“Why…?” (don’t know, sorry)

His heart continued to ache. Ache, ache and ache.

“You were everything to me…” (i know, i’m sorry) Broken voice. (Bad) Tears, so many tears, anger gone from them, replaced by heartbreak. (Bad) Desperate (Bad) for an answer (Bad) that Nightmare (Bad) couldn’t give (Bad) because—

It hurt.

It hurt so much. It stung and burned and ached, ached, ached.

His hand clenched into a fist, the physical pain not working to distract as it usually did.

His eyes narrowed.

Nightmare didn’t like being hurt, any kind of it.

Because—

But…maybe he deserved it…

Dream made some good, good points. He had loved Nightmare with every fibre of his being, very likely more than Nightmare loved him, and Nightmare knew that. He had always known that. Yet, what does he say? That Dream was never there for him? When he had patched up his wounds, played with him the whole day after to help him feel better, reminded him every day that he loved Nightmare, despite anything that might be happening?

Honestly, what was wrong with him?! Dream was right! He had never told him a fucking thing about the bullying and abusing because he didn’t want him to worry, because he knew that he would worry himself sick about Nightmare. And, judging by what he said (or shouted) earlier, it didn’t work; in fact, it probably made him worry more!

How could he ever think that Dream, who cared and loved for someone more than the power of the gods combined, never did anything for him, when it was the exact opposite in that he did everything for him?

Because—

“NO!” Nightmare shouted, roared. Shadows grew and swallowed the blue of the sky. Negativity engulfed the forest he was in. His legs broke free from the spell they had been put under and he ran. He ran, ran and ran, trying to get away from his thoughts, from the truth—

Not truth—

Truth—

Not truth—

He ran. The trees flew by in a blur, birds flew away from the ruckus he was making and the animals all hide from him. Running, running, running…just like he’s been making Dream do, just like he did from the villagers all those years ago. Running, running, running. Always the prey, no matter how much he acts as a predator.

He stopped suddenly in another clearing. His chest heaved for breath. This one was filled with bushes and rocks and flowers and live things. Tings that, in any other time, would make feel relaxed and make him smile.

Not now.

Now, it filled him with uncontrollable rage.

Nightmare screamed. He screamed and shouted and roared. He let go of his powers, his magic and shadows gathered around him, making the world darker and darker. Negativity gathered inside and around him, coming from all over this world, along with a few in close proximity. He screamed and the world knelt before him in submission.

“I’m right, he’s wrong! He’s lying!” He said, over and over, voice filled with power and magic that could make someone instantly panic, trying to burn the words into his brain. He tried to make them true when he knew they weren’t.

He attacked everything around him. He tore, kicked, punched, stabbed, stricked, anything. Anger filled him to the brim. Anger at the world, at the village, at his mother, at Dream, and at himself, always himself.

“You were everything to me…” Desperate for an answer that Nightmare couldn’t give because—

His brother's voice echoed in his head over and over again. It repeated what had been yelled to him earlier, the words that had started this mess. It brought with it echoes of the past; everything Dream had ever said to him, every compliment, argument, insult and declaration of love, overlapping over with each other into an intelligible bunch of sounds.

Because—

Then, all at once, he stopped and dropped to his knees, tentacles going limp against the ground. His chest heaved; his breath gone. His eyes stung and it took a few seconds for him to realize that tears were gathering. He looked down and brought his hands up in eyesight. They were shaking badly in an emotion he couldn’t identify.

It wasn’t fair, his mind and heart cried in unison. It wasn’t fair!

—because he didn’t know one.

He didn’t understand.

The tears began to overflow.

He couldn’t understand.

The little pitter-pattering of rain started up, starting slow and quickly becoming a pour. He didn’t move, instead staying on his knees and staring at his hands. The shaking had escalated. The tears continued down his face, burning upon contact with his goop, slime or whatever you called it. The rain burned as well, but he could hardly feel it.

He stared at his hands, heart still aching despite everything.

It hurt.

Nightmare didn’t like being hurt.

Yet, he did nothing to stop it now.

Because he deserved it. He truly did.

“I’m right.” He whispered to himself. However, despite it being said with such conviction before, it was empty and hollow now. It was devoid of anything except for a faint desperation that it was true.

He squeezed his forearms to try and stop the shaking of his hands.

He slowly looked up to the gray sky, welcoming the burning of the rain on his face.

“I’m right,” He said again, a little louder, but now filled with unsureness. He clung to the hope that it was true, that he wasn’t hurting the dear brother he loved for no reason besides that he became what he had killed. He needed an answer even if he knew he wasn’t going to get one. “…right?”

It was silent.

No, the forest seemed to whisper to him.

Nightmare let out a sob, hanging his head.

He didn’t think so.

[grimmseye]

Test Flight

Read on Ao3 Here

Rating: Gen

Fandom: She-ra

Relationships: Hordak & Entrapta, Hordak/Entrapta (pre-relationship)

Chapter Characters: Hordak, Entrapta

Chapter Tags/Warnings: Season 2, Time for Entrapta’s thoughts and feelings about Hordak for 3000+ words

Tumblr don’t fuck up my formatting challenge

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As far as Entrapta could tell, Hordak rarely left his lab.

Lord Hordak. Hordak. She was supposed to bow, wasn't she, Catra definitely said a lot about that and she definitely used to but then she’d forgotten so — so maybe it wasn’t an issue. Hordak would have said if he cared, about the bowing or the Lord or anything else, he certainly had no issue huffing and puffing as she fixed the wiring in his lab.

So it was a rare sight, Hordak emerging from his sanctum. Entrapta sat at the edge of the transport they’d ordered, watching as the people of the Fright Zone skittered in a wide berth around them. Hordak stood tall, looming over her. She had to crane her head back just to look at him. When he caught her looking, one of his brow-ridges lifted, and she waved.

It was kind of cute, really, to think about him like this compared to just a few nights before: big, scary Lord Hordak who smiled when he told her about the stars.

This was their first joint project, not getting straight to the portal but testing their compatibility in the lab on something less important. The results so far had been promising. She’d gone as far as to add Hordak to her logs, finding that:

One, he’d quickly surpassed Glimmer, Mermista, Perfuma, and Adora on all levels.

Two, he had an advantage on Catra and Scorpia in common interest.

And three, he’d swiftly surpassed Bow in time spent together. That added up to a grand picture of Hordak being her friend, didn’t it? The data certainly said so.

As for their ability working together? Entrapta felt a warmth welling up in her chest, so strong she had to kick her legs against the edge of the transport until she was bouncing in place.

It was amazing.

Her bots had been the only things that came close to the role Hordak played now, handing her tools and stabilizing loose pieces while she bolted them in place. The first day she’d shown up in his lab, there’d been an apprehension in her chest. How many times now had she thought she’d made a friend, only for the next time around to go all wrong. She’d really thought she’d made friends — three friends, five, six of them.

And then they’d left her. Every one of them.

But walking into the lab that morning, she found Hordak hunched over a desk with her blueprints open on his data pad: another project sent for approval that she actually hadn’t started yet. He’d turned it over to her and said, “We will be building a prototype of this design.”

And then they had. Just like that.

Both of them fumbled at first, she thought. She kept bumping into him, he groped about on a table for tools that were in her hair. And then he said, “Put the tools on the table if you are not using them.” And she had said, “Tell me when you’re behind me so I don’t bump into you.”

And then they had done that. Both of them. And by the end of the working day, they were working smoothly around each other, the silence broken by Hordak’s grunts of “Behind you,” and the shuffling of tools on the workbench.

They built a prototype, criticized and refined its design, her suggestions were met with questions, counters, and proposals, his methods met her awe and her criticism—

“If you wire it that way, it’s going to burn out,” she’d told him, and when he glanced up and growled there’d been a pang, a seizure of anxiety in her chest and a voice that chanted you shouldn’t have done that.

“What would you propose?” He rumbled.

And he’d listened.

They’d done it. Together. And now it was time to test it.

And all of that meant that she had a lab partner. She had a lab partner. Sometimes that thought made her so happy she couldn’t contain herself. Sometimes it filled her with enough panic to gnaw her nails down to the quicks when she thought how she was only there to build weapons, only good as long as she was useful.

But that couldn’t be true, could it? None of the others told her about the stars.

And not just because chances were that they didn’t have any idea what stars were.

“Lord Hordak, sir!” A man ran up and snapped a salute. “We finished loading the transport. It’s fueled and ready for departure.”

Hordak grunted, “Hm. Good. You are dismissed.” He twisted a hand and the technician bolted, interaction done in a few quick seconds. She didn’t really get it — he was big and tall, sure, and his armor was impressive, but for all he growled and knocked tools off the table, he’d never done a thing to hurt her. Quite the contrary, she might be the happiest she’d been in her life.

Whatever their reasons, the soldiers scrambled to carry out his orders. There was a clatter as the hangar doors opened. Taking that as their cue, Entrapta swung herself through the open door of the transport, Hordak stalking behind.

The transports were pretty exciting: a wheel and pedal to steer but a data pad built into the dashboard that logged coordinates and known surroundings, scanned the area for threats. And the one they were taking wasn’t earthbound. Then she had to consider the amount of propulsion it would take to get this machine off the ground and keep it in the air — it made her eyes shine.

Hordak looked at her and she realized she was squeaking again. She bounced towards the controls, saying, “You have to give me the blueprints for these. Flying transportation could change the world! How does it work, tell me everything!” A thought struck her brain and she gasped, pushing herself up by her hair and into Hordak’s face. “Can I fly it?”

He narrowed one eye, stepping backwards. “I will handle launching while you observe,” he announced. “I can certainly explain the mechanisms at work once we do so, but for now it is not safe to fly without training first.”

Entrapta deflated for a moment, trying not to let her disappointment show on her face. Then Hordak cleared his throat. When she looked up, he was straight-based, arms folded behind himself and head tilted up and to the right, eyes directed away from her. She knew that posture well. “Once we are in the air, however... I believe it would be safe to let you take over the controls until we reach the landing point.”

“YES!” Entrapta leaped up, propelled by her hair. She grabbed the seat beside the pilot’s after that, throwing herself into it. “Let’s go, come on come on!”

She swore she heard him laugh at that, just a quiet chuckle as he took his seat beside hers. “Safety belts first,” he reminded her, as he clipped his into place. The seats were equipped with five point harnesses that fed over the chest and lap and between the legs. “Only the lap belt is required at all times,” Hordak explained. “The other three are for takeoff and landing, so you will need to wear all of them before we proceed.”

“Gotcha!” Entrapta buckled herself in. She knew objectively that her own lack of safety procedures were questionable — Hordak was regularly scolding her for getting too close to volatile machinery, even if the data said there was only a zero point zero zero three percent chance of destabilizing. But he’d put his foot down about it, and he was good at catching her when she got too excited to remember to put on the heat insulated gloves before grabbing a freshly-fired laser blaster.

When they were both strapped in, Hordak reached for the controls. A slow rumbling started up, making her heart flutter. She watched as Hordak began the takeoff sequence, walking her through each part in his low, raspy tones. He really had a pleasant voice, she mused.

Initially, Hordak was going over things she understood: fuel combustion, admittedly on a scale larger than she was used to working with — and a shortage of adequate fuel was part of the reason they could so rarely use these heavy transports. But she knew the mechanism behind it, and it gave her time to sit and observe him.

The more she looked, the more it made sense that he wasn’t Etherian. He didn’t match any of their known peoples, a face that resembled bone but was soft and pliable enough to speak and emote and could replicate a wider range of sounds than she knew possible in any humanoid species. His natural vocalizations included clicks and growls, occasionally even making a sound similar to a chirp to perform what Entrapta could only compare to echolocation. He’d found a bit of loose wiring deep inside their device that way. Despite that, he could speak Etherian common without issue, as well as the roaring language that Rogelio and the other lizardfolk used.

