#Does castle swimmer count? Maybe

[thatoneluckybee]

okay WHAT is it about longer Webtoons that inspires the character to infiltrate and overthrow the government or at least fundamentally change it

[r6shippingdelivery]

headcannons for hobbies? Like what they do on their off time?

Hi nonnie! I actually did a Hobbies HC for “all” ops a long time ago. But seeing that was before the expanded bios, and it only reached up to Gridlock and Mozzie, I’d say it’s time for an updated version, don’t you say? 

Some of the answers are unchanged from the old post, because I already nailed it or the new info didn’t disprove my ideas. But I had to revise a lot of the answers I gave the first time around! In order to find their hobbies and/or get a glimpse of their lives beyond Rainbow and what they might like, I read all the bios, and looked up concept art, and elites, and past battlepass content, etc. And when none of that was enough, I just went with my gut instinct 😂 Thank you to @grain-crain-drain, @dagoth-menthol & @todragonsart for bouncing ideas with me when I was stuck! 💕

Hobbies Headcanons for ALL ops (up to Neon Dawn)

FBI

- Ash: According to her savta, shooting things is not a hobby, but Ash disagrees. And since according to her expanded bio she knows Hebrew, Arabic, English, French and Greek, I’m willing to bet she enjoys learning languages as well. - Thermite: He grew up on a ranch and loves riding. He’s also taken an interest in improving gadgets it seems, so my old proposal that he dabbles in forging/smithing stuff seems plausible. And based on this concept art, demolition derbies attending and maybe even competing himself too? - Pulse: He’s interested in a variety of topics and goes through phases of intense, nearly obsessive focus, until something else captures his attention. He still has a lingering fondness for building muscle cars, since it was something he used to do with his father. And like Thermite and Hibana, it seems he might enjoy demolition derbies. - Castle: He’s a language nerd, studying/reading/practicing new languages is his hobby for sure. Since the expanded bio says he rescues abused dogs, I don’t think it would be far fetched he volunteered at animal shelters too.

SAS

- Thatcher: Aside from repairing his boat, The Iron Maggie, he also enjoys fishing. He used to do that with his dad & brothers, and tried to take the rest of the SAS fishing as a bonding experience. It didn’t go very well - Sledge: He plays rugby, and has an inexplicable fondness of trying the wildest ideas that tend to end with something broken, be it one of his bones or a structure or wall (just read his extended psychological profile and you’ll see, lmao) - Smoke: Boxing, it helps him focus all his chaotic energy. And chemistry in general, it’s not just a hobby but a passion of his. - Mute: he enjoys tinkering with stuff, taking it apart and then putting it back together in a different way, just to see if he can improve it or make it work in his own way. Flying drones plays perfectly into that, with the added bonus of being able to do the flying part just for fun too.

GIGN

- Montagne: His main passion is working with people, teaching and mentoring others, and therefore when he’s not on duty, his main passtime still is mingling with people and getting to know them. I could see him making overtures with Castle, interested in the American and fascinated by his knowledge of various languages, an area Monty feels insecure about due to only knowing French and English.  - Twitch: Engineering, robotics and developing an empathic AI is her life.Twitch is a workaholic passionate about those topics. She also greatly enjoys traveling and, according to her expanded bio, people watching.  - Doc: He surely had some hobby at one point, but he can’t remember it, or the last time he had free time for it. Doc is also a workaholic, although one that loves to complain about it.  - Rook: Apparently he’s passionate about cycling, auto racing, and rock concerts. Mainly cycling though, since he dropped out of university to cycle around France.

Spetsnaz

- Tachanka: He collects and repairs old weapons. Mostly soviet, but he has some interesting pieces from other countries too. And he dances surprisingly well.  - Kapkan: Aside from a certain interest in psychology, his main hobby is hunting, of course. But he also whittles and carves wooden figurines.  - Glaz: Quite obviously, painting. He’s an artist, and quite a good one. He also likes playing cards, especially poker. - Fuze: He builds new weapon prototypes for fun. And tests them, if he can convince Six of it. He also likes to bake from time to time, a skill he learnt thanks to his grandma - and because he has a sweet tooth.

GSG9

- Jäger: Planes. Model planes, repairing old WWI & II planes, you name it. And watching copious amounts of documentaries.  - Bandit: His bike is his main hobby, both taking care of it and riding it. He also likes playing pool; and, if pranking people counts as a hobby, that’s his oldest one, dating from when he was a kid. - Blitz: He was and still is an athlete at heart, and Blitz loves running. - IQ: In order to disconnect from engineering pursuits, she indulges in rock climbing, spelunking, and writing science fiction stories.

JTF2

- Buck: He crafts mechanical puzzles, and enjoys all kinds of physical activity that can take place outdoors. - Frost: She just loves being surrounded by nature, and often goes mountain climbing or diving.

SEAL

- Valkyrie: Swimming and diving, of course! She wanted to be a professional swimmer, but now it’s just a hobby. And apparently she enrolled for a helicopter pilot license, and language classes. - Blackbeard: According to the expanded bios, he likes sailing and even participated in a championship. And since he climbed Mount Everest, it’s safe to say he also likes mountain climbing.

BOPE

- Capitao: He loves football, playing or watching it, doesn’t matter, he’s all for it. - Caveira: Spends a lot of time practicing Jiu Jitsu, in the gym and also on unofficial tournaments.

SAT

- Hibana: For her it’s traditional Japanese archery (Kyūdō). And probably demolition derbies too accounting that concept art from before with Thermite and Pulse. - Echo: According to the expanded bio, he has few interests outside work, but I always imagined he’d be into gaming and e-sports. Hacking too, and that’s a direct influence from Dokkaebi.

GEO

- Jackal: He plays the acoustic guitar/spanish guitar, and sings too. And now we also know he volunteers with at-risk youth. - Mira: Fixing cars is second nature to her, and thanks to her expanded bio we know she also does metal sculptures that incorporate used mechanical parts.

SDU

- Ying: Extreme driving, which can sometimes trigger her PTSD, and traveling. Especially exploring cities by randomly jumping in public transport and just going anywhere. - Lesion: He is also one to volunteer in underprivileged areas (like Junk Bay, where he grew up), and clearing mines and other unexploded devices. I also imagine him with a certain gusto for playing blackjack.

GROM

- Zofia: If obsessing about her father’s supposed suicide and the oddities surrounding it, and desperately trying to reconnect with her sister count as hobbies, sure, she has those. - Ela: She’s also an artist, one with a very particular vision that some have called narcissistic. Apparently she also does some “freelance” volunteer work, roaming the streets at night and offering help/comfort, or a willing ear to the people she meets.

707SMB

- Vigil: He likes to take walks around the forest, just aimless exploring and marvelling at nature and any animals he might come across. Often listens to relaxing music while doing so, and he might pick a pretty rock here and there to bring home. - Dokkaebi: Hacking is her hobby, of course. She also has several social media profiles and is an active member in a couple of hacking forums. As per a previous battlepass, I believe she enjoys mountain trekking too. And dancing to electro beat, due to her elite.

CBRN

- Lion: His rebel years left him with an appreciation for rock music and a dream to be in a group. Lion still plays the electric guitar, when he’s not off volunteering at the local church. - Finka: Pushed by her parents from a young age to try different sports, just like her siblings, she eventually discovered a strong love for fencing and ice-skating.

GIS

- Maestro: Cooking, and boxing, an interest he shares with Smoke. But mostly cooking. - Alibi: She’s also a marksman, engages Ash in friendly shooting competitions.

GSUTR

- Clash: She’s very involved in different activist causes, mostly surrounding racial issues and inequality. - Maverick: Photography, mostly nature or candid shots of his fellow operators. I also think he likes horses and riding. And Buzkashi of course, but he hasn’t played since he left Kabul.

GIGR

- Kaid: Playing chess, he’s a good strategist and it shows. And  while dozing off with a cat on his lap is not a hobby, he also loves that. - Nomad: Traveling to all sorts of remote locations, she’s an explorer with a thirst to prove herself. She also keeps a travel journal, which includes maps and some drawings of the places she’s seen.

SASR

- Mozzie: Dirt biking, of course. The more dangerous the jumps and stunts are, the more he likes it. He knows his limits and works to surpass them. - Gridlock: Robotics. She still wants to compete again in robot championships, just like she and Mozzie did so many years ago. She would consider that fixing cars and vehicles has become more part of her job than a hobby, but still loves it too.

Phantom Sight

- Nokk: Fencing, as evidenced by some of her concept art, she participated in fencing tournaments. - Warden: He knows appearances are important, and he cultivated a very specific image, so he likes to take care of that, be it by buying luxury or antique cars, or designer suits, etc.

Ember Rise

- Amaru: Archeology and exploring the Amazon jungle is her passion. It used to be her whole life and job, but since she joined Rainbow, she’s been busy with training and missions, yet she never lost her love for adventure, history and protecting her country’s cultural artifacts. - Goyo: He’s a really good chess player, and enjoys other games where he either has to think, or his usual poker face and calm demeanor can throw his opponents off.

Shifting Tides

- Kali: When she’s not writing reports about her underlings progress, or making lists about who should be ascended/rewarded, who needs to be punished or chastised, etc, she’ll be doing yoga, since it helps her focus. Or hardcore pilates when she needs to burn away some frustration first. - Wamai: Diving and being underwater in general, be it on his special immersion tanks or on the actual sea, it doesn’t matter. He finds it calming (and he’s addicted to the anoxia sensation)

Void Edge

- Iana: Space exploration fascinates her, and she’s always trying to learn everything she can about the cosmos, watching documentaries and conducting her own in-depth research. - Oryx: Wrestling helps him hone his physical prowess, and it’s also a measured outlet for his deep seated rage. He also greatly enjoys reading poetry.

Steel Wave

- Melusi: She’s committed to the conservation cause, which stems from both her love of wildlife and nature, and her protective instincts. She likes to explore too, although she’s not driven by a will to prove herself or reach certain goals, but simply for the joy of seeing natural spaces. - Ace: Social Media. He’s obsessed with his public image and popularity. While he travels quite a bit, it seems he does it more to share new and exciting selfies on Instagram than for the pleasure of visiting new places.

Shadow Legacy

- Zero: He knits and crochets, it’s an engaging hobby that helps him clear his mind, plus he enjoys making stuff too. Not many people know about this side of him though. 

Neon Dawn

- Aruni: She and Hero, her giant pouched rat, volunteer on landmine detection and removal efforts. She also likes to travel extensively, and has done so in the company of Twitch and Nomad.

[thejollyroger-writer]

what stranger miracles (1/1)

SUMMARY: Young Killian Jones, a member of Captain Nemo's crew, longs for a life beyond the small journeys he is allowed to join in on, a life where he is free to explore. Princess Emma, daughter of the King and Queen of the Sea, dreams of a life where she can explore more than just the world she has grown up in. Will their dreams come true when they find each other? 

Rated G // 10k // on AO3

“To me, the sea is a continual miracle; the fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the ships, with men in them. What stranger miracles are there?” -Walt Whitman

The first time he sees her, it’s an accident. He’s not even the one supposed to be bringing in that day’s catch, but he had pulled the short straw after losing that night’s dice game, so he was stuck not only with dish duty, but then out on the dock by himself at dusk, pulling in the nets. 

He’s drawn the short straw more times in his life than he would like to count, even at only seventeen, though many of them metaphorically. Sold to the sailors alongside his brother to pay off the debts of his father almost ten years before, treated as nothing more than a slave for most of that time, until the old foreman drowned and was replaced with Captain Nemo. At least under Nemo, he and his brother were treated like humans, welcome on some of their smaller adventures on the sea but always asked to stay behind if they planned to be gone for more than a few days. 

At first, he took it personally, thinking that the captains and their crews had something against him, leaving him at home with the other men who were no help on longer journeys, with the men who have families of their own or duties to someone other than Nemo — or the eccentric Captain Shakespeare, with his airship and his constant humming and his uncanny ability to always know how Killian is feeling without him ever saying a single word. But it was Liam who finally explained it to him one night, a night the rest of the crew was set to embark on one of these very missions and Killian was unable to keep his anger to himself: 

“They care about you, Killy. Care about both of us, more than anyone in our lives has managed to do since mum passed. They leave us here to keep us from harm, to protect us. You understand that, right?” 

Finally, he did understand it. Captain Nemo taking over was not one of the short straws of Killian’s life. In fact, he’s come to learn, it was quite the opposite. 

Physically pulling the short straw and standing out on the dock by himself tonight, however, he’s still a little unsure about.

At first, he thinks it’s his imagination — his exhaustion — anything other than real life. Because in real life, in the stories that he’s heard around too many fires and too many poker tables, she is the strongest omen of death to a sailor. When you see a mermaid the only thing that can follow is a painful downfall. But there she is nonetheless, sitting on the other side of the breaking waves, her blonde hair reflecting the colors of the sunset. She almost blends into the water, with the reds and golds of the dusk, but something about her catches his attention. 

A mermaid. 

A mermaid. 

There’s no way. It’s not possible. She has to be a figment of his imagination, or maybe a lost swimmer, because she can’t be—

And then she moves, ducking back under the waves, and there’s no way to deny what he is seeing anymore when her large, shimmering green tail breaks the surface of the water as she dives down. 

“Gods above,” he mumbles, but can’t even bring himself to say the rest of it what’s on his mind: 

A mermaid. 

He has to tell Liam. 

He can never tell Liam. 

 -- -- -- --

She shouldn’t have done it. She knows when the leg-walkers bring in their nets and has been told of the dangers of approaching the shore her whole life, but her curiosity got the best of her for the first time a few weeks before, and now she is unable to help herself. 

This is the first time anyone has seen her, though — at least, to the best of her knowledge. Because if the stories her parents tell her are true and those leg-walkers — those men — really believe her to be a monster, then she can be sure that someone would have acted already, would have tried to attack her, tried to catch her the same way they take so many fish from her ocean. 

But she saw the way the young man had looked at her tonight, his eyes not filled with fear, but filled with the same curiosity that she herself knows all too well. He’s not the monster her parents have told her he is, can’t be a monster with eyes like that, she's sure of it. 

Of course, no one would believe her. If anyone even learned of her trips to the surface, she would be barricaded in her room in the castle, held under lock and key and only able to leave under the watchful eye of her parents. 

So she keeps her thoughts to herself, though sometimes she’s so overwhelmed by them that she feels like she’s suffocating. She’s even too afraid to tell Ruby, her best friend, her confidant — not in fear of Ruby taking the news to her parents, but in fear of her friend insisting on joining her on one of her escapades. 

That has become her time away from the palace and her royal duties and everything she has ever known, everything she has been taught will someday be her whole life. Not always at dusk, but whenever she can manage to get away long enough without raising any eyebrows. Ever since her nameday, she’s been allowed certain freedoms, and that has come to include time away from her responsibilities — though she knows her mother would immediately revoke the privilege the moment she learned how Emma was spending it. 

“What’s the point of being princess of the whole ocean if I’m never allowed to go into any of it?” she asked Ruby one night, a night that they could see the colored lights reflecting on the water. These nights had become theirs, long before Emma had any thoughts on royal duties or responsibilities or anything of the sort, when she was still free to just be a girl and live her life. 

Ruby just laughed, her eyes shifting up to the surface where the lights danced upon the water. “Everyone desires things they can’t have, Em,” she said softly, but if she had more than that on her mind, she kept it to herself. 

Emma already knew what Ruby was thinking, though. Emma was a princess, a fact that she was never allowed to forget, however much she sometimes wanted to — but she was a princess aware of the unfairness of the world around her, aware of the struggles of her people and the fact that, though Ruby had become her best friend, it was almost destined to be that way with Ruby’s family employed at the palace. Ruby’s anger towards her situation was not new to Emma, was in fact something that she had taken out on Emma on more than one occasion — and it was on Emma’s mind every time she complained about something to her friend. 

But Ruby’s words are true, either way: everyone does desire something beyond what they are able to have. 

And before too long, Emma found herself not desiring a life where she was free to explore, not a life without royal responsibilities, but a life spent with the young man with the shining blue eyes who lives with the fishermen. 

 -- -- -- --

He has to see her again. How can he explain to his brother that he has been spending all of his free time over the last four days by the water in hopes of seeing a mermaid? Liam already thinks he spends too much time in his head, and he only fears this would make it worse. 

“Liam,” he calls over his shoulder, tucking his book under his arm. “I’m going down to the dock for a while!” 

Liam only lets out a small laugh, not even raising his attention from his own book as he lounges in one of the hammocks out behind the house. “Be back before dinner, little brother!” 

In any other situation, he would turn around and correct Liam’s little brother to younger brother, especially since his last growth spurt shot him up to almost the same height as Liam. But not today. 

Today, he barely hears the words as they leave his brother’s mouth, his head already looking out over the ocean waves in hopes of seeing her again. 

It’s insane. Absolutely mad, he knows. He can only imagine what Liam — what the other sailors — would say to him if they were to learn. But he doesn’t care, at least not right now. 

Right now, all he cares about is seeing her again. 

So he positions himself on the end of the dock, one hand holding the book up on his chest and the other dangling down, barely grazing the water, with his satchel tucked under his head like a pillow. It’s not the most comfortable position, but with his mind already struggling to focus on the words of his novel with his looking out over the water every few seconds, his comfort is one of the last things he cares about. 

There really is no reason for him to be this nervous. What are the odds that she returns to the same place again for the fourth day in a row, what with the whole ocean hers for the taking? He knows that if he had that sort of freedom, the last thing he would want to do is stay in one place. He would want to explore, would feel the same urge to explore that he feels humming under his skin even now. It’s one of the reasons he is so eager for Shakespeare to bring him on one of his journeys: his time at sea, seeing new places and experiencing life away from land, is exhilarating, but he can only imagine what it must be like in an airship, soaring high above the clouds and looking down at the land, knowing that you’re no longer trapped in one place. 

Sure, he’s asked Shakespeare before, in moments of vulnerability, moments that he only shares with his brother and the open, caring white-haired man that splits his time between the clouds and their run-down little camp perched at the edge of the ocean. But Shakespeare has always just laughed — not to make fun of him, he knows, but just because he is the kind of man who laughs to let others know he is not angry — wrapping his arm around Killian’s shoulders or reaching across the table to set his hand on his arm, and smiled warmly at him. 

“Someday, lad, but not yet,” was always his answer. 

Maybe that is why he finds himself here, perched on the edge of the dock waiting for a mermaid — his deep-rooted longing for adventure, knowing that his life will someday be more than fishing and this camp and the few days at a time he is allowed to spend on the sea. Whenever his eyes make their way out to the crashing waves again, he knows that is what he craves more than anything, and possibly what he hopes to find with the arrival of the creature that everyone around him tells him should not exist.

Somehow, though, between the warm sun on his face and the calming sound of the waves, he finds himself unable to focus on either the words or the waves, nodding off under the afternoon sun. 

 -- -- -- --

She has to see him again. Yes, she has her royal duties and her responsibilities around the castle, but she rushes through them as quickly as she can, barely able to contain her energy during the meeting with some of the council members, until she is finally done.

Free to go.

She tries to keep her calm as she swims away from the castle, knowing that if anyone were to see her hurrying away, it would only raise suspicion and would most likely get back to her parents before she even returned. 

But once she is on the other side of the rocks, away from what is technically the dominion of the castle even though her parents rule the whole ocean, she picks up her pace, her heart pounding faster and more wildly in her chest than she ever remembers it doing before. 

Not only from the excitement of it all, but with the thrill of getting caught, she realizes, changing her trajectory to head closer towards the surface. Because she wants to see him, yes, but she also knows the consequences were she to get caught, were someone to see her scurrying towards the land — sometimes even towards the surface, depending on how strict her mother feels at the moment. Her pounding heart only makes her swim faster, and her increased pace only makes her heart pound faster, closer and closer to the surface until, finally, she breaks through the water to feel the warm sun on her face. 

There is nothing like that feeling, even when the sun warms the water, and she smiles, allowing herself to pause for a moment as she lets it wash over her. And then, the moment is over, and she pulls her head back under the surface to take off once more towards the shore. 

There really is no reason for her to be this nervous. What are the odds that he returns to the same place again for the fourth day in a row, what with the whole world his to explore? She knows that if she were allowed that sort of freedom, the last thing she would want to do is be tethered down. She would want to explore, would feel the same urge to explore that she has felt humming under her skin for as long as she can remember. The same urge that she feels getting pushed further down with every council meeting and every dinner with a potential suitor (even though both of her parents refuse to admit that’s what they are) and every mention of her someday taking her mother’s place as the ruler of the seas. It’s why she takes every chance she has to get away from the palace, whether it be longer journeys with her father to see other parts of their large realm or these small opportunities to have time alone and potentially see the boy with eyes the color of the sea. 

The boy laying at the end of the dock not far from where she breaks the surface, one arm extended down to where it just grazes the water and a book spread open on his chest, though he seems to be asleep. 

For a while, she does not dare to move, forcing herself to stay where she is instead of letting the tide bring her closer to the shore. Is it fear? Shyness? Her nerves getting the best of her? A mix of all three, she believes, between hoping she is not naive enough to be putting herself in harm’s way and being nervous about seeing the boy who has not left her thoughts since first seeing him the previous day. Finally, when she has convinced herself he really is asleep and not just baiting her to come closer to the dock, she begins to slowly move towards him, no faster than the calm current will take her, though sometimes fighting it to stop for a moment or two, her eyes never leaving him.

And then she is there, within arm’s reach of him, and he still has not moved. If not for the steady rise and fall of his chest, accentuated by the upside-down book, she would believe him dead, having stayed unmoving for so long. But it is also this, the obvious unwavering deepness of his slumber, that convinces her that no harm can come from just a single touch — though, not until she has committed the details of his face to memory: the way his long, dark eyelashes rest peacefully on his light cheeks, the curve of his nose and the crease in his forehead between his dark eyebrows and the small dimple in his cheek that forms when he smiles in his sleep. His hair moves slightly in the soft breeze off the water in a way Emma had never seen before, and she is halfway through the motion of reaching up and running her fingers through it before she can stop herself. It is soft in a way she has never experienced, between being dry and free of the salt from the ocean, and she finds herself repeating the motion a second time, then a third, lost in the small movements of his face in response to her — so much that she almost doesn’t notice when his bright eyes finally open, startled awake by her. 

But once they meet hers, wide with fear and surprise and a handful of other emotions that Emma doesn’t have time to process, she realizes the mistake she has made and dives back under the water, swimming away from the shore as quickly as her tail will allow — 

Though she does not miss the loud splash of the water as he finds himself so startled by her existence, and her proximity to him, that he falls off the edge of the dock. 

 -- -- -- --

Gods above. At first, he doesn’t believe it, trying to right himself in the water at the end of the dock. But, once the shock from the water has passed, he is able to focus on the questions moving a mile a minute through his mind: 

Was it a dream? He knows he was dreaming about her, and it certainly felt real enough — but then the dream ended — or, he thought it did, but she was still right there, right in front of him, just inches from his face as she ran her fingers through his hair. 

What was real? What wasn’t real? Given that he was still unsure that she was real in the first place, his mind is reeling as he pulls himself back onto the dock. He’s lost in the same daze as he makes his way back to the house, hoping that the sun will dry out his clothing enough to keep him from arousing suspicion. He hopes to quietly make his way to his room, not catching the attention of anyone — but, in a house as filled as this one, he is not surprised by his failure. 

“Hello, yoing Mister Jones,” the familiar voice calls to him from the table, though his eyes never leave the book he holds in front of him. Shakespeare? How could Killian possibly miss his airship floating above the house? Was he really swimming that deep in his own thoughts that he missed that? 

But the man sitting at the table, a small smile slowly spreading across his whisker-covered face, proves it. “Hello, Captain.” 

“How are you on this fine afternoon?” he asks, only raising his eyes from the book for a moment, but the still-growing smile on his face is all the proof Killian needs to know that the Captain has noticed the wrinkled state of his clothing, knows that it meant he was in the water when he most likely did not plan to be. Killian tries not to show his embarrassment on his face, but he can feel the warmth begin to spread across his cheeks. “Went for a nice dip, I see,” the Captain adds, which only adds to his embarrassment. 

Without realizing it, he feels his hand raise to scratch behind his ear, as if he has no control over the movement. “Uh, yes, sir. I had a bit of a… falling in… with the water.” 

Killian certainly intends for the joke, though he tries to keep himself from laughing at it, seeing which of them breaks first. 

He wins, the Captain’s smile faltering before filling his face, his eyes squeezed shut as he lets out a soft chuckle. So Killian breaks, too, leaning against the chair beside him at the table. 

“Sit with me, lad. Tell me about her.” 

Killian’s jaw drops — again, his body reacting without his permission, his blush quick;y reaching the tips of his ears. “I don’t — I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he tries, but he knows it is futile. 

Shakespeare shakes his head. “You know you can’t lie to me. Especially not about love. So,” He pushes the chair next to him out with his foot, moving Killian with it. “Sit with me and tell me about her.” 

For just a moment, he is still, holding on to the hope that he can get out of his situation. 

But he can’t. So, with a sigh, he takes a seat. 

“I’ve only seen her a few times now, and I haven’t — haven’t found the nerve to speak to her yet,” he starts, though he is still too embarrassed to meet the man’s eyes. “So I keep going out in hopes of… wanting to see her again. Because she’s beautiful, the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”

“And where are you going out in hopes of seeing this lady again?” 

