#I hope he comes with his sword strap too so you can have his sword on his back and take off his jacket

[meownotgood]

figzero aki is so cuteeee 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 aaaah!!!

[dandylovesturtles]

Using a random number generator for the angst prompts: 20 Starved + 30 Dangerous Temperatures

... and Leo, of course.

OH GOD OK

uh so. I had an idea. and I decided to write it for this ask I got forever ago. And then, uh.

it really

really got out of hand.

This is a pretty dark fic (even for me) and at the current moment in time it is hurt/no comfort. I do intend to write a part 2, probably tomorrow, but as of the time I'm typing this author's note I've been writing for around 5+ hours straight and I need to take a break! So please, if you don't want to read all this without the comfort included, feel free to wait for the next part before reading! I'll link it and the end once it's posted.

Content warnings: Kidnapping, confinement, psychological torture, nonconsensual voyeurism (I guess this is the best way to put this; Leo isn't doing anything sexual but it's still violating), mild violence, HEAVY ANGST, Leo just having the shittiest time possible.

I HOPE?? YOU ENJOY??? hahahaha....

btw this is set between S2 and the movie (though tbh its canon compliance is... /waves hand)

-----

When Leo imagined himself getting captured by some kind of shady, quasi-governmental agency intent on imprisoning mutants, it was never anything like this.

When he let his mind go there, he always pictured that he would be strapped to a table. Maybe muzzled. That scientists would stand over him, scalpels and drills in hand, and start to take him apart. That they'd examine him piece by piece, and wouldn't give him any anesthesia while they did it.

But there is no table, no muzzle, no restraints at all. He's just in a room.

Well, a cell, technically - the steel door is locked, and there are no windows, no furniture but a bare cot in one corner and a lone toilet in another. But it doesn't really look like a cell. It looks like a room.

A very, very white room. White walls. White ceiling. White tiles (with white grout, even). The toilet is white, a roll of white toilet paper on the floor next to it. The only things that aren't white are the cot and the door and Leo himself.

They took his gear and his weapons, because of course they did. Since the door is steel, he already knows he's not breaking it down; he gives it a half-hearted slam anyway, just to say he tried. He should be able to just portal out, except he hasn't learned how to use his portals without his swords to channel his ninpo through, and there's nothing in here with him that he can use to make new ones.

So he's stuck. He's going to have to wait until someone opens that door for some reason. Or, of course, until his family swings by to pick him up. Though, if possible, he'd like to escape before that happens. The image in his mind, of sitting outside his cell and grinning at them as they arrive to rescue him, is too cool to pass up.

He's not sure how long it's been already. He knows that they knocked him out after ambushing him, and he doesn't know how long he was unconscious. The heavy molasses feel of his head and arms when he woke up suggests that he was drugged. It's wearing off now, though, which means he has a clear head to take in the all of nothing that's in the room with him.

He sits on the cot he woke up on and waits for something to happen.

There's no way for him to tell time, but he thinks it's an hour or so later when there's a sudden beep, and then the sound of a metal panel sliding up. It's a slot near the door that has just opened - inside the revealed alcove is a bottle of water.

He comes to it curiously, taking a long look around the bottle. The slot doesn't open straight through, and even if it did, it's not big enough for anything more than his arm or a foot to fit through. He thinks it must function like an airlock, or maybe they slid the bottle down from somewhere above - he feels around just in case, and finds that the slot is enclosed on all sides but his. Probably his airlock theory, then.

As soon as he removes the bottle, the panel slams shut again.

"You're really determined to keep me in here, huh?" he says to whatever hidden cameras are watching him. He carries the water bottle back to his cot, but doesn't open it, instead setting it down on the floor by the wall. The paranoid part of his brain, the one that doesn't miss a trick, is reminding him that drinking the water is probably a bad idea. Who knows what they might have put in it?

He sits on the cot for awhile longer. Still, nothing happens.

"I'm getting pretty bored in here," he says for the audience that must be somewhere. "Come on, you have a one of a kind turtle in here, and you don't even want to talk to me?"

Time passes, slow and quiet. Leo goes through periods where his anxiety spikes and he starts to wonder if he's been abandoned by whoever brought him here, before the boredom eventually numbs the anxiety back out. Another bottle of water is eventually delivered, and this one he keeps in his hands after retrieving it. It's completely unlabeled, not even a "Use by" date printed on the bottle itself, so it doesn't provide much mental stimulation. He spins the bottle to make little whirlpools inside, because it's something to do.

He's trying to make the fastest whirlpool he can when he hears a sudden click, different from the beep of the water bottle hole, and he looks up just in time to see a large section of the wall in front of him turn black, and then light up to show the room beyond his cell.

He jolts, setting the bottle aside. He knew they must be watching him, but somehow he didn't catch that part of the wall was a whole window.

His audience isn't very large - five people, unless there are others he can't see. Two wear lab coats, two wear fatigues... but the one who comes to stand directly in front of the window is wearing a black suit, with steel rimmed glasses. He leans forward, and speaks into a small microphone.

"Inmate 24365," says the suited man. "I am Agent Bishop, of the Earth Protection Force. My subordinates tell me that you can speak and understand the English language. Is this correct?"

"Qué?" Leo asks.

Bishop does not look amused. "Inmate 24365," he says, "you have two options. You can cooperate with me, answer my questions, and we will make your stay here more comfortable. Do not cooperate, and we will make your stay uncomfortable. Do you understand?"

Leo pretends to hem and haw over this. "How comfortable are we talkin'?"

"I'm sure you would like some dinner."

"You know, I'm not really hungry." He says it to be difficult, but it's actually true - the uncertainty of the situation has put his stomach in too many knots to want to eat anything. "Maybe if you offer me some comic books? Or a TV?

To Bishop's credit, his face doesn't so much as twitch. He keeps his steely eyes locked on Leo. "Answer our questions, and you will receive food. Do you understand?"

Leo stays noncommittal. "What are the questions?"

He's expecting Bishop to ask about his family. He's not expecting what comes next.

"How many gateways are there between New York City and the hidden yokai enclave?" he asks. "How are these gateways accessed? What kind of defensive capabilities do the yokai have?"

Leo keeps the surprise off his face. Bishop thinks he's a yokai.

This is, overall, a good development. Bishop might not know about Leo's family, then, or at least not know that they live on the surface. This means the Earth Protection Force likely isn't pursuing his brothers, which means they will be safe until they can help Leo get out of here.

He doesn't let the relief show through, either. Bishop doesn't know anything, and now Leo just has to ride out the next few hours until the calvary arrives.

"You know," he says, "I think I'm good with my current levels of comfort."

If Bishop is mad or frustrated or dismayed by this choice, he doesn't show it. His expression stays stony as he stares in at Leo, sizing him up.

"Very well," he says after a few more seconds. "I will see you tomorrow, then."

The window goes dark, and then turns stark white to match the walls. Leo wants to go over and tap at it, see if it feels different when he touches it, but knowing that Bishop is surely still there, watching him, keeps him rooted to the cot.

He goes back to making whirlpools with the bottle. If they aren't going to entertain him, he isn't going to entertain them, either.

-----

Another water bottle comes some time after his talk with Bishop. He finally opens this one and takes a cautious sip. Nothing tastes off or strange, so he drinks more. They don't want to feed him, but they're fine keeping him hydrated. No reason to stay thirsty, then.

He wishes the water calmed the anxiety still roiling in his stomach, but if anything it just makes him feel even more energized. He bounces his foot and surveys his room again, looking for any weak spots or access points. He can't see anything, though, other than the areas where he knows the water bottle hole and window are; even the vents that relentlessly blow cold air into the room are well hidden.

Knowing that there are people standing just outside his cell watching him, like some kind of zoo animal, puts him on edge. The window is so big that he's pretty sure the only blind spots are either directly underneath it or right by the door on the same wall. After debating it, he leaves his cot and sits on the floor underneath the window, surveying the room from a different angle now and still coming up empty. At least they're going to have a harder time staring at him.

His eyes catch on the toilet in the corner, directly across from the window. It's not in the blind spot, and realizing this makes his insides lurch uncomfortably - hopefully he has a chance to bust out before using it becomes necessary.

Though, he's not sure when that chance is going to come. If they have a slot to pass him water, they could use that to pass him food, too, so it's unlikely that anyone is going to open the door unless they need to take him out.

So maybe his fantasy of being outside when his brothers arrive isn't going to happen. Well, that's okay; he'll just be sure to make some other part of their escape totally rad. That will make up for the embarrassment of getting kidnapped a block from Run of the Mill.

(Seriously, some kind of ninja he is, to let a bunch of human soldiers sneak up on him.)

He drains the water bottle, then starts to roll it back and forth across the floor, like a cat batting at a toy. Leo's not sure what's worse right now: the worry or the boredom. There's nothing to look at and no one to talk to, just an empty room with him and his water bottles.

He's too keyed up to sleep, and the fluorescent lights are still on, anyway. He has no way of telling what time it is, so maybe it just isn't that late yet. And even sitting here, in the blind spot, the idea of closing his eyes while people are watching makes unease crawl up his spine. Staying awake is the easy choice. He'll sleep after he's out of here.

So he sits under the window and rolls his bottle back and forth, back and forth, with only the sound of plastic on tile to keep his thoughts company.

-----

The first three water bottles came pretty regularly, but now there is a very long stretch where nothing is delivered. Leo is starting to think maybe it really is night now. They don't turn off the lights in his cell, though, and he has no controls to do it himself. At least it helps with the whole "staying awake" thing.

Just in case they've decided to suspend his water privileges along with the food, he holds off drinking any more for now.

Speaking of food, his appetite has finally decided to return. His stomach starts to growl at him after several hours (he thinks) of sitting in the floor, an annoying emptiness in his stomach. Knowing there's no food accessible just makes the hunger sharper, but he puts it out of his mind the best he can with nothing else to focus on. He can eat once he's free.

Which should be soon. Seriously, his brothers have to be on their way by now, right?

He's pretty sure it's been the better part of a day, if not a whole day, since he was kidnapped. And, okay, he's willing to give them some leeway; it's understandable if they got a late start. He did storm out of the lair after his latest fight with Raph, and no one ever came to check on him when he did that. Understandably, he thinks, because who wants to be around Bad Mood Leo? Not even Leo wants to be around Bad Mood Leo!

But he'd already turned back into Good Mood Leo by the time he left Hueso's, so surely they knew it had been more than enough time. They would have noticed when he didn't come home. They would have realized something happened. They would be looking for him.

And if they're looking for him, they'll find him! Obviously.

His stomach growls again, and Leo leans his head back against the wall behind him. Maybe he shouldn't think of being at Hueso's. Now he just wants pizza. Pepperoni and mushroom, maybe, or Hawaiian. Mix it up a little with the barbeque chicken.

Another growl. He groans out loud.

He stays awake, twisting and crinkling the empty bottle in his hands, until another full one finally arrives.

-----

No chance to escape comes before using the toilet is necessary.

