#Chimera Champion AU

[themintman]

A lil something for the Chimera Champion enjoyers 😋

[quitealotofsodapop]

Okay so I saw some Dungeon Meshi x Lego Monkie Kid art you reblogged and it has been EATING at me. So now I gotta throw my hat into the Au idea ring.

So a lot of arts I’ve seen have portrayed Tang as Marcille usually, but I think he totally works as Falin, too. Like, eaten/almost eaten by a monster? Check. Self sacrificial for their friends? Check. Teleportation powers? Check!

Basically what I’m saying is that I think it’d be a cool (and angsty) Au idea if one way or another Tang got chimera’d. Because the idea of that middle-aged man going crazy as a chimera is beautiful to me, plus it’d be very unexpected! I don’t know how he’d get like that, mayhaps through LBD’s meddling?

(It wouldn’t make as much sense for him to have the main body of a dragon, though, so maybe instead he’d have something like a lion or tiger instead for the bulk? I think it’d be neat. Especially if we bring the cicada powers into play, then we’d have a bird-cicada-lion/tiger chimera on our hands and I’d LOVE to see that. I dunno, just a thought.)

Chimera!Tang 👀

CHIMERA!TANG DOING THE "WHOA HEY!"-SHIRT RIP!? ╰(✧∇✧╰)

YES PLEASE!! ٩(◕ั ∀◕ั๑٩)

If Tang was chimera'ed I can see the body mainly being that of a tiger, as per Tripitaka's transformation in the Jttw Yellow Robed Demon arc, mixed with that of a dragon-sized insect ala the Golden Cicada connection.

If we're thinking of this taking place in LMK canon; maybe Tang gets captured by LBD during the events of Lantern City/"Benched"? Or maybe even earlier around the time of Shadowplay - MK's second father going missing during perhaps the worst possible time in his life, only to reappear as a corrupted monster of his former self. Wukong and Nezha don't get bodied by a ward spell in this timeline - but rather by Tang himself.

LBD taking the final remnant of the Golden Cicada, a being embodying the cycle of life/death, and warping it into her Champion for the Destruction of this world.

Potential mirror to the infamous Possessed!Wukong vs Macaque fight with Pigsy and Chimera!Tang?

Yes please, :3

[transgenderenkidu]

ok since i posted about it last night, i might as well finally debut my comicaurora sentinel au, even if my drawings for it are. not fully realized

in this chimerae are a localized disaster event that can spring up anywhere, draining the life energy for a mile around. in response (in accordance with the rule of cool), cities built the sentinel corps, giant robots to fight off chimerae before they destroy the city.

more under the cut

kendal is one of these sentinels, a relatively recently developed mark III whose pilot is vash fairblade, captain of the sentinels. there aren't any city gods in this au, so vash is just a guy. why does he have the same name as the city? bc i didnt want to change it. anyway. after a while, kendal develops something of an active mind instead of just being a giant robot¹, mimicking vash's own mind. and then a wave of chimerae attack the city, destroying it, killing vash, and leaving kendal the only remaining sentinel. in the midst of the destruction, though, he could have sworn he saw a woman, unruffled, just... watching.

the sun is on its way down when alinua finds the corpse. or, more accurately, she finds the sentinel. the pilot is still tangled in the cockpit, sentinel curled around him like it was trying to protect him. the corpse is of course vash, and the sentinel is kendal.

alinua still has the 'chimeric plague' (here hypothesized to be the cause of chimera events), and the only reason she goes with him is that a. hes inorganic (can't be affected by the life outburst) and b. if she does cause a chimera event, hes literally a giant robot designed for the specific purpose of fighting chimerae. and besides, vash the city is destroyed. there won't be any collateral damage.

sidebar, alinua can pilot kendal. it's a team effort - now that ive watched pacific rim, i think its a little like drifting if your jaeger also could think. tbh i also think canon kendal and alinua are drift compatible, but thats another post for another time

dainix is another mech pilot, though not willingly - zuurith's sentinel corps is not Exclusively prison labor, but what does it matter if a few prisoners die of brain hemmhorages while piloting? dainix, piloting the sentinel "champion", is the longest lasting prisoner pilot they've had, and he's brutally effective. there are murmurings that he'll be released and placed in the sentinel corps as a citizen, but if he is ever released he'd fuck off in a heartbeat, so he's still in prison, sentence artificially extended for as long as he's useful.

i'm still a little uncertain as to what kind of roles erin, tess, and falst play, so if anyone's got any ideas i'd be delighted to hear them!!

[luimagines]

Hello! Don't worry I'm not requestion just asking a question that's been stuck in my head since I read your Dragon AU and enjoyed both Time and Warrior. I really have to ask: if Warrior is a fire dragon and Time seems to be some nature or forest dragon.... What about the other lu boys? What are their elements?

OOhhhhh!!!! I'm so happy you asked! I love dragon au!

Warrior is a fire dragon, yes. I like to think he can't really control his magic because of his over use of the fire rod during his adventure. :)

Time used to be a forest dragon, but with all the magic items he's dealt with in the past, he's absorbed a bit of everything, but the most of it was the Fierce Deity mask. It "purified" him a way that bleached his scales and changed the manner of his magic making him more of a dietic dragon.

Twilight would also be a forest dragon, but he would have massive scars down his back when his wings were torn away from him.

Wind would be a more serpentine sort of dragon, like dragonair from Pokémon that can control the wind. That's how he's able to still fly. :)

Hyrule is a dragon that uses pure energy. He's closer to the fairies than most and would deal out more plasma blasts in comparison. He was glass stained wings and bright orange feelers on his legs and neck that look like fur.

Wild became more of a chimera over timer after absorbing the Champion's powers but as a base he was also more serpentine like Wind. But more greenish in tint. After he manages to get his memories, the damage is done, giving him antlers, deer legs for arms, a mane and spikes on his once smooth and silky tail.

Legend is a dragon of a different sort entirely. He's a tiny pink jackalope with bat wings. His main magic was earth but during his travels it was put on the back burner and almost entirely forgotten. He can deal all sorts of magic instead because he's absorbed so much from all his items, but they're unpredictable and weak. He's a Jack of all Trades but too soft.

Good thing he's hella rich. Making him one of the top three most desirable dragons out of the group.

Four is a steel dragon with pale yellow scales that when hit by the light can reflect a multitude of colors back, like red, green, blue, purple- very nice. He's also very thin and serpentine in appearance but until Wind and Wild, he still has his four legs.

Sky is a lightning dragon with a closer resemblance to Toothless. He's earned the nickname Storm Lord as his dragonate title.

[ofowlsdinosaursanddragons]

Happy Valentines Day! With some of my favorite ships (Cleril, Shimo x methuselah x Mothra) revalink and kong doing his best.

Oh and by the way, revali, along with of the other champions, got revived in the chimera link au. btw

Clay and Peril are both owned by Tui T. sutherland.

Shimo and Methuselah are both owned by legendary.

Mothra is owned by Toho.

Revali and Link and owned by Nintendo, but the Au belongs to me.

Kong is owned by Warner Bros

[chasing-chimeras]

Professor Deaton, Nurse McCall, and Officer Clark

Professor Deaton was often the first and last stop for young trainers setting out to challenge the gyms of the Galar region. He’d given every young trainer their first Pokémon, from stars like Allison Argent and Scott McCall to newcomers like Liam Dunbar and Mason Hewitt. Every successful trainer in the region had Deaton (and his passionate dedication towards the health and happiness of Pokémon) to thank.

Nurse McCall might have been the mother of Champion Scott McCall, but that title paled in comparison to her role as the region’s hardest-working Pokémon center nurse. Every trainer who ever lost a battle or needed emergency aid for their Pokémon was familiar with her and Chansey’s medical expertise.

Officer Clark didn’t have the hardest job in the Galar region, but keeping her younger sister, Hayden Romero, out of trouble and running off the ever-trespassing Team Chimera was more than enough to keep her busy.