“The marketplace.” He knows it’s a lie. Killian can tell right away that he knows it’s a lie — but he says nothing about it, knitting his eyebrows low on his broad forehead. 

For a moment, the two of them sit in silence, Killian hoping that he stops asking questions and Shakespeare hoping for the boy to tell him more. When neither of them break, Shakespeare sits back in his chair, his arms folded across his chest. “I am of the belief that you should allow yourself to fall in love whenever possible, young Jones, and to seize any and all opportunity to have that love reciprocated.”

Killian doesn’t know what to say, but with Shakespeare’s advice, he is sure of one thing: she is real and that she returned to the dock that day specifically to see him — and that the next time he sees her, he is going to try to talk to her. 

 -- -- -- --

“Oh, come on, Emma!” Ruby says — again — as they make their way away from the palace. “I know you’re hiding something, just tell me what it is!” 

Emma rolls her eyes, but a smile quickly spreads across her face. It’s embarrassing, really, to be smitten with this dark-haired sailor boy who she’s never even spoken to, but the more she thinks about him, the more she knows it’s true. 

But how does she tell Ruby? Sure, Ruby would be the one she would go to with any sort of boy trouble — if anyone knows boys, it’s her best friend. This feels different somehow, though, a secret that she doesn’t want to share with anyone including her best friend, like talking about it will make him disappear. At first, she knew it had to be a coincidence, even after she found him sleeping at the end of the dock, but after he continued to be there on the dock the next few times she made her way to the surface, after she took the chance to talk to him and he didn’t run away in fear, she knew it was more than just a coincidence. 

It was a sign. A sign that just kept repeating itself every time he came to the shore to see her, with every conversation they had and every beautiful, bright smile he shared with her. 

“It’s a boy, isn’t it?” she asks, most of the upset in her voice replaced with excitement. Emma doesn’t answer, but with the blush quickly spreading across her cheeks, she doesn’t need to say anything. “Oh my god! It is about a boy! Emma, tell me everything! Who is he? Is he someone I know?!” 

Emma shakes her head. “No, it’s not — it’s no one you would know.” 

“Emma!” she yells in a much higher pitch than usual. “How do you — wait.” She stops swimming, gripping her hand around Emma’s arm. “How do you know someone that I don’t? Unless—” Her eyes grow wide, somehow filled with more excitement than they were before. “Is he — oh my god, tell me that he’s a prince!” 

Pulling her bottom lip up between her teeth, Emma realizes that this lie is much better than the truth, so she nods. “Yeah, he’s — he’s a prince. I’ve only seen him a few times, on diplomatic missions with my father, but I can’t —” The excitement that she feels, though, is real, and not every detail of her story has to be a lie, she tells herself. She smiles. “I can’t stop thinking about him, Rubes.” 

“Tell. Me. Everything.” 

Emma laughs, feeling much lighter now that she’s shared her secret with Ruby, even if she’s not able to tell the whole truth. “Fine, fine, but can we keep going? I don’t want to miss the sunset tonight.” Nodding, Ruby keeps swimming. “Alright, well, his name is Killian. He’s — he has an older brother, and he likes to read and to explore and—” Even she is surprised by the giggle that slips through her lips. “Plus he’s super cute.” 

Her mind goes back to one of the first times she was him, when she dared to approach him at the end of the dock and ran her fingers through his soft hair. 

“Well, what are you going to do?” 

Really, this is the question she was afraid of. If he really was a prince, someone that she met on one of her trips with her father, she would be able to be courted and wouldn’t have to hide her secret from everyone. 

But Killian is, of course, not a prince of another realm. He’s not a prince at all. He’s a sailor, an orphan, not even old enough to go on every trip with the sailors he lives with. 

What are you going to do? 

“I’m not going to do anything for now.” That, at least, is the truth. “We’re just — we’re friends for now, and I don’t think I’m ready for anything beyond that.” Okay, that’s also the truth. At least, Emma thinks they’re friends. Why else would he continue to try to see her? “What would you do?” 

If anyone could give her advice about relationships, it would be Ruby. Her best friend, just a few years older than Emma, has far more experience with relationships than she knows what to do with. 

“I mean, I’m not a princess, but I think if you want to be with him, and he feels the same way about you, then there’s no harm in seeing what comes of it. Especially before you’re even more trapped in a life of royal responsibilities.”

Ruby’s right, she realizes, though she’s not surprised about it. If she’s going to dare to follow her feelings for Killian, she needs to do it quickly, before her parents decide the time has come for her to have more responsibilities, before she can no longer leave the palace every night to watch the sunset and spend time with her blue-eyed sailor boy. 

 -- -- -- --

“Emma, I can’t —” he says one afternoon at the end of the first month, laying on his stomach at the end of the dock while Emma rests in the gently-moving tide below him, the tips of his fingers softly moving through the ends of Emma’s golden blonde tresses. “Something’s been bothering me lately.” 

“Hm?” Emma hums, her gaze set on the changing colors of the sky as the sun makes its way below the horizon. 

“You have the whole ocean to explore, and are able to explore further than just between where you live and this little shore, but you’ve been coming back here instead of taking advantage of that freedom.” 

When he says nothing further, she turns to face him, a soft smile on her face as she presses her palm against his cheek. Her skin is colder than his, just as it always is, and slightly damp from the water, but it is a feeling he has come to love. “Maybe I’ve found all the adventure I need for now right here, on this little shore,” she says, softly smiling when he meets her eyes. 

He has known since that very first time he saw her sitting in the waves, watching the sunset, that she was the key to his desire for adventure, but this was the first time he felt brave enough to bring it up. Over the last three weeks, since the first time he got up the nerve to call out to her as she sat in the surf, they have learned a lot about each other, spending as much time as either of them dared out here by the dock. Though they live very different lives, they’ve learned that they share a desire to see the world, to be beyond the limitations set by those around them, even though they may not understand the things holding the other back. 

“I’ve told you before, Killian, I can’t just leave my family behind and explore the oceans, just like you can’t just leave Liam. Just because I dream of far away places doesn’t mean I’m ready to go out by myself.” 

“One day, I’ll have a ship of my own and the ability to go wherever I want, wherever we want, and we could — well, I don’t know exactly how it would work for you, love, what with the tail and all, but we could see the world together. What do you think of that?” 

For a moment, he can swear that he sees a flash of sadness in her eyes, but it disappears before he can decide whether it was real or not. He expects her to argue with him, really, to provide some sort of rationalization for this thought as she always seems to be doing when he talks about his dreams, though this is the first he’s spoken of his desire to one day be the captain of his own ship. But that’s not what she does. 

Instead, she pulls herself closer to him, her arms wrapped around his neck, and presses her lips against his. He feels a blush rise into his cheeks, to the very tips of his ears, but tries his very best to memorize every detail of the way it feels to kiss her, from the soft tickle of her hair against his cheeks to the feel of her fingers around the back of his neck, not to mention the warmth of her lips where they meet his. It only lasts a few seconds, a few beats of his pounding heart, but he hopes to be able to hold onto that feeling for much, much longer. 

“What do you think of that?” she whispers, though she has only pulled away from him enough to speak, her forehead still pressed against his. He’s glad to see that she also has a soft rosiness to her cheeks now that matches his, plus a new brightness in her shining eyes that he almost allows himself to define as love. It takes him a moment to realize that she is simply repeating the last thing he said and not really asking for his feelings towards their first kiss, but he answers in the only way he can think of, a smile on his lips as he finds hers with them again. 

 -- -- -- --

“There’s a big storm coming,” Ruby comments, and Emma nods, though her focus isn’t on the change in temperature in the water or the darkness of the sky above them as they continue to approach the surface, but on the hull of a ship not too far away. A ship that, once she breaks the surface, she recognizes immediately, her thoughts immediately turning to Killian, who she knows was planning on joining some of the sailors on a trip on the Nautilus in the next few days, the very reason she’s out in a different part of the realm with Ruby in the first place. But it’s too late — the ship has already met the storm, and the storm has won, the ship already sitting in pieces on the thrashing waters. How neither of them realized what was happening just beyond their vision is a mystery, but she can only spare a moment to stop and watch it before she’s on the move, swimming as fast as she can towards the wreck. 

“Emma, no!” Ruby calls out, but follows her nonetheless. “The queen is going to kill me,” she mumbles under her breath — which may be the truth, but Emma has always swam towards danger and not away from it. 

Most of the sailors are already under the crashing waves, unconscious, the ones who have not been knocked out trying their best to tend to them and keep their own heads above water. Emma focuses her powers to calm the waters under the surface, hoping to aid these men in whatever way she can. She is helpless against the waves caused by the winds of the storm, but she can still the waters beneath the shipwreck, making sure none of the drowning men are hit by the quickly-sinking debris before Ruby can help them to the surface. Emma is searching the whole time for her young, blue-eyed sailor, and is relieved when she does not find him. 

But that doesn’t stop her from sitting in the surf, away from the storm that took down the ship, still searching for any sign of him

“Emma, we shouldn’t stay here,” Ruby says, trying to pull her back under the surface, but Emma is unmoving, her attention focused on one of the sailors as he frantically searches the beach. She can’t hear what he is saying, but he keeps yelling for someone — someone that he is unable to find, and she fears the worst, practically paralyzed by the thought that she somehow missed Killian in the wreckage.

Ruby can wait no longer, afraid of what may happen to her if the sailors realize they are sitting out there, but also knows that going back to the palace by herself would raise suspicion, so she quietly slips back beneath the surface, only planning on going back to the debris to see what she can find. 

Emma’s eyes are still on the shore, barely realizing that Ruby has left her behind, when she sees another ship, this one moving across the land through the sky, land just beyond the shore in front of her. She’s heard tales of this ship before, many of them from Killian himself, but has never seen it with her own eyes until now. She knows this means that men have come to rescue those she helped out of the water, knows the danger this poses to her — but she is still paralyzed, even as she sees their heads start to appear, only able to dip her head closer to the waves. 

This is where she watches them from, hoping that she is hidden enough in the sea to be safe as the small handful of men begin to tend to those on the beach. One of the older sailors, who she recognizes as one of the two who walk down by the tide together on the calmest evenings — the one with the heart tattooed on his cheek, with the soft blue eyes who recites poetry as he walks along the shore — finds the younger sailor, tears wetting his cheeks now, his face obviously pained with a fear so strong Emma can recognize it. They share a few words before the older man embraces him, turning his eyes out towards the water, almost as if he is looking specifically for her, she realizes as he meets her eyes, pleading with her. She knows somehow, as the younger sailor calls out for his brother once more, that Killian is the one he is searching for, and is not among the men taken to the shore. 

 -- -- -- --

By the time the storm wakes him, he fears all hope is lost. He was fast asleep below deck, alone and not awoken by the storm until it cracked the mast and splintered some of the deck above his head.

The floor beneath his hammock is gone, replaced by rushing water, he realizes as he swings his feet over the edge; and when he plunges himself into it, he's not ready for the shock to his body from the icy coldness. The few moments he takes to allow his body to adjust to the water prove futile, as the water begins to rise rapidly as more wood cracks and splinters around him. Pushing through it, the water almost up to his chest already as he moves across the room and tries to pull open the door to the crew’s quarters. At first, he can’t get it to budge, and his heart sinks in his chest, until, finally, he is able to pry the door open, using as much of his strength as he is able to find between his fear and the shock to his system. 

He pushes through the water on the other side, slightly shallower than that in the cabin for the first few moments, but quickly finding equilibrium, once again at chest level. He pushes through the water as best he can, trying to keep his footing as he makes his way down to the end of the hallway. But, he realizes as he quickly loses hope, the hatch at the top of the stairs is stuck shut, the cracked mast having landed directly on top of it. 

To get to the other exit, he must dive under the water and avoid the debris, a challenge that becomes harder the longer he waits, so he takes as deep a breath as he can manage before diving under the surface, his lungs feeling like they’ve collapsed once his head is under the water, surrounded by a new, eerie silence in comparison to the rushing waters around him in the air pockets — but, between the shock, his body still reacting to the cold shock of the water, and the remaining grogginess from his sleep, the task is almost too much for his body, and moving through the surging waters only becomes harder as he pushes to the other side of the ship, trying to find the pockets of air where the ceilings are highest. 

He can feel his freedom, his hands against the hatch, relishing in the few inches of air left here — but this hatch won’t open, either, and moments later, water begins to rush through the holes in the grate. 

One last gulp of air, and he ducks back under the water, trying to think of another exit, another option, but can think of none. There is nothing he can do, really. If no one has come to save him yet, he can’t imagine that anyone is coming now, hopefully all having found their own freedom and — rightfully — forgetting about him below deck as they tried to save themselves. Even Captain Nemo. 

Even Liam.

In the last moments before he gives up hope, he squeezes his eyes shut, seeing both Liam and Emma, the two closest things he’s ever had to friends, before everything begins to fade to black, his body succumbing to the much stronger pull of the water — and then he feels arms around his chest, barely registering what is happening, half-unconscious. He wants to open his eyes, wants to find out who is saving him, how they got in and how they are getting him out, but he can’t, only feels himself slowly slipping into a deeper unconsciousness, even as he feels air against his face. 

 When he opens his eyes, the first thing he sees is Emma, hovering over him. Her hair is dry (though he’s unsure why this is what he notices), and when he meets her eyes, they go wide, the green there flashing with excitement. 

Behind her, he notices both Liam and Captain Shakespeare, the former with his arms crossed over his chest, noticeably confused, and the latter smiling broadly.

The three of them simply cannot be in the same location, and with this thought alone, Killian is sure that he didn’t actually make it out of the shipwreck, that he had been pulled beneath the waves and is sitting dead at the bottom of the ocean, still stuck below the decks of the Nautilus until the end of days. 

“Killian,” she whispers, resting her hand against the palm of his cheek. Every other time they have touched, her skin has been cold, clammy, from being in the water, but that is not true right now, almost as if — (same with her hair, he thinks) — she has been out of the water for a while, her legs curled up beneath her on the sand as she leans over him.

Legs? 

Before he has a chance to process this new information, with Emma’s hand still pressed against his cheek, Liam rushes towards him and wraps his arms around him from the side. These things together, Liam and Emma both touching him, feel too real, the burning in his lungs feels too real, and though he can barely believe it, he thinks he may actually be okay. 

When he tries to talk, he coughs up a mouthful of salt water before any of the words he is trying to ask. “What — what happened?” he manages, focusing on Shakespeare, still standing on the shore behind Emma with a large smile spread across his face. 

Instead, Emma answers, gesturing out into the water, where Ruby is keeping her head above the waves, and Ruby waves back. “Ruby and I saw the shipwreck from afar and rushed to help save everyone we could. Once we had everyone on shore, I stayed behind, uh, looking for you—” Her cheeks begin to glow a soft red, which Killian meets with a soft smile. “But Ruby went back to the debris, searching for anything she can salvage. Instead, she found you, and she thought it may have been too late, but she brought you back to shore anyway, though away from the other sailors, who were starting to gain consciousness. Somehow this man,” she looks over her shoulder, smiling at Shakespeare, who wiggles his fingers at them in a wave. “Knew where to find us, and they recuscitated you.” 

“Why doesn’t she come ashore?” Liam asks, pointing out to where Ruby is still sitting on the other side of the tide. 

Emma opens her mouth to answer, but is stopped by the sound of Shakespeare laughing behind them, and when they turn their attention to him, he is shaking his head. “You lads really don’t know much about your mermaid lore, do you?” 

Confused, both Liam and Killian shake their heads, and Emma and Shakespeare share a smile. 

“Well, Killy, I don’t know how to break this to you, but it seems that your mermaid love is also the princess, who is able to come ashore when she chooses.” 

Both Jones boys are stunned, Killian by this new information which Emma never shared with him, and Liam by the fact that his little brother is apparently in love with a mermaid. 

“Princess?” 

“Pardon?” 

Shakespeare laughs again, resting one of his hands on Emma’s shoulder. “It appears we have some things to teach the young Jones brothers here, your highness.”

 -- -- -- --

Three days have passed since Emma and Ruby came across the Nautilus' wreck, and so far, no one seems to have any more suspicion about where she has been spending her time away from the palace as they did before. She has spent more of these three days around her parents, hoping to quell any questions that they may have been keeping to themselves, and she feels like she has succeeded. Until— 

“Emma,” August says, softly knocking on the door to the library as he pops his head into the room. “You parents want to talk to you.” 

Sighing, she closes the book she has on the table in front of her, knowing this can’t be good — and having a growing fear that it may be about her time on the shore and her relationship with Killian. “Did they tell you what it was going to be about?” 

August only shakes his head. 

But when Ruby is the only other person in the room, unable to meet her gaze, she knows what happened. She completely ignores the matching glares on the faces of her parents, shaking her head as she crosses her arms across her chest. “Really, Ruby?” she asks. 

“I’m sorry, Em, but your mother —” 

With a light laugh, Emma nods. “Yeah, I know, Rubes.” Finally, her friend raises her eyes to meet hers, and she puts as much forgiveness in her eyes as she is able; none of this is Ruby's fault, and she never should have put her friend in the position she currently finds herself. 

“Emma!” her father yells, and she remembers why she’s here. “You went to the surface?”

“We were just going up to watch the sunset,” Emma says — the complete truth. 

“And then you helped humans!” Now it’s the queen’s turn to be angry. "You went to the shore!"

“They were drowning! They were going to die!” 

Her father takes over again. “Emma, you know that’s not what we’re angry about,” he says, his voice soft but stern. “Ruby told us about the boy.” 

Emma snaps her head towards Ruby’s, eyes wide with anger — though not at Ruby, she hopes her friend realizes — but Ruby just gives her a sad shrug. Emma’s been interrogated by the queen before, knows exactly how impossible it is to keep any secrets from her once she knows something is being hidden. It’s a good characteristic for a queen, but Emma would prefer her mother to be better at seeing through her lies. 

“What were you thinking?” Her mother’s anger is back. “A human?”

“I wasn’t — I didn’t even approach the shore right away, I stayed in the waves the first few times! Actually, I’ve never even been out of the water in front of him until we saved them from dying!” 

“But you should have known better than to be out there in the first place.” This is, apparently, one of those arguments where her mother is going to do all the talking, with her father standing behind her with a stern expression. He always was the softer of the two, the one who is first to crack whenever she is asking them for anything, and she wonders — in the moments between her mother’s angry words — if this argument is going to be the same way. "You put your life in danger, and for what? A human?" 

"He's not like the men in the stories you tell! None of them are. None of them are monsters, we've just been taught to believe that they are — and they've been taught to believe the same about us!" 

"I don't want to hear it, Emma! You broke our rules, broke our trust, and you've let us down. I'm disappointed in you. I thought we taught you better than that.” 

This is Emma’s in; the easiest way to break her parents is to bring up their true love, to use their teachings against them. 

“You two have always taught me that the best thing for me to do is to follow my heart, so that’s exactly what I was doing!” 

This was exactly the right thing to say, and the queen’s shoulders slump in defeat. For a few moments, the room is silent. Until King David smiles, wrapping his arm around his wife’s shoulders. 

“She’s right, my love,” he says, always the one to end the argument, and usually in Emma’s favor. “She’s only taking our advice.” 

Emma’s eyes go wide; she didn’t expect it to work, especially not this well, and certainly not this quickly. 

"But it's for a human!" her mother argues, not even seeming to care that Emma is still there.

"We don't always fall in love with the people that we are expected to." 

The queen — who fell in love with a common man and had to convince her parents to allow her to marry him instead of one of her suitors, a story that they are both very proud of — knows this is an argument that she is going to lose. Because, no matter how difficult it is to admit, Emma is just doing as she has always been taught to do: following her heart, even if it leads her down a different path. 

When Emma finally breaks the silence that has filled the room, her voice is soft, believing that if she speaks too loud, the moment could shatter before her. “So, uh, what does that mean, then?” 

The king and queen share a look. “Well,” her mother says, “We haven’t actually thought about that yet.” 

“Obviously you still have to be here for your royal duties, meetings and dinners and those sort of things,” the king says. 

Emma can feel a soft smile slowly growing across her face as she realizes that this is real — that her parents are really discussing how she can spend time on land… with Killian. “Of course,” she agrees. 

“Plus diplomatic missions,” her mother adds, and Emma nods in agreement. “And he’s a sailor, right?” Emma nods again. “So when he’s out on the sea, I expect you to stay here at the palace.” 

“I’m not going to make you take a guard with you to the surface, but if anything ever happens, know that will be the first change we make,” King David says with a definitive nod. “We’ll add to these rules when things come up. But for now���” 

When Emma’s smile grows larger, her parents answer it with bright smiles of their own. She rushes forward to wrap her arms around them both. “Thank you,” she whispers, trying her best to hold back to happy tears she feels welling in her eyes. “Thank you both.” 

 -- -- -- --

Liam Jones is nowhere near as understanding when he finally talks to Killian about the situation. He asked the Captains to come with them to the shore to discuss everything, but Liam has always been hard-headed — not to mention overly protective of his little brother. 

“I just — I can’t see any way that this works out for you,” he says, not for the first time, resting his hands on the back of his head while he paces across the sand. “She’s a mermaid, and a princess on top of that. There’s not — there simply cannot be a way for the two of you to be together.” 

“Well, it certainly won’t be possible if you don’t give us a chance,” Killian argues from where he has taken a seat on the beach. 

"But how? How would it even work? She lives under the sea, Killian, you do realize that, right? She can't just — just pack up her things and move to a little cottage like the rest of the sailors' wives. This is — you live in two different worlds, it just seems impossible."

“Sometimes you learn to do impossible things for love,” Shakespeare cuts in. 

Nemo chuckles softly from behind him. 

This is exactly how the conversation has been going, around and around in circles: Liam unable to change his point of view, Killian pleading for the freedom to pursue the feelings he feels so deeply in his heart, and Shakespeare giving half-helpful one-liners while Nemo stands silently on the sidelines. 

And this is exactly how Emma finds them when her head breaks the surface of the water, bursting with the excitement from her agreement with her parents. Killian sees her first, and he jumps to his feet. 

“Look, here she comes now! Maybe talking with her will change your mind about it all.” Killian rushes out into the tide to embrace her as she approaches, and the bright smile that covers his face is the most genuine Liam has ever seen.

“Doubtful,” Liam huffs under his breath, now crossing his arms across his chest as he watches them (though secretly hoping that Killian is right.) 

“Emma, darling, what are you doing here?” Killian breathes, barely audible over the crashing of the surf, but Emma just smiles. 

“I come with good news for all of us,” she says, sharing her smile with the rest of the group as Killian leads her onto shore, his hand on the small of her back. “Hopefully,” she adds, meeting Liam’s eye, though he does not share her smile. “My parents have given me permission to pursue this, though there are some stipulations when it comes to my royal duties. Those still come first, of course, but as long as I am not needed at the palace or on a diplomatic visit with my father, I am free to come ashore and, well—” She reaches her hand out to find Killian’s, turning completely towards him for the end of her announcement. “And be here, with you.” 

In a fit of excitement, Killian wraps his arms around her, lifting her off her feet as he spins them together. “Oh, Emma, this is — it’s more than we ever imagined.” 

Emma nods in agreement, and uses this moment to press her lips against his, Killian’s cheeks immediately reddening in the presence of his brother and his father figures. 

Liam is still not convinced. “How could this possibly work, little brother? How much time is left over after you’ve seen to your royal responsibilities?” 

“Every sailor’s lover has their own responsibilities, lad,” Nemo finally speaks up, wrapping his arm around Shakespeare’s waist as they share a smile. “Finding the time between them all is a challenge that every couple must go through.”

“Besides,” Emma comments. “We’ve managed to find the time to have a relationship without either of our families finding out for the last few weeks, I’m sure we can continue to find time for each other now that we’ve gained everyone’s blessing.” 

Liam rubs his hand against his cheek before carding his fingers through his hair. “So, what, your parents — the king and queen of the sea — though I don't understand how that works, because there's a hell of a lot of ocean — are fine with this? They don't think that it's all a ploy for the monsters who live on land to take down the princess of the ocean? Isn't that what you said mermaids are taught to believe we all are?” They're all very valid questions, though Killian would appreciate if his brother could take some of the sarcastic scorn out of his voice. 

Killian rolls his eyes, but Emma just shakes her head. “Well, my parents — who, by the way, are the king and queen of the whole ocean but allow many of the other realms to self-govern, so it's not like they have to watch over the whole thing all the time — are the definition of true love, or whatever, so they want to give me the chance to find that for myself. Isn’t that what you want for your brother? A chance for him to be happy?” 

This, finally, is what makes Liam cave, though he takes almost a minute's time to think about it, pacing across the sand once again before turning to them with a sharp nod. "Okay. I know — I know I can't make all the rules for you anymore, little brother, but if this is what you want, I suppose the least I can do is be by your side through it, though I may not understand exactly how it's going to work." 

A wide smile spreads across Killian's face, and he releases his grip on Emma's hand to wrap his brother in a hug. "That's all I want from you, brother," he says softly, looking over his shoulder at Captain Nemo, who is watching as his husband embraces Emma. "All I could want is the chance to see how this works for us, and to know that you are always by my side through it all." 

On Emma's twenty-second name day, almost five years after the first time she saw Killian pulling in the fishing nets at sunset, she takes her place as Princess of the Sea, ready for more responsibilities handed off to her by her parents — but they honor the agreement that she has at least two days a week, as often as they can spare it, where she can go to the shore and be with her love. It's slightly less time than they've gotten used to during the time they have been together, but they never expected being together to be easy. 