He tried to hold out, he really did, but he ended up drinking more water to stave off the growing hunger, and it's lowkey cold in here, which doesn't help. Still, the issue of the window sends an uneasy shiver up his spine, doubting that any people outside will feel the need to turn away and give him some privacy. Maybe he should have gone while he suspected it was nighttime.

(Maybe he shouldn't assume they ever aren't watching him.)

He stands up and walks over to the cot, giving it a light nudge with his foot. In a stroke of luck, it isn't bolted to the floor, and it's light enough that he can lift it. The black mesh it's made of is tightly woven, enough that not much is visible through it. It will have to do.

He picks it up and drags it over in front of the toilet, propping it up on its legs so it makes a small wall between himself and the window. It's hardly ideal, but the semblance of privacy makes him relax somewhat.

(He can't think about how there are surely cameras in the room watching him from all angles, making his attempt at a barrier moot. He knows better than anyone that sometimes pleasant lies are necessary.)

After he does his business, he leaves the cot propped where it is; it's not like he's sleeping on it. There's no sink for him to wash his hands, but he's never been the strictest about it, anyway (much to Donnie's disgust). He returns to his spot under the window, squeezing the water bottle to the rhythm of the first song that comes to mind.

Only two verses and a bridge later, the window above his head turns black, then goes clear. Thinking that Bishop might have been watching him just now makes a cold, slimy feeling roll down his spine. Creepy!

"Inmate 24365," comes Bishop's voice through the unseen speaker. "Stand."

Leo doesn't. He stays right where he is, under the window.

Bishop waits only a few seconds. Then Leo hears him say, "Temperature down two degrees."

He gets up at that, turning and leaning his arm against the window. It strangely doesn't feel like glass, even though it must be. "It's already cold enough in here," he says. He wonders how they can hear him, when he doesn't see a microphone on his side.

"You were told your conditions would only be made comfortable after you answer our questions," Bishop informs him. "The same as before: how many gateways are there between New York City and the hidden yokai enclave? How are these gateways-"

"How about you answer my questions first," Leo interjects. "You keep calling me "inmate," but I haven't been charged with anything. Pretty sure you can't detain me without cause."

"The EPF is authorized to detain non-human inmates for as long as deemed necessary for the security of the United States," says Bishop smoothly. "Probable cause doctrine does not apply in this case."

"That's gotta be unconstitutional."

"The constitution does not recognize the rights of yokai. You have no right to counsel, no right to a speedy trial, and no right to protections from cruel and unusual punishments." Bishop's stare is colder than the temperature in the room. "But I am not an unfair man. Answer my questions, and I will provide you with food and clothing."

Leo tosses a glance over his shoulder. "How about a private bathroom?"

Bishop's expression stays ever in place, unimpressed and stoic. "Food and clothing," he repeats.

Leo gives his head a shake. "Then nope," he says, popping the "p". "I plead the fifth."

"As I have already explained, the Bill of Rights does not apply to you."

"That's such crap." Leo bangs his fist on the window. "You can't just keep me here forever for no reason!"

"I do have reasons." Bishop leans closer to the window, his eyes narrowing. "Let's try a different question. What is your relation to Baron Draxum?"

The surprise is fast and sharp, but Leo just manages to keep it from showing on his face. "Who?" he asks innocently, even as the panic sets into his chest. If they know about Draxum, what else do they know?

"We know you are acquainted with him," says Bishop. "What is the nature of your relationship?"

Leo knows they aren't bluffing - why would they bring up that very specific name otherwise? There's no lie he can tell that won't reveal something.

So he doesn't say anything. Instead, he turns his back to the window and sits down, staring resolutely at the opposite wall.

Bishop clicks his tongue. "Very well," he says. "I am a patient man. I can wait." Then, more muffled, like he's facing away from the microphone, Leo hears him say, "Temperature down two degrees."

The window goes dark, then turns back to white. Leo doesn't move for a long time.

-----

The third water bottle arrives, so he guesses that's the end of day two.

He's shaking as he gets up to retrieve it, adding it to his growing water bottle hoard. He's gone through three and a half by now, but he's trying not to drink them too fast.

As promised, no food is delivered, and his stomach growls and rumbles in protest. The water helps, but only slightly. He needs to eat.

He also needs to sleep.

The panicked adrenaline spikes that have kept him awake this long are starting to die down, with more and more long stretches of exhaustion between them. The shaking is near constant, bringing with it the weird jittery feeling he gets when his insomnia gets particularly bad.

The window is still unnerving him. The idea of sleeping while they're watching him feels staggeringly unsafe.

But he doesn't think he can hold out now until his family gets here. Sure, they're probably getting close (they have to be getting close), but they're sure taking their sweet time. And he's just so tired.

After a long internal debate, he lays down on the cold tile floor. It's not at all comfortable, but somehow he doubts the cot would be any better. Besides, even if he moves the cot under the window, he thinks it would be easier to see him if he uses it. So on the floor it is.

He presses as close to the wall as he can, curling up into a ball for warmth. He wishes he had a blanket.

He wishes he was home.

He squeezes his eyes shut tight and forces back the sudden wave of overwhelming homesickness. There's no reason to feel this way. It's only been two days! What is he, a baby?

It's fine. It's all fine. They're definitely on his trail now. Raph is leading the team. Donnie is using some kind of invention to blah blah blah nerd stuff. Mikey is razzing his tazz. April is using her investigative journalism skills to find clues.

They're on their way. He just has to hold out a little longer. He can do this.

He sleeps, and in his dreams, something grabs him tight and drags him down and down and down where he can't escape.

-----

The same routine plays out over the next two days.

Leo gets two water bottles delivered, spaced, if he had to guess, about five hours apart. Bishop comes to visit him some time after the second bottle. Leo refuses to answer his questions. Bishop turns the temperature down and then leaves. A few hours later his last water bottle comes. Then nothing for the whole night.

They still don't turn off his lights, but exhaustion is starting to win over the brightness.

More than a few times, Leo tries to summon a portal on his own, without his swords. If his family is going to take their sweet time in coming, he might as well try to help them out. He tries to summon his ninpo (without glowing), tries to feel the tug inside of him that he always does when he teleports, tries to envision the place he wants to go and tunnel through space to get there.

Nothing. Always nothing.

(Donnie can make his constructs independent of his bo staff. Raph can send his projections away from his sai. Mikey's learning to use mystic powers without his nunchucks. So why does Leo need his katana? Why is he the only one this useless?)

It probably doesn't help that he's so damn hungry. It's a constant companion now, a low and hollow ache that chooses inconvenient times to turn into white hot stabs of urgency, into seizing cramps that steal his breath. The water only helps so much - it keeps him alive but doesn't satisfy, doesn't soothe. In some ways it just makes the feeling worse.

And he's always shaking, too, but he doesn't know if that's the hunger or the cold.

Maybe the cold wouldn't bother him so much if it were at least still. But the vents blow fresh air inside relentlessly, and no matter where he goes he can't seem to get out of the direct stream. The cold wind batters his tired body, and there's places his skin is starting to turn dry and flaky. His nose won't stop running, and he's allowed himself a small section of his one roll of toilet paper to blow it, already stiff and congealed and disgusting.

It's miserable.

And there's still nothing to do.

He stacks a pyramid out of his empty water bottles, knocks it down, then stacks it up again. He tries to come up with some new and exciting ways to demolish it, but it's only new and exciting for so long.

He spends a few hours of day three singing karaoke as obnoxiously as possible. He hopes everyone outside enjoys the performance.

He recounts every issue of Jupiter Jim he knows to himself, then the plot of every movie. Then he goes through Lou Jitsu films, then anything else he can think of. That eats up a good chunk of day four.

By the time he gets his first water bottle of day five, he's out of ideas to entertain himself. He's never been good at this. He doesn't know how introverts like Donnie can go multiple days without talking to someone.

But when Bishop comes back with his daily offer of conversation, Leo once again impolitely declines.

-----

Something new happens on night five.

It's been a long time since the last water bottle. Leo has been trying to sleep, but it's not coming easy; he's exhausted, but the floor is so cold and he's so sore from staying on it night after night. Not to mention, his nightmares have been getting worse, and he isn't eager to return to them.

Add on the hunger, and sleep is elusive.

Suddenly, there's the telltale shadow of the window above him turning dark - this time, though, it doesn't light up as much as normal. Confused and curious, Leo sits up and takes a peek.

The room beyond is dim, only the glow of a green EXIT sign and a small desk lamp lighting the space. But it's enough for Leo to see a man standing there, looking inside. It's not Bishop - in fact, he doesn't recognize this person at all. They're wearing fatigues, but it's not anyone he's seen in the room during Bishop's normal interrogations.

The man catches sight of Leo, and the grinning leer on his face makes Leo regret looking.

He beckons for Leo to stand up. Warily, Leo does, unable to help but keep his arms folded tight over his chest. Not for the first time, he wishes he had some clothes - his gear, at the very least. Anything to not feel quite so exposed.

The man reaches down and picks something up, holding it aloft for Leo's inspection. "Want a sandwich?" he asks into the microphone.

The sandwich looks like white bread and bologna. No cheese, no other toppings that Leo can spot. Maybe some mustard, if anything. Overall, the most boring possible sandwich he could have been offered.

Leo's mouth is watering.

He has to swallow hard before answering. He doesn't trust this. Even if his stomach is slamming up and down at the promise of food, food, food.

"I'm not hungry," he lies.

The man laughs. It's not a kind sound. "Sure you ain't," he says. "You spend every night curled up on the floor like the dumb animal you are. Can you even eat this?" He waves the sandwich for emphasis.

Leo doesn't answer. He takes a step back from the window, like that will put any kind of distance between them. Like that will save him.

The man watches him with a sleezy grin. He waves the sandwich again.

"You want this," he says.

Leo shakes his head.

"You really sure?"

Leo shudders. Stands tall. Nods.

The man watches him for a long, long moment. Leo fights the urge to hide.

Finally, with a shrug, the man says, "Suit yourself."

Then he starts eating the sandwich. Right where Leo can watch.

Leo's stomach growls, loud and angry in his ears, and he has to physically hold himself back from crumpling.

After several bites, the man suddenly reaches out and taps the window, indicating the cot stood up in front of the toilet.

"That," he says, giving another tap for emphasis, "doesn't do shit."

Leo wants to crawl out of his own skin.

The need to hide is suddenly too great. He rushes to the cot, grabbing it and dragging it back to the blind spot under the window. He sets it down on all four legs, so it's as close to the floor as possible.

Then he lies down on his belly and wriggles underneath. It's a tight squeeze, and the cot ends up pushed up by his shell, suspended in the air, but he doesn't care.

He curls up in his pleasant lie of privacy and bites his hand to keep from screaming himself hoarse.

After an eternity, the window above him turns white again. It doesn't matter. Leo knows he's still there. Still watching.

-----

"You look tired," Bishop greets him. Leo answers with a dead-eyed stare.

"I keep telling you, if you want your conditions to improve, all you have to do is answer my questions."

Leo says nothing. He just stares, arms wrapped tight around himself to try and keep his body heat in.