“you teach me, and I'll teach you / po-ké-mon!”

other pokewolf moodboards

Yes, Deaton is as beloved by Muk as Professor Oak is. Yes, Melissa is just as unethical a nurse in this au as in canon. And yes, Clark does drive her motorcycle right into the Pokemon center rather than using the driveway.

[nessandaus]

I reappear from the abyss to drop more F2U AU Ideas upon you! Today we have a FMA: Pokemon au! 

In this AU, State Alchemists are Gym leaders (some sample teams below) but they all have various classifications other than typing. Sure, you have Ed, Full-Metal, and he runs a full steel type team, and Mustang with his fire type team, and Alex Louis with his fighting team. But then you have Tucker with his horrible chimera team, Kimblee who G-maxes his team, and Marcoh whose team is all pokemon tied to healing (and he used to mega evolve them but he no longer does so unless necessary). They also still do alchemy and can boost their pokemon attacks using alchemy (I.E. Mustang can do his flame alchemy with fire from his pokemon, and Ed could use alchemy to change his Scarmory’s feathers into a big sword.) 

As a trainer in the region, most of your time is actually spent hunting down the wandering gym leaders to ask them to battle. Alex Louis is typically the one trainers look to face first, because despite his high rank, rumors are out that he is the nicest gym leader. 

Alphonse is travelling with Ed, but isn’t a gym leader, rather counting himself as a trainer and happily showing off his collection of gym badges. Those who challenge him thinking he’s the Fullmetal are always shocked and terrified when instead Al pulls out one of several cat pokemon. Ed is the worst gym leader to face because he just tries to bite you and punch you himself half the time, and then his party is weirdly overpowered for no reason.

Winry is still an automail tech, but she’s also skilled in apricorn crafting, and can whip up pokeballs easily in a pinch. Olivier isn’t a gym leader but you better be prepared before coming across her team because her ice types are the kind that will FUCK YOU UP.

Scar is trying to eliminate the gym leaders and is also collecting badges to gain the right to challenge the Champion as well. 

The champion is Father. And the elite four are Pride, Wrath, Sloth, and Envy. (Greed was originally going to be an E4 member but he defected and is now on the side of defeating the champion.) 

----

Some Team Ideas: 

Edward Elric:  -Skarmory (of course). Angry bird is constantly smug that it is taller than Ed. Angry bird and Ed fight constantly -Lucario: Ed’s starter, Ed hatched the Riolu egg when he was very young.  -Metagross: Ed caught it at full hp with a pokeball, on the first ball he threw. Ed loves him very much. -Bisharp. This pokemon joined Ed because theve bad taste in knife hands. They are sparring partners.

Alphonse Elric: -Galarian Meowth/Perrserker: Al’s starter. Ed got him a steel type cat egg because he has a bias, but knew Al would also have his own bias. Likes to ride on Al’s shoulder. -Torracat: Soon to be an incineroar, this one is what really throws people off when they mistake Al for the Fullmetal.  -Sylveon: I said the Eeveelutions are cats, and Al is full of LOVE at all hours! -Purrugly: Al’s handsome boy, his name is probably Blorbo. Has 6 contest ribbons just because. Wears cute sweaters when the weather is cold. is perfect in every way.

Winry Rockbell:  -Houndoom: This smart dog is the AU version of Den, down to the automail leg. Is winry’s companion, and he’s better at identifying what tools Winry needs than Ed is. -Happiny: Still not evolved, this little creature was found by Winry and taken in in memory of the Chansey that worked with her parents. Happiny keeps a wrench in her pouch instead of a rock. 

Alex Louis Armstrong: -Buzzwole: Should the first gym leader have an Ultra Beast? Probably not. But Alex does anyway, because Buzzwole just showed up one day for a flexing contest. Don’t worry, he’s only like level 15 when you challenge the gym.  -Machoke: I’m going for an aesthetic don’t stop me -Makuhita: This little girl is working to get muscles like her fellow pokemon and her dad. Alex showers her with love daily. Can often be found tucked under Buzzwole’s arm like a football.

Oliver Mira Armstrong (The Ice Queen): -Beartic: The first out of the gate. This Bear is always at least 10 levels higher than your ace. And it’s the lowest level on the team. Why did you piss off Oliver so much she’s fighting you? You’re gonna die. -Lapras: Look, your fire type strategy isn’t gonna work here. Oliver may have all ice types but she’s good at what she does -White Kyruem. It’s not a surprise she has a legendary, is it? It shouldn’t be. She’s the ice queen.  -Abomasnow: sure it’s easy to beat, but it has snow warning and can set up blizzard again if need be. Plus it’s holding that item that makes blizzards last 8 turns. That means you know what’s up next, don’t you? -Froslass: The other ice queen. It can and will ruin your day. 

Riza Hawkeye:  -Intelleon -Intelleon -Octillery -Intelleon -Magmortar: her dad’s old pokemon. 

Roy Mustang: -Typhlosion - Roy’s cyndaquil starter, all grown up. A normal Typhlosion. Hates the rain and will not come out of the pokeball when it is raining. -Heatmor: Roy loves his stupid baby anteater his scrunglywungly, his precious angel. Mustang hatched the egg himself.  -Salazzle. She’s a bad bitch. She’ll also fuck your shit up. -Combusken: Has an eviolite, is affectionately called the better Fullmetal. Very squawky.  -Talonflame: The ace of the party, a very good bird.

Shou Tucker:  -Oranguru: The first pokemon that appears able to talk? Shou “adopted” it three years ago, around when his wife disappeared. -Houndstone: Wait....why does it sound like Nina?

[piease-iove-me]

soulmates au. eichen 1. witch liam/familiar theo (so interested in this one!!!). fighting arenas/chimera. theo saving his own ass. s6 rewrite just liam at eichen 👀👀👀👀

hiii! thank you for this🥺🥺

so...

soulmates au:

ecg line on the wrist.

theo realises it's Liam during s5. liam doesn't realize until much much later. he does see, though, the line turn flat for endless seconds and minutes. sometimes Liam believes his soulmate is dead. but then there it is, racing, stuttering, stopping all over again. at some point, he stops payint mind to it. he covers it up to avoid inquiring questions.

when he brings theo back, it stops happening. liam doesn't question it.

he only finds out that night in the hospital, when he doesn't even realise to be seeking Theo's heartbeat in the deafening silence.

he doesn't mention it though, doesn't want to.

eichen 1

monroe keeps the captives at eichen. for eventual use. he keeps theo there too. the pack finds out from a hunter, and Liam's the one wanting to take him out. he can help. no one agrees but he still does want to go through with the plan. and it's a bad one, everyone tells him as much. getting caught and sent to eichen is definitely not the way to go. but liam doesn't listen. thing is, he's not sure he recognizes the person he meets at eichen. something must've happened, and what he finds is nothing like the theo he remembers.

witch liam/familiar theo

familiars are demons that bond to witches, in exchange for their souls they help manage the witch's powers. liam struggles with his own control and is in desperate need for a familiar. thing is it's not easy to secure one despite the high souls demand among demons. many don't think it's worth it to be a witch's pet for decades. theo used to think so too until he made the wrong move and needs to lay low and protection. it only works in his favor that Liam's coven is a powerful one. if theo plans to leave the witch's side as soon as it's safe, it's really no one's business. accidents happen, a witch life is a risky one.

fighting arenas/chimera

in a somewhat dystopian future, supernaturals are enslaved and exploited for entertainment or labor. most of all, they're brought up for fighting in arenas. thing is, the empire chooses champions as well, to ensure no supernatural can ever obtain freedom through the arenas. thing is, the empire's champions are all chimeras, engineered to be stronger than any other supernatural and to always win. liam stands before one, and he knows he'll die here. he also knows there's something unsettlingly familiar in the man standing before him.