Killian is twenty-seven, Liam thirty-one when the Captains plan a large dinner party, inviting all of the sailors from both their crews along with their families. This includes both of the Jones brothers, Liam's wife Belle, and not only Emma, but also her father, though the invitation was extended to both the King and Queen. It's something that has never been seen in the remembered histories of both men and mermaids, to have the King on land for a non-diplomatic reason — but King David sees it as an opportunity to finally meet the man that he believes will one day become his son-in-law. 

And to witness the moment when the men he calls his fathers, two older, grey-haired gentlemen in matching powder blue waistcoats, announce their plans to finally retire from their lives of adventure and move to their own little cottage along the sea until the end of their days. 

The moment when the Jones Brothers are offered the ability to become captains of their own vessels, Liam's in the sky — a concept that the King of the Sea finds absolutely maddening, yet intriguing — and Killian's on the sea. 

The two men accept the offers, of course, both of them finally moving closer to seeing their dreams come true — especially Killian, who is now able to plan his journeys in accordance with his lady love's schedule, even finding her sometimes able to join him on his vessel, allowing him to take her to far-off lands. 

(And even when she is called away to the palace, she sometimes still manages to surprise him, finding his Jolly Roger on the water and catching his eye as she sits on the waves, just as she did that very first day.)  

tagging: @shireness-says​ @thisonesatellite​ @let-it-raines​ @captainsjedi​ @kmomof4​ @ohmightydevviepuu​ @profdanglaisstuff​ @pepperspotts​ @stahlop​ @teamhook​ @scientificapricot​ @irememberyoufern​ @carpedzem​ @gingerchangeling​ @superchocovian​ @nightskylover​ @lfh1226-linda​ @xarandomdreamx​ @nikkiemms​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @darkcolinodonorgasm​

[wewantlol]

Lance being Lance but “water dancing”

I’ve heard of swimmer Lance, surfer Lance, even implied scuba-diver Lance, ice skater Lance, merperson Lance... But what about synchronized swimmer Lance? I only found one post here and it hardly counts...

‘Cuz, like, we all saw that aerial performance with Red and you can’t tell me this boy doesn’t know how to dance like a freaking swan underwater. I can’t believe he would pass on the opportunity to show those legs of his. Nuh-uh! (He probably hasn't skipped leg day since he hit his first growth spurt)

Am I the only one?

Imagining him with a fancy swimsuit and waterproof make-up everywhere in his body being his radiant self sparkling with confidence, with some jewelry (on arms, wrists, legs, ankles) not too heavy, to make his movements even more eye-catching. He’s like flirting and charming an alien-water based species (depending on the AU) with his underwater moves on soothing alien music (definitely not altean, even the water can’t cover that sh*t) (or the sound of the waves with marine life noises on the background such as whales, like dancing in the middle of them or with them). Because come one, he will totally be in his element and slayin’ it. For the grand final, a platform coming from the bottom of the swimming pool he’s in, pushing through the water, barely out of the surface, long and wide enough for him to put his feet on, push and do a graceful backflip, drops of water following him elegantly back in the water. And bam a new plant in the coalition.  (I totally imagine a swimming pool in the middle of a coliseum, with big waterfalls on some sides and little ones under their sits to keep them wet, with bubbles of water gravitating around the whole place, since it's a coliseum the pool is way too much far from the high sits so cameras are showing Lancey Lance on the big screen for everyone, even some cameras submerged to show what he does underwater)

You know what I just had another idea for the crack of it.

This whole show being broadcasted to the whole solar system they’re in, Blue (or Red depending on the canon chronology) for a plot reason isn’t functionally available. All the other paladins, Coran and Allura (even the blades or other characters, again canon chronology) being all separated doing their thing 'cause there is a huge Galra attack on different places inside the system (a system supposedly under their radar for thousands of years) and either way they can't form Voltron. Lance is left behind in the central and most important planet, with no sh*t to do but entertain the very and easily frightened aliens (maybe some of them being like octopus and spreading their very toxic ink (turned into a very toxic huge cloud when out of the water since the Universe is out for them) of very bad chemicals for humans (like deadly bad), etc) and do everything he can so they DO NOT NOTICE the incredibly creepy and enormous purple ships looming over them and practically all the others planets. So why not dance swim is way out of this situation.

And while he does his thing, the others are scattered around on planet ground, or inside a ship, or whateven, and with all the screens existing around them they don't catch Lance being Handsome on the main alien tv. Not. A. Single.Time. The number of hilarious scenes this could create for each one of the characters missing it a comic amount of times... Just I-M-A-G-I-N-E.

Scratch the soothing music, I want those classical masterpieces in the background.

(Hours later. After kicking some purple fury ass and making sure all injuries and collateral damage are taken care of in the different planets, they come back in a hurry after suddenly remembering Lance who they think is still on the planet, and when they are on the control room trying to call the coliseum to have some news and verify their resident goofball is still alive, they see countless of praises to Voltron and their Paladins and number of requests to enter the coalition even from the most reluctant civilizations. Meanwhile, the said goofball is in the lounge room being given a pedicure and manicure from the mice, in his robe and a towel around his hair, alien cucumber equivalent on the eyes, skincare routine on the face, singing along to whatever music Pidge downloaded from her computer to the castle database. And he's surrounded by alien flowers, gifts from clothes to jewelry to knick-knacks, food and snacks, letters, and drawings from the people he literally swooned off their feet.)

(Any record from his performance are mysteriously gone and lost to the vast cosmos (every single record but one for his family back on Earth), the others trying to convince Lance to tell them what he did to have a whole solar system wrapped around his little finger since they can't find any incriminating proof, curtesy of Green for the sake of messing with the Space Rangers, like the messy bitch they are. He would totally make them suffer in their ignorance, for the sole purpose of taking revenge for being abandoned, cause he's petty like that. But Hunk gets bestie privileges after a month of good food.)

... Well, that escalated quickly... Enjoy my brain production!

[fallinnflower]

hear the sea

joshua x reader (siren!au)

a/n: thanks @kunsdear​ for making sure this got written after i messaged her the plot, because i have a bad habit of not finishing things. inspired by the iconic shot from the “fear” mv seen above.

word count: 4924

You’ve always felt drawn to the ocean. It’s hard to say why — you’re not particularly fond of water, nor are you an avid swimmer. And yet when a storm is brewing the sky and sea into a gray-green, frothing mess, you’ll be the last person to leave the shoreline and the first to scour it after the rain passes. 

It used to be you and your cousins who would run down to the beach, with pails for castles and shells. When you were young, you’d race them to the sandbars and fight for the best goggles so you could see all the fish. You were more adventurous then, before you knew the dangers that lurked there. The sea was cloudy on the day it betrayed you, and when your uncle placed you back on shore you watched the blood from the mysterious cut on your foot stain the sand, and a fear gripped your young heart that even as an adult you couldn’t shake. 

And so you stay away from the water. You steal the treasures the ocean spits up in its vulnerable moments, and put the trophies on your shelves. But you can’t shake the fear as you walk the shore alone, salt in your hair and that call still ringing in your ears. 

You’re stubborn, it’s a fact, yet you can’t help but wonder how long you’ll be able to resist that persistent song.

There’s a storm rolling in, and Joshua is more excited than he should be. 

It’s been a long time since there’s been a storm that’s lasted all night, but the one rolling in is looking fantastic — at least, according to what Minghao says, and his predictions haven’t been wrong in years. Joshua keeps swimming towards the surface to check the sky, and Jeonghan keeps teasing him for his impatience, but he just can’t help it! He likes being able to walk on land for a bit without dying of dehydration, and storms like this give him that freedom. There’s something powerful about looking out over the ocean from the shore and knowing that he and his brothers rule it. It gives him a bit of a rush. 

And he won’t tell his brothers this, but there’s another reason he’s so excited for the storm. For years, every time a storm crests above this particular shore, Joshua has felt a strange pull in his chest. He’s never had the time to fully investigate, but with the maelstrom about to come through he’s hoping to get some answers. There must be something waiting out there for him, he knows it, can feel it way down in his bones.

So as the first drops of rain kiss the waves, he strides onto the shore.

He sees you mere moments after he emerges from the cave where he and Jeonghan store clothing for their various escapades. Although most of their pranks are played on unsuspecting fishermen, they’ve made a few shoreline appearances before.

You’re walking down the beach wearing a large, gray sweatshirt, with the hood pulled up to protect yourself from some of the cold, stinging wind. You have a tote bag slung over one shoulder, and a single bluetooth earbud in one ear. Joshua is horribly confused. 

He thinks you’re beautiful. He feels that pull.

He follows it.

You know you probably shouldn’t be out right now, because the radar is showing a pretty long and intense storm, but you can’t help it. Your cousin just got engaged and your house has been so loud for the whole day, you just needed to get out for a bit.

Plus, you just installed a new bookshelf in your room, and you’re absolutely itching to get some new shells and coral bits for it.

Joshua returns home uncharacteristically sullen, and, after much prodding from Jeonghan, he can’t help but to let it all out.

“She resisted the call?” Jeonghan echoes, once he’s finished, and Joshua throws his hands up.

“I don’t know if she even heard it! Is there something wrong with me?” Jeonghan taps a slender finger against his lips, a familiar smirk growing on his lips.

“Well—” Joshua shoots him a sharp look, and Jeonghan relents with a slight chuckle before rising from his lounging position. He rests a hand on Joshua’s shoulder, his expression serious but his eyes glittering with mischief.

“I think we have our next target, hm?” He asks, playfully jostling Josh’s shoulder. Joshua feels a strange knot forming in his stomach at Jeonghan’s words, but he shrugs it off with a smile. After all, it’s not like either of them want to hurt you — it’s just a matter of pride, really.

But then why does he feel so anxious?

“Maybe,” Jeonghan muses, lying back on the sand next to Joshua, the waves lapping up along their legs and torsos. “We really have lost our touch.” His face is fixed into a pout, and Joshua can’t help but let out a laugh despite the nervous tension twisting his stomach into knots.

Not only had you resisted Joshua’s call, but you’d now managed to evade Jeonghan’s, too — and the calls of siren princes were nothing to sneeze at. Their ancestors had lured many, many people into the depths, so it was surprising that you had somehow not even noticed their songs. (Other people had, to be sure. An entire gaggle of college students on break had come bounding into the water almost as soon as he and Jeonghan had begun — so what was so special about you?)

What had begun as what he assumed was simply an outlier case had suddenly become a personal challenge. Who were you to deny the call of a siren prince? If he wanted you in the water, then that’s where you should be! And yet…

And yet he and Jeonghan had both watched you turn tail and walk back towards town the moment the sun began to peek through the clouds above the waters. No matter how much they sang, even with Joshua playing the stupid guitar they had packed away in the cove, you’d barely even spared them a glance. At least other people had the sense to at least applaud them for their song; some even tipped them.

Joshua narrows his eyes at the blue sky, hearing the waves jostle the change in his pocket. He has no use for human money, but he couldn’t very well give it back now. Jeonghan, beside him, has ceased worrying and fallen asleep, but Joshua can’t seem to relax, can’t seem to take his mind off of you and the challenge that you now pose. His heart picks up speed in his chest. He can’t remember the last time he felt so determined, so excited — so, he decides, he’s going to make the most of it.

Step one, Joshua decides, is to learn your behaviors. It feels a little too much like stalking prey, though, and Joshua is very much a pacifist, so he’s very quick to switch his strategy to befriending you. After all, more than this personal challenge he still feels drawn to you, and he’s desperate to understand why.

Not to sound rude, but Joshua can’t seem to pinpoint anything special about you. You’re pretty, as humans go, but you certainly don’t draw attention to yourself and don’t appear to be very outgoing. It only makes you more of a mystery to Joshua, and he isn’t exactly the most patient person in the world when it comes to problem-solving.

He takes note of when you come to the beach, and find that it actually makes this much, much easier for him. For example: you like to come to the shore before and after storms, when the humidity index is high. This is ideal for Joshua because then he doesn’t have to guzzle water in a very… inhuman way just to keep from suffocating. You also like the ocean at night, when it’s cooler and water doesn’t evaporate from his skin and make it scaly so easily. All in all, very convenient.

Except for the fact that Joshua doesn’t really know how to befriend humans. Just sea creatures. However, he notices that you always seem to be looking for shells, and seem to be quite particular about it — and if Joshua has any resource at his disposal, it’s shells.

So he spends the next few days gathering the best he can find and then thinking of the best way to casually approach you with his offering. You’re human, he’s royalty, it can’t be that hard.

You return to the beach after a storm on a Wednesday, and Joshua is a little embarrassed with how excited he is as he dons his human clothes and takes to the beach. In his pocket is a beautiful, perfectly intact conch shell, with a faint rosy color to it. As he runs a thumb over it with his hands in his pockets, he feels confident; this can’t possibly go wrong.

He approaches you. You don’t notice. He clears his throat, very gently, and you look up at him with a positively blank expression.

And then you just… keep staring at him, and he keeps staring at you, smiling so he doesn’t look intimidating. Eventually, though, your expression closes off into one of concern, and he feels his chest constrict a little.

“Can I help you?” You ask, and it feels like the world stops for a moment. Why does your voice sound so pretty? 

“Yes!” He exclaims, causing you to wince slightly at his sudden, loud tone. He clears his throat before continuing, ���Actually, I saw that you were collecting shells, and I thought you might like this one I found.” He produces his perfect shell from his pocket, smiling his most princely smile, and watching carefully for any change in your demeanor. Your eyes flit from the shell in his hand to his own, and he’s thoroughly confused when your brows scrunch even closer together.

“What did you say your name was?” You ask, and he can’t help but grin wider, feeling as though his plan is working.

“Joshua.” You nod, slowly.

“Right, Joshua.” You readjust the bag on your shoulder and point to the shell in his outstretched hand. “There’s still a conch in there. Just so you know.”

Suddenly, and with extreme force, it strikes Joshua that he is not good at this. He brings the shell back towards his face, chuckling awkwardly when he sees that there is, indeed, a conch still inside. Oh my god. He moves to shove it back in his pocket, ready to turn tail and head back home, but you reach out your hand and stop him. He swears he feels sparks run up his arms when your fingers brush his while you grab the conch  — your expression, however, doesn’t change at all, and he wonders if he’s just imagining things. As the waves roll up the shore, you reach down by the water and set the conch in the sand, allowing it to be dragged away by the undertow. Joshua tells himself to give the conch a lift back home as an apology for almost killing it.

“Sorry about that,” he says, scratching the back of his neck and avoiding your gaze.

“You should apologize to the conch, not me.” Joshua feels his heart stop when you say that, turning to you with wide eyes. Do you know? How? 

But instead of finding you with some wicked expression, he finds you smiling playfully at him, and he realizes you’re trying to joke with him. He laughs, mostly out of relief, and then crouches down by the waves.

“Sorry, Mr. Conch,” he says, playfully, and he can’t help but grin when he hears you giggling behind him. 

“I appreciate the gesture, Joshua,” you say, then glance up at the sky. The clouds have begun to clear, and already it feels degrees hotter than when he had first arrived. “I should get going. Nice meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” 

You’re a good few yards away from him when he realizes he’s missed the most crucial step in becoming your friend, and frantically calls out to you:

“Wait!” You turn, looking concerned again, the wind whipping through your hair. “I didn’t get your name!” You cup your hands around your mouth and call back to him, 

“Y/N!” You give him a beaming smile that makes his heart flutter before turning back up the beach and disappearing into the nearby parking lot. Joshua can’t help but grin as he heads back to the familiar cave, humming to himself. Maybe he isn’t so bad at this after all.

Joshua comes to find you every time you’re on the beach, always helping you scour for the best shells and telling you jokes. Sometimes, he plays you songs on his guitar, and he blushes cutely every time you tell him you like his singing. 

Joshua is falling deeper and deeper, though he’s trying to convince himself that isn’t true. While at first his interest in you had been rather clinical, his focus has now shifted to you as a person. He wants to know you, what makes you tick, why you come to the beach but you’re never wearing a swimsuit and the sun isn’t shining. 

It’s on a cloudy but rainless day he decides to try and test his pull again. Maybe now that you know him, seem to trust him a bit more, you’ll follow through. He starts off humming some song he’d heard on a radio the other day, and you join in, singing softly when he doesn’t know the right lyrics. He tries to ignore the skip of his heartbeat when he hears your voice, the way his breath catches when you let him take your hand and dance around the beach. It isn’t the first time he’s done something silly with you when nobody is around, but it’s the first time you’ve looked so happy, and the only time he’s ever heard you sing.

He remembers his objective and raises his voice slightly as he begins to pull you towards the shoreline. You oblige, smiling broadly and letting him spin you through the sand. His heart races as he feels the water against his ankles—

You freeze, the waves just barely lapping at your toes. Your expression is devoid of any of the happiness he had seen in it, though your hand is still in his. Joshua lets his singing trail off into awkward laughter,

“Come on, Y/N, it’s not that cold.” You don’t react to his joke until he tugs at your hand, sending you stumbling forward onto your knees. Joshua catches you before you can faceplant in the water, though as he lifts you up to stand with him you begin thrashing in his arms, splashing him with seawater as you do. He tells you to calm down, still feeling rather lighthearted and thinking you just want to play around.

“Let go,” you say. “Let me go, Joshua!” He keeps laughing, consumed by a strange sense of relief, holding you fast in his arms. It feels right to have your presence in the water beside him, and it’s as though the waves sing around you with the energy you put off. He feels even more drawn to you, having you here with him.

“I said let me go!” You scream as you push him forcefully away. Joshua stumbles back, falling into the water as you hurriedly back away from the water. He gets a good look at your face from where he’s sitting in the water, and he doesn’t like what he sees.

There are tears in your eyes when you look at him. Your hands are shaking. Joshua feels his chest constrict, a lead weight in his stomach.

“S-sorry, I—” You shake your head, as if trying to get a hold of yourself. Joshua’s mood only plummets further when you take another step away. “It’s so stupid. I’m sorry. I need to go.”

He can feel the fear rolling off of you in waves, and he wonders how he didn’t notice it before when he was holding you in his arms. He isn’t the guilty type, never has been, but as you run up the beach and away from him he feels almost sick with shame.

You don’t come back to the beach with the next storm. Or the next one, or the next. But Joshua still waits.

It shocks him one night, after not seeing you for well over a week, to feel your presence in the water again. It’s not unusual for Joshua to feel a human presence in the water, but it is unusual for him to feel yours. He practically feels flooded with concern, racing towards the source of it — towards you.

He’s relieved, at first, to find himself approaching a rather sizable and well-lit boat. He can see you standing there, your dress sparkling in the sun’s dying rays, looking nervous. It makes his heart sink to see you so beautiful and yet so distressed, and he wonders why your family, who surely must know about your fear of the ocean, has brought you out so far.

Even though nothing appears wrong, Joshua can’t help but want to stay nearby. It shocks him how much he’s missed you, and somehow seeing you has only amplified that loneliness. He wishes he could go sing a stupid song and make you smile, seeing the way you’ve tucked into yourself on the boat.

A group of people he can only assume are your family members draw near you. He can hear the laughter even from this distance, and he can see the bottles of beer they hold in their hands. You laugh, too, but it’s awkward at best. He feels his mouth twist into a frown as he decides to draw just a little closer.

You eye the waves warily while your cousins rave about how beautiful the sunset looks. Objectively, yes, the colors are beautiful, but you’re too nervous to appreciate it. Everyone around you has been drinking, celebrating your cousin’s engagement, and you can’t help but think about how far away from shore you are. It sends a shiver up your spine, and you instinctively wrap your arms around yourself.

“Lighten up, Y/N!” One of your cousins says, slinging an arm around your shoulders. “Here, come on, have some beer. You’ll feel better.” The thought of drinking any alcohol makes your stomach twist into knots, and you shake your head. Your cousin, undeterred, shoves the bottle closer to your face, and when you still refuse he playfully jostles you. The boat engine roars to life, the yacht begins to creep forward, and your idiot cousin stumbles and sends you over the edge of the boat — the very shallow ledge you’d been eyeing all night and been hoping to avoid. Your screams are swallowed by the waves, by the sounds and wake of the engine that makes the fabric of your dress tangle around your legs. You thrash wildly, terrified, as the sky continues to darken. The boat’s engine continues to roar, propelling your family forward, and you can’t hear anything other than your own pounding heart and the water as you frantically try to stay afloat.

The water is cold, and your dress is too long, and it’s hard to breathe. For a moment, looking up at the purple sky, you see a single star and think it’s a pinprick of heaven. You’re going to die.

You realize, in the midst of your struggling, that a pair of arms is suddenly wrapped around your waist, holding you up. You turn and find Joshua’s face close to your own, your noses almost touching — and you immediately bury your face in his shoulder, his name leaving your lips in a whimper. You can’t tell if the salty taste on your lips is just from the ocean or from the tears you can’t seem to stop, but you can’t think enough to care. Joshua holds you steady amidst the waves as you cry, gently trying to calm you down, and you notice as he assures you you’ll be safe soon that your view of his back appears oddly blue. 

Joshua ducks below the water and swims towards the boat, which has now stalled. Your family is gathered around a lifeboat, trying to untie it, as he brings you to the edge. It almost physically pains him, the way you seem so afraid to let go of him, but he gently guides your hands to the railing of the boat’s ladder, helping you up onto the deck. You continue to cry, and your whole body trembles — Joshua finds he wants nothing more than to climb aboard with you and sing until you fall peacefully asleep, but he knows he can’t exactly explain away his current complexion and webbed feet to your family. He tries to slip away, but your cold, trembling hand latches onto his one last time, your wide eyes meeting his as the water dripping off of the ends of your hair and your dress create a puddle around you. You seem terrified, too terrified to even let him go, but Joshua catches a glimpse of the state of his hands, all glittery blue and webbed and almost translucent, as your family begins to surge towards you. He gives your fingers one last squeeze, offering you a half smile as he lets himself drop below the waves and out of sight.

He tails the boat until he sees you walking on land once more, then allows himself to go back home.

When he gets there, he immediately heads to the large library located in the palace, and redoubles his search for answers — just why is he so drawn to you?

Your parents immediately rush you home and into a warm shower, unable to tell if your shivering is from fear or cold or a combination of the two. Your mother makes you tea and throws your favorite blanket in the dryer, so it’s nice and hot when you get out of the bathroom. They tell you to get some sleep, but you find your mind wide awake even in the dark of your room.

While you were showering, you began to come back to your senses — and with your senses came a multitude of questions, mostly about Joshua. Your eyes drift from your window to your shelves of seashells, to the ones he had given you over the weeks, and you feel your chest squeeze a little. You hadn’t really known how to face him after you had shoved him down into the waves, feeling embarrassed and upset by the whole situation — but that didn’t mean you hadn’t wanted to see him. Josh had somehow wheedled his way into your life, becoming a more integral part of it than you had even realized yourself, and you found yourself missing him and his silly songs and stupid jokes more than you would care to admit.

And then, tonight, you had seen him again in the most improbable circumstances. Just how was he so far out in open water, and why did he disappear from view so quickly when your family arrived? And he swam so quickly, so silently… his skin seemed so pale, almost shining… 

The questions flood your mind, keeping you awake until you physically can’t keep your eyes open any longer. You’re grateful that your family lets you sleep in the next day, because you’re awake to see the dawn before you come to the conclusion that you need to see Joshua again, and soon.

It’s evening when you decide to walk down to the beach. The temperature has dropped considerably, so most people aren’t wandering along the shore anymore; you arrive as the sun begins to dip below the horizon line and the wind begins to truly pick up. 

It hadn’t occurred to you until you’re sitting on the sand alone that you have no way to reach Joshua, no way to know if he’ll actually be here, and yet you feel assured that he’ll show up nonetheless.

He does, only a few minutes later, as the sky begins to turn orange. He approaches you slowly, cautiously, his hair sparkling with water and his brows knit gently together. As if he belongs there, he takes the seat beside you, and for a long moment neither of you speak — you stare out at the sun setting on the ocean, and Joshua watches you carefully, feeling his heart in his throat. When you finally do speak, you still don’t quite look at him.

“Joshua… just who are you, exactly?” You ask, meekly, staring down at your feet buried in the sand rather than looking at him despite feeling his eyes on you. 

“I’m Joshua, of course.” His tone is light but careful, and you let out a short huff. 

“I’m serious,” you say. “Last night, how did you just happen to be in the middle of the open ocean to save me, and then just disappear?” You let the wind blow your hair into your eyes, still not ready to look at Josh. Despite this, he reaches out to tuck the strands behind your ear. You swear you feel a tremble in his hand as he does it, and he knows that he is shaking — what he’s about to tell you is still new to him, too, and he still isn’t quite adjusted to it, so he can’t even imagine how you’ll react.

“If you really want to know,” he says, slowly, trying to sound calm, and you can feel the heat radiating off his body next to yours. “Then I’ll tell you. But you have to promise to listen until the end.” Although the implication of his words scares you, you can’t help but nod. You came here for answers, and you don’t want to leave without them. 

(Or, frankly, without some understanding between you and Joshua, because after the time you spent away from him you realized you don’t really want that to happen ever again.)

