#GIVE ME FANFIC SUGGESTIONS

[basilf1res]

AAAAAAA

I JUST FINISHED RISE OF THE TMNT!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

THE MOVIE WAS FANTASTIC AND JGKFKFLGL- THE FINALE TO SEASON TWO- MUAH CHEFS KISS. BEAUTIFUL.

Anyway onto my next hyperfixation where I want to binge read a DC x rottmnt crossovers. But there are. Like. Three.

R.I.P. me and my obsession with small crossovers.

Glad the DP x DC crossovers took off ngl. Welp. Seeya when I have more prompts or a new fanfic I’ll never finish.

Also gimme good rottmnt fics to read.

Or else. : )

[spacedoutman]

Since my writing requests are out (computer broke lol 😭)…

My drawing requests are open!! (I’m cooked I’m so cooked)

I’m not good with time at all tho so I’ll get around to you 😉 but I’m so excited!

… also I still want those Fanfic suggestions. (I’m cooked)

Check my pinned post for more info!~~<3

[artiststarme]

It's No Secret... Anymore

Thank you to @mx-jinxous for the prompt! This took a really long time to write but it was so much fun playing with everyone's dynamics. I hope you guys like it and please leave your thoughts in the comments!

~*~*~*~

Steve felt like he was dreaming. It felt like he was looking through someone else’s eyes, dissociating far from his own body. He couldn’t feel the weight of Eddie’s slowly-fading body in his arms or the burning of the wounds in his sides. He wasn’t aware of where he was or if anyone was following him. He was purely relying on muscle memory and muscle memory alone. 

He didn’t see the speeding car in front of him that swerved into a nearby bush and fence post. He hardly noticed the hands pulling him backward and out of the road. He came back to himself though once he heard his brother’s voice. 

“Steve? Steve-O? Come on buddy, you’re worrying me here. Where have you been? I haven't seen your ass all week. Come on man, are you… are you fucking bleeding? Brother, answer me. We can’t be out here, there’s an earthquake going on. Come with me.”

Steve blinked just to come face to face with Phil. He was shining his flashlight on Eddie’s face against Steve’s shoulder but his eyes were focused directly on Steve’s.

“You with me, bro?” His mustache twitched unhappily and Steve rushed to answer. 

“Um, no. Not really. I think he’s dying and I kinda might be too. And I think my friends are missing? Where am I?” Steve couldn’t get his thoughts together cohesively. His mind was fractured, overcome with too much trauma in too little time. 

Phil just looked more concerned at his words with his face becoming vaguely panicked once he looked at Eddie. He looked quickly up at Steve, down at Eddie, then back at Steve. “Is this Eddie Munson? The murderer Eddie Munson? The Eddie Munson that has been on the run all week? Good golly Steve, I’m trying not to curse but what the fuck?”

Steve just looked at the pinched expression of pain that Eddie held and murmured, “he’s my friend.”

“Oh my god, Steve. Fine, we’ll deal with this later. Think you can walk to my squad car? I kinda damaged the front end but I’m sure it's semi-driveable. Powell’s tied up with the gates to hell opening up, I have plenty of time to take care of you.”

“Yeah, I can- I can walk,” and he could with the support of Phil. He felt his brother supporting both his and Eddie’s weight until they were deposited into the backseat of the patrol unit. 

“And uh, is the girl hiding in the bushes with you? She’s kinda been watching us for awhile. You might have a stalker, little bro.” He shined his flashlight over to the bush and saw a sandy bob duck behind the foliage. 

“Robin?” Steve muttered, still out of it and only on the verge of consciousness. 

“Buckley, is that you? Come on, you’re coming with us back to Steve’s place. Let’s go,” Phil waved the light between the two. He had both hands on his hips and stood like a disappointed middle-aged dad. “I don’t have time to be doing things willy-nilly. Let’s go!”

Robin poked her head out of the bushes and scooted gracelessly over to the car until she was able to bump elbows with Steve. They both relaxed a smidgen within the same space, the two brain cells reuniting after a stressful ten minutes apart.

Phil hopped in the driver’s seat and bumped his head against the steering wheel. What had this idiot gotten himself into now?

~*~*~*~

By the time Phil arrived at his house at the edge of the suburbs, all three kids were out cold in his backseat. He stood at the open back door for a moment before sighing and lugging first Robin, then Eddie, then Steve into his living room, huffing with exertion all the while. He would definitely have to cut back on the station donuts and start exercising again. Right after he dealt with the dying fugitive on his brother’s couch, the blood seeping through Steve’s shirt, and his brother’s unconscious best friend that was snoring atrociously. 

Jesus Christ. 

Well, he had plenty of practice with medical care from his EMT training so he got to work. He got the first aid kit out of the squad car and started with the murderous Munson. Phil didn’t know what had happened to these kids but it couldn’t be any good. Munson’s entire torso was torn apart like he’d been gnawed on by a wild animal. It wasn’t bleeding too bad but he was missing chunks of skin, so much so that Phil couldn’t sew him up with just sutures. Hell, this kid was going to need skin grafts. A lot of them. 

He put gauze on the worst of the wounds then cautiously stepped over to Steve. What he’d seen on Munson made him hesitant to look at the damage but surely it couldn’t be worse than that. Right? As soon as he lifted Steve’s shirt, he came immediately to two conclusions. 

1. Steve had a lot more chest hair than he did and that was totally unfair.

2. The wounds on Steve’s abdomen were deep, infected, and horrific. 

Just like with Munson, there was nothing to close. All he saw were missing chunks of skin and muscle that should have been in his sides. The marred remains were covered in grime and yellowish puss that made the entire room smell of infection. 

Fuck, he couldn’t help them here. He had to get them, all three of them because he wasn’t touching an unconscious girl for anything, to a hospital. But that begged the question; which hospital? Munson… Eddie was wanted all through the state of Indiana for at least three murders and an assault. If he took him to any nearby hospital, he would be arrested and surely there was more to the story if Steve was protecting him so much. He couldn’t let one of Steve’s only friends get arrested without hearing the story from the both of them. 

He had to take these three up to a hospital in Illinois. Chicago was roughly four hours away, he knew from his and Steve’s annual visits to their great aunt in Evanston. It was a risk, both for aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive as well as hoping he survived that long of a drive, but his gut told him to trust his brother on this one. So that’s what he did. He loaded the three teens back into his patrol car and mumbled swears under his breath when he passed the “Leaving Hawkins” sign. He hoped to all that was mighty that he was making a good call. 

~*~*~*~

Steve woke up to familiar voices; one hushed and one screeching. 

“You kidnapped them?! You’re a cop, I thought you would help them but instead you drove them all the way to goddamn Chicago like some middle-aged pervert loser?” Steve came around to a loud argument between what sounded like Dustin and Phil. It was weird though because he’d never introduced the two. 

“Hey, listen here shithead, words hurt. I am not middle-aged, I’m 28. And why would I kidnap my own brother? I can legally take him anywhere, it's practically my birthright. I don’t have to go through all the work of kidnapping him.” Phil shook his head at Dustin.

“Stop trying to trick me, I know Eddie is an only child!”

“Munson?! I’m Steve’s big brother, you little gremlin. Can’t you see the resemblance?” He gestured between where Steve was groggily looking up at him and then back at himself. 

“No, but I can’t see anything past your outrageous mustache.” Steve saw Phil’s jaw drop and knew that Dustin had crossed a line. 

“You short fucker, that is too far! I take a lot of pride in this ‘outrageous mustache’,” Phil put air quotes around the offending remake before pointing an aggressive finger in Dustin’s direction. “I will absolutely take you off the visitation list, toothless. Do not test me.” 

“Don’t threaten me, I’ll report you to the authorities!” Dustin countered. 

“I am the authorities!” Phil dropped all decorum and screamed at practically the top of his lungs. 

Sensing enough was enough, Steve tried to push himself up to a sitting position before a burning in his sides caused him to fall back down. Both men (or one man and Dustin) stopped their squabbling and rushed to his sides.

“Steve, you’re hurt so don’t try to get up. Shit kid, let me get a nurse or something. You weren’t doing too hot.” With that Phil sprinted out of the room, presumably to the nurse’s station and Steve was left with Dustin, Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin. 

He looked blearily at all of them before asking the most important question, “where’s Eddie?”

They all parted to reveal Eddie lying in the bed next to him. His neck and chest were covered with bandages but his face looked peaceful. There were no cuffs on his wrists as Steve assumed there would be. He laid back again and let out a sigh. Everything was as it should be, he could finally relax.

“Um so Steve, don’t be mad but your brother can be really persuasive when he wants to be and you never introduced him as your brother so I just kind of assumed that we were getting captured by the police and that it was going to be so much worse than the Russians because I always thought Officer Callahan was kind of psycho. But then I woke up here and he bought me Cheetos so everything is fine. Except it's kind of not because you and Eddie have been out for a couple of days and I told Big Not-Harrington about the Upside Down and now he’s really worried. Why did you have to stay asleep so long, dingus? I missed you!”

Steve honestly zoned out when he heard “Cheetos” and only tuned back in when Robin, the usual physical affection-hater, threw herself on top of him in a hug. He withheld the grunt of pain and held her back just as hard. 