Theo saving his own ass

it starts with him crawling out of hell. it starts with him standing before Tara and letting her take her own heart. it's an uphill path, one he climbs on his own. no one notices he's out, theo makes sure of it. he should leave bh, but something still keeps him anchored to the town. and then the wild hunt starts taking. it makes no sense until he does. but it's too late and he's taken. (basically he and peter make it out of the hunt, their narrative is parallel for some time) after the hunt it happens again. no one looks for him. but it's okay, Theo makes it out. and then again and again. but he never leaves, still anchored to the spot until a voice at the back of his mind tells him it's all worth it, to risk his life and stay. the pack doesn't trust him, never commits the same mistake twice, they say. but it's okay, Liam has never been good at listening.

s6 rewrite. just Liam at eichen.

okay so after 6a and after brett and lori's deat, Liam loses it, like badly. the pack is forced to lock him at eichen. and it sucks, but the beta's out of control, too lost in his anger. it's kind of funny, really, how Theo visits him the moment he finds out. it's hilarious. but no one laughs. and it happens again and again until eichen is no longer a safe place and the pack breaks liam out of there. it's just as hilarious to find out that Theo's Liam's anchor. but works, it's a focal point, something that channels Liam's anger enough to clear out its fog.

[knowlessman]

boruto next hero macadamia idfk (bnha) s2e13-15

if bakugo doesn't have a body count by the end of this series I will be amazed

I wonder if shinso shows up again. cool guy.

"it's only morning but I'm already tired" damn, I don't think that's supposed to hit until after high school -- iida why are you running in the rain

"I had some elementary schoolers suddenly tell me 'don't worry about it'" ah, sero 'XD poor guy -- asui why are you like this 'XD

wait so they do just leave school early to become superheroes in second or third year? : / that's… uh, a bit something -- todoroki got how many offers? there are that many individual super agencies? -- wait people WANT to try to manage bakugo's unmanageable ass? 'XD they did see the Hannibal Lecter setup, right?

"they're probably all because of my dad" I mean. you did freeze the entire stadium. people notice that. people in outer space noticed that, I think.

think I know why I've never heard of Mina's superhero name

huh. woulda thought Invisible Girl'd been taken. I guess it's only been a few generations

"Shoto." …okay -- wonder if there're fics where shoto eventually escapes out from under his dad's name and the whole hero thing entirely and he just becomes a blue-collar worker. get the feeling he'd like that

(ingenium's name) …huh.

(deku) yeah, had a feeling -- "and in that moment, katsuki bakugo died, and I, the villain God Explosion Murder, was born"

tokoyami: "he who follows two hares catches neither" so true bestie. (discreetly adds that to a quotes file bc I actually do like it)

also tho tenya didn't go with Emergency Exit : [ darn, I liked that name

Stain, or by his old name, Jeff the Killer -- hm. so iida might be on a revenge path. : /

new OP mid-season? not clickbait? huh

"judge me by my age, do you? mm?"

okay, let's find out what Six-Time National Jeaning Champion's deal is -- wait is Best Jeanist actually Bayonetta in disguise -- personality makeover, huh. well, I expect we'll see how that goes

METAPOD BROS YES

who's Ninja Misty? (some other kid interning at the same place as Quiet)

wait did Todoroki just go with Endeavor's agency? : / I don't think they outright said it

(deku trying to wall-jump) I foresee property damage. and/or "it's 5 AM, quit humping my wall!"

"no it's not. are you okay?" 'XD something tells me he's not gonna wanna hear about your previous microwave-based epiphanies either

fantasy AU end theme? yooo! also dang but these alt costumes for todoroki and bakugo are on point -- screw soul eater's alt fashion endings, I want more AU endings, this rocks

new OP isn't bad I guess? idk

the subtle naruto-esque flutey flute when he went under the couch 'XD

"Full Cowling"? and it looks like the manga and different subs translate it differently. Think I kinda like cowling's connotation (that it apparently has) of a covering for a jet engine or whatnot, but wever

'XD if this doesn't push bakugo to villainy I dunno what will

oh yeah, Mojo Jarjar (idk I can't get over the brain thing but can't pick another character to combine Mojo with). how's he getting on, then -- starting to feel like those lips are visual shorthand for something but idk what, and also dunno if I wanna know what : / anyway so yeah, I guess Facepalm/his boss can just produce Nomu's maybe -- so, he's kind of a chimera? or something

okay so facepalm and jeff the killer made up I guess

iida you only even have super speed in your legs, and no weapon. how're you gonna kill a guy?

dolphin man's okay (the guy iida's interning with, whatever he's called).

…not sure whether to blame the translation but none of these villain's motives are making any sense -- why IS this dub so quiet -- "jeff the killer has been lowering the crime rate, whether because heroes are getting more conscientious or out of fear" ??? the sub didn't spell out the "or out of fear" part and put "conscious" rather than "conscientious" but this still doesn't explain much. are heroes just reporting fewer crimes? is Stain also targeting criminals even though he's only been clearly stated to attack heroes? are they saying most heroes are corrupt and are committing most of the crimes (something like that did happen in, idk, Denmark or somewhere else Over There)? -- "heroes are working harder because of the murders, the hero killer is also a hero breeder" oh, so he's actually just raising the global wanted level. so a bored GTA player is apparently a good guy. …well, at least I know what the premises and conclusion are now. and can switch back to the version I can hear at normal volume -- hell, where the dub says "heroes are working harder because of the murders," the sub says "heroes are working hard to bring down the cost of food." …is this a fan translation I've been reading here? : |

ohey so there are more of the - …that one with wings isn't Kacchan's old classmate is it. couldn't be, right? -- pretty sure that big one is literally a Resident Evil Licker wearing pants

well that one's eyes are in sideways, so I guess the mid-size one dodges copyright

"a scarf as red as blood… weapons all over your body… you must be Ryu Hayabusa! have you seen Stain anywhere?" wait he's not the red scarf guy? "Strider"… huh. -- "I don't even know who you are. and I'm going to forget you again before your body stops cooling"

beh. cliffhanger or no, it's quarter to 4.

[kda-chat]

Kai’Siv Hercules Inspired AU

Long Post Warning! Inspired by Disney’s Heracles, changed the Greek mythology to Egyptian mythology. Because of that, there are slight variations compared to the original story. Just know this is just a simple, general AU post and I hope you enjoy! :)

XXX

Shai, God of Fate and Destiny, foretold a prophecy: Set, God of the Desert, Storms, and Evil, will one day overthrow Anubis, God of Funerals, Mummification, and the Afterlife and take over Duat- the Realm of the Dead. With Anubis gone, this leaves Osiris, Lord of the Underworld, and Set's brother, vulnerable to overthrow. The downfall of Anubis and Osiris will destroy the Mortal Realm, crumbling Egypt to the ground. However, a mortal champion, chosen by Anubis, will rise to stop Set. No matter what, this champion will be successful.

To prevent the second half of the prophecy from coming true, Set sent ruthless sandstorms around temples that worshiped Anubis, depriving him of followers. For many years, Anubis' temples were barren and empty, loss of faith.

One day, a poor woman, on the verge of death, finds herself in the footsteps of Anubis' temple, carrying a baby. She begs the deity to save her child's life before succumbing to death. Anubis, knowing the prophecy is now set, takes in the baby, and names her Sivir. Gifting her with godlike strength, he requests aid from Ra, God of the Sun. Ra sends down his demi god champion, Azir, to help.

Azir is Sivir's ancestor [Azir was human at one point, thousands of years ago], thus why he was chosen to become her parental figure, taking on a human disguise. His role is to guide Sivir and raise her in the Mortal Realm, to learn and understand about humanity. However, Sivir grew up isolated and distrustful. The other children and parents were fearful of Sivir's inhuman strength and treated her like an outcast. Worried, Azir then took in another child named Taliyah from an exiled village that was destroyed by bandits. Thus, Sivir and Taliyah got along and became close friends. Taliyah didn't mind Sivir's strength and saw her as an older sister that protected her.

One day, Azir reveals Sivir's destiny to her, after she had been questioning her existence and role in this world. He tells her to visit the Temple of Anubis, who will then prepare her for her fight against Set.