So he tells you. And even if you wanted to get up and leave, you feel rooted to the spot. Neither of you look away from the ocean as he talks, watching the starry waves lapping at the shore. Joshua’s voice has the rhythm of the ocean in it, you think. It’s soothing.

“If you’re a siren,” you start, finally turning to him. “Then shouldn’t you want to hurt me, or something? Isn’t that what siren do?” Joshua sighs, and you wonder why you aren’t even remotely frightened by all this when you think maybe you should be. But, as you look at Joshua and the way his brow furrows, the way he draws patterns in the sand to soothe his nerves, you realize you could never really be afraid of him no matter what he tells you because he’s Joshua. The same Joshua who apologized to a conch and sings to you when you seem upset. 

The same Joshua who saved your life only last night, when he could have just let you drown.

“That’s… the more complicated part.”

“More complicated?” You reply, attempting to lighten the mood. He chuckles lowly at that, glancing at you for a moment, and you don’t think you’ve ever seen him blush before now. Your acceptance of the situation seems to comfort him somewhat, as the crease between his brows smooths. He lets out a long, slow breath before he speaks.

“Sometimes, apparently, members of the royal family… bond with someone. They think it has to do with preserving bloodlines, or something like that, but you have basically a— um, a mate—”

“Joshua.” He pauses and turns to you. “Are you saying you’re in love with me?” Even though it’s getting quite dark, you can tell your question makes him blush even more furiously. You wish it was daylight because you’re sure it’s adorable.

“Um. Yeah, basically.” You turn back towards the sea, feeling your own cheeks turning red, and nod once. Even though you asked the question, you hadn’t really expected such a simple answer, and yet with how overwhelming the situation is as a whole, that simplicity brings you some solace. Somehow, despite it all, you feel calm with Joshua beside you. You look out over the wide, dark expanse of water, and for the first time in years you don’t feel fear. After all, if Joshua comes from the sea, it couldn’t possibly be so bad as you once thought, could it? 

You feel his shoulder brush against yours, and accompanying it are butterflies taking flight in your stomach. You may not be in love with Joshua, but you can’t deny that you feel drawn to him — that when you’re around him, you have the feeling that everything is going to be alright; even when you were almost drowning, as soon as you saw him you knew you were safe. 

You may not be in love with him now, you think, but you certainly could be. 

After a moment that feels much longer than it was, you shift your gaze from the water to Joshua — patient, wonderful Joshua, who looks at you with fondness and concern, and who waits for you to make the next move. You can practically feel anxiety rolling off of him in waves, and so you take his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers.

“Okay,” you say, smiling and leaning your head onto his shoulder. “I can work with that.”

[latristereina]

Tag meme

tagged by: @eyes-painted-with-kohl

jasmine; what mythical creature do you wish actually existed?

Unicorn.

lavender; soundcloud or vinyls?

Soundcloud.

primrose; what book does everyone right now need to read?

I have no idea.

lunar mist; do you like wearing other people’s shirts/jackets?

Not really.

bird of paradise; what was the best thing that happened to you this month?

Does buying some trinkets count? Because in general this month isn't the luckiest for me.

gardenia; what’s a promise you’ve recently made to yourself?

That I will take some Turkish language lessons.

lion’s fairytale; would you rather be the sky, the ocean or the forests?

The forests.

whirling butterflies; would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

Yes.

marmalade skies; do you plan your outfits?

Sometimes.

apricot drift; how do you feel right now?

Unwell.

everlasting daisy; what’s the last dream you remember having?

My grandmother's funeral during which she begged not to be buried.

queen’s cup; what are you craving right now?

Nothing.

lavender dream; turn ons/offs?

Intelligence/lack of manners.

water lilly; when was the last time you cried?

On Friday/Saturday night.

lily of the valley; did the one person who hurt you most in your life apologize?

No.

winterberry; do you bite or lick your ice cream?

Both.

honey perfume; favorite movie ever?

The Godfather.

desert rose; do you like yourself?

There are things about myself that I like, but I don't like myself as a whole.

snapdragon; have you ever met or seen in person a celebrity?

Yeh, twice, those were a Polish swimmer and then a Polish musician.

night owl; how many countries have you visited?

Only two: Canada and Germany.

heliotrope; have you ever been in a castle?

Yes, I've been in the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork.

creams and sky; what’s the craziest/bravest thing you’ve done?

I persuaded my childhood boyfriend to undress himself in public, I didn't conceive it as something inappropriate back then.

lantana; what’s on your mind right now?

Pretty much nothing, there's void.

pumpkin patch; what’s your zodiac sign?

Cancer.

tulip; name 5 facts about yourself.

I was the youngest grandchild for my paternal grandparents.

I absolutely love Tricity.

I'm sensitive.

I have synesthesia.

I'm a loner.

daphne; do you believe in karma?

Yes and no.

queen of the meadow; ever been in love?

No, but I've been smitten with several boys and then men.

wisteria; whom do you admire and why?

I admire brave, self-dependent people.

angel’s face; what was your favorite bedtime story as a child?

I didn't have a favorite.

remember me; did you make someone laugh today?

No.

iris; do you believe in ghosts?

No.

lilac; if you could go back in time which time period would you visit?

Late 15th and early 16th century, as well as the 80s of the 20th century.

caramel kisses; would you want to live forever? why/why not?

Only if my family and I could be always young.

primula; what makes you sad?

Suffering of people and animals, death of people I love.

rain lily; was today typical? why/why not?

Yes, it was. I do pretty much nothing on Sundays.

queen anne’s lace; who do you trust the most?

My mother.

Lady’s slipper; what did you have for breakfast today?

I don’t remember.

forget me not; do you have any regrets looking back in your life?

Yes, I do, I would certainly act different in some situations.

lunaria; what’s your favorite fictional universe?

I don’t have any.

violet; favorite tv show?

Isabel?

sunflower; share a favorite quote.

Can’t think of any right now.

snowdrop; what does your ideal day look like?

Waking up early and having a lot of energy would be my ideal day, nothing fancy.

tiger lily; do you have any hobbies?

Collecting books, learning languages, making gifs and graphics, history, writing stories.

peony; share a small random book passage that means something to you.

Can’t really think of any.

tea rose; what’s something you always wanted to do but were too scared?

Parachute jump.

honeysuckle; do you usually date people your age or older/younger?

I don’t do dates, but I usually prefer older men or my age.

sweet pea; who means the world to you?

My family, including my dog, and my friends.

love in the mist; best books you’ve ever read?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Godfather (the Godfather’s maniac here), Cartas autógrafas de los Reyes Católicos de España Don Fernando y Doña Isabel: 1474-1502, etc.

foxglove; who is your favorite cartoon character?

I like Disney villains. Maybe Ursula or Maleficent.

magnolia; coffee or tea?

Tea.

crown imperial; would you rather be extremely rich or extremely loved?

Loved.

snowflake; are you a dog or a cat person?

A dog person, although I like cats as well.

bell flower; what is your biggest addiction?

Photoshop?

cosmos; do you ever think about the galaxy?

Sometimes.

moonflower; what’s your favorite color?

I have many, but maybe red.

freesia; do you have a good relationship with your parents and siblings? why/why not?

Yes.

sundrop; are you a morning or a night person?

A night person.

poppy; have you ever dealt with a mental illness?

Yes, I have been dealing with different forms of it for the last 16 years.

clover; how would your friends describe you?

I would have to ask them.

dandelion; do you consider yourself and extrovert or an introvert?

An introvert.

lilly; what’s something you love watching/reading but you are too embarrassed to admit you do?

I like watching stupid Latin American and Turkish soap operas, but I’m not really embarrassed to admit it.

anemone; describe yourself in 3 words.

Sensitive, short-tempered, loving.

lotus; best memory as a child?

My childhood in general is one good memory, I consider it happy.

angelonia; what is your eye and hair color?

Blue/brown.

dahlia; do you like crystals?

I don’t care.

buttercup; if you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

There wouldn’t be poverty and wars.

baby’s breath; what’s your hogwarts house?

None.

calendula; biggest pet peeve?

Lack of manners.

blanker flower; would you rather go to a cocktail party with your best friends or stay home and read a book/watch a movie with your pet?

I would stay home.

blazing star; share a secret.

I have no secrets.

carnation; would you rather live longer or happier?

Happier.

petunia; who’s story is your biggest inspiration in life? why?

I take inspiration from different people and characters, no one in particular.

bluebell; do you wear glasses?

Yes.

nymphea; forest or river?

Forest.

orchid; do you like exercise?

No, but I like some sports, like swimming or bicycling.

pansy; do you like poetry?

Some, but I’m not a poetry person.

morning glory; any special talent that you have?

Synesthesia?

Tagging: @mayaofatlantis, @katherynparr, @tiffany-of-wales.

Don’t feel obliged to do it.

[goddamnitkastle]

Far From The Shallow Now

Happy #KastleChristmas!

My gift is for @kastlequill, who gave me free reign to do pretty much whatever I wanted (just had to be sfw) so that was deeply appreciated, thank you. So yeah it ended up becoming my long awaited return to writing fic for this ship! Yay!

I am really proud that I was able to make this happen cause life currently sucks for me at the moment and having any motivation/will to live is so fucking hard for me right now! Nevertheless deadlines are great! And so is this fandom!

So this was inspired by 2018′s A Star Is Born, particularly the scene in which Jackson (Bradley Cooper) whisks Ally (Lady Gaga) away from a cop bar after she punches a guy in the face (it was awesome) who was being a dick to Jackson. From there, he takes her to a CVS/Duane Reade/Walgreens/whatever to get frozen peas for her hand and they bond/begin to fall in love in the parking lot.

My immediate thought after seeing this was that I needed to write a Kastle version of it and now here we are. It is not the scene verbatim or an AU but rather a twist on it done in canon-ish (it’s suppose to take place post DDS3), true to Kastle fashion. 

Alright I think I blabbed for long enough.

Enjoy!

She doesn’t remember leaving the bar. She doesn’t remember Frank’s hand on the small of her back as they quickly got into his van. She doesn’t even remember her fist connecting to the asshole’s jaw when he tried to strong arm her.

But then it hits her. Frank is pulling into a parking lot when Karen’s hand flares up in pain. She looks down, her knuckles bright red and fingers swollen.

“Come on, Rocky.”

“Jesus Christ.”

The pain is angry and seething as they walk into the Duane Reade.

“Frank this is ridiculous, I have a first aid kit at home.”

“Doesn’t matter. If we don’t get the swelling down now you could fuck up your hand pretty bad.”

“Look I’m...”

The pain shoots through her arm and Karen lets out a pained ah.

“You were saying?”

Karen closes her mouth as they approach the freezer section. He grabs a bag of peas and turns to her.

“This is gonna sting.”

He gently places the bag on her hand. It does sting but the relief is worth it. He lifts it away, his eyes honed in on her fingers.

“Okay put your hands side by side for me, yeah?” He instructs as he reaches for her other hand. His fingertips are calloused but gentle, almost featherlight against her wrist bones. Karen bites her lip to suppress the gasp that formed at his touch.

“Now move your good hand.”

She does and her knuckles crack.

“Been typing all day huh?”

“Yeah. There’s been a lot of paperwork for our new office space.” Karen chuckles.

“I know you were telling me before that piece of shit... don’t matter, now try with the other...”

And no surprise Karen barely can.

“Okay yeah keep the peas on it. Don’t want you to lose your way with words. I’ll go get some gauze.”

She smiles as he stomps down the aisle, intent on finding the gauze when he looks over at the potato chip selection. He grabs a bag of Cheetos without hesitation.

“Cheetos?”

“What? You were saying back at the bar how you haven’t eaten all day.”

She shakes her head and follows him.

The cashier barely registers their slightly haphazard appearances. Her holding a bag of of peas on her hand and him with his wild, outgrown hair and beard.

(He’s been saying for weeks now how he needs to get a cut. Karen has been secretly hoping he’ll never get around to it.)

They check out and head back to the van. He opens the sliding door for her and motions for her to sit. He tosses the Cheetos in the front seat and starts taking the gauze out of the packaging. A few moments of silence pass as Frank wraps her hand.

“There that should do it.”

Karen’s bandaged hand falls into her lap as Frank takes a seat beside her.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

The streets are abnormally quiet, with the occasional car and passerby. Only then does Karen realize how late it is.

“How long?”

She knew it wouldn’t be long before he asked.

“How long what?”

“That been going on for? Assholes getting in your face.”

“Um, pretty much from the start, when I was at the Bulletin. It was never that bad until Fisk got out of jail but I guess he still...”

“Has it out for you.” Frank finishes as he scratches his beard.

“Yeah.”

“And this was cause you got in his face? Right? You said, uh...”

“Yeah it was while you were gone. I was trying to get him to attack me but it backfired. It was reckless and stupid and...”

“It was. You scared the shit out of me when you told me.”

“Frank I don’t...”

“Why would you do that? Just throw yourself into the line of fire like that?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Okay? He’s gone... for now. And you’re here.”

She knows he wants to press on but he restrains himself. For now anyway.

“That was a decent punch by the way.”

She turns her head to him, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, clearly.” She emphasizes with her injured hand.

“Hey you got him that’s what counts.”

They’re both laughing. It doesn’t last long though and it’s quiet again.

“Why didn’t you call Karen? When that was all going down?”

“Frank...”

“I would’ve came. You know that, right?”

“Of course I know that. Look you said you needed to get away and I didn’t want to ruin that.”

“You wouldn’t have ruined...”

“Frank Castle needs a chance to live. Not the Punisher.”

Frank scoffs and gets up.

“Frank Castle won’t survive if people he cares about get needlessly killed.”

“I know but it wasn’t your fight.”

He turns to her, visibly upset.

“The hell it is. I told you about what went down between me and Fisk when I was in Rikers. I have just as much stake in this as you and Nelson and Murdock...”

He draws out the Murdock and Karen has to fight the urge to roll her eyes.

“Frank I told you I didn’t want to talk about this...”

“Too fucking bad we are.”

His cutoff startles her and he knows it did. He raises his hand but retreats it immediately. He takes a breath, mutters a string of words; unintelligible and soft. Karen cradles her hand, the peas have gone lukewarm. A car horn blares in the distance, breaking the awkward pause.

“Karen I... I promised you that I was never gonna let anything happen to you...”

“You’re not always gonna be there Frank...”

“Maybe I want to be.”

He clenches his jaw and Karen knows she looks dumbstruck to him.

“Look when I left... it wasn’t cause of Russo or Rawlins or all that shit. I left... cause I’ve been scared.”

“Of what?”

“Of me. Of this, us. There’s something here Karen. And don’t go saying that there ain’t something cause I’m not gonna fucking hear it okay? You spoke of an after and I didn’t want to hear it then but...”

He’s close now, her knees slightly brushing against his. He looks down, half in shadow and half illuminated by harsh fluorescents.

“But?”

“Let’s just go into this together? Dive in, yeah? I’m not good with words but you were there... you believed in me when no one else did. I want to be the same for you.”

He gets on his knees, his hands gripping the floor of the van.

“Frank, I’m afraid that whatever we do beyond... this... I ruin things. I try and I try but I just...”

“Hey. Hey.” He places his hands on top in her thighs.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

She feels it again. The pull she felt when they were in the elevator. She couldn’t control herself then and she concludes right then and there that she never could with him.

Their foreheads meet and it’s the closest feeling to home that Karen has had in a long time.

“I was never one for the shallow end of the pool. I always went for the deep end.”

“You’re a swimmer?”

“Not competitively. Just during the summers at my grandparents’ house in upstate New York.”

He smiles and she smiles and there’s this click, like the universe has finally snapped itself back into its proper place.

“Can I tell you a secret?” He asks after a while. They’re still sitting in the van. He’s been running his fingers down her open palm, cradling the makeshift ice pack he made for her in his lap.

“Yeah?”

“I think we’re gonna be fine. But I’m warning you now, I’m not the best at keeping secrets.”

Before he can spill another one she silences him with a kiss.

[welcometothepenumbra]

SECOND CITADEL – THE SPORTIVE NYMPHS (PART ONE)

SOUND: RAIN. TRAIN ARRIVES, CREAKS TO A STOP. DOOR CLANKS OPEN.

CONDUCTOR: Ah, good evening, Traveler. And welcome… to The Penumbra.

SOUND: DOOR CLANKS SHUT.

Take your seat, please, take your seat.

MUSIC: STARTS.

The junction lies ahead, so if you’ll allow me just a moment.

SOUND: TRAIN WHISTLE.

We are now passing through the Lake of Tranquility.

SOUND: TRAIN MOVING.

Our next stop?

SOUND: TRAIN BRAKES.

The Sportive Nymphs.

SOUND: DOOR CLANKS OPEN, RAIN.

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

***

MUSIC: STARTS.

SOUND: GENTLE WAVES.

SIR MARC: (FADING IN) Ha ha, I knew you had it in you, Tal! Look at that master tracker go, finding a shortcut around the Lake of Tranquility that not even the Queen knew about!

SOUND: HOOFBEATS.

TALFRYN: It’s really not that impressive.

MARC: Of course it is! Who else would’ve known about that pond hidden in the jungle?

TALFRYN: It’s not hard to find, if you know about the breeding patterns of mosquitoes—

MARC: Ew! Or, who knew that horses could swim? Could swim good, even?

SOUND: HORSE SNORT.

TALFRYN: Yeah, horses are real good swimmers, Marc.

MARC: (NERVOUS LAUGH) Oh, come on, what are you worried about? If our new friend at the docks came through for us, and you know she did—

TALFRYN: Sir Marc, you didn’t!

MARC: Then the boat those knucklehead knights are waiting for’s got more holes in it than your undershirt! And that means they’ll have to wait for another one, and blammo! Just like that, you and I are two weeks ahead of them, and that means we’re gonna bag the biggest monster of all time! Just the two of us!

SOUND: HORSE SNORT.

Three, I mean!

TALFRYN: Come on.

MARC: Your horse doesn’t count.

TALFRYN: You don’t know that this monster is that big a deal. Those are just rumors.

MARC: Just rumors, he says! Then let’s take a look at the cold, hard facts. Some cunning monster slithers into the Citadel, and burgles a beautiful maiden, and kills like a hundred people—

TALFRYN: We’d have noticed if one hundred people were dead. Probably.

MARC: Well, it must’ve done something bad, because who did the Queen send after it? The two top monster slayers in the Citadel. A new Investigator-General, the first in a century, and you remember what a pain she was. With a hunting team like that, this thing has to be, like, the biggest monster ever!

TALFRYN: Sir Caroline was a really good fighter…

MARC: I heard it’s a lizard-dragon-man with a thousand arms. And we’ve got earwitness testimony on that one, Tal, people heard Sir Damien say he saw it.

TALFRYN: Sir Marc… this seems like a really bad idea.

MARC: All the good ideas are bad ideas!

TALFRYN: This area is one of the most dangerous in the Citadel! Did you ask Rilla if she heard anything about this dragon-man, even?

MARC: Of course not. That’d be cheating. Also: she would’ve told me this was too dangerous. And also: I’m really bad at lying to her so I didn’t visit before I left.

TALFRYN: If we wanted to make a good impression with the Queen, why don’t we protect the Citadel while the Queen’s best knights are away? That’d be safer! And smarter!

MARC: (LAUGHING) Safer, yes. But smarter? Also yes. That plan is missing something that mine has, though. Lean in, come on, Tal, lean.

The girl the monster stole is supposed to be very pretty.

TALFRYN: …Oh.

MARC: Oh? Ohhhh? Do I sense some interest in there, Sir Talfryn? Maybe dreaming about that beautiful lady waiting to be rescued in that dragon-man’s castle?

TALFRYN: Ha-ha! Ha ha ha! Yeah, definitely!

MARC: It’d be a first, right? I mean, in the stories all this knighting-around is about saving damsels from towers, and rescuing them from human sacrifice, and untying them from horse-tracks. Never really got why that last one was such a thing, honestly, I mean why can’t the horse just go around—

TALFRYN: Marc, don’t you think we ought to focus on our mission?

MARC: I’m just saying that for all those stories I’ve never once saved a princess! Ever!

TALFRYN: B-but…

MARC: Don’t be boring, Tal! We never talk about girls. That’s something brothers are supposed to do, right? Come on, have some fun!

You know what kinda girls I like?

TALFRYN: N-no, and I was kind of hoping we could keep it that—

MARC: I like ladies that are like… like the wind.

Eh? Ehhh?

TALFRYN: How– but what does that mean?

MARC: Your turn. Come on, Tal, just feel it out, you’ll get there.

TALFRYN: M-m-m-m-m-m-me? I-I-I mean I… I– I guess I like women that are like the wind, too… then.

MARC: Like the wind? Come on, Tal, what does that mean? That doesn’t mean anything. Get specific.

TALFRYN: I, Marc I dunno if I should, I mean– but uhhh yeah, yeah you’ve– you’ve basically said everything, I think I’m all set.

MARC: Taaaalfryn.

TALFRYN: I… like… women… with nice…

Smells?

MARC: (LAUGHS) Oh. I, I mean yeah, me too, buddy, but that seems like a prerequisite more than something to get… excited about.

SIR DAMIEN: (DISTANT) Saint Damien above!

SIR ANGELO: (DISTANT) Damien! For Saint’s sake, stop thrashing!

SOUND: DISTANT SPLASHING.

TALFRYN: Sir Marc! Those two men are drowning!

MARC: See, Tal? Our moment as heroes has already started! I got back to my workshop while we were home and I’ve got a few new inventions up my sleeve.

Take this, water! Net bomb!

Yahhh!

SOUND: WHISTLING. POP, SPLASH.

DAMIEN: (DISTANT) Saints, what… what…?!

ANGELO: (DISTANT) This strength!

MARC: (OVER THE LINES ABOVE) Ha ha, it works! Now grab the rope and help me pull ‘em in!

SOUND: ROPE CREAKING.

MARC & TALFRYN: (GRUNTING)

MARC: (STRAINING) Come on, come on… pull… them… in!

SOUND: BIG SPLASH. HORSE NEIGHS. COUGHING & SPLUTTERING.

ANGELO: Blast this betentacled beast! I can’t get a grip on him!

DAMIEN: My knife…! Sir Angelo, hand me my knife!

MARC: Nope, changed my mind. Throw ‘em back, throw them back!

TALFRYN: Sir Marc!

ANGELO: There you are, my friend!

SOUND: ROPE CREAKING, CUTTING.

DAMIEN: (GRUNTS)

ANGELO: Huzzah! The beast is slain!

DAMIEN: (STRAINING) It… isn’t a beast at all. Just a… net!

MARC: Oh, come on! Now they broke my invention!

DAMIEN: Your invention?! I’ll have you know that accosting a Knight of the Crown is a serious offense, you cad, you brute, you—

Oh. So it’s… you.

ANGELO: Sir Damien? Do you know these curs?

MARC: Excuse you! Nobody calls us curs except our mother!

TALFRYN: And she always clarifies that she’s kidding afterwards! Which is very important to me!

DAMIEN: They’re of no concern to us, Sir Angelo. They’re only imitators. Pretenders to knighthood who tell tall tales and expect to be rewarded for their imagined efforts.

MARC: We’re what?

ANGELO: Imitators? Like… a fan club? (LAUGHS) Well, isn’t that a delight! I thank you, good sir. Keep this up and perhaps I shall name you my honorary squire for the day. It’s quite a charming invention you’ve cobbled together!

MARC: Fan club?! Squire?! Charming?!

DAMIEN: A typical exaggeration, from this blowhard. Quite an invention, Marc – do you really think you were the first man to think of the fishing net?

MARC: Hey, alright, so it’s not one of my greatest hits or anything, but that’s just ‘cause I’ve been busy. I’ve been working on a tool that’ll knock your socks off, you—

ANGELO: A sock remover! My, that sounds handy. I think I’ve rather taken a liking to these young fans of ours.

MARC: We’re older than both of you!

DAMIEN: A moment, please, Marc.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

As ever, dearest rival, your heart proves too open for its own good. Marc is as the simple tick: given an inch of open skin, he latches on and sucks from the greatness of others. Even… even…

ANGELO: Perhaps it is best you not say her name, Sir Damien; your armor is already soaked through.

DAMIEN: Quite.

(SIGHS) Do you understand, now?

ANGELO: I believe so. But the man’s culinary predilections aside, why need I fear him? My armor covers my skin entirely; he shan’t drink from my blood.

MARC: (CHUCKLES)

TALFRYN: (HISSING) Marc, that’s kind of rude.

DAMIEN: Then I’ll put it in terms more direct, my friend. This one on the horse is…

…the Salamander.

MARC: The what?

ANGELO: Begads! Him? The brigand Sir Absolon spoke of?!

DAMIEN: Precisely. Marc the Salamander, who took the tests of knighthood hundreds of times, who only ever passed when he cheated!

TALFRYN: Sir Marc didn’t cheat! He would never!

MARC: If you call me that one more time I’ll make you regret it, Damien.

DAMIEN: Our mentor, the great Sir Absolon the Quick, saw you cheat with his own eyes. You fed the Testing Beast to make it slower! More docile!

MARC: The only thing I fed the Beast was a chunk of my own shoulder after Absolon threw bacon grease on me!

DAMIEN: And whose word do you expect us to take? A lauded knight of the Citadel? Or you? (SNORTS) Do you know why they call him the Salamander, Sir Angelo?

ANGELO: Sir Damien, perhaps you shouldn’t—

MARC: That’s it!