“What the hell just happened, bro? Like that was a lot of words, little bird lady. Woah.”

Steve didn’t know if he was hallucinating the long-haired surfer in a Hawaiian outfit or if Vecna had somehow managed to melt his mind after all but he had never been more confused in his life to see the new visitor make themselves known. 

“Who the fuck is that?” He muttered in absolute bafflement. 

Dustin sighed as he too wrestled a hug from Steve, “that’s Argyle. Come on, Steve. Keep up.”

“Like the sock pattern? How many drugs am I on right now?!”

~*~*~*~

“... and that’s kind of why I didn’t tell you about the Upside Down,” Steve finished from his seat beside Eddie, their hands tangled together as they both sat across from Phil. 

He looked at both of them with a completely deadpan stare. “Again, but the truth this time.”

Eddie huffed in annoyance. “We are telling you the truth, man! An evil wizard guy named Vecna-”

“Slash Henry, slash One,” Steve and Robin interjected in unison.

“-possessed four teenagers to end the world or something and broke their bodies apart with his mind. Then the angry mob thought it was me but I would never kill anyone, especially not Chrissy. She was always really nice to me and remembered my band from the talent show in middle school. And then we got stuck in Hell where evil demon bats ate our flesh and tentacles ripped through the earth. Then we saved Nancy from the evil mind melt powers by playing her favorite song. After that, we made a plan and she shot Vecna and killed him while Dustin and I were decoys where I was attacked.”

“Then I went back for Eddie and carried him out where you almost ran us over. The end,” Steve emphasized the finale with a deliberate nod of his still-aching head. 

Phil looked at them with the most exasperation Steve had ever seen in his life. He let out a pitying chuckle, his poor brother didn’t sign up for this. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

Phil's eyes rolled so hard that Steve could tell he saw stars. He could almost see the scream being prepared in his throat and couldn't gather enough strength to escape it.

"STEVEN MICHAEL HARRINGTON, WHAT THE MOTHERLOVING FUCK?!"

"Look Philly, I'll say it one more time then I'm done, okay? It first started way back when Will Byers went missing in 1983..."

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[loubella77]

18+ MDNI

I’m back to reading fan fiction… Luigi has me fucked up

(sauce: assassin by rejext on wattpad - can’t do permalink for some reason?)

[smilesrobotlover]

First|| <-prev next->

AO3

Chapter 11- Attack on Castle Town

It was infuriating

Two whole days had passed since Link and Rusl arrived to Castle Town, yet it felt like no one was making an effort to come up with a plan. They had talked about hunting the beast down, luring it in, or waiting to see when it would attack again to then strike. But it felt like they were talking in circles, the conversation melting into the talk of the mundane.

Rusl, of course, loved visiting with his friends and talking to them about whatever came to mind, but not now. Not when that thing just attacked his children and threatened his home. The anxiety ate up at him, and he found himself unable to sit still at the table where everyone else sat. So he stood in the corner, his arms crossed as he glared at the others.

“So we should head to Faron since it was in Ordon last night, right?” Shad asked, staring at the map.

“No, it was just in Faron, it might’ve moved,” Link corrected.

“Didn’t sound like it moved from when it first attacked you guys,” Ashei butted in, her arms crossed at the table.

Link pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “I guess…”

“So we head to Faron?” Auru suggested, and Sheik finally stepped into the conversation.

“It seems like the most logical place to go, but we need to know how to fight this monster. If five soldiers couldn’t kill it, then I doubt six of us could.”

“Yes, but we do have one more person,” Shad said, his finger in the air, “and we’re more prepared.”

“It’s not like the soldiers of Hyrule are anything impressive,” Auru muttered, and Sheik looked away.

“Will you be fighting though Shad?” Link asked, and Shad gave him an offended look.

“Why—of course, old boy! I may not wield a sword but I have a weapon stronger than that!” The scholar patted his book, and Auru snorted.

“Are you going to throw the book at the monster?”

The group erupted into laughter and Rusl rolled his eyes. They were getting off track again.

“No! I have my head right here!” Shad defended himself, and Auru laughed harder.

“Great! So we’ll use your head as a weapon when the rest of ours break!”

“I meant my brain!” Shad stood up in fury, but his fiance pulled him back down, an amused smile on her face.

“We get what you mean, Shad,” she said and gave him a peck on the cheek. Rusl sighed and cleared his throat loudly, catching the attention of Auru and Link. His son looked down, a slightly guilty look on his face, and his fingers interlocked together.

“Well, we may have a better chance than the soldiers, but we still need a plan,” he said, and Rusl felt relieved that they were finally strategizing. He and Link discussed strategies several times, but ultimately they wanted to brainstorm with the others for more ideas.

“You fought the beasts, old boy,” Shad started, his anger having disappeared entirely, “what is your suggestion?”

Link looked down, his eyebrows furrowed. “I… I don’t know. This isn’t a normal shadow beast.”

“I remember they were a challenge,” Auru contemplated. “Having to kill them all at the same time was… infuriating.”

“They just kept coming back to life,” Ashei added, and the rest of the group nodded.

“Well, as long as you killed them at the same time, they were relatively easy,” Link said. “But this beast is alone, so I don’t think we have to worry about it coming back to life once it’s dead. It’s just… tough.”

Sheik nodded. “It has to have a weakness though. We will weaken it, keep our distance, and…” they grabbed their right hand, “perhaps we could get the light spirit’s assistance? If it’s from the twilight, I doubt pure, divine light will feel good, hm?”

Link’s eyes widened as if he realized something and he nodded. “That’s a great idea, Sheik. We’ll get the light spirits to help weaken it, and while it’s down, we’ll give it everything we have.”

The group seemed to agree with the plan—if Rusl could even call it a plan—and Auru raised his drink.

“To victory then,” he cheered, and the others raised their own, with Link simply bumping his fist since he didn’t have one. Rusl let out a sigh and pushed his frustrations aside. He wasn’t sleeping well, and the anxiety felt like it was eating him up inside, so he was much more quick to anger than normal. But he had to try to be patient—they were going to get to deal with the threat, he knew it. He just had to slow down with the rest of them.

“Alright, let’s head out then,” Rusl muttered, stepping closer to the group, but Sheik stood up.

“Not yet. I must convey this information with some… allies. They may help if something were to go wrong.”

Link and Ashei seemed understanding while Auru and Shad seemed indifferent, but Rusl was exasperated.

“What? We’re not—when will you be back?” He asked, a sharpness to his voice as his patience was wearing thin.

“I’m not sure, hopefully before tonight—”

“Tonight? Where in the spirit’s name will you be going?” He snapped. Sheik’s eyes widened in surprise and they looked around uncomfortably.

“I just have things I need to do,” they muttered, and Link looked up at his pa, a worried expression on his face.

“We don’t have time! We should leave now and deal with it before it takes more people!” Rusl argued, and Auru stood up.

“If what Sheik says is true, then we should get help if something were to go wrong. Calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Rusl shouted, leaving everyone surprised. “You don’t know what type of a threat this thing is! If we wait any longer, we could lose it!”

“Rusl,” Auru started, his hands raised in an effort to calm him. “I know, but we are merely six people… and… really it’d only be four of you physically fighting it—I may not be able to do much. We need all the help we can get.”

“But it’ll be too late! We won’t be able to travel until the morning!”

Shad hummed. “Maybe leaving at night would help us find it better.”

“No, that's a horrible idea,” Link jumped in, and Rusl let out a groan.

“I can’t sit around any longer, I need this thing dead!”

“Goddesses, what has gotten into you?” Auru asked. “You were perfectly fine this morning—”

“That was because I thought we were safe during the day,” Rusl spat. “I thought we had more time as long as everyone stayed in at night. But no, it’s dangerous no matter what time it is! We can’t stall anymore!”

Everyone looked at each other. Ashei looked understanding, Sheik looked guilty, while Link looked uncomfortable at the outburst. Rusl blinked a few times and let out a sigh, running his hands through his hair.

“I–I’m sorry I…” He started, but he couldn’t get the words out. He looked up at Auru who stared blankly at him and he turned away. “You do what you need to do Sheik, I’m gonna go cool my head,” he said softly, and he left the backroom, ignoring Telma’s confused look as he burst through the door to the bar. He didn’t know where he was going—he supposed he was simply walking around the town to clear his head. The lack of sleep from the past few nights was catching up to him, and the fear surrounding the shadow beast plagued his waking mind. He felt like he couldn’t escape it, and he just wanted it taken care of so he could finally rest. He supposed with his own children and grandson having to get involved, it finally caused him to break.

The loud noises of the town wasn’t doing him any favors, so he went through the southern gate to escape to somewhere quieter, leaving behind the shops lined up next to Telma’s bar and entering a clearing. It was empty and peaceful, with a fountain in between cobblestone stairs that poured out the bluest water. Rusl walked to the fountain and kneeled, the anxiety and anger leaving his body to make way for vulnerability. He opened his heart and prayed.

