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astrologista · 4 years ago

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jason stop dying

ooooook i just watched ditf. it was PRETTY GOOD.... i only wish there was MOOORE! watching this REALLY brought me back to 2011 times to see it and i think they did a good job with most of the character design and animations insofar as matching it to the original. (maybe i’m totally wrong but i thought it looked good for the most part... also i just really love these character designs in particular). obviously the budget is not what it would be on a feature, so there are a LOT of places where animation gets recycled and many still frames. some parts are basically a slideshow lol. but i only sort of came to that realization awhile after watching, so i think they did a fairly good job of masking this... ymmv

so let’s get into it!!!

SPOILERS a-head! do not read until you’ve watched it because i’ll spoil everything

now obviously the thing to be aware of if you are not is the fact that this adaptation is not a panel-by-panel adaptation of the original death in the family comic. all references to jason’s mother (save one mention of her dying of illness) are completely removed, they go to bosnia instead of africa, and the circumstances around jason leaving are also heavily altered to fit the new narrative. this adaptation does slot perfectly into the universe established by the under the red hood animated movie from 2011 though, without which one would be pretty confused when watching this. it’s kind of a mystery as to why they didn’t just package this with utrh and release the entire thing as a collectors edition. instead they package it with like 4 or 5 unrelated dc showcase shorts which makes absolutely 0 sense but go off i guess. anyway

i liked that they took the time to adapt the scene from the original ditf where bruce is talking to alfred about jason! (i do not like that alfred didn’t get any lines. bad choice). tbh i can’t understand why they bothered showing us alfred, barbara and dick if they weren’t gonna give them any lines..... like come on........??

HOW INTENSE BRUCE LOOKS WHEN HE FINDS JASON IN SARAJEVO and just. grabs him lol. hes smad :)

ok so one two skip a few and we get to the first branch. instead of calling 1-900 we now get to choose whether jason lives or dies. there are 7 possible endings i think i got em all so let’s see what we got here.

“Hush” Route - Robin cheats death

hgrgdggr. i definitely think this is one of the more interesting endings, if not the most interesting one. this is also the only ending in which both bruce and jason survive the bombing. bruce is still too late, but this time jason barely clings to life and survives. as a hurt/comfort fan i was 100% on this shit from the word go but then jason? runs away from home lmao lmao i thought that was SO funny because 1) hes super messed up, how is he able to just literally run out the house that is SO funny to me and 2) implying that bruce would ever not be keeping an eye on him after that is just, lmao. it’s so zany. i call this the “hush” route because of the bandages but there are no other references to hush so ok. that’s fair. so anyway jason is now angsty for loosely explained reasons but the most fun part is yet to come.

when talia showed up, i really thought / was terrified for a second that they were gonna bring up certain “events” regarding damian’s parentage / who damian’s father is but then she mentioned bruce and i was like OH THANK GOD WE CAN STILL GO TO HEAVEN. i am so so grateful to the writers for NOT going there. cuz it was damn close ok. im not sure what the implication of this route is in terms of talia, jason and damian being a family unit but i want to believe talia sees jason as a son and damian’s brother (which is how she refers to him, damian’s brother) and not... yknow. i mean. jason raising a baby is kind of like a baby raising a baby...

no actually the reality of this scene is really dfuckin interesting like. they actually go with the “birth of the demon” (forget if it was birth of the demon or bride of the demon. one of those.) explanation for damian and that is something i’ve NEVER seen adapted so whoever wrote this can have a cookie and i kNOW this is something a certain someone will appreciate :)

not only that but the implications? are interesting? so talia’s claim is she miscarried so bruce won’t have to “choose” between damian and jason and idk if she’s supposed to be all on the-up-and-up in this universe but. i’m sitting here like GIRL YOU DON’T GOTTA DO THIS HE HAS A PRIVATE JET HAVEN’T YOU HEARD OF SHARED CUSTODY and BETTER YET HE HAS A MANSION JUST GO ON MAURY AND GET THIS SORTED OUT RIGHT NOWwwww

i’m also LAUGHING at the implications of jason thinking theres anywhere on earth that he’s going to go and hide damian’s existence from bruce. because you already know he’s just going to be tearing the planet apart looking for jason so this is actually hilarious. imagine he finds jason in one piece and also a baby. his baby. he’d be like (@ talia) “OMG WHY WOULD YOU THINK I WOULDN’T WANT THEM BOTH u are tearing me apart talia......” BUT THEN HE WOULD BE SO FREAKING HAPPY BECAUSE HE HAS TWO ALIVE SONS AND HE THOUGHT THEY WERE BOTH DEAD / (lost to crime)!!!

please lord imagine all of jason’s angst probably just originating from the fact that he has a brain injury that hasn’t fully healed and the trauma of going through all those surgeries probably gave him a lot of fear / paranoia about bruce and associating him with the joker because his neural pathways are all messed up but after he leaves he starts slowly healing back and regaining some of his lost sanity and thats when he realizes he misses bruce so much... but hes also raising his child... and every day it gets more difficult for him not to just take damian and bring him home and i ;v;

anyway i thought this route, while it had a few inconsistencies in it, was really freaking interesting and it gave me feels and plot bunnies and is probably the one i want to write about the MOST despite the fact that baby damian looks like a character from one of those web flash games in this lol

“True” End - Jason Dies

now if you select that jason dies the route basically defaults to the canon of under the red hood and the fact that utrh does not come packaged with this movie is a rather mystifying choice to me as i don’t think this adaptation would stand on its own very well. like you need quite a bit of background to really get anything out of watching this on its own, which is probably why it’s classified as a “short” and not as its own movie.

instead of showing all of utrh, it seems they took the opportunity to give a ~30 minute recap of utrh with basically entirely reused animation but they allow bruce to sort of. give his dvd commentary over it.

the biggest feeling i have on this is that it’s sad that they had to waste 30 minutes like this that could’ve been used to do something new and much more interesting, but honestly i’m not mad. it seems kind of obvious that this choice was probably made for budget and/or runtime reasons because a short does not get the same budget set aside as a full length feature film does. so they basically took the option of recycling 30 minutes of animation from the movie and dubbing new audio over it.

in evangelion they ran out of budget and that’s why the last two episodes consist of nothing more than still pencil drawings and frames while the characters engage in philosophical debates concerning the nature of reality and human connection. and i really enjoyed that. and for the same reasons, i also really enjoyed this.

i enjoyed seeing the clark kent of this universe. i enjoyed that he was basically out on a date with bruce. i enjoyed that bruce was willing to open up for once and tell clark all of what happened with jason. but what really makes this segment shine bright are bruce greenwood’s line reads. there are SO MANY good line reads in here. and i LOVED how many times he said the word “son”. very wholesome. the way he describes how he felt during the final fight with jason? probs my favorite FUCKING part.

and then him and clark joking together about contingency plans and then they’re going to work together to find jason and i ;_; this is probably the closest thing to a “good” ending but as a continuation of utrh i thought it worked really well. i really want to believe that bruce and clark did find jason in this route and that there was some closure in the end even though we didn’t get to see it.

including clark in this was DEFINITELY the right move as well, considering that he played a rather large role in the original ditf so it’s a welcome nod.

The rest of the branches exist under a separate option where Bruce makes it in time to save Jason from the warehouse... but Bruce dies......... :O

let me tell you bout it... bruce’s fucking DEATH SCENE i don’t know WHAT my man bruce greenwood is on, but the freaking LINE READS in this dialogue had me making INHUMAN NOISES. LIKE NOT ONLY WAS THE DIALOGUE GOOD, NOT ONLY DID HE SAY “I LOVE YOU, SON”, but this man is just an amazing actor. not just voice actor, but actor. he really really really really gave it the most i don’t know how else to say it....... it was very very well done and punched me sideways in the heart and i haven’t recovered and i’m not going to recover. and

ok so once we get past that.... scene.... u have to choose whether you’re going to catch the joker or kill the joker. bruce asks jason to promise not to kill the joker but technically jason doesn’t promise so........

Let’s start by choosing to kill the Joker. Jason attends Bruce’s funeral and various members of the Justice League show up to talk with him and just generally hang out. He has Alfred, Dick and Barbara as his support system, but Jason has some other plans.

This leads to a scene in a cafe where Jason meets with a man who... something something Killing Joke, flashlight, more Barbara being used as a plot device when she deserves better, Jason kills the Joker with a butter knife.

Once you do this you can choose to surrender to the police, or retaliate and escape.

Jailbird Ending

basically if you surrender to the police jason ends up in prison where he can actually attack even more criminals so.... ya

If you retaliate and escape instead you go to the Red Robin route where Jason becomes a vigilante who kills people much like the Red Hood and you get a further choice in a fight with Two Face where you can control how Harvey’s coin lands.

Tim Ending!

If you choose the coin to land clean face up, the thing rewards you by having Tim show up and I forgot what happened (wasn’t really paying attention lol) because i was so focused on TIM!

Prolly they felt sorry for him what with Jason stealing what is essentially his outfit (ok I know it was Jason’s first, but Tim made it cool) so they let a little baby tim have an appearance :) he’s very smol

I guess in this ending Jason gets reintegrated with the family somehow and Tim becomes “Bat-kid” which is hilarious to me but you know what it’s cute. CUTE.

The one ending where the coin lands scarred side up

i honestly forget what happens if you choose to have the coin land scarred side up but let me just say this is a FUCKED route to take, not only have you had jason survive and bruce die, you’ve now chosen to kill the joker against bruce’s dying wish, you’ve chosen to attack the police, and at the end of that you really are gonna choose harvey’s coin to be scarred face up???? choosing this made me feel like a DICK because here i am supporting jason’s whole fall to madness and villainy thing the way it wants me to and now he’s gonna die HERE? i hate it here.

interestingly enough he doesn’t actually die in this route. he ends up at home with barbara and dick while dealing with the fact that he killed the joker but the route ends with jason saying “i promise” so i guess this is supposed to be kinda sad. im so confused lol ok

So that is all the options if you choose to kill the joker, I believe. You can also make the choice to just catch him instead of killing him but amazingly enough, those routes are even more FUCKED up.

If you do this option Jason goes home, mourns Bruce with Dick, Barbara and Alfred, and becomes Red Hood BUT with a twist, he’s entirely on a bloodless operation in line with Bruce’s wishes. OR.... IS HE?

Things then follow the events of UTRH until the scene on the bridge with the van and the guys. Jason finally confronts Joker, who reveals the truth.

Apparently in this route Jason has actually been killing and decapitating his victims just like in the original movie, but he’s repressed it so as to not even realize to himself that he’s doing it.

that is FUCKED. also. i wanna cry because jason doing all of that stuff but not even realizing it ;------; jason blocking it out, because he wanted to honor bruce’s wishes for him not to kill anyone ;______; but he’s doing it anyway ;_____; he’s actually hearing voices telling him to kill ;____; like it’s a very cheap twist in a sense and also really quite cruel but.... damn, son.

There is a branch here where you can choose to spare or kill the Joker at this point (UNDERTALE???) but from what I can tell it seems to be totally meaningless what choice you pick because you end up at the exact same point either way, I think there’s a small variation in what happens after you make the choice but after that they just coalesce back together into the following two endings. Which seems incredibly cheap to me, I mean making a choice like that should alter Jason’s path completely but, it doesn’t! So... ooook....

Either way Jason ends up on the Wayne building and Talia shows up with a re-animated Bruce from the pit. Here’s another fun blast from the 2011 past with more gratuitous Grant Morrison dreck, remember that shit? Well, they’re gonna jam it down your throat here, too.

The reanimated Bruce is the Zur En Arrh Bruce and he’s already dead so this is all meaningless but basically Jason fights him and you get to choose whether everybody lives or dies.

Zur En Arrh - Everyone Lives!

if you pick this, jason actually gets the re-animated bruce back to the batcave and they lock him up down there because he’s still pit-mad and the prognosis is not great. but i’m not sure what they expected, he is the zur-en-arrh guy so I don’t think he’s getting better.

Zur En Arrh - Everyone Dies!

pretty much there’s an explosion and all three of them die and that’s it

I think that should be all the possible endings there are.

By the way the different ways in which black mask dies in this was actually a fairly clever running gag lollll. let that mf burn we don’t need no water.

overall there are a couple of things i would have done to SIGNIFICANTLY improve this adaptation beyond some of the obvious ones.

- the fact that all of the branching options are branched exclusively under the “jason lives and bruce dies” branch is a huge wasted opportunity. imo this is the most egregious problem with this, i was really looking for a more balanced tree / explanation of different things. i am probably super biased though being a fic writer and used to fic, we’re the ones making huge ass trees every day lol.

- the fact that there is no “good” ending here is something i kind of expected but given the context of this is lackluster. i sort of get it though because granted, the original ditf ends in an unresolved manner but it’s distinctly unsatisfying here. i secretly wanted an ending where bruce, like, figures out about the different endings and hacks reality to try to find a good ending where jason lives and everything is fine lmao. like a bat mite ending.

- i was disappointed in a sense that the narrative given in here is so basically simplistic? maybe i’ve been spoiled by games like 999 and undertale where shit gets messy and that’s not what this is supposed to be but when i play something with multiple endings in this day and age, at least play with the concept a little bit and connect some of the branches together narratively. use different devices. i was also hoping some of the choices would be a little bit meatier like you could choose to “forgive bruce” or something cool like that lol. but it looks like the majority of choices have to do with who lives or dies. and i felt like they couldve been a bit more creative with that ya know? being able to control harvey’s coin was a GREAT example of having some more fun with this.

- it is a huge missed opportunity not to have a “secret ending” on something like this. like where. the fuck. is my secret ending for completing everything. come on. and in a similar vein there should’ve been at least something in terms of bruce and jason interacting in a “true ending”. even if very brief. the closest thing to an ending this has is the “jason died” route and then the ending where he’s talking to clark which i feel like was a REALLY nice good optimistic ending as far as this goes, but it comes off as kind of disappointing i guess

there were SO many interesting nuggets locked into this thing though. i can’t deny it bugs me how many wasted opportunities there were with how they chose to structure things but i guess it’s the best you can do with limited runtime. i thought it was really well done though, makes an interesting companion piece to the original utrh, and is definitely something that i will be re-watching again soon!! overall i give it a 7/10 and some parts an 8/10+!

#a death in the family #death in the family #ditf #it was cool to see the different ideas they had to offer finally?#for what it was #it was kind of a collection of shorts and half spun ideas #plus i think about this shit like every day #so i cant help but be interested #someone come and talk to me about this #i really want to know #what ppl thought #spoilers #ditf spoilers #death in the family spoilers

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kanamesharisenwrites · 4 years ago

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kh’s story snippet celebration sendoff, entry #6

God, what do I even say about this piece? It's so old - the timestamp from my FF.net import says 2012 - and I don't remember much about it. I almost left it out of this collection after cringing my way through a re-read of the first paragraph. Then, I made myself reframe the narrative.

This piece needs to be here; it shows how far I've come as a writer.

Don't let anyone tell you that fanfic is a waste of time. Just look at this piece compared to my recent projects! I'm living proof that fanfic is every bit as valid for honing your craft as traditional written media

Fandom: Naruto Pairing: Sai/Sakura Haruno Word Count: 2931 Genre: canon-divergence!AU Rating: T Warnings: canon-typical violence

... [ hypocritical ]

Pain.

The dull throb of injury greeted Sai as his consciousness reluctantly returned to him. This particular circumstance perplexed him greatly. Had he not been merely put to sleep? Sakura's loyalty was steadfast and her medical skills knew no equal but that of their esteemed Hokage, of this much he was certain. Therefore, the probability that this harm was inflicted by her drug, hastily administered though it was, seemed highly unlikely. No, this feeling was not akin to that of being poisoned. Nor did it seem to come from any external wound; a quick scan of his person negated that possibility. Yet, it was still very clear to him that all was not right or as it should be. His throat felt unbelievably tight, the sensation bringing to mind scenes of Naruto shoving complete bowls of ramen down his throat in a singular motion. Sai's heart raced uncontrollably, palpitating to a foreign rhythm, and his insides quaked. There was something wrong with him internally.

Nearby, his companions began to stir. As they also scanned for injuries, all the while cursing Sakura for her heroic stupidity, it became clear to Sai that he alone suffered from any malady. He rose gingerly, taken aback by how easily he could still function in spite of all his present symptoms, and questioned Kiba for his teammate's last known trajectory. The best course of action, for now, would be to find Sakura before his symptoms got worse. With but a nod, he left his temporary workmates and headed out in search of the pink-haired kunoichi.

Sai dashed through the woodland at breakneck speed, something as of yet unnamed urging him on. Something about the whole situation unsettled him. He should have anticipated Sakura's actions and been ready with a countermeasure. Becoming her victim was irresponsible and now his comrade could be engaged in a treacherous encounter with that traitor, possibly without backup; whether or not Kakashi had caught up to her in time remained to be seen. Her tenacity, even with her insane strength, would be no match for the Uchiha prodigy. It was as clear as needing air to breathe. Surely Sakura herself could see that. She had proven time and time again over that her intelligence was more than adequate. Why then would she willingly engage in actions where death was not only possible but the most probable outcome? The shinobi's stomach lurched, forcing him to stall his forward progress in favor of retching in the forest undergrowth. He had no time to waste now, his symptoms now progressing.

Another half-hour of hurdling over branches did little to ease his discomfort. A cold sweat, unrelated to his current exertions, came over Sai making his hands unnaturally clammy. Barely perceptible, yet uncontrollable shaking started to take a hold of him. His body was starting to go into shock. He would need to find her soon.

Sai lost all track of the distance he had traveled, the trees and thickets becoming but a verdant blur in the peripheral. It was of no consequence anyway. His mind was too clouded to focus on those kinds of details anymore. Instead he focused what was left of his cerebral capacity on what he considered to be his mission objectives: to find and determine the condition of one Sakura Haruno, and to have her administer a thorough health examination on his person. As Sai mentally rallied around these precepts, her chakra signature finally came into range. The worn shinobi redoubled his efforts. His reward finally came into view, accompanied by silver and gold and black, and Sai dropped from the sky with a resounding thud.

"Took you long enough to catch up." A weary, whiskered grin greeted him. "Sakura sure knows how to pack a punch, huh? And not just with her fist."

Sai merely nodded. His exertions had taken a toll on him and for the moment he was finding it hard to catch his breath. Non-verbal means of communication would have to do for the moment. And so his black eyes became intent on catching the attention of a pair of viridian ones. It did not take long.

"Sai? Are you okay?" Sakura gave her blonde teammate her half of their current burden, a half-dead kunoichi, and rushed over to Sai with healing chakra at the ready. "You look awful. My sleeping potion shouldn't have had any adverse effects. Were you attacked?"

The moment she touched his damp forehead, the symptoms began to ease. His heartbeat slowed to a near-normal pace and the tension in his muscles started to give way. "No. I... I don't..."

"I can't find anything wrong with you," the kunoichi replied after letting her chakra probe his entire form, puzzlement showing clearly on her face. "Talk to me, Sai. What's going on?"

"I woke up in pain, but I couldn't locate any wounds. It has to be something internal. I think my body started to go into shock. But..." Though his expression remained stoic, his eyes reflected confusion.

"But what?"

"I do not understand. You haven't treated me, but the symptoms are subsiding."

"Sakura," their tired sensei spoke up. "Check his tongue."

"Okay?" Sakura turned back to her patient. "You heard the man. Open up. Now, what am I looking for?"

"A seal. Danzo placed one on every member of Root. It was supposed to keep them quiet, but I have a feeling it sealed more than just their words."

"Are you sure, Sensei?" The pink head turned towards Kakashi for confirmation. "There's nothing here."

"The seal must have broken when Danzo died." The older man scratched his head. "Normally seals don't work like that. They stay in place even after the one who placed it there gets killed."

"I don't get it." Naruto chimed in. "Then why would Sai's seal be gone?"

"Well, his methods were questionable at best, but he was loyal to the village." Kakashi sighed. "My initial guess is that Sai has some information that Danzo thought may be of use to us in the event of his death. I doubt there's anything wrong with Sai. He's probably just feeling the after-effects of the seal being removed."

"I see. Then it could be possible..." She turned back to Sai, a sudden realization dawning in her eyes. "What were your symptoms? I need all of them in the order in which they appeared."

"Constricted airway, heart palpitations, a dull ache in my abdomen, nausea, shaking and cold sweats."

"Okay. You probably felt your throat, heart, and stomach first, right?" The girl tapped her cheek as she sorted out her theories.

"Yes."

"The nausea came later?" His nod confirmed some suspicions, so she continued with her line of questioning. "What were you doing when it came? Were you thinking about something?"

"I left the others to resume my mission. I..." The words left his mouth slowly, reluctant to be heard. "I was thinking that only a stupid kunoichi would drug her teammates so she could run into a suicide mission alone."

"Sai." His name fell softly from her lips and his eyes became glassy. Her lithe arms lifted to embrace his neck. "I'm sorry I worried you."

The warmth of her body against his was strangely comforting, so Sai chose to mimic her posture. "Did he hurt you?"

"Yes." The word came out as a sob and Sakura squeezed him just a bit tighter. "But I'll be okay."

"Good." Sai closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then detached himself from Sakura. "An injured medic is of no use to her team."

"You stupid..." Sakura paused mid-punch. The faint track of a fallen tear graced his tactless cheek. Breaking his face no longer held any appeal, so she contented herself with a measured thump to his shoulder. "Whatever. Let's just get home."

Chapter 2: reclamation

Running without sparing the slightest moment to turn back, determination and desperation lent their power to her limp limbs. In a maze of ever-growing darkness, she wandered. Alone. The silence filled her soul with dread, its death toll ringing in her ears. How long had she been running, been searching? It felt like countless fathoms of time with the quiet, suffocating loneliness contorting her senses. But onwards she ran just the same, hoping beyond all hope that something, anything would change this state of purgatory in which she found herself. Just what had she been searching for? It had been so long, even she forgot. All that was left was to go on. And though she knew to do so bordered heavily on the side of insanity, on she went. And on. And on. Always running. Always moving forward. She was hurtling herself headlong into her destiny and the outcome, she remembered only as it became too late, was always the same. The electric blade, crackling with some emotion between love and hate, ravaged the recess that once held her heart and ended her struggle. She was caught in the red.

Sakura awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. Her hands came to her chest of their own accord, trying in vain to cover the ache of betrayal that now resided there. It was becoming a morning ritual. It took but a moment to collect her faculties, the shock value of such torturous nightmares dulling with each successive night that they had been endured. It had been ten days since her brush with death at the hands of her most beloved and Sakura was no shrieking violet.