DAMIEN: Because he is deceptive. As slippery as a salamander.

MARC: That’s… not it! But, I’m gonna hit you anyway!

SOUND: BLADE UNSHEATHING.

TALFRYN: Marc, wait!

SOUND: HORSE GALLOPS.

You can’t do this. Think about Rilla.

MARC: (GROWLS) Fine.

TALFRYN: Now shake on it.

MARC: Talfryn!

TALFRYN: I’m serious!

We have to get along with him, Sir Marc. He’s going to marry our best friend some day.

MARC: …Fine. (SIGHS)

SOUND: BLADE SHEATHING.

Alright, Damien. Let’s get this over with.

Damien?

ANGELO: Sir Damien, it is unbefitting of a knight to deny a call for peace, and they are friends of… we-well, you know who I…

…my, he’s gone rather pale, hasn’t he?

TALFRYN: And he’s shaking a lot.

DAMIEN: Ri… Ri… Ri… R-R-Ril… R-R-Ril… (WAILING) Rillaaaaaaaa!

ANGELO: For Saint’s sake, man! Pull yourself together!

DAMIEN: My heart, my heart, the very furnace of my life, the fire of my being, my Rilla, it’s been weeks, weeks!

MARC: Uhh… what?

TALFRYN: Did something happen to Rilla?

ANGELO: Of course! You haven’t heard? A cunning four-armed lizard has struck the Citadel and stolen Rilla from her bed. Sir Damien and I are in hot pursuit of the beast, but it must have sabotaged our boat! The scoundrel!

TALFRYN: Four-armed lizard…

MARC: Snuck into the Citadel…

TALFRYN: The best monster slayers in hot pursuit…

MARC: And so the beautiful maiden is… Rilla. (GAGGING)

TALFRYN: Sir Marc!

ANGELO: Saints above! Now some pox of the heart has wracked your brother, too!

MARC: Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew! (SPITS)

DAMIEN: (WAILING)

TALFRYN: But… now we can save Rilla, right?

MARC: I can’t believe the girl I was hoping to kiss was… Rilla! Why aren’t you more upset about this?!

TALFRYN: Uhh… am I supposed to be?

MARC: Oh, Tal, she’s basically our sister!

TALFRYN: I… um… I… I… uhm…

DAMIEN: Your sister? Rilla has no salamander’s blood, you fraud!

MARC: Maybe not, but she’s still our family. That’s why Tal and I are going to save her.

DAMIEN: You will do no such thing! I will save Rilla!

MARC: You wish!

TALFRYN: Guys… does it really matter who—

DAMIEN: She is my fiancée! My love!

MARC: Yeah, well, she’s our Rilla!

ANGELO: Friends, please! The boy has a point!

TALFRYN: Boy…?

ANGELO: Perhaps we shall each save half of her, hmm?

DAMIEN: And give anything to him? I think not!

MARC: Not like you’ll have a choice! We’ll get there way before you!

DAMIEN: You two? Best the Citadel’s greatest knights at… anything? Never.

MARC: Oh yeah? Prove it!

DAMIEN: Name the place and time.

MARC: How ‘bout right here, right now?

VOICE 1: (DISTANT SCREAM)

TALFRYN: What was that?!

MARC & DAMIEN: (IN UNISON) Our challenge.

DAMIEN: Whoever saves this woman first is the better knight.

MARC: Tal, give him your horse. I don’t want to hear him whine about cheating when he loses.

TALFRYN: Guys, I don’t feel good about this… that person sounds like she really needs our help.

DAMIEN: Then it sounds like you’d better get off that horse now, doesn’t it?

TALFRYN: (MOANS)

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, BUCKLES CLINKING.

MARC: On three.

TALFRYN: Guys, it sounds like she really needs—

DAMIEN: One…

MARC: Two…

MARC & DAMIEN: Three!

SOUND: GALLOPING.

ANGELO: Oh, but I can never resist some friendly competition! Come along, good Talfryn!

SOUND: RUNNING FOOTSTEPS.

Hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup… (FADING OUT)

TALFRYN: Ohh, I hope she’s okay…

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

***

SOUND: GALLOPING.

VOICE 1: (SCREAMS)

DAMIEN: (MUFFLED, DISTANT) You cut me off!

MARC: (MUFFLED, DISTANT) That’s just called being slow, sore loser!

VOICE 1: (SCREAMS)

SOUND: LEAVES RUSTLING.

MARC & DAMIEN: Ha!

DAMIEN: Fear not, dear maiden!

MARC: I’ll save you!

VOICE 1: Ahh!

MARC: …from… nothing.

Do you see a monster?

DAMIEN: None at all. She appears to be screaming in this clearing… alone?

(CLEARS THROAT) Um… milady? Is there any… danger here that we can assist you with?

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.

MARC: We’re not just… like, interrupting your private time? Hopefully?

SOUND: LEAVES RUSTLING.

ANGELO: (DISTANT, APPROACHING) Hup hup hup hup– Ha ha! Here at last!

TALFRYN: (PANTING & COUGHING) Is everything… okay?

VOICE 1: They’re here! They’re all here!

DAMIEN: Please, milady – I implore you to settle your spirits and speak. Who are the they you speak of?

VOICE 1: You, of course!

Everybody, look! The competitors are here!

TALFRYN: Uh-oh.

SOUND: CHEERING, APPLAUSE.

DAMIEN: Saints above! The trees are filled with women!

TALFRYN: Hey, guys? Has anybody else noticed this clearing is kind of… weird? All the markings in the grass, the lines and numbers…

ANGELO: It appears to be… a field for some sort of competition.

VOICE 1: (GIGGLES) Of course it is, sillies. Nymphs love sport.

NYMPH CROWD: (CHANTING) Sport! Sport! Sport! Sport! Sport! Sport!

MUSIC: STARTS.

SOUND: CHEERING, APPLAUSE.

VOICE 2 (FROM MICROPHONE): Llllllllladies and more ladies! Nymphs from the palm to the cacao, who tango in the mangroves, and salsa in the balsas, welcome… to… SPORT!

NYMPH CROWD: (SCREAMING)

VOICE 2 (FROM MICROPHONE): I’m Sunny Budkin, here with my pal Pitley—

MUSIC: FADES OUT.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Thaaat’s right, Sunny, Game 28,955 is already here and boy is it a good day for sport, let me tell ya, nice breeze and the sky’s clear as Game Forty-One with the Southern Frosts twins, what a game, what a game.

VOICE 2 [SUNNY] (FROM MICROPHONE): And we’ll be your announcers on this beautiful day. And why’s today so beautiful, Pit?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): ‘Cause it’s always beautiful when we get to see some sport!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHANTING) Sport! Sport! Sport! Sport!

TALFRYN: M-M-M… Marc…

MARC: I know, buddy. This looks like a trap.

DAMIEN: Sir Angelo… my bow will watch the trees while you protect the civilians.

ANGELO: It is done.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Who’s the best of the best? Who will be the hero to end all heroes? Who will free the beautiful damsel from her chains? We’ll find out today… in sport!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERS)

ANGELO: Sir Damien? Shall we retreat?

DAMIEN: On second thought… that damsel may need our help.

MARC: Don’t want to let a lady down. And, we never settled our bet.

TALFRYN: (MOANS)

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Pitley, do you mind telling our challengers what they can expect?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): You see, what we have here is your classic sport setup – forty-five thousand years old, Sunny, that’s nearly as old as sport itself.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Year fifty thousand is comin’ in hot, Pit!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): You better believe it! But anyway, so you got two teams of two, two qualifying rounds before the finals. The winners of the two qualifiers’ll go on to the final challenge and whoever proves they’ve got it will release the damsel.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): So that’s one member of each team for each qualifier. But Pit, hang on: what if the same team wins both qualifiers?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Even with two athletes working side by side, the finals don’t come free, Sunny. Hell, that reminds me of the old Of-Reilly-Of-Malley family game, that was Game… (FADES INTO BACKGROUND)

MARC: (QUIETLY) You hear that, Tal? Looks like we’re gonna save a damsel after all!

TALFRYN: (QUIETLY) But Marc… what happens to the losing team?

MARC: (QUIETLY) I don’t know. We’re not gonna lose, so it doesn’t really matter, does it?

TALFRYN: (QUIETLY) I’m just gonna ask—

MARC: (QUIETLY) No. We can’t show ‘em any weakness. They’re too full of themselves already.

(CALLING) We’re ready to grind these two into the ground, nymphs!

DAMIEN: And we accept their challenge, fair maidens of the wood!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERS)

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Alright, it sounds like our athletes are champing at the bit down there, so what do you say we get this started, huh?

Time to pick the qualifying rounds! Bring out the helmet!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERS)

ANGELO: Ha ha! Well, isn’t this exciting!

TALFRYN: Did anybody else notice that helmet they’re pulling those slips of paper out of has bloodstains on it?

DAMIEN: Why do you ask, false knight? Are you thinking about quitting?

MARC: (HISSING) Talfryn!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): What’ve we got there, Pitley?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): First round: swordplay!

NYMPH CROWD: (POLITE CLAPPING)

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Nope, sorry, I read that wrong. (CLEARS THROAT) First round: wordplay!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERING)

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): A crowd favorite! Let’s hope I get as lucky. Round two is…

Single combat!

NYMPH CROWD: (LOUD CHEERING)

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Now choose your teams, athletes, and pick which of you will take on each challenge. You have ten minutes to strategize… and then let the games begin!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERING)

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

***

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.

ANGELO: (FADING IN) Hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup—

DAMIEN: Sir Angelo! Where have you been?

ANGELO: My apologies. These fairest of nymphs asked to know our names and titles, and I could not leave them in distress.

DAMIEN: Please remember, my friend: beautiful though they may be, these nymphs are monsters.

ANGELO: I cannot believe that creatures with a love for something as wholesome as sport can be purely evil, Sir Damien. Perhaps they are monsters with some good in them, as it was with the loyal crocodile-hound?

DAMIEN: Perhaps… but is it possible that monsters with such souls might be…

Focus, Sir Angelo! We must let their captive languish no longer. The preliminary rounds were Saint-sent; we shall play to our strengths and save her quickly. You will take single combat.

ANGELO: But Sir Damien—

DAMIEN: Marc is known for his quick tongue – inevitably, he will take wordplay. I will defeat him in the first round, and then you and I will end this together.

ANGELO: But… taking our specialties so quickly? That doesn’t seem in competitive spirit. And the besaddled one did invent that device—

DAMIEN: He did not invent the net!

My kind, kind friend. I agree that it is a shame that we cannot trust these men. They would be valuable allies, as Sir Caroline was – for moving through the world as she has, in a life quite different from ours, has clearly gifted her with ways of thinking that you and I would never come to.

ANGELO: Very true, very true.

DAMIEN: And so I am certain that given Marc’s… situation, he too must have a perspective of great value in our mission. But the simple fact is that he cannot be trusted. Sir Absolon was most clear about that. And so we must defeat him, quickly, and continue on our own.

ANGELO: Hmmmm. Your theories on perspective are most interesting, Sir Damien.

DAMIEN: I hope we may prove them safely soon. Now—

ANGELO: Why, yes! The Queen does not keep many knights with tall brothers, does she? An oversight! I shall speak with her directly upon our return.

DAMIEN: Angelo… that isn’t quite what I—

ANGELO: Soft-bodied siblings, then? Horses with names?

DAMIEN: Your horse has a name, my friend.

ANGELO: (FADING OUT) Saints above, so he does! The Queen’s foresight never ceases to astound!

MARC: (FADING IN) You’re really bringing me down, here.

TALFRYN: I’m just saying – have you ever heard of this sport before? Or these nymphs?

MARC: ‘Course I haven’t. You heard them: this game’s all about tradition, and they said the tradition was to play it once every thousand years! Everyone who played it before is dead by now.

TALFRYN: But… Marc, that doesn’t make—

MARC: Does it matter, anyway? Think about the woman they’ve got locked up. Someone’s got to save her!

TALFRYN: And there’s something really weird about the way they keep saying damsel all the time!

MARC: Sure, it’s kind of an old word, Tal, but you don’t have to make fun of their dialect—

TALFRYN: I’m serious!

MARC: Yeah, I know. But I have a sure-fire strategy to win this thing, Tal, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.

TALFRYN: …Really?

MARC: Of course. Just let me take single combat. I’ve got a plan.

TALFRYN: Single combat?! You want to fistfight Sir Angelo?!

MARC: No way is it gonna be Angelo. Listen: Damien’s so full of himself he’s probably sending Angelo out to bomb the first round so I’ll pass on to the finals and he can fight me there. So we’re gonna play smarter! Surprise ‘em!

TALFRYN: Marc—

MARC: You’ll beat Angelo at wordplay no problem, because you’ve got plural brain cells, I’ll take out Damien, and you and I’ll go sweep that pretty maiden off her feet in the finals. What do you say?

TALFRYN: But… it’s single combat, Sir Marc.

MUSIC: STARTS.

What if they don’t let you bring Dampierre?

MARC: Oh, that’s the plan, Tal. Just you wait.

SOUND: HORSE SNORT.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Aaaaand we’re back! Time to get started with wordplay!

Mind telling us how it works, Pitley?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Wordplay’s an old favorite; dates all the way back to the days of asking riddles in trees and throwing acorns when they get ‘em wrong. Two champions are gonna prove their bravery by doing the scariest thing there is: reciting original poetry to a live audience of two thousand pretty girls.

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERS)

TALFRYN: Poetry…?! Marc, I don’t know anything about poetry!

MARC: Uh-oh.

TALFRYN: I was so worried about your challenge that I didn’t even think about mine!

MUSIC: ENDS.

What are we gonna do, Marc?

MARC: It’s just Angelo, buddy. Just calm down, alright? That big moron’s going to insist he goes first anyway.

DAMIEN: With your permission, Mistresses Budkin and Pitley, I will volunteer to deliver the first poem.

MARC: There, see? Just take a deep…

That was the wrong moron, wasn’t it?

TALFRYN: Maaaaaaaaaarc!!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Our first team comes complete with a recommendation by Queen Mira herself! Best monster slayers, best rivals, and best friends, they are… Sir Angelo the Strong and Sir Damien the Pious!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERS)

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

DAMIEN: Yes, thank you, thank you, you’re too kind…

My esteemed forest-spirits. It is my honor to entertain you this day. I present to you a tale of competition and excitement, a song of strife on the field of battle, and love on the sidelines, a four-hour epic that will make your hearts ache and your spirits soar—

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): The athletes should probably be reminded that their poems can’t take more than two minutes to recite.

DAMIEN: A two-minute ballad that will change your very conception of drama. I give you… The Battle at World’s End.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

So to the West, the lifeless West, the troubadour did trot; Through boughs of burning red and gold, ‘twas solitude she sought. When, clash! the iron thundered, lo, “Have at thee!” the reply; and ‘neath the leaves, the forest’s eaves, she heard their battle-cry. (FADES INTO BACKGROUND)

TALFRYN: Marc, my mind’s a blank! I don’t know how to say poetry! I-I-I-I-I barely even know how to say words, I’m so—

MARC: Stay with me, Tal. You can do this. Poetry is just a bunch of pretty words about nature, right? You know everything about nature! Just say some of that!

TALFRYN: A-a-anything?

MARC: Anything. Come on, try it out.

TALFRYN: Okay.

(SIGHS) You can get a quick survey of the wild fruits that grow in the area if you look for bear droppings, because the unripe berries don’t get digested and then—

MARC: Yeah, o-o-okay, no, stop, stop, stop!

TALFRYN: I don’t think that was a poem, Marc.

MARC: Of course it was. It was just… too experimental for this crowd.

DAMIEN: (FADING IN) And so they fell straight down to Hell, and battled ‘til the end.

Thank you.

NYMPH CROWD: (GOES WILD)

SOUND: BUZZING.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Pistils and stamens, now that was a poem!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Don’t usually see a crowd this excited during wordplay, Sunny. I hope the other boys got brains to match their looks, because the competition today is fierce!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Well, what do you say we find out? Our next team hails all the way from the Second Citadel, and according to my inside source, they’re on a family vacation! Isn’t that sweet?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Sure is, Sunny, sure is.

TALFRYN: Marc…!

MARC: Alright, just… try this, then. I want you to say “Roses are red, violets are blue,” and then just follow it up with whatever’s in your heart.

TALFRYN: Anything?

MARC: Just so long as it’s not about droppings, yeah, now go!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): So let’s meet them, shall we? Say hello to our brothers-in-arms – Marc the Salamander—

MARC: Hey!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): —and Talfryn the other one!

TALFRYN: Hey!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): And it looks like Talfryn’s up first. Give him a hand, everybody; he’s sure got one tough act to follow!

NYMPH CROWD: (APPLAUSE, CHEERING)

ANGELO: Sir Damien! You assured me that Marc would take wordplay!

DAMIEN: They’re up to something, Sir Angelo – watch them carefully.

MARC: (CALLING) Don’t let ‘em get in your head, Tal! Just remember what I told you and poem your big heart out!

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

TALFRYN: O-okay…

(CLEARS THROAT) Hello, everybody. My name is Talfryn. And this is my poem.

Roses are red! Violets are blue!

No they’re not.

NYMPH CROWD: (AFTER A PAUSE, LOW MUTTERING)

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): I… think that might be it, Pitley.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Give the kid a second. Lot of great plays to make here. Wordplay’s full of surprises, full of surprises.

MARC: Tal, what are you doing?

TALFRYN: It’s not true, Marc! Violets aren’t blue! They come in pretty much every other color except blue, they can be white and yellow and pink and they’re even called violets, so why does everyone say they’re blue?

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): (CHUCKLES) …Pitley?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Wordplay’s full of surprises, Sunny.

This ain’t one of ‘em.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): There you have it, ladies! Sir Damien the Pious is moving on to the finals!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERING)

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Now don’t go anywhere, because the next round is just about to begin! Athletes, would you please follow our lovely attendants to the single combat arena!

TALFRYN: Marc… I’m sorry!

MARC: Don’t be. It’s my fault for only thinking about my round.

TALFRYN: Right. But that means…

You’re going to fight Sir Angelo?!

MARC: Yep. Not exactly ideal, but I’ll make it work. And besides—

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

VOICE 3: Hey boys. I’m heading over to single combat, wanna join?

MARC: Every cloud’s got a silver lining, y’know what I’m saying?

On our way, beautiful!

TALFRYN: No. I don’t.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): While we’re waiting for Sir Angelo and Marc to suit down, why don’t you tell us a little about single combat, Pitley?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Love to, Sunny, love to. Single combat is basically your ideal showdown, stripped down to nothing but your underwear and a stick for hitting the other guy with. The first athlete to knock the other outta the circle takes it. Each one gets to bring in one non-magical article of clothing to keep ‘em decent, but besides that it’s nothing but two men and a few concussions.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Sounds exciting, Pit.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): It’s lost its edge if you ask me. In the old days we didn’t even give them the underwear. Just slathered ‘em in honey, sat back, and enjoyed the show.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Sounds like a sexy time, Pit.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): You bet, Sunny, you bet. But if you want more sport, you have to make a few compromises. I miss those old games sometimes. Thousand years of anticipation and—

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Aaaaaaand it looks like Marc and Sir Angelo are ready for single combat! Approach the ring, champions, and let the games begin!

VOICE 3: Go get him, Mister Knight.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

ANGELO: Sir Damien, this doesn’t feel as fair as I’d hoped.

DAMIEN: I’m certain that Marc planned it that way. We gave him the honorable option and he did not take it. Remember that.

ANGELO: Oh, I don’t mind beating the Salamander around a little. He seems perfectly competent. I mean only… I wouldn’t want to harm an innocent horse.

DAMIEN: The steed of a demon rides also in the devil’s army, my compassionate rival – and that horse rides for him. Do you follow?

ANGELO: (AFTER A PAUSE) Then the horse… is a demon.

DAMIEN: Metaphorically, yes, but—

ANGELO: Why thank you, Sir Damien. You are as wise as ever. Haaaaaaaahhhh!

SOUND: RUNNING FOOTSTEPS.

Hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup! Sir Angelo is prepared for single combat! Down, you beast of hell, you infernal steed, you…! You…

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS SLOW, STOP.

Well, hello, Marc. Where is your demon horse?

MARC: Oh, Dampierre’s over there.

SOUND: HORSE NEIGHS.

TALFRYN: (DISTANT) Go, Marc!

ANGELO: But, you…

MARC: I realized it probably wasn’t fair for you to fight both of us. It’s single combat, right?

ANGELO: That is very honorable of you.

May I ask also where your underwear has gone?

MARC: Ah, don’t need it. I’ve got these.

SOUND: TWO METAL CLANKS.

ANGELO: Yes, I can see that. Your greaves are impressive, but—

MARC: They’re just metal socks, actually. You like? Made ‘em myself.

ANGELO: …Can we expect your underwear to join us at any point?

MARC: See, I’d love to, but I can’t. The one pair I’ve got on me’s enchanted – long story, makes it so I don’t get sores from sitting on Dampierre all day, got ‘em off a troll with a skin condition. These passed inspection, though. You wanna look ‘em over?

ANGELO: No! No, no, I think… if the nymphs are satisfied, I shall be too!

MARC: Yeah, well, it is what it is. You think I like sitting in the dirt in front of a crowd of beautiful women naked as the day I was born?

ANGELO: My experience says that you should not, and yet your eyes seem to imply you do. Greatly.

MARC: Yeah, well, you got me.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Are our competitors ready for single combat?

MARC: (CALLING) I’m ready! (NORMAL VOLUME) Need a minute?

ANGELO: Your style is unique, Marc. I look forward to learning from this battle. (CALLING) Sir Angelo the Strong is ready for combat!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Alright, then! Three… two… one… Single combat!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERING)

SOUND: GRUNTS, METAL CLANKING & RUSTLING.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): It looks like we don’t have to wait long for surprises in this round. Marc has put down his weapon!

ANGELO: I’ve never seen such a stance. You must be a master of the blade.

MARC: Master of something, alright…

Got ‘em!

SOUND: JINGLING KEYS.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Looks like he’s pulled a ring of keys out of his socks! Incredible! Is that even legal, Pit?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): The whole spirit of single combat’s in your prep and your mental game, Sunny. Honestly, I can’t think of a move more legal than pulling keys out your hose. I don’t think I need to remind you about Theodore—

DAMIEN: (CALLING, OVER THE BELOW) Sir Angelo! Don’t give him a chance to cheat you! Finish this!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): (OVER THE ABOVE) —of Scumm back in Game Nine-thousand-and-thirteen, who used his codpiece as a slingshot—

ANGELO: (OVER THE BELOW) Prepare yourself, Marc!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): (OVER THE ABOVE) —and his own teeth as ammunition. Now that was sport!

SOUND: CLINKING.

MARC: (OVER THE BELOW) Just gotta flip this clasp, move that pin, turn the key, and then… ha!

ANGELO: (BATTLE CRY, OVER THE ABOVE) Hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup…

SOUND: PNEUMATIC HISS, METAL CLINK.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): It looks like Marc’s completed whatever process he has hidden in his stockings, but will it be enough? Look at those muscles on Sir Angelo!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Mmmmmm-hmmmmm, I’m lookin’, Sunny.

ANGELO: That’s, um… hm. A powerful throw! (GRUNTS)

MARC: Lift with your legs, Angie, you’re gonna throw your back out.

ANGELO: Of course! My thanks! (GRUNTS, COUGHS) Saints, man! I was told you were the Salamander, not the elephant!

MARC: I’ll tell you my secret if you do me a favor?

ANGELO: But of course.

MARC: Throw the match?

ANGELO: That I cannot do.

MARC: Then I’ll settle for you never calling me the Salamander again, ‘cause I kind of hate it.

ANGELO: It is already done. My sincerest apologies.

MARC: Hey, bygones. It’s the metal socks. When I turn this key in the lock at the thigh, here, they shoot two big tentpole-spikes into the ground. You’d have to lift the whole arena if you want to get me out of here.

ANGELO: Saints, how cunning! Devices that can outperform even my strength – impressive!

DAMIEN: (DISTANT, YELLING) It is not impressive! They’re just tentpoles! He did not invent the tentpole!

MARC: I’ve been busy, alright? The big one’s still comin’!

DAMIEN: (DISTANT, YELLING) I told you he was a cheat! Fair maidens, I implore you to rule justly and disqualify this deceiver!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Sir Damien is crying foul! Pit, what do you think?

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Marc checked with the referees ahead of time, and the socks are legal, nothing magical about them. Unless the crowd wants him to stop, I don’t see why—

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERS)

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Then let Single Combat continue!

ANGELO: An excellent use of the rules, Marc. Sir Damien was right about you: your mind can certainly craft strategy that I would never dream of.

But perhaps, that road goes both ways, hmm?

MARC: Did you mean to say that out loud?

ANGELO: Hmm, yes! May I see those keys of yours? I was hoping that by inspecting them I might learn more. About keys.

MARC: Yeah, no. Dampierre, catch!

SOUND: KEYS JINGLING. DISTANT WHINNY. GALLOPING.

DAMIEN: (DISTANT) Horse! Get back here!

NYMPH CROWD: (GOES NUTS)

SOUND: BUZZING.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Incredible!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): A match that ragezzzz inside and outside of the ring! These boys are redefining sport!

MARC: So, I’m ready.

Let’s do this.

ANGELO: Indeed.