He didn’t know who he was praying to; he wasn’t exactly praying to Ordona, or the light spirits themselves. But he found himself praying to someone. He prayed that he and the others would be safe, he prayed that his children would be safe, and he prayed that his wife would be protected. Goddesses she must’ve been worried sick over them—she always got extremely upset over these things. He hoped that she would know that the children were safe, and that she wouldn’t blame herself for what happened. As he prayed, tears started to trickle out of his eyes, and he leaned forward to rest his head against the stone. He was so tired, so tired from everything that happened to him from the past few days. The beast would plague his mind every moment, even if he was asleep. He couldn’t escape it no matter what he did, and now his own family was involved—his own children.

“Papa?”

Rela’s soft voice broke the silence, causing Rusl to sit up and turn his head to look at his daughter. He wiped his tears quickly and forced a smile, and she looked nervous as her hands fidgeted with each other.

“Rela, what the heck are you doin’ out here by yourself?” Rusl asked. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I… Uh… I couldn’t sleep,” she said softly. “I wanted to talk to you and I saw you walk out so I followed you and… uh…”

Rusl’s smile went away and he sighed. “I don’t want you by yourself in town. Monsters ain’t the only thing we need to look out for.”

“I know… but…” Rela’s arms wrapped around her waist. Her pa gave a more genuine smile and gestured for her to join him. She was hesitant, but she finally joined him, kneeling on the ground as she stared at the fountain. Rusl stared at her for a moment and finally pulled her close, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as she leaned into his hug. She was never a touchy person, always hating his hugs and kisses, so he made sure to enjoy any moment where she enjoyed his touch.

“Um… papa….” Rela started, her fingers fidgeting more now. “I need to tell you something.”

Rusl raised an eyebrow and pulled away to fully look at her. “What is it?”

“The reason… um… the reason that me and Colin and Kori are here is that… um…”

“The monster?”

Rela shook her head, shame apparent on her face. “No… I mean—yes—but… it’s my fault we’re here.”

Rusl frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I was… I was tryn’a teach Kori how to sword fight ‘cause I knew that there was a monster in the woods but… I accidentally left your wooden swords in the water at the spring and I went to go get them and…” Rela sighed. “I dragged everyone into it ‘cause I was dumb… I’m sorry papa.”

“Oh.” Rusl certainly wasn’t expecting Rela to say any of that. “So… y’all left Ordon?”

“Well… me and Kori were practicin’ in Ordon spring, but we met the soldiers and we showed them where y’all found the monster…” Rela sighed. “But we wouldn’t have been there in the first place if not for me. I’m sorry.”

Rusl stared, not knowing how to react. He could be angry, he could be sad, or he could be horrified, but he brushed it all away. She shouldn’t blame herself.

“Sweetie, I wasn’t clear enough with y’all,” he said softly, looking down at her. She did not look back up at him. “You didn’t understand the danger we were in. I certainly didn’t make it more clear. Don’t put all the blame on yourself.”

Rela frowned. “But… I still left.”

“Not on purpose. And I suppose I should’ve told y’all to stay away from the spring.” Rusl let out another sigh and he gave Rela a squeeze. “Besides, it’s in the past. Me and Link are gonna head out tomorrow to fight it. I want y’all to stick with Colin here until it’s safe, ok?”

Rela nodded. “Ok…”

“Wait, we’re not goin’ home—”

Rusl and Rela flinched at Kori who was suddenly behind them, with Rusl grabbing his daughter closer to him as he moved from the young twilian. Kori watched them with a bewildered expression as they stared horrified, and Rusl let out a breathy laugh.

“Spirits above, Kori. You scared the living daylights outta me!” He breathed, letting Rela go. “Why’re you here?”

“I heard Rela leave,” he answered simply, and Rusl rolled his eyes with an annoyed smile.

“Ok, no more going out into Castle Town by yourselves, ok?” He scolded. Kori looked down and tapped his feet on the cobblestone, and Rusl raised an eyebrow. “Where’d you come from anyways? I didn’t hear you at all.”

“Oh, I was in the shadows!” He answered, and Rusl and Rela glanced at each other.

“What the hell are you talkin’ about?” Rela asked, and Rusl let out a sigh.

“Watch your language sweetie. And Kori, I have to ask as well. What do you mean you were ‘in the shadows’?”

Kori grinned, his dimples appearing just below his black markings. “Watch this!”

To Rusl’s surprise, his grandson suddenly morphed into a dark figure, diving into his and Rela’s shadow next to them. Rela jumped to her feet and stared at her own shadow wide eyed, Kori’s little blue eyes appearing to stare back.

“Kori? Since when could you do that?” She yelled out, and Kori emerged from the shadows, giggling slightly.

“Since last night.”

“And you’re mentioning it now? Do you realize how cool that power is? You can hide in the shadows!”

Rela and Kori began to chatter excitedly over his new power, while Rusl glanced around at the empty plain in front of him. The wind blew slightly, the sunlight dimmed, and an uneasy feeling began to overwhelm him. He stood up and started to nudge the kids closer to the gate, checking behind him to make sure he wasn’t being followed. There was nothing there, but he still hurriedly pushed the kids to safety.

“Alright, it’s time to head back to the bar,” he said, his arms wrapped around the two. “And I’m serious about not traveling alone in town. It’s dangerous, ok?”

“Yes papa.”

“Ok grandpa!”

Rusl smiled, but it quickly faded as he thought about the two, his babies, facing such a horrifying monster…

They were too young, too innocent to see such horrors. Goddesses, what kind of a man was he—what kind of a father was he—to let them suffer so? His grip on them tightened as he led them through the busy town, determination flowing through him. He wasn’t going to fail again— he was going to protect them. Even if it killed him.

“Kitties!”

Kori suddenly pulled away from Rusl, running to a home with cats in the front playing with a ball. Rusl sighed, but he allowed the children to play with the cats, not really wanting to see the others just yet.

“Hi baby,” Kori cooed, holding his hand out for a kitten, who sniffed at his hand cautiously. Rela tapped the ball, sending it rolling for the other cats to chase after, and she giggled as they pounced each other. Rusl wished he could enjoy watching them play, but a sinking feeling of dread made him antsy, and he kept looking around him as if he were to be attacked any second. The townsfolk seemed to be anxious as well, with them hurrying to the homes and emptying the streets. Rusl turned to the kids and tapped Rela’s shoulder, gesturing to the direction of the bar with his head.

“It’s time to go. Say goodbye to the kitties.”

“Aw, but he just started to like me!” Kori whined, holding the kitten in his arms.

“I’m sorry kid, but it’s time to head back. Come on.”

Kori pouted but obeyed, reluctantly leaving the kitty behind. Rusl was pushing them faster now, wanting to get inside the bar as soon as possible, which clearly annoyed them with his hands gripping their shoulders.

“What’s the matter, grandpa Rusl?” Kori asked, glancing at Rusl’s hand.

“Nothin’, I just think it’s best if we head inside. A storm might be comin’.”

“Well you don’t have to grab my shoulder like that!” Rela complained, trying to shake off his hand as she spun around. “I can walk on my own you kno—”

A scream from his daughter interrupted her, and Rusl moved on instinct, grabbing the two children and sprinting towards crates for cover. Behind him he heard a slam along with screams, and when he turned, the beast was watching him, snarling growling.

The beast… the shadow beast… it was here—it was here.

Was it following them?

The beast’s snarl was aimed at him, and Rusl froze in fear, the fear of that night returning to him in full force. He was in danger, it was going to kill him, he was going to die, he was going to die he was going to die—

Rela screamed again in fear, burying her face in Rusl’s shirt while Kori remained quiet and stiff, which snapped him out of his stupor. It wasn’t just him that was in danger, but his children. By the goddesses he wasn’t going to let this thing hurt them again.

The shadow beast watched him, as if waiting for him to make a move. Its black, leathery skin looked like a void against the light cobblestone, save for the yellow teeth that dripped a black goo out of its mouth, staining the stone. It didn’t look different from when Rusl first encountered it, just as horrifying as before, yet it felt far more powerful, with a dark magic emanating from it. People were screaming in the town, running like wild animals to get away from the beast, but Rusl ignored them, shoving Rela and Kori behind him.

“Rela, get Kori to Telma’s bar and tell the others to come here,” he commanded, keeping his eyes on the beast as it stared.

“B-b-but p-pa–” Rela stuttered, but Rusl pushed her away.

“Get away from here!” He yelled, causing Rela to flinch, but she got up, trying to drag Kori behind her, though the boy was frozen.

Right as she and Kori moved though, the beast reacted and began to charge at the two. Rusl gasped and grabbed a crate, swinging it and throwing it right at the beast, which stopped it before it could reach the children. The crate shattered on impact, allowing Rusl to grab a broken piece to use as a makeshift weapon against the beast. It wasn’t as good as a sword, but hopefully it’d be enough to buy Rela and Kori time. Rusl swung the broken piece at the beast’s head before it was able to fully recover, it being almost pathetic at how little it reacted from the hit. After the wooden piece bounced off its head, it turned and snapped its jaws at Rusl, the teeth smacking against each other when it missed.

“Come on! Over here!” He shouted, trying to divert its attention from where Rela and Kori were, which worked for a moment as it turned its head to look at him.

“Come on Kori! Move!” Rusl heard Rela shout, and it drew the beast’s attention back to them. To Rusl’s horror, Kori was frozen in fear, staring at the beast with wide eyes as Rela tried to drag him back to the bar. Rusl sprinted to them just as the beast charged. Rela screamed and ran away, her hand slipping from Kori’s as she tried to pull him with her, leaving him alone as the beast got closer and closer. But Rusl got to him first.