It would probably be rude to inquire about his vocal anatomy, right? Right?

Maybe she’d ask later.

She refocused as he started to get to points she wasn’t familiar with, leaning forward and watching eagerly. Those working in the hangar cleared the way, lights illuminating the path down to the opened gates and into the sky.

She screamed with excitement when their rolling forward began to accelerate, rapidly picking up speed to the point she was leaning back in her chair, eyes wide as the sky raced towards them.

Then they were out in open air. The jagged shape of the Fright Zone spilled out below them, and beyond that was the sea, glittering and blue.

She leaned as far forward as her safety belts would allow, giving a soft “Wow,” as she took it in. She unclipped all but her lap belts to get closer to the windshield, beaming as she said, “I’ve never been to the sea before!”

Hordak made a sound of acknowledgement, and Entrapta continued, “I’m not much for biology but there’s just so much down there that we haven’t explored. Actually much of Etheria in itself is unknown, when you consider the vast depths of the ocean, space, and then unexplored terrestrial locations such as the Crimson Wastes and the Whispering Woods, and even the Kingdom of Snows has only expanded so far.”

“That the denizens of this planet barely understand the rock they dwell on tells me all I need to know about them,” Hordak rumbled. Entrapta leaned back to look at him, finding herself smiling.

“It’s kind of fun, though,” Entrapta commented. “I mean, if all the discoveries had already been made, there’d be no questions to ask. Not knowing what’s in the Whispering Woods is what makes you want to explore it, figure it out! Maybe we’re a little behind the greater universe, but every discovery is worthwhile to me.”

Hordak glanced at her for just a moment, his ears perking somewhat. “... Perhaps,” he ground out. “Your perspective is…” He went quiet for a few moments, before settling on, “different. Personally I am content to stay far away from those wretched woods, as well as the ocean. However, I suppose that someone would find intrigue in unlocking their secrets.”

They were both silent for several moments, until Hordak said, “We are in a clear zone, if you would like to steer —”

“YES!”

Hordak took over the landing sequence, regardless of Entrapta’s wheedling. His face had pinched and his voice went low and growl-y enough that she bristled her hair at him but still backed away from the controls. At least she’d figured out how to launch the ship into a spiral, and she swore she’d heard Hordak laugh.

They might have even more in common than she’d believed, even if he refused to let loose. If Hordak was going to be the one who insisted on safety parameters, Entrapta could be the one to push limits.

For now, safety parameters won out once again and she watched Hordak bring them down on the offshore testing site. It was a desert island, and even from above she could already see the patches of burned or empty space where other weapons had been tested. A landing pad received them, the transport’s doors creaked upon, and Entrapta seized the data pad to link up with their very first invention.

“Introducing!” Entrapta announced, lifting up on her hair, recorder trapped in a tendril, “The very first joint project between myself and Hordak, designed to adapt to land, sea, and air via a series of problem and solution protocols, I have named her: Patty!”

She clapped her hands twice, and on cue Patty lurched forward. Entrapta flitted around Hordak to watch over his shoulder, barely catching how he tensed and shifted away in favor of Patty’s first steps. Or, first revolutions of her treads.

“Patty has three forms. The first, terran form, features treads that can move over all terrain: over rocks and mud and sand and ice, and ideally underwater! However, if necessary Patty can deploy thrusters in both its aquan and aerial forms! And oooooh she’s a beauty.”

Patty was a transport, the engine formed similarly to the skiffs with a body that was more sturdy, allowing its riders to use it for both movement and cover. This would advance the Fright Zone’s ability to expand into less favorable terrain, and potentially aid them in future battles against Salineas, Mystacor, or the Kingdom of Snows.

She looked over to Hordak, who was still observing Patty. “Bring it down to the shoreline. We will test first its aerial and then underwater capabilities.”

“You got it!”

They boarded a skiff — again, at Hordak’s insistence. Better, in his view, to use tech they knew was stable than to risk Patty giving out with them on board. They tracked her as she rolled down towards the shoreline, easily climbing over rocks and onto sand.

“The overland speed without obstacles is adequate,” Hordak began, and then tipped his head to speak into the recorder as Entrapta held it up, “however I believe we should attempt to increase its average speed without overtaxing the engine.”

“The problem with that is slowing down in time to get over the obstacles,” Entrapta pointed out. “Buuut… if we were to integrate some of the bots’ sensors into it —”

“— It could automatically detect these obstacles and adjust to the need without risk of driver error,” Hordak concluded.

They looked at each other, each with a smile. Entrapta’s was broad with delight, Hordak’s sharp and keen. It dropped away a moment later as he swiveled his head back to Patty, clearing his throat before saying, “Why don’t you activate its aerial mode now.”

“Right!” Entrapta leaped to it, chattering into the recorder as she issued the command. She bounced between her feet, laughing with joy as the chassis shifted and shuffled, making room for wings and thrusters, treads sinking into its body and replaced by wheels. The thrusters burst to life, and she watched Patty sail off the edge of a stone outcropping, into the air above the sea, and then into the sky.

She shrieked, utter delight swelling in her chest. “It’s working! She’s flying!”

“She —” Hordak made a face. “It is hanging severely to starboard.”

Entrapta puffed out a dismissive breath, flapping a hand at him. “We can fix that. The point is that she’s in the air on the very first flight.”

“Of course she is,” Hordak sniffed. “She is a product of both of our expertise combined.”

And there it was again. That swelling, too-big-for-her-chest sense of joy. She could hug him, considered doing it against her better judgement before discarding that. She tended to grab and pull without thinking, but he’d made his distaste for that clear. And he didn’t even shout when she inevitably forgot and grabbed at him again, just growled out her name and a reminder and she’d let go and it was fine.

Working with Hordak was simple in a way she found difficult to articulate, only that she felt different around him. More real, more herself, like she didn’t have to think about her actions, didn’t believe she’d understood him only to realize too late she was wrong.

The Fright Zone as a whole was a lot like that. Not quite as much as Hordak and his Sanctum were, but the bare truth was she’d felt more at home there than she ever did in Dryl.

The Horde was home to the outcasts of Etheria, she’d concluded. Their first allies had been the Scorpionoid kingdom, a family long ostracized by the other nations. The reptilians whose vocal chords couldn’t shape around Etherian common could speak and be heard here. Her own kingdom had slotted perfectly into place, a kingdom without a runestone given value.

She knew better than to think that what they were doing was good. It didn’t have to be good, it just had to feel good. She liked this place, liked Catra and Scorpia, liked Rogelio who lended a hand without a word when she needed to move something heavy, liked Octavia with the boisterous laughs and inquiries into experiments she didn’t fully understand.

She liked Hordak. She liked working with him. She liked knowing she’d get to do it again tomorrow, and again the next day, and that they’d keep working together to make something amazing, something that would let her see the very stars he’d told her about.

Entrapta tried not to dwell on the past much. The past was only useful to learn from the mistakes you’d made. But when she did, at night when there wasn’t something else to occupy her mind before she fell asleep, she came to one conclusion: she had never been happier. She had never felt more at home.

She drew in a deep breath and smiled as she puffed it out. “Ready to test the underwater capabilities, partner?” She asked.

Hordak paused for just one moment before answering, “Ready.”

It was scary, to think about ever losing this, to think about the ever-pressing what-if. What if this was just like before, like every other person coming to Dryl just for the weapons, never for the people and only for what they made.

But maybe this one would be different. It already was different, really, a brand new variable to take into account:

She’d never had a lab partner before.

[of-elves-and-mad-hatters]

“The Azure Sky” - Chapter 2 - Lego Elves

Shadows to the Brightest Flame: Series

- The legacy of Lumia’s influence is scarred eternally into the lands of Elvendale. Burdened by a prophecy foretelling her demise and need for a successor, she watches for one capable of such power. Yet her enemies are working steadily to undo all she’s labored so long for, and it is millenia too late to make peace. 

Emily Jones, heir to Eimileen, is a bold girl dedicated to protecting Elvendale, but the world she has grown so fond of is not so black and white as it seems, and the titles of Guardian of Portal and Guardian of Light may hold darker legacies some ancient elves have worked tirelessly to hide. 

In conjunction with the extended version of the Guardian of Light prophecy I wrote previously

Basically a rewrite of all of the Lego Elves & Secrets of Elvendale storylines with an additional arc beyond the Season 4: Into the Shadows. There will be a varying degree of deviation from canon.

Technically a crossover with Lord of the Rings/Hobbit/Silmarillion in terms of worldbuidling, as I set Elvendale as being north of Middle-Earth, cause this is fanfic and I can. So there will be mentions of the Noldor, Sindar, Silvan, and some Tolkien characters, but they will be mostly background. Definitely not an issue if you aren’t familiar with the Middle-Earth fandom; everything will still be easy to understand. 

Book 1: The Azure Sky

Grieving over the unexpected death of her grandmother, Emily Jones is accidentally trapped in another world. Befriending a few young elves in an attempt to find her way home, Emily discovers many secrets about her grandmother’s past, but for every truth she learns two more questions take its place, leaving her vulnerable to darker force inhabiting this realm. 

A rewrite of Unite the Magic

_______________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1 

_______________________________________________________________________

Chapter 2

Shaking, Emily pushes herself up to her knees, viewing the scenary around her with shock and confusion. Trees extend in every direction, leaves mottled with unusual tones of pinks and violet. The silky soft grass glistens in the light, though as she runs her hands of the blades, she finds them dry of dew. Despite the density of the foliage, the sun illuminates the area to the brightness of midday during the summer. Birds chorus grandly behind the anonimity of the branches. 

“Who are you?”

Emily jumps, turning to find a girl looming curiously behind her, though perhaps that would not be the most accurate term. She looks odd, dressed in a bright magenta dress cut and sewn to mimic flames and embroidered with some sort of baroque designs, though it’s hard to tell since most are faded and stained. Her tan skin is marked by bright tattoos on one shoulder and her face, emboldening her warm brown eyes and burgundy and marigold hair, the long, chaotic curls draped like a canopy from her narrow head. Two sharp, pointed ears complete the bizarre ensemble.

“Well, aren’t you going to introduce yourself after falling through a portal?” The corners of the girl’s lips curve impishly upwards.

“Portal?” Emily stutters out, staring at the being before her with the same wariness one would watch a racoon.

“Yeah, the one you just came through?” the girl rasps. She leans closer, hands on her hips. She cocks her head. “How did you open one anyways? That kind of magic is super hard to learn, kept locked away by a bunch of grouchy ancients who jump at their own shadows.”

“Um, I don’t…know really…”

“What do you mean you don’t…” the girl stops short as Emily tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re not an elf.”

“No…I’m human” Emily answers. Her voice drops hesitantly. “What’s an elf?”

“Well, I am,” the girls begins, but she seems distracted. She studies Emily’s clothes, “You must be from that other realm, the one the Great Sisters made a portal to a century and a half ago, with all those humans.”

“I guess so.” Emily chuckles slowly. Portals, elves, much more likely she’s lying on the ground in her grandmother’s garden in a coma and dreaming. Consequences of being a clutz.

“You don’t know how you got here, do you?” Emily shakes her head. The girls smiles fondly and extends her hand, “Well I guess we’re just gonna have to figure that out aren’t we?” She pulls Emily to her feet. “I’m Azari, fire elf, and I have a feeling this is going to be quite an adventure.” A rogue-ish smile breaks onto her face, and she looks overall like a fanciful devil. 