The first night had been the worst. In her panic, she had roused the rest of the team and their prisoner with her struggling. When the spell of the nightmare finally broke, thanks to a sound slap from their venerable sensei, Sakura whispered her fake assurances and rearranged her bedroll. She could feel the knowing eyes of the scarlet prisoner on her for the rest of the night. Contempt for her own weakness, rather than that of his discarded pawn, ran through Sakura's veins under the scrutiny of that gaze. Sleep would continue to elude her.

The next few days were but a blur. Arriving at the village, handing in mission reports, and reporting for duty at the hospital were second nature enough that she could perform these tasks on autopilot. She had joined the ranks of the walking dead. It took a couple of days, but eventually, her friends staged an intervention. It took another bit of friendly violence, this time supplied by an indignant Ino, to set her straight, but it was effective. She went to plotting. After all, one should play to one's strengths and Sakura had always been known to have an intelligent head on her shoulders.

It took a couple more days for her to realize that there were holes, numerous and large ones, in the scheme she was cooking up. Like it or not, Sakura was going to have to call in some back-up. Invitations went out and she lost no time in starting preparations. Time would be of utmost importance; some of the major players could not be counted upon to stay in the village for any length of time.

One by one they arrived, exchanging smiles and civilities before being seated at the kunoichi's small dining table. Sakura did a fair job of hostess duties, pouring tea and filling plates with second and third portions, in between fielding off-color comments between the two younger males attending. When the eating and drinking and carousing seemed to slow, she smiled and began clearing the used dishes.

"It was a pleasant meal, Sakura." The silver-haired shinobi seated at the head of the gathering handed over his empty plate. "But what are we really here for?"

"Observant as always, sensei." The girl added his plate to the pile growing near the sink. "I think it's time we discussed what should be done about Sasuke."

"Sakura." Her name came across Naruto's lips as an impatient growl. "There is nothing to discuss. I already promised you that I would bring him home to you. I don't go back on my promises."

"I'm not asking you to. I'm just asking how we intend on doing it." Sakura spoke carefully, making eye contact with all there as she did so.

"We?" The blonde stood up, knocking the chair out from under him as he did so. "Oh no! I don't think so. You're not going anywhere near him again! It's my responsibility. I'll bring him home."

"We've already discussed this." A sigh came from the direction of their sensei. "Sasuke is my responsibility. He was placed in my care."

"No, sensei. It's me he wants and I'm..."

The table between them splintered, a feminine fist having smashed through it in frustration. "Shut up both of you!" The furious kunoichi bit out. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time one of us tried to take him on by ourselves? Huh? Huh ?" Sakura paused to look at them. "Well, I do. I see it every single freakin' night in my nightmares. He was going to kill me. And he was going to enjoy it. Now when I say 'we' that's exactly what I mean. So we had better start coming up with a plan so we can deal with this once and for all the next time we see that traitorous bastard. Understand?"

"Fine. I get it." Naruto gave his sulky consent.

"You know he's not going to come quietly." The reminder came from Kakashi. "It will be easier to kill him than to capture him."

"But Kakashi-sensei!"

"I know, Naruto, but he might not give us a choice."

"It's fine," Sakura spoke up. "If we have to kill him, it's fine. There's nothing left of our Sasuke in there anyway."

"Sakura?"

"Come on, Naruto. We're deluding ourselves if we think that we'll bring him back and everything will be just fine. He wants to destroy the village and everyone it! If we don't do it, the powers that be will just execute him. If he has to die, I'd rather it be by our hands in the manner we think is best. I only see three choices. We kill him, they kill him or he kills all of us. And if I have to pick one, I pick the one where we get to have the most say." For the first time in days, Sakura gave in to the desire to break down.

"No." A soft, monotone voice cut through the discussion. Three sets of eyes turned his direction in wonder. "You are wrong, hag. There are four choices."

Sakura wiped her wet face with the back of her hands. "Sai, I don't understand. What other choice? Do you actually want to try to save him? Is that the choice you're talking about? Why would you? He's nothing to you."

"Please do not misunderstand me. This is not out of compassion. It is just the opposite actually."

"Yeah, I don't get it either." Naruto scratched his cheek in puzzlement.

"He has rejected the bonds he created with all of you. He has caused you pain. Even now, he makes the hag cry." Sai paused to rub his chest. "He does not deserve death. That is too light a punishment for his transgressions."

"What do you suggest?" Kakashi leaned forward, resting his elbows on what was left of Sakura's table.

"There are things worse than death and we will give those things to Sasuke." The smirk he gave them instead of his usual smile seemed genuine, laced with just a bit of malice. "I have a plan."

The rest of Team Kakashi eyed each other, looking for the unspoken cues as to what each was thinking. Each saw what they felt mirrored back at them, but no one wanted to speak up. No one wanted to be the one to confirm their resolve to do whatever it takes. They were about to change the rules. Sakura would regain her heart by first breaking it. Naruto would leave his childhood behind once and for all. Kakashi would learn to put the needs of the many above his own selfish wishes. They would do what their mentors could not. They would be the ones to break the cycle. They would rain retribution upon one of their own.

"Fine. But if we're going to talk nefarious plans, let's take it to the sofa. I'd rather not get splinters." The kunoichi glanced back at the other half of her team. "Oh, and you two owe me a new table."

"But Sakura..."

"Of course. It's no problem." Kakashi covered the blonde's mouth with a firm hand until the girl turned away. "Don't worry, Naruto. Yamato owes me."

"I can hear you guys, you know."

Darkness invaded her dreams once again. She was running, always running. Desperate and determined. Always moving on. Always moving forward. Again, not a person was in sight, but she did not feel alone. The inky air that enveloped her did not frighten her anymore. It felt... alive. She felt the familiar burn of her overexerted muscles. She knew where she was going. She was meeting her destiny. It was unavoidable. She could hear the lightning closing in, causing the hair on her neck to stand on end. But this time as her destiny hit critical mass, the collision with her heart imminent, the crackle of the electric blade was drowned out by a soft trickling of black liquid. The sound grew and grew until it became palpable, swallowing the chidori in its entirety. The red receded and refused to return.

#saisaku #ksscs #kh writes fanfiction #you can also read it on ao3 if you click the title

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championofsanghelios · 4 years ago

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Random Idea - #001

SHIP | LINK/PRINCE SIDON SETTING | POST - CANON ORIGINALITY? | PROBABLY DONE BY SOME BEFORE. --- STORY TITLE | ARSON IS OKAY (ONLY WHEN NOBODY GETS HURT) LINK IS SELECTIVELY MUTE AND SIDON IS THE WORRYING KIND (MORESO THAN USUAL) Link arrives at the Zora’s Domain one day, his hair a mess, his shirt almost burned completely off, and generally absolutely ruined. Sidon upon seeing him immediately rushes over to greet him, only for the poor boy to quite literally collapse into his arms from exhaustion. Sidon has him taken to the healers, who during try to apply healing balms to the burns he’s sustained but upon applying the first batch, wake Link up who in a fit of agony and panic, nearly destroys the room. Bazz and another Guard have to be called in to restrain him, and when they finally get him down he passes out again. Sidon, suitably shaken, and now concerned for his friends mental well being, arranges quarters for him during the night, and after he is checked over and given the “good to go” by the healers, is carried by the Prince himself to his assigned room. After getting him settled on a bed, and leaving a fresh set of clothes retrieved from his Shiekah Slate, thankfully Link had taught him how it worked. Sidon leaves him be for the night, and retires to his own room to get some shut-eye of his own. Little does he know the random and concerning events of the last few hours of the day were going to come back to him in his dreams. --- Dream Sequence: Sidon is awoken by a disturbance in the water of his sleeping pool, and cracking open one of his brilliant golden eyes, he meets the gaze of his favorite Hylian, who has a determined, yet almost feral look in his eyes. What happens next is entirely up to the writer using the prompt. But given the nature of their developing relationship at this point, it’s possible that Link and himself get “Involved” with one another. In typical “wet dream” fashion, the Prince awakens just as he climaxes. --- Sidon awakens with a gasp, some time near sunrise the next morning, the water around him suitably warmer due to a partial “release” of sorts due to the nature of his dreams. After composing himself, and thanking the goddess that nobody was present to witness such an “un-princely” thing, he readies himself and heads out to begin his duties, a tad earlier than usual. Entering the Domain’s Plaza, he finds Link sitting at the base of his sisters statue, lost in thought and humming an unusual melody to himself. He stops to listen for a moment, and doesn’t notice right away when Link spots him. The two of them have a conversation about what had happened the day before, and Link, out of character for himself, voices his thoughts instead of signing them. Sidon is admittedly transfixed by his voice, something he rarely heard, but is quickly grounded in reality when he finds it what he was up too.

Apparently at some point the day before, Link had snapped...emotionally and mentally, and all of the pent up anger, grief and frustration over the world and his role in it had come out in one destructive rampage against the environment.

At some point he’d set fire to part of a forrest, blown up 10 or so Bokoblin Camps without so much as a second thought for his own personal safety and wellbeing and then decided in his emotionally fueled daze, climb to the top of Shatterback back and “take a dive.” Only because he realized his actions the moment he fell and “sobered up”, did he manage to open his paraglider and drift safely down to the ground. At which point he stumbled into the Domain. Sidon expresses his shock and concern for him upon hearing that, all the while taking in the bandages on the Hylian’s forearms from the previous days visit to the healers. He asks him what could have caused this breakdown, and Link suggests it could have all been too much, that everything had gotten to him and he finally broke. Sidon suggests he finds a way to channel his emotions and his feelings. To find a better way to make them known. Be it through some other medium with less fire and explosions, both of which not only threaten his own wellbeing, but many others. He suggests talking more, that nobody would judge him. Link ponders the idea for a long moment, then asks if he would be okay with hearing his troubles. Sidon, naturlally, tells him to would be his honor to share a burden. And with that, Link opens up and tells him a few other things on his mind... ...including a certain interest he has, one who he keeps anonymous, but hints at. Sidon doesn’t assume anything, he’s already aware of his interest in Link, but he’s not sure if he reciprocates...so he just wishes him luck with it, and encourages him to approach them whenever he’s ready. (Whilst secretly praying it’s not someone else.) The story, as far as I’ve thought about it, ends there, perhaps leading into another one where the two finally do get together. This idea isn’t my own, I don’t own any of this....I’ve got my own headcanon for the pair, of which I’ll put up on AO3 when I can. If anyone wants to take this...go right ahead. I invite you too. Chop-Change-Shift anything. It’s an idea and it’s made to be molded and added upon :3

#writer prompts #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #a story i wanted to write but never could #link is messed up.#he needs a hug and sidon can provide.#sidlink

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elenathehun · 4 years ago

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Watching the Clone Wars, part 7

Well, this is a better batch of episodes than last time, solely due to not having to actually skip an episode because it was too awful to watch. With that said, click on keep reading to see reviews of "Brain Invaders", "Grievous Intrigue", "The Deserter", "Lightsaber Lost", "The Mandalore Plot", "Voyage of Temptation", and "Duchess of Mandalore".

"Brain Invaders" (2x08)

I'd rate this as above-average. I am not really into horror as a genre, as I previously noted, so I was pretty grossed out by the brain worms. However, it was a pretty nice Ahsoka and Barriss episode, although I think it's a bit weird that four Jedi Knights/Masters are necessary to interrogate Poggle.

Anyway, it's not an episode of The Clone Wars without some unexpected graphic clone violence. I don't blame Ahsoka or Barris for killing poor Trap - I even think this was well-written and conveyed the desperation of their situation well - but good god, it was startling. Also tense: that final approach to the medical station.

Not good: Kit Fisto entering a ship that's infested with brain worms with no PPE. C'mon, man, I know your headtails are majestic, but keep it covered up! Also not super great: Anakin and Ahsoka's little talk at then end. A lot of their interaction just feels forced. I honestly feel like this should have been a dialogue of some kind between Ahsoka and Barriss.

"Grievous Intrigue" (2x09)

Sort of a meh episode. I understand Eeth Koth is a bit of a bad-ass in the comics, and that does sort of carry over in this episode, but mostly it just seems like a vehicle for various Jedi Masters to quip while crossing blades with this somewhat delightful murder-cyborg. Obi-Wan gives a furious monologue to Grievous, which rings a bit hollow since the clone army has had precious little screen-time (at least relatively speaking) to exhibit their loyalty or spirit.

Shout-out to Cody and those 212th soldiers dog-piling Grievous. If only you'd had a lightsaber, Cody, you probably could have killed him right then and there. And if the writers let you and your fellows out of the background more often, Obi-Wan's speech would have rung more true at the time this episode aired.

"The Deserter" (2x10)

I struggled with accurately summarizing why this episode left me cold. After all, the focus is split between Rex and the pursuit of Grievous, and I love most of the clone-centric episodes I've seen thus far. But after some thought, I realized this episode felt like the culmination of a character arc that never actually occurred for Rex, at least on-screen. After all, this episode is only the third time he's been promoted to something more than the token Clone Character Who Doesn't Die At The End - the previous two episodes I thought were legitimately Rex-centric were Season One's "Rookies" and "The Hidden Enemy". We still barely know the guy, but in this episode we watch him wrestle with doubt about his role and reason for existence when faced with a fellow clone who's made radically different choices than he has, before triumphantly stating his place is with the army. This feels like it would be a great episode, if only we were more attached to the character. Writers have to build-up to those kind of moments, or they ring false.

Anyway, is it just me or is Obi-Wan getting a little angry in this episode?

"Lightsaber Lost" (2x11)

I wasn't expecting much from this episode, but it was actually very good. Aside from the annoying Cad Bane arc at the beginning of the season, the Ahsoka episodes have been improving a lot this season - possibly because she's been separated from Anakin for a lot of them. Losing a lightsaber feels like the sort of problem a Padawan might face, and the solution feels like the sort of thing an impatient teenager would resort to. Tera Sinube is a gem - I am always a sucker for the elderly teaching the next generation, and he does it so well! The animation was well done too, especially in the chase scenes.

I've been ragging on TCW for it's lack of interconnectivity between episodes and episode arcs, but this is a stand-alone episode done right: it focuses on what a secondary character (yes, I know she's supposed to be a main character, but she doesn't feel like it quite yet), allows them to learn a lesson that develops their characters in an organic way, and reverberates through future episodes (I hope!).

"The Mandalore Plot", "Voyage of Temptation", and "Duchess of Mandalore" (2x12 -2x14)

Oof. So, this was the arc that actually made me quit watching TCW the first time around. I am very lukewarm on Mandalorians in general, so that wasn't great. But aside from that, and from the well-attested issue of everyone on Mandalore looking like a Storm Front fantasy, this arc exhibits the same structural writing defects the entire show has shown far - and honestly, life is too short to watch bad TV. At this point, I know this main issue will never be corrected in the entire show run, so I can accept it and push through in the name of completionism and writing research, but at the time I wasn't active in fandom and it was enormously easy to just stop watching and move onto other, better, shows and books.

Now, I thought long and hard about how to review these episodes, but I think it's useful in this case to interview them as a singular block instead of individual episodes. The story is largely cohesive, if a bit strained. It is essentially Palpatine's PT plot writ small: he wants to take over Mandalore (a reason is never really explicated in the actual story, so who knows why), and he's doing it by essentially creating a false war between the CIS proxies, Death Watch, and the Republic proxy, which is Duchess Satine. If all goes according to plan, Satine will be shown as ineffectual and unable to rule her people, and the GAR can occupy Mandalore for reasons of "public safety". This will inflame the Mandalorians, who aren't part of the Republic and don't want to be, and send them rushing in the arms of the CIS-allied Death Watch, starting a cycle of radicalization and violence which will end (at least from Palpatine's POV) with Mandalore firmly in his grasp, and all potential opposition killed in the Civil War he engineered.

As enormously stupid as the whole plot sounds, it's a valid historical tactic for imperial powers looking to expand. And that's lead us the the primary flaw of this story: The Jedi are the Bad Guys. Just ignore the tangled mess of Mandalorian canon, retcons, and expanded universe, past and present - in the show itself, they are presented as a smaller, weaker neighbor-state, and the Jedi are acting as agents of an expansionary military power, interfering with their internal politics specifically for the purpose of a soft invasion. And that's an interesting story! But that story is deliberately obfuscated and hobbled because the writers and producers of TCW were and are ever-so-concerned with making the Jedi as sympathetic as possible, even in situations where they shouldn't be.

Part of that hobbling is Satine's character. Satine is badly written, but she's badly written in a very specific way that has been common to most of the non-CIS political antagonists the show has presented thus far. Satine's most interesting characteristic is that she doesn't want to involve Mandalore with the war - and who can blame her? The Republic and the CIS have nothing to offer to her or her people. The only thing that will happen is the exploitation of Mandalore's natural resources (at best) or the destruction of her people, caught between two Great Powers who obviously don't care for her people's struggle. That's an interesting character, right? A POV we haven't seen in this show so far, which has consistently been from the Jedi POV, which is pretty firmly in the CIS = monsters and Republic = assholes (but democratic assholes!) camp.

But it's a POV that is pretty uncomplimentary of the Jedi role in this war, which means Satine must be crippled by an obnoxious belief in pacifism, like the unlikably-written Lurmen in season one, and also weighted down by a personal connection to an avatar of the Republic, like Senator Farr and his "family friendship" with Padme overcoming the fact that his people are starving and getting no support from the Republic. I have heard people argue that TCW, written as it was in the late 2000s, is reacting against the excesses of the War on Terror. I am less than convinced, mostly because every single anti-war character is reduced to a flat caricature of an annoying pacifist that can be safely defeated by the ever-so-kind warrior monks in the space of an episode or two before being cast aside for the next adventure.

Because Satine's motivations are poorly written, her actions don't make a lick of sense. In "The Mandalore Plot", she's clearly escorting Obi-Wan around under duress - but in "Voyage of Temptation", she's apparently going with the Senators willingly to the Coruscant, to essentially beg the Senate to not invade. Why not write her as an unwilling "guest" of the Republic, invited without recourse to defend her people's sovereignty? Well, that would show Obi-Wan in a very unflattering light, wouldn't it? But in "Duchess of Mandalore" she's back to being a prisoner in everything but name, escaping custody to receive an unaltered copy of her dead minister's speech.

Now, Obi-Wan helps her at that point...but it's clearly due to some poorly-written romantic feelings. I am not interested in any Padme/Anakin parallels, mostly because I find it incredibly tedious and honestly not helpful in exploring Anakin's Leap into the Dark Side. This story is a gigantic missed opportunity to show the Jedi (or at least, a representative of the Jedi) wrestle with their roles as avatars of the republic, when the republic is so obviously manufacturing a reason to invade Mandalore. Palpatine is obviously orchestrating this whole thing, but he still (at this point in the show) requires the consent of the Senate to essentially annex more territory - and the Senate is perfectly happy to give him that consent, by the way. There is a fantastic story on the Jedi side about the clash of ideals vs realities, and the writers totally side-stepped it.

But pulling the focus out a little further, that has actually been par for the course for most of the Obi-Wan stories of season 2. He's been consistently more and more irritated about the war as the season has gone on, and made some off-hand comments about the ungratefulness of the Republic populace that, in the hands of a more competent writer, could have been a multi-season character arc about loss of faith in fallible human institutions, which would dovetail pretty well with his characterization in both RotS and ANH. Instead, his character remains the static wise-cracking Good Guy; Satine is the Designated Love Interest, unable to develop along more interesting and independent lines; and this arc falls deeply flat as a result.

They're not the only characters who are horribly underwritten. I mean, here we are at the end of Season 2, and have we yet seen a sympathetic CIS character, or an accounting of how Palpatine was able to take advantage of already extant fractures in the Republic to create a shadowy cabal dedicated to tearing it apart? No. It's all war crimes and evil laughter so far. The Good Guys always win (until they don't), the bad guys are always Very Bad, and there are no shades of gray in this massive galaxy. Again, ignoring the complicated Mandalorian backstory, Death Watch is extremely under-baked as villains. There could have been a fascinating interplay between Satine and Pre about their different visions for their people's future, but just as Satine is a flat Pacifist caricature, Pre is a dull Terrorist caricature.

I have to give a special mention to the horrible Love Confession of "Voyage of Temptation". This is the episode where Satine is written most consistently as Peak Pacifist. If she had instead been written as anti-war (but not necessarily a philosophical pacifist), her escape from Tal Merrik would have been a great inversion of that trope - and in fact, I thought it was at first, when she "confessed", and then had to make an annoyed face when Obi-Wan didn't immediately play along. Instead, they played it straight, and I've never felt more simpatico with a villain than when Tal Merrik complained about their timing. That fact that Satine's "pacifism" is then used as an excuse for Obi-Wan and Satine to hesitate to kill a terrorist, leading Anakin to kill him...like, c'mon. I get it, the writers want to show his fall to the dark side, you gotta play the ominous theme music, but is this really a particularly evil act by Anakin? I'm gonna be honest, if a cop or an armed civilian kills a mass shooter, no one is castigating them for doing so, but instead congratulating them for stopping a murderer from killing again.

Final note and the only one that explicitly addresses the Mandalorian elephant in the room: I hate the Darksaber. Like, I know we all gave KJA shit for the original Darksaber novel, but the fact that Filoni (or Lucas?) repurposed the name for a SPECIAL MANDALORIAN LIGHTSABER fills me with intense rage. They're fucking gun knights, you coward, stop inserting your weird Arthurian hard-on into my western samurai sci-fi pastiche.

And that's it for this batch of episodes. Up next: Boba Fett makes his first appearance in our chronological viewing, and we return to Mandalore a second time, much to my sorrow.

#watching the clone wars #star wars #star wars tcw #television is hypnotoad

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marscats37 · 4 years ago

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ranking the tma entities.

I wanted to examen the entities on the magnus archives and rank them based on how scary I found them, or how much they “get to me.”

None of the low rankings are at the fault of the creators, it’s all my personal opinion and obviously what I was scared of or fascinated with before the podcast is what’s impacting my opinion. We’re all gonna have different opinions on this, and if you listen to the magnus archives, I’m so curious on which ones are your favorite.

To keep this fun, I’ll also list my favorite statement related to each entity. Also, I’m sorry, but I won’t include extinction on this ranking. It’s not really touched on until the end and I don’t have a solid enough opinion on that one.

We’re starting at the bottom.

14. The Hunt - I mean, the hunt is cool, but like canon says, it’s hard to relate to this one due to the fear of being hunted not amongst most people. I don’t have a strong enough opinion on this one to really give it any chance to be higher on the list. I’ll give credit to it being the entity for some of the coolest characters (Daisy, Trevor, the Montauks)

Favorite Episode - 109 / Nightfall. Despite the low ranking of the hunt, I really love the montauk storyline, and it’s exciting to see julia and trevor team up

13. The Desolation - This one only ranks slightly higher because burning is the given for most painful way to go, but this one doesn’t get to me. It’s just, mean. Maybe if I worried about losing the things and people I love, but it’s not something I think about.