He grabbed his grandson and rolled out of the way, dodging the beast’s rampage. Rusl searched for his daughter, but she was long gone, and the beast recovered too fast for him to stall any longer. He sent a prayer to the spirits to keep Rela safe and he ran to Malo Mart, slamming the door and setting Kori down. The poor boy was still frozen, his breathing rapid and tears forming in his eyes. Rusl moved him away from the door, cupping his face.

“Kori, look at me,” he said as calmly as he could as the boy started to sob. “Kori, I need you to be brave for me, ok? Hide out here, and do not come out unless I say so, ok?”

Kori stood sobbing for a moment, and Rusl wiped his tears and readjusted his head so he was looking at him.

“Kori, everything is going to be ok, ok?” He reassured, and he buried the boy in a hug. “Now hide in the shadows or whatever it is you can do and stay away from the door, you hear?”

Kori sniffled and nodded, seeming to calm down just enough to be able to think. Rusl smiled, but the moment of safety was gone in an instant when the roof broke, and a large, black hand reached out to grab them. Rusl pushed Kori away right as the hand landed on him, knocking the breath out of him.

Rusl grunted as the hand tightened around him, and he was lifted up through the hole. Kori watched in horror, moving to try to reach him, but Rusl waved him away, struggling in the thing’s grip.

“Hide Kori!” He yelled out, and he was pulled out of the building, his grandson’s voice calling out to him from within the building.

Rusl clawed at the fingers wrapped tightly around him, and he was suddenly inches away from the thing’s face. The stench from the monster’s hot breath nearly suffocated him, the endless, black mouth was open wide, and he flinched away, only to be trapped in its grip. Panic spiked within his chest as memories from the night of their first meeting flooded in—the memory of the tight throat swallowing him down, the slime and goo falling on every inch of his body, the tendrils in its stomach grabbing onto him…

“No, no no no!” He shouted, struggling against the beast’s hold while staring at its teeth in horror, but it didn’t put him in its mouth again. Instead it simply put him in one of its back hands as if he were a worthless toy, going back to digging around in the shop, and Rusl gasped as realization hit him. It was after Kori.

“KORI!” Rusl yelled in warning as the beast broke another hole through the roof. He squirmed and shifted, but his arms were pinned to his sides, the monster’s grip tight around him.

Just as the beast was about to tear another hole into the roof, an explosion hit the monster’s left side, causing it to shriek in pain. Rusl felt its grip around him loosen, and he was able to get one arm free before the grip tightened again. He looked to see where the explosion came from, and he saw Auru kneeling on the ground, his bazooka on one shoulder as he glared at the beast. Ashei and Shad were behind him, with Ashei’s longsword drawn and protectively in front of Shad, who stared at the beast wide-eyed.

“You better drop him now or else I’ll shoot again!” Auru yelled, aiming his weapon, but the beast didn’t seem threatened, and instead returned to trying to find Kori. Auru followed through on his threat and shot at the monster again, it shrieking in pain when it was hit, but it remained stubborn. Rusl watched Ashei run to the building, climbing to the top with her sword still drawn. She sprinted to the beast and sliced at its injured shoulder, making it flinch away. Annoyed, it went to smack Ashei off the roof, but she dodged and countered with another swipe of her sword, hitting its right arm once again. The beast snarled and directed its full attention to the woman, slamming its fist at her as she hopped back and forth. It soon began to swing its claws at her when squishing her didn’t work, but Ashei was quick despite the armor she had on, and she ducked to avoid the beast’s claws. The shadow beast grew agitated, and it slammed its fist hard against the roof next to Ashei, which didn’t hurt her, but it caused her to lose her footing, and she wasn’t able to dodge the monster slapping her off of the roof. Ashei yelled out as she flew, landing on the cobblestone ground with a sickening crack.

“Ashei!” Shad shouted as she fell off, sprinting to her side as she struggled to stand up. Her face was pale, she cradled her side, and she looked like she was struggling to breathe, which made Rusl worried. The beast turned to look at Ashei and Shad, and Auru let another shot from his weapon loose, which hit it right in the chest. It shrieked in pain, but remained standing on the roof.

“How many hits is it gonna take?” Auru exasperated, loading his weapon again.

“Auru, I’m afraid you’re going to hit Rusl!” Shad yelled, but he didn’t listen as he shot the beast again. Everytime, Auru hit the beast head-on, which Rusl felt as the shock rippled through his body, the heat making him sweat. But the blasts never hurt him directly, with the monster feeling most of the pain, and its grip loosened enough for Rusl to get his other arm free. But once again, its fingers tightened around him just as he was about to slip away.

“Oh come on,” Rusl groaned in frustration, feeling his sides bruise from the grip. The beast recovered from the blast again, and faced Auru with fury radiating off of it. But before it could pounce, Rusl heard a sword being drawn and spotted Link right as he landed on the beast, the blade of his sword facing down and piercing the leathery back.

The shadow beast let out a shriek that rang out through the entire town, stinging Rusl’s ears from the shrill, and he gasped as the grip finally loosened, causing him to fall. He landed on the roof with a painful thud, his knees and ankles stinging from the impact, but there was no time to sit there as the beast wailed in pain.

“Link!” Rusl shouted, scrambling to his aching feet. His son glanced over at him, his grip around his sword tight. “Kori’s below us! It’s after him!”