Emily swallows her nerves and forces a smile. “I’m Emily, and I sincerely hope not.”

Azari laughs, the sound rolling through the air with the intensity of a wildire.

__________________________________________

Fire elf in the lead, the pair hustle down the grassy hill. This vantage point, to which Emily had been facing away from when she landed in this place, looks down upon a vibrant blue lagoon, framed on either side by jagged mountains. Azari turns onto a path to the right, leading to a sloping outcropping ornamented with unusual apple trees.

“Where are we going?” 

“To Farran Leafshade, earth elf, and general buzzkill. His idea of fun is studying different kinds of dirt.” Azari wrinkles her nose. “Who does that? Of all the elves I know, earth and not, even those in agriculture think that’s the most boring part of the job. What kind of person do you have to be in order to want to do that in your free time?”

“A little weird, I guess, but I’m sure he’s a great guy…elf..person..thing…”

Azari shrugs. “He could do with a little spontenaity every now and then. Live a little, you know? Anyways he’s pretty in tune with all the goings of the forest, plus his home is where we all get together for anything important.”

Emily looks quizically at her. “You all?”

“Me, Farran, Aira and Naida. We’ve all been friends since forever.”

Emily nods. “And do you think they might know how I got here, and maybe how to get home?”

“Maybe, Aira and Naida know the legend of the Great Sisters better than I do, I get bored with history. Besides, Naida’s mother’s mother was one of the Sisters who created the portal in the first place. We might be able to go to her for help.”

“Who are the Great Sisters?”

“Well they’re,” Azari stops short and shakes her head. “No, I better let one of the others explain. I always get the details mixed up.”

As they near the pinacle of the slope, a sophistcated treehouse becomes visible through some of the towering branches. Seated on a set of roughly hewn steps is a male elf. He has a fairly light complexion, muted lime green eyes, and a wavy mess of short, dark brown hair that almost conceals the tips of his ears. He holds a pad of paper and a pencil in his hand, conversing with an elven girl standing to his right. She’s slim, but not overly tall, pale face accented with lavender eyes and hair, the latter pulled into a rather elaborate ponytail, though quite a number of strands have loosened. She wears a strange winged contraption, to which her fingers are busy adjusting the straps.

“Remember to time it correctly this time,” she chides the boy, her voice light and airy.

“I know,” he grumbles, leaning forward to rest his head tiredly on his hand. “After forty-five test flights, one can have the tendency to make a mistake.”

“Nonsense, that only means it should be perfectly engrained into your muscle memory.” She tightens one last strap. “There. Now in five, four, three…”

“Aira! Farran!” Azari calls. 

The purple-haired girl turns, her face erupting into a beaming smile. “Azari! So good to see you! Who’s your friend? She looks odd, why are her ears so round?” The words flit from her mouth with the speed of a hummingbird. 

Emily, overwhelmed, only stares dumbly in response.

“Aira, that’s not polite,” the boy gently rebukes, striding over to join them. “I’m Farran Folasion. This is Aira Arlaynaiel. It’s a blessing to meet you.”

“You don’t have to be so formal, Farran,” Azari responds. “This is Emily, and she’s a human.”

“A human? This far north? How?” The boy asks incredulously.

“I don’t know,” Emily starts shyly. “I guess I came through some sort of portal. There aren’t any elves where I come from, least that anyone knows about.”

Aira’s eyes widen. “The gates of Great Sisters!”

Azari nods. “That’s what I was thinking.”

“We have to find Naida!” Aira exclaims.

The fire elf smirks. “Also what I was thinking.”

Gushing, Aira and her sweep Emily off in a new direction down the hill. The air elf buzzes with excitement, chattering with such speed that Emily can’t make sense of half of what comes out of her mouth, but it seems to be spurts of curious questions about her human-ness alternating with speculations of the significance of her appearance in Elvendale. It seems whatever these gates or portals were, they were supposed to be permanently sealed decades ago.

Farran trails just behind the group, and unlike his companions, his face is devoid of anything cheerful. He casts skeptical glances towards Emily, concern creasing his brow. He runs one hand anxiously through his hair. He sighs.

At least they’re going to see Naida, the wisest of their little group. She would be the voice of caution Azari and Aira desperately need to hear.

[shelless-turtles]

A Stitch in Time (Saves Nine) — Chapter 1

Chapter 1 on ao3 here

Fandom: ROTTMNT

Characters: Leo, Mikey, Donnie, & April

Rating: General Audiences

Words: ~5,000

Leo, Mikey, and Donnie traverse the Hidden City to find a gift for their brother. Everything goes as planned... until it doesn’t.

Not that Leo will ever admit it.

Leo stepped out of the portal, shivering slightly, his skin unaccustomed to the chilly dampness of the Hidden City. The foggy atmosphere clung to his scales like thick droplets. Despite the warm orange hues streaking the sky, mixing with blue and bathing the Hidden City in a deep sunrise, that didn’t change the fact that it was still a cave. A very, very large one—sure, but still a damp, overall way-too-wet cave.

It was the kind of place you’d write a review of 3 out of 5 stars for on yahoo. Bright and colorful but way too chilly of an atmosphere.

Yōkai shuffled about the streets and, although it was busy, it was quieter than the last time Leo had been here. Some were in a hurry, but most were slow and methodical in their steps, sure of where they needed to be and not in a rush to get there.

Leo heard both of his brothers stumble out of the portal and he turned to greet them, grinning. “Hey, see you made it, safe and sound. Nice, nice.”

Mikey looked around in wonder and oh—he’d never actually been into the Hidden City itself until now, had he? Besides Baron Draxum’s now defunct and destroyed lair, of course (acclaim went to him and his brothers for that), his brothers had rarely actually ventured out into Mystic places. And, well, it wasn’t like Draxum’s lair even counted, with how far away it was from the actual heart of the city.

“Ohmigosh… so many yōkai! It’s like Run of the Mill Pizza but wayyyyy bigger,” Mikey said in awe, stretching his hands out to emphasize just how massive the city was.

Leo nodded and smiled, glad to see his brother enjoying the sights. There were a lot of Yōkai, he had to admit. A pretty normal day in the Hidden City probably, but new to Mikey. It makes sense that he’d be excited. “Pretty cool, right?”

“Yeah!” Mikey’s hands flicked outwards in excitement.

Donnie coughed, causing Leo's attention to snap towards him. He looked slightly bored, his eyebrows arching up in that self-important way he did sometimes. Leo could see him typing something into his wrist trackpad. “Ahem—while it's great to sightsee and perhaps we could come back again sometime to do just that, maybe we should commence with our mission? Operation: Stim Toy? Seeing as that’s why we came here in the first place?”

“Oh, right!” Mikey said, jerking to a stop in the middle of his stimming, hands frozen in air. He slid a hand over his face to switch into “serious mode,” making Leo snort. Mikey squinted and looked around. “So—uh—what’s the first thing we’re looking for? I know we’re going to find a stim toy for Raph but… how are we gonna find it?”

Leo draped an arm dramatically over Mikey and pointed towards a towering building with pink-tinted windows. “Why do you think I portaled us right next to the library, bro?”

“That’s—oh! That’s the library?” Mikey said, awestruck.

“Probably.” Leo shrugged.

While he wasn’t entirely certain, in order to portal he did need to have a destination in mind. And. Well. It definitely looked imposing enough to be it in addition to the—oh wow, was their sign misspelled?

Leo squinted. It was.

Now that was hilarious and definitely one of the most ironic things he had ever seen in all his fourteen years of life.

“What Leo means to say is that that is indeed the library, considering the large engraved sign that says MYSTIC LIBRARY in all caps.” Donnie paused. And blinked. Leo could practically see him mentally running through calculations in his head as he realized that it didn’t actually say that. “Or... it should.”

Leo spun towards Donnie and leaned onto his brother's shell. A mischievous grin unfurled across his face.

“Ah yes. The Mystic Librarby. My favorite place to go for completely guaranteed and accurate info,” Leo said, his voice bordering on dramatic mockery.

Read the rest on ao3.

[livia-dovehallow]

home - Gabrily

i wrote this a while ago when my grandpa passed away and hesitated to post it because it was personal. then when i was finally ready the whole tsc fandom blew up. but now i’m going through a lot of things and i think sharing my writing is cathartic so here we go! || @tsccreatorsnet

tw: death, depression, grief

The soft, damp grass tickled the bottom of the young girl’s little feet as she darted across the hill. Her laughter chimed in the wind, drowning out the sound of her brother’s concerned shouts. The sun shined brightly upon the hill, illuminating the Welsh countryside for miles.

“Be careful, cariad!” the boy said breathlessly, catching the little girl’s hand before she tumbled down. “It is a long ways down.”

“Oh, let her explore!” said an older girl, approaching calmly behind the boy. “She is curious.”

The young girl giggled and hugged her brother’s arm. “Run with me!”

The other girl joined, walking backward down the hill. “Yes, run with us!”

“You children be careful up there!” shouted a stern voice from the bottom of the valley. “Your mother will not be happy if you return with another broken bone!”

“She mustn’t know, papa!” the older girl teased. “We are only having a bit of fun!”

A figure approached behind the man, her skirts swirling in the breeze. Her smile was bright. “You know,” she called, “you are enjoying it all wrong! Rolling down the hill is much more fun.” She climbed the hill toward the children, who waited in great anticipation. “You do it like this,” the woman said, gathering her skirts and laying on the grass. She winked at the children, then rolled down the hill with great laughter.

Her hair fell from its pins, revealing the ink black color in a waterfall identical to the color of the hair of the giggling children atop the hill. The youngest of the bunch, her blue eyes wide and bright, immediately dropped to the floor and rolled down the hill. The other girl followed suit.

The boy grinned, devilishly, and followed the girls down the hill in a great burst of energy. He arrived in a heap of dark hair and laughter. The man stood above the four rollers, an amused grin on his face. His blond hair stood out among them. “You lot are much too extravagant today. Whatever will I do with you?”

The youngest of them rolled over to him and threw her arms around his leg. She smiled brightly. “Papa!”

The man kneeled down and swooped the little girl into his arms, tickling her until she was breathless from her giggles. ”Especially you, my little Cecily,” he said with love. “You are quite the fearless troublemaker.”

“She gets it from you,” the woman said, unmoving from her position laying on the grass. “I hardly think their sense of adventure is all my doing, Edmund.”

“I tried to stop her!” the boy cried indignantly. “I told her to be careful.”

“Will is too worried,” the older girl laughed. “I think he believes Cecy to be a porcelain doll.”

“I do not!” Will demanded. “But she is little! Mam, tell Ella to stop making fun of me.”

“You are all dolls,” Edmund said with a smile. “Just like your mother.”

“Oh, hush,” the woman said, though she did not sound angry. She sat up and gathered the other two children into her arms. “Our greatest creations,” she said and squeezed them. “You are all my greatest loves.”

Edmund smiled and sat beside his wife, a young Cecily still giggling in his arms. “The story of Edmund and Linette Herondale and their band of mischievous children.”

...

She stumbled in disbelief. The pain in Cecily’s knees was no match for the pain her heart as she fell to the floor in grief. She ought to have also felt the pain in her throat as a tortured scream ripped from her body, but still, it was no match.

Only the warmth of two strong arms around her kept her aware of her physical presence. She gripped Gabriel’s shirt in her fists as she turned and buried her face into his shoulder, immediately dampening it with her tears. “No!” she cried repeatedly. “No, no, no!”

Gabriel said nothing, but he held her close to him, running his fingers through her hair. He knew better than most what she felt in that moment, and Cecily could not imagine learning such devastating information without him by her side.