Favorite Episode - 067 / Burning Desire. Not a scary episode, but I have a soft spot for Agnes, she comes across as a tragic character. I’m also biased because I associate this episode with a good atmosphere I was in when listening to it for the first time.

12. The Slaughter - I think I feel similar to the hunt as I do this one. It’s cool, but I don’t have a fear of violence. Plus, the slaughter is often associated with war, and I've never been a fan of war imagery.

Favorite Episode - 042 / Grifter’s Bone. This is proof that I’m not put off by slaughter - related statements in general, because I freaking love this episode.

11. The Web - Ranking this one so low may be unpopular since a lot of people seem to love this one, but it doesn’t get to me ! I’m not scared of spiders and to the metaphorical sense, not scared of manipulation or control. I dislike it as much as the next, but doesn’t hold a true space in my nerves.

Favorite Episode - 081 / A Guest For Mr. Spider. I’m hard on the web, but there actually have been some spooky statements, especially the ones involving cocoons. But this episode is a special kind of creepy, and statement aside, showed us an even more vulnerable jon, which I loved.

10. The End - I think the statements that revolve around not being able to die are actually scarier than the ones about death itself, but I think I just have that natural fear of death, I think this is really just another neutral fear for me. I don’t really have much to add.

Favorite Episode - 121 / Far Away. Not a scary episode, but I really enjoy Oliver Banks, I love his statement, and you know, it was interesting to see him visit Jon.

9. The Corruption - It doesn’t seem fair to rank this one so low, corruption is so cool and creepy ! But I kind of got over my fear of bugs and gross stuff (with the exception of roaches. I still scream at the sight of roaches.) so these episodes just mostly serve as really good visuals. I will emphasize that I really love the corruption, I just simply love the other ones more.

Favorite Episode - 032 / Hive. The Flesh hive is my favorite aspect of corruption, and I really loved getting Jane’s side of the situation (sort of.) Plus, trypophobia is actually really unnerving. I just googled the word to make sure I spelt it right and now I have goosebumps. eeeesh...

8. The Spiral - To be honest, these episodes aren’t super intense, I don’t have a fear of going mad. It’s ranked high enough because of how much I love the distortion. I’m giving the creators’ credit for this one, the distortion is really the only reason the spiral has any impact on me.

Favorite Episode - 101/ Another Twist - see above.

7. The Buried - Now we’re getting to my fears. I got claustrophobia, babey ! Also I have asthma so the feeling of not being able to breath is a familiar one lmao.

Favorite Episode - 015 / Lost Johns’ Cave - I think this is a popular one amongst the fans. It’s such a good episode and I think about it a lot still.

6. The Eye - If we’re getting personal, I’m a private and paranoid person. So naturally this one is a bigger fear of mine. If I really think about it, I can scare myself over intense eye contact too. In a visual sense, I have a bias towards eye imagery.

Favorite Episode - 120 / Eye Contact. this is hard to answer, there aren’t many eye-centric episodes, although technically every episode involved the eye. But I like the references in this episode, and story-wise, the finale of season 3 is my favorite.

5. The Vast - It’s not fair to rank the vast higher than the buried, since I’m more scared of the latter, but the vast is just so fascinating to me. The only negative part is that I get vertigo, but I find the empty cosmos and the large ocean almost comforting. Idk, I like this one !

Favorite Episode - 051 / High Pressure. I just think this a neat statement ! I also like how being underwater does had an element of the buried, so best of both worlds.

4. The Lonely - I feel.. conflicted on ranking this one so high. On one hand, it’s not that scary, it’s just the fear of being alone, but on the other hadn't, when the statements hit me, they hit me the most. I love isolation and being alone, but these episodes make me feel like I’m only conditioned to love those things due to them being my comfort.

Favorite Episode - 170 / Recollection. This episode made me cry. I know it’s centered around Martin, but I also found myself relating to it too. Also, I love Martin.

3. The Dark - I can stand being in total darkness, unless I think about it long enough. I think that goes for many, but I still think about the dream where I saw a completely black patch growing on my ceiling and I actually screamed myself awake. I don’t recall another time I’ve had a scream-induced nightmare like that. Especially at my old age. I also think the creators do a good job making this one scary. I remember one Q & A where the writer said this was the hardest entity to write for.

Favorite Episode - 086 / Tucked In. By the way, I had that nightmare months before I heard this episode. This statement naturally stuck with me due to the familiarity.

2. The Stranger - Another popular entity, and rightfully so, the stranger has so many opportunities to be scary !! No wonder two of the season finales involve this one. I don’t think I can add much to it that’s not a given, I love how creative these statements can be. We have the “not them” we have nikola, the angler fish, etc.

Favorite Episode - 034 / Anatomy Class. I mean, as good as many of the stranger episodes are, this is my all-time favorite statement. The students are like an innocent form of uncanny and the professor’s fear is really felt.

1. The Flesh - if you follow my twitter, you might have expected this one. The visuals are so gross and interesting, I’m biased towards body horror. I even like the meat statements, I was surprised there were so many of them when I listened to the podcast for the first time (and tbh it’s helping me towards my path of not eating meat lol) I don’t have deeper reasoning for making this one my favorite, I just think it’s neat (and gross.)

Favorite Episode - 171 / The Gardener. Yes, the newest episode to the date of me making this post. So far season five has been really exciting and I love the format it takes. But oh my god guys, the visuals for this one ?!?! The metaphors of negative body obsessions to something so grotesque yet fascinating to imagine. It’s not an episode I can listen to over and over (remember, this is a horror podcast and my nerves need a break) but it’s one that I’ll remember. It’s right up my alley in terms of horror content.

ANYWAY. This is not a final list, Most of the episodes I’ve only listened to once so I’m sure if I had a chance to revisit more of them I’ll change my mind on rankings and favorites. I genuinely like how everything is categorized, but these are based on my preexisting fears and fascinations, as mentioned above. The statements in the podcast only amplify them. so yeah, this list is very subject to change.

#dumb long post #who missed me talking on tumblr ?#tma

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babes-and-baddies · 5 years ago

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Please please PLEASE write a vamp!shiggy scenario!! I’m getting on my knees for you to give us something filthy and sexy, pleeaasseee LOV writing goddess pretty please!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

i was going to focus on my requests, i really was. and THEN i was going to stay to a similar train of thought to my mini-drabble, but,,, as per usual, my horney uwus got away from me and ran free. sorry about that. also, as per usual, tomura is lowkey yandere. again, i’m sorry

so yea i know i have other requests sent before this, but,,,,, vamp!shiggy is my KINK ok. as a writer its MY (w)RIGHT to do what makes my dicc hard!

(yandere?vampire!tomura) (f!reader) (NSFW) (2.9k) (AO3)

You were hopelessly lost, but going inside was still not your brightest idea. After all, horror movies tended to show such grand, majestic halls crumble under the weight of storms, like the one drowning you now for a reason. And as a rule of thumb, that reason could be summarized by ‘Do Not Enter: Danger Inside.’ But you were cold, your phone was dead, horror movies weren’t real, and there was a light on in the entryway. Taking your chances and questioning your luck, you went up to ring the doorbell.

All that came to greet you was silence.

Perhaps your first mistake was going camping in the forest out of the city in the first place, and perhaps your second was to hike out even when clouds filled the sky, but in your defense it was hardly the first time you’d done this, in fact it was a frequent passtime, and every other trip out had ended up just fine. You were familiar with these woods, familiar with the weather, and had never had reason to doubt in them; that’s what made the fact you were so hopelessly lost as to find an entire mansion in the woods that you had no knowledge of even more confusing.

If you could find this place there was no way you’d make it back to the campground, much less while weathering the storm which raged up above. Steeling yourself, you forwent the doorbell in favour of pounding on the door like the desperate, unfortunate soul you were.

“Excuse me, is anyone home? I noticed your light was on and was wondering if I could come use your phone, or maybe borrow a map?” You knocked again, louder in case you weren’t being heard over the thunder’s bellows. Just as your mouth parted to call out again, the door flew open in a gust of wind, gale nearly pushing you forward into the opened doors and causing you to trip, landing against a firm body which quickly let go of the door to steady your waist. The door shut behind you, and you tremble in the arms of a stranger.

God, this was so embarrassing. You barged into someone’s home, tripped onto them, and now just stood there, soaked from the storm. What are you even supposed to say in this situation? ‘Hello helpful stranger, nice home you got here? Love the gothic aesthetic, the whole ‘dark colours and crumbling marble’ thing you got going on. Do you have any tea or something so I can warm up?’ Fuck no, the situation was weird enough as it is! Biting your lip, you looked around to distract yourself.

Glancing across the foyer, you couldn’t help but notice how out of place you were. Hair plastered to your face and leading rivulets of rainfall to caress your face and down your neck, reaching the shirt which clung, soaked, to every curve and crevice of your chest and stomach. Even your pants and shoes were soaked, slowly forming a puddle on the grand tile flooring where you stood. Blushing, you quickly looked up into the eyes of the one who’d come to save you from the storm.

He was beautiful, but in the most confusing way. Pale skin covered in scars marring his otherwise almost delicate face, silver hair which seemed to glow blue in the candlelight - and why was this house lit by candles? It’s the 21st century, for crying out loud! Not that you mind the aesthetic - and fell in waves to frame his face and brush his broad, strong shoulders which tapered down into what you could feel against you to be a thin waist and surprisingly soft stomach. He was far from flawless, which only added to your interest.

Red eyes glowing bright as blood bore into your own, and you couldn’t help but question how such a colour was possible. Were they contacts, perhaps? There’s no way it could be natural. And there was something hypnotic about them, drawing you in, making you forget what you came here for and only wish you could stare into them forever, going deeper, discovering all the secrets lying in wait…

“I don’t suppose you’re going to say something, huh? I was busy before you came by and started being an annoyance, so at least a name would be nice,” despite his harsh words, his voice wasn’t as dark as you expected. If anything he sounded amused, almost fond. Which of course made no sense, since you’d never met, and clearly you were being an inconvenience by barging into his house like this, “I could always throw you back out in the storm, you know… I almost want to, just to hear you beg to be let back inside. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

Letting out an undignified squeak of surprise, you quickly gave your name and apologized for causing an interruption, hoping his comment about throwing you out was simply a sign of a mean sense of humour. The red-eyed man smiled, carding fingers through your wet hair in what could be mistaken for an affectionate gesture. You shivered as his nails scratched against your scalp, almost making you relax against him even while you felt an urge to pull away.

Your name rolled off his tongue with ease, almost as if it was an already familiar shape in his mouth. But you’d only just met, so how could that be?

“You’re cute, so I suppose it’s alright if I have you stay a while.” He pulled back, clawlike grip still gentle as it trapped you in pace. “My name’s Tomura. I look forward to getting to know you.” Tomura’s grin was sharp, and there was something inhuman in the way it spread across his cheeks; you were too entranced to care.

“Tomura… I, thank you for-” You were interrupted by him walking back towards a hallway, dragging you along by the wrist and leaving you thoughtlessly tracing his footsteps. Before you knew it, you were in a change of scenery. It was an ornate room with cold stone floors and a grand yet threadbare bed with little reprieve from the chill from the stale air, shelves full of books and bottles and all manner of unusual - yet some uncannily familiar - trinkets and things, and no light to illuminate but the steady uncertain glow coming from a collection of screens on the other side of the room which appeared to be in some sort of pause-screen.

“You should- you should get changed, right? I can’t imagine those wet clothes are very comfortable.” And the way he looked at you wasn’t particularly comfortable either. Tomura’s voice was strained, and while you felt abnormally at ease for some strange reason, anxiety stabbed at your gut. But when you looked into his eyes, so bright and alluring, you couldn’t help but want to listen. After all, you did want to warm up, and the rub of wet cloth across your skin was undoubtedly annoying. Reluctantly, you nodded, quickly taking off your shoes before standing.

You moved to step back, asking if there was a bathroom for you to change, when he pulled you back against his chest. You froze as his cold form pressed up against your own.

“Shhhhh, let me help. You’re a guest, right? That means I get to take care of you.” Voice ragged and heavy with something you couldn’t quite understand, you froze as his hand reached under your shirt to pull it upwards. His trailing touch was like ice, and you wanted to flinch away, but his skin upon your back was just as harsh. Biting your lip, you tried to find it within yourself to push past the strange fog of curiosity and content that was swirling through your mind. Instead, you only let out a whimper and tilted your head back against his shoulder.

Tomura grinned, taking it as invitation to let his tongue roam your neck, the teasing graze of teeth quick to follow.

“You know, I’ve seen you before. Walking through the forest, acting all stupid and naive out there by yourself as if no one was watching…” his breath was chill on your neck, causing you to shiver from more than just his words, “so imagine how surprised I was to see you clawing at my door like a pathetic little wet cat begging to be let in. It’s almost like you wanted me to find you!”

Tomura pulled back, bringing your shirt over your head with the space reluctantly provided. The space gave you a moment to think, to wonder if you might be better off running back into the storm instead of in the arms of such a loose canon, but he pulled you closer while walking back towards the bed. The next you knew, you were shoved back to fall upon the aged cushion.

The chill air was electric between you, and as much as you were confused for the turn of events there was a large part of your mind preening unnaturally at the allure of Tomura’s lanky body hovering over you. When he smiled, teeth glinting sharp and bright in the low lighting, a thrill ran through your belly and progressively sank lower into your core. The way he stood so still, the sharpness inside his mouth, how his eyes glowed in the darkness, it all painted a picture of something dark and inhuman. Part of you still wanted to run, but Fuck, it was sexy.

“I don’t normally play with my food, but there’s something special about you. You don’t cower or fight back, not like those NPCs I usually deal with,” Tomura crawled over you, straddling your waist and mouth hovering above yours. There was burning in his eyes, a mix of desire and love-kissed, childlike curiosity, “and you’re a recurring character too! Playing your part of the perfect, sweet little innocent. Are you supposed to be the princess? It almost makes me want to steal you away and corrupt you.”

Tomura’s words were accentuated by fluttering kisses and roaming hands, one fondling the softness of your breasts, your stomach, while the other snaked towards your hips to pull pants down and out of the way. You only gasped in response to the unasked-for caresses, too caught up in the mounting desire and pleasant blank-mindedness it brought.

“Is that what you want? You want me to ruin you? Because I could… oh the things I could do to you!” Tomura giggled, the flash of his teeth again catching your eyes and you lay trapped beneath him, “I could kill you right here, and there’s nothing you could do to stop me.” This time his words were followed by a airy sigh, breath full of cruel elation.

“But I don’t want to kill you. No, that would be a waste, wouldn’t it? So I guess you’ll just have to wait for me to show you what’s gonna happen to you, aren’t you, pet? So soft and fragile, all at my mercy.” Lying still beneath him, frozen in some primal understanding your body knew but mind was lost on, your breath came quicker.

Fuck, this situation shouldn’t be so hot, should it? And yet heat continued to gather between your thighs, goosebumps growing on the skin exposed to the cold air and colder flesh of the man above you. When Tomura bends down to mouth at your neck, your arms weakly reached out to pull him closer, keeping him in place despite the danger.

It felt so good, so right; there was danger in each movement, you could feel death hovering over you, and yet there was nowhere you’d rather be in that moment than devoured by the red-eyed man holding your life in his hands. Rough lips dragging across sensitive flesh, tongue licking away the dampness of sweat and stormwater, keen teeth grazing skin which begged to be bitten, you were completely taken in by the feelings forced upon you. With each messy kiss gifted by his cruel mouth, a litany of moans left your own unbidden.

Soon his hands joined in exploring, groping everywhere he could find in earnest. Rough fondling of your breasts, claws dragging marks down your fluttering stomach, his lithe form parting your knees to settle between open thighs, his fingers dipping inside your folds to spread the wetness there with teasing movements, all of it was coming together alongside the lightheaded love-drunk pleasure started by his lips upon your neck.

When he moved up to meet you, finally placing his lips firmly on yours, you distantly noted the bitter kiss of blood on your tongue.

It was rough, desperate, starving; Tomura’s lips devoured yours in a frenzy which could only be sated by the eager moans of his name filling the space between your breath and his. Tongue exploring your mouth, he took until you had nothing left to give but pure surrender towards the pleasure he provided. Distantly, you could also feel the pain that came alongside it.

Tomura didn’t stop to breathe, only pulling away when you were on the verge of fading. As ragged breaths shook your chest, Tomura leaned back to take in the image of you beneath him. You couldn’t imagine what he was seeing, but the manic, gleeful look in his eyes, the wide smile across blood-stained teeth, made you flush and whimper and legs spread ever wider in need. Licking his lips, he eagerly freed his cock and crawled back down to place himself properly between your open legs.

“You’re so pretty like this. Open and powerless and all mine to use,” dick in hand, Tomura guided it to your soaked slit before teasingly dragging it along your folds to see you tremble and whine beneath him, “Yeah, mine. All mine.”

Tomura harshly pushed in with a groan, leaving you to cry out at the sudden fullness. Fuck! You could hardly think, struggling to focus as pleasure washed through a hazy pleasure-drunk mind.

“Tomura! Fuck, please, I-” Your voice broke into a moan as he thrust forward, lips going back to toy with your neck before trailing down to kiss and bite across your chest, your collarbone. His hands went back to fondling your breasts, inhuman moans leaving his lips as he reveled in the velvet heat around his cock, the plush softness within his hands, the addictive taste on his lips.

You could tell it was nearly too much, and he’d only just started; you were in no better shape, the pleasure building between your legs already reaching a height you’d never thought possible before Tomura had taken you into his arms and bed.

His hips thrusting hard enough to shake the bed, Tomura filled your body and mind, leaving nothing but need and pleasure and a foreign submissive devotion in his wake. You wanted to cum, you wanted to please him, you wanted him to want you and need you like you needed him- you needed him like you needed to breathe, like you needed to live, and yet all you could do is lie there and take what he forced upon you without even the energy to beg for more; fuck, you wanted more, you needed it, you needed him to fill you up completely, to mark you and own you like you belonged and all you could do was cry and bleed and moan his name and-

You came around him with a cry, drool running down your chin and eyes thick with tears as they rolled into your skull from the force of feelings washing over you and whiteness taking over your vision.

Tomura shuddered as you tightened around him, animalistic grunts and growls passing his blood-slicked lips, lovesick eyes glowing in the darkness. Fuck, he wanted to cum in you, to mark you inside and out until there was no denying his claim over you.

“Perfect, you’re being such a good little slut for me, princess. You feel so good, fuck, I’m gonna mark you up so you’re all mine, gonna use you until you can’t take any more and fall apart for me, you’d like that wouldn’t you? Break you and own you and, you’re mine, all mine-” His words bled together, too lost in the way your slack body was still so warm around him.

Tomura came with a yell, hands gripping your hips tight enough to leave bruises and cum filling your cunt until his dick grew soft and mind came down from his high of lust and obsession.

Pulling out with a sigh, Tomura grinned at the sight of you laid out and drained on the newly blood-soaked mattress; his cum was leaking from between your legs just as blood was slowly leaking from the healing puncture wounds on your neck, both so lovingly gifted from him to you. He truly didn’t plan to take you before this, but seeing such an intriguing little human come to his doorstep was too hard to resist, and now Tomura knew he made the right decision. You were something precious, and he wasn’t about to waste such a rare offering.

“So sweet… I think I’m going to keep you.” Tomura’s voice was bright with amusement, possessive affection breaking through in a mockery of care. Holding you close against him in the too-big bed made for none, the pale man lifted your chin to make lips meet. Too drunk on his taste and touch, you let him. You were afraid; you were at peace. It was intoxicating.

Lightheaded from the taste of blood on your tongue, you began to get lost in his arms.

#shigaraki tomura #shigaraki tomura x reader #yandere shigaraki #bnha x reader #yandere x reader #vampire shigaraki #me: has a whole schedule of fics i NEED to write #also me: how about i..... start another fic instead #rip @my stupid ass #tomura #mine #long post #smut #id tag as n**w but tumblr hides posts with that tags which is a stupid and counterintuitive move on tumblrs post but what else is new

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petri808 · 5 years ago

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Soul of the Dragons

*note* this takes place as if FT 100 never happened. AU canon divergence. Nalu. Includes OC characters. 13K words slightly angsty, and the ending is a cliffhanger of sorts Sorry! if I ever have time I may do a part 2 maybe.

Ever since they’d dealt with Acnologia, life in Fiore had calmed down so much that it gave them a lot of downtime to focus on other things. For Lucy, that meant her writing and a year ago not only had she got a book published, but they also recognized her as a new writer. Her friends all went about life like normal, taking jobs and missions for the money, with new relationships blooming around them. She was so happy for her friends Levy and Gajeel, whom two months ago found out they were expecting a child. Even Gray and Juvia had stopped dancing around their feelings and come clean.

Things seemed idyllic at the Fairy Tail guild.

But as she arose that morning, just like many mornings, there was always a nagging emptiness still needing filling. Lucy wasn’t sure when this really started, but maybe it was because of all the happiness she was seeing around her. As she looks over to the empty side of her bed, Lucy closes her eyes and curls around her pillow. Seeing all the blissful couples made her heart clench. She was happy for them, but she wished she could beone of them too. Was that so wrong?

With a groan, Lucy files away her pain and starts her day. She had promised to help Levy in the archives search for a book on lost solid script spells. Promises made, are promises kept. Shorts, tank top, pony tail, keys, done. Lucy checks herself in the mirror one last time and heads out.

“Thought you two could use something cool to drink since you been at it for 3 hours now.” Mira places a tray with lemonade on a worktable. “Any luck so far?”

“Nope.” Lucy plops on a couch and grabs a cup.

Levy joins her friend and takes the second glass, “Looks like I’ll be taking a trip to the Magic Library after all.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Mira smiles sweetly, “What do you think?” The bar maid waves her hand in front of the blonde, “Lucy, what do you think?”

With still no response, Levy shakes her friend, “Earthland to Lu!”

“Huh?!” she snaps back to the scene, “Were you talking to me?”

“Yeah but seems like you’ve got other things on your mind.”

“Err, kind of.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Mira asks as she grabs her tray.

“Nah, I’m all right; it was just for a new book idea.”

“Okay, well I was just telling Levy I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a trip to the magic library to do more research.”

Lucy throws on a smile to ease their concerns, “Yeah that’s a good idea.”

“Well, I better get back upstairs, good luck girls.”

“Thanks for the drinks Mira.”

As soon as Mira leaves the room, Levy turns to her friend, “Lu, I know you’re lying. Now, what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing, I swear!” Lucy waves her hands in the air to wipe the slate clean, but when Levy raises an eyebrow she groans, “Damn it, you know me too well Lev. It’s about the guy I have a crush on okay, and it’s driving me crazy.” She slumps back, “I see everyone else moving on in that department and…. and I’m thinking maybe I should too. I mean if he’s never gonna see me like that then I’d just be wasting my time waiting.”