Link’s eyes widened in realization, his glare turning into a horrified expression, but before he could do anything, the beast stood up straight, making Link hang onto the sword still embedded into its back. Then it jumped back, threatening to crush Link. Link jumped to Rusl before he could get trapped between the roof and the monster, and the roof beneath them collapsed from the impact. Pain exploded in Rusl’s body as Link landed on him, and everything went dark, the sounds of debris falling being the last thing he heard.

~~~

There was chaos in Castle Town. She knew from the screams and broken buildings, but she paid it no mind. As soon as Rusl’s daughter barged into the bar where she and the others still sat, they were all up and ready to go fight the beast, knowing that the time for planning was over. Sheik had planned to tell Edmund about the beast, as a safety measure in case she didn’t make it back, but she supposed there was no time for that now. She just had to trust that Edmund would notice the giant shadow beast attacking the town.

Instead of joining the others in the fight, however, Sheik was standing in her room at the bar, praying to the light spirits the same way she did ten years ago. She knew that the light arrows she acquired from them would aid them in the fight, but it was a matter of getting them to help again. Truthfully, she didn’t know if they would. The tyranny of Ganondorf was over; the threat of the world was no longer there, but she hoped that they would understand the threat now.

“Oh light spirits,” she started, the only sound of her voice in her room feeling awkward, but she continued, “I ask for your help once again, to help defeat an evil that threatens Hyrule.”

Nothing happened, so she continued, ignoring the unease in her heart. “I need the light arrows to defeat this foe. It is a shadow beast, but it is a powerful one. Please, it’s taken and harmed my people. I need to defeat it.”

It remained silent, the familiar feeling of the divine spirits didn’t appear, and panic began to settle in. Why weren’t they responding? They immediately replied to her during the invasion, granting her the light arrows that stunned Ganondorf long enough for Link to fight him. But now it felt like they were ignoring her. Why?

“Please,” she begged, kneeling on the ground and bowing her head. “Please, help me. I must protect Hyrule, I must fulfill my duty as a queen and—and as a mother. Please.”

Frustration began to build up in her as nothing happened. Everything felt easier back then for her despite nearly losing her kingdom. She felt like she could focus, like she could clear her head to figure out what to do. But now everything felt hard, impossible. Like she was trapped in quicksand that she couldn’t escape. Every decision led to a terrible consequence, where she would bear the weight of the blame due to her position. Not looking into the disappearances earlier, not spending time with her family, not building good relationships with people, stretching herself thin where she felt like she could barely do anything—

Goddesses, she couldn’t fail. There were too many people depending on her—an entire kingdom depended on her.

“Please, I need your help,” she tried one more, resting her head on the ground, her voice shaking, “I cannot do this without you.”

“Zelda.”

Her head shot up, finding herself in a dark world that was lit up by the water and the light spirits watching her. Relief swelled in her, and she bowed her head.

“Thank you, light spirits,” she started, “I need you help—”

“No you do not,” the spirit of Lanayru interrupted her, the snake-like eyes watching her. Zelda paused, taken aback from the sudden bluntness.

“W-What do you mean?”

“You do not need our help.”

“I–Yes, I do. I need the light arrows to defeat a beast of darkness—”

“And you were wise in searching for the light arrows…”

“But… you’re not going to give them to me?”

Eldin moved closer to her. “You already have them…”

Zelda paused, looking down at her empty hands. “I…I already have them?”

“You’ve always had them,” Faron jumped in, tilting their head. “They never left you.”

“I—How do I get them then? I’ve never used them since Ganondorf.”

“That is something you will have to figure out yourself…” Faron explained.

“You do not put enough faith in yourself…” Eldin added.

“And so you struggle to find that divine power…” Lanayru finished.

Zelda frowned, rubbing her right hand where the triforce of wisdom glowed. “How do I find it then? How… how do I simply put faith in myself?”

“It is no easy task…you’ve dealt with many obstacles in your life now…we do not blame you for struggling so…”

“But you must learn to be kind to yourself…you are only a Hylian…”

“A Hylian that is responsible for my kingdom,” Zelda grumbled. “I must be hard on myself otherwise I’ll never make the right decision!”

Lanayru shook their head. “You’ll simply overthink everything…you put too much pressure on yourself…”

Zelda paused, looking down at the bright water, the memory of her and Edmund’s conversation playing through her mind.

“… looking at you now, I’ve grown more worried than upset,” Edmund said to her. “You’ve overworked yourself so much to the point that you collapsed. That’s not a good thing. I suppose I… I just want to know why you’re so intent on doing everything yourself, when I’m here to… help you.”

She had put so much pressure on herself that she literally passed out from exhaustion, and her mind has felt foggy ever since. Perhaps it’s felt foggy long before the disappearances have gotten worse, since the twilight invasion…

Goddesses, everything has felt impossible, cloudy, and too heavy for her to bear. But she didn’t know how to receive help—she didn’t know how to fix it. Yet it clearly was keeping her from the light arrows, so much so that the light spirits recognized it.

“I…see…” she simply said. “I’ve always had the light arrows?”

“Yes…you’ve always had them… you just need to learn how to use them…”

Zelda sighed, frowning as she stared at her hands. A familiar, warm tingling sensation started at where her triforce piece lingered, and she nodded. She could do this, she had to.

“Can I ask you one more thing then?” She asked, looking up at the light spirits. They each nodded, and Zelda got to her feet, still keeping her head bowed. “What are we up against?”

Ordona stepped forward, with the others making way for her. “This is a shadow beast… one of the first created by the usurper Zant…it has lingered in the Twilight Realm all these years, getting stronger…”

“If it’s from the Twilight Realm, how did it get here?” Zelda asked, thinking of Midna somehow coming back for Kori.

“It has stolen force from the Twili there… growing strong enough to be able to move between worlds while staying hidden…”

“Force? Like… life force?”

The spirits each looked at each other, and the world around them began to fade.

“Your kingdom needs you, Queen of Hyrule…go, and save them…”

Zelda blinked and she was suddenly back in the room. She still felt clouded and weak, but she knew that her friends needed her, as did her kingdom. Ignoring the questions that weren’t answered, she looked at the triforce of wisdom on her hand and closed her eyes, reaching deep within her to access the magic she had. The warm feeling in her hand began again, and it spread throughout her chest. For a moment, she felt the power in her flow through her veins, a warmth in her fingers.

Then it went away.

Zelda opened her eyes to see nothing in front of her, only the empty room above the inn. Her brows furrowed as she stared at her hands, the fingers trembling slightly.

“I don’t understand,” she whimpered, clenching her fists, “I need them! How do I… why couldn’t you just tell me?”

The room remained silent as Sheik sat there, her prayers unanswered and her hands empty. She looked around her, kneeled down, and once again tried to reach deep within herself to find the arrows, but there was nothing. Not even the faint glow of the triforce of wisdom appeared.

“Come on! I can’t leave without them! I said I’d get them, why can’t I get them?” Sheik punched the floor in frustration, her divine magic suddenly feeling like it was being sucked out of her. She simply asked back then, and the light spirits answered. Of course it had to be different now, of course it had to be harder for her.

A faint explosion was heard outside, along with screaming, and Sheik finally sat up, looking around the room. She could sulk in the room forever, but she still had a duty to the resistance; she needed to help them, empty-handed.

Admitting defeat, Sheik stood up and ran to the window, jumping out and climbing onto the roof. Immediately she spotted a cloud of smoke ahead of her, with the sounds of roaring and yelling, and she took off towards it. A shop in front of the fountain was completely destroyed, with Link trying to distract the shadow beast while Rusl laid unconscious in the rubble, and Kori worriedly looked over him. Sheik grimaced at the sight, dread resting in her stomach as she watched Rusl, pale and unmoving.

“G-Grandpa–” the little boy whimpered, shaking him gently, but he didn’t wake up.

“Kori, get out of here!” Link yelled, but Kori remained frozen at his grandfather’s side. They were helpless against the thing, and Sheik couldn’t help but feel her blood freeze at the sight of the creature. It truly looked far more powerful than the normal shadow beasts, and she could feel the power—the force—radiating off of it. Memories of the twilight invasion came flooding in, with her watching shadow beasts killing her soldiers right before her very eyes, her own parents twisting and morphing into the black creatures by Zant’s hands, and her watching helplessly as it all happened. It’s all she was—helpless!

It turned from Link and spotted Kori, directing its attention to him, and Link tried to get it to turn back around.

“Don’t you dare—LOOK AT ME!” He yelled, desperate to keep his son safe, but it was in vain as the beast turned fully to Kori, who hugged Rusl in fear. The rest of the resistance seemed to be down, with Shad trying to help Ashei off the ground and Auru loading his bazooka frantically, and Sheik knew that Link wouldn’t be able to stop it from charging at Kori and Rusl. For some reason, a vision shot through her mind, one of the beast attacking her daughter in the same manner, and something inside her snapped. If she failed to kill this monster, then it was going to harm her daughter, and she couldn’t bear to let that happen.

She wasn’t going to let it happen.

As soon as the beast started to charge towards Kori, she jumped from the roof, landing in front of him and aiming her right hand at the beast. The triforce of wisdom glowed against her hand, shining brightly against her eyes as the diving light warmed her entire body. The magic was soon condensed and it formed into the bow of light and arrows, floating before her until she grabbed hold of it. Without having time to think, she pulled the bow back with a light arrow and shot it straight at the beast’s chest.

The shriek from the beast rang out through the town, the light attacking every inch of it like lightning as if flinched away from her. Sheik heard a confused grunt and turned to see Rusl wide awake, his brows furrowed and eyes wide as he stared at Sheik.

“Look out!” Sheik heard someone yell, and she turned just in time to see the beast charging, its mouth snarling open wide that almost paralyzed her in fear. She’s never seen their faces before. Breaking out of her fear, she shot an arrow at it when it was inches away from her, and it shriveled, growing agitated from the pain. Sheik was about to shoot it again, but it began slamming the ground in anger, nearly smashing her in the process if Rusl hadn’t pulled her out of the way, and she was huddled up next to him and Kori. The beast shrieked as the light attacked it, and Link got close to finish it off, but he was smacked away from the chaos.

“Papa!” Kori yelled, and ran to where his father landed.

“No! Kori!” Rusl yelled, holding tight to his grandson and following.