Sivir travels to the Temple of Anubis and meets Anubis himself. He tells her about her mother, how she came to him, and now what she needs to do. Anubis sends his champions down to Earth, Nasus and Renekton, to train Sivir. Nasus will teach her how to use her mind in the face of battle, using strategy, plans, and tactics to win. Renekton will teach Sivir about bravery and perseverance, how to use her godlike strength to win. The two brothers have different views of strength and often fight about it. [Insert Sivir's workout montage and getting buff.]

Meanwhile, Set has found out about Sivir. Using spies to observe the young woman, he noticed her attraction towards women. So Set chooses Kai'sa to hopefully "slow down" Sivir's progress and kill her.

Kai'sa is a mortal girl, a victim of the Void- an empty space that is filled with gruesome monsters. Kai'sa once loved another woman [I guess this can be Cassiopeia but I'll leave it blank]. When her lover was trapped in the Void, Kai'sa rushed in to save her but was betrayed by the lover and left in the Void for many years. This made Kai'sa distrustful and cynical towards romance. The only thing that kept her sanity in the Void was her need to survive for her father, Kassadin, who thought she was dead.

Set makes a deal with Kai'sa. He will release Kai'sa from the Void, and return her to her father if she seduces Sivir and kills her. Kai'sa takes the deal.

At this point, Sivir has grown stronger and wiser under Nasus and Renekton's guidance. She has conquered different trials to test her abilities, gaining respect and honor from the people that ostracized her. She was now a hero in their eyes.

In an "accident" at the river, Sivir rescues Kai'sa and falls deeply in love. Kai'sa was unlike any other girl that Sivir fancied, her beauty was mesmerizing to gaze at. And so, for a while, Sivir took time out of her training to pursue Kai'sa [which pissed Nasus and Renekton off, who were suspicious of Kai'sa]. She slowly realized that this wasn't an "I want your body" type of love, it was an "I want you to be my life partner" type of love. During this, Kai'sa plays along to get Sivir's affections, while trying to get her killed. But each time, Sivir cunningly survives [not knowing it's Kai'sa's doing] and it starts to impress the young Void woman.

But as Kai'sa learned more about Sivir, she started seeing who Sivir really was. This strong woman was a huge softy that just wanted to be liked and accepted. Sivir admitted at being resentful of humanity for rejecting her but has grown to forgive them. She spoke fondly of Taliyah and her parental figure, Azir. Sivir was a well-rounded individual that had a big heart. Kai'sa started seeing how Sivir was the complete opposite of her former lover, and slowly fell in love. [Insert famous "I Won't Say I'm in Love" scene with Ahri, Akali, and Evelynn as the muses]

At first, Set is concerned that Kai'sa has fallen for Sivir, but then realizes that Kai'sa was now Sivir's weakness. During a confrontation where Kai'sa declares that she won't hurt Sivir anymore, even at the cost of losing her freedom from the Void and seeing her father again, Set captures her and sets a trap. He lures Sivir in to save Kai'sa, bargaining with her: If she gives up all of her strength and powers for twenty-four hours, she can have Kai'sa. Sivir makes Set promise that Kai’sa will not get hurt. He agrees to the deal [Kai'sa is gagged and unable to talk back]. Sivir accepts the deal because she cares for Kai'sa that much. Once the bargain was made, Set reveals that Kai'sa worked for him and now can go after his brother and take over Duat without fearing for Sivir.

Lost, broken, betrayed, Sivir is useless to fight against the onslaught of monsters that are now fighting in Duat. Kai'sa is equally as guilty, realizing that she was no different from her former lover. However, she still wanted to help Sivir and rushes to Nasus and Renekton, persuading them to go back to Sivir to help her. They do, returning to Sivir and reminding her that pure strength isn't just muscle but it's also the mind and the heart, bravery and intellect. In her renewed confidence, Sivir is able to take down a chimera. In the process, however, Kai'sa is brutally injured while trying to protect Sivir- breaking the promise Set said about letting Kai'sa be safe. This allows Sivir to regain her powers but at the cost of Kai'sa's life. When questioned why she tried to save Sivir, Kai'sa confesses her love for her.

Rushing to come back to Kai'sa, Sivir succeeds in stopping Set from his plans. However, when she comes back, Kai'sa has died from her injuries. Anubis offers Sivir to search for Kai'sa's soul in Duat, in an area where souls must triumph challenges before the "Weighing of the Heart" test. Anubis warns that Sivir might not return from Duat because she is still technically a mortal and can get lost in this area of Duat forever. Sivir does not hesitate to search for Kai'sa. She overcomes the challenges that the dead has to maneuver, searching for Kai'sa's soul. She finds Kai'sa alone, taunted by the betrayal of her former lover, which halts her journey to the "Weighting of the Heart" test.

Kai'sa, looks up to see Sivir has found her, but she is hesitant because the idea of a possible betrayal is taunting her. Sivir assures her that she will never let go of her hand and promises to return her to Kassadin, guiding her way back to the Mortal Realm. As they make their way back, Kai'sa is assured that she can fully trust Sivir and apologizes profusely for hurting Sivir earlier. 

They make it back, safe and sound. The balance is maintained, the prophecy fulfilled. Anubis grants Sivir to be a demi-god like Azir but that meant leaving Kai'sa behind because she is still a mortal. Kai'sa assures Sivir that she will be fine, she thinks Sivir deserves this high honor. But Sivir rejects Anubis' offer and chooses to stay with Kai'sa, reminding her that she promised to return her to her father.

In the end, Azir returns to Ra, and tells Sivir that he will greatly miss her- his daughter. Renekton and Nasus say their goodbyes, crying and moping while trying to act cool. Sivir returns to her hometown with Kai'sa, letting her meet Taliyah, before embarking to find Kassadin. Once they find Kassadin, reuniting father and daughter, the two of them live happily ever after.

XXX

I hope you enjoyed. Yes, Akali, Ahri, and Evelynn don’t have a big appearance in this one but let Kai’siv have their moment since I left them out in the other AUs. I hope you enjoyed because it was fun to imagine! Now I’ve done all three couples, Akalynn- Beauty and the Beast AU, BladeMaven - Little Mermaid AU, and now Kai’Siv. :) Special thanks to Kaya for inspiring me.

[themintman]

Day 28!!! (Which I actually did on day 2 cause I couldnt contain myself-)

Does this count as ender dragon? I saw the opportunity to link one of my aus and I COULD NOT OASS IT JP-

Mcsmtober by @bumpkin-bug

[the-unaligned-player]

New World of Darkness XY Splat AU SMP!Technoblade DLC.

Deviant: Genotypal Chimera Super Soldier

Genius: Hoffnung a minor Anarchist Program

Leviathan: Tanninim (Utterly rejected his instincts after The Empire) Scholar of The Sun

Princess: Champion Wand (on the verge of becoming a Storm at all times.)

Siren: Vaporia Styx/Fury of the SMP

[recklessinventor]

📖 + An AU from a game the mun recently played!

Send 📖 + an AU for what Jeff would be like in that universe! - No Longer Accepting

[okay to be real the games I have been playing most often are Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, but I don’t really get Jeff vibes from them, so since I’ve also been picking up SwSh again recently it gives me an excuse to talk about the pokemon au and it’s not cheating technically-

I’ve posted this image before, but here’s his team + Bubble Grookey, his little companion he got from a store for $1

I’m gonna start off and say that i solidly believe Jeff would be so fucking great to his pokemon. In standard verse he really likes animals anyway, but it doesn’t matter if they’re animal-like pokemon or not, jeff adores them!! He makes sure he takes care of them after battles and tells them they did great even if he lost and gives them lots of pets and berries - he’s not a very good cook, esp with the curry in the camping mode in SwSh alfjslj

OH YEAH he’s from Galar, obviously. He lives in Circhester with his dad, an absent-minded Pokemon Professor (who absolutely is working on the Fossil Pokemon thing because come on, they’re literally chimeras). I don’t think boarding school is really a thing in this universe (tho he’s still best friends with Tony ofc, who has a Lapras named Tessie), so he still lives with Dr. Andonuts, and because of that is skinnier and wears glasses that are too small and clothes that are way too big. I drew him here if you’re interested. He really wants to take part in the gym challenge, mostly to try and set himself apart from his dad and make a name for himself. People keep telling him he should be a professor like his father, and he really hates it, so he’d going to try and become the champion instead! 