Cecily knew that one day she’d have to face the inevitability of her parents’ deaths, but she was certain she still had time. She was certain they were far too young for her to have needed to worry about such a thing. And she certainly had not considered that it would be influenza that would take them from her, both of them, at the same time.

The sobs wracked her body in painful jerks. She recalled the last time she had the chance to see them. Cecily engraved the image into her mind, of her mother laughing with Cecily’s son in her arms, and of her father tickling Will’s daughter in his. If only she had known, then, that it would be the last time. 

Additional arms wrapped around Cecily. She did not have to look to know who they belonged to. Christopher’s curls tickled her cheek and Anna’s eyelashes brushed along her arm. She sat there, on the hard ground, surrounded in the embrace of her husband and children.

...

Some time passed before Cecily could gather enough energy to stand from the ground. Her children had long since gone to bed at Gabriel’s request, though they left with great hesitation. Their arms lingered before releasing.

“Cecy,” Gabriel whispered, holding her still, even as they stood. She looked up at him, into his eyes, and felt a fresh wave of warm tears flow down her cheeks.

“I did not get to say goodbye,” she said, her voice hoarse.

His calloused fingers lifted to wipe her tears from her face, though they were quickly replaced. “I know,” he said gently. She could see understanding in his face as he looked at her. He said nothing else; only pulled her closer to him and cradled her head against his chest, the sound of his heart beating against her ear.

...

Cecily sat along the edge of her unmade bed, staring blankly into the bedroom she shared with Gabriel. A red mourning rune stood out against the pale skin of her throat, just over her collarbone. She was dressed in white, the color of Shadowhunter mourning, but she felt guilty bearing the colors of the Shadow World at the funeral of her parents, who had left the Shadow World behind.

Waves of memory crashed over her; of seeing Will arrive through the Portal atop of the hill beside the cemetery where their parents were to be buried that day, back at home in Wales, and running into his arms. Though Gabriel had understood her pain, it was Will, and Will alone, who could feel the pain of her loss just as intricately as she had. They had stood in silence, hands clasped together, as they said their final goodbyes to their beloved parents. Cecily only distantly recalled Gabriel explaining to the other attendants the role of the color white in their “religion” as the color of mourning rather than black. It made no difference to Cecily. She did not care what these people, whom she’d never met, thought about her attire.

“Cecily,” Gabriel said, sitting beside her. “Sit with me a while, will you?”

She nodded and swiftly nestled herself into his side as they laid back against the soft pillows. He was warm, unlike the air had been in Wales earlier that day. “When does it cease hurting so much?” she asked quietly.

Gabriel sighed. Cecily ran her fingers across his arm, where he had rolled up his sleeve to reveal his own mourning rune. “I wish I could tell you that it will go away,” he answered. “But it will not. You will carry it, and it will get lighter, but a bit of it will always be with you.” He pressed a kiss to her head. “You will not have to carry it alone, my love.”

Cecily looked up into his eyes. They were a green she’d always associated with the rolling hills of Wales; bright and welcoming against a bright blue sky. A color that meant home. “I do not know how to bear it.”

“You will bear it just as we bear everything,” he said with the softness and affection he reserved only for her, and their children. “Together, as husband and wife should.”

A soft knock sounded from the door, followed by Anna’s head peaking in through the crack. A red mourning rune stood against Anna’s skin, too. She was dressed in white but had remained in the Institute while Cecily and Gabriel left for Wales. Charlotte could only explain so much absence to the Clave. “Mam, may we sit with you?”

Cecily’s heart squeezed, but she nodded and gestured for Anna to come in. She did, with Christopher trailing closely behind her, dressed in dirtied white. They hurried to the bed and laid beside Cecily and Gabriel, curling into the empty spaces where their bodies could fit. Gabriel reached down and ruffled Christopher’s hair affectionately. “As family should,” Gabriel added quietly, looking back into Cecily’s eyes. There they were again: the eyes the color of home.

“I love you,” Cecily whispered to him. He smiled ever so affectionately.

“Rwy'n dy garu di.” His pronunciation had always been a work in progress, but Cecily felt the pure expression of adoration behind Gabriel’s Welsh anyway. Anna and Kit giggled quietly.

Against all the pain in her heart, Cecily smiled. She was not okay, and she would not be for a long time, but as long as she still had Gabriel by her side, and her precious children, Cecily would always be home.

[charlott2200]

Lo quiero mucho mr blue sky💙

Just a little draw of my favorite character this year

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

one of the best things i found this year ,portal and wheatley .

is been some since i get so attached to a fictional character ,and one of those rare times in wich i like a villain/antagonist so much.

just i feel so identified to him ,i adore it with my soul.

besides i meet mr merchant (his original voice actor)cause of the character ,and you all know how much i admire him .

Also this year (and since 2018 )i been having a lot of crisis and been feeling too bad ,but in september when i enter this new fandom i got better .

comfort characters are important for people like me who cant express or understhan their feelings .

And wheatley in canon is complex amazing character .

+ the redempcion the fandom had made of him is amazing (blue sky ,pieces ,etc)

Hope you like 💖

[ficsandcatsandficsandcats]

All Is Found:Anastasia!AU

Part V – In The Dark Of The Night

Fandom: The Witcher Word Count: 2,509 Rating: T Taglist: @heroics-and-heartbreak​ @whatevermonkey​ @jill-makes-art​ @mynamesoundslikesherlock​ @kemmastan​ @magic-multicolored-miracle​ @writingstudent​ @mlleecrivaine​ @coffee-and-stories​ @amirahiddleston​ @ultracolorfulnerdcollection​ @astouract​ @your-not-invisible-to-me​ @mycat-is-mylove​  a/n: A retelling of Don Bluth’s Anastasia (1997)

{prologue}{part i}{part ii}{part iii}{part iv}

The plan was fairly easy, all things considered. After several successful border crossings Geralt and Jaskier had established a streamlined process. When they returned to the little house Geralt and Jaskier shared, which was more of an abandoned building than an actual home, you were told to try and rest as you would be traveling all night to get out of Old Nilfgaard. Jaskier had gallantly fluffed the pillow for you and you’d lain on the straw mattress bed and stared at the ceiling for some time. You tossed and turned until Jaskier finally came to check on you.

“What’s going on in there?” he asked.

“I can’t sleep,” you answered.

“Oh, thank the gods. I thought you were wrestling with a particularly tenacious rat,” he quipped.

“Very funny,” you murmured. Jaskier smiled kindly and moved a bit closer, crouching down by the bed so his face was level with yours.

“It’s normal to be nervous,” he said.

“I’m not nervous,” you lied. He cocked an eyebrow in disbelief but you kept your face placid as you gazed back, the sky-blue eyes nearly silver in the beams of sunlight that streamed through little slats in the wall.

“Well if you were nervous, I’d assure you that we have done this several times and there have never been any casualties,” Jaskier said.

“And if I wasn’t nervous what would you say?” you asked, stubbornly refusing to admit you were scared but trying to keep him by your side talking. Even if he frustrated you at times, you didn’t want to be alone. You’d spent too much of your life alone already.

“I’d tell you to stop thrashing around or you’ll wake the bats in the attic,” he answered glibly. You made an annoyed harrumphing sound and flipped back over, unsure if the squeak you heard was a trick of your mind or one of the aforementioned bats. Jaskier walked back into the little living space where Geralt sat sharpening one of his swords. It had been unsettling to watch the first few times but now it was as commonplace as seeing him wash a dish or grunt impassively.

“Is she alright?” he asked, glancing up at Jaskier as he plopped heavily into a chair that wobbled dangerously under his weight.

“She’s nervous but she won’t admit it,” Jaskier replied, “She’s certainly stubborn enough to be a queen.”

“Stubborn can be good. Stubborn keeps people focus on a goal,” Geralt replied, sheathing the sword.

“Perhaps, but it makes for difficult conversation,” Jaskier grumbled.

“Jaskier, don’t tell me you of all people are having a hard time making conversation. I thought it was one of your foremost skills. You’ve certainly practiced long enough,” Geralt muttered.

“It’s hard to get anywhere with someone who won’t be open with you,” the bard argued.

“And how open have you been with her?” Geralt asked. Jaskier scoffed and sputtered as he tried to think of a good answer.

“That is.. entirely different,” he snorted.

“Indeed.”

“Yes!”

“How?”

“It just is,” Jaskier snapped. Geralt leaned closer, fixing his amber eyes on Jaskier’s blue ones intently.

“You both have histories. But you’ve had someone to talk with, she hasn’t. If our lives in this godsforsaken country has made us cautious, imagine what it’s like for someone whose family was slaughtered and who just found out who they truly are?”

Jaskier squirmed uncomfortably under Geralt’s words, unable to deny the truth in them.

“I suppose I can be more accommodating,” Jaskier mumbled. Geralt smiled at him proudly and they both turned to look as the door to the bedroom creaked open. You stood in the threshold and fixed them both with a cautious but determined expression.

“I can’t sleep so I’d rather help prepare,” you said. Jaskier and Geralt exchanged a brief glance and then Geralt nodded. Jaskier turned to look back at you, a smile playing about his lips.

“Are you handy with any weapons?” he asked. You thought hard for a moment, not wanting to say no but not wanting to lie and look like an ass or endanger them in a critical moment.

“I used to throw knives. For a little bit. Till the Headmistress found out,” you said.

“That’s a start! What about archery? Ever held a bow?” he asked.

“No, but I have pretty good upper arm strength! I was always giving the girls spins,” you answered proudly.

“Sorry, giving them what?”

“Spins! It’s when you pick a child up under their arms and you spin them around in a circle,” you hoisted your arms up, pantomiming the action as you moved in a circle until you stumbled into a nearby chair.

“Let’s try the knives,” Geralt said with an encouraging smile. He rose from his chair and reached into a bag, pulling out three ornate, lightweight daggers and gestured for you to follow him outside.

-----

The blades glistened in the candlelight, nearly dry though the mages could still see the shimmer of poison that had yet to fully be absorbed.

“If any part of the blade so much as grazes her flesh, the poison will ensure her death within a minute. It should go without saying that you need to avoid touching it yourself,” Stregobor announced. The three mages he’d chosen for the mission nodded in unison.

“There are few routes they could be taking but the witcher will choose the mountain. I have seen it,” he said, looking down at the flames that were mirrored in the blades like a seer gazing into a crystal ball.

“You will bring her body to me,” he instructed.

“What of the witcher and the bard?” one of the mages asked. Stregobor’s eyes glanced up at them as he considered the question and then gave an impassive shrug.

“You can do with those what you wish. There are some who would be eager for the chance to examine a witcher’s corpse. The bard is of no consequence. The only one I care about is the girl,” he answered.

“What happens if…” the mage who had begun to speak thought twice and quickly closed their mouths but Stregobor’s sharp eyes were on him, hawk like and predatory.

“If?” Stregobor prodded. The mage glanced up into his eyes and then away again. There were a few tense moments of silence and then Stregobor pulled himself up to his full height, crossing his hands behind his back as he looked down at the trio in front of him who looked everywhere but towards him.

“Allow me to be very clear with you all,” he said in a calm, composed voice, “You either bring her body to me, or you do not come back at all. You have been chosen to complete a task. Failure will not be accepted, no matter the circumstance. Does that answer any lingering questions you may have?”

The three nodded in unison again, eyes on the ground, and Stregobor nodded as well, satisfied that they were sufficiently motivated.

“They will leave at dusk. I will portal you now so you can be waiting for them. Do not fail me,” he said. He picked up the daggers and handed them carefully over, one to each mage.