Before they could move past the monster however, black magic formed from where the beast rampaged, spreading right under Sheik and the others. A red swirl appeared in the center beneath the shadow beast, a sight that was all too familiar to Sheik, and she suddenly felt trapped in one place from the black magic surrounding her. A dizziness assaulted her as she tried to stand, and to her horror, she watched as the light arrow and bow disappeared from her hands. Her fingers began to vanish, turning into black squares that were being sucked into the center of the portal, and the last thing she saw before disappearing was Link reaching out to her.

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

Even now, with his father lost to the universe, and not even a body to bury, Gabriel was still here. He was in his room, in all the belongings his money had bought, in all the clothes that bore his brand. He was in the Miraculous on Adrien’s hand, the twin rings hanging from a chain he could never remove, in all the words Ladybug refused to tell Chat Noir. And he was in the statue in the Place des Vosges, immortalized in gold, looking out at the city with serene contemplation, but never down at Adrien. Never again. “He was Monarque,” Adrien spoke into the darkness. Maybe Plagg could hear, maybe not. His Kwami was always good about knowing just what Adrien wanted him to know. “My father was Monarque.” His words hung hollow in the silence, their weight somehow growing heavier on Adrien’s chest as he spoke. The voice didn’t answer, keeping silent long enough for Adrien to wonder, once more, if he really had imagined it. Then it was there again, as close and clear as though its speaker was in the room with him. You’re Chat Noir, it told him firmly. Cataclysm his statue.

moonie i'm obsessed.

[greenleaf4stuff]

In Convenience - Chapter 2, part 2

(all previous parts of "Of Convenience" and "In Convenience")

Adar x Celebrimbor (silverscars) political marriage to marriage of love AU, post story snippet 2. The question of appropriate attire for the planned wedding celebrations and an intitially innocent suggestion reveal some deeper concerns for Adar. Celebrimbor comforts and supports the other, and finds a potential way around their 'predicament'.

This part has a bit of silliness, a bit of angst, a bit of comfort, and a tiny dash of spiciness at the very end, though the two do not progress beyond kissing. A bit of a rollercoaster of emotions in this one, but I enjoyed giving Celebrimbor the chance to support Adar for a change, and for Adar to slooowly begin being vulnerable. Enjoy!

It was only much later that the elf finally discovered what had been bothering his husband.

He and Adar did have to split up for a few hours after their meal, with Adar having gone to check on his children, while Celebrimbor had been swept up in yet more wedding plans.

The smith had expected Adar to stay in the camp for the rest of the day, and therefore decided to do a small detour to his rooms to put on sturdy boots, so he could go and join his husband out in the forest without having mud inside his footwear afterwards. Perhaps, he might track the other down before the next meal was due, and they could have it in Adar’s camp for a change.

Sometimes, the elf missed the quiet dinners they had shared in their tent. Simpler than elven meals for sure, but there had always been a quiet intimacy to them eating together back then. They had to deal with far fewer interruptions, too.

With a wistful sigh, Celebrimbor neared the door to his room, only to stop abruptly when he found it standing slightly ajar.

Thinking back to earlier, he was sure he’d properly closed it. Maybe someone had come by and delivered a letter or a parcel in the meantime?

Silently, the elf walked closer – he had no reason to suspect any danger, but that didn’t make it easier for him to shake his apprehension.

When he finally arrived at the door and peeked inside the room that lay beyond it, he felt his breath catch in his throat at the unexpected sight that greeted him.

He almost didn’t recognize his husband, who was standing in front of a large mirror as he studied himself. The other had taken off his cuirass, chainmail, boots, his breeches and his tunic, even his gauntlet, all of which were placed carefully to his side. The only thing left of his usual attire was the braided ring of his right index finger.

Instead, he wore one of the robes the elf had pulled from his wardrobe earlier; the smith recongized the piece, which was of a midnight-blue color and had only minimal embroidery added onto it. He’d gotten it made as a simpler garment to wear in his spare time, for reading or wandering one of Eregion’s gardens in the evening.

Adar looked regal in it. For someone who had solely worn armor for such a long time, the robe suited him rather well. He did not even seem to be that unused to its weight, or the way the fabric fell around his shoulders and wrapped around his body.

If Celebrimbor hadn’t known better, he’d have hardly suspected the one standing in his room to be uruk. Adar almost looked like an elf untouched by Morgoth’s influence. Even his pale skin was offset by the light of the sun, which was slowly starting to set outside the window.

And yet, the smith could see the same, deep sadness in Adar’s eyes he’d witnessed earlier, when he’d first retrieved the clothes and shown them to the uruk. Though now, he was looking at himself with that expression.

The elf would have liked to watch his husband some more, take in the unusual sight, as he suspected he would not soon get to see it again.

But he did not want to steal this moment for himself like a thief, and so he straightened, lightly knocked against the door, then slowly pushed it further open to announce his presence. Hopefully, without startling his husband.

Their eyes caught in the reflection of the mirror; Adar didn’t look surprised to be caught. Perhaps he’d even hoped for it. But still, the look in his eyes did not brighten, and he was soon focused on his appearance again.

Celebrimbor swallowed and stepped into their chambers. He shut the door behind himself as he did, then turned towards Adar again.

On the one hand, he wished to openly speak of how much he liked seeing Adar wearing this robe, how well it fit him, how he could not help but let his own eyes roam the other’s body in appreciation. And on the other, it was clear that Adar himself did not hold the same sentiment as he looked upon himself.

The smith eventually settled on an unsure, "The color quite suits you."

A long silence answered him, to the point that he began to fidget with his own braided ring in worry and stepped closer to the uruk.

"I did not expect to look quite so much like my old self in this," Adar finally said, voice heavy – almost grave.

Celebrimbor fell still, and stared, before asking. "Your old self?"

"Back before they found and...remade me," the other explained. "When I was still an elf. Untouched by darkness."

The smith sucked in a breath and felt himself freeze up at the other’s words. Things were beginning to fall into place now; the forlorn looks, the agitation.

"You did not merely avoid this topic because you wore chainmail for such a long time, didn’t you?"

"No," the uruk answered. "I feared what I would see – whether I would recognize myself, and what I was, once I put on these clothes. If I...If I would miss it. What form my regrets would take."

His words broke Celebrimbor’s heart. He went over to Adar the rest of the way, whose gaze was still fixed on the mirror.

With gentle, slow movements, the elf stepped behind his husband as he brought his hands forward and around Adar’s hips. He then held onto his one of his wrists with his other hand. At the same time, he moved closer, until his front was flush against Adar’s back.

He hooked his chin over the uruk’s shoulder and pressed their cheeks together. Up close, he could feel that Adar’s breathing was slightly uneven as well.

The elf took a moment to let them settle. He could see Adar look up at him, finally, and felt a small measure of relief when the other lifted his own hands and folded them over Celebrimbor’s. Adar also leant back into the embrace, and allowed his eyes to close as he took a deep breath.

Cautiously, the elf asked, "Do you recognize yourself?"

The uruk shuddered. "Yes and no. I can see the shape of the elf I once was, but he is out of my reach. Everything before Morgoth is out of my reach now. And yet my current self seems to be slipping through my fingers as well – who am I, without an enemy to vanquish, and now that peace for my children is within my grasp?"

This sounded to be an issue that ran even deeper than Celebrimbor had expected. He’d often questioned who he himself was, after fleeing Eregion, in the time during which he had been completely unable to perform his craft, had not been the ruler of his own city. If one took all that away, and left only the elf behind, what remained?

He could only guess how much worse it had to feel for Adar, who had made so many sacrifices and endured so much, and had now overcome his past – only to be left with a wide open, terrifyingly unknown future.

Still, perhaps he might be able to help. With a surge of determination, Celebrimbor replied. "I recognize you, Adar. Lord and Father of the uruk. The one who helped slay Sauron," A pause. "Bringer of the peace between uruk and elves. And my husband."

His words caused Adar to finally look at the elf again, still through the reflection of the mirror. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

Celebrimbor smiled, and took in the two of them as they stood together.

"I care not for what you wear, or whether you are elf or uruk. You are the one I love. That is all that matters to me. And whatever you once were, or might be, I do love that as well. You being uruk does not diminish you – and neither does your elven past."

"Neither of us knows what the future may hold. We do not know how the dwarves and the men might react to our union and the peace. What other challenges might await us, even after Sauron’s defeat. But I feel more at ease knowing I will be facing it all with you by my side."

He turned and pressed a kiss to Adar’s jaw, lightly, before he brought their cheeks together again. "Who knows what we might end up becoming together, huh? Maybe an old couple that constantly bickers with each other?"

At that, Adar’s lip quirked up a little bit, and he fully let himself sink into Celebrimbor’s hold. It seemed as if a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, as if a strain had been greatly lessened.

It would surely take time for Adar to heal, and to find his place in the world that would come to be due to their victory, but his reaction was at least promising.

The smith tightened his arms around the other just the slightest bit and burrowed his chin in between Adar’s neck and shoulder, until their cheeks were essentially squished together. He needed the contact to ground himself, and suspected Adar did so as well, judging by the way the other’s fingers tightened over Celebrimbor’s hands.

"I know you are unused to sharing these kinds of concerns with another, but you can talk to me about these things. I will not think lesser of you, or doubt your feelings for me, if that is what you are worried about. I’m not one of your children, you needn’t protect me from your own doubts."

Adar hummed, and began to turn his own face to the side, and into Celebrimbor’s, as his eyes closed. His long, dark hair fell down over his shoulder and cascaded down his chest; the contrast between the blue fabric and the rust-shine of the black strands made for a beautiful contrast in the elf’s opinion.

"I see my thoughts must be written all over my face, to you at least," the uruk said, with a small tinge of humor. "I thought I had shielded myself enough for no one to glean them."

"Well, I see we both have that in common, then. You are indeed very adept at picking up on my moods and worries as well," Celebrimbor replied in the same fond tone, and stroked his thumbs over Adar’s stomach. The other gave a little shiver in response. "Truth be told, I am glad for it. I usually find my burdens greatly lessened when you do."