"How many gateways are there between New York City and the hidden yokai enclave? How are these gateways accessed?"

For a moment, Leo considers just... telling him.

His family doesn't live in the Hidden City. The yokai have never exactly greeted them with open arms. What does he care if these military guys go after them? At least then, maybe he can finally eat something.

That's not what a hero does, Leo! echoes Mind Raph disapprovingly. Innocent people will get hurt!

Right. He's a hero. And heroes don't give into the demands of shitty guys like Bishop.

Leo swallows hard. "No comment."

Bishop's face changes ever so slightly: his brow creases. Leo wonders if that's good or bad for him.

"You understand that Baron Draxum is a known threat, don't you?" he asks. "We are aware of his plans to commit mass murder on the human population. We also know that he has been dormant for some time, and we need information on what he is planning."

Leo thinks of Barry's ambitions to be recognized as the best lunchperson in all of America and can't help but laugh. It comes out cracked and wheezing.

Bishop's furrow gets deeper. "Do you think this is funny?"

"Little bit," says Leo.

Bishop has a chasm to rival Raph's now. Leo knows he shouldn't, but he grins. It's his one moment of triumph - only he can be this aggravating.

And then Bishop says, "Temperature down seven degrees," and that wipes the smile right off Leo's face.

-----

The plastic of the water bottles is soft and pliable and feels weirdly good under Leo's teeth.

He chews the top of the bottle, gnawing at it until it's completely flattened out, pockmarked with little tiny indents from his incisors. It's not eating - it won't fill his belly or ease the persistent hunger pains. But something about the motion is soothing. The place-bo effect.

Pla-ce-bo, corrects Donnie's voice in his mind, sounding testy.

Where are you? Leo thinks back.

There's no answer.

He's gnawed his way through four water bottles. There's eighteen in total now, two and a half still full of water. He thought about using one to wash up a bit, but decided against it in the end. He knows he stinks, but the last thing he wants right now is to be wet. Not when he's starting to see his breath.

Oh well. It's not like he has anywhere to be.

He turns his attentions to the lids next. These are harder and thus tougher to chew. Still, if Leo uses his molars, he can eventually crack the lip, and then bend the plastic in and in, chewing until he ends up with a flat disc.

It's just small enough that Leo could swallow it, if he wanted to.

He thinks he remembers watching some kind of wildlife documentary. Or maybe he didn't watch it himself, but Mikey told him about it. Or maybe April? He doesn't know. His thoughts swim in and out and get lost on the way.

Point is. Sea turtles in the wild die all the time because of plastic in the water. They cut open their stomachs and find trash inside.

Well, Leo is a turtle in captivity. Maybe that means he's immune. Maybe he could swallow this plastic lid, and then he'd finally feel full and the pain pain pain of his empty stomach would go away.

He does not swallow the plastic lid. But it's more tempting than he'd like to admit.

It's going to be okay. When his family gets him out of here, they'll have a big pizza to celebrate. Maybe he can even talk them into letting him have the last slice.

It has to be any moment now, right? It's been a week. They have to be closing in. Any moment now, the door will open, and there they'll be to take him home.

The air conditioning blows relentlessly against his skin. He sneezes, then rubs the snot on his arm. He's given up on the tissue paper.

It'll be over soon. It has to be. Just hang in there, Leon, just a little longer.

He picks up another bottle and starts chewing.

-----

He's playing a mindless little game with his flattened bottle lids the next time Bishop comes.

"I'm surprised you still have any energy at all," says Bishop, and Leo wants to punch him.

(Really, he wants to do more than that. But those kinds of thoughts always make him feel weird and bad, so he pushes them away.)

"You should have learned by now," he says, pushing to his feet and trying not to show how badly he's trembling, "you can't keep me down."

"This is all unnecessary," says Bishop. "I'll feed you as soon as you answer my questions."

Leo barks out a laugh. "Sure you will."

"I will," says Bishop. He turns and says over his shoulder, "Bring it here."

One of the men in fatigues steps forward and hands a tray with a covered plate over to Bishop. Bishop uncovers the tray and holds it where Leo can see.

Baked chicken, broccoli with cheese, mashed potatoes.

Leo's stomach twists and cramps so painfully he has to bend at the hips and clutch his midriff.

"This is yours, as soon as you answer my questions."

Leo pointedly keeps from looking at the food. He shakes his head. He can't. He can't.

"Such persistence." Bishop's voice is scolding now. "You understand that you are a known accomplice to a terrorist, don't you? But if you become a cooperating witness, you will be granted some leniency."

Leo barks a laugh, lifting his eyes to look at Bishop's face, and pointedly not the food. "What's the point?" he asks. "If I'm not... protected by the constitution, or whatever. Are you going to let me go?"

"No," says Bishop. "But as I have told you, your conditions will become more comfortable." He waves the tray of food.

Leo stares at him, before a manic smile splits his face.

"You... stupid bastard. I can't even answer your questions." He slams a shaking hand against his plastron. "I'm not even a yokai! Do you get that? I'm not a yokai!"

Bishop looks skeptical. "Obviously you are."

"I'm not!" Leo rages. "I'm a mutant! I'm from New York! I don't even live in the Hidden City!"

Bishop's eyes flash. "I see," he says, "so you do know of it."

Leo falters, his body going slack.

What an obvious, stupid mistake.

(Some face-man he is.)

It takes Leo a long moment to answer. Bishop stays right where he is, holding the food so tantalizingly close and yet still out of reach.

"...I don't know about the gateways," he says finally. "I don't know about their defensive capabilities. I don't know what Baron Draxum is planning."

"Your lies are obvious," says Bishop. "You really don't want this? It's your last chance today."

Leo stares at the food. His mouth is watering so hard it might start to drip. Would it really be so bad to answer? They don't live in the Hidden City. And Draxum dropped him off a roof.

Draxum is trying to change, says Mind Raph. You see what these guys are like. You can't turn the yokai over to them. They'll hurt them!

What about me? he asks. Is it okay if I get hurt?

You're a hero, Leo, says Mind Raph. You can deal with it for a little longer. It's just a room. Just a little cold. Just some hunger.

He's a hero. He can deal with it. He can. He can.

He'll make them proud. Show them they can trust him.

It takes everything he has, but he shakes his head.

Bishop tuts. Then he throws the entire plate in the trash.

"Tomorrow, then," he says. Then the window is gone.

Leo collapses on his cot and tries not to cry.

-----

After his third water bottle on day eight, one of the fluorescent lights over his head flickers and then dies out.

It's not surprising, since they keep them running twenty-four seven. The blessedly dimmed lighting is actually nice, for once. Leo thinks maybe he could get some sleep, if the gnawing hunger and the constant shivers don't keep him awake.

He's just closed his eyes and snuggled up under his cot when it occurs to him: they may come in to fix it. If keeping the lights on day and night is part of their plan to torture him, to keep him exhausted and anxious and on edge, then they have to.

Which means his chance is finally here.

He has to be careful about this. He has to be ready to move, but he can't let them know he's ready to move. He has to let them think he's too weak, too exhausted, to make an escape attempt.

(He can't let himself think that, though. He can't give up before he tries.)

So he stays under his cot, but subtly shifts it so it won't restrict his movement. He has to be ready to burst out as soon as he gets a chance. Get past whoever comes in, then get out the door. It's after the last water bottle, so it's nighttime. There will be fewer people. He can do this. He can do this.

Find his swords. Make a portal. Get out.

Just as he was thinking, after a long time has passed, there is a loud warning beep, different from the water bottle beep. An automated voice says from somewhere unseen, "Inmates clear the door. Security personnel entering. Stay still and you will not be harmed."

Then the door slides open, and someone comes in.

It's a man wearing fatigues. Leo thinks this is the one who "offered" him a sandwich the other day. He's holding some kind of gun with a long barrel. He does a sweep of the room with his eyes, coming to rest on Leo under his cot. He gives Leo the same leering grin, and waves the barrel of the gun in his direction.

"Now you behave, and we'll get along just fine," he says.

He steps to the side, and another man enters, this one wearing the kind of jumpsuit Leo sees janitors in on TV. He's carrying a stepladder in one hand and a long tube in the other. Is that what fluorescent lights look like? Leo didn't know.

The man walks to the middle of the room and sets up his stepladder. Then he walks up and pulls off the light casing. When he unhooks the old bulb, it causes the other bulb to flicker, just for a few moments.

Leo explodes out from under the cot, grabbing the man in fatigues by the legs and yanking as hard as he can. The man yelps in surprise, and Leo hears the sound of the gun going off in a random direction. The janitor shouts and drops the light bulb - the sound of shattering glass joins the cacophony.

Leo jumps to his feet and runs out the door they had been too stupid to close, sprinting toward the EXIT sign. He's exhausted and shaky but he's coursing with adrenaline, and he leans on it hard to keep him moving. Don't stop, don't stop, get out of here. He'll figure out what to do next once he's free.

Past the exit sign there's a large open room with desks and computer monitors. Most of them are off, but one lingering woman in a lab coat, seated at her desk, screams when she sees Leo dash through the middle of the office space.

"Security!" she screams into a device on her chest. "Inmate is escaping! Inmate is escaping!"

Leo doesn't have time to shut her up, he just keeps moving. He pushes through the next door and arrives in a hallway; he only has time to glance one way and then the other before scrambling to the left, hoping it was a good choice.

He rounds a corner and sees another green EXIT sign up ahead. It's not where he meant to go - he meant to find where they're keeping his swords first. But he hears shouting behind him and doesn't stop. Fine, so no portals - he'll figure out something else once he's away from here.

He throws himself forward into the exit door, which leads him into yet another hallway. Another long sprint, with shouting and slamming doors at his heels, and then finally, finally, a third EXIT sign, and he crashes outside.

Where there's snow on the ground, snow on the trees.

It steals his breath away. There shouldn't be snow. It's May.

Where is he?

He takes a breath of air so cold it seizes his lungs, then takes a step forward. He'll worry about that-

BANG!

A piercing pain in his shoulder nearly sends him toppling over. Leo shouts, grasping for the wound and feeling something sticking out of his skin. He grabs it and yanks, pulling it free.

It's a dart.

Damn it, he thinks, before his vision goes woozy, and he collapses into the snow.

-----

"Are you proud of your little escape attempt?" comes Bishop's voice.

Leo looks up from his cot. Bishop has to get so close to the window to see him that his nose is pressed flat against it. It should be hilarious, but Leo doesn't really have the energy to laugh. Or to do much of anything.

He's hungry. He's tired. He's cold. He's still sluggish from the drugs.

And they threw away all his water bottles. Fuckers.

Leo rolls over on the cot and covers his ears.

"What a childish response," says Bishop, and that's funny, too, because Leo literally is a child. Or a teenager, anyway. He doesn't feel like it will help him much to point that out, though.

"All you have to do is answer my questions, and all this will be fixed."

That's the funniest thing of all. The idea that he spills his guts and Bishop treats him to a five course meal to make up for all the pain up till now. Hilarious.

He says nothing.