Dr. A kept telling him to wait to take the gym challenge until Jeff was older, until Jeff turned 13 and got tried of waiting, so he ran away from home with an Eevee that his dad was going to experiment on (because Eevee has unstable genetics, my brain is so huge). Jeff then decides that even if he doesn’t win champion, he can push to be Galar’s next Electric type gym leader! This dedication pushes him to make his current team. 

He loses the gym challenge, obviously, because he refuses to adapt his team to deal with type advantages, but he’s very proud of his pokemon and determined to be a gym leader anyway (if asked, he’ll go into detail about his plans for an electric type gym full of lasers).]

[ofowlsdinosaursanddragons]

Well when it comes to the fusion. You need a few details:

How did Kieran fuse with the trio?

We need some background info as to what happened.

How is the fusion designed? (Reskinning, sticking random parts, a hybrid or looks-to-be-a-fusion-but-could-be-its-own-character?)

Is this form curated so its less monster-ish or a series of random mutations that it looks hideous?

What are its power sets and power combos?

How strong is it?

Does it retain Kieran's memories or is it a savage beast?

alright

He used machinery found in area zero alongside Terapagos’ energy.

the Au “begins” after Kieran’s champion fight with Florian/juliana

think of those body horror chimeras (mishmash of body parts like the bear from annihilation , Nina tucker fusion from fullmetal alchemist, or Kevin’s fusion form from ben10.)

absolutely not

it gains pecharunt’s toxic chain, ogerpon’s ability Embody Aspect and part of it’s type, and terapagos’s ability to terastalize (but it’s only activated when the Pokémon is jn control of it’s mind)

At full power, he could possibly be close with mewtwo in terms of sheer power. But in base, he’s possibly more close to say, the legendary birds or beasts.

at first he seems like a savage beast due to all four of them (ogerpon and pecharunt, especially) sharing the same body and thus are unable to gain full control. After a battle against Florian/juliana and carmine (and some well needed therapy), they all decide that Kieran should get (mostly) full control of the body.

also his battle theme would be a distorted amalgamation of all four of their respective themes but barely visible audio of the cries of pecha, oger, and tera barely visible in the background and a womanly wail representing Kieran.

[no-warrior-here]

     Okay so, I’ve been thinking about (and possibly roleplaying on skype shhhhh) that Tokyo Ghoul AU for Gregor a LOT, so here’s a huge infodump. Beware though, as it does contain some spoilers, including stuff that was only in the manga so far. Also keep in mind that this is going to be pretty twisted; I’m not getting too graphic in it, but there’s a lot of implied horrifying things. It’s Tokyo Ghoul, so it’s gonna be gruesome. Yeah.

     Anyway, look below the cut for more information!

     - Gregor Reid grew up in New York City, but the world is a very different place... Cruel, unforgiving, and deadly. In a world full of terrifying ghouls, his small human family always seems so woefully under-prepared. And yet, somehow, they made it... Day by day...

     - When his father vanished, everyone wrote him off as ghoul fodder... Everyone but Gregor and his family. They didn’t know what the truth was, but he was still out there. He had to be. No matter what... They would uncover his real fate, even when everyone else had long-since given up.

     - When Gregor was just 11, that was when everything changed... He and his little sister fell through a sewer grate, but what they uncovered was far more alarming than the Underland... A secret facility far below the bustling New York City streets, devoted to the war against ghoul-kind. Upon his discovery, Gregor could not be allowed to simply leave... Not when their operations were at stake.

     - But not only their secret was on the table... To leave, Gregor discovered, could have proven a deadly mistake. In the dank sewer tunnels he would encounter his first hostile ghouls, a terrifying pair who nearly killed him and his little sister as they attempted to return home. After the close encounter, he decided not to attempt another escape...

     - It was there he also learned the truth... A band of ghouls living in the tunnels had taken his father. Gregor wasn’t even sure he wanted to know what horrifying tortures he had been subjected to, but if indeed he was still alive... They had to rescue him, no matter the cost.

     - By working together with his new allies, Gregor managed to rescue his father, somewhat accidentally killing the ghoul gang’s leader in the process. But he would never know what horrors the man had endured... And would never ask. The rescued prisoner seemed a shadow of his former self... But he returned home at last, and the first chapter of Gregor’s story was done.

     - As time went on, the organization called on Gregor again and again... He wasn’t just an asset, the boy was deadlier than even he realized. Gifted with stunning reflexes, the boy proved a match against even the most brutal of ghoulish adversaries. Declared a Rager, few creatures could rival his precision in combat. And wielding the powerful quinque of their founder... Gregor became a champion for humanity, or so it seemed.

     - But as it came to pass, a grisly truth came to the surface... There was no black and white, no good and evil. In the combined search for a cure to a terrible infection that affected both humans and ghouls, Gregor would discover that his comrades could be just as cruel as the ghouls they fought against... And not only that, but not all ghouls were the monstrous creatures humanity presented them as. Aren became one of his closest allies after saving Gregor’s life. Richard would become his mentor, sharing Gregor’s Rager trait. And some of the people he trusted most... Dr. Neel, Sarah Trent... Had created the very disease which spread across the city like wildfire.

     - Matters became even more grisly as one of Gregor’s earliest exploits came back to bite him... A young ghoul whom he had once saved became a brutal, deranged creature, dangerous to the worlds above and below NYC. And in a horrifying turn of events, Gregor would find himself a test subject of Sarah Trent’s newest stunt... Using the kakuhou of a chimera ghoul, quinque steel, and an undesired surgery, the boy found himself a link between two worlds. Not a one-eyed ghoul in the ordinary sense... No... A quinx, likely the first the world had ever known. A human equipped with a powerful kagune to rival even the most devastating of enemies... Even the dreaded ‘Bane.’

     - But when the dust settled, and all was said and done... Death had run rampant. It took, and it took, and it took. Aren perished in the final battle, along with many of Gregor’s friends under the city. So many had died for this moment, and yet... Here they were again. Set against each other, when the goal should have been peace. Gregor was done, with all of it. The killing, the lying, the hatred. And as his friends on both sides of the line expected him to fight for their side, he threw aside his quinque... It was over.

     - In the end, Gregor and his family would flee the United States, slipping onto a vessel leading who knew where... For so long as they remained there, it would never end. Gregor’s true nature was known there. His ties to the organization. His final choice. It didn’t matter where they went... So long as it was far from there.

     - Eventually, they would settle in Japan... Just about as far from their home as possible. Gregor and his parents never took to the culture very well, but his little sisters were young enough to adapt. And there, they would start anew... But with a new goal in mind. Gregor would change the world, one life at a time... And maybe it wouldn’t happen in a day, but it had to start somewhere. With one person, deciding that it had to end... And that there was a better way to live.

[imwastingmylifeinhere]

Magnus Chase and the Obligatory Hogwarts Au Ch19

On ao3

Most times I have something to say before a chapter, but now I don't. So yeah,  enjoy.

It took a few moments for Magnus to realize where he was when he came to. He was lying somewhere nice and soft, the blankets pulled up to his shoulders. He blinked his eyes open lazily and saw a white ceiling. He squinted, the light too much for his eyes at the moment. The clean, sterile smell of a hospital hit his nose and he realized he was in the infirmary. He sat up slowly, resting all his weight on his elbows to push himself up. Pain shot through his chest suddenly and he winced, but it wasn’t as bad as it was during the first Task.

“Magnus!” He heard someone say his name and when he turned around he saw Alex sitting by the side of his bed, a book in hand. There were bags under his eyes and his hair was messy (more so than usual) but he looked ecstatic to see Magnus awake. “Miss Eir, he’s awake!”

Miss Eir rushed to his side and quickly shooed Alex away. Magnus was pretty sure his friend would protest, but he didn’t. As the nurse told him to lift his shirt so she could hear his heartbeat he saw Alex running out of the infirmary to go get the others.