-----

They left under the cover of night and they would go through a cave path in the mountains that the pair alone knew. It would take them into Sodden where they would be safe to travel openly through the other countries until they reached Cidaris. Geralt took the lead with you in the middle, Jaskier ostensibly in the back but he had decided a good use of time walking would be providing a history lesson so he spent more time by your side than behind you.

“Repeat back to me, your grandmother...”

“Marie,” you answered confidently.

“From House…,” Jaskier trailed off, looking at you expectantly.

“House… Tussel?”

“Thyssen,” Jaskier corrected.

“Question, would I really have known that or paid attention as a child? I mean as a seven year old did you know your grandmother’s maiden name?” you argued. Jaskier ran a hand through his chestnut hair.

“I am not a prince, Y/N, nobody cares who my grandparents are or where they’re from. It matters for you and it would have as soon as you understood words and symbols,” Jaskier insisted.

“Tell me something meaningful about them,” you asked, “Just… something besides dates and houses.”

“What do you consider meaningful?” he asked.

“Well… why is she in Cidaris? Why not stay in Toussaint?”

“House Thyssen is a Cidarian dynasty, she returned when there began to be word of unrest in the country,” he explained, “Word was that you were supposed to join her but never got the chance.”

“Speaking of that,” you said quickly before he could ask another question, “How did she get out? And me? And how did I not stay with her?”

Jaskier considered your question for a moment, a silence lapsing between you as he considered his answer. When he opened his mouth to answer Geralt held up a hand, halting you both. You instinctively reached for the knife Geralt had given you for protection and you saw Jaskier’s hand go towards something as well. You stayed like that for a few minutes as Geralt listened and waited. You were within sight of the bushes that obscured the cave entrance, so close to freedom that you felt the itch to run for it but you knew better than to take that risk. After five minutes had passed you opened your mouth to speak but Jaskier saw and quickly took your hand. When you looked over at him he shook his head. Geralt spun around, pulling something from his pocket and sending it flying just where your head had been seconds before Jaskier pulled you to the ground, cushioning your fall with his body. You heard a shriek and turned to see someone drop from a nearby tree. Geralt reached for another one and you heard an ungodly scream from the right. You jumped up, hands fumbling for the dagger as someone in a robe came running towards you from the trees, something in their hand glinting in the moonlight. Jaskier rose up before you could get a good grasp on the knife handle and thrust one of his own. It landed in the assailant’s shoulder and they fell backward with a cry of pain. Jaskier seized your hand and pulled him behind you. Geralt looked around the perimeter, yellow eyes scanning the trees carefully. For a moment the only sound was of your breathing, shaky and anxious, and the crunch of leaves underfoot. Jaskier’s hand squeezed yours hard, the only sign of his own nervousness, and you squeeze back just as hard. Geralt turned again to look into the trees and you felt something grasp your ankle. You kicked instinctively and by the time you looked down the third assailant held a hand over their eye, blindly swiping at you with a dagger that missed you by inches. You kicked again and the dagger went flying. Before Jaskier could do anything you were on top of the assailant who struggled but couldn’t shake you as you held them down, your legs wrapped around their waist and your hands keeping their shoulders pinned to the earth.

‘Who are you?” you demanded. The hood had fallen back and you were surprised to find what looked like an ordinary young man.

“It doesn’t matter,” the man spat, “I’m dead.”

“Not necessarily,” you said, “If you answer some questions…”

Before you could continue the man reached for the blade that was just beyond his outstretched fingers but Jaskier stepped on it, pulling it further away as Geralt moved in to pull you off of the man. He didn’t try to run, he just looked up into the witcher’s golden eyes defiantly.

“Do it,” he snapped.

“Who sent you?” Geralt asked. The man scoffed and shook his head. You noticed him begin to move his hand in a strange pattern but before you could point it out the man made an odd wheezing noise. Geralt moved closer and then stepped back quickly as he spat up blood, body convulsing until it stopped. His head fell to the side, eyes empty and a stream of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Gods…” you whispered. Geralt scowled at the body and then at the other two around you.

“What do we do with the bodies?” Jaskier asked, far calmer than you felt but you heard the slight crack in his voice as he spoke. Again you were grateful for the glimpse of vulnerability that helped you feel less alone in your fear. It was also good that this wasn’t a normal occurrence. For the bard, anyway. Geralt was unaffected, mostly seeming confused and ponderous rather than shaken by the near death experience, much less the actual deaths witnessed.

“We leave them. We don’t have time to dig graves. With luck the animals will get to them before any guards find them,” Geralt answered. Jaskier nodded and then moved his boot, reaching down to pick up the dagger he’d moved aside.

“Don’t touch that!” Geralt snapped just before Jaskier’s fingers brushed against the flat of the blade.

“I was just going to look at it!” Jaskier cried, stepping back as Geralt ran towards it. He picked it up with a gloved hand and you moved closer to look. You could see that the blade was colored in an odd way, tinged with something opaque.

“Poison,” Geralt said. His eyes found yours before he spoke again, “Someone knows you’re alive.”

Your heart leapt to your throat and you focused on trying to regulate your breathing as Geralt moved some paces away and buried the dagger. Jaskier walked over to you and his hand found yours again, the warmth of his hand helping to soothe the trembling from your fingers.

“You saved my life,” you said, focusing on the soft blue of his eyes and trying to lose yourself in their depths, far, far away from the carnage around you and your attempted murder.

“I told you to trust us,” he said with a smile, “You were brilliant, too.”

“I didn’t say you were brilliant.”

“I said it for you,” he teased, a smirk playing about his lips for a moment before he grew serious again, “Truly, though. You held your head. Hell, you held them down!”

“I told you,” you said with a smug nod, “Spinning. I have the upper arm strength of an ox.”

“Do oxen have especially strong upper arms?” Jaskier asked. You opened your mouth to reply but Geralt walked up to you and you turned your attention to him.

“Are you alright?” he asked. You nodded and he glanced to Jaskier who nodded as well.

“Alright, let’s go,” he said, “Quickly.”

The rest of the walk was spent in silence and when Jaskier helped you up onto the rocky ledge into the mountain tunnel he kept your hand in his, a silent reassurance that you weren’t alone.  

[theworldthatneverwas]

Sound of the Sunset

Chapters: 1/28 Fandom: Kingdom Hearts Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ephemer & Player Character (Kingdom Hearts), Player Character & Skuld (Kingdom Hearts) Summary:

What if you and Ephemer had spent a year getting to know each other before he disappeared? What if you and Skuld had had more time to become friends before the Keyblade War? A slightly canon-divergent AU with an overdose of fluff, friendship, and found family. Note: This fic is already written, and will update every Tuesday until completely uploaded.

(Subscribe to this fic on AO3! No links in this post so hopefully Tumblr shows it in the tag)

***

I've been having these weird thoughts lately

Like, is any of this for real? Or not? 

 “We… we need to get them away from the battlefield. To the rest of the Dandelions.” Ephemer's voice shakes a little. He’s still holding your hand even though you passed out from exhaustion several moments ago. The gauntlets of your keyblade armour are scratched and caked in mud, proof of the battle that took place here so recently. 

Beside him, Skuld nods. She crouches down and picks up the helmet next to you, the symbol of a snake upon the top gleaming faintly in the dim light. The metal is cold and slick from the thunderstorm that had ravaged this area just moments ago. “And…” she begins, looking unsure, “I guess we’ll need to get rid of the armour. So they don’t remember.” It’s been so long since Skuld has seen Ephemer, but now that they’re here together there doesn’t seem to be anything to say. Or perhaps there are so many things to say that it’s impossible to organize them in a coherent manner.

Setting down your hand at last, Ephemer stands and summons his Starlight keyblade to open a portal behind you, casting soft white light onto the scene.

Skuld reaches down to pat your Chirithy, who’s still lingering at your side. “You did really good, Chirithy,” she says, looking fondly at the cat-like creature. “We might not have made it in time without your help.”

Chirithy’s eyes crinkle with happiness at the praise. “What’s gonna happen now?” they ask.

“It’s your job next,” Ephemer says to Chirithy, kneeling down and positioning one arm under your back and one under your knees. With an audible grunt of effort, he manages to pick you up. The keyblade armour you’re wearing digs into his arms and chest, weighing you down, and he already looks a little strained with the effort. Skuld hurriedly moves to try to help but he shakes his head at her. “Just go,” he says, motioning with his chin to the portal. She tucks your helmet under her arm and picks up your Chirithy before stepping through, Ephemer right behind her.

The trio emerge onto a grassy cliffside, the speckled purple rooftops of the town below visible clustered in the distance. It’s just after dusk, and the grey sky overhead threatens more rain. Ephemer sets you down carefully onto the grass. 

“Is this outside Daybreak Town?” Skuld asks, setting Chirithy down as well. 

“Yeah,” Ephemer pants, his fingers feeling along the edge of your gauntlet for a clasp so he can take it off. “Just outside the meeting place. We should be able to get to the other worldline again from here.”

Skuld kneels down beside you as well and helps remove the keyblade armour pieces. Usually a wielder can simply dismiss the armour themselves, but circumstances mean that this is the only option. Skuld gazes at the armour pieces once they finish, a frown tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Will they remember?” she asks quietly, looking over at Chirithy. 

Chirithy’s ears are flat against their head and their expression is determined. “I'm doing my best,” they say. “The Dandelions need to forget the war so they can start over, right?”

Skuld gives a small smile and nods at the tiny Dream Eater. She turns to Ephemer. “Let’s get them through to the other Daybreak Town as soon as we can. You have somewhere to be, don’t you? We shouldn’t linger so Chirithy can do their job.” She has a feeling she knows where he needs to go.

Ephemer seems surprised at her perceptiveness. “I do, but…” he begins, and his hand closes around something hidden underneath his red scarf. There's exhaustion and worry and deep affection on his face as he looks at your unconscious figure on the grass. 

She'd expected something like this when she first learned about you, discovered the reason her fellow party member never seemed to be around after missions. But there will be time for reunions later. There's too much to be done right now. 

“It’s okay, Ephemer,” she says gently. “We’ll make sure they’re all right first.”

Skuld moves aside your Keyblade armour and helps Ephemer pick you up once again, then summons her own Keyblade. Chirithy braces themself, holding onto Skuld’s boot, and after ensuring she has a grip on both you and Ephemer, Skuld opens a keyhole, transporting the four of you away into the light.

The fountain plaza they arrive in looks identical to the one they left behind, nestled in the heart of Daybreak Town, only this time the sky is a clear, cloudless blue-grey with a hint of orange streaking the horizon. Dawn – or perhaps it would be more fitting to call this time of day daybreak. Ephemer shifts his grip on you and they begin climbing up the stairs that lead away from the plaza, towards the rows of purple-roofed houses that line the cobblestone streets. Skuld, the more skilled of the two of them with magic, casts a tricky Zero Gravity spell on you to help reduce the weight on Ephemer. With her help, he manages to carry you all the way to your residence, setting you down on top of your bed. Chirithy jumps up onto the covers beside you, hopping this way and that.

“You’ll take care of them, won’t you Chirithy?” Ephemer studies your Dream Eater carefully.

“Of course!" Chirithy lays a tiny paw on your arm. 

"Good," Ephemer says, nodding. "We're counting on you." He looks up at Skuld, pressing his lips together. "Maybe we could…" 

She puts a hand on his shoulder. "They'll be all right. Trust me. We've done everything we can."

He seems to see something in Skuld's gaze that makes him trust her words, and he nods. "Make sure…" His eyes study your face, eyebrows pushed together, worry lining his forehead beneath his silver-white curls. "...Take care of them," he finishes. 

Skuld glances down at your Chirithy. "How much will they remember?" she asks. 