Bishop sighs.

"You are likely still affected by the tranquilizing agent. I'll return tomorrow."

Before he leaves, he says, "Temperature down five degrees."

-----

The same man is back that night. He opens the window and looks down at Leo with the same leering smile. Leo can't even take satisfaction in the bandage on the side of his head.

"Neat little trick you had yesterday," he says. "Almost got me fired."

Leo wishes it had gotten him fired. But he clearly has no luck in this situation.

"You know, I respect the attempt. And you probably would have gotten farther with a little food in your belly." The man reaches down, then retrieves a sandwich, as mouth-wateringly unappetizing as the last time. "You sure you don't want this?"

And Leo knows he shouldn't trust this guy. Leo knows he should say no.

But he's just...

so...

hungry.

So he gets up. And he turns to the window. On shaking limbs that can barely hold him upright anymore. With a body that is laced with pain and aches and cramps.

And he nods.

The man's smile gets wider. "What do you say?" he asks, in the sing-song tone of a parent scolding a child.

It makes a sick nausea rise in Leo's throat. But he wants the sandwich.

"Please," he gasps out.

"Mmm... not good enough." The man waves the sandwich. "You want this? You beg for it."

Leo stares, eyes wide. But the sandwich... the sandwich...

He gets down on his knees. Feels a searing flush of humiliation. His stomach is rolling and gurgling and cramping with pain, a hollow, empty chasm inside him desperate to be filled.

He lowers his head.

"Please," he says. "I... I want the sandwich. I'm... begging you, please."

The man laughs, loud and long. When Leo finally finds it in him to raise his eyes, the sandwich is already half eaten.

"Hey, good job," says the man, licking a bit of mustard off his thumb. "That was real convincin'."

And then he takes another bite.

Just like that, Leo forgets about the pain, the aches, the cold, the hunger. All that's left is pure, white hot, screaming rage.

Leo lunges at the window and slams his fist into it so hard it cracks. Not enough to break the glass. Not enough to free him. But enough that the man startles and steps back.

And Leo starts to laugh. High and manic and unhinged even to his own ears.

"I'll kill you," he says, and his voice sounds almost joking, and yet- "I'll kill you. You're dead. You're dead, as soon as I get out of here, you're dead, I'll kill you, I'LL KILL YOU!"

The man has dropped the rest of his sandwich. He fumbles for his gun, left somewhere on a table to the side. For one satisfying moment, Leo sees a flash of genuine fear on the man's face.

"Shit," he says, his voice far away the further he gets from the microphone. "Pretty scary, frogboy."

Then he slams a button, and the window goes black, and Leo gets a glimpse of his own reflection.

His face is gaunt and drawn. His eyes are ringed by deep circles, so dark they look like bruises. His body is shaking like a leaf.

And his stripes...

His stripes are lit up like when he uses his ninpo, but they aren't their usual Neon Leon bright.

They're almost black.

Leo gasps and stumbles back just as the window goes white. The full body quakes he feels now aren't from the cold or the hunger or the exhaustion.

He turns and sinks onto the cot. Puts his face in his hands and tries to breathe. Tries to will his ninpo to stop rolling and snapping and to go back to normal.

This isn't what he wants. This isn't him.

This place is breaking him. He's letting it break him.

He pulls his legs up onto the cot and buries his face in his knees. Wraps his arms around them and rocks gently, the way Donnie used to do when things got overwhelming. Maybe he understands that better, now.

This isn't him. He's Leonardo, Neon Leon, the face-man, the jokester! The one who's always ready with a quip and a laugh. The one who can do anything!

Except portal out of his room. Except escape from this building. Except resist begging for a sandwich like he's a dog.

Leo's breath hitches, and for once he doesn't stop himself. He knows the guy outside is probably watching. He knows there are cameras recording this. He hates giving them the satisfaction.

But he's tired, and hungry, and he...

He wants to go home.

He cries, silently, until he's completely rung out.

-----

Maybe they aren't coming.

That's the thought that pops into his head, just a bit after the first water bottle of the day.

He knew they would have gotten a late start, because he stormed out. And he knew it would take them awhile to figure out who took him - he hadn't heard of the EPF before, so why would they? And he knew it would take them time to figure out where he had been taken, which must have been pretty far out if it's snowing outside. But the EPF got him here within a night, he's pretty sure, so unless they have a super fast jet, he must still be on the continent somewhere.

So... so surely they must have figured it out by now, right? Raph is leading the team. Donnie is doing science things. Mikey is razzing his tazz. April is using her investigative skills.

Unless they aren't coming.

Maybe... maybe it's true. Why would they want him back, after all? Leo took Raph's leader position, and since then all he'd managed to do was piss Raph off. Mikey and Donnie hadn't been happy about it, either, and he'd noticed that they'd been avoiding him more and more. April claimed she wasn't taking sides, but she always seemed to be on Raph's anyway. And Dad... well, he was probably disappointed that he made Leo leader only for him to do nothing and then get himself kidnapped.

He doesn't bring anything to the team. He doesn't bring anything to the family. And no one likes his jokes.

So. Maybe they just... aren't looking. Maybe they aren't going to come.

Maybe he's held out this long for no reason. Maybe he's been cold and starving for no reason at all.

Maybe it's time to give up.

---

Don't give up, says a new voice in his head.

You are not alone.

-----

He has no energy left to stand when Bishop comes. The man looks down at him, lips pressed into a thin line.

"You don't look well," he observes.

No shit, Leo wants to say.

"This has gone on long enough. Answer my questions, and we will provide you with food, clothing, and medical care."

The list is getting longer. Leo's fuzzy eyes stare up at Bishop. Medical care. Does he need that?

"You already know what I want to know." Bishop has a furrow between his eyebrows now. "Will you talk to me?"

He could. He could do it. He could finally have some relief from all the pain. All the hunger. All the cold.

But they might hurt the yokai in the Hidden City.

They might hurt Draxum.

They might hurt his family.

And maybe, if nothing else... if Leo could just keep his mouth shut, just this once...

Maybe that would finally make Raph, Dad, and everyone proud of him.

Maybe they'd finally trust him.

Maybe, at least, he can have that much.

Leo shakes his head.

Bishop scowls.

"Temperature down ten degrees."

-----

Leo isn't shivering anymore. That's probably a bad sign.

He can still see his breath, each time he exhales. It rises like smoke, before disappearing into the air.

He doesn't have any energy left, not even to chew on his new water bottles. He hasn't even collected the last two, and they sit crowded together in the slot, untouched.

He kind of wishes they had just dissected him from the beginning. It would have been faster. Freezing to death, he's decided, is a real zero out of ten. Starving to death isn't any better. No stars.

Even though the damn lights are still on, he feels extremely sleepy. It's probably the cold. He wonders what will happen if he brumates. He's never done it before, not like his little cousins, and he has no idea if it's even safe.

Probably not, given he has no calorie reserves left. All it means is he won't be drinking water, either.

But he's so sleepy.

It's going to be time soon for Bishop to come back. Leo doesn't know what the point is anymore. Maybe he'll just sleep through it. Yeah, that would really make him mad. And making Bishop mad is all he has at this point.

And he'll get to sleep. It's a win-win.

So thinking, Leo rolls himself over onto his belly. Then, one by one, he pulls his limbs into his shell.

He doesn't do this much anymore, not since he started growing. His body just doesn't seem to fit his shell like it should - a side effect of the mutation, probably. It's not really comfortable to be inside for long.

But Leo is sleepy. And his shell feels like the best place to be.

So he pulls in his legs, then his arms, and then, finally, his head.

It's not any warmer in here. But at least it's dark.

At least he's not shivering.

Leo sighs, content, and closes his eyes, and drifts to sleep.

-----

(Outside his cell, there's a bang, and shouting, and a gunshot.

The sound is muffled, and Leo sleeps on.)

-----

Part 1 (here) | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Part A |

[sircantus]

Techno had been exploring a cave system with Phil when he felt it.

A rumbling vibration traveling through the rock too deep for humans and several types hybrids to sense.

It took Techno a moment to realize what it meant. And when he did…

“Move!” Techno roared. “Back to the surface! Now!”

Phil startled at the unexpected shout, but they’d known each other for too long to hesitate even if the danger was unknown.

Phil sprinted back the way they had come, Techno only a few paces behind him.

Phil held a torch aloft, and Techno a sword. Techno banished the sword to his inventory as he ran, but had no time to do the same for the pickaxe strapped to his belt.

As they ran, the rumbling increased in volume and intensity, there was no way anyone could miss it now.

How far was it to the exit? How deep had they been?

The cave had started to show deep slate, so perhaps sixty blocks below the surface.

That didn’t account for how far they’d travelled in any other direction, though.

They had entered the cave from a deep fissure in the earth, traveling into the cave network from there.

They were near halfway back when Techno heard the rock breaking above their heads. Diving forwards, Techno shoved Phil as far as he could.

A flash of pain in Techno’s abdomen as he hit the ground was quickly buried by the stone that slammed into his back, crushing force pinning him to the floor in a shower of dust and smaller rocks. The impact knocked the breath out of him and Techno wheezed, gasping at the stone dust filled air for breath.

The cave had collapsed, blocking off the direction the pair had just run from completely, catching Techno on the edge of the newly formed barrier.

“Techno?” Phil must have come to check on him while Techno was still regaining his breath. Phil had set his torch down near Techno as he checked his pulse.

“Mate, can you hear me?”

Techno’s response was a wheezing cough.

“Okay, okay, can’t talk?” Phil had grabbed the torch again, and lifted Techno’s chin, holding it close to one of Techno’s eyes, then the other before settling the torch aside.

Next Philza grabbed one of Techno’s hands.

“Can you squeeze my hand?”

Techno squeezed it.

“Squeeze once for yes, twice for no.”

Techno squeezed Phil’s hand again.

“Are you bleeding anywhere? Can you tell?”

Phil must not be able to see most of Techno what with him being covered in stone at the moment.

One squeeze. Yes.

The pickaxe attached to Techno’s belt felt like it had decided to introduce itself to his intestines, so he was most definitely bleeding from it.

“Alright don’t worry mate, we’ll get you out. If I move enough of this we should be able to get you walking.”

Two squeezes. No.

Philza frowned. “Why no? Wait, are your legs hurt?”

Techno- couldn’t actually feel his legs. Or his hips. And he really hoped that wasn’t a spine injury, but it probably was. He wasn’t sure how to tell Phil that, though, so-

Yes. One squeeze.

There was no way Phil would be able to get Techno out of here on his own. Cave-ins like this were dangerous enough on their own, but the first one had been caused by an earthquake, and there could still be aftershocks.

Here with Techno was just about the most dangerous place Phil could be right now. Techno had to convince him to leave.

He gathered his breath.

“Go.”

“What? Techno, no- I can’t leave you!”

Techno tried again.

“Go. H’lp.”

“Oh.” Phil said, looking to study the stone above Techno, “This is definitely a two person job, maybe three. I can ask Niki or Ranboo-“

A pause.

“Promise me you won’t leave me.”