“Oh man,” Levy hugs her friend tightly, “I didn’t realize you were feeling like that.” She lets go, but keeps her hands on both of Lucy’s shoulders. “It’s really up to you what you want to do, but I think he cares about you in that way, just doesn’t know how to tell you.”

“I don’t know…” Lucy looks down and plays with her fingers. “It’s true he always wants to tag along on all of my missions, and he keeps dropping by my apartment uninvited but yet whenever I mention or hint about a closer relationship he digs out. Something's gotta be up. In fact, I’m thinking he follows me because he feels I’m not strong enough to do anything on my own.”

“Now that’s just anxiety talking, Natsu of all people knows how strong you are.”

“I hope you’re right and he doesn’t know how to approach me. Still wish he’d figure it out sooner rather than later,” Lucy rolls her eyes.

Levy laughs and sits back, “Gajeel had to think he was dying, I had to think he was dying for us to realize what we meant to each other. I’m not saying I hope it came to that, but especially with guys figuring out their feelings…” she chuckles again, “it’s almost like you have to slap it into them!”

Lucy snorts at the sight of the bluenette sitting there so serious with her hands on her hips. She laughs too, “Gah, you’re so right. Men, I swear will be the death of us.”

“Why don’t you come with me to the magic library, and no boys allowed.”

“Eh,” Lucy shrugs, “why not.”

It took a day to convince Gajeel to let Levy go since he was being overprotective about her pregnancy. After begging, pleading, and the promise of staying in touch by lacrima, two days later the girls finally found themselves neck deep in dusty, ancient, piles of books. Registers had sent them to the most promising section of the library but even with magic reading glasses the task was time consuming. So, while Levy scans through a couple stack’s they had discovered, Lucy wanders nearby.

Two rows over on a bottom shelf, she comes across an old text with a key symbol on its binding. ‘How curious,’ she wonders, not expecting anything special from the almost washed-out burgundy colored book. Lucy flips it over and reads the faded title, ‘Hmm, Elemental Fairy Keys, this sounds interesting.’ She shifts the magic glasses down from her crown, opening the book to its first chapter. The more she reads, the wider her eyes grow with excitement.

Rushing over to where Levy had entrenched herself in a book, “Oh my god Levy you need to hear this!”

The poor girl almost jumps from being startled, “Where’s the fire?!”

“This book talks about Celestial Keys that represent four Fairy Elemental spirits! I’ve never heard of it before,” Lucy opens to a specific page and points as she reads while Levy looks from beside her, “see, it says there is a red key for the Fire Fairy Phoenix, a purple key for the Air Fairy Pegasus, a green key for the Earth Fairy Draco, and finally a blue key for the Water Fairy Hydrus.”

“Those are Celestial spirits?”

“Yes, these are constellations too, just not as well known as the Zodiac ones.”

“That’s pretty cool!”

“Oh, I know who I can ask!” Pulling out her key, “Open Gate of the Southern Cross! Crux!”

“You called my dear?”

“Hi Grandpa Crux, could you tell me more about these Fairy Elemental keys?” Lucy shows him the book she found.

“Hmm, I haven’t seen those used in oh, half a millennia.”

“Do you know why?”

“Well, because only the king can grant those keys to an owner so, he holds them in the Celestial World.”

“But why? What’s so special about them?”

“They are more powerful than the Zodiac keys.”

Both Lucy and Levy’s jaws drops as they turn to look at each other, “M-more… powerful?!”

“I wonder what I’d have to do to earn them,” Lucy blurts out.

“For that you’d need to speak to the King.”

“Okay.” Lucy smiles. “Thank you, Grandpa Crux!”

“You’re welcome my dear.”

After Crux disappears back to the Celestial World, Levy turns to her friend, “so what are you gonna do now?”

“When I get home later, I’ll ask Virgo to take me to see the King.” Lucy bounces on the balls of her feet and smiles, “but first let’s get back to finding your book.”

It’s not until the following week that Lucy finds an opportunity to learn more about the keys. She and Levy had stayed until nightfall before finally finding a book that the script mage believed was what she was looking for and when Lucy had returned home, a certain slayer was waiting. Natsu wanted to go on a mission soon since funds were running low. Not that she didn’t disagree, Lucy maybe had enough to cover expenses for 3 months at the most. She tried to convince him that if needed money now, he could always go on his own, but he insisted that she come along. Typical Natsu dragged her off to another mission.

Finally, back home with spare time, she found herself in the Celestial Realm, courtesy of Virgo. “Hi King!”

“Hello Lucy, what brings you today?”

“I found a book talking about the Fairy Elemental keys and Grandpa Crux said I needed to talk to you. How does one get them?”

He rubs his mustache, “Oh, well nothing special, in your case you simply need to ask.”

“Really?! But why so easy?”

“Well, it’s not normally this easy. I keep them here, so they do not fall into the wrong hands because they are the most powerful of the Celestial Spirits and they require a Wizard strong enough to handle all four. There hasn’t been a wielder powerful enough like that in over 300 years until you, my dear. That you could summon me means you have become strong enough to control them.” He grins, “and I would trust them in your hands.”

“S-So you’re giving them to me?”

“Yes.”

“Wow! So, are they like the other spirits where I set up contracts with them? Can I use my Star Dress form with them? Exactly what are their powers?”

He chuckles. “Yes, yes, and you can discuss that all with them.” The four keys materialize before her.

The moment Lucy takes hold of the keys she can feel the power thrumming through them. She holds them close to her chest, “Oh my, thank you so much King!!”

“You are welcome my old friend but just remember, they require a lot more energy to summon than you are used to with the Zodiacs. Be good to them like you are with your other spirits and they will work hard for you too.”

“I found Crateris’ key, so his power boosts will come in handy.” Virgo appears at her side and motion’s that they are running low on time. Lucy nods and waves her goodbyes to everyone. “Thank you again King!”

Back at home, Lucy wastes no time in wanting to seal the deal. It was exciting! Well, it was always exciting each time she contracted with a new spirit, but it’s been a long time since she’d found any of such power significance. Lucy pulls all four keys out of her pouch ready to make her contracts with them. She knew it would be a serious drain, but to make things quicker she opens all four gates at the same time.

“Open Gate of the Firebird! Phoenix! Open Gate of the Winged Horse! Pegasus! Open Gate of the Dragon! Draco! Open Gate of the Water Serpent! Hydrus!”

A blinding light, greater than any of the others had been, blankets the entire apartment causing Lucy to shield her vision. “You’ve summoned us master?” She slowly opens her eyes as the light fades away and sees the four spirits standing before her. They were beautiful!

She does her best not to act too giddy, throwing on a warm and inviting smile. “Hi, I’m Lucy your new owner, but please don’t call me that or master, or anything like it, just Lucy is fine. I’d like to set up the contracts with all of you and learn more about your magic.”

“Hello Lucy,” the smaller of the two male’s steps forward. “I am Phoenix,” he bows with one palm placed upon his chest and the other arm hanging at his side, “the leader of the Celestial Fairies.” Standing straight again, “I speak for all of us in saying we are available whenever you need us. But tell me for I am curious, how is someone as young as you able to summon four spirits at the same time? That takes a powerful mage.”

Shrugging her shoulders, “I guess I’ve gotten strong enough over the years and Crateris gives me a boost when I need it. I can only hold the four gates open for so long, but I figured it would be okay just for the introductions.”

“Amazing,” Phoenix smiles, “and are you the one that had summoned the King?”

“Yes, that was me.”

“Now it all makes sense. Please, let me introduce us. We each can control a different element, I,” motioning to himself, “have fire,” he also gestures to each spirit as he names them off, “Pegasus has air and wind, Draco earth, and Hydra water. And when I say control, we can generate or manipulate anything based on those elements...” As Phoenix explains, Lucy stares awestruck at the four standing before her and commits to memory as many details as she can.

Phoenix, the leader of the elementals is a tall, maybe 6 foot, lean but toned, darkly tanned gentleman who appears around the age of his late 20s or early 30s. His ruby red hair is pulled into a low-hung ponytail, falling till the middle of his back; not quite wavy but with a feathery-like texture. And his eyes are a yellowish to light hazel color that is striking against his darker hair. For clothes he has on a simple, black vest, and gray slacks that cuts nicely to his frame. Dapper might be a good way to describe him.

Pegasus is a curvaceous and very statuesque woman with flowing white hair that ripples down to her mid-thighs and sky-blue colored eyes that seem to get more brilliant the longer you gazed into them. She looks to be around Lucy’s height, maybe a couple inches taller and wearing silver winged earrings. For clothes she has on a flowy, floor length white dress that is one-shouldered and cinched at the waist with a hanging silver cord. Lucy notices the cord's end in miniature silver horses.

Draco, the more handsome of the two males, is taller than Phoenix by at least 3-4 inch’s and seems closer in age to her, maybe early 20s at the latest. He has a muscular build that’s not overly developed but just perfect and sports a medium tanned skin tone, with cocky forest green eyes that seem to peer into your soul. As an outfit he wears a somewhat fitted, short-sleeved, button down eggshell white colored shirt but with the first few buttons left open, dark brown khakis, and a matching suede or leather jacket. His dark, reddish-brown spiked hair was long, messy and untamed. In fact, the longer she stares at him, the more he reminds her of when Natsu had returned after his year long hiatus.

And last, Hydra is a thinner but still very buxom beauty with straight teal colored, waist length hair, and light sea-green colored eyes, who stands about the same height as Pegasus. She wears a loose, cream-colored halter top that ends just above the navel and dark green skin tight leggings that have a slight scaled appearance. At first glance Lucy hadn’t noticed, but as she shifts her focus, she swore Hydra’s eyes had become more serpentine in appearance. ‘Duh,’ Lucy chides herself, it’s a sea serpent so what did she expect?

Over all, the one thing they all have in common are the translucent wings coming out from their backs; though each shimmered with their element’s colors. The wings themselves ranged in size and shape, matched to the spirits innate being. Phoenix’s wings were more bird-like, while Draco’s was rougher in appearance with jagged edges like a bat. Pegasus had rounder, fuller wings that reminded Lucy of a butterfly, and Hydra’s, the closest correlation was to a fish’s pectoral fins but larger.

“Wow! That’s all really amazing! So, are these your normal forms? Or do you have another that you also use? Like Phoenix can you change into an actual fire bird? or Hydra a winged serpent?”

Phoenix chuckles “Yes, most of the time we will be in these fairy forms because it is less threatening and requires less energy to summon, but we can shift into our true forms as needed.”

“I’m also able to use the Star Dress spell, does that work with you spirits too?”

“Yes. And we well know of whom your other spirits are, and they’ve assured us you have been one of the best owners they have ever worked with.”

“Awe, that’s so sweet of them! I don’t treat my spirits like tools to fight for me, I prefer to fight alongside them as much as possible, which is what I love about the Star Dress form. It allows me to do that more easily.”

“Well miss Lucy, I can sense that we are taking up a lot of your energy so since we have established the contract, I believe we should go for now. When you are ready to train with our magic, please call on us.”

“All right, well it was great meeting you all and I look forward to working with you!”

“As do we, good bye Miss Lucy!” As the other three disappear, Draco lingers walking up to her and takes her hand. She blushes lightly from the gesture.

“He forgot to tell you, we are fiercely protective over our owner, if we sense you are in danger one or more of us may appear on our own to assist you.”

She squeezes and pats the back of his hand, “Thank you Draco, I’m kind of used to that from Leo so don’t worry, I don’t mind.” She smiles sweetly at him.

Lifting the back of her hand to his lips he gives it a kiss, “Till we meet again princess,” then disappears.

With a sigh, she throws herself onto her bed. ‘I’m so excited to get to work with them! And Draco, he’s so…… attractive… Wait till the others see my new spirits!’

Lucy sneaks away every chance she could to train with the fairies. For about a month, one by one she works with them individually to both learn what they can do and what she’ll be able to do in their Star Dress forms. The whole experience had taken her back to the days after Tartaros when she’d honed her other spirits forms. It was exciting! For the first time since their fight with Acnologia, Lucy was feeling alive again and finally independent!

And she loved working with them. Lucy realized from day one of training why the King didn’t allow just any mage to get their hands on these keys because they were powerful. Someone like Leo, the most powerful of the Zodiacs couldn’t turn into a real lion, but Phoenix could turn into a firebird. Taurus was physically strong, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Draco towering overhead like a real dragon. Even though she still wanted to get more training under her belt, Lucy decided it was about time for her to reveal them to her friends and the guild. But not before a small test. Just a small one, something easy that even the most basic of what she has learned would be effective.

Looking around the guild Lucy doesn’t see her pink haired teammate, perfect, so she sneaks over to the mission board. Standing in front of it and perusing the options, she looked for one that could test the basic skills of the Fairies. She reaches for a flyer that looks promising, but not before it’s snatched away by Natsu.

“Luce, that’s too hard for you to do all by yourself.”

She snatches it back, “Ugh! Says who, you?! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself!”

He laughs, “Why don’t I go with you?”

“Because I don’t want you to!”

“Why not!” He whines, “And why have you been avoiding me lately?”

“You seriously are an idiot!” They’re attracting attention, but she doesn’t care. “I don’t understand why you keep insisting on coming along on my missions, or showing up unannounced at my apartment, or, or… Ugh! Why am I avoiding you, you ask!? It’s because I finally realized that I can’t wait around forever for you to decide!” Lucy crosses her arms over her chest as all the anger and tears she has held back rush forth. “You don’t wanna be my boyfriend that’s fine, but with that choice, you need to give me some space so I can move on and find someone who’ll love me back!”

Natsu is stunned at her explosion. Yes, he knows he can be an idiot sometimes, but he knows exactly what she is ranting about. He knows she has a crush on him, but he was afraid. He had watched Macao’s marriage end badly, he’s seen two others get into relationships and if they broke up, so went the friendship. It may not be much experience to base his thoughts off of, but it still worried him immensely. Losing her for any reason was not something he wanted to have happen. But, even now as Lucy confronts him on it, those fears are still holding him back.

“But Luce,” he reaches out for her, but she steps out of his reach. “You’re my best friend, that’s why I wanna go with you on missions. That’s why I enjoy hanging out with you at your apartment, and I don’t think you’re not capable, I don’t wanna see you get hurt, or….”

“Don’t you get it Natsu, I value our friendship, but I also want to feel…. Feel romantic love, like Levy or Juvia! I’m tired of being the one left out!”

Just as Natsu is about to respond Draco suddenly appears at Lucy’s side. He puts his arms around her waist pulling her in tight so she can sob into his chest while he glares at Natsu, “Is this guy bothering you my Princess?”

“YOUR Princess!!!” roars an incensed and literally smoking Natsu. “Who the Fuck are you!! Get your hands off My Lucy!!”

Bellowing, a deep laugh, “She is not Your Lucy. Did I not just hear her say you didn’t want to be her boyfriend? So, what gives you the right to demand I let her go? Clearly, I am not holding her against her will.”

“And what are you to her!” Natsu lights his hands on fire. “No matter, I’ll make you back off!”

“Natsu stop it!! Draco is one on my spirits! He came because of how upset I am.”

Gritting his teeth, “Not even Leo holds you like that so who the hell is he really?! I-I’m the only one who can hold you like that! So, tell him to let you go!!”

“I’m sorry Natsu but I can’t do that.”

“What!!” Natsu is even more livid, “Why not!”

Without responding to the question, Lucy looks back up into Draco’s eyes and puts her arms around his neck. Taking her cue, he leans down and kisses her on the lips; smirking the whole time with his eyes still trained on Natsu.

Natsu’s jaw drops simultaneously as a loud growl emanating from him. He makes a grab for Lucy when Draco’s wings suddenly extend out, whisking he and Lucy out of his physical reach.

“I’m sorry Natsu, but there’s nobody else you can blame but yourself for all this.” A single tear falls, “It’s time you give me some space.” In that moment, she and Draco disappear.

Standing alone Natsu just hangs his head, a crowd of his fellow guild mates surrounding but staying at a distance from him as his anger mixes with despair. ‘S-she kissed him? S-she kissed him! No, No, No! And space? That would kill me…’ Seeing their dejected friend, Gray and Erza rush over but he pushes them away and runs out of the guild. He wants no one to see his tears.

He had to make things right, there was no way he would let a spirit or any guy take Lucy away from him! Together forever…. The words rang back through his mind. He wouldn’t have said it if he hadn’t meant it, and he meant every meaning of those words. ‘Okay,’ he berates himself on the run to her apartment, ‘maybe I should have followed through after I said it, but there’s no turning back now and if that damn Draco wants a challenge, this dragon was gonna give him one!’

Draco teleports them into Lucy’s apartment and set her down on her feet. She sits down on her couch and let’s out a loud exhale.

“Thanks for playing along with that Draco,” Lucy blushes at the memory. “I kinda wanted to see his reaction.”

“You’re welcome Princess.”

“Sit, you’re making me nervous just standing there.” She pats the couch seat next to her and he obliges. “By the way, is there a reason you call me Princess?”

“You don’t like it?”

“I don’t mind it, Leo sometimes calls me that, and Virgo too.”

“You’re like a beautiful Princess.”

Lucy’s cheeks heat up. “Don’t tell me you really a sweet talker like Leo.”

Draco just chuckles, “No I’m nothing like Leo, that guy is on his own playing field with the ladies.”

“Well,” she whispers, “you aren’t so bad yourself.” He turns to look at her, but she averts her eyes and stares at the ground.

He turns her chin towards him and speaks softly, “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“N-No…” she stammers but he continues to look at her with his piercing green eyes. Sigh, “I’m sure you’ve been around long enough to know girls find you attractive.”

Subconsciously they both lean closer to each other, “Yes, but in all my years, I don’t think I’ve ever come across anyone like you.”

With just an inch of space left Lucy realizes their distance and pulls back. “I-I don’t think it would be appropriate to… There must be rules against an owner and their spirit… And I still care about Natsu…”

“There are no rules against it. But you’re right, we probably shouldn’t… move so quickly. Let’s focus on your training and working with us.” He stands up, “But at least you have someone else to comfort you now when you need it.” He winks to her before he disappears.

Sigh, “Why couldn’t Natsu have been more like you Draco…” She pulls her knees up and wraps her arms around them, sobbing lightly. “Ugh, why’d I have to fall for that pink haired idiot! I should have known he’d break my heart. I mean he’s so dense with other people’s emotions! And what was with his attitude today, I mean who the hell does he think he is calling me his! If he wanted that kind of power over me, he should have picked me for his girlfriend!” “Argh!” she throws a book against the wall.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, Natsu has been standing under her window listening, and hearing her rant about him shakes him up more.

A call comes in from Levy through the lacrima-com. “Oh, hi Levy, huh? Yeah, I’ll be okay. No, no, you guys need not come over. Who? Draco? He’s one of the spirits I told you about. I’m sorry I…. No, I should have told you guys sooner, but I wanted it to be a surprise. The King was so right about how powerful they are…. Yeah, he said I’m the first in over 300 years that qualified.” Lucy chuckles, “thanks, I’m proud of it too. Wait till you guys see them, they can transform…. Yeah that’s what makes them different. Mmm…. He reacted like he was jealous…”

Natsu eavesdrops from below her window, ‘How’d I not know about these new spirits, god maybe I am an ass, definitely an idiot. If she’s supposed to be my best friend, how did I not know so much about her? Was I really that oblivious?’ He hears Lucy sigh.

“I do still love the idiot. I’ll always love him but…. No, I don’t know what it’ll take…. No, I have no real interests in Draco…. Well yeah, he is handsome, but it would be wrong for a master and a spirit… I know Lev, you’re right, maybe he will. Okay, I’ll see you later too. Bye.”

He slumps against the wall, running his hand down his face. He had to do something but what? It’s not like he was the most romantic person. Scratch that, he had no clue what romance really was. All the flowers and candies thing, was that even real or was it stuff dreamed up for those books the girls love to read cause he’s seen none of the guys show up with bouquets at the guild? Natsu sighs, as much as he didn’t want to ask for help, he would need it. Maybe Bisca and Al are a good start since they’ve been married for so long…

After their fight, Lucy avoids Natsu, but he would not leave her alone. Oh, he gave her two days to cool off, but that’s when he really started his campaign to win her back. Thanks to all the advice from their friends on top of all the fix this situation threats levied at him, Natsu felt he’d come up with a plan of action sure to win her back.

And it started with flowers.

Early one morning, there is a knock on her door that drags a tired Lucy out of bed. She’d been up late the night before working on her latest book. The sudden intrusion was highly annoying!

“Ugh, who is it?”

“Flower delivery ma’am.”

Lucy opens her door to find an older gentleman in a messenger uniform. He hands her a bouquet of a dozen pink roses and tulips, her two favorite flowers. “Have a nice day.” He tips his hat and walks away.

Closing her door, she stares at the flowers, ‘who sent me flowers? It’s not my birthday, or a holiday…’ she finds a small envelope stuck in between the blooms.

“Luce, I don’t know if you’ll believe me yet, but I really meant what I said. You’re my best friend in this entire world and I didn’t mean to make you cry. I hope you’ll forgive me. –Natsu.”

There’s a small uplift in the corners of her mouth as she takes in the scent of the flowers, “Well it’s a start I guess, but you’re not off the hook just yet, mister!”

The morning sun was barely peeking over the horizon on the following day as Lucy stretches her arms through a big yawn. She turns over to hug onto a pillow when a flat rectangular box shifts next to her forehead. ‘What’s that?’ Lucy pulls herself into a sitting position and picks up the box. Her eyes flash wide for inside she finds a beautiful silver charm bracelet. ‘Wow….’ She maneuvers the bracelet to look at each charm piece; a flame, a key, a star, a letter “L”, a heart shape, a letter “N”, a cube with the letters “BF”, a Fairytail emblem, and pink stones in between each charm. Securing it on her right wrist she smiles…

Another morning, and Lucy is getting ready for another lazy day of writing since the weather was ugly and there wasn’t a major reason to go to the guild that day. She heads over to her desk and laying on top there was a brand-new journal with a folded letter waiting for her. Three days in a row, she muses, Natsu was sure working overtime to gain back her attention.

Good morning beautiful. Maybe our future adventures will help inspire a new story for you to write about. <3 Natsu.

She runs her fingers over the leathery grain, “Awe, that was sweet of him! Since when did he get so romantic?”

She was almost disappointed to not wake up to a surprise, but that afternoon, and another delivery of flowers shows up at her door. This time, the stakes have risen for it’s a dozen long stem red roses and another small jewelry box. After placing the roses in a vase, she sits down with the box and card and opens it. She gasps, ‘Oh my god what the hell is he trying to tell me?!’ The box contains a custom silver ring with the Fairytail emblem inlaid with small white and pink diamonds. When she looks closer inside the band there are her initials and a date.