SOUND: WOODEN CLANKS, GRUNTING.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Look at the technique from Marc! He’s bolted to the floor and he’s still keeping Sir Angelo at bay!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): But don’t count Sir Angelo out yet, Pit. Marc’s attacks don’t move him an inch. And look at the power behind those blows! Marc can parry until the aphids come home, but if Angelo tires him out, then just one hit from that club will do damage no socks are going to fix.

ANGELO: (WINDED) It seems you are no stranger to the blade, my friend.

MARC: We’ve met a few times, yeah. (PANTING) You’re not so bad yourself.

ANGELO: Your compliment holds great weight, coming from so skilled a competitor. Yet I’m afraid our battle must end here. I cannot leave Sir Damien waiting.

MARC: He’s not waiting. He sounds like he’s having a great time.

SOUND: GALLOPING.

DAMIEN: (DISTANT, PANTING) Come back, you cloven coward, you four-legged fiend! Come back!

SOUND: WHINNY.

ANGELO: Even so, the damsel and Rilla await. I am sorry, Marc.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Unbelievable! Sir Angelo’s dropped his weapon, and he’s… retreating!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Not retreating, Sunny. It’s that mind game, I tell you. Which is great for sport and too bad for me.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): You do like your eye candy, Pitley.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): What can I say, I’m a nymph with simple tastes. Give me a man with muscles and… literally nothing else, Sunny, that’s all I’m after.

TALFRYN: (CALLING) Sir Marc! I thought you said the plan was to knock Sir Angelo off his feet!

MARC: Yeah, well, that one didn’t super work. But don’t worry, Tal: your big brother always comes up with a plan.

TALFRYN: What is it?

MARC: Not sure yet. Let’s find out together.

TALFRYN: Marc!!!

ANGELO: Use your weapon all you like, Marc. Once Sir Angelo the Strong has started his charge, nothing can stop him. Prepare to leave this ring… and those stockings.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Sir Angelo’s entered a runner’s stance. It– it looks like… It looks like…

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): He’s gonna tackle that handsome fella straight out of the only clothing he’s got! No need to dance around it, we’re all nymphs here.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Hold me, Pit.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): You bet, Sunny.

TALFRYN: Sir Marc!!

ANGELO: (EXTENDED BATTLE CRY)

SOUND: RUNNING FOOTSTEPS.

MARC: Three… two… one…! (GRUNTS)

ANGELO: (EXTENDED BATTLE CRY FADES OUT)

NYMPH CROWD: (GASPS)

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): …Unbelievable.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): You saw it, folks. Nothing can stop Sir Angelo when he’s at full charge. Marc the Salamander is the winner of Single Combat!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERING)

TALFRYN: Marc! You did it!

MARC: Takes years of practice to lie down that quickly, Tal. Take notes; your brother’s a professional.

SOUND: DISTANT WHINNY.

Dampierre! Over here!

SOUND: GALLOPING.

DAMIEN: (PANTING) You… sinister stallion… you pernicious pony… you, you, you…

SOUND: THWUMP. HORSE SNORT. KEYS JINGLING.

MARC: Thank you.

SOUND: CLINKING.

Aaaaand I’ll be taking those.

SOUND: FABRIC RUSTLING.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): What a show, ladies, what a show! In the finals we have Marc the Salamander and Sir Damien the Pious, competing to see who can release our damsel from her chains! What do you say, nymphs? Are we ready for the main event?

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERS)

DAMIEN: (PANTING) You shameless…! I knew you were a cheater!

MARC: Help me up, Dampierre, don’t be lazy.

SOUND: HORSE SNORT. BUCKLES CLINKING.

DAMIEN: So? Do you have nothing to say for yourself?

MARC: Do you hear that noise, Tal? That annoying whine, like a mosquito or maybe a sore loser that can’t take a hint?

DAMIEN: Sore loser!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): While we prepare for the finals, can we please ask Sir Angelo and Talfryn to report to the announcers’ podium?

TALFRYN: Sir Marc… something weird is going on here.

DAMIEN: It was single combat, villain! Have you no honor?

MARC: Weird is right, Tal. That buzzing just won’t stop!

TALFRYN: No, I mean… the way they keep saying damsel doesn’t sound right. And then they made that weird noise—

DAMIEN: I am speaking to you, Salamander!

MARC: Hold on just a second, Tal. I think Damien might be trying to say something.

You wanna repeat that, pal?

DAMIEN: You have earned the name more than once today. Sir Angelo was the better warrior and you knew it, so you brought in something he couldn’t beat. That is not a duel!

TALFRYN: Marc…

MARC: The event was not called “duel.” It was called “single combat,” and the rules were—

DAMIEN: Vague! Which you used to your vile advantage!

MARC: I strategized!

TALFRYN: But Marc…!

VOICE 3: Come with me, hon.

TALFRYN: Oof!

MARC: Just because you two were over there yukking it up about how Angelo was going to beat down the helpless “belly-dragging salamander” when you should have been talking strategy—

DAMIEN: How dare you accuse me of such vile intent! A knight wouldn’t… I wouldn’t! You earned that moniker with your wickedness, with your lies, with your—

ANGELO: (IN BACKGROUND) Hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup hup!

MARC: That doesn’t mean you get to whine ‘cause I found an edge and took it! You’re an idiot if you don’t prepare before a fight, I outsmarted you, deal with it!

ANGELO: (IN BACKGROUND) Sir Damien, did you see that battle! One of the best—

DAMIEN: Belly-dragging? That is not even what salamander means!

MARC: Don’t be dense—

DAMIEN: I can’t believe you would suggest that I would call you something so vile!

MARC: And another thing! If you cared so much about it being a fair fight you never would’ve let me go in there without my horse, you—

MUSIC: STARTS.

Huh?

DAMIEN: Where are Sir Angelo and your brother?

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Welcome back, ladies! The finals might not be here just yet, but we have something special for you right up on the announcers’ podium. Anything you want to say to the crowd, boys?

TALFRYN (FROM MICROPHONE): Marc! Help!

ANGELO (FROM MICROPHONE): The Budkin woman has arms like steel rods, Talfryn! I can’t move an inch!

MARC: Talfryn!

DAMIEN: Angelo!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Y’know, it seems like most of them just say “help,” Sunny. Why is that?

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): There’s no understanding men or humans, Pit; you’re just going to tire yourself out taking on both.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): (LAUGHS) Ain’t that the truth! Say, I got a question for our boys here.

ANGELO (FROM MICROPHONE): (STRUGGLING) Ha ha, this is it! I can feel her strength flagging beneath the mighty effort of Sir—

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): (GRUNTS)

ANGELO (FROM MICROPHONE): (WINDED, PAINED) Nevermind.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Just had to tighten my headlock. Go ahead, Pitley!

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): You both played a great game out there, boys, some of the best sport we’ve seen yet. How’s it feel to know that within half an hour, one of you’s going to be dead?

MARC & DAMIEN: What?!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): I don’t know about Talfryn, Pitley, but it sounds like Sir Angelo here’s overcome with emotion! He’s speechless!

TALFRYN (FROM MICROPHONE): That’s because you’re squeezing his windpipe!

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): Oh, is that what that’s for?

ANGELO (FROM MICROPHONE): (DEEP BREATH, COUGHING)

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): Learn something new every day, Sunny. Speaking of which—

VOICE 3: (OVER THE BELOW) The finals are in the hedged arena, champions. Don’t want to leave the crowd waiting.

PITLEY (FROM MICROPHONE): (IN BACKGROUND) —let’s talk strategy for a second: do you think you boys would’ve done anything differently if you knew that your lives were riding on this game?

DAMIEN: Well… I… suppose…

Saints forgive me.

TALFRYN (FROM MICROPHONE): Maaaaaarc!

MARC: Don’t worry, Tal. I’ll get you. No matter what it takes.

SUNNY (FROM MICROPHONE): This is it, ladies and germinators! Does Marc the Salamander have sharp enough wits to cut through the competition and save his brother? Or will Sir Damien the Pious take his prize with only his bow and divine favor on his side?

Who will save the damsel? Who will win the tournament? Who is the better knight, and the better man? Find out… in the final round of SPORT!

NYMPH CROWD: (CHEERING)

MUSIC: ENDS.

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

***

SOUND: TRAIN MOVING, MUSIC.

CONDUCTOR: If you’ve enjoyed this tale, please consider donating to The Penumbra on Patreon. Our artists work tirelessly to bring you these stories, and if you have the means, we hope you will support our efforts. Every dollar helps. You can find that page at patreon.com/thepenumbrapodcast. If you support us on Patreon at the $10 level or higher, you’ll receive access to commentary tracks like this one, from actors Jason Mellin, Matthew Zahnzinger, and M Sutherland, and co-creator Kevin Vibert:

SOUND: TRAIN STOPS, DOOR SLIDES OPEN, RAIN.

M: …Two or three times reading that script.

JASON: Yes. Uh… (CHUCKLES) I dunno why Caves of Discord is the only one using real name—

M: “You should smile more!” (GAGGING)

JASON: Ohh, god, yeah.

Um, since I’m the host, uh, could we go– uh, and we are recording this before hearing the first Second Citadel episode of the, uh, half season; um, could we go around and say what aspects of Lord Arum we like the most? Just like, what do you think is the most, uh, interesting or attractive about Lord Arum…

SOUND: DOOR SLIDES SHUT.

CONDUCTOR: You can also support The Penumbra by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter @thepenumbrapod, following us on Tumblr @thepenumbrapodcast, telling your friends about us, telling your friends to tell their friends about us, and especially by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. Every rating, comment, and kind word spreads our stories further and inspires us to keep creating more and better tales to come.

We would like to give special thanks to all who support us on Patreon, but especially to Camille Blanton, Garrett A Miller, Jay Iannuzzelli, Karin Z-H, Canteloupe, Fiona Parker, Ota Arcana, Regan, Ko, Kim Zeugin, Atha Lang, Vron, Charlie Spiegel, Minchowski, and Jaimie Gunter for their incredibly generous contributions per episode. Thank you.

Did you know that The Penumbra has merchandise for sale? It’s true! The Penumbra has partnered with DFTBA to bring you the posters, shirts, and pins your heart desires. Just go to dftba.com and search for The Penumbra Podcast.

This tale, The Sportive Nymphs, was told by the following people: Stefano Perti as Sir Marc, Jason Mellin as Talfryn, Matthew Zahnzinger as Sir Damien, M Sutherland as Sir Angelo, Kristie Norris as Sunny Budkin, and Allison Choat as Pitley.

The Penumbra is created and produced by Sophie Kaner and Kevin Vibert. If you wish to know more about our ever-expanding, infinitely-creative team of artists, musicians, editors, designers, and managers, you can read about them in the show notes of this episode.

I’m afraid this is the end of the line for today, dear Traveler. We hope you will ride with The Penumbra again soon.

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

[kuno-chan]

Sea of Chains - Ch. 37, Experience

Rating: T

Summary:Years after the events of Anchor, Captain Kai and Jinora Gyatso remain famous names on the seas and their children are literally born pirates. Now, their daughter, Nima, is becoming a little too pirate for comfort. When trouble with Captain Quil of the Blood Moon Pirates turns tragic, Nima is viciously dragged into what can only be be described as every parent’s worst nightmare.

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--

“His left arm?”

Nima blanched. Dan didn’t quite blame her.

Janje nodded grimly. Then, Dan had saw and he knew. The color it was turning, the sickly look of it and the way the blood oozed, another color not decidedly blood with it. Poison. How fast it was travelling, he didn’t know, but it was either his arm or his death.

“His left him and we’ll see about the use of one of his legs. It’s not responding to much, right now,” Janje said. “We’ll have to see. Scuse me, gotta check on him.”

Janje squeezed Nima’s shoulder. For a while, Dan hadn’t pulled away from Nima. Even after they dragged themselves onto the ship. He didn’t really know why, but perhaps even he could admit that she’d scared the living shit out of him when she’d gone back into that tower.

For that bastard, no less. He wasn’t about to ring her up for it. It was clear that she was doing that herself.

He could see it in her face.

“I made a mistake,” she said quietly. To him or more for herself, he wasn’t sure.

At first, Dan said nothing. “It’s over now.”

“He’s going to lose an arm--”

“Because of his own actions.” He felt bad for the guy, but it was the truth. “If anything, you might have saved his life by shooting that thing in the eye. A few of our lives, actually.”

When she said nothing, he continued.

“Nima.”

She looked at him, perhaps startled by the use of her name. He didn’t use it very often, did he? No, he supposed he didn’t. He kept her gaze for a moment before she looked away.

“I made a mistake going back in there. I-I thought… I still don’t know. Is it right to just leave people to die?”

Icho had deserved what he it. Dan had kept the worst of it form her eyes, kept that image of the naga eating the bastard from burning into her mind. Dan would never forget it. On the way up to the ship, Nima had told him what Icho had said to her. Quite frankly, there was little space for pity for for asshole. If the naga hadn’t gotten to him first, Dan would have slit his throat for pushing Nima like that. He’d used her as bait and Dan’s heart had stopped dead for a half second. A half second nearly too long. Thanks the gods the naga had seen Icho and not Nima. Thank them for her ability to move fast when it counted.

“He was already dead when she did it,” Dan told her. “He was gone. He didn’t feel it.”

“He deserved it,” she said, hugging herself.

“He did. But I know that’s not what you need to hear.”

She looked up at him, walking over to her, eyes bright. “I shouldn’t feel bad. Dan, he was terrible. I should have left him there. The things he said-- I made a mistake. I’m sorry.” Her voice broke. “I’m sorry. That was so st-”

Dan put a hand on her shoulder before he knew what he was doing. “Stop.”

She looked up at him in question. He almost pulled back himself, but kept his composure and looked at her. She needed this, he told himself. To touch something other than herself.

“You’re not used to death. Let alone one like that. Whether he deserved it or not is irrelevant as far as whether you’re allowed to balk at it or not. You can hate it and he can still deserve it. For what it’s worth, he brought it on himself.” He debated on telling her the next part. “Even if he had gotten away, I would have found him and killed him anyway for that stunt.”

“I know,” she said quietly. “I wouldn’t have stopped you.”

“No?”

Nima shook her head. “Would I have been able to?”

A fair assessment. “No.”

Nima tried to smile. “My dad did that sometimes. He just didn’t do it in front of me, but I know he would do it when I didn’t see. He tried to, at least. To people who wanted to hurt other people.”

For a pirate, Dan wondered what kind of world Nima had lived in. What kind of world her family had sculpted around her. What had they shielded her from that she still had this innocence to her. Perhaps, he just didn’t quite expect the daughter of a pirate to be so… this.

He didn’t quite know what to call this.

She couldn’t save everybody. Couldn’t keep trying to or she was going to end up in the ground herself, but Dan had a feeling she knew that already. Or was trying to understand it. Struggled to, ultimately. That heart of hers beat for life wildly. It lashed out like death like the tides on a swimmer that did not belong in the sea.

“It’s okay to hate killing and death,” he said quietly. “You’re not used to it.”

“I should be.”

He took a minute to answer. “No, you shouldn’t.”

“Thank you for saving me,” she said turning to him, her eyes soft. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Actually, I did.”

Nima rubbed her arm and he realized how that probably came out. “Right... right. It’s your job.” She flashed a smile as she made to leave. “I’m going to go check on Foba. I’ll find you later.”

He… hadn’t quite meant it like that.

-:-:-:-

Nima pushed Dan from her mind. Partially because there was a pang from being reminded of his last words to her. Partially because upon entering the infirmity, watching Foba lay there, an arm that seemed all but completely ruined, blackened and green, and a leg that didn’t really seem all that much better put everything from her mind. Everything but the sight before her.

It was painful, she could tell, and Foba was probably not going to sleep much if at all without pain medication. At least a few herbs to ease it.

She doubted anything was going to help much.

Nima sat down in the chair at his bedside and reached a hand out to his good one. He opened pained eyes to look at who had taken his hand.

“It doesn’t hurt if I do that, does it?” she asked.

He shook his head, his lips tight. “...they’re going to have to cut them off, aren’t they?”

Nima opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. She nodded instead.

Foba took a deep shuddering breath that NIma felt to her core. His life was going to change from here on as he knew it. That was his writing arm, too. Would he ever learn to write again?

Could he?

Nima bowed her head, her eyes stinging. “I’m so sorry,” she said quietly. “I shouldn’t have brought us here. I--”

Foba squeezed her hand. She looked up to see him watching the ceiling. “No… I did this.”

“Foba--”

“The Naga killed my parents.” She said nothing. “But I’m sure you guessed that by now. I did this to myself.”

“Foba, I’m sorry…”

“Stop apologizing, it’s okay. Like I said, I did this to myself. If anything, it’s me who should be asking you to forgive me. I put everyone in danger back there... I’m okay with this. Losing my arm. It felt good to put a sword in it. Felt even better to see you take their eye out. You know, when I went there I didn’t even want to fight it. I just… I just wanted to see it. I needed to know for sure. I remember when I was a boy and nobody believe the crew, but I did and now I know. It’s all I’ve wanted for years.”

“Why?” The question came out faster than Nima could stop it.

“Because it ate me up. Every day I wondered… was it a monster or was it someone else? Other pirates and my parent’s crew just didn’t want to admit it so they wouldn’t lose face? Did my parents find treasure and the crew had killed them for it, then delivered the bodies to avoid retaliation?” Foba swallowed hard. “But I saw it. I saw The Naga and now I know.”

“You wanted to move on.” It was like a small ember in Nima’s brain lit. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

It was too painful for him to shrug. He just shook his head. “You know, those things that are just too painful to talk about? You’d walk across a bed of nails before you talked about how it tore you up inside.”

Nima stayed with him for a while. He didn’t say anymore more, but she could see the silver lining his eyes. The tears that threatened to leak. She wondered what might happen with him now that his writing arm would be gone, but she didn’t have the heart nor the chance to ask him as Janje came in with Tehan and Koika. It was time.

Nima left as they began to sterilize their tools.

-:-:-:-:-

She heard the bubbles of laughter from around the door and when she came around the other side of it, Kehra was sitting in a dub of water, splashing and playing as Ranaka looked on. Ranaka gave her a weak grin. “I see you’re alright.”

Nima tried to smile, but she could tell just from the look in Ranaka’s eyes and the way her smile couldn’t totally reach them that she knew. “I’m sorry--”

Ranaka put up a hand. “I love Foba. I do. He’s like my brother,” she said. “But he lost himself his own and he knows it.”

Nima didn’t have a reply to that. It sounded so… cold, but after what she had experienced in the castle, what really was anything anymore? Was it really cold or was it the truth? Or both?

“I had no idea about the whole thing with his parents until today. Not in detail, at least. But that doesn’t mean you're to blame for him losing his arm. We all agreed to go with you. We knew the risks. Hell, we were half expecting some other crew to already have set up camp there or something and we might have to fight.”

Nima shifted on her feet. “But you know if we hadn’t come here because of me then Foba would be fine. Oh, and let’s not forget my stupidity.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I haven’t,” Ranaka quipped. Nima frowned. “I didn’t say you were off the hook. Gods only know why you would go in for that piece of shit, but your heart is bigger then mine, I suppose. Or maybe I just have seen more than you. Icho was never going to be a decent person.”

“I never thought he’d be a decent person…” Nima muttered.

“Then why, go in?”

Again, Nima said nothing. She didn’t know how to reply to that one. How did you put into words that it was just a compulsion. To help, to do. To do and then to worry.

And look where it had gotten her.

Whatever Ranaka saw on her face, she sighed. She straightened herself out and stood up, grabbing Kehra from her tub and handing over to Nima in a dry towel. Kehra cooed and yawned. “Listen, I don’t exactly know why you might have done that. I’m not you. But I do know I don’t want to see my friend die. Do me a favor?”

Nima adjusted Kehra in her arms, coddling her. “What’s that?”

“Stop nearly killing yourself for men who don’t deserve that kind of kindness?”

When Nima opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out, Ranaka clapped her shoulder as she left. “By the way, your little bundle of sharp teeth and joy had two raw trout while you were gone. She’s good for a while.”

She left and Nima looked down at Kehra, ready to fall asleep in her arms, a chubby cheek. “Hey,” Nima whispered to her. “Is that right? You ate a lot? Is it nap time?”

Kehra sleepily babbled to her in response, a tiny smile, but ultimately rested her cheek back on Nima’s chest. Nap time was indeed going to win out today. If nothing would make her feel better today, at least this surprisingly warm, sleepy tiny siren in her arms would make her feel useful.

Nima found herself in bed, falling asleep to the sound of Kehra’s breathing against her chest.

-:-:-:-

Nima woke up before Kehra did.

Did siren babies need more sleep than human babies? She would need to look that up. There was a knock at the door and then a creak. Nima looked up.

Hyun popped his head in and all the relief that he must have been waiting for flooded his features. He came in, setting a tray down on the nearby table and closed the door behind him. “Oh, good. You’re awake.”

“I’m fine,” Nima told him quietly. “Just took a nap.”

She sat up, letting Kehra still cuddle and slumber in the little bed nest Nima had made for her. Hyun’s lips twitched into a smile when he came over to look at Kehra comfortable as she could possibly be. “You’d be a good mom.”

“My brother and sister are five years younger than me. I got to watch my mom put them to sleep. Babies like to sleep. I tend to agree with them.”

Hyun snorted. “Wait till your my age, girlie.”

Either they were too loud or siren babies had very good hearing because a snuffle and a good yawn later, Kehra was blinking up at them both. Nima helped her sit up. “Did you have a nice nap?”

“Sorry, kid. Did I wake her up?”

“It’s okay,” Nima said, fixing Kehra’s dark hair. “I think it was time for her to get up now. I don’t know how long siren babies should sleep for, but we had a pretty long nape. Didn’t we?”

Kehra cooed, grasping at Nima’s finger brushing her cheek.

“You should go make some kids with The Big Grump. They’d be the prettiest assholes around.” Hyun cackled at the noise and the face she made at him. “Well, anyhow, I brought you some tea. Hope you like ginseng.”

Nima blinked. She smiled at him. “Thanks, Hyun. To be really honest, I don’t turn down much if I can eat it or drink it… though I never do anything for you and you’re always doing something for me. I ought to change that.”

“Funny of you to assume you haven’t already,” he chuckled. Before she could ask him what he meant, he said, “Besides, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to do anything for me. I’m a bit like your friend, The Tree of Solace down the hall. It gets a bit awkward for me when people try to be too nice to me all the time.”

“Just means you’re not used to it.”

Hyun shrugged. “I’ve got enough to be happy with. Besides, you’ve got enough on your plate.”

Nima sighed. “Tell me about it.” She looked down at him, reminded of the last thing that had been added to it. “How’s Foba?”

Hyun’s lips tightened. “Resting. Janje gave him some medicine for the pain… he’ll be alright, kid. From what I understand, Ran gave you all the advice I probably could give.”

Nima nodded numbly.

“You know, girlie, I told you that you’ve done enough for me already,” he said, rubbing the back of his arms. “And it’s true. It’s nice to know another street performer. Kind of reminds me of what I used to live for before I really got into this whole pirating thing. You’re good to have around. I like having you around.”

Nima realized what he was saying. What he was trying to do. She could have hugged him even if she still did feel terrible. “Well, I’m not sure I remember all the steps to that dance of yours very well. Think you could show me again?”

It was his turn to blink, the happiness that dawned on him, in spite of everything around them and after everything that had happened that day was enough to put some sort of spark in her chest. “Coure’, kiddo. O’course I can do that for you.”

Their dancing pleased Kehra, entranced by whatever funny human ritual this was, so they danced again for a time.

-:-:-:-

Skoochy normally never got into anyone’s business on the ship. Not on purpose, anyway.

No, that wasn’t really his style.

But it’d been a few days since Jinora had cried next to him like that. He’d hugged her until she told him that she was fine -- he didn’t believe her -- and said she was going to bed. Her mood didn’t seem to improve the next day. Or the next. On top of it all, Kai hadn’t been joining Skoochy for their morning smoke either. Now, Skoochy didn’t condone smoking, exactly. It was more of a thing he just couldn’t shake than a thing he wanted to do necessarily and he didn’t want Cap smoking himself to death or anything. But the abrupt change just wasn’t… good.

It gave Skoochy the chills.

Were Jinora and the Cap communicating at all?

That was what he’d set himself to find out when he knocked on the door of Kai’s study. Kai didn’t even seem to notice. Skoochy knocked harder, more deliberately this time.

Kai looked down, a hint of a frown on his lips. “What is it, Skooch?”

“You going to eat anytime today?”

“I’m fine.”

“Sure. I believe that.” Skoochy’s boots were audible as he crossed the room to place himself in front of his captain’s desk. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Skooch, I said I’m fine,” Kai said firmly. “I’m looking over these maps. Maybe there’s something here about that might point to where Nima might have gone. Old places we used to go--”

“Jinora already has a lead, remember? That’s why we’re sailing for Hidama?” Skoochy crossed his arms. He took the book rom Kai’s desk and snapped it shut.

Kai immediately stood up. “Skooch, what do you--”

“I want you to get a hold of your damn self,” Skoochy snapped. “Take a smoke break, sleep, eat, do something beside hole yourself up in here while your wife cries by herself.”

Kai paused. He searched Skoochy’s face. “Gyatso’s been crying?”