Techno couldn’t suppress a snort of amusement.

Techno couldn’t go anywhere, he was trapped under a literal ton of stone.

But he knew what Phil meant.

“Pr’mse.” Techno managed to get out, knowing it was probably a lie as he said it.

But Techno needed Phil to leave, to be safe.

Techno gave Phil’s hand one last squeeze, and he hoped Phil knew what it meant.

For you, the world.

And then Phil was running towards the cave entrance on his way to get help.

~~~

It was only a few minutes after Phil left that Techno felt the rumbling start again.

The aftershock caused a second collapse, sending rocks falling down on Techno’s shoulders, arms and head. At least one rock must have made its mark against his skull, because Techno’s awareness missed the rest of the rockfall.

When he came back to consciousness, it was with the weight of stone pushing in all around him, pressing him to the floor. It was oddly comfortable. Techno could still feel the pickaxe in his belly, shifting slightly every time he breathed, but now the feeling was only strange, not painful.

Part of him was aware that it probably wasn’t a good sign to be devoid of any pain, but he already knew how things would end when he sent Phil away, so really the lack of pain was a nice bonus.

The torch Phil had left with Techno must have gone out in the second collapse, because Techno couldn’t see anything.

There was nothing for Techno to do except think. Had Phil made it out? He should have had enough time if the rest of the tunnel was unobstructed, and he could probably fly out of the fissure that was the entrance.

Techno really hoped Phil made it out.

It felt like the debris on top of Techno was slowly increasing in weight, or maybe Techno’s strength was failing. Either way, it was getting harder and harder to draw a full breath.

Techno concentrated on that now, on getting from one shallow breath to the next. How much time had passed? He didn’t know. Everything seemed muddled and far away.

“Thank you.” A voice said, cutting through the nothingness that surrounded Techno and filling it. “You kept my husband safe.”

Techno had never heard the voice before, but he knew who it must belong to. Knew even in his soul as surely all things did. Kristin. And if she was here that meant-

Techno hadn’t noticed before, but he now realized that he wasn’t breathing, and he couldn’t feel his heartbeat inside his chest. He didn’t think he had a body anymore, but he could feel Kristin holding him.

“Do you want to watch over my husband with me?”

Techno did. Phil had no sense of self preservation and could use all the help he could get. And Techno had told Phil that he wouldn’t leave him just yet.

“Well then, let’s be off.”

OH MY GOD?? (DEVESTATED) OH MY GOD!! (Delighted)

I adore this. Its painful but i adore it, especially since theres Kristin showing up ten out of ten im absolutely thrilled to have had read this

[ladyknight33]

Hades II: The Missing Ares

(Until the full release comes out, the missing gods can be speculated on. Can’t wait to find out what is in store for Ares. Here’s my take. For now.)

Melinoë had passed this marble statue far too many times to count. It always felt odd, as though it was watching everything. She stood before the stone warrior. The detail in his armor was astounding. She could almost see the glint of metal within the white stone. It towered over her, feeling more like a one of the Olympians or the Titans in how she had to look up, barely able to see the helmet much less the face underneath. 

Her fascination with a statue shouldn’t stop her from continuing into the palaces of Olympus. Yet this night, it did. Melinoë began to notice more of the odd details that made this statue different from all the others. Mainly the pedestal seemed to be the very tile under her feet. Nor was the pose artfully striking, simply a warrior who had just donned his helmet. 

Curiosity got the better of her this night. The straps securing the greaves seemed so much like real leather that she had to touch them, just to be sure it was truly cold marble.

Darkness swallowed her. She tumbled without end. Though confusion and terror touched her heart, Melinoë refused to let them dictate her thoughts. She took breaths to find her calm before searching the never ending shadows for … anything. A glint caught her eyes. She willed herself towards it. A man in a simple chiton huddled against an unseen wall. The flash of light came from golden ichor dripping from under thick bronze chains. 

“Hello?” Melinoë called, slowing her approach. The man looked up, revealing dark red eyes under thick locks of matted white hair. There was no recognition of seeing anyone. “Are you alright?”

The man squeezed his eyes shut. “A fool… thinking someone was there.” He buried his face in his arms. “No one is coming for you. No one is even looking after so long…”

“I might not be looking for you, but I have found you. I would like to help.”

Looking up again, the man strained to see where her voice was coming from. He looked right at her and then his eyes slipped away to continue looking. Angrily he snarled, “I do not need voices to make my isolation worse.”

“Isolation? What happened to you?”

“You’re not…. You truly do not know?”

“I do not. I came upon this statue that was different. I touched it and now I’m here.”

“You are not here.” The man relaxed slightly, closing his eyes. “You still stand outside this prison. With a thought, you will leave. But I remain. I hear every sword strike, every explosion. The falling boulders, the sinking ships. But I can do nothing! Imprisoned and useless.” The man tensed and yanked against his chains. Ichor oozed from the old wounds. “Nor could you do anything. Once you leave, you will forget. They all have before. Now no one enters this corridor.”

“Prometheus guards the entrance. I’ve come to help break the siege of Olympus. Perhaps I could help you?” Melinoë had to step back when the dark red eyes turned to her with such hope. Then she was back in the entry chamber. The cold marble under her fingers. Haunting memories of the god, for it had to be since he bleed gold, clung to the recesses of her mind. Who was this god. Melinoë touched another part of the greaves, but felt nothing. Simply smooth stone. Whatever magic had turned a god into a statue now locked her out. 

Finding answers would have to wait for another night. If her task had taught her anything, it was patience and determination. But releasing this god might just turn the tide in this war against Chronos. 

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 119

Part 1 Part 118

“We’ve still got five days,” Eddie whines.

Steve looks up from where he’s sprawled in the little space between the coffee table and couch, lifting himself by the elbows to peer over its surface. Eddie’s got the front door swung wide. Steve can barely spot Barbara’s red hair past Eddie’s raised arm, the curve of her shoulder, the strap of her backpack.

“It’s Wednesday,” Barbara replies, ducking under Eddie’s arm. Carol follows her lead, finger-waving tauntingly as she comes in. She’s so short that she doesn’t even have to bend down to make it through.

Eddie stomps his foot, but closes the door, leaning his head against it to whine into the cheap wood.

“The sword of Damocles swings ever downward,” Eddie says, knocking his forehead into the wood three times.

Steve watches helplessly charmed by the dramatic display. Steve of a year ago would kick his ass for smiling at such a nerdy display, and the Carol of a year ago would be in the ass-kicking line right behind him.

The carol of now, though just laughs and drops her purse onto Steve’s stomach, knocking him back down under its weight.

“Okay, drama queen,” she says, not even looking over at Steve at his pained groan, far too busy rolling her eyes at Eddie.

“Good morning, Carol,” Steve grumbles, grabbing her purse to curl around it and placing his head on it. It’s a little lumpy but works serviceably as a pillow.

“Let’s get to work.”

Steve groans and buries his face into Carol’s bag, hoping something will slither out and strangle him. Nothing does, so he sits down and gets to work, a reluctant Eddie leaning into his side.

This, it turns out, is only the start.

Wednesday’s weekly study group becomes a bi-weekly, much to Eddie’s chagrin. He still shows up every Monday in the library, feet dragging, and homework undone. Steve’s fine settling in with some of his favorite people every week and having them hammer details into his head. He wants to pass, and he wants Eddie with him. Always.

Steve falls headfirst into normalcy. He grabs it with both fists and clings.

But, sometimes, the hair on the back of his neck stands on end and won’t settle no matter how hard he tries to pat it back down. He can feel something behind him, just out of view, watching, as it drifts ever closer.

There’s never anything there when he turns around.

So, he studies, and he works, and he lives.

Whatever it is will catch up to him eventually; they always do. But for now, he’s got a paper to revise, Nancy’s red pen bleeding through all the pages. He’s got math problems to stumble through, and finals looming just around the corner.

“You know, Will would totally teach us morse code,” Eddie says, as they pass a joint back and forth, cuddled together in bed.

Steve coughs, the high hitting his throat first, then ballooning into his head until it feels three sizes too big. “What the fuck?” Steve croaks out, passing the spliff back to Eddie for him to finish off and stub out. “You think he knows it?”

Steve rubs his cheek against the fabric of Eddie’s t-shirt. It’s worn down with numerous washes, buttery-soft against his skin. Steve wants to swaddle his whole body in it, wants to hug Eddie so tightly that their two bodies become one and they can both were the shirt at the same time.

Eddie runs his fingers through Steve’s hair, bringing his wash day ever closer as he spreads the oils from his palms into Steve’s scalp. It’s worth it for the way his nails scratch against his skin.

“Totally, Angel,” Eddie says, blowing the last of the smoke out of his lungs and depositing the remnants of the joint into the waiting ashtray at his bedside. “I bet all those nerds know it.”

Steve can’t help the little laugh that rumbles through him at Eddie of all people calling someone else a nerd. Eddie whacks the back of Steve’s head in retaliation and then keeps petting him.

“But why do we want it?” Steve asks, continuing when Eddie hums questioningly. “Morse code.”

Instead of answering, Eddie pulls on the ties that bind repeatedly. Quick, then long, then quick again. Eddie tugs at his hair until Steve’s neck is craned back enough to meet his eyes. His eyebrow’s raised, and his bangs are all fucked up. Steve stares into his eyes and tries to meld their minds because he's got no idea what this pointed silence is supposed to be telling him.

Seeming to catch onto this, Eddie rolls his eyes and pushes Steve’s head back into him to continue stroking him like a cat. “That was morse code, babe.” Steve closes his eyes, trying to think while Eddie begins repetitively tugging on Steve again. “It’s a call for help.”

Steve hums. “In case something goes wrong?”

Eddie’s fingers still momentarily before picking back up their gentle stroking. “I was thinking more like cheating on finals.” He doesn’t repeat the company line all the adults have been reiterating like they’re getting paid for it – the Upside-Down is gone. You’re all safe now. They know better. “Might get us out of a few of these study groups.” He says, ‘study groups�� like what he really means is ‘torture sessions.’

Steve rubs his face against the shirt again, wiping away a little of the drool that had gathered in the corner of his mouth. “You don’t think we’re smart enough to graduate high school, but we’re supposed to learn a whole language in a matter of months.”

Eddie groans, wrapping his arms around Steve and pulling him in tight. “We could learn simple things,” he whines. “Yes, no, better luck next time?” He rocks Steve back and forth until Steve braces his hands against the mattress, feeling seasick. “Then we can make homoerotic eye contact from across the classroom and cheat to our heart’s content!”

Steve snorts, rolling off of Eddie and onto his side of the bed. “We don’t share any classes.”

“Stop picking holes in my plan!” Eddie whines, shoving Steve hard enough that he tumbles off the side of the bed. Eddie’s worried face peers over the edge of the bed a few seconds later. “You okay, Stevie?” he asks, as if he wasn’t the one to shove him off.

Steve glares up at him, rubbing the back of his head. “I can see into the future,” he replies, looking deeply into Eddie’s excited, gullible eyes.

“Three seconds again?” Eddie asks.

Steve shakes his head. “Three months, this time, and do you know what I see?” he asks, not waiting long enough to receive a reply before continuing. “One of us having to repeat Senior Year for a third time because they were too lazy to study.”