A few tests and much probing later, Miss Eir was jotting down something on her clipboard. “The effects of the spell seem to have worn off, though the wound on your chest will need a couple more days until it’s fully healed. The spell was meant for a powerful beast, not a human, it’s a miracle you weren’t injured farther.”

Alex was standing with the rest of their group at the doorway, his eyes suddenly dark and clouded, his eyebrows furrowed in the way they always were when he got upset over something. Mallory, Sam and T.J looked equally upset when they heard what Miss Eir said, though Sam was able to calm her voice and talk without sounding like she wanted to murder someone (which Magnus knew was what Alex would sound like if he attempted to talk).

“Miss Eir, is it alright if we talked to Magnus?” Sam asked the nurse. To anyone who didn’t know her for years it would seem as though everything was perfectly normal, but Magnus could hear the subtle edge of anger in her voice.

“Yes, of course. He should be fine to go back to his dorm tonight, though I’d like to keep you here for one more day just in case. Just try not to upset him, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they chorused together and Miss Eir left the room to give them time to talk.

Alex took his place at the chair by Magnus’s bed and moved it closer to him. He could probably lay his head on Alex’s lap if he leaned enough. Sam took another chair and sat at Magnus’s other side, while T.J and Mallory plopped down at the foot of his bed besides his legs.

“How are you feeling?” Mallory asked him.

“Fine. My chest hurts a little but otherwise I’m fine.”

That little bit about his chest made Alex’s face scrunch up more in anger and turn red. “I can’t believe she did that!” Alex snapped angrily, his voice loud. “‘An accident’ my ass! She clearly did that on purpose! And that spell! There’s no way they were taught that at school! She must have known that you would have to face a chimera to learn a spell that could specifically subdue a chimera!”

“You know how the Tournament works,” Sam told her brother calmly. “Champions can cheat as much as they want as long as they’re not caught.”

“But it was obvious!” Alex protested, throwing his hands in the air.

“Apparently not to the judges.”

Alex huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Magnus was a bit worried he would try to kill Helga if they let him out of their sight.

“Anyway,” T.J said, changing the subject, “what you did on the bridge was amazing! I can’t believe you actually beat a chimera!”

“Yeah, he’s right,” Mallory said, eyes shining. “I was scared it was going to bite you to death or something, but you actually made it! And you did it twice too!”

“Raphael helped,” Magnus said, though he’d be lying if he said the compliments from his friends didn’t make his cheeks burn.

“Yeah, but he would have been in trouble if you hadn’t helped him,” Alex said and there was a soft tone to his voice that made Magnus feel warm inside, like he had just eaten warm soup.

“Oh, and now that I remembered.” Before Magnus realized what happened, Alex punched him hard on the arm.

“Ow! What was that for?” he asked, rubbing at the place Alex hit him.

“For making me worry for your stupid ass,” Alex said matter-of-factly. If Magnus hadn’t been too busy pouting at the green-haired boy he might have noticed T.J leaning towards Mallory and whispering “I ship it” to her.

“Oh, now that I remembered,” Mallory said and fished out a small, red envelope from her bag. A Howler. “Halfborn left before you woke up so he would make it back to his university in time so he asked me to give you this.”

Magnus took the envelope in his hands cautiously, as if it could do something more to him than scream very loudly. He glanced at his friends nervously, hoping one of them would tell him what this was about, but none of them did and just gestured at the red envelope. With a deep breath, Magnus opened the Howler.

“MY MAN, MAGNUS, CONGRATULATIONS! THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME! I KNEW YOU COULD KICK THEIR BUTTS! IT DOESN’T MATTER YOU GOT THE LEAST POINTS, YOU STILL HAVE TWO TASKS TO SHOW THEM WHO’S BOSS! MAKE SURE TO MOP THE FLOOR WITH THEIR FACES!”

Once the yelling stopped Magnus looked baffled, as if Halfborn had yelled all that at his face in person. He smiled wildly at his friend for taking the time to send him a Howler and couldn’t help the pang of nostalgia that hit him. Of course Halfborn would send a Howler to congratulate him instead of an actual letter. He missed the big sucker and he couldn’t wait to see him at the Yule Ball; he knew Mallory had arranged it so Halfborn could come with her and Sam could bring Amir.

Unfortunately, the yelling from the Howler made Miss Eir come and kick the group of friends out before Magnus could ask Sam if Amir liked the first task.

Alex was the last one to leave and when Miss Eir wasn’t looking he rushed forward and hugged Magnus tight. Where the hug in the hall the night before the task begged him to stay safe and unharmed, this one was practically screaming Alex’s happiness and relief to be able to hold Magnus like this.

Magnus hugged him back, even if the strength with which Alex held him made the wound on his chest ache. He buried his nose at the place where Alex’s shoulder met his neck and breathed in his scent, clear and strong and Alex in a way Magnus couldn’t quite describe. He let himself enjoy this, the feeling of Alex in his arms, and for the few moments they held each other he let himself imagine there was something more behind the hug, that Alex hugged him like this because he returned Magnus’s feelings and he loved him back.

Miss Eir was preparing Magnus’s medication and her back was turned to them, but the both knew they couldn’t stay like this for much longer. Alex let go of him and there was something in the way he did it that made Magnus think that he really, really didn’t want to. Alex looked at him with his beautiful mismatched eyes, somehow trying to convey everything he wanted to tell him without speaking the words because Miss Eir was still here.

Then, when Magnus thought Alex would juts wave at him and leave, he leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Magnus would have liked to go in detail about what Alex’s lips felt like against his cheek but it all happened so quickly all he could think of to describe them was warm and soft. One moment they were there and the next they weren’t, leaving Magnus’s cheek feeling cold in their absence.

When Miss Eir came back to check up on him and give him his medicine for his wound he was still staring vacantly at door Alex had run out off.

“Oh my, your face is so red. I hope you’re not getting a fever.”

//////////////////

Magnus didn’t have dinner with his friends that night but they all came to visit him in the infirmary and they sneaked in some food for him because they knew how plain the meals in the infirmary could be. They sat around his bed and told him about everything that happened that day in class that he had missed while he ate the food they brought him. Along with the food they also brought flowers and little sweets from Hogwarts students who wanted to congratulate him for how he did in the first task. It made him feel guilty because he hadn’t even finished in second place, the touch-activated charm on the bottles had made sure the first to touch them was registered as the victor.

“Oh, come on, you practically won anyway,” Alex told him when he voiced his concerns. She was a girl today and she hadn’t brought up the kiss from yesterday at all. She acted so nonchalant about something that had Magnus stay awake in his bed late at night, wondering if this was really life or some weird fever dream.

“Yeah, but I’m still in last place when it comes to points.”

“Some people are annoyed about that, actually,” T.J piped up and Mallory elbowed him hard in the side while Sam and Alex glared at him; he obviously wasn’t meant to say that to him. “They say that you could have won if you hadn’t gone back to help Raphael and they say you’re stupid for doing that,” T.J continued, despite Alex mouthing ‘I’ll kill you’ at him. “Of course they’re only a minority, so it’s fine.”

“And you still have two tasks, so you can still beat Helga,” Alex added with a smile. “Man, I need to get a camera to take a picture of her face when you wipe the floor with her face.”

“You’ll tape it to your wall, won’t you?” Magnus said, barely holding back a smirk from his lips.  

“You know it,” Alex said with a wink and Magnus died a little inside. Who gave you the right to do that, I have a weak heart?

“They’re practically married, good God,” Mallory whispered under her breath. Magnus and Alex were too busy looking at each other to notice what she had said but everybody else heard and nodded in agreement.

Miss Eir had come to usher them out soon after that and Magnus went to sleep earlier that night, dreaming of him and Alex cuddling in a couch and sharing soft kisses and content sighs.

Miss Eir left him the infirmary the next morning, giving him a small vase of ointment he would have to put on his wound for the next week. He was heading to the Hall of the Slain to catch his friends while they were still eating breakfast when he turned a corner and stumbled upon Raphael and Louis.