Ripping open the card, tears flow down her cheeks as she reads the letter,

In July of X784 you entered my life and joined Fairytail. I still remember how excited you were when you got your guild stamp… Despite what you might think, I care about you as more than just a friend. I was just afraid… I treasured our friendship above anything else and I had seen friendships die because of breakups and I never wanted to lose you like that. But I should have realized that by holding back, it was only causing you the very pain I was trying to avoid… I’m so sorry Luce.

Seeing you… with Draco… another man holding you and kissing you…. I died a little that day. You were right, I only have myself to blame for it all. But I hope I’m not too late. If you forgive me, please meet me for dinner at Our Magnolia tree in South Gate Park at 5pm. Love, Natsu.

There were moments she almost turned around and went home but reminded herself that she needed to see him too. But by the time 4:50pm had rolled around Lucy was making her way through the park’s entrance. As she nears the tree, she can see Natsu standing with his back towards her. While he still has his scarf on, the rest of his attire takes her aback. Natsu dressed up for her, something he’s never done before on purpose! Lucy’s heart beats faster. He was so handsome in a suit!

Hearing a racing heartbeat approaching, Natsu slowly turns to see who it is. Heavens, Lucy looked spellbinding! As she makes her way over, he takes in the sight walking towards him. The blonde mage was absolutely stunning in a black, plunging halter style top ending in a red miniskirt and black 3-inch wedge heels. The charm bracelet and ring were catching some late afternoon rays, and her hair had been left down, straight and parted in the middle to frame her face. “Y-you look gorgeous, Lucy…” he chokes out. Hints of pink line his cheeks and ears.

She giggles, “You look handsome too Natsu. Thank you for all the gifts they were really sweet. So,” a light blush alighting her cheekbones, “why d'you wanna meet here?”

“I um, needed to see you, and wanted to talk. But first, I have reservations for dinner nearby.”

“All right, shall we get going then?”

“Yeah!” he grins, the toothy wide smile he often has plastered on his face when he is nervous.

Clasping her hands behind her back Lucy walks alongside Natsu. For a time, they walk in silence through the park until they reach the street and need to turn left or right. “So Natsu, where are we going?”

“This way,” he points to the right. “We’re going to Café Concerto, the foods good but I picked them for the private dining rooms.”

“Private rooms?” Some naughtier ideas pop into her head.

“Yeah, so we can talk easier.”

“Oh,” She exhales still trying to get the images out of her head. “Sounds like a good idea.”

Continuing on in silence, Natsu notices a dreamier look on Lucy’s face. Her hands have drifted away from her back and now sway along with her steps. He wonders what she is thinking about, but instead of asking, takes advantage of the fact she’s not paying attention to what he wants to do.

Lucy lets her mind drift during the brisk walk. ‘I don’t want to get my hopes up, what if he’s doing all this to just placate me, to just let me down gentler… No, can’t be? If that were the case the gifts would have been different right? He wouldn’t have sent red roses, or such an expensive ring… Maybe he was telling the truth, maybe he really has feelings for me! Sigh… That kiss I shared with Draco was my first and I had wanted that to be with Natsu. There was only a lukewarm chemistry from Draco’s kiss, no butterflies, no fireworks. I guess when I kiss Natsu, that’ll tell me…’

“We’re here Luce.”

“Huh?” she turns her head and sees they are standing in front of the restaurant. “Oh, sorry I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

“You seemed to be in your own thoughts,” he chuckles. “Let’s head inside so we don’t lose the reservation.”

“Right.” She takes a step forward but stops when she realizes something important had happened. Lucy looks down at her left hand which is being held by Natsu’s right one. “W-When did…”

He smiles, “About halfway here. You didn’t seem to mind.”

Her face heats in a blush. “I, um…”

“If this is making you uncomfortable I can…”

She cuts him off with a smile, “N-no, it’s okay. I-I don’t mind, was just surprised is all.”

Grinning back, he squeezes her hand and opens the door.

The maître’d leads Natsu and Lucy into a cozy little room where a table had been set up for two. After being seated across from one another, she takes in the visuals of the place. The walls are paneled in a warm chestnut brown wood finish. Bronze sconces along the wall providing a warm, ambiance type lighting. On the table between them, the dark, almost black table cloth seems to match well against the wall’s colorings. And finally, a single long tapered white candle added to the romantic feel.

With their dinners ordered, and a glass of wine now perched at her fingertips, Lucy takes a few sips to help calm her nerves. Averting her eyes from his, “Natsu, I want to apologize for my outburst. It may have been a little uncalled for…”

“No, don’t apologize Luce. I needed that slap in the face.” She looks up at him and sees a seriousness in his eyes she’s rarely ever seen from him. “The truth is, I’ve had a crush on you since we met but it worried me that if we got into a relationship and ever broke up, we’d stop being friends. I had seen it happen to others, and I was so afraid of it I decided to just keep you in the friend zone. But I didn’t realize how much pain I was causing you, how much keeping you at a slight distance was hurting our friendship more.” He sighs,“I don’t like it when you go off on missions by yourself because all I do is worry the whole time. What if you got hurt or didn’t come back at all… I—I, don’t know what I would do.”

“But you’ve never even given me a hint about how you really felt. I think if I had seen something, even just a glimmer of hope, I wouldn’t have felt so much heartache.”

“I guess I hid it well. I mean every time a guy tried to flirt with you, Gray, Leo, strangers; I had to use every ounce of willpower not to beat them to a pulp. But then when you kissed Draco… and seemed like you meant it… I-I lost it.”

Lucy feels her heart sinking by the millisecond. She may have endured years of heartache, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed seeing it in others, especially the man she loved. She looks down at the table, her fingers fidgeting with themselves on her lap, “I shouldn’t have done that… Please forgive me Natsu but I wanted to see how you would react… I wanted to see if it would make you jealous because maybe if you were that meant there could be hope...”

Natsu stands up and walks around the table kneeling in front of her. “I told you, I deserved that wake-up call.” Placing his hands on hers to stop her fidgeting, “But, do you believe me now Luce, that you mean everything to me?”

“Yeah…” She whispers

Lifting her right hand he slides the ring off of the finger she has it on. “Can we start over then?”

“Yes…” she murmurs, wondering what he was about to do.

Now taking her left hand he slides the ring onto her ring finger as he continues to speak in an expectant tone, “where you’re my girlfriend?”

“Y-yes.” She squeaks out. Her brown eyes becoming more vivid but glassy.

Grinning, “I’m sorry I didn’t hear you, was that a…”

“Yes!” Lucy screams, grabbing his face and locking onto the lips she has ached to kiss for so long. This throws him slightly off balance, but he quickly catches himself and braces by entwining his fingers into her hair adding pressure to the kiss. She cocks her head slightly to the side to deepen their closeness, groaning as he nibbles her bottom lip and allowing his tongue to venture and twirl with hers in a minuet. All of time laid down it’s ticking clock as they stayed locked together, and Heaven help her, Natsu’s smoky tang mixed with the spicy scents of his natural redolence was carrying her away in a spell of its own. Forgotten were the days past and longing for Lucy finally got what she had dreamed of. This is the very fireworks she had wished for!

At that moment the waiter walks in carrying two plates, pausing just within the threshold. “I’m sorry is this a bad time?”

Breaking apart, Natsu stands up and walks back to his chair smiling and staring at his red-faced girlfriend, “No,” he grins, “it’s a great time.”

Over the next three months Lucy’s been too busy being dragged out on team Natsu missions to train further with her new spirits and she really wants to get her Star Dress spells down pact before she summons them in a real fight. Erza and Gray she didn’t mind so much but it was Natsu that was driving her crazy. She couldn’t understand his insistence on either her going with them on all of their missions or him tagging along on hers. They were officially a couple, so why was he still acting this way?

While their relationship was getting better in some aspect’s, there were the days where his jealousy would just control him and in other words, her. The worst were the times she suggested training with her spirits. Such rollercoasters of emotions were taking its toll on the Celestial Wizard and eventually something had to give.

“Ugh, Natsu I need to train with my new spirits to get the Star Dress forms down solid! Phoenix could even be helpful to you since he can generate fire!”

“It’s not the other three I mind. I don’t trust Draco!”

“You’re just jealous! And I can’t believe you don’t trust me to handle him myself. All this time, Leo didn’t get under your skin, why is Draco?”

“Leo’s different, I know he flirts with every girl cause it’s his personality. But with Draco, it’s a… it’s a dragon thing okay! It’s like two animals wanting to claim the same mate and I can sense that from him.”

“Tch, that sounds crazy,” Lucy crosses her arms, “he’s a spirit.”

“Who is a dragon.” Natsu drops onto the couch with his head hung and hair shielding his eyes. He didn’t want to keep having this argument with her, but he would not let it go either. “Lucy please just understand, it’s not just simple jealousy, in the eyes of a dragon you are an unmarked, unclaimed, potential mate. If his attraction to you becomes unchecked that primal side could reveal itself and some dragons will take their mates by force.”

Lucy sighs. She didn’t want to keep fighting either. “Natsu I don’t think that’ll happen, but I’ll relent for the sake of peace.” Lucy sits on the arm of the chair, running her fingers through his hair in a manner she’s come to learn soothes him. “How about you come along during the training sessions as long as you don’t get in the way.”

He places a hand on her knee, gently thumbing the skin while looking back up at her face. “Thank you. So, where do you wanna train?”

The following week, Lucy and Natsu are standing at the base of a mountain where the vegetation is sparse, and the chance of fire damage will be a minimum. He nods at her with a smile, motioning for her to start. She pulls out Phoenix’s key and summons him. “Open Gate of the Firebird! Phoenix!”

“Hello Lucy.”

“Hi Phoenix, I’d like to work with you today.”

Phoenix looks to the man standing at her side. “As you wish, but who is this with you?”

“Natsu’s my boyfriend, he’s a Fire Dragon Slayer.”

“Ah,” Phoenix smiles warmly and sticks out his hand in a gentleman’s fashion, “fire, that’s right up my alley.” Natsu shakes his hand firmly.

Lucy smiles, “I hoped you two would get along…”

It turned out to be quite handy having Natsu around to train with, because now Lucy had an additional sparring partner while the spirits taught her how to use their magic effectively. He had a lot of fun working Phoenix even remarking that the spirits flames had an interesting flavor to it. Maybe like chicken he had teased, while being slapped by Lucy over the comment, but even Phoenix had laughed and responded that it made sense that his flames would taste like a bird.

For the training with Hydra and Pegasus, once they had realized that having another strong mage around that knew similar magic would come in handy for the training, they had enlisted the help of Wendy and Juvia. The two women were happy to assist and play sparring partner for Lucy and similarly to how Natsu got along with Phoenix, the mages and spirits had a good time. The Celestial Fairies had been stuck in the Celestial World for so long, that being able to interact with the mages and peoples of Earthland again seemed to thrill them.

Two days of training with three days off in between to recuperate for Lucy seemed to be the successful formula. It took four days of training total with Phoenix, the same with Hydra, but eight for Pegasus. Lucy assumed that it was because out of the three spirits, it was an element she had not worked directly with before. The styles and magics were different, but at least with Leo’s flames or Aquarius’ water, those were more comfortable for her. But as the training with these three spirits ended, it would be the next looming issue they had been avoiding.

Draco. Not only did he wield an element that Lucy hasn’t dealt with before, it was also one that no one in their guild really did either except Jellal and he was away on a mission. Saint Wizard Jura was another possibility, but he too was busy with Counsel duties. Lucy knew that having to deal with Natsu and Draco alone may be a bigger hassle, as much she hated to admit it, so they wait until Jellal returned.

Humming quietly to no one, Lucy wraps the towel around her body and releases her hair from the haphazard bun perched on her head. Natsu had been gone all day helping with some kind of renovation at the guild but now it was time for her to get ready and head over to meet him and their friends for dinner. After a final check of herself in the mirror, she gathers her dirty clothes and steps out of the bathroom.

“Princess.”

Startled, Lucy gasps and almost drops her clothes, “Draco! What are you doing here?” Fidgeting and using the extra fabrics to hide her body more, “y-you shouldn’t just drop in like this.”

“But I came to check on you,” he walks closer unperturbed by her state of undress. ��I’ve been waiting patiently for you to call me to train like you did the others,” Draco places his hand on her shoulder, “but when you did not after two weeks, I worried something may be wrong.”

“I’m fine,” Lucy flinches out of his touch, “as you can see. I’m just waiting for my friend Jellal to return from a mission, so I have a sparring partner.”

Again, he tries to reach out. Lucy flinches but realizes she’s been backed against the wall. She tries to avoid eye contact, but his time Draco caresses her cheek then tips her face up, so she’s forced to look at him, “You need no one but me to be there.”

“I-I dis-disagree, now you should let me go Draco, I need to meet Natsu, my boyfriend for dinner.”

“That slayer is your boyfriend now?” He lets Lucy go and steps back, “my mistake.” And just like that, he disappears.

Lucy lets out the collective breath she’d been holding and braces against the wall. ‘It’s fine, it’s fine,’ she reassures herself, ‘he was only acting that way because he didn’t know about Natsu and I.’ She brushes her fingers over the area Draco had touched… “not even Leo holds you like that…” Lucy shakes the memory from her mind, that was her doing, she had prompted Draco into acting that way and at least that time, she really was upset…. ‘he could tell I was upset… I never really asked before,’ Lucy ruminates, ‘how much can the spirits really sense of me?’ Now wasn’t the time to ponder. Just to be cautious, Lucy takes a second quick shower and rushes to the guildhall before Natsu came to check on her too.

Thank goodness Jellal came back to Magnolia a few days later and she could get the last leg of her training under way. It would be the first time Natsu and Draco would be face to face again, and Lucy only hoped and prayed the two men could be cordial with each other for her sake. She confessed to Jellal her concerns before they left on the training and he assured her he would help to make sure things stayed that way.

The rocky, desert-like area they found was perfect for training with Earth magic for they could warp the ground without disturbing much of anything living. But, the one downside to picking such a place was there were no towns in the immediate vicinity. They had to bring as many provisions with them as they could carry or one of them would have to travel a few miles to gather more. At least there were a few caves suitable for a makeshift campsite in case it rained.

Lucy stood flanked by Natsu on her left and Jellal on her right as she summoned Draco to appear.

“Open gate of the Dragon! Draco!”

In a flurry of light, he appears with his arms crossed, “You’ve finally summoned me master?”

Her eyebrow twitches as she tries to remain calm. “Yes, I’d like to complete our training Draco. First, I should introduce you to my friends here.” She motions to her right first, “this is Jellal, he uses earth magic, so I’ve asked him to help me as a sparing partner.” Jellal nods to the spirit. Lucy then motions to her left. “You know Natsu, my boyfriend. He’s here to help in training.”

The tension in the air was palpable as the two men stared each other down. Both Lucy and Jellal holding a collective breath as the seconds tick by at an agonizingly slow rate… it was the longest pause of her life. Finally, it was Natsu to Lucy’s surprise or relief that broke the stalemate, holding out a hand in gesture. No words pass between them, but the two men shake hands.

She lets out an exhale, “we should just get started then, shall we?”

In the other training sessions, Natsu played less of a bystander role and more of a guide for Lucy, especially when it came down to learning the ins and outs of making a technique work. He was amazing with analyzing fight strategies. But this time, he stepped back and observed every move that Draco made. Training in proximity was fine under his watchful eye but if Draco got too close or lingered near Lucy in the wrong way, Natsu stepped in.

Oh, he didn’t snap which was a scenario that Lucy had dreaded and prepared herself mentally for. No, it was a surprise that Natsu entered the training at just the opportune moments and spun things in a way to get Draco away from her again. It impressed Lucy that her boyfriend was controlling most of his anxieties.

It was a relief at not having to play referee between her boyfriend and her spirit considering by day 3 this magic was the hardest for her by far to learn. Usually by this point, Lucy had the basics down but learning to control a dense mass such as earth was much more difficult than the airier elements. But that was only part of the magic, Lucy still needed to learn to control plant life.

By the eighth day, the next two-day break was a welcomed relief. All Lucy wanted to do was relax with a book or sleep, so Natsu and Jellal took a trip to the nearest town for more supplies. He really didn’t want to leave Lucy by herself but, Natsu knew that if he and Jellal went, the trip would be faster, and they could carry more, hopefully negating the need for another.

She curled up on her bedroll with a book, catching up on a few chapters, letting the story take her mind off the slow progress of her training. The story was one that Levy had recommended because she knew Lucy would like. A bit of fantasy mixed with a love story, lots of action, heartache, and lust. But with the heat of the day working its spell, it didn’t take long for exhaustion to claim her, Lucy’s eyes growing heavier and heavier...

Draco kneeled beside her, watching his master sleep peacefully. She looked so beautiful to him. He couldn’t blame the slayer for wanting to keep this woman for himself, when he’s desired her since the moment they met. Deep down Draco knew that it was wrong, that it was frowned upon for spirits to meddle in their master’s lives, and definitely a no, no to wish for a romantic relationship with one. But he couldn’t help it, spirit or not he still had basilar emotions that drove him.

He leans over Lucy and takes in the wondrous scent she gave off. It annoyed him that the slayers scent commingled with hers. Draco frowns. Every fiber of his dragon soul wanted to sweep her away from this world to anywhere he could hoard her all to himself. It would be easy, just pick her up as she slept and before she awoke, he’d have her whisked away to his corner of the spirit world.

A fanged grin peaks through, ‘well why the fuck not,’ he muses. ‘Three hundred years I’ve waited for a master and to get one as perfect as this one…’ Rational thought was losing the battle in his mind, yes, he’d be in a lot of trouble with the Spirit King, not to mention the others, but the longer he stared at Lucy, the more his lust grew.

Draco wanted her.

And before his consciousness could catch up, he was scooping her into his arms.

The sudden movement causes Lucy to stir. “Natsu?” her worn out mind barely comprehending what was happening.

“Not Natsu.”

That woke her up. Lucy’s eyes pop open wide. “Draco?! Draco what are you… why are you here?” She shifts and tries to get out of his arms. “Draco, what do you think you are doing?”

“I can’t let that slayer have you, he doesn’t deserve you!”

“Draco!” Lucy fights his grasp, “let me go right this second! I-I am not going anywhere with you!”

The spirit narrows his eyes, his pupils shifting into a more reptilian form, “no.”

Lucy fights harder, but her strength is no match for the stronger male. She twists and hits him as much as she can, cussing him out. Just when she thought there was no hope, Lucy hears a voice outside of the cave.

“Lushee? Natshu? Where are you guys?”

“Happy!” she cries out. “I’m in the cave!”

It wasn’t as if an exceed was any match for the spirit, but she hoped it would change Draco’s mind if there was a witness.

And she was right.

Just as the exceed came walking in through the entrance, she felt herself fall back onto her bedroll, hitting the solid floor hard. Her body stung from the impact, but not wanting to alarm Happy, she bit down and gritted against the pain.

“Lushee? Where is Natshu?”

She forces herself to sit up as if nothing had just happened. With a smile, “they went to the nearest town for supplies, they should be back soon,” she hoped.

“Oh, okay then I’ll just wait here with you.”

“That… would be great Happy. Maybe you could help me get dinner started for the guys…”

What was she going to do now? As Lucy went to bed that night with Natsu sleeping beside her, she couldn’t fall asleep. Over and over she replayed what had happened that afternoon trying every which way to explain or justify her spirit’s actions. In one more day, they were supposed to resume her training, should she cancel it? But that might make Natsu suspicious. What if Draco didn’t show up? Or, what if he did? How would he behave? Chances were, with Natsu and Jellal around he would behave as if nothing had happened, but would she be able to set that aside?

Lucy wanted so desperately to believe it was all just another misunderstanding. Maybe Draco had gone weird, kind of like when the spirits went a little mad after the whole Eclipse gate debacle. That probably wasn’t true but how else could she rationalize it? The other explanation was…. Natsu had been right all along. Sometimes they forgot that Celestial spirits had feelings just like humans did, and maybe Draco had developed feelings for her, driven further by the dragon spirit dwelling inside of him.

She didn’t want to alarm anyone yet, so in the end, she let the training commence. ‘Hopefully he shows up and behaves!’ Then when they return home, Lucy will come clean to her man.

For the next two weeks, Lucy pushes herself harder than she has ever pushed her body and mind because she was determined to get control of the earth magic Draco wielded, plus she didn’t want to deal with him longer than necessary. Her focus on the training gave her enough of a distraction to shove her concerns to the side until a later date, and Draco behaving as if he hadn’t just tried to kidnap her, helped to lessen her worries at least consciously. Internally was another story.

The night before their trip back home, Lucy had a rather disturbing dream. It was so real that when she awoke the next morning, the emotions, nay, the fear it created in her mind still carried through and Lucy realized something. What if she had to be alone after they’d gone home?! She and Natsu were still maintaining separate homes and he couldn’t be with her every minute of every day. Will Draco try to kidnap her again as soon as he gets an opportunity?

It made her shudder. The idea of a rogue spirit taking her away from not just Natsu but her friends, family, her home, made Lucy almost wish she’d never found that book in the library. Why did she have to ask the King about those keys? Was it foolish of her to have used Draco as a pawn to make Natsu jealous? All these questions, all the obvious answers leading her to blame herself for the mess she now found herself in. But there was no turning back the clock.

She steeled herself for the conversation she was about to have with her boyfriend. Lucy knew that would only be normal for Natsu to get upset with what she would have to tell him. He will undoubtedly object to the plan she had come up with during the journey back home because she knew he wouldn’t want to rush into something that could never be undone. Hell, even she thought it was crazy.

*When they returned to Magnolia, it didn’t take much effort to get Natsu to stay at her apartment without giving an explanation. He was there most of the time anyway, and with the excuse that after such a vigorous training, Lucy wanted to relax alone with her boyfriend made sense. But the conversation she needed to have with him wasn’t something one could simply bring up. What was she supposed to say? Over dinner one evening, “Hey, by the way Natsu, Draco tried to kidnap me so I think you should do that ritual marking thing you didn’t want to do.” ‘Su—re, that wouldn’t be a great idea!’

Natsu himself never told her what happened during the event, he might even be surprised that she knew, but Levy had given her some general details. The marking itself was simple, a bite to the wrist, like a physical imprinting upon the dragon’s mate and voila, all done. Once imprinted, they were married without the legal formalities. And therein lies the scary part. Was she, were they ready for that level of commitment? After thinking about it, Lucy had decided she was so, now that just left Natsu’s decision.