The uruk began to turn in his arms at those words, and the elf loosened his hold on the other to let him do so, though he did not fully remove his hands from the other’s body and instead let them slide over Adar’s hips as the uruk angled himself towards Celebrimbor.

He lifted his own arms and set them upon the smith’s, gripping the elf as if he needed to hold onto something to remain steady. He seemed uncertain, for a moment, and then stepped fully forward and let himself be embraced by his husband.

Adar’s face disappeared in the crook of Celebrimbor’s neck, where the elf could hear and feel his breathing even out, until it was once again steady. He wrapped one arm around the uruk’s waist and brought the other up to the back of his head, carefully carding his fingers through the strands of hair there.

The uruk took a shuddering breath. "I have been a father and leader for such a long time. I am not used to...this," It was clear to the smith what the other meant, and he nodded to indicate as such. "But you are right. It is easier to share a burden instead of carrying it alone."

The smith smiled, turned his head and kissed Adar’s temple.

"For all what it’s worth, I am honored you hold me in such confidence that you are willing to try," he answered. "It is a privilege to see you so vulnerable, that you trust me like this."

Celebrimbor brought down the hand in Adar’s hair and placed it at his husband’s cheek, slowly drawing him back. He pressed another kiss to the other’s forehead before he sought out to connect their eyes.

Thankfully, Adar tried to find his gaze just the same. The elf took it as a small victory.

"How about this – we leave the robes for the privacy of these chambers, for now. You can wear mine if you like, until you are comfortable enough to have your own be measured, or feel safe enough to leave off your armor around others. I will wear robes for the wedding, but I’ll tell the seamstress not to bother you any further. Or for anyone else to do so, for that matter," the smith promised, and then his smile grew brighter.

"And, should you wish it, I could repair your armor instead, so that it might protect you even better. It is, of course, merely an offer. One you may refuse if you so wish." He squeezed Adar’s hip encouragingly as he said this.

Celebrimbor couldn’t heal all of Adar’s ailments, or help him overcome all his doubts in this very instant, but what he could do was to offer his own kind of support – visibly, and tangibly, with the skills and knowledge he had.

And what better way to do so, than to improve a thing that had kept his husband safe for such a long time, so it might continue to do so? So that others might see that Celebrimbor not just accepted Adar, but was willing to champion him and all that made him as he was?

Judging by the way the uruk’s eyes widened just the slightest bit, he understood Celebrimbor’s intentions. His voice was quiet, but reverent. "I think I should like that. Taking your offer, I mean. I think I should like it very much."

The squeezed Celebrimbor’s upper arms and fully lifted his face to look the elf squarely in the face. His lingering uncertainty seemed to fall off of him. "Thank you, Tyelpe."

The elf’s face lit up in response to Adar’s words. He nodded, and couldn’t help but lean forward to catch Adar’s mouth in a small kiss. The uruk turned to him like a flower would to sunlight as he raised his chin in response, easily letting the elf bring their lips together.

They remained entwined as such for a long while, merely enjoying each other’s presence, and did not part even after their kiss ended, but simply leant against one another, with Adar wrapping his arms around Celebrimbor’s waist as well. Their breathing was the only sound in the room.

After what felt like a very long time, but was probably only a very brief amount, they drew back and regarded each other. Both of them were smiling now. Adar especially looked to be more settled; there were no drawn brows and no unhappy tilt to his lips anymore.

In the light of the slowly setting sun, he looked downright serene in that moment.

Celebrimbor knew exactly what he would soon be sketching, once he had some time to himself.

"Are you feeling better?"

The uruk did not hesitate before he gave Celebrimbor a nod. "I am."

"Good," the smith decided. He looked down at the robe that had, in part, caused all of this. "Do you want to keep wearing the garment? I can go and ask one of the guards to bring news to your children that you will stay with me for the rest of the day-"

"Actually," the uruk grinned a little, and flustered. His smile seemed almost self-deprecating. "I could use some help removing it."

Celebrimbor stared at him in question, not quite sure what the other was referring to. A stab of heat went through him- was the other implying…?

But then, Adar stepped back and lifted his arms in front of himself, pointing at the sleeves. They had been fashioned to fit snugly, which Celebrimbor oftentimes preferred to wider sleeves; working in the forges meant loose fabric could be quite detrimental to his own safety.

(He’d found this out the hard way, when he’d been much younger.)

If the fabric was measured to comfortably surround the elf’s wrists, it was now straining around Adar’s.

In fact, as the elf took in his husband’s limbs with raised eyebrows and an incredulous expression, he found that the sleeves themselves sat very tightly on Adar’s forearms, were in fact stretched tight over Adar’s muscles.

It made them look as if they were downright bulging. The smith suspected they must indeed be, in a sense. This discovery did nothing to cool the warmth that was spreading through his belly – he himself wasn’t quite as lean as people usually suspected due to the cut of his clothes, but Adar’s build was that of a warrior who had encountered many battles.

His body reflected countless hours of training, the skills he had aquired in hundreds of fights, and well. Celebrimbor found he was not immune to that. Not in the least.

And then there was another thought that suddenly came to him, and this one indeed made him fluster and stumble over his words when he spoke up next.

"O-oh, that is quite- yes, I think I see your predicament. Forgive me, these robes were measured to fit me, and I am not- well. Let me help you with that-" he offered, and reached forward to try and tug on one sleeve to losen its hold and pull it down.

In his head, this new heady thought reveberated.

The uruk’s eyes narrowed and he tilted his head at Celebrimbor’s behavior. "What is the matter? Surely you aren’t embarrassed on my behalf for putting on clothes that do not quite fit me."

If he could have, Celebrimbor certainly would have flushed beet-red. As it was, he stammered some more and probably appeared like a deer caught before a hunter’s bow with how wide his eyes were.

"No-no, no, not at all-" This was ridiculous. He wasn’t some youth, besotted with his first love, anymore. Even if he sometimes felt that way as he was looking at Adar.

He bit his lip, groaned, closed his eyes as he shook his head, and pinched his brow as he gave a little laugh, before he focused on the uruk again. His expression now certainly conveyed his sheepishness.

"It just occured to me that you are, in fact, wearing my clothes. And- um," Why should he lie, even if his thoughts were perhaps juvenile. "I am realizing I quite like it. Both the thought and- and seeing you like this."

He wasn’t one for possessiveness, not truly, and yet looking at Adar in the light of this new discovery, he felt a certain sense of pride, and fondness, but also – more.

He couldn’t make up his mind on whether the thought of the other keeping on his robes or taking them off was more tantalizing.

Perhaps the sentiment reflected in Celebrimbor’s face, because before long, Adar caught the smith’s hands in his own and was stared at him intently. He tilted his head to the other side, and then blinked as he beheld his husband.

Celebrimbor’s smile was small, still sheepish, and he briefly felt the desire to hide his face in his arm. As it was, he merely lowered it enough to look at Adar through his lashes. Coyly.

"Hm," the uruk responded. It felt an awful lot like one of Celebrimbor’s 'oh's. His head tilted further and he turned it slightly, as if trying to see Celebrimbor from a different angle. Or maybe he was trying to figure him out. The look in Adar’s eyes was sharpening, and the elf could see his pupils dilate just the slightest bit.

"Interesting," the other finally settled on. Now, there was a smirk upon his face. It was full of mischief. Celebrimbor felt his breath catch at how attractively shrewd it made the other look. "Seems I have yet another reason to consider wearing robes more often."

The elf’s only response was a gasp, before the uruk moved forward and caught Celebrimbor’s lips in a kiss again. This one was decidedly less innocent than the previous one had been. The smith let himself melt into it as his husband pushed close once more.

Oh, he would truly be doomed if Adar continued wearing his robes, wouldn’t he?

But if this was indeed to be his immediate future, then the elf thought he might be quite prepared – enthusiastic, even – to embrace it.

[rainthespiritual]

pt 1 , pt 2

Pre-death Tate Langdon fic PART TWO

btw some trigger warnings for the series as a whole are deffinetly: drug abuse, depression, suicide, and topics similar to that even if they don't show up in this specific part THEY WILL EVENTUALLY so I just want yall to be warned ty

TRIGGER WARNING : Tate langdon is a tw tbh and American horror story in general, smoking, talk of abusive dad and family slightly(it'll be talked abt more in other parts), angst, this part is more tame that the other parts will be, and alot of talk on bullying and angsty teen bullshit yk the drill

summery: Tate invited you to his house and talked to you about wanting to be friends again!

sorry if this is bad I didn't get to edit it cuz im using my phone PLZ ENJOY LETS GET INTO IT YUH

"Meet me here again tommorow, same time."

His words have been repeating in your head since yesterday. I mean yeah almost being caught by a teacher scared you shitless... and you didn't want it to happen again but it seemed almost worth it. the way he makes you feel is worth it. I mean this is the most validated you've felt in months.

You are pulled back to reality, to the smell of musty books and to the sound of the library, "___ you aren't listening again." sighing at your so called friend. you almost snap at her but she continues before you can knowing she now has your attention again. the sound of a distant clock ticking puts you more at ease as you try not to get too deppressed. The library is usually a nice safe space for you but sometimes you are followed, but you just have to deal with it. she goes on for a while before saying something that actually causes you to look up at her,

"Do you see that guy staring at me." she waves her head and your eyes meet Tates. he's sitting down at a distant table with a book in his hands but it's clear he isn't reading it. He smiles when you notice him and its also clear he isn't looking at your friend. He's staring at you.

"Yeah I do Heather.." you break eye contact with him hoping the hotness you feel in your cheeks isn't them turning red. Tate also stops looking in your direction and his attention goes to the book.

"I mean he's cute but he's all quiet and weird, ya know? ..kinda like you." she smiles as you sigh. you aren't quiet she just won't let you get a word in. You look back to the table where Tate was at but he is gone, you look around wondering if he was still in the library but there is no sign of him. not even the book he was reading, he must have taken it. it is common for kids at your school to take books to the tables and leave them if they weren't interested or more likely if they were just trying to seem busy. Tho it being frowned upon it happens quite alot.

"I've gotta go." You gather your things and start to stand.