“Magnus!” Raphael exclaimed when he saw him, the French accent in his voice making his name sound a bit weird.

“Hi, Raphael,” Magnus greeted him with a smile. “Is your arm any better?”

“Oui, it’s great! You’re nurse is truly amazing, there’s hardly a scar left!” Raphael patted his used-to-be injured arm to prove himself and he didn’t flinch at all. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. Louis and I were coming to see you in the infirmary. I wanted to thank you for helping me during the first task.”

There was such sincere gratitude in Raphael’s voice that it made Magnus’s cheeks heat. “It’s fine, you don’t need to thank me.”

“No, it’s not!” Raphael said loudly. What Magnus said was enough to make his voice rise in volume and he looked as if the way Magnus’s brushed it off so casually offended him in some way. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t helped, I panicked when the chimera attacked me. I need to work on that, honestly, I can’t freeze like that in the next task. Maybe…”

Raphael started rambling, slipping into rapid French and Magnus didn’t understand anything, except the occasional ‘merci’. Raphael made wide, animated gestures as he talked, racking his hands though his hair multiple times, making it stand at odd angles. Magnus looked at him, half confused and half amused until Louis put a hand on his boyfriend’s arm. The taller boy instantly calmed down and gave Louis a sheepish grin.

“What this idiot was trying to say,” Louis said, sending a glare at Raphael but there was no real malice behind it, “is that we were coming to say thank you. So thank you for helping Raph and not letting him become cat food.”

Magnus smiled at the other blonde and nodded his head. “You’re welcome,” he said, now knowing that saying something along the lines of ‘it’s nothing’ or ‘it’s alright’ wouldn’t sit with the two French boys.

Raphael poked Louis on the side. “Give him what you made, mon cher.”

Louis’s cheeks flushed immediately and Magnus wasn’t sure if it was because of the pet name or whatever he wanted to give him.

“I’m kind of rubbish at trying to explain what I want to say, so… here,” Louis muttered before shoving a crudely wrapped package at Magnus.

“It’s a Raspberry Charlotte,” Raphael explained before Magnus had enough time to ask what was in the package. “It’s Louis’s specialty. Louis is great when it comes to pastries.” Raphael topped the compliment by kissing his boyfriend on the cheek.

“My mom still does it better,” the blonde muttered, clearly embarrassed by Raphael being so affectionate in front of someone. Magnus had to fight really hard not to coo at them.

“Oh, please, you’re a great cook and you know. I bet you’re going to be the best chef in all of Paris someday – non, all of France.”

Magnus let out a small chuckle when Louis rolled his eyes at Raphael, even though his face was as red as the Gryffindor common room.

“Thank you a lot for the cake,” Magnus said with a smile. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”

He was about to leave when Louis stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” he started, “why did you do it? If you hadn’t you would have won the first task.”

With the package in his hands Magnus could fidget, no matter how much he wanted to. “I, um, happened to hear your conversation before the task when I came to find Raphael,” Louis’s cheeks reddened when he realized someone had overheard them, “and a friend of mine said something similar to me too before the task. I guess I thought that if I was in Raphael’s pace she would worry for me and I didn’t want that for her or for you so I helped? I’m really not sure, to be honest, I didn’t think much before I acted.”

“Well,” Louis said with a soft smile, “no matter why you did it, thank you.”

Magnus told them goodbye and went on his way. He was passing by a big old tapestry when he suddenly heard loud voices talking in English and a language he didn’t understand. He didn’t recognize any of them, save for one that hit him like a brick. Helga.

Sure that she would harass him for lousing, Magnus dived behind the tapestry. There was a hollow spot behind it big enough to fit two people and Magnus didn’t want to think about what some students might be getting up to in there.

The footsteps got louder and louder and Helga and whoever she was talking with came closer. There was a small hole in the tapestry Magnus hadn’t noticed before and he peaked out of it to see when she had left. Helga was had stopped walking in front of the tapestry, back held straight and proud like always, but there was something about her shoulders that seemed too tense.

“You did wonderful in the first task, älskling,” a woman’s voice said. Magnus turned in his hiding place to see her through the hole and he instantly knew she was Helga’s mother. They had the same hair, the same nose and face shape. She looked like the stereotypical image of a rich woman, right down to the large pearls around her neck and the gravity defying hairdo. Even though her last word was undoubtedly a pet name it was spoke without the warmth you’d expect – it sounded more like a general talking to her soldiers.

“Thank you, mor,” Helga said formally, like she was addressing the Minister of magic instead of her own mother. Magnus felt a pang of sympathy for her despite everything she had done to Alex – there was nothing in the way she spoke that showed Magnus she was close to her mother he couldn’t help feeling sad for her.

It was then that Magnus noticed the girl with the blonde pageboy haircut from the Halloween part standing next to Helga. They were standing close enough to be holding hands but far enough that they didn’t and even thought she was trying to hide it, Magnus noticed the concern with which she looked at Helga, as if she was afraid the other girl could crack and break.

“We expected nothing else from our daughter,” a man’s voice said and Magnus looked at who must be Helga’s father. They had the same rough eyes, the same thin lips, the same air of superiority in the way they held themselves. There was something in the way he spoke that sentence that made it sound less like he was confident in his daughter’s ability and more like Helga had succeeded in something they told her to do.

“Then again, with competition like that you would have to be completely useless to finish in any other place than first,” he father continued and Magnus had the sudden urge to throw something at him. He saw Helga bit the inside of her cheek, a motion he caught only because Sam did that when she was nervous or uncomfortable too. “Our daughter isn’t useless, right älskling?” Maybe the comment was meant to sound affectionate, but to Magnus it sounded more like a threat. You don’t want to know what will happen if you prove me wrong, unspoken and yet loud enough to make Magnus’s ears ring.

Apparently Helga though so too because she bit her cheek even harder and her hand twitched where it hang close to her friend’s hand, like she wanted nothing more than to take it and squeeze it for support but she couldn’t.

“No, far,” Helga said, doing a great job at hiding the tremor in her voice.

“That’s our girl.” Helga’s father smiled and there was nothing in his smile that spoke of fatherly pride. “Remember, now that… he isn’t here, you’re the heir to the Leifsson family.” Magnus remembered how Alex had told him Helga’s older brother was gay and that Helga loved him a lot. Her parents certainly didn’t seem to feel the same way. “You have a long and proud legacy to live up to. What does a Leifsson do?”

“A Leifsson is always the best,” Helga said with a monotone voice. What should have been a self-righteous family motto sounded more like a shackle and chains the way she said it. Maybe that’s what it was for her.

“That’s right,” Helga’s mother said. She smiled in a way that made Magnus’s wonder if the last time she smiled was a decade ago – maybe more. “Now, run along and go have breakfast. Your father and I will make sure to come see you in the second task.”

“Goodbye, mor, far.” As Helga’s parents left she and the blonde girl stayed there, Helga glaring at a spot in the floor like she wanted to punch it – or like she was holding back tears.

“Helga?” the blonde girl asked in a worried voice, finally taking Helga’s hand in hers. “Are you alright?”

“No,” Helga choked out. “Agatha, they spoke like he’s dead. I’ve spoken to him; he’s so much happier now without them around.”

“You will be happy too,” Agatha said. The way she spoke was so different that the way Helga’s parents talked; it was like she was trying to make up for all the affection her parents didn’t give her when they spoke.

“Will I?” Magnus needed a moment to realize Helga had spoken – that voice was too quiet, too broken for the girl he had fought with.

“Yes,” Agatha said without missing a beat. “You will. I’ll make sure you will.”

Helga smiled at the other girl softly. Magnus didn’t even know Helga could make a face like that. “Thanks, Agatha.”

Agatha giggled and nuzzled her face into Helga’s neck. “No problem, silly. Now let’s go have breakfast, I’m starving.”

Magnus didn’t leave his place behind the tapestry until he could no longer hear Helga and Agatha’s footsteps.

////////////////////////

Magnus wasn’t stressed. What made you think that he was stressed? It wasn’t like the Yule Ball was in a week and he was supposed to open the dance even though he couldn’t dance for shit or that he still didn’t have a date or that he had absolutely no idea what the clue for the second task inside the bottle was.