“The fact that you’re asking me that is enough to make me want to hit you.” Skoochy threw the atlas aside. “Look at you. You’re a mess. I normally don’t get on your case. About anything. I know it’s been hard for you, but you’re not the only one dealing with stuff here. It scares me half to death that you didn’t even realize that she’s been crying way more lately. You’re always the first to notice.”

Kai plopped himself down in his chair, rubbing his forehead. Thickly, he said, “I didn’t know.”

“I know you didn’t.” Skoochy sat himself in the chair across from him. “And I know Nima’s… situation is a nightmare. I get it… maybe I don’t feel it like you, but I get it. But we need you, too. The twins need you. And Jinora’s feeling pretty alone right now, too. I’m not going to sit here an sugar coat anything for you, man. You need to pull yourself together.”

Kai nodded numbly, a scathing look in his eyes. Skoochy knew that look. “I… this is my fault. I-- You know, sometimes, it’s hard to look at Gyatso.”

Skoochy blinked.

“She looks so much like Nima.” Kai laid his head back on his chair. “Maybe that’s why I haven’t been paying attention to her. Maybe I’m just being selfish.”

Skoochy sighed and sat back as well. “That’s okay.”

“It’s not--”

“You’re human, Kai. And Jinora will understand when you go see her. She gets it. But, you know, you can’t do this to yourself. You can’t just sit in here and wither away. We can’t let you do that. I’m not going to let you do that. Now, if you want some direction, the first thing you can do is get off your ass and go get something to eat. Then, maybe find your wife and go take a nap.” Skoochy swallowed. “You’re scaring me, Cap.”

“Don’t be scared. Withering away was never really my style of dying anyway, remember?” Kai snorted as he got up.

“Okay, a little dark, but I’ll take any humor I can get out of you, I guess.” Skoochy clapped him on the back as they left left the room.

“...Thanks, Skooch. Not just for me, but for being there for Gyatso.”

“What else am I here for?”

-:-:-:-

One of the things Nima never had to deal growing up, really, was when Rama and Taani got fussy as babies. At the time, she was practically still a baby herself, only a child of five at the time of their births. Plus, the twins had a plethora of other people who got to deal with any fussiness that came with two babies. Rama more so than Taani. Taani had always been rather quiet, honestly.

But Kehra was not necessarily quiet. She wasn’t loud, but she was squirmy and did not want to be in her tub. She didn’t want Nima to hold her. She didn’t want Nima to put her down.

Nima ran a hand through her hair, nearly whimpering at the sight and sound of Kehra crying. “What is it? I fed you, I changed you, I put you in your tub and I’ve tried playing with you. I don’t know what else you could possibly want.”

Kehra kept crying and Nima nearly started doing the same.

The door opened and shut behind her. Nima knew Dan’s footsteps before he asked, “Are you coming in to port with us today or are you staying here? The captain wants to know.” He paused. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s crying.”

“I can see that. Why?”

Nima threw her hands up and stood up. “I don’t know. I have no idea why she’s crying. I’ve done everything. I’ve fed her. I’ve changed her. I’ve played with her and she doesn’t want to be in her tub right now. If I carry her, she cries. If I put her down, she cries.”

“Have you tried patting her while you rock her?”

“I’ve already tried rocking her to sleep?”

“I said patting her while you rock her to sleep?”

“...no. No, I haven’t been patting her.”

Dan nodded to Kehra, still crying and fussing, for Nima to pick her up again. “Wrap her in that blanket, too. The one you let her and her mother use. And make sure your patting had a rhythm.”

A pang of guilt struck Nima, but she focused on what he was telling her and wrapped Kehra in a wool blanket Kahal had been lended by the crew. After a few minutes of rocking and gentle patting, Kehra had stopped crying, falling fast asleep in Nima’s arms. Nima eyed him after placing Kehra in the little basket that acted as her makeshift crib.

“How did you know to do that?” She asked him.

Dan glanced at her. “Siren babies are conceived in a womb just like human babies. The patting is like their mother’s heartbeat. She probably just misses her mother. The patting and the blanket with her mother’s scent on it made her feel safe.”

Again, Nima ignored the pang of guilt. She blinked at Dan. “Your good with kids.” It was less of a question and more of a statement.

Dan looked at her as he pulled up his boots. “I have experience with them.”

“Really?”

“None of my own,” he added. “But yes. I do have experiences with babies.”

Nima considered what to say. Whether to tease him because he’d been holding that kind of information back, perhaps, as a way of distancing himself or making himself seem colder than he really was. Or, if she should just leave it alone.

She opted for some form of the latter.

“That’s sweet,” Nima said as she left the room to tell Koika that she would join them after Kehra woke up. “I bet you make them feel really safe.”

She didn’t stick around to see how he reacted to that.

--

Whoo, first chapter of the new year! Thank you guys for your patience. I know these chapters aren't coming as fast as they used to, but I'm keeping them coming as I can. School is also about to start for me, so, please keep that in mind, but they will continue to come!

I have to say Ranaka and Nima's scene was probably my favorite here. Almost unexpectedly because it was a scene that just kind of happened on it's own. And I really ended up liking it. But, I'd love to hear what you guys think, too. As always, you guys know I love those reviews!

Truly, your comments and reviews are what really keep me going and keep this story up and running. Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!

[imagines-dreams]

Sea Legs Part 6 - Connor Murphy Imagine

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: evil sea witch, cursing, self doubt

Summary: Part 6 to  Sea Legs (Part 2/ Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5). You have always been interested in how humans lived, walked, danced, and interacted with their strange inventions. When you spot a human too interesting to ignore, you decide that watching from afar wasn’t enough anymore.

Word Count: 2113

After looking at more books with Alana and the bookkeepers, you took some papers, quills, and ink down to the shore. You sat on a rock and skimmed the water with your fingers. After a few minutes, Jared popped out from the water. “Ey-”

You shushed him.

“Right, right. Merpeople don’t exist. I get it.” He swam around your rock. “Woah. Evan wasn’t kidding.” He poked your foot, and you immediately slapped his hand away. He held up in hands in surrender. “Gimme a break! I haven’t seen legs up close!”

“Jared.” Evan smiled at you. “How’s everything? I mean, I know it’s not amazing cause, you know, the voice situation, but-”

“He’s asking about his crush,” Jared clarified.

“N-No, I’m not! I’m worried about everyone, the prince, the g-girl, the crew members… and such.”

You laughed and gave Evan a thumbs up.

Evan blushed. “Th-That’s good. I was hoping, you know. Humans aren’t used to water. I’ve heard they can get diseases if they’re in it for too long. I mean, some can, but there’s pneumonia, swimmer’s ear, I mean they’re quite vulnerable to-”

“How’s the kiss coming?” Jared asked.

Evan nodded. “Yeah, are you close? No pressure. I mean, yes, there is pressure, because of the contract... and the magic... and the witch and chores. Then, my father-”

You reached out for Evan’s hand and squeezed it before pointing to the paper.

“Oh, writing. Writing’s good. Yeah, write out the whole story.”

Jared looked at your paper and quill. “Include cool things on one side, and Zoe stuff on the other.”

“Jared!”

You laughed and wrote out the important details. The village, the dancing, the books, the pipe. You included your conversation with Zoe and Alana, too.

“Some sort of contest to see who sounds like you?” Jared asked. “Damn, he really liked the girl who saved him.”

Evan’s eyes furrowed. “Bubbles on the brain? You really think so?”

You nodded and wrote more. He seems to be sad and not think much of himself and can’t seem to escape it. Jared nodded. “Yeah, definitely sounds like bubbles on the brain. He’d need a doctor who specializes in that.”

You nodded. When I get my voice back, I’ll insist upon it.

For the rest of the night, you told them about the curious things you’ve encountered while in the castle, from stairs to candles. They updated you on things back in the kingdom. Your family was worried, of course, but still many were claiming that you just ran away or got lost on some shipwreck. Both were plausible, to be honest.

The next morning before lunch, you went back out to the shore, and both of your friends were there before you. You held your hands up. What in the world-

“Congratulations!” Jared said. “I can’t believe you snagged the prince like that!” Jared snapped.

Evan fidgeted with his fingers. “Uh, I mean, it’s a bit impulsive in my opinion. I mean, I love you, (Y/n), but isn’t it a bit too soon?”

You stared at the two of them. What the fuck were they talking about?

Jared and Evan looked at each other. “Well, you know what, (Y/n),” Jared said, “why don’t you go out on the town, meet someone, you know? The prince is overrated.”

You shook your head. Snagging a prince? Too soon to do so? No, it couldn’t be.

Evan swam up to you. “(Y/n)!”

You sprinted back to the castle. It was impossible! Connor never said anything about betrothal. He just said he wanted to find the girl who saved him. Wait, if he got betrothed to the girl who saved him and it wasn’t you, then whoever it was lying to him. You had to stop this! If he found out it wasn’t her too far into whatever relationship they had, he’d be devastated. Whoever she was, she was going to pay for lying to Connor.

You flew past hallways and rooms until finally, you saw him in one of the rooms for dancing.

Your heart shattered in an instant. He was… dancing. WIth a stunningly beautiful woman. Connor, he looked happy. He was laughing and talking as if he had nothing in the world to worry about. He was even dancing better.

You leaned against a column and took deep breaths. Whoever this was, did she make him better? She must’ve cared for him.

“Oh, lovely, Prince Connor! And sweetheart, you dance brilliantly,” the instructor said.

You closed your eyes and let the tears burn past your cheeks.

Then, she spoke, “Thank you. Really, it was all Connor.”

You wiped your tears. That was your voice. Your actual voice! You scrutinized the woman and gasped. That necklace, it was the same one the sea witch used to take your voice. It couldn’t be.

“Well, you two are already ready for the wedding,” the instructor said.

Connor nodded. “Good then. The wedding will be later tonight.”

“Really, tonight? Your royal highness-”

“Tonight!” Connor boomed. “I-I, uh, need to marry her tonight.”

The fiancee giggled your giggle and looked over her shoulder, straight at you.

You glared at her. You were not going to let the sea witch trick Connor. She could make slights at you. You asked for it and signed for it. Connor didn’t need this.

“What about a wedding on the sea?” the fiancee suggested.

Connor’s eyes widened. “Uh, I’m not sure. I mean” -he shivered and straightened up again- “I would love to. Arrange for that immediately.”

The servants around the room stood perplexed.

“Well?!” Connor yelled.

The servants scattered, bumped into each other, and rushed to fulfill his request, or rather the sea witch’s request.

“We should board this ship immediately,” the fiancee suggested.

“Yes,” Connor said. “We should.”

You clutched your chest. Connor was still scared of water since the accident! She couldn’t. You wouldn’t let her!

You got up and ran right into two soldiers. You frantically tried to get pass them, but they just told you, “His royal highness has requested that you leave immediately.”

You shook your head and tried to tell them what was going on, but they couldn’t understand. Their prince was in danger! They needed to understand. Connor, your friend, he was in trouble!

“Miss, if you refuse to leave palace grounds-”

“Wait!” Alana ran to the guards. “Wait, you can’t force her to leave when the princess is asking for her presence.”

The guards stared at Alana, as if challenging her. The woman just put her fists on her hips and said, “I can tell the princess you don’t want to follow her orders, but-”

“Fine, but Prince Connor wants her gone.”

You stared at the ground. He was under a spell. He was under a spell. He didn’t mean what he said. You just had to save him. Without a voice. Without your friends. While he was out at sea on a ship. No, you had to save him. No matter what. It didn’t matter if the deal was up or not, you were going to save him.

Alana tugged at your arm. You raised an eyebrow at her. “Princess Zoe does want to see you. Just in case, we’re also packing you clothes and things if you get-”

You ripped your arm from her grasp and stomped your foot. You pointed at yourself then at the ground.

Alana sighed. “I know you want to stay, but with Connor acting like… that, I’m not sure how long his younger sister and I can keep him.” She continued to lead you through the halls. “I know, it’s uncharacteristic of him, but you don’t understand. You haven’t known him as long as the princess and I have.” Alana sighed. “He does crazy things sometimes.”

You shook your head.

She smiled. “It’s nice that you think of him like that.”

You closed your eyes. You were going to save him. With or without her help.

The princess was playing music on an instrument you didn’t recognize. She looked up and smiled. “(Y/n), hello, sorry. I play when I’m stressed. I just… have you talked to Connor lately?”

You waved your hand over your shoulder.

“Yesterday?”

You nodded.

“Did he say anything about a betrothal to the girl who saved him?”

You shook your head.

She groaned. “I know Connor’s stupid, but he’s not this stupid!”

“Have you tried talking to him?” Alana asked.

The princess nodded. “He just flipped me off and told me to mind my own fucking business. He hears her voice, and he’s down on one knee?” She sighed. “I mean, I don’t know what to do.” Zoe gulped and gestured to you. “That’s why I want you to talk to him. He was more… tolerable when he hung out with you. Maybe you can knock some common sense into his empty skull.”

Alana cleared her throat. “Uh, Princess, he has ordered her to leave the castle.”

“What?” she whispered. She screamed and lifted her skirts. “I’m going to-”

“Zoe!” Alana blocked her from the door. “Connor moved the wedding to this afternoon. A few hours from now. He’s preparing for his wedding as we speak.”

Zoe shook her head. “You’re kidding.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not.”

The princess sighed and stared at you. “Well, I’m at a loss.” She composed herself. “Fine. If Connor wants to ruin his life, he can do so. I’m done caring for my brother’s well-being.”

You shook your head and reached out for her. She cared for Connor, too. She could help him. Maybe more than you could.

“Leave me be.” Zoe sat on her chair and began to play again.

You wanted to scream. It wasn’t him! She just had to help you defeat the witch and save Connor. Before you could reach her, Alana pulled you away and took you outside the princess’s room. You tried to gesture the real situation but Alana didn’t understand. Instead, she straightened out your dress. “I don’t have much time.”

You tilted your head.

“Some servants are preparing your things as we speak. By the time you finish talking to him in the library, your things will be outside the library.”

You smiled a little.

Alana nodded. “Well, the prince is complicated, and he’s been better when he’s around you. Princess Zoe had told him to meet with her in the library. Since she’s not going anymore, I think you can go in her place.” She patted your shoulder. “Now, go talk to him.”

You smiled and rushed to the library.

Joy filled your heart, and you hugged Connor immediately.

“Woah! Sea legs?”

You nodded and looked up at him. You kissed him on the cheek.

Connor laughed, then stopped. His brown eyes turned green. He shivered, stiffened. Then, he pushed you off. “Shouldn’t you be leaving? I told the guards to escort you out of the palace.”

Your chest ached. It looked so real. His eyes were full of spite and disgust. Was that what Zoe was talking about before? No, this hurt, but it wasn’t Connor. You grabbed his hand and kissed his cheek.

“Fuck off! Why are you so clingy?” He pointed at you, as if accusing you. “Just because you can’t fucking talk doesn’t give you the right to latch onto the first person you see.”

Tears burned in your eyes. He didn’t mean it. He didn’t mean it. He didn’t mean it.

“What? You thought I actually cared about you? I pitied you, yeah, but I don’t give a shit about what happens to you. As long as you’re gone.”

He couldn’t mean that. It wasn’t him, but it hurt. It hurt too much. It was his voice that cut like glass and his eyes that burned through you. What if the sea witch was just making him tell the truth? What if all those conversations, laughter, dances were just fake, out of pity for the shipwrecked girl with no voice? You weren’t anything to him. Just some project that he was tired of.

He laughed, and everything hurt. “Just leave. What can you do when you’re here, huh? Fail at learning English? Remind me how much I hate the ocean? Lie to me about my self-worth?”

Everything was broken beyond repair. You couldn’t take it. You couldn’t stand it. You wanted to get out.

So you did.

You stumbled out of the room with tears in your eyes, and every time you took a step, it felt like your body caught on fire. You grabbed the suitcase outside of the library, and when the guards told you weren’t allowed in the castle, you followed them. You weren’t needed anymore.

Edit: Part 7 is finally up!

[acrownofblueroses]

Klance Fic Recs, AU Settings I

Okay so I might end up making multiple parts for AU settings. This one contains mostly occupational/hobby/setting AU stuff. So unless an AU fic prominently featured a certain element, it’ll go on another list. So there are some College AUs, 2 Soulmate AUs, and maybe a few others. 

SPORTS

Olympians house on fire by ilgaksu When Lance McClain is eighteen, he qualifies for the Olympics.

When he's nineteen, he meets Keith.

Correlation does not mean cause, until it totally does.

your love is bright as ever by aknightley (gymnast!Keith, swimmer!Lance) A brief interlude in the future of the Olympic AU, Christmas with Keith and Lance and their cats.

"This always looks easier in those made for television movies," Keith tells Blue, who rolls over and out of his lap, chasing her own bits of tinsel.

In It To Win It by Lucy_Claire One of two things was happening right now, either Lance was having a heart attack on of the biggest day of his life, or he had just laid eyes on his Soulmate. _______

Competitive swimmer Lance McClain feels his Timer counting down right when he's about to jump in the water and finish up his race. He's faced with two choices in this moment: Continue the race and miss meeting his Soulmate at their fateful time or abandon his life's work for someone he never met.Lance makes his choice and has to suffer the consequence of never getting back what he missed out on. Or does he?

Swimmers Ocean Eyes by spacezuko Lance himself doesn't even believe in his own abilities. He is drowning in his own pool of desire to be everything that he claims he is. Everything that he wants to be. Keith wonders if he’s broken Lance because he doesn't say a word, his eyes filled with something opaque that Keith can't quite pinpoint the meaning of. Lance’s eyes are a deep blue. Not the typical morning sky blue, but the kind of ocean blue one wants to drown in.

With legs like these by Queerswimming In which Lance finds out that there's a pool in the castle and challenges Keith to a race.

Lance did NOT think this through. Because not a single thing in this universe could’ve prepare him for the sight of Keith in nothing but a red pair of swimming trunks.

Keith has one arm bend behind his head and stretches it with the other. His back arches beautifully, presenting Lance a perfect view of his well-defined torso. At least the last thing Lance sees right before he dies are those ripped abs.

Football Mistakes were made by Lynn1998 Lance can't stand the captain of the football team…so why is he having sex with him? Part 1 of skinny band nerd takes it up the ass from the beefcake football captain series

Ice Skating/Hockey On Thin Ice (WIP) by Minadora Once upon a time, two Canadian nerds decided to start a figure skating au about their two space sons and their wonderful misfit friends. Ten pages of headcanons later we finally put electronic pen to electronic paper and created this monstrosity.

This multi-chapter fic chronicles the lives of a hockey player named Keith who gets forcibly enlisted into figure skating lessons by his brother, Shiro, to "work on his footwork". There he meets a pompous - yet talented - figure skater named Lance and gets swept away by both the sport and the skater.Enjoy the ride because it's only just started.

Kiss My Ice (WIP) by delictor Lance hasn't skated in a year since the accident that cost him the Olympics. Keith can't skate for shit but that doesn't stop him from catching Lance's attention, even when he can't so much as stand up after falling on the ice.

'When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.'

“Soon as we're off this ice you're dead.” Keith's threat is an empty one and he knows Lance can tell by the way he laughs at it. “Serious question though, do you not know who I am?” Lance questions. “Should I?” “No, I guess not.” Lance shrugs. “I'm gonna twirl you, okay?” “No, no don't—wait!” Keith cries out as he's suddenly viewing the entire arena and his legs go rigid before colliding into Lance's chest, his chest rising and falling with laughter, hands gripping Keith's upper arms gently. “Put me back on land.” “Technically, we are on land.” “We're on frozen water, get me off it.”

Quidditch (Non Hogwarts AU) The Marks We Make (WIP) by wittyy_name Lance McClain constantly dreams of the day he'll finally meet his mysterious soulmate. They don't say much, if anything at all, but they leave him with gorgeous paintings temporarily tattooing his skin. It's not exactly the situation he hoped for, but when he feels the connection between them, he can't bring himself to resent them. As much as he wishes his soulmate would just talk to him, he's resigned himself to being patient. In the meantime, he has a loving family and good friends to help him get by.

Keith Kogane dreads the day he'll finally meet his obnoxious soulmate. He's just an art student who's struggling to find his place in the world. There's so much he hasn't been able to control in his life, and the thought of having a soulmate, just another thing in his life which he also has no control over yet can't do anything about, is a little terrifying. So he ignores the words that occasionally appear on his skin. He has other things to focus on: like being a new student at a big university where his childhood friend and step-brother go.

Surfers (mostly surfer!Lance) Should I Stand Up on Fear (And Tell You How I Feel?) by Lulatic “So, it’s really a good thing that Lance got distracted before he dragged you out there with him,” Hunk chuckled. “I guess flirting became more important than your guys’ rivalry.’

Keith blushed again, looking away with a huff. “Yeah, whatever. He’ll probably be distracted long enough that I can go back to the Castle before he decides I need some surfing lessons.”

Pidge laughed, that kind of cheeky giggle that made Keith and Hunk look over at them with wide eyes. Pidge raised a single eyebrow at Keith, grinning mischievously. “Oh, but you won’t be going back to the Castle any time soon, now will you? Not when Lance is out there, soaking wet, wearing nothing but a pair of swimming trunks.”

Pride Tide by lemoninagin He’d stared up, watched the differing patches of sunlight play the most stunning array of colored patterns across Keith’s pale face as he grinned mischievously over him. Time slowed, his own breathing became laboured and caught in his throat.

“You can teach me, right?” Keith had asked in a shyer voice than usual, brushing the tangled mess of his windswept hair away from his eyes and cocking his head towards the boards.

Save his smile by Queerswimming Keith wants to protect Lance's smile and finds his answer at the beach. Starring an awkward Keith, Surfer Lance and Hunk playing a giant ice berg.

Lance caresses the wood gently. His eyes turn soft as he speaks. “My big brother taught me how to build a board.” He laughs softly. “I always messed it up though. I wasn't patient enough to do it right." He taps on the wood and looks at Keith with a sad smile that knocks the breath out of Keith lungs.

“Who would have thought that I would build a surf board in space though.”

He laughs at that but Keith can tell that Lance is faking it. He always can.

Roller Derby Like Devo by surveycorpsjean As rival jammers, they're rough, skating around the rink, giving bruises, bloody noses, broken ribs and snapped fingers-

But when the cops show up, Keith grabs his hand and yanks Lance into the storm drain.

And thats how they start dating.

Streetracing Purple Lamborghini by warschach “I need you to focus on this race. No more hate flirting with Keith as much as I enjoy it. I like winning more.”

He scoffed, “I don’t flirt.”

“Then stop saying you’re going to teach him how to ride.”

“I was talking about driving. Duh,” Lance countered with an attitude mastered purely by Valley girls and entitled customers.

“Yea, Lance it doesn’t come off like that at all. It sounds like you’re gonna fuck him.”

“I’m not.”

ARTISTS (also including Musicians and Modeling)

Photographer Pretty Boy by MilkTeaMiku (photographer!Keith) A pretty Spanish boy shoves a bouquet of flowers under his nose and tells him to stop and smell the roses, so Keith does.

Roommates by manamune (photographer!Lance, artist!Keith) (13:24) Lance: Thank you!! Love you, Keith!!!

(13:55) Keith: I’m screenshotting that for the next time you deny it.

Sight for Sore Eyes by writewild Photographer!Lance's deadline for the magazine he works on the side for is coming up really soon, and has to search last-minute photo opportunities soon. One boy catches his eye.

Riptide by songsofthespring (photographer!keith, surfer!Lance) Keith fumbles with the camera around his neck and lines up a shot. The boy coasting down a wave, one hand kissing the water. Keith zooms in as far as his lens will allow him. Droplets frame the boy’s brown skin and cling to his hair and chest. His eyes, little pinpricks of light from this distance, are nevertheless still recognizably as bright as the ocean itself. It looks like he could be dancing when he rides a wave; every part of his lanky frame seems to merge with the board and the ocean beneath him.

He’s beautiful.

Foreign Scenes  by bwyn Lance has been dreaming of travelling since the first time he heard stories from his family as a child. Now, having finally the time and money to do it, he goes on a trip to Europe to see some of the most culturally rich cities on the continent. Except he keeps bumping into the same guy over and over again, in random cities, doing stupid shit, and ultimately dragging Lance into his trouble, too.

Basically an AU in which Lance and Keith become impromptu travel buddies and get into trouble.

Artist 7 Days to Fall For You by saiikavon (artist!Keith, ballerina!Lance)

Keith is an art student who mostly keeps to himself, taking note of the beauty in life but keeping his distance from it. This includes the beautiful dancer he sees across the street from his apartment...until a week-long art project pushes him to change that.

(For Klance Secret Santa 2016)

And Now You’re Mine (WIP) by Samyx914 (some artist!Keith) “No, really. I’ve been thinking about that movie since I got up and that’s the only copy they have and I want it.”

“But, I was faster.”

“But, I want to watch it.” The stranger laughs.

“Well, you could always come home with me to watch it.” He says with a wink.

“Okay.” The stranger’s eyes widen. What the fuck, Keith? No. You don’t go home with strangers… Anymore. 

In which Keith wants to watch a movie, so he goes to find it at Walmart. When there's only one copy left and someone else picks it up first, his only option is to go home with a stranger. Keith didn't count on this stranger being so easy to fall for.

Visions by becca2793 "It’s funny, because as a tattoo artist he makes art that lasts pretty much forever – as far as the person who has it is concerned – but a street artist…their art lasts maybe a couple of days."