Eddie’s dimples pop. Steve’s fingers itch to touch, so he does, unwieldy limbs stretching until he’s got both pointer finger stuck directly into both the little divots. It’s a perfect fit, like Eddie’s the glass slipper and Steve’s fingers are fucking Cinderella’s stupid feet.

“How many guesses do I get?” Eddie asks, smile only growing.

Steve, having lost the plot of the conversation three miles back, squeezes Eddie’s face until his cheeks balloon out enough to force his lips into a pucker. He looks so squashed and stupid that Steve has no choice but to use every one of us flagging abdominal muscles to hoist himself up and plant a wet kiss onto Eddie’s mouth.

“Just one,” he murmurs, lips still pressed together.

The high from the weed and the high from kissing Eddie Munson senseless meld together and last long into the night.

No one ever gets around to learning Morse code.

Part 120

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hi there! Can I request Female Mihawk Reader with Yandere Lu Bu, Jack, Raiden, Buddha, Qin Shi Haung, Thor, Poseidon, Hercules, Loki, Hades, Rudra, Indra, Hajun and Sasaki?

Reader comes from another World and is revealed to be the ‘Strongest Swordswoman in the World’ with her God opponent being the God of Swords (Reader has Yoru, her Black Blade on her back) and has her Valkyrie Partner transform… to everyone’s shock into a small crucifix pendant, that’s actually a small dagger, which her God Opponent demands in annoyance what exactly is Reader’s game, only for Reader to explain “I’m not the the kind of beast who uses all her might when hunting down a mere rabbit” then has a condensing look as she ‘pitifully’ says “Unfortunately, this is apparently the smallest blade my Valkyrie Partner can turn into, so this will have to do”

Which makes all the Gods and Reader’s Opponent FURIOUS, believing Reader is to arrogant and stupid… until she proves them all wrong by DESTROYING her opponent (The fight ends similar to Zoro and Mihawk’s fight, but the only difference is Reader doesn’t use Yoru, as her calls her opponent ‘Too Weak’ and a ‘Disappointment’ to her, when she kills him, stabbing God’s heart with her tiny blade as he starts to disintegrate) and to add more salt to the Gods’ crippling egos, Reader admits this fight was just like every other fight she’s had “Boring and Unsatisfactory” as she leaves, just as stoic as she fought

However, to everyone’s surprise, Reader shows interest in Sasaki and tells him how he’s the only man worthy of her time (Reader can tell Sasaki is strong, especially since can adapt in battle) and even tells him that she’ll wait for him, no matter how long it takes for him, until he can surpass her, since both are Swordsmen with Honor (Everyone is jealous of Sasaki getting Reader’s attention) and she even asks him every day to spare with her

Reader even tells Sasaki that he should be honored that she uses Yoru when they spare (Sasaki feels honored that a woman like Reader gives an old man like him attention like this, and he could ‘Die a happy man’, which causes Reader to laugh, which is a shock to everyone since Reader is always stoic with a resting bitch face)

-You were regarded as the strongest sword user in the world, even as a woman, you were the strongest, your skills with swords were legendary.

-You enjoyed your time in Valhalla, able to live in quiet comfort, drinking wine, reading books, and meeting other legendary humans, one that you didn’t know, but that was because you were from another world entirely.

-When you died, being caught in a sudden explosion, you were brought here to Valhalla by Brunnhilde.

-This new world was unlike your own, the only people with unique powers were the gods themselves.

-You didn’t fuss with the gods much, getting your own quiet room and plenty of areas to choose from to train in.

-Many of the warriors you faced while training, both humans and gods, were very strong, giving you a challenge, but only for a short while.

-Your skills were too much for them, easily able to overpower most anyone who would challenge you.

-When Ragnarok was announced, you were one of the first people that Brunnhilde approached, asking you to fight against the gods themselves.

-Hoping for the challenge you were finally looking for, you agreed.

-You were fighting first, something you requested and Brunnhilde arranged it for you, and your opponent was announced first as the god of swords himself!

-You smirked for only a moment as you walked out, a massive sword strapped to your back, carrying it with ease.

-Your sharp golden hawk-eye like eyes pierced into your opponent as he was holding two large swords with ease, but everyone was stunned as you made no move to grab your massive sword.

-You touched the cross-shaped pendant hanging around your neck as your Valkyrie partner appeared beside you, “You’re sure this will work?”

-You glanced at her as she was hugging you around your neck, looking like a child, but you instantly pulled out, the tiniest sword that anyone had ever seen, more like a baby dagger!

-Your opponent’s eyelid twitched before he pointed a sword at you, “What the hell is that?!”

-You held your blade, your Volundr, ready to strike, “A weapon that is more than enough for you.” His eyelid twitched again before the gods were quick to yell at you, calling you a cocky human and that you should know your place.

-He shouted at you, charging you with his swords, demanding to know why you weren’t using your big sword, as he wanted to take it from you, seeing the quality.

-You looked almost bored, dodging his strikes before kicking him away from you, your foot in his stomach before you spoke, your voice cold, “I’m not the kind of beast who uses all her might to hunt down a mere rabbit. A pity-” as you looked down at him as if he were dirt, “-that this is the smallest blade my partner can transform into.”

-More shouting from the gods while the humans were in awe of your confidence.

-You rolled your eyes as he shouted out his most powerful attack, trying to take you out and you took a step to the left, dodging it completely, much to his shock as he had turned white, his eyes wide as he gawked at you.

-Your eyes narrowed slightly, “Such a disappointment.” You then slashed at him, cutting him down with an X shaped slash, winning easily.

-Gawking faces filled the arena before the humans went wild, seeing that you had defeated a god and you made it look so easy!!

-You sighed as your partner returned to her normal form, holding onto your hand, making her look like she was your child before you turned, looking up at Zeus, “Was that really the strongest god you had?”

-You ignored the fury of the gods, many who shouted at you, but they couldn’t argue that you did handle your match so easily, it was almost embarrassing for them!

-When Heimdall approached you, inquiring about your thoughts of the match, your words resonated with so many people, “Boring and unsatisfying.”

-The rest of Ragnarok came and went, wins and losses on both sides until humanity was standing in the winner’s circle, and to further prove they deserved their salvation, as you all got to choose one wish together, those who had been killed were brought back to life, both humans and gods.

-The smallest shade of a smile appeared on your lips as your arms folded under your chest, seeing the reunions all around.

-Many gods and humans now had more of a healthy respect of each other, knowing that humanity was indeed stronger than they had thought.

-You were unaware you were now being stared at by both gods and humans, who were taken by your power, wanting a chance to fight you themselves, to test your strength.

-The more they stared as you were speaking to your Valkyrie, Goll, and Brunnhilde, the more they wanted to know about you.

-You were a stunningly beautiful woman, intimidating almost, something even Aphrodite had to admit, but your strength paired with your beauty made you a truly highly sought after woman.

-However, you stunned all by stopping after you had been walking out of the arena, when you saw Kojiro approaching you.

-He offered you a bright grin, “Hey there Y/N! I haven’t seen you since your fight! You were amazing! I would ask for a fight but I would probably lose.” As he said this he scratched the back of his head, laughing lightly.

-You put a hand on his shoulder, meeting his eyes which widened in shock, “No- you’re wrong. Your adaptability in your own fight was very impressive. I’d be honored to spar with you, to see how strong you are now. I would wait centuries for you to surpass me, Kojiro.”

-He was stunned that you recognized him as strong, while many of your other self-proclaimed rivals, were seething with jealousy, as you hadn’t paid them any attention, at least with fights; you would talk with them, but as far as actual fighting, you refused, only willing to fight other sword users.

-You sparred with Kojiro every day, allowing him to train against someone very difficult, and your matches always drew a crowd, not that you minded, mainly because you couldn’t care less.

-As Kojiro laid on his back after another intense session, for him at least, he spoke, “I’m honored a woman like you would give an old man like me any attention. I could die happy.”

-A grin instantly appeared on your face before you threw your head back, laughing warmly, which everyone stared at with huge eyes, as you always had a RBF! You were absolutely stunning when you smiled.

-You reached a hand down to help him up, giving his own a soft squeeze as you spoke with a soft smirk, “It’s a special type of man to grab my attention like that.”

-The glares Kojiro received were well worth it. He had no regrets.

-Lu Bu- When he finally convinced you to spar with him, using his halberd against Yoru, he wanted to see who had the stronger strike, his Sky Eater or your Strongest Slash in the World. The damage as the two strikes hit was so immense, even more so than when Lu Bu fought with Thor, you both had to help clean up the arena after you trashed it. When the dust cleared, both of you were still standing, unharmed and you had to give him a small grin, seeing that he withstood your attack. He became another you fought on a regular basis and he always fought with such joy fighting you, saying you were the only woman he would respect. Thor and him were both strong drinkers, as they would invite you out all the time, which you didn’t mind, finding their antics amusing. It was nice to be able to fight without holding back.

-Jack- Was one of the few who actually didn’t want to fight you, more interested in just conversing with you, sharing tea or wine, playing chess together, and having intellectual discussions. You had to admit that you were a bit curious about his ability to see into your soul, describing the colors you displayed at any given time, it was unique as you had never heard about something like that before. Jack enjoyed his talks with you, never wanting you to leave, as he found you entrancing, from your looks to your strength to your complex personality. He wanted to see more and more.

-Raiden- Raiden was very enthusiastic in trying to convince you to fight him, to the point of chasing you down, running after you until he had you in his arms, like it was a children’s game of tag. You always refused him, as you weren’t a combat fighter, you only used your swords and if you fought him, either you would get hurt from his physical attacks or he would get cut to ribbons. Your words and reasoning did little to deter him as he kept seeking out, asking for a fight, carrying you around in his arms like you were a princess. He was very jolly and loud, but also pushy and sometimes annoying, but you felt like you couldn’t bring yourself to dislike him.

-Buddha- Buddha was another one who was quite pushy, not as in he wanted to fight you, as he was quite laid back, but he was always coming into your house, uninvited, bringing all sorts of snacks that he was willing to share with you. You could enter your home at any given time and find Buddha lounging on your couch, welcoming you home like he lived there. He picked up after himself so it wasn’t that big of a deal to you, and he was quite amusing when you gave him wine and got him drunk, he was a funny, cuddly drunk, which you teased him mercilessly about, but he didn’t care, as you were giving him attention.

-Qin Shi Huang- This cocky little shit irritated you, at first, when he tried to make demands of you like he was in charge of you. As time went on and you learned that was how he was a person, due to him being emperor, you gave him a bit of leniency. He was almost like a child with you, acting spoiled, wanting you to dote on him. He didn’t really want to fight you, although he was curious about your strength, he just liked your icy vibe, as he had seen you smile so brightly, he wanted to see what other sides there were to you.