"With time, none of it," Chirithy says, bouncing from one foot to the other. They approach you and lay a tiny paw on your shoulder. "Anything relating to the war will be gone, like a forgotten dream." 

"They won't…" Ephemer begins, and a strange look comes across his face as though he feels foolish for voicing his thoughts but is unable to help the words from slipping out, "they won't forget meeting me, right? Or meeting Skuld?" 

"Of course not!" Chirithy insists, turning to him. "Memories with friends are powerful. I can leave those in."

His shoulders relax a little at the Dream Eater's words. "Thank you, Chirithy. I don't know what we'd do without you." 

Chirithy beams up at him, then all their gazes are drawn to your resting form as you furrow your eyebrows slightly. "You should go," Chirithy says to them, gesturing at you. "I'll be here when they wake up. I can explain things better if it's just me."

Skuld and Ephemer exchange a look and nod, then step out into the hallway outside your bedroom. Skuld turns back to your Chirithy. "See you again soon," she says, and follows Ephemer down the stairs to stand on your front step. 

"We'll see them again before long," Skuld reassures Ephemer, noting the way he gazes back at your house, like he regrets leaving. 

He sighs and turns to her. "I know. It's just been such an exhausting day and I wish…I wish I could do things over again differently. Not just today. Leaving without telling you anything, too. It was selfish of me. I should have trusted you more." He looks wearier than she's ever seen him while he was still in her party, his normally bright and happy expression gloomy and tired. "I'm really sorry, Skuld." 

She tries to force a smile. "Hey, don't get all sentimental on me now," she says lightly. "There's a lot of work to be done. You can make it up to me later." 

One corner of his mouth twitches upward in an almost-smile. "You're right. I need to go, but I'll see you again soon. Thanks, Skuld." 

"Of course." She watches as he summons his keyblade and vanishes into the light, then walks down to the fountain plaza to clear her head. So much has happened in the last twenty-four hours it's hard to wrap her head around it. She sits for a moment on the fountain wall, watching as the sky slowly brightens to a pastel pink. What she wouldn't give to be able to sit here a little longer, to enjoy the beginning of a new day and forget about the tragedy they'd so narrowly escaped. But she's lingered here long enough. She summons her keyblade to take her back to the other Daybreak Town and finds that Ephemer has already cleared away your keyblade armour, which they'd left on the grass earlier. She raises her keyblade once more to summon another portal. There's somewhere she needs to be, and she has a pretty good idea of at least one person she'll find waiting there. The portal opens before her, bright and welcoming - a stark contrast to the place she'll be returning to. She steps into the light, vanishing just as a rumble of thunder echoes threateningly overhead. 

 *** 

Ephemer… Skuld…

Memories swirl through your mind, jumbling together, seeming to trickle through your grasp as you reach out to them. A horrible, gut-wrenching sadness takes hold of you and you can’t recall where it came from. Images flash across your closed eyelids -- keyblades, other wielders, the Foretellers’ masks, a crystal heart floating towards the heavens. Your friends, their faces lined with concern. A memory disentangles itself from the fog, a memory of a sunny day and a chance encounter… 

[ontowanderlust]

How to say I love you?  (2)

A/N: Another one? Really? Gosh. Bear with me, I’ve got like six more to go. I haven’t started writing the third one so if you guys are waiting for the next one- I’m gonna be frank with you, it will take me a long time before I publish it out. I would like to give this fic to the anon who had requested a different Five Hargreeves fanfic- (I tried writing your prompt, dearie, but I just couldn’t find the inspiration to recreate the magic of the song. That, and I am not really familiar with the song itself and tried googling it but I really cannot replicate the magic.) so instead, this part is dedicated to you whoever you are, anon.

Special thanks to: @grimpower-s you are awesome and amazing and I might pop out sooner or later depending on my motivation so yup.. I love you, my beta.

One of the reasons why I haven’t posted this was because of the sucky title. Let me know if you guys have better ideas. The other reason was just I’m too lazy to post this. My betas knew that I had a name written here but I had to revert to second person since… this is tumblr. (Though, the last name is predetermined already, don’t fight me on this.) Let me know if this sucks or if you guys like it.

Also some reminders:

Five is eighteen in this fic

The apocalypse had already happened

(Spoiler) They are sent back in time

And there are some of the 43 involved in this fic- there are 16 actually. Find them all and hit me in my asks if you knew the reference of the names.

Alternatively: 7 times he confessed and the 1 time she accepted his confession / 8 ways to say I Love You

Fandom: The Umbrella Academy

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Fem!reader

Prompt: This prompt is brought to you by R. McKinley (you write beautifully, may I just say) and @chickenshit​‘s photo edit. I did say that I’m gonna write something about this, right?

=Masterlist=

For as long as Y/N can remember Tuesdays had always been allocated as a day where she and her brother, Crutchie gets to be “special” (or so as people in their household says.)

Coming from a rich household, their mother had given them Tuesday as a time for reprieve from the whirlwind of studies from their different tutors, (seriously, why do they need to learn the 14 different uses of forks?) she and her brother would have a mock battle with each other- her, usually making her brother pause at mid-action while he retaliates by setting off a series of events at her misfortune. 

As much as she loved spending time with her brother, back then, it always felt as if Tuesdays are nothing more than the only day where she felt extraordinary and that if Tuesdays were removed, she would be… nothing more than some girl who got lucky and was born to wealth.

She hated how Tuesdays dictate her worth. She hated it so much that she had to resort to all kinds of excuses.

That is until her mother brought home the foster kid who would eventually become her big brother, Jack. 

Despite their initial distrust with each other, she learned that there is a purpose why her mother is adamant with their Tuesday routine. There is a purpose why she let her children discover what their abilities can do and make up for the loss of what the others can’t.

And right now, she couldn’t be more thankful to her mom than ever.

Throughout the years, Tuesdays with her brothers had somehow evolved with having more company- the kids she and her brothers had encountered on their run from their relatives- and their neighbors who were all born the same day as them. 

Crutchie liked to call it predetermined. Fate, if he will. She and Jack simply would scoff at their brother’s belief. Although, deep down, they all knew that having these kids make up for the space their mother had left them. In a way, they are all what they have, they are family.

When the Umbrella Academy showed up on their doorstep a few months back, she knew her twin had been right all along. (She never doubted him in his predictions. She just hated how optimistic his way of thinking is.) 

And so here they were Tuesday morning, in the middle of a massive courtyard-turned-grassy field courtesy of Katherine’s ability, about to face these superheroes. And since the Academy is massively outnumbered, Jack chose seven people from their team to battle the opposing team. 

“Heads up, mi hermano!” She heard Klaus holler at Five as she saw JoJo swooping down from above, grabbing the fifth Hargreeves child as if he weighed nothing before dropping him 30 ft from the sky.

She watched with interest as Klaus tried to levitate to save his brother, failing when Katherine touched the grass, willing some blades to transform into vines as it wrapped around the unsuspecting seance’s ankle, pulling him to the ground.

“We’re being floored,” she heard Diego deadpanned at Five as he spatial jumped back beside him. “We need a new plan.”

Five rolled his eyes as she watched him search the field for what she presumed would be the victim of this boy’s ire.

Having spent her time with them, she knew the Academy had somehow built this holier-than-thou attitude- a result of their glorified superhero days.

It’s no surprise that their hubris is their downfall and her family have no qualms in kicking their sorry asses.

Good. She scoffed inwardly. Someone has to teach them some humility. She thought as she absentmindedly reached up to steal Henry’s popcorn, ignoring his protests as her attention went back to the battle in front of her. 

Her family had adopted the strategy of keeping the Academy from each other while they keep themselves open to assist their own should the need arise.

Davey is managing on his own after he had borrowed Vanya’s ability, facing her by himself as he isolated her from her siblings, Katherine and JoJo teaming up to confuse Klaus and Diego, messing with them, Mush steeling himself well against Luther’s strength while Elmer and Romeo are fighting off Allison and Ben side by side. Crutchie, on the other hand, is providing all the assistance from every corner, setting off one series of unfortunate events to another, simply cast on the side as an open target.

Apparently, Five is thinking the same thing as her as she saw his gaze fell upon her twin, his fists started to glow blue.

She stood up abruptly, startling Race who was using her shoulder to sleep on, jumping off the bleachers (graciously provided by Katherine, “for your entertainment, losers”) prompting the rest to ask where she’s going. 

“He’s going after Crutchie!” she called over her shoulder, eyes locked onto Five’s running figure, trying to concentrate on him in order to slow him down. 

“Y/N, get back here!” She heard Jack yell but she had already entered the field, running as fast as she can, barely dodging JoJo as she shook her head, irritated at her lack of control over her ability.

Just as she ran past Elmer, she vaguely heard his panicked tone, voicing his worries to Romeo. 

“Time out!” Romeo yelled, stretching his arm as he wrapped it around Allison and Ben, easily trapping them. “Time out, Jack! Elmer’s lost control of his portal!”

What.

Too late now. She thought as strings of profanities left her lips. True to Romeo’s statement, Elmer’s portals had been emerging from different places and so she used her momentum, dodging the stray portals, her eyes searching for the spatial jumping boy, not noticing the portal that appeared beneath her feet. 

Having grown up alongside Elmer, there wasn’t a Tuesday where she hadn’t accidentally gotten sucked into his portal so why would this Tuesday any be of different?

Perhaps, the fact that she entered the void, momentarily disorienting her as she fell from above, her arms outstretched in order to brace herself, instead she found her hands colliding with a body part- a shoulder? She’s certain it was a shoulder since arms immediately wrapped around her waist as the person braced for the impact.

She couldn’t be any more grateful at Katherine for making today’s landscape a grassy field as the grass soften the impact of collision of the back of the person who had grabbed her to the ground while her knees were the ones that caught her weight, accidentally straddling the person.

Y/N couldn’t care any less for the pain that is engulfing her.

She shouldn’t care except… because of the force from the gravity, her head had collided with the person’s face, her lips effectively planting exactly on the person’s lips.

What the fuck.

Instinctively, she pulled away faster than she could utter a profanity, glancing down as apology is ready to leave her lips.

Only, the apology died as her eyes widened at the sight of the boy she is seeking out, sprawled beneath her, groaning in pain.

What the fuck.

She opened her mouth, about to sputter out apologies- anything to save face- when Five’s eyes creaked open, his face morphing into quick panic as his arms around her waist tightened before flipping them both easily, shielding her as stray objects that entered the portals (stray branches, small pebbles, handful of dirt) rained upon them. 

The vague smell of coffee overwhelmed her senses as she opened her eyes only for her breath to hitch as her eyes met the bluest pair of eyes she had ever seen. 

Time slowed down as flicker of blue lights enveloped the two of them momentarily. Is it even possible for someone to possess such fascinating eyes? She wondered silently as conflicted expression graced Five’s face before leaning down, softly brushing his lips against hers before fully capturing her lips.

Have I mentioned what the fuck already?

She is vaguely aware of her surroundings, the blue lights flaring for a bit as time alternated on freezing or slowing down everything around them and yet, that didn’t stop the warmth spreading on her ears, her hands tapping slightly on the grass as she could feel his lips moving against hers as if he was muttering something.

If she weren’t the type to pay attention to the littlest detail, she might’ve missed it but surely, the stoic Five Hargreeves hadn’t muttered those three words on her mouth now, would he?