"..where do you have to go?" Heather your friend scoffs slightly thinking you have nothing better to do.

"I've gotta go to the bathroom actually so.. And class is starting soon, see ya." with that you leave almost as fast as you did yesterday, mostly to avoid more questioning and bitching.

It almost being time to meet Tate you make your way to the bathroom you both were at yesterday. its pretty early but it's nice to have some thinking time. you stare at the door listening making sure no one is coming your way. you'd get questioned deffinetly, especially class starting so soon.. you fidget waiting for the bell to ring but it feels like time is going by way slower than it is. After thinking for a while and the bell not ringing still you decide to go in early, I mean maybe no one's in there? like Tate said almost no one ever comes this way. or maybe Tates there early too? maybe that's why he left the library so soon..

"Tate..?" you walk in slowly praying no one other than Tate is in this bathroom. You cautiously have your eyes closed just incase.

"___?.. You're early, hey." you open your eyes to find a nervous looking Tate.

"Hey yeah I am... is- is that okay, or?" you take a deep breath, the bathroom smells like harsh chemicals and it slightly irritates your nose. "Yeah no its fine, just surprised me is all." what he says makes you feel better and you look up to see him smiling at you, his eyes are red and watery and hes repeatedly wiping his nose.

"is there anything wrong?" you ask genuinely concerned. You seem to notice a wave of sadness on his face, or maybe it was just the smell of this bathroom you felt it irritating your eyes so maybe the same was happening to him? or maybe he was sad, he did tend to look sad. remembering all the small times you looked at him in the halls or at him if he was in the same room as you, he was sad. or atleast not smiling.

"Nothing at all, now that you're here." he walks closer to you, looking down at you.

"me? what do you mean?" you knew exactly what he meant, it just felt so surreal that this tall blonde good smelling guy that just so happened to go to school with you they you also used to be friends with could say this. I mean who would have known. all the boys you were used to interacting with never payed that kind of attention to you.

"I just mean I'm glad you're here. what else would I mean?" you smile again enjoying him saying these things. the validation you felt made you feel great, and he knew exactly what to do to make you feel special. not to say he was lying or anything, he wasn't. His confidence radiated off of him and he knew just what to say.

"well you could mean alot of things." he smirks at your response before pausing.

"Here, sit with me again." He climbs up on the sinks, making sure they aren't wet with his sleeve first. you notice a brownish red stain on his sleeve and decide whether ot not to bring it up. you choose to ignore it climbing up next to him. you take a deep breath noticing how your nose is now used to the harsh chemical smell that is all around the both of you.

"I'm surprised you came," he states looking into your eyes, a weird wave of guilt builds up in your stomach remembering how well you two got along. you truly regret not talking to him and hope you can make up for all the time you two have lost together.

" you know... I think about you all the time." he pushes a section of your hair behind your ear, admiring your face again.

you smile wider at him focusing on his pretty brown eyes. They are so dark and mysterious its not even funny. you also take notice of how dark his undereyes are, he must be tired.

"Is that why you were looking at me earlier? " you nervously smirk watching as he gets up off the counter to stand infront of you.

"we should go to my house." he places his arms on the counter making it so he is looking down on you slightly.

"your house?" you gulp.

"yep, my house," he nods, "we'd have fun I swear. I mean no one's even home." this catches you off guard. I mean a boy inviting you to his house was the last thing you expected to happen. Especially at school, a boy is not only inviting you to his house hes inviting you to ditch school with him at his house.. while no one's home.

"Sure, fuck it!" He leaves first making sure no one is around, you sneak out thanking God no one is around. and somehow you guys make it out without being caught. He leads you and you start to get nervous.

"is- is your house close or?" you gulp feeling a tad bit guilty. You've never missed school on purpose before.

"Actually I was thinking of going somewhere first.." he smirks and puts his hand around your shoulders.

"oh.. where?" the ideas of where he could bring you excited you slightly. The air was clear and the sun was hiding behind some clouds. its a gloomy day yet you were glad you were getting to spend it with Tate, something about him hypnotized you and made you feel ways you never felt before.

"The beach, trust me it's cool. especially on days like this.." he smirks more putting your hand in his, his warm soft touch made you blush. You never felt this way about anyone, he made you feel special.

You both walk in silence just enjoying eachothers company until you make it to the beach. You both sat in the sand admiring the ocean and the gloomy sky.

"do you play hookey alot?" you ask smiling already knowing he often does, you just didn't know what else to say.

"just when I get bored, or sad I guess.. I like to come here, y'know when everything gets too much? I come here.." he sighs looking off into the sea, his eyes are shining with the water and you can't help but to admire his beauty.

"No, I totally get that. I get sad alot too, thats why I go to the library. Usually no one follows me." he frowns looking away in the distance making you unable to look in his eyes anymore.

"y'know.. I don't get why you hang out with those assholes, it's clear they give zero shits about you. all they care about is themselves, even I can tell you that." you frown along with him, you want to tell him off but you can't bring yourself to because in the end... he's right. they don't and never cared about you. they never listen to you about your problems or your feelings. It's always about them them them.

"I know.. that's exactly how it is.. but I have no one else, I'm too scared to be alone." you open up a bit to him about how you feel hoping he will actually listen.

"you wouldn't be alone ___, I'd hang out with you. I mean trust me I'm cooler than all those bitches combined!" he laughs knowing he made you smile.

"then I guess I won't be hanging around them anymore. I got you now." you both smile walking the rest of the way to his house, talking about your past and goofing off.

[liivaliittle]

fighting the power by reading aziracrow fanfic at work (non-profit theater company)

[afterartist]

Thinking of rewriting my first ever fanfic but with different characters (because SOME ASSHOLE thought dating a 17 yr old when he was 27 was a good idea)

So now it’s your turn Undertale Multiverse community,

Time to select 7 random AUs you want to see thrown in an infinite non linear Asylum together

Link to the Original Fanfic for context:

REMINDER⚠️⚠️

I was 13 when writing this fic

So it’s got horrendous writing (not that it’s improved much (,: ), and very bad depictions of both Mental illnesses and the LGBTQIA+ community

It was written when I only knew of DID as MPD (and unfortunately vilified Alters as that’s all the knowledge I had of it at the time) and had basically no knowledge of LGBTQIA+ identities, I was raised in a conservative Christian home and thus has practically no real world experience with anything outside of my parents views (my grandparents to this day believe you can pray the autism away /: )

All of these will be rectified or just entirely left out in the rewrite as I have more knowledge and by no ways stand with those old viewpoints

[korpuskristae]

I wrote a Hans Gruber fanfic but it didn’t get the attention I wanted it to, so it got me wondering, what Alan Rickman characters do people want to read about? Besides our dear dungeon bat ofc.

[lovelyghostz]

Starting on a cotl fanfic, so heres the (possible) description. I’m thinking of naming it smth akin to ‘while death rests’, but I’d love suggestions bc I’m not rlly attached to it lol.

A lil more info: it’s a Lambert amnesia au! I love all the angst I could squeeze out of this idea so here I am. Doing it. :3

[sunkissedliterarylightofchrist]

If I mayhaps was indeed going to write a coffee shop au out of spite which characters/fandom should it be for hmmm I’m open to suggestions

[emoxxzombie]

Writer's block is one hell of a curse

[remuslupinluvr]

fics ive read:

all the young dudes

text talk

fics im reading:

all the young dudes sirius's perspective

art heist, baby!

crimson rivers (putting this off for a while cause i got to a part that made me sad and now i dont want to read it :p)

fics im planning to read:

cadence of part-time poets

kill your darlings

dead boy walking

dream a little dream of me

silence

a moth and mandrake

the blessing of survival

thats the art of getting by

a brief history of dragons

lessen my load

quite like us

please suggest fics for me to read!! i prefer wolfstar but please suggest jegulus too. i also prefer fics that take place at hogwarts but am open to reading any au's :) im a bit new to the fandom i suppose so please be patient with me if i ask any questions that might be considered common knowledge i guess?

if i followed you, hi! nice to meet you. i'm mainly here just for the marauders stuff and don't really know how this site works, so you might have to be patient with me when it comes to that aspect too.

thanks for stopping by :)

thank you all so much for all the suggestions!! these should keep me busy for a few months. <3

[boredcoldandhungry]

FOR THE TEACHER AU YOU SHOULD HAVE HAZEL AND FRANK COME IN ON ONE OF NICOS CLASSES !

Teacher AU 5

Prev Part

"Okay, good morning Military History," Nico said, putting on his glasses and shuffling through some papers on his desk. "As you know I have no idea how I got stuck teaching this elective, nor do I have enough lesson plans to make it through the first few weeks of this class. I'm working on it. Now, because of this we have some guest speakers today to buy some time while I plan out the rest of this term. I'd say don't embarrass me, but I think they'll embarrass me more than you guys will. Please give a warm welcome to my sister, Hazel, and my brother in law Frank, both of whom were military big wigs for a long time."

Hazel and Frank walked to the front of his classroom and started clicking through a slide show they had made. Nico only half paid attention to their presentation while he tried to get his own slideshows together for the class.

He had no idea how he got stuck teaching this class. Half of the class was rednecks that glared at the tiny pride flag on his desk, the other half was gay nerds who took his AP classes and took this class because he was teaching it, most of whom were as clueless as he was.

Half of his day was usually some level Italian, the rest being usually being AP US History and AP government, maybe an Art History elective if he had time.

The Military History teacher randomly quit after the last term, though, and Nico got stuck with the class instead of his prep period.

Just as he finished the lesson plan for week 6 he looked up to see Hazel and Frank doing an elaborate demonstration with multiple students volunteering to help them.

Nico sighed and took a long drink of his coffee before opening up a new document to start the week 7 lesson plan.

-

"I love family reunions," Hazel chirped, stabbing her salad with a fork.

"Haz, I wouldn't call eating lunch in my classroom a family reunion," Nico said.

"How'd y'all's presentation go?" Will asked while standing on a chair, trying to fix Nico's projector, which had stopped working right before lunch.

"I think they scared some of my kids."

"We motivated them!" Frank corrected. Hazel hummed in agreement.

Nico smiled.

"Whatever you say."