-Thor- The god was respectful but also quite persistence, in getting you to fight him, as he wanted to see your strength for himself. He would ask you on the daily to fight, but would accept your no, unlike others who would keep asking, but then he would be back the next day to ask you again. You only accepted after you fought Lu Bu, willing to give him a match. Brunnhilde left a lump on your head, Thor’s head, and Lu Bu’s head, scolding all three of you after you and Thor destroyed the arena again. Thor respected your strength and loves to spar with you and Lu Bu both, as you could give them a challenge and they give you a challenge. Plus, they were fun drinking buddies as they were both very strong drinkers.

-Poseidon- Your strength and beauty was unrivaled, or so he thought, when you smiled and laughed, it was like he was being born again, seeing the world with new eyes, but only with you. Poseidon couldn’t stand that you were giving Kojiro the most attention, fury filling him that the older samurai had your attention. It made him want to do even more to get your attention on him. You weren’t bothered by his fancy gifts when he would try to give them to you, refusing them, but his tenacity is what caught your attention, not willing to give up and you finally accepted one of his gifts, a bottle of wine, but you made him sit and enjoy it with you, showing him that there were more sides to you than he originally thought.

-Hercules- This man- this god, was like a giant puppy with you, smiling so brightly when he would call out your name when he sees you around. He’s so respectful of you and your power, not taking anything lightly, which you appreciated, but he’s also super sweet with you, taking your groceries from you, “Let me carry those for you!” he treated you like a lady, but knew for a fact you could probably kick his ass easily, especially if you used Yoru. You enjoyed seeing Hercules, as he showed you all around Valhalla, and he would always be willing to fight you, if you wanted to spar, as he knew he didn’t need to hold back against you.

-Loki- This MF!! He is such a little gremlin and a tease, popping up at random places to try and scare you, wanting to see more emotions out of you, calling out your name so cheerfully. Loki was complicated, if you needed a word to describe him, he was annoying, teasing, perverted, loud, and obnoxious, but as you hated to admit it, if he hadn’t come around for a few days, you found yourself missing his antics. It was sometimes too quiet without Loki’s obnoxious self, popping up at random times. He nearly melted when you patted his head when he came back, asking if you missed him, and you patted his head lightly, adoring your affections.

-Hades- Was very impressed with your skills when he saw you fight, wanting to test you himself, and laughed warmly when you refused to fight him, instead offering him a glass of wine. The two of you became fast friends, as you were similar in personality, usually so serious and stoic, but you did have your soft sides, him with his siblings and you with children. Hades usually got jealous when someone else would try to take your attention off of him, but he was calm about it, choosing instead to just glare harshly while pouting, which you noticed, poking his cheek when you came back, teasing him which he tried to deny that he wasn’t pouting.

-Rudra- Was very soft with you, acting like a gentleman, asking to walk with you, taking anything that you might be holding other than your swords, it was amusing, but appreciated. You found Rudra relaxing to be around, as he was mellow, but you could sense his strength, his determination. You laughed warmly when he asked to hold Yoru, wanting to see how heavy it is, as you were carrying it around like nothing and swung it with such ease. Even with holding it with all four of his hands, Yoru fell to the ground as he could barely hold it up and he gawked before showering you with praise for your strength.

-Indra- Quite and cool, you found solstice with the Hindu god, as he was relaxing to be around, as he didn’t ask you for fights on the regular, only about once a week or so, and he would just sit with you, enjoying spending time together. You did dislike when he smoked, as you didn’t like the smell, but he always made sure to sit downwind from you, so you weren’t overly bothered. You did, however, find out that he was a weak drinker, after you offered to share your wine with him. You couldn’t help but poke his cheek, teasing him as he was nursing a headache afterwards, finding it amusing while he found your teasing side to be rather cute.

-Hajun- You had to discipline him when he tried to grab Yoru, wanting you to fight him, easily taking him out with your unsheathed sword. He was shocked with how easily you were able to take him out, impressed with you while you sat on his chest, but he was unbothered, finding you light, as he asked to fight you again. He was rather territorial with you, if he were to see you, he would hug you and try to keep everyone else away, not willing to share such a strong opponent with anyone else. As time went on however, he grew more territorial, not wanting anyone around you at all, which was more of a headache for you than you thought.

-Kojiro- Kojiro was the only man you gave any physical attention to, mainly because he was your lover now, something he still couldn’t believe. The swell of happiness that would fill his heart when your arms would encircle his neck, hugging gently could warm him all throughout winter. He never asked you for fights, you were the one to ask him, which you didn’t do for anyone else, something he noticed but wouldn’t mention as he would let you curl up in his lap, being doted on by him so gently, your arms around his neck as you both basked in your quiet affections with each other.

[onepiecestarry]

A Different Kind of Pirate - Part 5

Zoro X Reader

tw, future mdni/nsfw

Masterlist

Part 5: Not alone

You hear the quiet drops of water hitting stone, reverberating through the room. As you slowly blink the blur in your eyes away you look around to see a stone jail cell. Damp and dark you can tell this is underground somewhere. Quickly you realize what happened and look around for Zoro. You spot him lying up against a wall, passed out. You scramble to get up and run to him, slipping on the wet floor. 

Once you get to him you look to feel his pulse, it's there but faint. You quickly lay him down, placing your ripped shawl under his head. You rip the rest of his shirt off to get a look at the wound. Blood crusted and continued to drip around it. You hadn’t been passed out for too long thank god. You rip your skirt and start to clean it the best you can. Taking the rest of the fabric and tying it tightly around his torso to try to stop the bleeding. 

You lift his head gently taking the shawl and placing his head in your lap. You start, without realizing it, playing with his hair gently. The creak of a door and a slam takes your attention. You hear footsteps slowly make their way over, one by one. Someone then walks in front of the cell you’re in. 

“Getting comfortable?” They ask mockingly.

“Who are you? Why did you take us here?” You say with a growl.

“Oh don’t worry about that, you’ll find out soon enough.” They laugh deeply. 

“You won’t get away with this, Zoro is the first mate of the Strawhat Pirates, they will be coming for him!” You say.

“It's not him I want.” They laugh again. 

They turn to walk back to the door, and you hear another creak and slam, telling you that whoever that was is gone. You can’t help but think what they meant, they don’t want Zoro? That means you both got taken because of you. What could it be for, who could that be? You ask yourself. You turn your attention back to Zoro who grumbles and adjusts a bit. 

“Zoro!?” You exclaim. “Are you okay?” You start to cry, dripping tears onto him. 

“It’ll be okay princess, Luffy is coming don’t worry.” He says rubbing your cheek before passing out again. 

You lean back on the wall silently crying, hoping Luffy gets here soon.

-- 

It feels as if hours have passed, you worry Zoro is running out of time. He needs medical attention as soon as possible. You’ve searched the cell over 20 times at this point. Unable to find anything that could get you out of here. As you sit ready to give up another search you think of Zoro. How his swords would be so helpful right now, as you stare at them across the hall from your cell. You then think of how Zoro always has them on him, he is never unprepared. You think about what he would do if he was awake. You realize he might have a small knife on him in case of scenarios like this, you quickly get up and run over to him and start searching his pockets. You eventually find a Swiss army knife, perfect. 

You run over to the bars and observe how they are attached to the cell door. You can see it's a roll pin and hole, you undo the set screw in it and run over to grab the one piece of furniture in the cell, a long bench. You prop the bench so it's upside-down hooked onto the bottom of the door. You use all of your body weight to push it down, you continue to jump and push the bench down, each push lifting the door more. Eventually, you fall onto the bench and hear a loud crash, showing the door has come down. You go over to Zoro and start to try to lift him. ‘Why is this man so huge’ you ask yourself. He wakes up weakly and tries his best to help. 

You and Zoro hobble out of the cell, grabbing his and your swords as you hobble to the door. You strap both to your hips the best you can and continue walking. You, as quietly as possible, open the creaky door and look down the hallway each way, it looks clear so you and Zoro start to hobble down one of the hallways. Checking every corner, you start to hear yelling. You internally curse knowing you’re about to get caught. With your one free hand, you draw one of Zoro’s swords, him still leaning on you. You prepare to encounter someone. 

Then loud running starts down the corner a few feet away from you, you brace yourself for a fight with someone. But then Luffy turns the corner, and as soon as he sees you a big smile comes across his face. 

“There you guys are! I’ve been looking everywhere! Oh no, he doesn’t look too good.” Luffy says.

“No, we need to get him to Chopper immediately, it's been too long, I did my best but I’m not a doctor.” You say solemnly. 

Luffy goes under Zoro’s other arm and you both start walking the way he just came, twisting and turning through the hallways you eventually see light at the end of one of them. You both pick up the pace making it out of the dark cave you were in. You take a look around and have no clue where you are. 

“Luffy, where are we? How do we get to the ship?” You ask worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Nami is coming to us.” He says with a smile.

“What do you mea-” You are cut off by a large truck smashing some rubble and stopping in front of you.

“There she is!” Luffy exclaims. 

You all pile into the truck, Nami looking serious seeing Zoro’s state. She then floors it towards what you assume to be the docks. A few minutes later you make it there and the rest of the crew helps you out. You all then carefully unload Zoro and bring him to Chopper's office, laying him on one of the beds in there. Chopper quickly gets to work and asks you all to leave. You start to cry seeing Zoro’s state. You all walk out and everyone starts to question you about what happened. You start crying even harder than you were. You begin to explain everything to the shocked crew in front of you. From the bullet wound to you blacking out, to getting kidnapped and escaping. You explain what your kidnapper said and how it means whoever they are, is after you and only you. 

After you calm down a little you make your way towards the crow’s nest.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?! Chopper still needs to examine you!” Nami yells and everyone nods in agreement.

“I’m going to pack my stuff, I need to get out of here and far from you all. Whoever is after me doesn’t care who suffers to get to me, and Zoro has already been through enough. I’m going to leave so you all are safe.” You say turning to walk away again. You then feel a hand grab your wrist.

“You are a part of this crew now, I don’t care what you say, you are a straw hat. And we protect our crew. Whoever this is, is going to have to go through every single one of us before they can get to you.” Luffy says with a serious face, the look he only ever gets when he’s about to fight someone serious. 

You start to cry and fall to the floor, but before you can Luffy grabs you and helps slowly lower you to not get hurt. Everyone quickly surrounds you both and pulls you into a hug. 

“You aren’t going anywhere girly” Frankie says.

“You are one of us now” Robin says after.

-- 

After a lot of crying and hugging you all get up to move to the kitchen to get some food, but when you get up you start to feel lightheaded. Ignoring it you try to take a step and your vision quickly goes black as you feel yourself start to fall. Sanji seeing this quickly grabs you and lifts you off your feet starting to run towards Chopper’s office. 

-- 

Days later you wake up in Chopper’s office. You sit up and wince in pain. Looking over you don’t see Zoro, panic starts to set in and your mind swirls with the worst thoughts of what could’ve happened. Suddenly Chopper walks in and sees you’re awake.