[writteninsunshine]

I Like The Universe - Saïx/Xemnas - NSFW

Title: I Like The Universe

Author: Donnie

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Setting: The Castle That Never Was, Xemnas’ Room

Pairing: Saïx/Xemnas

Characters: Saïx, Xemnas, Axel

Genre: Romance

Rating: M

Chapters: 1/1

Word Count: 14450

Type Of Work: One-Shot

Status: Complete

Warnings: Gay, Slash, Yaoi, MLM, Oral Sex, Vague Master/Pet, Blowjobs, Face-Fucking, Skull-Fucking, PWP

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything.

Summary: The universe didn’t always have to be stars and planets.

AN: Hey guys, it’s me again! Just thought I ought to say, if you want vague updates and to talk to me more, I have Twitter and Tumblr, too! Twitter is Sunshinecackle, and Tumblr is Writteninsunshine! I also have a writing Discord that is currently pretty dead. xD I can PM it to people who want it on FFN, for everyone else, it’s here: https://discord.gg/FyaWw25

I had this thought in my head last night and had to write it, I guess. I’m glad to get something written, I’ve been using writing sprints to get something done. It helps me to focus, so that’s good, at least. I’ve been needing to write more.

Kingdom Hearts Fic Masterlist

I Like The Universe

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Saïx liked the universe. 

Something about the vastness of it, the sky spattered with stars, the knowledge of other Worlds, it all settled the anxiety in his chest. He could look out of the windows, or go to a high place to think, and the universe was always there to comfort him, to wrap its inky tendrils around his mind. It soothed his non-heart until it didn’t scream anymore until it was silent, and the silence was better than the loudness of his thoughts.

Saïx liked Xemnas.

He shouldn’t have, and he knew that, deep down. Axel and himself had gone into this not wanting to fall on his side. The unfortunate part was that it seemed that he was going to be left in the dust, their plan forgotten. There was nothing left of what they had once wanted to accomplish, and Saïx had been left behind, abandoned for the next cool thing. His heart, or lack thereof, had ached for days. 

That same silence he craved in his head became his entire personality, his loyalty in the right place to be swayed. Xemnas was nothing if not practical, and he’d seen it fit to call Saïx to his precipice, to draw him in and welcome him home. If he could keep someone’s loyalty, well, that was better than all of these little plots among his supposedly happy family.

“You wanted to see me, Superior?” Saïx asked calmly, watching the elder man as he gazed at Kingdom Hearts.

“Yes,” Xemnas spoke plainly, turning slowly, ethereal in all of his movements, “I am glad you arrived when you did. Has everyone checked in that was supposed to?”

“Yes, Superior.” The blue-haired man nodded, “Everything seems to be taken care of for the day.”

“Good. I was hoping you could join me in my room.” The elder man told him, stepping closer. A gloved hand pressed into Saïx’s cheek and he leaned into it, eyelids slipping closed. “Would you care to?”

“Yes, Superior.” He craved the attention, no matter what it was. 

“Good.” Opening a corridor, Xemnas gestured for the other to enter, “Please, after you.”

“Yes, Superior.” Those words left him so often, but they made him feel obedient, which was something Xemnas sought in him constantly. Perhaps he wanted it, too, because it earned him nothing but praise. As he walked through the portal, he let the other lead him, feeling a hand taking his own. It brought a soft smile to his lips, and he allowed himself to be taken to the elder man’s room.

A companionable silence overcame them as they entered Xemnas’ room, and the nightly ritual of undressing and laying together began. Xemnas’ hands worked through his hair, pulling a soft noise of contentment from the blue-haired man, and Xemnas simply smiled for him, closed-lipped and soft.

“What would you like to do tonight, pet?” Xemnas asked him, finally, his head tilting against the pillow. 

“I… Want to be touched,” Saïx responded softly, head tilting as those dark-skinned hands worked under his jaw to scratch there. It felt good, and his head fell back to grant him more access. Every gentle scrape of the other’s perfectly trimmed nails left him adjusting just slightly into the next touch and he sighed softly, content.

“Then I shall touch you. A loyal pet deserves nothing less.” The silver-haired male replied, kissing the scar between Saïx’s eyes and nuzzling his neck gently with his nose. Sitting up slowly, he let the blanket fall down to his hips, pooling there as his hands moved down Saïx’s chest. “On your back, pet.”

Rolling over and spreading out, Saïx bared himself to the other, watching as the elder man leaned down over his stomach. Soft hair tickled his abdomen as gentle kisses and sharp bites pressed into his skin. A soft throbbing began between his legs as those nails dug into his sides, scraping down to his thighs. Softly, a  keening whine left him, and his back arched as the elder’s tongue swirled around his nipple, leaving him panting softly. Xemnas always knew how to touch him to set his every nerve on fire.

Saïx whined again when the other’s mouth found his hip bone, biting into it and sucking until his cheeks hollowed. The younger man wriggled beneath his mouth, only stilling when one of those deft hands wrapped around his cock and began to stroke. It was times like these that made him feel important when Xemnas would focus entirely on <i>his</i> pleasure, and not his own. 

After a moment, those teeth left him and Saïx peered up just in time to watch Xemnas get up, settling between his legs. All of that dark skin pressed to and between his own left Saïx breathless, and he gasped as the elder’s tongue swirled around the head of his cock. No matter how much he wanted to watch, he found himself unable to, eyelids fluttering shut as he groaned.

Xemnas’ tongue played at the elastic bit of flesh beneath the head, and he sucked softly, leaving a panting groan pulled from Saïx’s lips. His hands fisted in the sheets, and the blue-haired man whined when he felt the other’s hand begin to stroke what wasn’t in his mouth. The other hand slipped down to roll his heavy balls, expertly pulling more gut-punched moans from his lips. 

Finally, Xemnas’ mouth dropped lower, slowly taking in more of him, sucking him deep and moaning around him. Swallowing around the head in his throat, he delighted in the howl of a moan leaving the other man, his back arching and hips threatening to leave the bed. He slurped loudly, sucking his way back to the head, before giving a little purr of a moan.

“You may thrust if it suits you, pet. You’ve been so good for me.” Xemnas couldn’t have said anything better, and the second that his lips closed around his prick again, both of Saïx’s hands flew to his hair. Thrusting up into the hot, wet cavern, his eyes rolled back, mouth open as he leaked precum down the other’s throat already. Xemnas gagged a little, at first, before relaxing his throat and letting Saïx have his fun. Sometimes that was all he had to do, let himself be used and the other was only that much more obedient afterward.

Even if that wasn’t the goal, Xemnas rather did enjoy how the other’s cock bulged his neck when he thrust, and he found himself closing his legs to try and mitigate some of his own arousal. Saïx was a handsome young man, and a good person to have on your side, even if he occasionally dallied with the wrong crowd. All he cared about at the moment was Xemnas and the pleasure that the elder could give him, and sometimes, that was enough.

Saïx worked himself into a frenzy, bucking off the bed wildly and force-feeding the other his cock with each erratic movement. It felt too good to finally be able to get some of that wild energy out, and all he had to do was chase his orgasm like it was the only purpose left for him. Xemnas would let him use him, and it was possibly the best thing anyone could have given him at this point in his life.

Throat spasming around him as Xemnas gagged again, Saïx felt the heat pooling in his stomach twist and he gave a loud howl, tossing his head back as his body went stiff. Both feet dug into the bed and pushed down, and he thrust up as he came, filling the other’s belly as he swallowed. Fists turned to soft palms, smoothing down Xemnas’ hair as he came down, hands quaking. He felt so good, now. It… Really was amazing how much more relaxed Xemnas could make him.

Slowly pulling off of his cock, Xemnas let it fall from his lips with a gentle ‘pop’ and laid it on Saïx’s belly. He smiled up at the other as he pet his milky thighs, and he kissed one of them before rising and falling in bed beside the other. Saïx was too tired to do much, smiling and nuzzling into him, holding the other male close. Asleep in a matter of seconds, Saïx remained curled around the silver-haired man for the rest of the night, Xemnas happy to work himself off slow and careful under the covers beside the other. Tomorrow would be a productive day, for sure.

Saïx loved the universe, but when he thought about it, he wasn’t thinking about planets and galaxies. It was Xemnas; even if they couldn’t love, his heart had figured it out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

AN: Alright, so that is out of the way! I’d had this idea even if I didn’t know where it was going last night and finally sat down to write it. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

[annaraebananawriter]

Dream’s Hurt

Yellow again! Here, have another one-shot! This one with the positive being getting hurt! Yay!

Fandom: Undertale, but specifically Dreamtale

Characters: Nightmare, Dream (Who belong to Joku)

Warnings: Implied violence? Other than that, there isn’t any I can think of.

Word Count: 1032

~oOo~

Nightmare was in a good mood.

He had woken up to a quiet castle, his team off doing things on their own. Horror was visiting a friend of his in Underlust. Killer was sharpening his knives and looking for a new one. Dust was practicing his attacks in one of the training rooms. Cross was doing…something, Nightmare wasn’t sure what. And Error was in his Anti-Void, most likely watching Undernovela.

As for himself, Nightmare was enjoying one of his few days off by taking a stroll in an AU he didn’t care to look at the name of. It was night and was set on the surface, but that was all he cared for.

Being a king was a lot harder than it sounded like. You had to attend meetings, make sure your people didn’t start a revolution, and you were always working. No matter what. But Nightmare made sure he had a few days a month to himself. Just enough that he didn’t burn himself out, because he, unlike popular belief, did care for his mental health. He prided himself on that.

Now Dream, he was the opposite. He would gladly run himself into the ground if someone asked him to. The village was proof of that. But Dream, when asked if he was alright, would always smile and insist he was fine, even if he hadn’t slept in weeks or eaten in days. Only if he couldn’t do anything else, would he ask for help or admit that maybe he needed a rest. Most of those times Nightmare would have to drag him and throw him in a cell for a few days.

Nightmare sighed. His brother was an idiot, but he was Nightmare’s idiot. He loved the younger twin dearly, could never stop, and deeply regretted hurting him. Which was why he was ever so grateful for the truce they made.

It had been a spur of the moment decision in the middle of a pretty bad fight. He had said something to Dream—he couldn’t remember what now—and the other had froze. Completely froze; aura going almost nonexistent, eyelights disappearing and his bow had vanished. Nightmare remembers being surprised and suspicious. Then Dream had snapped. He had spilled his side of the story, which also made Nightmare realize that he wasn’t the only one hurting. There were many tears spilled that day and many hugs too.

Their relationship was better now, perhaps better than it ever had been before. The others had been surprised at their truce, but as long as they held some freedom, they were alright with it. They supported it, even.

Nightmare took a deep breath, turning his head to stare at the sky. There were numerous stars out. It reminded him of a long time ago when Dream and him would stargaze together instead of sleeping. He should do that again. Yes, he’ll bring Dream here soon and they could—

The sound of a portal opening brought his attention away from the sky. Nightmare blinked, turning around as the portal closed and the skeleton who came through collapsed.

He blinked again, taking a step forward, looking closer. The skeleton was breathing heavily and also seemed in pain with every breath. They seemed to be very low on magic, from what he could sense. They also had a circlet on their skull and a cape on their…he froze.

Dream. This was Dream. And he was hurt.

Forcing his legs to move, Nightmare rushed over to the other, panic and worry rising in him. He dropped to his knees and gently picked Dream up, leaning the younger against him as he looked him over for major injuries.

There was a bad crack on the back of Dream’s skull, almost the entire width. It looked like it hurt and, based on Dream’s whimper when he brushed over it, did. Dream probably had a concussion and, pairing that up with his low magic, that meant Nightmare couldn’t let Dream fall asleep. There were a few other gashes and another crack on his shoulder. It was also safe to assume there were a few bruised or cracked ribs by his breathing. Besides that, there were lots of shallow and minuscule scratches that didn’t matter as much.