Over the course of a week since they had returned, Lucy had the odd sensation that Draco was somehow watching her. Since Natsu was always around, she knew that he wouldn’t come close or Natsu would smell him and yet, those feelings never subsided. Frankly, it was creeping her out. Lucy did her best to talk herself out of the worries, surmising that the whole situation triggered those feelings.

One night after dinner, Lucy and Natsu lounged on the couch with a movie, but Lucy couldn’t focus on the screen. That afternoon Natsu had pointed out they need to take a mission soon since their funds had run low from the training. It wasn’t the mission Lucy was concerned about rather the chances of abduction.

Natsu laughed at the antics of the characters on the screen, turning to Lucy to get her opinion on it. But he notices a glazed over expression as if she was deep in thought, and definitely not watching the screen. He pokes her arm to gain her attention. “Lucy, do you not like this movie?”

“The movie is fine.”

Now he shifts to face her better, “then why do you look bored or…” tilting his head, “annoyed?” Lucy fiddles with her fingers in her lap, nervous about something. He places his hands on hers and squeezes, “just tell me what’s bothering you.”

In a quiet, almost inaudible tone, Lucy mumbles, “first, promise me you won’t get upset.”

Oh, now he was not only curious but anxious as all the horrible things that could elicit a response like that funnels through his mind. “You… you didn’t cheat on me, did you?” Lucy shakes her head. Natsu exhales, that was the worst thing he could think of. “Okay, I promise.”

“I’ve been thinking maybe…” Lucy pauses and takes a long deep breath. “Maybe we should do the marking….” Looking up at him, “now.”

He hadn’t seen that coming! “H-How do you even know about that? And why would you bring it up now?”

“Levy. And is it really important why?”

Natsu may have been inclined to just drop it, but when she averted her eyes before the second answer, he knew she was holding something back. Lucy wasn’t one to hide stuff, at least not about important things. “Luce,” he places a hand on her thigh and leans in. “If you know what it is, then you know why I’d want to know. It’s not something I’ll do unless we’re absolutely sure we want…”

“I do,” she grabs his hand, “I’m ready for it, but are you?”

“Lucy, I will not mark you unless you tell me what brought this up!”

“Draco tried to kidnap me okay!” she turns away from him, her face brightening from embarrassment, anger, and fear. With her hands covering her face to hide the moisture clouding her eyes, “it happened during the training. And I’m so scared he’ll do it again! That’s why I want you to mark me! That way he must leave us alone!”

Natsu forces Lucy to look at him and the fury in his eyes sent shudders throughout her body. He was so furious he was beyond snapping. His eyes narrow, “I don’t care if he’s your spirit I’ll fucking kill him if he touches you again!”

“I-It’s not just because of that,” Lucy’s cheeks heat further, “I want you to do it.” She reaches out and caresses his cheek, her eyes softening into a smile, “no matter what, I know that I’ll never be happy with anyone else Natsu, that’s why I came to this decision.” Lucy exhales, “but that’s only if you agree too.”

After a few agonizing seconds, Natsu finally lets out a deep exhale and pulls her into a soft kiss. “Lucy, you’re it for me too,” cradling her cheeks, he swipes his thumbs against the smooth skin. “It would honor me to take you as my mate.” As a few tears trickles down, he wipes them away and seals the vow with another sweet kiss.

He takes her left hand and places a kiss upon her guild mark, then holding it parallel to the floor, Natsu brings it closer to his mouth. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Lucy breathes out.

Suddenly, a loud explosion sounds off, and the building vibrates and trembles. The interrupted couple spring from the couch, Natsu running to the window to see what’s going on. Was someone attacking Magnolia? He throws the window open, scanning over the area but something strange was going on. None of the other buildings were shaking as badly as the apartment.

A shriek fills the room. Time slows to a crawl as Natsu turns to where Lucy was just standing and sees her tossed over Draco’s shoulder. She’s screaming for Natsu, screaming at Draco to let her go… and just like that in a flash, they were gone. The building’s shaking ceased, and all that remained was the cocky grin the spirit had sported burned into Natsu’s memory. “LUCY!!!!” The slayer roars into the empty room, furious that Draco had kidnapped her right from under his nose. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! How was he supposed to get to the Celestial world?!

Thinking quickly, Natsu rushes down to his cottage where he knows Happy should be and the pair take off for Sabertooth.

Natsu explains the situation to his friend on the way, talking aloud of his plan to get to the Celestial World, find Draco, beat him to a pulp, and get his girl back. The exceed pushed his aera abilities to its maximum output, flying Natsu to their ally’s guild in under an hour. It was late but thankfully Yukino was there and she readily called for one of her spirits. Libra brought Celestial clothing for Natsu and Happy, then whisked them off to the spirit world. Sensing that something serious had happened to their master, all of Lucy’s spirits were waiting for Natsu when he arrived.

“What the hell happened?” Leo and Phoenix demand at the same time. As leaders of their respective spirits, they felt an obligation to help save their master.

Natsu’s growl is low and deep, “Draco is what happened! That fucking spirit kidnapped Lucy and I’m damn sure he brought her here!”

“Ugh, I knew he was up to something,” Phoenix runs a hand over his face. “He’s become obsessed with her recently.”

“Recently?” Leo chimes in, “I got the sense he’s been pining over her since they met. I told her to be careful, but she said she could handle it.”

Natsu cuts them both off. “Look, he tried to kidnap her before and now he’s succeeded. I don’t care about your bickering. We just need to figure out where they are so I can beat the life out of him and get her back!”

Phoenix steps forward, “I believe I know where he might be.”

“But I think we should consult with the King first,” chimes in Leo.

“You’re right,” the firebird spirit sighs, “Draco is as powerful as any of us fairies, maybe the King will know a better way to deal with him.”

“Look, whatever we do we just need to hurry! So, go get the King!” Natsu steps closer to the two spirits shaking his fist, “Draco already has a head start, and if he succeeds in imprinting on Lucy, there won’t be anything we can do to reverse it!” He was beyond caring that these were Lucy’s beloved spirits or that he too liked them. This was Lucy they were fighting for and nothing would get in his way of getting her back!

In another part of the vast spirit world, Draco tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and let his senses reach out into its void. He had felt the ripple of an outsider breaching their plane, normally considered a violation, but if it was the slayer, undoubtedly the King would not force him to leave. ‘Just great.’ Draco opens his eyes again, staring at the woman he had bound and gagged on his bed. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep Lucy here for long because even with the Celestial attire, her body could only withstand this world for a short amount of time. Maybe a day or two tops since she had a connection to this world, but still, it was just to give him more time to think.

Just like the last kidnapping attempt, his desire for Lucy had trumped all rational thought, and he’d reacted without hesitation to stop the marking process. If the slayer had been successful, Draco knew that the imprinting would have triggered Lucy’s heart to forever belong to Natsu and that he would never have a chance to win it. For that was the secret to all this. Despite being a dragon spirit, because he was no longer of the earthly realm, those marking rituals didn’t work for him anymore. It wasn’t fair! Draco was similar in many regards, he felt passion as they did, and yet lacked that one component. Oh, he knew the reason, spirits were not meant to intermingle with humans on that level.

‘Well,’ he sighs and grins at Lucy, “looks like the only way to settle this is a fight…”

In another area of the Celestial World, Natsu had been brought before the Celestial King and along with Phoenix and Leo, explained the whole situation.

“I am sorry my friend, I knew that Lucy was here with Draco, but I assumed she was visiting. I did not know he had kidnapped her.”

“Well now, you know mustache man. So, are you going to tell me where they are?”

The King leans back with his arms crossed as if in contemplation. “This is a serious matter, to have a spirit kidnap a human, his master no less,” scratching his chin, “it has never happened before.”

“Just tell me where he is, and I’ll make him sorry for taking Lucy!”

“Be patient my young friend, he will not harm her. In this world, Draco cannot be injured, so there is no point in you fighting him.”

Natsu crosses his arms and mumbles, “well it would make me feel better.”

“I am his creator and therefore I must step in to right this wrong. Draco is keeping her in his lair, Leo, Phoenix, take Natsu to her. Bring Draco back to me and I shall deal with him.”

Draco could smell them coming, and not surprisingly, Natsu wasn’t alone but both Phoenix and Leo were with him. As leaders and the two most powerful of the spirits, Draco knew that if all three were to come at him at once, he didn’t stand much of a chance. But that didn’t mean he would give Lucy up without a fight to the death if necessary. As they arrive, he stands in front of Lucy, leering at the trio.

“Stand aside you two,” Draco growls at the other spirits under his breath, “this is a fight between Dragons.”

As Phoenix moves forward to speak, Leo tries to grab hold of Natsu. But the moment the slayer had seen Lucy gagged and bound like an animal he flipped out. He could smell her tears, hear her heart beating rapidly, and worst of all he could smell the tiniest hints of blood. Lucy’s blood!

Natsu roars an ungodly bellowing, so deep and guttural it shakes the very core of Leo or Phoenix. They had never seen his transformations before, but Lucy had. His eyes grow serpentine in appearance, his body shifts, scales forming, wings… Fire erupts from his body and the two spirits must jump out of the way for the heat was like a volcano’s inferno. Even the Firebird’s flames could not reach such temperatures.

Then quicker than a blink, Natsu had flown directly at Draco, scooping the spirit up and power-bombing him into the ground….

Lucy fights at her bindings, knowing this was going to be like Stella all over again. Natsu’s END dragon side was going to take over and she had to stop it! Draco may have done something horrible, but if Natsu wasn’t stopped they may level this area. She looks towards Leo and Phoenix, screaming through the gag. Those two were so awestruck by the dragon’s fighting they had forgotten about her! She bounces in her chair, pulling, still screaming as much as she could in a garbled and muffled manner until finally, Leo sees Lucy and rushes over with Phoenix. They untie her and help her to her feet.

Natsu was relentless. Over and over he went at Draco with everything he had. And the speed at which he was doing it was so fast, the other dragon couldn’t keep up or switch into his own dragon form. Lucy, Phoenix, and Leo could barely think straight through the cacophony of sounds. Loud, rumbling roars coupled with bone crushing hits and earth trembling displays. Lucy realizes this was much worse than Stella. She screams at them, screams for Natsu to stop. But he wasn’t hearing her. He was too far in the zone of utter rage to see past Draco.

“You guys…. You guys,” she grabs Phoenix and Leo’s arms, “we need to stop them!”

“But how?!” they ask at the same time.

She shakes her head for frankly, she wasn’t really sure. “Just you guys grab Draco the moment you get a chance and let me handle Natsu!”

“Oh no,” Leo waves his hands, “in that state Natsu will end up hurting you too!”

Again, she shakes her head, “he won’t,” though the trembling timber of her voice denoted otherwise. “I can do this, you just need to get Draco away from him and here, quickly!”

Phoenix tries to grab Lucy’s arm to stop her, but Leo stops him. “Just believe in her brother, Lucy is stronger than you have yet to see for yourself, trust me. If she says she can do it,” he exhales, “she will, now let’s do our part.”

The moment Natsu stops, Lucy rushes up and grabs him from behind, wrapping her arms around him screaming for him to stop. That second was just enough time for Phoenix and Leo to do the same, each taking hold of one of Draco’s arms. They dematerialize in an instant, taking Draco with them.

Natsu roars one last time as Lucy holds on tight, furious that his enemy had been taken away from him. “Natsu stop!” she screams. “I’m here! I’m safe! You can stop now!”

It takes several more minutes for Natsu to finally drop to his knees utterly exhausted. The wings and other transformed areas revert back to normal until all that is left is the normal Natsu. “L-Lucy?” he places a hand over the ones she’s wrapped around his waist. “Is it over?”

Lucy sighs and lets her head rest against his back. “I think so.”

Leo and Phoenix had transported Draco directly to the King who sighs and immediately snaps his fingers. Spirit chains materialize and immediately restrain him. He roars at the King, wrenching at his fetters, “what is the meaning of this! You should have left us alone!”

“I need not explain anything you shouldn’t already know Draco. You kidnapped a human, your master, and one that is very dear to me. How could you not realize that once I found out you would be in trouble!”

“That stupid slayer,” Draco sneers under his breath, “this is all his fault!”

“No, it is not, this all falls upon your shoulders. To think, that one of my most powerful of spirits would let their emotions drive them to the point of madness,” the King sighs, “my only dilemma is what punishment would fit this crime. Should your fate become what Leo had endured once upon a time? Shall I make you live amongst the humans, unable to return here to be restored where you will wither away in a couple of years? If I did not have to worry about you trying to kidnap Lucy, I would consider it. However, under these circumstances you leave me no other choice but to…”

“Wait!”

Both the King and Draco turn to the voice.

“Please wait!” Lucy yells again. Despite being held back by Natsu and buffered by Leo and Phoenix, she fights to be heard by the King. “Please don’t be too hard on him, it’s only his nature he is fighting. He didn’t hurt me badly, and,” she hangs her head, “I blame myself for leading him on in the beginning to make Natsu jealous.” Just like she had done for Leo, Lucy’s affinity for her spirits was stronger than anything they may have done when she felt their punishment wasn’t right. “Please, King there must be a way Draco can control his emotions, isn’t there?”

The King’s bellowing laughter rocks the group standing before him. “Oh, my friend, you are always the purest of heart. Do you see Draco, even after what you’ve done to her, your master still wishes to spare you? It is her honor that earned my trust all those years ago.” He smiles down at Lucy, “as for your question, yes there is. Please, my friends go home, and the next time you must call upon the Celestial Fairies I promise, Draco will no longer be a problem.”

Natsu was skeptical about it all, but the King was right. They were pushing the limits of how long they should stay in this world and it was time to go. He glared at Draco, but the spirit just stood there with his head hung too low for him to look into his eyes. Taking Lucy’s hand, “come on. Like the King said we should just go home.”

“Yeah,” Lucy too glances over at Draco, wishing he would just give her one more look, but the dejected spirit never gave what she hoped for. She squeezes her eyes shut, ‘I’m so sorry Draco.’

#nalu #nalu novella #Natsu dragneel #Lucy heartfilia #nalu fanfic #fairytail #dragon #celestial spirits #OC characters #slightly angsty

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soph-hortn · 6 years ago

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Under The Stars - Louisentine oneshot ✨✨

Description: (Modern/High School AU) Louis invites Clem to his house for the weekend, and he has a surprise for the girl.

A/N: This is a continuation of my other fanfic called Purple Rain. (Sort of haha)

It been a while since I've posted any of my own works, but writers block is hard to fight off. I'm planning to post a (canon universe) flashback filled fic, but since it turned out to challenge me more than I planned, idk when it'll be complete. I'm planning to finish and post it before episode 4 comes out.

Also happy Valentine's Day! I know, it's already the 15th in some places of the world, but I didn't have time to make final adjustments to this fic and post it before it was midnight where I live. Anyway, this is a fluff piece that I've worked on for like 2 weeks, and with the help of sweet @xscullyx I figured the ending out hehe. Shoutout to my lovely pal @goofy-gomez too, since he has a pretty good taste in movies too. Please give 'em some love, they're amazing people and I'm glad I can call them my friends 💗💗💗

Word count: 1427 words.

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"It's just the two of us." Louis told his girlfriend as he opened the front door and let her in. "My folks are out of town for the weekend."

"So that's why you so desperately wanted me to crash at your place, huh?" Clem asked, while dropping her bag on the living room couch.

"I guess. Last time your dad and AJ were away I spent the weekend at yours, remember?"

"I do. I still can't find some of my stuff." She chuckled. "I also can't get over the fact that you guys are super rich." She has visited her boyfriend's house a couple of times already, but she always looked at the interior of the building in the same awe she looked at it when she first entered Lou's home. The family pictures and paintings always warmed her heart like she was looking at them for the first time.

"Don't just stand there Princess, come on upstairs!"

Lou's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she shook her head. "Okay, Okay. I'm going."

Not long after entering the room, the short girl found her lost pillow on top of Louis' cushions.

"You ass! I'm never letting you sleep at our place again!" Clementine let out a laugh while getting her hand on the sunflower patterned item.

"Why is that, Clemster?"

"You stole my favorite pillow." Clem pouted. Her voice was so childish all of a sudden, it caught the pillow hog off guard to listen to his love talk that way.

"Sorry Darling, but I can't help it." He giggled. "I've been collecting these since I was little, you know that." A huge, heartful smile formed on his face. The sight of his girlfriend holding her pillow like it gave her life was just too pure to look at with a straight face.

"Hey, listen." He sat down to the ground, close enough to Clementine to pry the pillow out of her arms and get a hold of her tiny hands. "My parents not being home isn't the only reason I've asked you to spend some time with me, you know."

Deep down, Louis was pretty nervous. Clem could see that in his eyes somewhere. After Marlon's party and the movie weekend at the girl's place they didn't really have time to hang out, and the freckled boy wanted to be around his love in every spare second he had.

"What is it then?" She asked as she leaned in to rest her head on Lou's shoulder.

"You'll see when it's ready. Now come here." He chuckled and wrapped his arms around his girl's waist.

They stayed like this for while, talking quietly about everything that came to their minds, before the tall boy stood up, then helped his girlfriend up too. He shrugged as he searched for the right words, and repeated his plans for the Clem's surprise in his mind. "Let's go downstairs alright?" He asked her, and after she nodded they made their way to the living room.

"Close your eyes." He told her quietly.

So she did. And although she was unsure about the upcoming moments of the evening, she knew that everything was fine. With Louis by her side right there, she chose not to care about what was going to happen, and went with the flow.

"How long do I need to stay like this? I'm gonna start to feel a bit uncomfortable, you know."

"Be patient, Clemmy." He answered. " I need you to stay like this for a minute or two though, okay?" He told her while opening the sliding door. Clem let out a slightly annoyed sigh. "Fine, you can open you eyes, but if I find out that you moved from this spot, I'm not gonna let you see what I made for you." It was like he was singing the last few words.

A couple minutes had passed, and Lou looked at his now finished project. He brought some candles outside and lit them all up near the swimming pool. He knew that the millions of stars and the Moon shining on the warm water, and all the candles would totally sweep his girlfriend off her feet.

After making sure everything was in the right place, he ran back to her. "Alright, no peeking from now on!" He ordered and grabbed Clementine's hands.

"Where are we going?" She asked, discomfort but also a bit of mischief lingered in her soft voice.

"Somewhere."

"Really? That's all you can say?"

"I told you, be patient. Please." Clem heard the sliding door open again, but now it was louder.

"Are we going outside?" She was curious about what was going on and tried to open her eyes. Luckily Louis was fast enough to cover them with his big hands before she could see anything.

"Clem!" He let out a small scream. He was afraid that the girl he made this whole thing for ruined the surprise.

"Chill out Louis, I didn't see anything." She didn't understand what was all this for, and it made her a little pissed off. The short girl was so confused she didn't even realize that they stopped walking and that Lou's hands weren't covering her eyes anymore.

"You can look now, darling." The boy said softly.

When Clementine opened her eyes, she saw her boyfriend sitting by the side of the pool, his legs in the water. "Well come on, sit down!" He said while tapping on a patch of grass by his side.

"Lou..." She gasped.

"Clem?"

"This is.." she was lost for words. She thought about everything, but not this. A night with stars and candles surrounding her and her boyfriend.

"Fascinating? Magnificent? Amazing?" He asked playfully while she kicked her slippers off and sat down.

"Something like that, yes." Her smile warmed Louis' heart. He rarely saw her genuinely happy, but when he did, he savored every moment. Remembering every good event or every cute date by kissing her after revealing his surprises or anything didn't seem very special, but since Clementine found it a sweet thing, Lou stuck with it. He placed a gentle kiss on Clem's cherry flavored lips. After she pulled slowly pulled she head away, the boy smiled mischievously, and pushed her into the water before she could even say anything. When Louis heard his girlfriend scream he almost died laughing, but Clementine was clever enough to grab his leg and pull him in the pool too.

After countless rounds of uncontrollable laughter and splashing each other, the couple decided to get out of the swimming pool. Most of the candles have died out due to water being spilled on them, so the soaking teens only had to blow out a few of them before heading back to the house.

"Here." Louis threw one of his towels and the girl's bag Clem's way. "Go change quickly, I don't want you to catch a cold." He waited until his girlfriend went to the bathroom to change, and he did the same, but stayed in his room.

"You know, we should watch a movie or two." She suggested, hoping on the bed.

"Again? Our little movie weekend was only like 2 weeks ago!"

"So what? There are still tons of films we haven't seen yet!"

"Fine, fine." The freckled boy gave in. "What do you wanna watch?"

"I dunno." She shrugged. "Maybe we should watch The Great Gatsby?"

"Honey, you dragged me to the cinema the day it came out. And the day after. And the day after that, too." He answered while searching for the disc in his enormous film collection.

"But Honey, you love that movie just as much as I do! I mean, it wasn't me who could stop talking about how great it was." Clementine laughed as she tucked herself in.

"Yeah, but it wasn't me who couldn't stop begging the other to go back and watch it 2 more times with them."

"Shut up." She chortled. "It was totally worth our money, wasn't it?"

"It really was." He approved, looking back at the sleepy girl and waving the case in his hand.

By the time Nick finished the last sentence of his book, it was almost 1am already, and Clem was fast asleep, her head resting on Louis' chest, arms around him. He was pretty exhausted too, but he didn't want to stop watching before the movie ended.

After the credits rolled, the boy turned his TV off, wrapped his arms around the girl, and placed a goodnight kiss on top of Clementine's head

#twdg s4 #twdg clementine #twdg louis #clem x louis #louisentine #clouis #skybound #telltale games #mine #oneshot #fanfiction #soph hortn

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linklethehistorian · 6 years ago

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W.I.P. Week — Day 2 (February 25): A WIP Containing Your OTP

Since I actually have two main OTPs — and yes, I know the term doesn’t make sense when there’s more than one, but they’re both equal to me so that’s just the way it has to be — rather than just one, I was really hoping to get one of each up today, but in digging through all of my sketches/W.I.P.s., both old and new, I came to the realization that I actually don’t have any OdaZai ones that were of any recognizable substance yet, and only two that were ChuuArt related.

After I’d finished, I was trying to decide on which one to upload for today’s theme; ultimately, though, I found that impossible and instead ended up deciding that I would just upload the first one whole, and then include a portion of the second one.

So these are two ChuuArt related works — the first one tentatively titled “Already Gone” after the song by Kelly Clarkson (although the cover that inspired it was by Sleeping At Last), and the second yet untitled.

Bonus Question: Who Is Your Favorite OTP and why?

As I’ve said, I currently have two that I view about equally — OdaZai (mostly just platonically) and ChuuArt — which are both from the series of Bungou Stray Dogs. I plan to write bigger articles in the future about my feelings on these two pairings and why I think they’re wonderful, but for now I’ll try to sum it up best I can here in as brief a manner as possible.