Nope, not stressed at all.

He still had time to figure what the clue was, his friends would tell him. The second task was in February after all; he had time. But it wasn’t like the clue was a riddle he had to solve – he would have solved it already if that was the case. No, there was no clue whatsoever; the parchment inside the bottle he had faced so many obstacles for was completely blank. He had taken to carrying the parchment with him everywhere in hopes that something would magically appear on it.

As for the date, he knew anybody in Hogwarts would agree to go with him if he asked them, but that wasn’t the problem. He knew who he wanted to come with him to the Yule Ball. He knew from the start of the year. Even though he had been able to face a chimera asking Alex a simple question made him feel week in the knees. Maybe he could have asked her to come with him as friends before but now, after that kiss in the infirmary, he couldn’t bring himself to.

Friends can kiss each other on the cheek, he’d tell himself and a part of him believed it but a part of him wanted it to be a lie. A part of him wanted there to be something more behind Alex’s lips on his cheek than just friendship and a part of him told him that there’s no way there was.

“Ow! Come on Magnus, focus. I only have so many toes.”

And there was the dancing part of the Ball. When he had shared that particular worry with his friends none of them had been able to help him. None of them knew how to waltz and why would they anyway? They didn’t need to know. But Magnus couldn’t skip the opening waltz no matter how much he wanted it.

Then Alex had offered to teach him.

“My parents made me learn when I still lived with them,” she had said. “Might as well make something good out of it.”

So Alex started teaching Magnus how to waltz. They would meet in the Room of Requirement after classes ended and they would dance to pieces of music that all seemed identical to Magnus but Alex insisted were different. Alex was the one to lead in the first lessons until Magnus got the hang of it but now he had to be the one with his hand at Alex’s waist as they danced.

“Sorry, sorry. I got lost in thought.”

Alex huffed but Magnus didn’t miss the way the corner of her lips tugged upwards. The Room had turned in the same cozy living room it had created when Alex had talked to him about Conall last year and they had almost kissed. The thought made Magnus’s cheeks flush and his stomach churn so he tried not to think about it. Their bags lay near the couch, their homework sprawled out on the coffee table. Somewhere along the line their dancing lessons had turned into their unofficial study sessions and hangout time (and make-out time according to Mallory and T.J).

“Okay, let’s start from the top,” Alex said and started the song from the beginning.

Magnus did as she had showed him. He stepped towards her and bowed, offering his hand to her. When she took it he stepped closer, bringing their joined at the same height as their heads and he rested his other hand just above her hip. They started moving slowly and Magnus kept his eyes at his feet so he wouldn’t step on her again. It had been much easier to follow Alex instead of being the one leading the dance.

“Magnus, you have to look at your partner, not your feet,” Alex told him, the slightest hint of exasperation seeping into her voice. This wasn’t the first time she had told him.

“I don’t want to step on you.” And I don’t know if I can stop myself from kissing you if I look at you.

“You won’t step on me. Come on, give it a try.”

So Magnus did. He raised his head and his breath was immediately stolen by the sight of Alex’s two-colored eyes. No matter how many times he looked at them he was always captivated by them. They were pools of honey and chocolate, alight with mischief and bravery, love and pain and hundreds of other emotions and Magnus wanted to know about all of them. He was afraid he’d be so mesmerized by her eyes he would notice if he stepped on her feet. He certainly wouldn’t be able to speak a comprehensive sentence, that’s for sure.

“See? Not that hard,” Alex said, breathless, as if she was as enthralled by the sight of him as he was of her. Yeah, right.

Magnus smirked at her, hoping it would mask the fact all he wanted to do was kiss her senseless. They kept dancing, their bodies just a breath away, the same way they would dance if Magnus actually got the courage to ask her to go with him.

What do you have to lose? His brain asked him.

Her friendship, he answered.

She won’t stop being your friend because you asked her to a dance. You don’t have someone to go with and you won’t ask anyone because you want to go with her, so ask her. You saw what almost happened to Raphael in the first task, do you really want to be mauled by a magical beast and regret not asking Alex to a stupid dance? Just do it.

Before Magnus was able to retort to what his brain said (why was he arguing with his brain?) Alex spoke up.

“So, have you found someone to go to the Yule Ball with?”

“No,” he said and he felt his hand sweat where it rested on Alex’s hip. “Have you?”

“Not really,” she said and Magnus got the feeling she wanted to say something more. In the end, what she said was, “A girl asked me but I didn’t really wanna go with her.”

Just ask her. Come on, do it. It’s just six words, where’s the difficulty? If you can face a chimera without peeing your pants then you can ask your crush to go to a stupid dance.

JUST DO IT!

Magnus couldn’t believe he was being peer-pressured into doing this by his own brain.

“Do-“ he started and somehow choked on air. He tried again. “Do you want to go with me?”

Alex looked at him with a mixture of surprise and relief, pink dusting her cheeks, though Magnus didn’t get why she was relieved. Despite the fact her reaction to his question wasn’t bad, Magnus somehow panicked anyway, those few seconds before she answered feeling like centuries to him.

“I-I mean, we already know how to dance together, s-so we could go as friends?” He blurted out. “S-Since you don’t have someone to go with a-and I don’t have someone to go with?”

For a moment, Magnus though he saw the corner of Alex’s mouth dip down, but he blinked and the beginning of a frown on her face had disappeared. “Alright. Someone has to make sure you don’t embarrass yourself on the opening waltz.”

Then, before Magnus realized what was coming, she let go of his hand and shoulder and attacked his sides with her skillful fingers. Magnus burst out laughing immediately.

“Bwua ha ha ha ha! A-Alex! W-why? Aha ha ha!”

“I got bored!” She said gleefully and attacked him even more ferociously. She was enjoying this, damn her. As Magnus doubled over in laughter and tried to get away from her, he had half a thought that they should have had a tickling obstacle in the first task.

“Aha ha ha ha! S-Stop! A-Alex, I can’t breathe!”

“I don’t care!”

Alex had her chest to his back so Magnus wouldn’t be able to punch her away. In away other instance, Magnus would have loved having Alex hug him from behind but not now. He thrashed around, trying to get out of her hold. In a moment of pure survival instincts (though he probably couldn’t die from tickling, but you never know) he stepped down hard on Alex foot.

“Ow!”

Magnus run away from her as she yelled in pain, feeling proud of himself. However, he was too busy looking back at her jumping up and down on one leg, nursing her hurt toes, to see that he was running straight into the coffee table.

He crushed into the table with his back, making their pencils and quills scatter around. Even worse, the bottle with Alex potion for class toppled over since it had no quirk it spilled all its contents on the parchment with the clue that Magnus had left on the table.

“Fuck. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,” Magnus kept muttering as he looked at the drenched parchment.

“M-maybe we can dry it,” Alex suggested nervously. Dread was settling in both their bellies at the thought of having just destroyed Magnus’s only clue about the second task.

Magnus was holding the parchment between trembling fingers as he shook it back and forth in hopes it would get most of the water out. It was while he was shaking it that a deep, black stain spread over the parchment from where the potion had fell on it like spilled ink.

Magnus sent Alex a “what the fuck is happening” look. Alex shrugged at him, just as confused as her was.

The ink stain covered the entire parchment before it started sinking back to a single point in the middle. It left smaller, blurry stains behind it, like fogy spots of warm breath on cold windows. Those too grew smaller and smaller, coming into focus like a camera zooming in on something. What they left behind them was a riddle written in pitch black ink.

“In dusty corridors you will find us and know our guards will not let us go without a fuss. They are quick of wit, prideful, unpredictable what they guard you need to save that for which you care unconditionally. Two hours - that’s it, not a moment beyond. Too late - we’re sorry, your treasure is gone.”

If you're wondering why Louis's surname is Dupain and he's from a family of bakers - I couldn't control myself! The second task is coming after the Yule Ball, so you have two weeks to try and figure out the clue! Have fun!