“Dream?” Nightmare said, shifting the other to look him in the eye. Dream’s eyelight’s were very fuzzy and he seemed to be trying to focus, which further proved Nightmare’s theory about a concussion. “Dream, can you hear me?”

Dream blinked hard and slow, squinting at Nightmare, who felt the worry intensify and concern begin to well up also. However, Dream seemed to recognize him, as he shifted and mumbled, “N…Night…”

“Yes, it’s me,” Nightmare cut the other off, not wanting him to waste his energy. “can you tell me what happened?”

Dream blinked again. His eyelight’s fuzzed greatly, almost going nonexistent before refocusing. “There was a…a…” Dream trailed off, leaning into Nightmare more. “…m’tired…”

“I know, I know,” Nightmare shifted Dream again, panic filling him too. He needed to keep Dream awake. “but you can’t sleep. Not yet. Now, what happened?” Please stay awake, Nightmare thought to himself, his mind beginning to think of what to do.

Dream pouted but obeyed Nightmare’s unspoken wish. “There was a fight…”

“With who?”

“D’know…can't remember…”

“Okay, that’s fine,” Nightmare said, mostly to try and calm himself down, even as the anger at someone hurting his brother began to grow. He needed to call for help, as he couldn’t heal, or at least he had to bring someone here.

He could ask for Dream’s phone, call Ink or Blue and wait for them. But those two didn’t trust him quite yet and the feeling was mutual, so he hesitated. He had no way of contacting his team, and even if he did, they couldn’t teleport between AU’s so they would be useless.

So that left…

Nightmare fished around in his jacket, eventually pulling a blue string out. He fumbled around with it, breaking it more harshly than he intended too, but that didn’t concern him, as he was more alarmed with how limp Dream had become.

“Dream? Dream! Dream, brother? Dream, wake up! Dream! Wake up!”

[shinidamachu]

Holding On And Letting Go - Chapter IV

Summary: Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III | Chapter IV

Word Count: 2180  Genre: angst  Fandom: InuYasha  Pairing: Inukag Format: multichapter  AO3 Link: 🌹  Fanfic.Net Link: 🌹

“I’m the one to blame and I know it. That’s the worst part.” InuYasha confessed to the dorment well in one of those nights, when he missed Kagome so dearly it was downright suffocating.

He would never forget the moment when she first taught him about the universe — how it was infinite and always expanding. He still remembered how small and overwhelmed it made him feel. 

Even now, that the memory was old and dusty, InuYasha felt the same. Missing Kagome was just like the universe — infinite and always expanding — and he was only himself, powerless and infinitesimal when faced with the immensity of it all.

“I shoulda fought harder for you.” The claws piercing his palm compensated the lack of emotion on the statement. “Not just that last time...” He shook his head, his brain flooded with images of the time they were forced apart and how he had been unable to do anything besides watch it happen. “But before that too. I shoulda told ya how much you meant to me, even though you knew already. I shoulda kissed you each chance I got. I shoulda apologized more.”

A lump housed in his throat as he recounted their journey on his mind, making sure to linger on the mistakes he made with the rawness of salt thrown straight into an open wound. Every argument they ever had seemed so pointless now, and yet, what wouldn’t he give for one more quarrel, if only to hear her voice again?

“And I shouldn’t have let you go!” All at once, the all too familiar anger started bubbling in the depths of his stomach, surfacing through his intonation. “What the hell was I thinking? That just because I wasn’t a selfish asshole for once, everything would be just fine at the end? It ain’t how life works! You’d think someone like me woulda learned that by now.”

Sitting on the grass, InuYasha fought the urge to scream in frustration. It was all bullshit. All of it.

“Before you, I didn’t use to do the right thing and we both know it. So why the fuck should I keep doing it now? ‘S not like it would bring you back.”

Deep down, InuYasha knew the answer. In the end of the day, her happiness and well being were way more important than his self-centered desires, and ultimately, he would never jeopardize all the effort he had put into becoming the man she showed him he could be — a man deserving of her. It didn’t mean he couldn’t feel sorry for himself, just a little.

“They already had at least fifteen years of you in their lives, but we... We didn’t have enough time.”

Part of him argued that it would never be sufficient, no matter how many lifetimes they got bestowed with. The other part reminded him of all the times he had pushed her away.

InuYasha acknowledged his greediness right then. Kagome had already given him more than he ever dared to dream and admittedly more than he deserved. Most of his kind would die without knowing so much as the prospect of love, while he had experienced it in every shape. Because of Kagome, he had finally found a place where he belonged, with people who accepted him. That should have been more than enough.

And yet there he was, asking for more as if he was entitled to it, as if every good thing in his life wasn’t as bright as it could be if she was around.

What an ungrateful bastard he was.

“I need you more than they ever could, anyway.” InuYasha went on, wondering why is was so much easier admitting these things when there was no chance for her o listen. “If you ever come back, I’d do everything different. No more wasting time, no more acting stupid. I’d even tell you how much I love your food and the way you smell, ‘cause I do, I always did.”

He once believed that Kagome was born to meet him. Now it looked they were doomed from the start.

“Just come back and see.”

If the Honekui no Ido was a Wishing Well, her wish would be him.

She knew it was selfish, but it was true.

There was nothing she cared about more, nothing else she wanted so fiercely in her supposedly fulfilled life.

Day and night, she dreamed of better worlds, where they never had to be more than a heartbeat away from each other. If she could, she would change her own, just to fit him in it the same way his Fire-Rat robe used to fit around her shoulders — warm and familiar — and he would know he was safe and sound. She would rewrite each cosmical rule keeping them from being together, speak over the prejudiced voices whispering their bigotry at them, shield him from the hurtful things he pretended to be indifferent to even though it broke his heart. And they would get the happy ending they deserved.

“All I ever wanted was for you to be happy.” Kagome remembered that day, swallowed by the sands of time, when she sat in the very well she now leaned against, and faced with these same emotions, asked InuYasha to stay with him. It was the moment she realized no amount of nasty blows to her ego could make her walk away. Her happiness was tangled with his. “And I promised you I would always be by your side. I guess things never work the way we plan, but I want you to know I would have kept my word. I still intend to.”

Kagome deliberately looked at the pile of books beside her. Most of them turned out to be useless, brimming with inaccurate information. A couple of few managed to carried interesting material and maybe Kagome could even teach Kaede a thing or two if she ever accomplished her main goal, but the rest were not written to be taken serious at all.

The girl, however, was no fool. It was highly unlikely that the solution she was looking for would be laying in a long lost book, and that just like in the climax scene of a hollywoodian movie, she would decode its manuscript, unsealing the magical time portal, consequently, reaching the anticipated joyous outcome, white letters rolling up the screen and lights turning on to reveal a clapping audience.

But what could she do except keep trying? The alternatives were way too depressing and she had promised him. She owed him — owed both of them — that much, and it gave her a purpose. Doing something felt good, even if something meant a new burn to a cauterized heart. What was a little drop of frustration for someone drenched on its rain? What was a little wave of sorrow for someone drowning on its waters?

It was also a good distraction from math problems and her oblivious — despite of  well meaning — friends. She welcomed those distractions as much as the lamppost lights that guided her way home.

Truth was, too many new moons had passed and it wasn’t lost on Kagome that the separation would affect her and InuYasha differently. While he knew she was out of danger, secure with her family in pacific modern era Japan, that same courtesy was never offered to her.

Sure, Naraku was gone and InuYasha would always have Tessaiga, as well as their friends, to support and protect him. But he was still a cocky half demon with a remarkable talent to lost his temper and a pretty respectful list of enemies. Trouble would find him one way or another. 

Part of her wondered if it already did and, as much as it hurt to consider it, that was why he never met her after the five hundred years gap. But then again, it could also mean that he didn’t have to, because she found a way to get back on her own. 

Her attention went back to the open book on her lap.

“I just… I just need to see if you’re okay.” Pleaded Kagome, aware of her own lie the second it left her lips. Just a glimpse of him, brief and distant as it may, and she could never walk away.

The night came and went as she devoured the pages, in vain. Then daylight touched Earth, imposing and golden like his eyes.

The sky was so clear, not a single cloud dared to taint its dazzling blue. Around him, InuYasha could see all the summer colors, as bright as they were, from the floating orange of the butterflies to the endless rainbow of flowers gifted to them by a generous spring. Nearby, he could hear the birds singing their jubilant melodies and the village’s children playing under the sun.

It was a beautiful morning and he hated it.

A day like that without Kagome to enjoy it was such a waste. Everything about it seemed pointless — wrong, somehow — since she wasn’t there to see it.

Particularly, he had grown fond of the cloudy days. It was much easier to blend in. Everybody gets a little sad when it rains.

But InuYasha couldn’t control the weather and certainly he couldn’t extinguish the distance separating them either, as he had previously learned. All he could do was sit there and wait for her.

“And now the little brats are getting old enough to chase me around.” Continued InuYasha, on yet another detailed report Kagome would never hear. “‘S a nightmare, I’ll tell ya. Not even you or your mom were so obsessed with my ears and that’s sayin’ a lot.”

His heart clenched at the thought of the kind woman who had treated him like a son from the very start, but it didn’t last long, as he could practically hear Kagome’s giggles. He had no doubt she would find the whole situation insanely amusing, much to his pretended annoyance.

He didn’t even try to fight his smile.

“Can you believe it? Miroku and Sango have twins!” InuYasha exclaimed, because he sure as hell still couldn’t, no matter how many times the living proofs climbed over him, pulled his hair or pestered his poor ears. “I mean, ‘course you can. You saw it coming way before I did.”

Well, not even her wildest guess would have bet on twins right away, but the important thing was the monk and the slayer were really making marriage work. InuYasha would give anything to see her smug I-Told-You-So expression.

“They’re really happy.” And they had every reason to be. Against all odds, they were together, they had a family. After so much trauma, fights and goodbyes, they managed to stood side by side at the end. They had earned that. InuYasha knew it. And he wanted to be happy for them. He was happy for them. He just couldn’t shake the terrible feeling that would come along with every look, touch or gleeful moments shared between the couple: it should have been Kagome and I. 

Then guilt would hit him like a punch, making him avoid the pair for a while just to feel even worse. It was much harder to feel happy for someone else when his own happiness was in the other side of the well with her. 

“They miss you, though.”

“Congratulations!” Kagome walked in, dropping her purse to the base of the Honekui no Ido to grasp her hair in exasperation. “You have finally made Tokyo boring and I thought this was impossible!”

The schoolgirl spent the whole day out, passing by parks and stores that had been so fascinating to her in the past, but that now just couldn’t catch her eyes. 

Since she was a little child, she always felt her city like a living entity. Pulsating, stimulating, a surprise on every turn.

Then, years ago, she had fallen into that damned well and the conception of adventure that she once had changed forever.

In that new, exciting land, Kagome had been a fish out of temporal water, but then she decorated the tides and made them her habitat. Now that she was isolated from it, she missed it like crazy and the place she used to call home didn’t felt like home anymore.

She was a fish out of water again, but this time in her own town.

The city lights were as pretty as ever, but they could never match the starry night sky from Feudal Era and the more she walked through the comfortable pavement, the more she longed for the freshy grass. It was sickening and frightening.

For her family, Kagome desperately kept trying to make things go back to the way it was before — Studying, hanging out with her friends, helping in the shrine. She never told them it wasn’t working. There was no need to hurt them over nothing.

But she didn’t belong there. And she hadn’t for quite a while.

“What do I do?” She whispered.

A/N: one day I’ll write something that isn’t angst again... but today was not that day. Thank you for reading, tho. It means a lot to me. Oh, and let me know if you want to be tagged or something. See ya!