Please bear in mind that this will contain spoilers for Dazai Osamu and the Dark Era/Season 2′s Ep. 13-16/the BEAST AU Light Novel and the Fifteen Light Novel, respectively. If you are not up to date on these, please do not read any further into this section of the post. Thank you.

OdaZai (Oda “Odasaku” Sakunosuke x Dazai Osamu)

Honestly, I think for anyone who knows the series at all, this is pretty self-explanatory, but there are just so many reasons to ship these two — especially platonically as I do. Odasaku was clearly the only person in Dazai’s life who truly understood him and saw him for who he really was inside — a lost and crying child who desperately wanted to find a reason to live and be happy, but who had known nothing but suffering, loss, mistreatment and misery his entire life; he was the only one who treated him like a human being and spoke completely honestly about his feelings as though there was no hierarchy gap between them without any ulterior motives whatsoever. Odasaku radiated the perfect light that Dazai needed and inspired him to seek that path and become a better person even after his own death.

Dazai lived only for him; it has been canonically shown that Dazai not only thinks of him all the time and dearly misses him — not only dresses very similarly to him, carries around the few precious possessions of Oda’s he has left and emulates him in every way he can — but also in alternate universe was willing to rewrite the entire world just so Odasaku could live, be happy, and become a writer.

The two very simply, plainly, genuinely, mutually love each other, and they are nothing but good for each other in every way.

ChuuArt (Chuuya Nakahara x Arthur Rimbaud/Randou)

Now, since this is a rare pair (as in, I’ve never met or even heard of ANYONE who truly ships them at all in any way yet and so I created their ship name myself), I’m sure this one will require some manner of explanation.

I was actually just explaining this to a friend of mine the other day, but the long and short of it is that, although it’s true that we never (to my knowledge) really saw them get to bond much in the incomplete version of the Fifteen light novel, I wholly believe that if they had gotten the chance and/or circumstances had been even just a little different than they were, Chuuya and Arthur/Randou would have really become close and that they would have been extremely good for each other; Arahabaki’s fiery presence within Chuuya may indeed have been enough to warm Arthur’s eternally freezing form and given him someone he could depend on who truly understood and cared about him, without the fear of betrayal, and likewise, Chuuya would have someone who could have given him a reason to live, who understood him and his origins better than any other person in the world and would remind him that he is valuable as his own person and far more than just a safety device to a mass energy of unbridled, uncontrollable power.

As it is, it was extremely evident that Arthur/Randou was an extremely loyal person towards the people he loved, even if those people mistreated him and/or turned completely against him, and he would go to the ends of the Earth to save them, even if it meant risking or even sacrificing his own life. He also was shown to have been fascinated by Arahabaki’s mere existence and all but implied that when they met, Arahabaki’s fire burned him in a way that he could never be the same again; it was very obvious that, regardless of what some of the reasons may be, he continually sought him after that point and had a desperate desire to find and (for better or worse, in some manner) keep him. Furthermore, he was the only person who truly was implied to have thought of Chuuya as a pre-existing real person rather than a false personality and, in spite of himself, was remorseful that he had to tried to harm Chuuya for the sake of his old traitorous friend, Paul Verlaine, and very clearly wanted him to live.

As for Chuuya, it’s very obvious that he does care sincerely about Arthur to this day, even if only because their last interaction gave him something to live for; after all, he wears and protects Arthur’s only remaining possession — his hat — with his life and visits his grave often.

(Not to mention the fact that RL! Chuuya basically adored RL! Arthur and saw him as a hero of sorts, having been noted to even try to dress in exactly the same way as Arthur did at times and translate his works into Japanese.)

There’s honestly just too much to unpack right here and now, so I’ll continue this explanation another time.

TL;DR: They’re just really, really good for each other in spite of everything and it’s so, so sad that the only person who could honestly give Chuuya the support, understanding and closure he needs instead ended up dying at his hands.

Do not repost my artwork anywhere without my explicit permission or claim it as your own. See F.A.Q.s for details.

All of my other entries for W.I.P. Week:

Day 1 (February 24): Your Oldest W.I.P.

Day 3 (February 26): Your Canonverse or Your AU W.I.P.

Day 4 (February 27): Your Most Popular W.I.P.

Day 5 (February 28): Your Favorite W.I.P.

Day 6 (March 1): Your Previously Unpublished W.I.P.

Day 7 (March 2): Any W.I.P.

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renegade-skywalker · 6 years ago

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Hello, you have been identified as An Awesome Writer™! Congrats, you rock! So that all of your readers can shower you with some extra love today, please tell us your favourite five (or as many as you want) stories of yours and why you like them and then send this to another five fic authors you think deserve this title! ❤

I meant to answer this last week but I lost my draft :( but thank you so much for the tag anon!!! It honestly means the world to me thank you so much

I have a few original story ideas in the works but since they’re all in various stages of drafting and no one really knows about them yet I’ll talk about some fics I’m proud of!

1. Midnight Flight - My first real speculative, multi-chapter ship fic that follows Finn and Rey immediately after TLJ. This was so satisfying both to write and to finish. I am used to writing snippets or small/missing scene sorts of pieces that fit as much into the canon as possible, but this sort of came to me on a whim when fulfilling a tumblr prompt that turned one page into six whole chapters and 18k words! I’m proud of my pacing, the dialogue, and the action as well. I got to do a bit of everything in that fic and it was excellent practice. It has also garnered the most comments of any fic I’ve ever written, and seeing people say that they heard Finn and Rey’s voices as they read the dialogue was more than validating for me.

2. Out of the Abyss - This is my biggest project to date and was started as practice for the original novels I one day hope to write as well as just an outlet for me to live my canon kotor playthroughs vicariously through as I practiced writing instead of just daydreaming about it constantly. So far, it has been the toughest project I’ve ever taken on and the one that has taught me the most as well. It follows my Exile just prior to the events of kotor 2, through all of TSL, and then to the Unknown Regions in an alternate version of what happens once she leaves to find Revan. I plan for it to be the equivalent of maybe 3 novels? But it will likely just be one loooooong ass fic since I think it’s easier. I’ve currently written myself into a bit of a corner but I’m working through it! I’m learning!

3. The Splendor of Lost Hearts - I wrote this way back in early 2015, shortly after Dragon Age: Inquisition came out, and is perhaps the only DA fic I’ve written that I’m really proud of. It was inspired by Cole’s comments about Blackwall liking Josephine, and I have a soft spot for Blackwall in general so it inspired an entire fic that follows him throughout his character arc and it’s written in a really lyrical, almost poetic style I’ve never written in before but would love to mess around with again. I’m really proud of the writing style, the entire flow of the piece, and I think it does Blackwall justice.

4. Fatal Flaw - I wrote this an impressive 36ish hours after seeing Rogue One only once on opening night (I saw it more after but, that’s not the point). I love Mads Mikkelsen in general and loved the way he played tortured genius/scientist/father Galen Erso in the movie and I love love loved Riz Ahmed’s soft and earnest portrayal of Bodhi, but was also intrigued by his character’s desire to desert the Empire and sacrifice his life to honor Galen… so I wrote this fic. It’s about a brief sense of found-family that the two characters found in each other, in secret, how Bodhi reminded Galen of Jyn and what she might be like now since they could be around the same age… I’m still proud of this piece and was happy to find that it holds up after watching the film countless more times (honestly, Rogue One is one of my favorite SW films period) and reading some of the expanded universe books/materials.

5. This is a bit of tie between Best Left Unsaid, an Atton-centric fic that follows a scene on Dantooine where he unknowingly comes upon a kyber crystal that’s attuned to him, and A Heavy Inheritance, a fic about Leia growing up through the years and how she comes to learn about Padme and eventually that she was her mother. I’d love to go back and edit the Leia fic sometime, though there are some parts I’m really proud of, but I’m not sure if I ever will.

#about me #my writing #star wars #dragon age #fan fiction #this was a really wonderful prompt and a message overall thank you again anon #<333

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sunshine-captain · 7 years ago

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Hi! I asked Phoenix (horsegirlharry) for fic recs about star trek tos and she sent me to you! I am a new fan and in desperate need for some good fics since I am having a hard time finding them. I would be very grateful if you could link me to some. Thank you in advance

Oh my goodness!!! Hello my friend! I’m honored Phoenix directed you to me, I really am! To tell you the truth, they’re the one that actually convinced me to watch TOS from the start. Welcome to the fandom!!

To start off with, here is a lovely rec blog that is exclusively TOS (that I’m a mod on, so I am of course biased, but I loved the blog even before I was added, haha!) It’s not updated that often at the moment, usually just when I have some spare time, but there’s a lot of recs already added to look through, and there are plenty of tags to maybe let you look for tropes or genres that you like. :)

Alright, here go the recs!

Sha Ka Ree The year is 2258. Jim Kirk is a Lieutenant on the U.S.S. Farragut, Spock the science officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise. When the ships come together for a priority landing party, these two strangers find themselves fighting against the odds for a chance at life in an alien world, and the only way they’ll make it through is by relying on each other. This is a TOS fic that takes place seven years before the show begins. It’s one of my favorite fics ever, it’s beautiful and just perfect. It’s a lovely slow burn, and it contains one of my fave tropes: Jim (Kirk) and Spock crash on an alien world and get stranded there. So, so highly recommended! Honestly, that writer is amazing and anything by them I recommend.

Crash and Burn As the Enterprise’s celebrated voyage winds down, the tension between her captain and first officer escalates, and three days aboard Jupiter’s premier lunar station will change everything. Jim doesn’t handle change very well. Slow-build, character-study prelude to the Lost Years and TMP. Unhappy ending, but canon functions as a fix-it! As the summary states, this fic doesn’t end happily. But it’s basically an explanation as to why Spock does what he does prior to The Motion Picture (I’m not sure if you’ve seen the movies so I won’t clarify just in case you haven’t, haha!), which also means there is a happy ending after the events of the movies. I had it in my bookmarks under the tag I use for fics that hurt me (literally ‘ow’, lol) so apparently I found it pretty painful. ;__;

The Squire of Eros An old nemesis pays a social call to the Enterprise just in time for the annual Valentine’s Day party. On this occasion it’s Spock who draws the brunt force of his irritating personality. But when his holiday-inspired antics turn dangerous, it’s up to the Captain and crew to take him down, and Jim is forced to confront his long-evaded desires regarding his first officer. Written for the K/S Valentine Challenge at LJ, beta’d by purple_spock. This one isn’t even remotely as serious as the other two. It’s honestly just a lot of humor and lightheartedness for the most part. It features Trelane from TOS paying another visit to the crew. :D

Definitions “We call it t'hy'la,” Spock says. This one is so beautiful. It’s a relatively short oneshot (under 10k) but it’s so romantic and in character and just perfect (this author is another one of my favorites, I would read anything at all by them.)

Pattern Deviations A mind meld is the most intimate of any possible connection – to know and be known, wholly and completely. Usually, melds are advocated for leading to increased understanding and empathy. Spock wonders what it means, then, that everyone he melds with is so repulsed by his mind… Until he meets James Kirk, anyway. This is by the same writer as Definitions; another lovely oneshot by them. I love it!

And I Am Also Quite Blind In the aftermath of Spock’s blinding in Operation Annihilate, Jim tries to help him through his pain. A fic with premise that Spock doesn’t handily recover from his blindness in Operation Annihilate. Lengthy, painful, excellent. I try to avoid WIPs because I can’t deal with the pain of fics that are NEVER FINISHED, but I started reading this one when it was only halfway through and man, it sucked me in. Worth it! (And it has been completed now, so no worries, haha.)

Undone During first contact with the highly telepathic Nghians, an invasion begins on their home world. A powerful psychic attack cripples the populace–and Spock.Out of contact with the Enterprise and stranded on a planet at war, Jim must struggle to keep himself and his violent, unpredictable first officer alive. Another of my favorite writers! I love this fic. Lengthy, excellent, and that favorite trope of mine again (being stranded, heh), this is great. Please note the tags, though!

What I Am To You I say, “Ask me anything, Spock,” for perhaps the fifth time.This time, you respond, your gaze bright and penetrating, “Perhaps you could satisfy my curiosity in–one particular.”“Of course,” I say enthusiastically.You seem perfectly calm as you ask, “How long have we been lovers?” And I am certain I have heard you correctly, even as I struggle not to allow my astonishment to show on my face. Takes place after the events of the third movie. Spock tries to make sense of his and Jim’s relationship.

Spice It’s a question of biology. Vulcan biology.The problem with falling in love with a member of an insanely private species is that it just might take you the best part of a five year mission to work out that the feelings are requited. And then you might discover that he’s already decided that the two of you can never be together.And what are you supposed to do if he won’t tell you why? Honestly, I’m reccing this one with…some trepidation. I never did decide whether I actually liked the fic or not, but I know a lot of people do like it. It’s most definitely one of the longest fics I’ve ever read in this fandom. It’s the SLOWEST OF ALL SLOW BURNS, which you said you liked, and even though it made me SO ANGRY at one point that I almost threw my phone across the room when one plot twist happened, it’s well written and in character. The reason behind it all is…kind of silly, in all honesty, but it makes complete sense why Spock thinks it would be best if Jim wasn’t with him, just like him to be so overprotective. *sigh* I’d say definitely give it a try and see if you get sucked in!

Translating Ennoia Spock intends to resign his commission with Starfleet six months into the Enterprise’s mission. Then he meets Captain Kirk – his t'hy'la – and everything becomes infinitely more complex. This author again! This fic has lots of pining. I love pining. And I love happy endings and romance and watching Jim and Spock’s friendship develop, too, and this fic has all of that.

Dirty Laundry Jim keeps leaving dirty dishes in the sink and toast crumbs in the bed. Spock deals with the mess silently until an unfortunate ironing incident puts it all in perspective. Jim and Spock have to adjust to domestic life. Spock has to adjust to Jim’s messiness. Domestic Spirk is always wonderful, and I enjoy that in this one it’s not all perfect at first. They have to adjust and learn to actually live together.

Breaking Tradition Newlyweds James T. Kirk and Spock spend their Holiday shore leave alone together in a remote cabin once belonging to Jim’s grandparents. They learn more about each other and Jim introduces his new husband to the Winter Holiday traditions - even if he doesn’t quite understand why he take part in them himself. An unexpected event occurs that disrupts the couple’s newlywed bliss. Luckily, one of them has experience with taking charge of a situation. This one is sooo sweet. Jim just wants to share Christmas with Spock, but they have a mishap. But it’s okay, because Jim takes good care of Spock. (Features cold!Spock, one of my favorite things. :3 )

Ghost in the Machine Tom Paris stumbles upon a Pandora’s Box of loss and regret. This fic is the outlier in this list; it’s actually a crossover of sorts between TOS and VOY. I’ve not actually watched Voyager yet, but that doesn’t stop me from reading and enjoying the fic, so please don’t let that stop you! Let me tell you, though, this has to be one of the most painful fics I’ve ever read. It just makes me cry for Jim and Spock both. It’s so painful. But also really great. But I totally understand if you don’t want to read this one, haha! It’s not for everyone. It messed me up though, I kept thinking about it for days. Especially Jim as he is in this fic. Ugh.

Home Renovation Shortly before his first mission to Romulus, Spock buys a fixer-upper house with Jim. Although Jim is excited to begin renovating their new home, Spock worries it’s only a matter of time before his husband falls off a ladder and breaks his spine. Not to mention, the house’s derelict state is preventing Spock from enjoying his remaining time with Jim. Old Married Spirk, protective!Spock, perfection.

To Be Wed “With a human ruling alongside King Sarek, it makes sense that they would want a Vulcan to rule alongside you. Look on the bright side. At least it’s not Sybok."Prince S'chn T'gai Spock and Crown Prince Sam Kirk are pushed by their families into an awkward courtship, sure to become an awkward marriage. Meanwhile, the younger Terran prince just wants to make sure his future brother-in-law feels comfortable in his new home. But unfortunately for Jim, the road to hopeless, unrequited love is paved with good intentions. It’s an AU, obviously, and it’s by the same author as Sha Ka Ree (who as I mentioned is one of my favorite writers) and I just adore this fic, it’s so great! Pining, slowly getting to watch Jim and Spock falling in love even when it’s ill advised, Sybok!! I’m also just a total sucker for royalty AUs so that helps.

In My Own Skin After the events of Turnabout Intruder, Jim is trapped in Janice Lester’s body indefinitely and has to learn to carry on with his normal life and duties trapped in this body. Established relationship with Spock, but things become understandably difficult as a result of Jim’s situation. Complicating matters even further, the Enterprise is assigned to a difficult diplomatic mission with a new member of the Federation. I don’t know about everyone else, but my brain definitely went “what if Jim was stuck in that body…” after watching Turnabout Intruder, and this fic definitely satisfied that urge to see that explored.

Heat Trapped together in a cave until the storm ceases, Jim and Spock find some freedom outside the press of the ship and its responsibilities. Oh look….this writer again. :DDD You’re starting to notice a pattern here, I’m sure. This was written because of a prompt I gave, so obviously I’m a little biased, but it’s just SO perfect??? Cold!Spock, cuddling for warmth (another of my favorites, hello), and just so ROMANTIC that I almost can’t handle it.

Okay, those are all TOS, but now I have just a handful of AOS AUs:

Still, Like Dust Vulcans have been enslaved on Earth for more than fifty years. To Jim Kirk, 14, this is just one more chapter from his history book… until his uncle brings home a Vulcan boy to help on the farm. I know this fic isn’t for everyone, it definitely isn’t, but it really is a great read and I enjoyed reading it a lot. There’s a lot of pain, it’s true, but there’s also a happy ending, if that helps.

Inside The River Starfleet sends Jim a spouse and an oddly vacant honeymoon. Arranged marriage!AU, always fun, and an interesting mystery going on throughout. Great read!

That’s all I’ve got for you for now, this should be a start! Welcome again to the fandom, and I hope you find something in this list that you enjoy. :)

#slumber--parties #fic rec #space husbands #tos #and like two aos but i wont tag that lol #can't remember which tag i use for that...#long post #this got long sorry

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witchofthemidlands · 6 years ago

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The Shannara Chronicles

This is it. This is the day I finally let loose the rant. I’ve finally been pushed over the edge.

First things first I love The Shannara Chronicles. My favourite book in the world is The Elfstones Of Shannara and this adaptation has been so good that it is my favourite show besides Arrow. The acting is fantastic, the plot was amazing and there are some brilliant characters that are so complex and well crafted. The whole first season is just so aesthetically pleasing.

However, then we were given a season two and honestly, I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to see how they were going to tell the story from that point on. Which is when things started to go to hell.

Honestly, I could accept the devastating loss of Amberle as despite loving her character so much and feeling a deep connection to her character. I knew that she was always destined to become The Ellcrys due to the fact that I know The Elfstones Of Shannara inside out and believe me Amberle becoming The Ellcrys in the TV show was a happy ending compared to how grim it was in the book. I swear to god Wil and Eretria actually had to watch as The Ellcrys basically disintergrated Amberle piece by piece so she could form the new Ellcrys. It’s still the most horrific part of my favourite book which is why I am glad that the writers of Shannara decided to just have her step into the tree and become one with it. I was also fine with this because Poppy Drayton still appeared in season 2 as The Ellcrys. That was well done.

Poppy Drayton’s moments in season 2 were honestly probably some of the only redeeming features of the season as it just went downhill from there.

Bandon. Bandon sweetheart what the hell did they do to you? His storyline just made no sense at all that’s what! So he’s apparently ‘evil’ now. Yeah right the only darkness that Bandon was exposed to was when he was forcibly trapped in his own mind by The Dagda Mor. The Dagda Mor. Now, Bandon deserved so much better. I just still struggle to understand his storyline I really do. If in season 2 it was made apparently clear and been canon that a part of The Dagda Mor had lived on in Bandon and was possessing him having still got an evil hold on his mind. That would have been a lot more believable that what season 2 did to Bandon. I’m ending the Bandon rant there. I don’t want to think about what happened to him at the end...

Ander. Sweet, sweet Ander. How. How could they do that to him? How. I just... What happened with Ander broke my heart. He deserved more than that ending. He really did. He deserved so much more than what the second season gave him I mean the first mistake was putting him in a relationship with Catania. What even was that. That has got to be one of the most forced tv relationships in history and I’ve seen some pretty forced relationships on tv (Legends Of Tomorrow) (Wil & Mareth) I mean how? How did that even work out? To be fair I always thought it was incredibly unnecessary to kill the badass Commander Diana Tilton in season one. She was the only woman I could remotely see with Ander. Not Catania I mean what the hell? I’m guessing the writers just realised that the two did not have love interests and thought oh the smartest thing to do would be to put them together. No, it was not a smart idea. It was weird. However, the major issue with Ander is that someone actually thought it was a bright idea to kill the poor Elf off I mean seriously, who the legitimate fuck thought it was a good idea to kill him? I mean I swear to god that was one of the most pointless deaths I have ever seen on television in my life. I’ve come to the realisation that someone was probably most likely smoking something whilst choosing who to kill of in Shannara Season 2 because there was absolutely no reason whatsoever to kill Ander. Ander didn’t deserve that! He was one of the more complex and interesting characters in the whole show because Ander was real. He was flawed and he didn’t hide that he was a very realistic character who deserved so much more after everything he had been through in season one. After he had lost his entire family and the woman he loved. Ander deserved better, he really did I’ll let you all know that he didn’t even die in the books! He was one of those rare characters that actually lived! So why on earth did they feel the need to kill him in the show? His death brought nothing to the plot expect Mareth becoming Queen at the end. no one wanted that. I certainly didn’t. I just wanted King Ander. Was Mareth’s character seriously just created to replace Ander and Allanon’s characters? The only somewhat peace of mind I get when it comes to Ander is at least that he is at peace with Aine and Eventine now. Yet even still. King Ander Of Arborlon Deserved Better.