Keith comes in for a tattoo; Lance immediately falls in love. With his art. His love for Keith comes later.

Take the Easel Way Out by svensationalist Oh no, he’s hot, Lance thinks while he’s dying.

(Pidge elbows Lance sharply a little while later. “You’re not dying, dumbass,” they whisper. “Pay attention, the pose started.”)

***

Written for klanceweek day 1, “Red/Blue”. Art class AU where Lance can’t focus because one of the new life drawing models is too attractive.

Cute as Fcuk by anonymouschupacabra Even though he had never seen the hot guy before in the year that he'd been going to college, it was like the dam had broken, because Lance saw him everywhere. From the sculpture rooms, to the library, to the cafeteria, the guy was everywhere Lance was, and it only made it that much harder to ignore the hot buzzing he felt inside every time he saw him.

Dancers 7 Days to Fall For You by saiikavon (ballerina!Lance) see above ^

i bet you look good on the dance floor by xShieru "So like in 'Step Up'?" Allura shrugs. "Now that you put it like that - yes. I guess it's just like in 'Step Up'." The smile that she sends Shiro's way - followed by a shy wave, eugh - is sickening to say the least, and Lance still doesn't believe in dance camps

.-

Lance McClain's dancing career begins and ends with Keith.

Keith just wants to find out what Lance's deal is.

you raise me up by rhapsodyinpink “What, you don’t think I look like Patrick Swayze?”

Keith snickers. “Absolutely not. You are Jennifer Grey in this situation.”

“That’s a fair point. Nobody puts me in a corner,” replies Lance, nodding seriously, before his expression turns mischievous.

“So then...are you saying you want to call me Baby?”

Keith flushes red, but stands his ground as he leans in closer. “Are you saying you want me to?”

Shut Up and Dance With Me (WIP) by wittyy_name Lance and his friends have been regulars at the Altea Dance Studio for years. Not just for classes, but to hang out, practice, and spend time with good people who love dancing. Every year, they audition to be one of the few representing Altea at the regional dance competition. Lance always auditions solo, but this year he misses out on auditions and blows his chance to participate. And so does his self-proclaimed rival, Keith.

Luckily, Shiro comes up with a brilliant plan: convince Lance and Keith to audition as a duo.

With a little convincing, and a lot of effort, these two might just be able to pull it off and go to regionals... or they might crash and burn.

Musicians That Would Be Alright by icedsonder And call it spur of the moment, his exacerbated pining over past few months, or even his own alcohol impaired judgment, but Keith let his inhibitions take a backseat as he took a step forward and pressed his forehead against Lance’s to sing his next lines.

"I know I'll fall in love with you, baby"

Musically Insane by myparadisepalace It had only taken Lance three days after becoming the blue paladin to realize there were no instruments in the castle. And even if there were, Lance figured they’d be too obscure and strange for him to be able to play.

PROFESSIONS (i.e. cops, doctors, EMTs, waiters)

Soldiers/Assassins/Spies Counting in Code by DLanaDHZ There was no one better in the field. The Voltron Force was efficient and deadly, and they took no new recruits. They were hand-picked, and though they didn't always get along, they were family. Under the stress of a mission, the team counted each other as a way to calm down and focus. But Keith couldn't count, because counting meant he knew where everyone was, and right now all he had was a pair of bloody dog tags in place of his partner.

blink if you want me by xShieru He wakes up to Pidge’s face hovering above him. “You gotta stop running into him like this.” “Dude, he fucking shot me.” “I know. We saw.”

-

A hitmen AU wherein two thirsty assholes fall for each other and then jeopardize their respective missions because of it.

Retail/Food (waiters/cashiers/clerks) Melt With You by dumpsterdiva If you ask Keith what summer means to him, he’ll say shitty weather, a bag of quarters, sticky blue raspberry kisses, and not-quite-midnight sandwiches.

Summer job AU at the pier feat. Keith as a shaved ice slave and Lance as an aquarium camp counselor.

You Dropped a Bomb by quartetship Lance loved his job.

OR: The Klance LUSH au

Tollbooth Operator Drive Me Crazy by battleshidge Keith stared blankly at the tollbooth operator for a moment before trying to stifle a groan. Somehow, he always managed to get the booth with the flirtatious attendant, a lanky brown-haired man with clear blue eyes and a confident grin. It didn’t matter that he changed what lane he went through—at least three times a week on his way home from work, Keith was forced to suffer through the horrendous flirts that this man tossed his way.

Taxi Driver Finish What You Started by battleshidge “You were right,” Keith breathed, looking up at Lance with a fire in his eyes. “I did start this,” he lifted his chin, pressing a soft kiss to Lance’s jaw. And another. And another. Lance thought it was torture—sweet, sweet torture. And then that challenge sparked in Keith’s eyes again as he asked, tone low and resonant, “Are you going to finish it?”

Pizza Delivery You Stole a Pizza My Heart by KaSaPe Keith just wanted a pizza. The cute delivery boy with the weird grin and stupid flirting (?) had other plans.

Or: Keith just doesn't get Lance's flirting. At all.

Lifeguards six foot dive (WIP) by shizuoh "I'm bisexual," Lance says.

Keith furrows his eyebrows. "Good... for you?"

"I'd like to buy you a drink," he starts, and grins, "and then get sexual."

Keith shoves him into the water.

(or: lance and his family go to california for a two-month vacation. cue hot lifeguard keith gyeong-kogane.)

Lessons by amycoolz and SylviaW1991 Keith has been nothing but a thorn in Lance's side since the mullet-haired ass first walked into the classroom. But when he decides to get himself shoved into the deep end and, wow, can't even swim, Lance has to save his pretty self and then Pidge volunteers him to teach Keith how to swim. Great. Just great.

Nurse Racing Heartbeats and Hospital Bedsheets by screwtodayimsleeping (nurse!Keith) Me: Hunk Me: Buddy Me: emergency!!!! HunkyBae: what’s up, lance? Are they not letting you out of the hospital yet? Me: HUNK Me: the male nurse that took my blood was probably the sexiest person i’ve ever seen Me: and im literally wearing two sheets as an outfit

BUSINESSES (e.g. Coffeeshop, flower shop, animal shelter)

Office eyes wide to you with wonder by aknightley Keith doesn't dislike his job, but he definitely dislikes Lance. Probably. Maybe.

"Coran thinks you'll bang at the Christmas party but I think that's giving you guys way too much credit," Pidge says thoughtfully. "Hunk is a romantic. He thinks Lance is gonna ask you out any day now. I think he's got a week or so before he owes me like a hundred bucks."

"Pidge, what the fuck?" Keith says, flustered. He nudges them again with his foot, this time slightly harder. They scowl at him, swatting him away. "Why would you bet on me and Lance?" Part 1 of Office AU

Flower Shop i’ll gift you the stars by Kyoshu_Koi Flowers and stars. At least they were giving him things he liked.

Cactus by PinkHitman When Keith moves from the desert in the middle of ass backwards nowhere, to plop in the middle of the big city, he doesn't expect to instantly grow fond of the tall, endearing, jerk across the street. But it's hard not to see roses when said person works in a flower shop.

Arcade got game by warschach Lance hates his job until the one day he doesn't.

Bakery you’re so sweet; will you be mine?  by jojotext A new bakery pops up right across the street from Lance's bakery. . . . In which Lance is an idiot, Keith is an asshole, and Pidge is the next Dr. Phil.

Coffeeshop nothing’s quite as sweet by dimpleforyourthoughts and thebrotherswinchester Keith is a barista who hates his job. Lance works at the cat shelter across the street.

SOCIAL MEDIA (Tumblr AU, bloggers, Youtubers, gamers)

Youtubers you had me at merlot by DJAlien “Oh my God,” Lance says as he covers his face. Keith’s tinny voice blares from his laptop speakers: “What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.” See, this joke might have been funny if someone charismatic and charming had said it, but Keith’s flat voice and even flatter expression effectively kidnaps, tortures, and then decapitates any chance of it being remotely humorous.

--

Keith accidentally starts a YouTube channel. Lance, of course, refuses to be left out. It goes about as well as you'd expect. (Ft. copious amounts of wine and a truly shameless number of references to MyDrunkKitchen, DailyGrace, and general pop culture)

The Boyfriend Tag by theoddpacolypse Keith and Lance are famous YouTubers, along with the rest of their friends, and though they consider each other "rivals" in some ways, they are actually incredibly close. So close that they are actually dating in secret and constantly dropping hints to their fans, whom desperately want them together. Part 1 of What Happens on Youtube series

Gamers Next Level (WIP) by battleshidge “Dammit, Blue, don’t die on us yet! We only just started!”

Red’s voice snapped in his ears, and Lance cursed under his breath. He tried to backpedal quickly, but being flat on his back with the enemy looming above made for certain movement limitations. On top of that, he was already injured, and he could see the red patch spreading across his thigh. He could really use some of Hunk’s portable healing pods, that was for sure. And that, Lance observed, was a very nasty looking knife that was about to plunge straight through his chest.

Well, shit.

Effect: +100% Love, -100% Logic (WIP) by manamune In the real world, Lance is barely making it by in his senior year. He's failing most of his classes and is only one more fuck up away from being kicked off the swim team.

In the virtual reality game Voltron, Lance lives an entirely different life as the internationally-known Blue, an archer with impeccable aim. He's filthy rich, has a trillion friends, and is a part of the most feared guild in the game.There's just one problem: he's madly in love one of his guildmates, Red.

Things begin to go downhill when a kid who acts suspiciously similar to Red transfers to Lance's school.

Bloggers a recipe for two by battleshidge He wondered, briefly, what the look on Lance’s face would be if he actually did say yes.

It’s Mutual (Follow Back Already) by JessicaMDawn At twenty-four, Keith decides to figure out what this 'tumblr' thing is. It's confusing at first, but Keith learns to have fun with it with help from a few new friends. AKA Keith's adventures on tumblr.

[grantpcblog]

all of the "how good they are" for Jonathan

Oh boy all for one okay Here we go 💋 - (honestly I have to say he never kissed a girl yet. So I say who knows he's not like one those guys who practice kissing. )
👼 - (He loves all the citizens that he cares about so maybe he won't be so bad at baby sitting but unless he was told to do it like by his higher ups or his own parents.) 
🍛 - (He tired to cook once he's okay at it I guess doing alchemy and potions made him great at cooking soup and stew. Also taught by his mom. Really he can't cook anything beyond that.) 
💃 - (the young man never danced in his life but I'm pretty sure he's not very good at it or bad at it. So dance levels are basically 5 out of 10 in skill.)
🎭 - (he never had a very artistic mind one might say. So you can say he wasn't good at trying to act or perform cause he's pretty straight forward.) 
🍻 - (ummm depending if the drinking age of the medieval times is the same as Pokelot's. I say Jonathan is a very light weight. As in after five or so drinks he's down.)
😠 - ( He doesn't get into a temper very often. But when he does he is pretty good at handling it he would just pout and calm down by kicking a wall and that's it.)
📝- (a trait sometimes he needs to work on he can think of a plan on follow it through to the best of his ability but wither that plan was a good idea depends on the situation of course. But you can count on him following someone else's plan.) 
🎤- (I wouldn't say he's good at singing. But he's good at humming and whistling while he's on patrol.) 
🙊 - (he can keep a secret cause he knows the values of secrets. Though if anyone askes he will just say "it's a secret sorry." Then walks away and happy.) 
🌷- (Jonathan is no gardener so he wouldn't say he take care of plants that well. Pets are a different story. He will love to take care of a pet his very one and he will try his hardest to take care of it and love it properly. Even takes the time to feed food to strays.)
😈 - (he would never manipulate people. He thinks that is just wrong to do so. So no he isn't very good at doing that.)
🏊 - (he's a pretty average swimmer he isn't helpless like Joylne but he is pretty decent at it so he won't drown in water.) 
😂 - (he's not for one telling jokes and also sometimes jokes fly right over his head it may take him a bit understand the joke.)
📰 - (tries stay on potion on what's going on. to be since a knight he thinks he needs to be ready for action at any time when needed so he tries to see what's going on in the castle or kingdom at any time.)
📚 - (he only knows the basics of history of his world like when important dates and such.)
⌚- (he tries to stay with the times with the limit source of looking at the sky lol)
💪 - (He does a pretty good in trying to stay in shape if he wants to become a knight he has to be fit for the job so he tries to keep being fit) 
😏 - (is not very good at lying. He was told by his mom never to lie to people so he won't lie to people cause he thinks lying is wrong.) 
🚗 - (there is no cars in Pokelot yet so I assume he rides a horse which he's honestly still working on that. He's still in training for that. He's okay but not the best.) 
👗 - (the man has no sense of fashion at all. So dressing with style is something he won't do unless he gets help. Probably from his mom and stuff he was told to wear.)
🔮 - (pretty darn good since he learned the magic of alchemy and potion making from his own mother who's a expert. Also he practices on his own time to get better. So he's pretty darn good at that.) 
🔪 - (his best weapon is his sword and shield which is like his bread and butter as in he's good at using those.)
🔫 - (training to be a knight he did have bow and arrow training. You can say he's decent by not the best. It's passable. He's the more I want to get close to people kind of fighter anyhow.)
💞 - (it really depends on the type of feelings he's fine with expressing his happiness and basic feelings like that. Though he will struggle if he actually like like someone then he won't know what to do.) 
😓 - (it will honestly take him a bit to realize his mistakes. But when he does he will get sad then adimtly go and try to fix or try to improve from his mistake as a great knight should in his mind.)
🎺 - (I can't say he ever played a instrument unless you count a mixing stick a instrument, but I assume it's musical instruments so no he can't play those.)
🎁 - (he can be good at it if you want useful potions as gifts. He may give you good healing potions if he really like someone personally.) 
✊ - (as a soon to be knight he needs to keep his promises he would not likely forget any promise. So expect him to always fulfill a promise and keep it.) thanks for asking!

[acrownofblueroses]

Klance Fic Recs- AU Settings Pt II

FANTASY

Mermaids/Sirens Watercast (WIP) by fishwrites Shiro has been a Galra prisoner for over a year; with his flight feathers clipped and unable to fly. Desperate to escape, he jumps overboard while being transported to the capitol on a Galran ship. Lance is a merman who saves him from drowning. Keith thinks Shiro is about to become mermaid dinner. Hunk just wants Lance to stop going to the surface all the time, dammit!

(AU where Avians (winged folk), Galra, humans and merfolk cohabit earth. Shiro and Keith are avian soldiers, Lance is the youngest son of a Queen, Hunk is also a merman and Pidge is still looking for her family.)

Pass Like the Weather by crxzy “What’s it like?” “What’s what like?” “You know, being a mermaid and all.” “It’s very wet.”

AKA- that vaguely sad, slightly angsty, mainly just cute and kinda strange mermaid AU that nobody asked for but me.

Moonset Deep (WIP) by MilkTeaMiku All his life he’d been told to make sure he was never seen – it was what all the children were taught from the moment they were born. Never let a human see you, never fall in love with a human, and most importantly, never kiss one.

For Lance, humans were a mystery. He'd lived beneath the surface of the ocean with his shoal his entire life, and had intended to remain there. He knew the danger humans posed to his kind, and what would happen if he came close to one. That's why, when he found one drowning, his first instinct was to save him.

He'd never been good at following the rules anyway.

To Resist the Siren’s Call (WIP) by leolovesnico Ever since the death of his mother, Lance McClain can't bring himself to love the sea as his father does- who knows what could lurk beneath the surface? With the threat of a war looming over his head, Lance needs to face his face in order to save their country from the Galra. (Fantasy au, mermaid au, voltron secret santa gift 2016)

the sea pronounces something by legendarydesvender “You’re the best we have.”

“Shiro was the best and we all know what happened to him.”

“That’s the thing, Kogane — we don’t know what happened to him, or the Holts, or anyone else who went in there and never returned. There is a good chance you won’t make it back either. But if you don’t give a damn about that, the mission details are in here.”

Keith shrugs. “Well, I’ve got nothing left to lose.”

***

AU where Keith is a sailor and Lance is the siren trying to drown him.

See You Tomorrow by Craptastic He stands frozen as a creature of magnificent beauty swims up to him with a smirk on his lips. The dwindling sunlight catches the creature's iridescent tail causing the colors to alter between shades of blue and green. The creature is a thing of fairy tales with half a body of a human and the other of a fish. The beauty that lays before him was from fairy tales, nothing in reality could be as beautiful.

It has to be a dream.

breathless by zxrysky "You shouldn't go out to the sea at night," their grandmother says. She's in a rocking chair, old and creaky, her withered body settled with a shawl around her shoulders, wrinkled fingers gripping the edges of the arm rest. "Don't risk it."

"Risk what?" Shiro asks, eyes wide. He's fourteen, just a young boy, on the cusp of maturity, arms wrapped around his younger brother as they sit before their grandmother.

His grandmother pauses for a while. "There is danger in the sea."

Going Under by sun_stricken Lance takes a dangerous spill in the ocean and is saved by none other than a mermaid with weird hair.

Or: a mermaid keith au, with not even gratuitous amounts of surfing sorry my bad

Seafoam Castles (WIP) by milkdromedas Lance has what one may be able to call a near-death, close-encounter experience with a mer...person.

No, really.

Elemental Powers (a la Avatar Last Airbender ish) Foundations by needchocolatenow When Keith met Lance, it was over a briny sea.

Soulmates I Will Follow by jamwrites Keith and Lance are bound by their soulmate tattoos, bound to meet again and again with each new new life. When lives hang in the balance, that bond will be sorely tested.

An explosion of golden pleasure and joy and love for Keith rushed through Lance’s body like a tidal wave, every bit as strong as when the flower had first bloomed. His legs suddenly were gooey; it was everything he could do not to crumple to the floor.

“Okay, okay,” Lance said, panting a little. “Sorry.”

But he was smiling while he said it, because now he wanted nothing more than to be close to Keith, and he could tell Keith wanted the same.

You don’t have to say “I love you”, to say I love you by haarucchii soul mate noun noun: soulmate a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.-In which Lance's soulmate, isn't really his.

A Shove Towards Love by General_Button A simple rescue mission turns into chaos when the species on the planet Novaria take an interest in the lives of two of its paladins.

In It To Win It by Lucy_Claire One of two things was happening right now, either Lance was having a heart attack on of the biggest day of his life, or he had just laid eyes on his Soulmate. _______

Competitive swimmer Lance McClain feels his Timer counting down right when he’s about to jump in the water and finish up his race. He’s faced with two choices in this moment: Continue the race and miss meeting his Soulmate at their fateful time or abandon his life’s work for someone he never met.Lance makes his choice and has to suffer the consequence of never getting back what he missed out on. Or does he?

Love and Other Questions (WIP) by squirenonny One week after news of the Kerberos disaster broke, Pidge receives a new Mark--proof that Matt is still alive. She breaks into the Garrison to find him, only to find herself caught up in the fight for the fate of the universe.Keith keeps his arms covered so he doesn't have to watch Shiro's scars compounding on his skin--but doing so means cutting off contact with his romantic soulmate, who greets him each morning with a new (and terrible) pickup line.

Shiro and Matt thought they were the luckiest people alive when they found out they were going to Kerberos together. But Shiro hasn't seen Matt's untidy scrawl on his arm in almost a year, and he has no idea if his soulmate is even still alive.

[Canonverse Soulmate AU with romantic and platonic soulmates (and some gray areas in between)]

daytime star by draconicwyvern Keith's neighbor across the balcony is annoying. And not just annoying — Lance is get-on-your-nerves, make-you-want-to-punch-a-wall annoying. So when Lance announces he's moving to Colorado, Keith finally feels as if the world is back to being just him and the night stars.

But things don't go as planned: the paper airplanes, the scent of coffee at 1:00 a.m., the words inscribed on Keith's neck, and the slow curl of a blue flame echoing in his chest. And maybe, just maybe —

— stars do exist in the day.

in between suns by drowninships Lance thinks he would always remember Keith like this; he would always remember the glow of his eyes, the fall of his hair, and the rhythm of his laugh, the callouses of his hands.

When he sleeps, it's all he sees. In his dreams, he would never forget.It's just that — every time he wakes, he doesn't remember a thing.

--

What do you do when you meet your soulmate in your dreams but can't remember anything when you wake up? What happens when you meet them and suddenly, the dreams stop?

(Soulmate AU!!!!!)

Fragmented by darkgaaraluver In a world of soulmates, Lance drew the short straw. The indelible marks forever marked him inferior to his soulmate, and the people around him, what made it even worse were the first words that pass Keith's lips...

The Marks We Make (WIP) by wittyy_name Lance McClain constantly dreams of the day he’ll finally meet his mysterious soulmate. They don’t say much, if anything at all, but they leave him with gorgeous paintings temporarily tattooing his skin. It’s not exactly the situation he hoped for, but when he feels the connection between them, he can’t bring himself to resent them. As much as he wishes his soulmate would just talk to him, he’s resigned himself to being patient. In the meantime, he has a loving family and good friends to help him get by.

Keith Kogane dreads the day he’ll finally meet his obnoxious soulmate. He’s just an art student who’s struggling to find his place in the world. There’s so much he hasn’t been able to control in his life, and the thought of having a soulmate, just another thing in his life which he also has no control over yet can’t do anything about, is a little terrifying. So he ignores the words that occasionally appear on his skin. He has other things to focus on: like being a new student at a big university where his childhood friend and step-brother go.

Witches Forget Me Not (WIP) by TheHomestuckWhovian There Keith was, surrounded by all his friends, a picture of total contentment. At least, he would be, if something weren't missing.

Keith agrees to test a spell for his brother's best friend and discovers a vaguely familiar boy who no one can remember. What follows is a series of magical shenanigans that will either be tragic or entertaining as hell.

The Quilted Lion (WIP) by geewillikers Keith is stuck in New York City barely making ends meet so he and Pidge can live in a decent part of the city close to her university. They scrape by on the illegal winnings Keith makes in street boxing matches, but his manager, Shiro, decides that it's time Keith gets a side job. He's whisked into The Quilted Lion café owned by the woman Shiro's been fawning over for over a year, only to find that he has more to worry about than his lack of magic and cooking skills-

-There's a waiter at The Quilted Lion who is entirely Keith's cup of tea.

Magic Me Some Love by KaSaPe When Shiro's arm gets cut off while he is trying to protect Keith, Keith doesn't see any way to save his life but to break into the Galra's castle and steal some of their magical medicine. But nothing goes as planned and when he exits the castle empty handed he is cursed to look like a Galra until he accepts his halfbreed status. He is convinced that he has condemned Shiro to death - and then he learns of a magician that might be able to help just in time.

Meanwhile Lance didn't expect a Galra to turn up at his door, demanding him to save his half dead (human?!) friend. And he certainly didn't expect to fall in love with him either.

throw fairy dust at me by zxrysky "Are you going to do the telepathic thing?" Lance asks, standing up and dusting stray hairs off his shirt. "Where you get into my mind which, cough, is my private space?"Blue opens an eye. "Yes."

Okay, Lance isn't going to argue with that. If he were a lazy cat, he'd probably do the same. But for now, he's going to go check out some clubs, make some friends, maybe hang out with some cute girls, and Lance is a Man with A Plan.He's going to enjoy himself.

-=-

Lance is enrolled into Altean Castle. It's filled with magic.

throwing shadows by ilgaksu “Dude,” Lance says, “It’s not my fault he does this!”

“Dude,” Hunk says, and leaves it at that.

What a Cat-Astrophy by annoyedraccoon In an unlucky turn of events, Keith gets cursed and transformed into a cat. To make his life even more miserable, one college kid finds him and decides to adopt him. And worst of all, that kid was Lance.

We’ll Stir the Stars (WIP) by Latios Lance is somewhat of a talent in a family full of sea witches; His usual days consist of practicing his element, flirting with mermaids, and helping his mother brew potions for the local myths around the island. Finding an injured and stubborn dragon named Keith isn't part of that routine, but definitely changes it—and sends him traveling across the sea to recover the dragon's one and only family who was captured by hunters.

Lance only hopes they won't bite each other's heads' off before they even get there.

Dragons He Who Fights Monsters by magisterpavus In a world where monstrous dragons terrorize humanity daily, the Garrison trains valiant Knights to slay the evil beasts and defend Earth. But when Knight cadet Lance Espinosa is kidnapped by a strange red dragon who kills its own kind, certain truths are revealed...and so are the true monsters.

Incubi Sure sounded good at the time by GemmaRose Keith believes in a lot of things, cryptids and aliens and conspiracy theories among them. What he does not believe in, however, are ghosts and curses and demons. Those are as fake as fairy tales. Except for the part where they're really, really not.

Crossposted from the Voltron kink meme.

Vampires one more off key anthem (let your teeth sink in) by maryams Keith sucks at being a vampire and Lance is going to hell. Nothing strange here.

or, supernatural boyfriends go shopping and are confounded by The Gayness™.

Ghosts The Quiet (WIP) by MilkTeaMiku Does he not realise he's dead?

Keith can see ghosts. As a part of his Garrison training, he's sent to a hospital to do one year of medical clerkship - it's there that he meets a charmingly irritating ghost who definitely needs to learn what boundaries are.

your favorite ghosts and planets by xShieru In hindsight, an asthma attack in the middle of the day wasn’t such a terrible way to give up the ghost.

Except this isn't how he imagined afterlife.

An AU about being dead.