Wil. In the first season I loved and adored Wil Ohmsford he was a naive sweetheart and even though when it comes to Amberle I ship her with Allanon. I thought how they portrayed Amberle and Wil’s relationship was great. However, Season 2 Wil was just... honestly I don’t want to say anything too harsh as I love Austin Butler and Wil and he did an excellent job but Wil’s character just changed so much in season 2 and not just physically. I actually really liked his short hair it reminded me of Austin’s days in The Carrie Diaries. In season 2 Wil lost that spark he’d had in season 1 which is understandable seeing as he’d lost Amberle and that broke his heart and I could understand his depression from that and at first I was glad to see that his obsession for Storlock had gotten him to the place of his dreams but I slowly started to get annoyed with Wil when he began to blame Allanon for what happened to Amberle. Now I’ll warn you all now Allanon is my favourite, any character judges him and I get annoyed with that character. You should have seen my victory dance when Prince Arion was killed not once but twice in season 1. But seeing Wil be so against Allanon reallly upset me as Allanon has done nothing but try to do his duty to The Four Lands and try to protect Wil. Their friendship in the first season was lovely and honestly reminded me of early days Slade & Oliver from Arrow but the way he blamed Allanon for what happened to Amberle? That was not a good move. Amberle understood exactly what she had to do. She knew what her duty was an accepted it knowing the price. Wil starts blaming Allanon for all this and for not telling him earlier? Well I’m sorry Wil but whilst he may look like one, Allanon is not a god he cannot decide the fate of The Ellcrys for it and on the subjected of not telling Wil. Wil should remember that Amberle knew what she had to do but she chose not to tell Wil until the last moment. She did. That was her choice, not Allanon’s. So personally I do not think it was right of Wil to put the majority of the blame on Wil. Honestly, one of the best parts of season 2 was when Amberle basically roasted Wil in person for Wil’s lingering thoughts and feelings about what went down in the season 1 finale.

Mareth. When I first heard about this new character I was excited as she was a magic user and I immediately began to theorise if she’d be Allanon’s kid and I was happily surprised to find out that I’d guessed correctly when she revealed herself to be Allanon’s daughter. That first episode of season 2 I loved Mareth straight away she was headstrong, sassy and an all out badass. She also made harsh remarks about Wil. What’s not to love! However, when she suddenly ‘fell in love with Wil’ I began to lose interest in her because I was annoyed that she was just being made out to be another love interest for Wil. If Wil had spent the whole season getting over Amberle and finding his way back to Eretria slowly. I could accept that. That would have been good story tellling but putting him with Mareth? I just didn’t see that. The only reason I was interested at first because I thought haha Wil’s going to have to face scary ass Dad!Allanon but I didn’t even get that so nope. No interest what so ever in Mareth & Wil. It just felt increadibly forced and like ‘Wil has to be with someone so let’s choose the only female character not in a relationship’. The main reason I went off Mareth though is when I realised what her character was being used for and that was most likely to be Allanon’s replacement. Like, good luck with that and all. Malese Jow is an amazing actress and I love her and everything I’ve seen her in has been fantastic but, she’s not Manu Bennett.

Last but not least. Allanon. Now, Allanon is my favourite character he always has been ever since I read the books for the first time. I was ten years old when I first read The Shannara Chronicles. At primary school I had the job of sorting out books in our school library and seeing as I was always invisible I could stay in that library for hours and no one would even know I was gone and I did. I spent hours on that library reading the books I found on the high shelf. The Shannara Chronicles trilogy. Now, I was ten so I didn’t understand most of it. Not like I do now but the characters that I became attached to were Allanon and Amberle. Amberle was like a badass Disney Princess and Allanon was like Merlin. Kind and wise. Allanon was always my favourite from the very beginning. I always just pictured Merlin everytime I read Allanon and I felt a wonderful connection to Allanon’s Merlin like character. However, when I finished the trilogy. Allanon died in the final book and it broke my heart. I remember at the age of ten sitting in a chair crying when Allanon died. I’d felt so attached to that character. He’d taken all the characters on this wonderful fantasy journey. It was Allanon’s death that made me decide as a writer that I would never kill my main character because I could never put anyone else through the heartbreak I had gone through when my favourite character died. However, when Allanon died I came to this acceptance and told myself that if somehow one day there was ever a movie or a film of The Shannara Chronicles I would be prepared and fine and accepting when the eventually happened and Allanon died and sure enough when it was announced that there would be a tv show seven years later at seventeen I had remembered what I’d said to myself at ten and that I’d be prepared and accepting of Allanon’s death when it eventually happened. Then they cast him and all preparation went out of the window. Seeing as thanks to Arrow, Spartacus and The Hobbit, Manu Bennett had become my favourite actor. Initially it was a great thing. Despite not being exactly who I imagined as Allanon seeing as I always saw an old Merlin whenever picturing him in my head. My favourite actor was going to play my favourite book character can’t get much better than that but then I remembered. Allanon dies and if any of you reading this are Arrow fans and remember season 2 of Arrow when Slade was killed by the Mirakuru when he first had it you’ll understand what I mean. That scene traumatised me and he wasn’t even actually dead. He came back. I have rewatched Arrow hundreds of times but never that episode. For those of you who haven’t seen Arrow basically, Manu Bennett is very, very good at doing heartbreaking traumatic death scenes which is why when I knew he was going to be Allanon. All preparation I had for his eventual death went out the window and when it happened... I broke down crying exactly like I did when I was ten reading Allanon’s death yet it was a million times worse because it was actually happening on the screen. I just... I can’t even begin to describe my emotions surrounding that but I will explain my one of anger and that is due to the fact that he should not have died then! Not in the second season! I mean come on! It was trilogy for a reason! If they had done three seasons of The Shannara Chronicles, kept the stories similar to the books and had Allanon dying for Wil and Eretria and their kids at the end you know what? Fair enough. Fair enough but not like that!!! Not in the second season. Who the heck thought it was a bright idea to kill (in my opinion) the best character in the whole damn show. The best actor left and then expected it to get renewed? To be fair I’m kinda believing that when the writers went though with killing Allanon they probably thought well that’s not going to go down well. Let’s kill Wil to just to make things even more traumatic and horrific. The entirety of season two was just a tragic mess!

What annoyed me more was that they didn’t even use Allanon to his full potential in season 2. I swear he was in bed for most of an episode and barely in the first few (I don’t even want to think about him being tortured) the best thing he did was that awesome jump through the closing gates. That was badass! Now the lack of Allanon could have been due to the fact that Manu suddenly decided to return to Arrow which was just beautiful or because they just wanted to focus on Mareth and Wil seeing as Mareth was evidently intended to be Allanon’s replacement. The one redeeming thing they did was make the Warlock Lord Allanon’s emo doppleganger. That was cool and well done. I mean Manu VS Manu... I have very few words to describe how I feel about that. I was deeply satisfied I know that for certain as the more Manu the better but Allanon did not need to die at that point in the show. There was just no point for his demise at all and it just succeeded in reminding me of my childhood trauma of losing my favourite book character.

Allanon Deserved Better.

Allanon Will ALWAYS deserve better.

To conclude. The denial is strong. The Shannara Chronicles Season 2 simply does not exist. The first and only season of The Shannara Chronicles is the most spectacular season I have ever seen on tv.

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eirabach · 7 years ago

Text

Tall Tales [1/1]

A revenge obsessed pirate is visited by three ghosts one Christmas Eve. Well, sort of. Maybe it isn’t Christmas Eve. Maybe they aren’t ghosts. Artistic license, he supposes.

3.5k. Rated T. Canon Divergent from S2, sort of.

For my most beloved @katie-dub , hi! I’m your CS Writer’s Hub Secret Santa! A weird little Christmas Carol AU for you with all the love and best wishes for you and yours. You’ve been an incredible pal over the last year or so, and I’m so grateful to have you in my life - can’t wait for playdates with the hub babies!

xoxoxo Clare <3i

——

Tell me a story, she says.

Well, all right.

—-

He may as well be dead, to begin with.

The bean lies heavy in his pocket, the rum thick on his tongue. The Saviour (and what a name that is, what a name for what a woman) and her associates have run off to save the town, the realm, whatever. By now they’ll have realised what he’s done, what they’re missing, but that’s none of his concern now.

The only thing he’s interested in saving is the rest of this rum bottle from Leroy’s less than discerning palette.

“Killian?”

Her voice is just as he remembers. Soft and yet somehow sharp as a blade, sharp as the point of his hook as he presses it into the old woman’s countertop.

“Killian?”

He shakes his head and laughs. It’s a shirt, nasty little thing and he can almost see the way her lips would twist down when she heard it. The way she’d roll her eyes at his dramatics, Killian, really?

“You won’t look at me then?”

“I can’t look at you,” he tells the rum. “You’re in my head. Dead. As a doornail. And I’m talking to myself, which means I’ve either had far too much or far too little of this.” He eyes the glass critically and takes another long swig. “I’ll err on the side of caution.”

“Am I truly gone?” she says. “Are you sure?”

He looks up.

There, between the bottles and the chalkboard menus, he sees her reflected in the mirrored walls. The curve of her cheek in the steel of the machinery, the shock of her curls against the glass fronted doors.

“Milah?”

She smiles.

—-

“Don’t turn around.”

He gapes, his fingers trembling against the rum glass, but he obeys her even as his body stiffens as her cold breath skins across his neck.

“How,” he asks, and he hardly knows what he’s asking. How do the dead breathe? How does she come to him?

How does he sit so still when his heart is ready to pound from his chest?

“I can’t say,” she whispers, and he shivers to hear it. “It’s not for the ears of mortals, but Killian, I must tell you this. Your revenge, that bean in your pocket, you must give them up. Truly. Completely. Only then will you be happy.”

He scoffs, rum burning the back of his nose.

“Not likely.” he spits. “I’ve spent hundreds of years… lifetimes…. waiting for the chance to avenge you. No mere hallucination will convince me otherwise!”

“Perhaps,” she admits, but there’s that steel in her tone again, that bite that he’d worried he might have forgotten somewhere between Neverland and a never ending flask of rum and it makes him sigh, his shoulders dipping. “But I’ve been given this chance, Killian. To warn you. And if you won’t listen to me…”

There’s a flash of cold light, a terrible high pitched grinding sound, and then -

She’s gone.

“I never listened to anyone else,” he tells his empty glass, and pours another.

—-

It grows dark, but not in the way he’s become used to in this realm. The darkness seems to ooze out of the forests and up from the drains, creeping towards the diner until it’s tendrils catch at the end of his captain’s coat and wind their way up him until only his hand is still bathed in light. The rum sparkling at his fingertips.

It isn’t the rum.

“Tink?” He squints myopically at the tiny creature. “I didn’t know you did that - not - not anymore.” His lip curls, and the fairy’s light shines a little brighter, her tiny eyes narrowing. “It could have been rather… entertaining - Oi!”

He shakes his hand, hissing under his breath at the red mark her magic has left behind. The fairy laughs - a bright, tinkling thing that shouldn’t sound as malicious as it does - as he sucks at the burn.

“All right, all right,” he grumbles as she clutches at her stomach, her shoulders shaking. “How the devil did you get here, and more importantly are you aware it’s time to get out?” He leans in a little conspiratorially and she stops laughing to turn her face up to his. “Come with me,” he whispers. “It’ll be like the good old days.”

She rolls her eyes rather extravagantly and puts her hands on her hips.

“No?” he shrugs, and goes to lift the rum back to his lips. “Suit yourself. But if you’re planning on playing the hero round here be warned, it seems to end badly.”

The fairy sighs, fluttering her wings until she’s perched on the edge of his glass and lets out a series of high pitched squeaks that almost sound like words. Disappointed words, probably, going by the way she wags her finger at him as she speaks.

The more things change, he supposes.

“Nope,” he says, leaning back on his stool and folding his arms. “Afraid you’ve entirely lost me there, Lady Bell. I do like the new look though, terribly clever of you. Terribly portable.”

He winks sloppily, the rum making his eyes dip, and Tink moves to hover just at the end of his nose until he has to be practically cross eyed to focus on the way her lips form a pout.

“Always judging, fairies,” he mutters. “But if you insist, love.”

She drops the smallest of kisses to the tip of his nose, and he is engulfed.

----

“What the bloody hell was that?”

He staggers to his feet as best he can, the ground shifting strangely beneath him as Tink laughs in his ear. Sand. He’s on sand. The soft grains sinking under his weight as the tide presses in closer. He grumbles as he straightens up, stomping away from the water’s edge, and then pauses, frozen, silent, as he hears a high-pitched cry carried on the wind.

“Li-aaaaaam! Mam! MAM!”

“No,” he mutters it. A plea. “No, no, no.”

Tink glows, but the voice still continues to grow louder, more insistent.

“Mam I found it look! MAM!”

“Take me back,” he hisses, snatching Tink from midair and barely resisting the urge to shake her. “Take me back this instant do you hear me?”

Tink makes a series of indignant squarks and manages to wriggle free of his grasp, pointing furiously in the direction of the voice.

“Oh no,” he says, shaking his finger at her. “Not a chance, you can’t make me, I wo -”

The force with which she whips his head around is really quite impressive for such a small creature, he’ll give her that.

Perhaps fifty yards away along the shoreline is a small boy with wild, dark hair and short trousers that barely skim skinny knees. In his hands he holds a small piece of emerald sea glass, and he’s examining the way the light reflects from it and sends rainbows skittering over his palms.

Killian can’t see that of course, not from so far away, but he knows it to be true nonetheless. Just as he knows that the older child and the woman will be along momentarily - and no sooner has he thought as much but they appear, the boy holding his mother’s elbow as she walks unsteadily over the sands.

Tink makes a questioning sort of sound. Killian shrugs, but his eyes are fixed on their approach.

“She was the first person I loved and lost. Rather started a trend, that.”

“Look Mam! I found treasure! I told you I would and now we can sell it and pay the apothecary and Papa will come back home I told you I would!”

Even from here Killian can see the way Liam moves to dissuade him of the notion - of the nonsense - it’s not treasure, only another man’s rubbish washed up is all. Liam would have known that, straightforward, sensible Liam. He would have known even at eight that their mother’s cough wouldn’t be healed by any means Killian had at his disposal.

Liam knew. Liam had always known. But Killian hadn’t.

Killian had thought he’d saved her.

She smiles, and thanks to the centuries of remove between this time and that he can see the way she strains to do so, the way she sways as Liam lets go of her arm.

“My good boy,” she laughs, and runs her hands through the unruly hair of his childhood self. “My hero.”

Little Killian beams up at her, growing half a head taller from sheer pride.

“I’ve seen enough, sprite,” the grown version growls as he turns his back on the little doomed tableau. “Take me back.”

He feels the fairy’s disappointed exhale as soft as gossamer on his cheek as the world fades from view.

---

He lifts his head from the counter with a groan and blinks blearily into the dark diner.

“Tink?” he asks, his voice gravelly. “What’s - Tink?”

There’s another light, higher and brighter, approaching him from the back of the room.

“How in the name of the gods did you do that?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Killian starts, his hand twitching towards his cutlass, as the insufferable prince appears before him crowned with candlelight and wearing a robe far more suited to his life back home than whatever pathetic facsimile he’d been living here.

“Believe me,” says David, his face crumpled in distaste beneath his glowing headdress, “I wouldn’t have bothered showing you such a pleasant memory.”

“You may have celebrated your mother’s death, princeling, but I assure you there was nothing remotely -”

Killian coughs sharply as David’s hand closes around his throat.

“All right, all right,” he wheezes as the prince tightens his grip. “You’ve made your point, as I have made mine -”

He swings his arm back and buries his hook deep in the other man’s belly, but David’s grip doesn’t falter, his eyebrows only raising slightly as Killian looks down, his expression dropping into disbelief at the way his hook passes through the prince as though he’s made of little more than sea fret..

“Nice try,” says David. “Now, shall we have a chat?”

---

David leads him through the black, abandoned streets of Storybrooke, but where the figment - for a figment he must be - floats above the gloom Killian drags himself through it, the night thick as tar around his ankles as he struggles to keep up.

“Come on,” David calls without turning around. “We don’t have all night you know.”

“All night for what, exactly,” Killian shouts after him. “And what on Earth are you wearing?”

“Don’t ask me this is your hallucination,” says David with no little bitterness.

“So it is a hallucination then?” Killian asks, pausing to catch his breath. “Am I mad?”

“That’s a matter of opinion,” says David. “But no, not as such. It’s a lesson.”

“A lesson?” Killian snorts.”I’m no schoolboy, prince.”

“No,” says David, and he turns now, his face bathed in light. It’s somehow unnatural in the pervasive gloom. Unsettling. “You’re not. You’re a villain.”

“Says the man with a candelabra on his head. You’ll excuse me if I don’t give your opinion too much weight, won't you.”

“Do you think this is a joke?” David’s face creases in displeasure. “My family face destruction!”

“It’s very sad,” drawls Killian. “Not quite my problem though is it.”

“Isn’t it?” asks David, and their surroundings shimmer and change until they are immersed in the gloom of the mine workings.

The light here takes on an eerie quality. A cold, purple hued thing that reflects from the damp walls and casts shadows under David’s eyes.

“Watch,” he says.

“Watch what, exactly?”

David shakes his head and half smiles, his eyes downcast.

“Even now you can’t see what you do, can you? So wrapped up in yourself. Look.”

He does, half against his will, truth be told, but the prince seems to have far more control on whatever surrealist world they find themselves in than Killian himself does.

The Queen seems frozen in place, the light emanating from white, clawed hands that Killian is sure ought to be shaking. Arranged around her like so many statues are the townsfolk, each frozen in their own personal terror. The dwarfs are shrieking, he assumes, their mouths wide and their axes held high. Snow White stands before him, her chin high and her eyes sparking, but her hands are empty and even in her stillness he can tell that her defiance is a hollow, helpless sort of thing.

David - the original David, he presumes, since he’s attired in a law keepers uniform - stands at her shoulder. Killian’s companion eyes him critically.

“Two of you,” Killian says with a slightly lavicious curl of his lip as David flicks at a piece of his doppelganger’s mussed hair. “My mind is a truly strange place indeed.”

“Very funny,” growls David, “is there anyone you won’t creep on?”

But Killian isn’t listening.

Swan.

She’s standing, staring unseeing, in the gloom at the edges of the mine. Her hair has curled in the damp and is sticking to her forehead, her jaw tight.

“They’re all going to die, you know.”

Killian grunts in reply. The back of his neck itches as he examines the lines between Swan’s brows, the pale impression left on her lip by her teeth.

“And why should I care about that?”

“Do you think you’re fooling anyone?” asks David, and he almost sounds pitying. “Look at you, you can’t even fool yourself.”

Swan just stares. Accusatory as usual. It almost makes him smile.

It’s hard to imagine anyone as fierce natured as Swan doing something as banal as dying.

Killian sighs, and tucks his hand behind his back before the itch moves to make his fingers reach for her hair.

David watches them, and for a moment his eyes turn soft.

“You can change that,” he says. “You should change that. You could change that. But if you continue the way you are… they’ll all die.”

Killian looks up at him, a retort already on the tip of his tongue (he has never been able to change anything, his life is one of flotsam, they wouldn’t want him to save them, not him) but David is growing translucent, disappearing into the glow of his own candlelight until her fades into nothing but ether.

“Even her?” Killian asks.

But the ether doesn’t answer.

---

He wakes, if indeed that’s what it is, back in the diner but it’s not quite as he left it. Little pieces of the counter remain stuck to his cheek as he lifts his head, and the stool creaks, rusty and struggling, beneath his weight.

“Bloody hell.”

The walls are scorched black and crumbling, the menu boards overridden by twisting vines of dead and decaying fruit, and the air holds that sour, sick smell he recognises only too well from too long voyages with not enough water.

This is a dead place.

And in the middle of it, golden and shining in a hooded robe, stands Emma.

He is a dead man.

“Swan? What happened here?”

She smiles, beatific and snide and nowhere near her eyes, and shrugs one slim shoulder.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Hardly, love.” He stands, more unsteady than he should be, and reaches for the edge of her cloak. “This isn’t your usual attire.”

“Things have changed,” she says, “or will do. It’s up to you really.”

“What is?” he asks, tugging lightly at the cloak. The cloak tugs back. “What the -“

Emma shifts her weight and her cloak falls away to reveal a boy, her boy, the boy, his cheeks hollow and his eyes shadowed dark. The darkness seems to twist, pulling at his features and curling his hair until it isn’t Swan’s lad at all, but Bae. Bae clawing at her cloak and watching with baleful eyes as Killian sways on the spot. Bae whose lips curl into a sneer as he makes to fall.

And then the darkness breathes, and it’s Henry who turns his face into his mother’s belly.

“Why,” says Emma. “I thought everyone wanted a happy ending.”

He laughs, a short sharp bark that escapes him without his meaning to, and curls his fingers around her elbow to steady himself.

“What lunatic’s happy ending is this?”

She smiles again, her hand coming up to cover his, and for a single moment he feels warm. It’s odd. He hadn’t known he was cold.

“Yours, of course.”

The diner begins to crumble around them until it’s nothing but dust, just a grey haze that rises up and envelops them and sticks in his throat.

It tastes like magic, he thinks. Bitter.

And then it clears, and it’s bile.

It the ruins of what once was Storybrooke stands what was once a man. His hair is slicked forward over his pale face, and his shoulders stoop under the weight of the burden he carries. His left hand is a familiar curve of steel, and in his right -

“No.” Killian shakes his head, scrubs at his eyes, but the other man, the creature, only smiles a thin, crocodile’s smile and lifts the dagger toward him.

Killian Jones.

“Why hasn’t anyone stopped him?” he half whispers. “Why haven’t you?”

“There isn’t anyone,” says the boy who could be, isn’t, is, Bae. “No one left to care. Not for men like you. This is where you end up. Where we all end up.”

“Welcome to your happily ever after,” says Swan, and there’s a line, a thin, red line, that marrs her throat. It drips when she inclined her head, her eyes flashing. “Hope it’s worth it.”

This time when he wakes up, he’s screaming.

—-

It takes a moment, several actually if he’s being honest, before he can gather himself enough to be certain that he’s truly awake including both the judicial application of the tip of his hook to the palm of his hand and a long swig from a flagon of water. He eyes the rum bottle suspiciously before gingerly lifting it between finger and thumb.

“What in all the realms does she put in this? Laudanum?”

Nobody answers him, of course. He’d rather forgotten they were in the midst of a crisis.

He slips his hand back into his pocket and runs his fingers over the smooth edges of the bean. It would be easy, he thinks. Run back to… well, anywhere really. No one would live to find him, and his vengeance would be if not complete, at least somewhat satiated. And he’d never have to risk seeing David in that ridiculous get up again.

The ground rocks beneath his feet, the Queen’s Work, he presumes, and he clutches the bean a little tighter.

Be part of something.

My good boy. My hero.

You’re a villain.

Bae.

Swan. Swan and her sardonic little smiles. The incline of her head. The obnoxious habit she has of making him want to do better.

The diner shudders once more, and he chooses.

What sort of man do you want to be?

(It’s such a little thing, in the end. Choice.)

He turns on his heel and leaves the bottle behind.

---

What are you telling her now?

Only stories, my love.

That’s not very comforting you know. I’ve heard your stories.

How rude, Swan. I assure you the moral of this tale is impeccable.

Yeah right. I’ve heard that before.

(Is it true, Papa? The story?

Of course my little love. Aren’t they all.)

#captain swan #killian jones #cs ff #cs mafia #katie-dub #clare vs writers block #character study #references to millian #killian jones flirts with ghosts #angst: its whats for christmas

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