“Y/n! You’re awake! Finally! How are you feeling?” Chopper says happily walking over to you.

“Where is Zoro? Is he okay?” You ask ignoring what Chopper had said.

“Hah! You two are exactly the same, that was the first thing he said when he woke up too.” Chopper laughs. “You two are clearly close.” Chopper says while getting some medication for you. 

“So, he's okay?” You ask.

“Yes, he woke up yesterday, and honestly you just missed him. He’s been in here since he woke up, not leaving your side, even when I tell him to lay down and rest. To be honest we didn’t know when you were going to wake up, he was extremely worried and stayed here to watch over you. We finally got him to leave and go ‘carefully’ take a shower to clean himself.” Chopper explains. 

“Oh, okay… What happened?” You finally ask.

“I think you initially passed out because of your adrenaline wearing off causing all the pain your body had been through to catch up to you, which caused you to black out. Now for the coma, the only thing that could explain that, is that your body was so hurt that it put you into a coma so it could heal. You were in a pretty bad condition y/n. It's amazing you got back here alive let alone awake. I truly don’t know how you did it.” Chopper says. 

You move to get out of bed and Chopper quickly tries to stop you. “Please Chopper, I just want to get up.” You say softly.

“Okay but be careful.” He says.

You get up slowly, wincing in pain at each step. You make your way to the door and open it to the bright sun, you close your eyes and open them again trying to adjust to the brightness. Before you can see you hear someone run up to you and encase you in a hug. But you don’t need to see to know who it was, you could tell by their scent, their body, their breathing. You knew it was Zoro without needing to open your eyes. You melted into the hug and began crying. 

“I was so worried about you” You say between sobs.

“Me?! I wasn’t the one in a fucking coma!” He exclaims, “Don’t you ever fucking do that again.” He says softly, holding your head to his chest tightly.

“Says you! You took a bullet for me, idiot! Don’t ever do that again!” You exclaim back to him.

“Deal.” He says still holding you.

You both stand there for a minute holding each other before Chopper clears his throat and you both separate with quiet apologies. 

“Both of you need to be careful, especially you Zoro.” Chopper says, “Now go get some food and sleep.” 

You both nod and walk towards the kitchen, opening the door to see the crew. They all jumped up seeing the both of you in the door, you getting a barrage of hugs and worried comments. Eventually, you both sit down and Sanji gets some food for you both. 

You start to eat and look up at everyone having a serious face, you look to Zoro who looks just as clueless as you. 

“Y/n we need to talk about your kidnapper” Nami says in a serious tone.

“You were kidnapped?!?” Zoro yells looking at you.

“You both were dumbass.” Nami says looking at him.

“Oh. huh.” he says in response, going back to eating. Nami annoyingly grunts at his response. 

“Who could be after you y/n?” Robin asks. You freeze and start to panic but before it gets too bad, Zoro grabs your leg under the table, grounding you back to reality. 

“I- um… I-” You start to nervously say. Zoro quickly slams his hand on the table and says, 

“ I’m done! Where’s the alcohol? We are celebrating being alive, no?” He says loudly taking everyone’s attention off of you. Everyone starts to argue with him, and you decide to quietly slip away to your room. 

A little while later, you sit on the balcony watching the sunset. You hear footsteps behind you, knowing it's Zoro you open your blanket for him to join you. As he sits he hands you a cup of tea, your favorite, you take a sip, and it's exactly how you like it. How does he know? Beyond your knowledge. You smile at him and thank him for the tea. You both sit quietly watching the sunset for a while before Zoro clears his throat awkwardly. 

“Thank you for saving me y/n,” He says nervously.

“It's the least I could do after you saved me.” You laugh and nudge him.

“No but really, not just treating the wound, you got us both out of the cell. And you risked your life carrying me out of there… Thank you.” He says seriously. You look at him making eye contact and say, 

“I would never leave you.”

You both sit in silence again, this time you lean your head onto Zoro’s shoulder. Now comfortable he asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know.” You say honestly. 

“I get it.” He says quietly. “You’re going to have to explain to the crew soon though. They aren’t as patient as I am.”

“I know, I just have never told anyone, and now that someone is after me, I feel like I have to face this alone.” You say sadly. 

“You aren’t facing shit alone, I won’t let you.” He aggressively says. You laugh at his response.

“I know.” You smile. A few seconds later you get the courage to tell him about who you think is after you. 

“I was born into slavery.” You say quietly, Zoro rubs your hand as a silent comfort to keep going. “I grew up serving a Celestial Dragon. It was horrible, but one day they realized I was different. I was born with devil fruit powers, the first child to inherit their mother’s powers. I one day as a child made the mistake of using them, and that was the day they realized who I was. They decided they were going to sell me to the world government to research and test me, in exchange they would have access to all the results they got. When I heard that this was going to happen I escaped, barely. I ran from their palace and disguised myself as a guard. Eventually, I was able to make it out of the city before morning fell and they would realize I would be gone. I ran to the next city, not stopping for two days for anything. When I made it, some kind people took me in, cleaning and feeding me. I didn’t dare tell them who I was or else they may turn me back in. As kind as they were, a lifetime fortune is a lifetime fortune. So once I was strong enough I packed some food and moved on to the next city, there I got a job and started saving for a ship. That’s how I escaped and became a pirate. They’ve been after me since then.” 

You lift your head from Zoro’s shoulder and start to cry, he quickly absorbs you into a hug.

“You are so much stronger than anyone knows.” He whispers. “It's okay, you don’t need to run anymore. I won’t let them take you.” You sob more at his promise.

You both stay like that late into the night, you crying into his chest, and him whispering sweet promises in your ear. You eventually get so exhausted you fall asleep in his arms. Zoro picks you up and takes you to the bed, laying you down. Seeing as you won’t let go of him, he lays down with you and falls asleep.

[caffieneaddictt18]

Life, Death, and Destiny

Prompt: Witch!Reader keeps giving Geralt weird little trinkets and crystal necklaces saying that this one protects you and this one keeps the bad feelings away and this one will call good spirits and wisdom upon him, and he doesn't believe her until one time he's fighting this monster and somehow, he keeps dodging this monster perfectly without even needing to drink his elixir. He kills the beast, and goes back to Witch!Reader, demanding her to explain how this works when he knows for a fact, she doesn't have magic like a mage or a druid. She simply winks and leaves him curious, so he stays with her and figures out how she is somehow unintentionally magical.

I'm not gonna lie, I did not stick to this prompt. It went a little sideways and flopped. So, my apologies! It is not false advertising, I swear.

As Geralt was walking to Roach, his mare, he heard his name called... It was faint but grew louder as the person shouting his name got closer.

"Geralt!"

Geralt rolled his eyes, thinking it was another townsfolk wanting him to go kill something.

"Geralt, wait!"

But then he recognized that voice...

"Geralt! Would you stop for a minute?"

He stopped. The Witcher slowly turned around and saw y/n. They were panting, keeled over.

"Before you leave, take this." They reach out and in their hand is a little charm that can be added to the strap of leather that keeps his hair up. "It's for battle wisdom. Knowing you, you'll need it. I hope it keeps you safe on your travels." Y/n stands up, and composes themselves.

"Well, I can see you are wandering towards Roach... where will you go next?"

Geralt took the charm slowly. He didn't trust anything magical. Especially when it came from someone that he had never heard was magical beforehand. Nevertheless, he took the charm and clamped it around the leather holding his hair back.

"There was a monster sighting near Waterwood. The locals regularly use the water for business, so they need me to come clear out whatever monster lies in the river." He gruffly divulged the details of his departure.

"Well... if you ever wish to come back, you know where I am." Y/n skipped off down the stone path to the cottage that sat on the edge of the wood, surrounded in wildflowers and other magical plants.

Geralt grunted before stalking back to Roach, mounting her, and taking off into the night.

______________________________________________________________

Y/N woke to a banging on the wooden front door. The type of banging on hollow wood that gave you chills. Especially after being chased from town for giving Geralt a charm. This specific town doesn't necessarily take too kindly to witches and magic.

The banging lessened to a knock. Y/N quickly extinguishes all the candles before slowly opening the door and hiding in the nook between the wall and the door. Waiting for anyone...

someone...

The person walks in slowly, sword in hand, and eyes seemingly glowing in the dark. The stock build of his shoulder balancing out the slender legs of pure muscle. His footsteps silent, but hers are gone.

Y/N makes no noise as they scampers across the floor of grass and behind a chair. A chair made of engraved wood and hide from a monster, if you can believe it. Absolutely beautiful.

Y/N gently whistled a tune... a tune used when Geralt and them went on a small stroll through the woods. Y/N insisted that it would help Geralt ground himself before the hunt he was about to embark on.

Immediately, he stopped and put the sword away before casting Igni on a candle near him. He carried it to the chair and saw a head of hair peeking out from behind the arm of it. "Y/N?"

"Geralt!" Y/N stands from the crouched position on the ground and goes around to hug Geralt. He accepts it before lighting the fireplace filled with charcoal and adding new wood to keep the old burning.

"Why did you hide? Monsters don't knock. Mages don't bother people in their homes anymore." Geralt was ticking things off a list that might make them be wary of anything.

"Were you... were you scared of me?"

Y/N, who was first scared that Geralt might go on a rage like the one in Blaviken, was now flustered. "Oh no! Oh goodness, no!"

"So why were you skittering around like a mouse, trying to find warmth?"

"I... I was chased out of town..." Y/N can see Geralt tensing, becoming physically angry, "Don't worry about it though! It allows me to become one with nature. I forage all my food now and the butcher is kind, giving slices of meat no one else would want. I have deepened my relationship with magic and peace. I am happy. Don't worry about me."

Geralt was trying to slow his breathing and be rational, staring into the fire. How could they do this to you? You had done nothing but help them, and they turned on you. You had provided them with medicines that don't poison and trinkets that you can only find in the forest.

"Why?"

A simple question that held so much power. The power to anger or calm. The power to cause action or stop it. The power of chaos or peace.

And so, Y/N chose peace.

"I assume they finally decided they didn't like me anymore," Y/N smiled.

"That's a lie. You provided them with medicine. Small villages don't just abandon their healers." Geralt moved, gently pinning Y/N to the monster-leather seat.

"So tell me... why did they do it?"

Y/N looked into his eyes, marveling at how their reflected the flames to look like pools of lava themselves. Y/N knew that their response was too late when he furrowed his brow. Y/N looked down.

"They... they saw me give you that charm..." Geralt quickly got up and leaned against the stone mantle that looked like it had been there forever, made by Gaia herself. A sanctuary for the weak, weary and, what others would call, weird.

"They don't take kindly to magic folk around here, Geralt. It's why I have placed wards around the cottage."

Geralt was surprised. An actual ward? He knew that you liked to do everything yourself, if you could. Wards required mages and you were not a mage.

"A ward?" You nodded, "And who did these wards?"

"I did!"

To him, you sound childish. A person with no real magic was somehow placing wards around their home...

But somehow, the house seems untouched by the outside world. The hurtful one of torches and pitchforks.

"Alright... well, I have a monster hunt nearby. I'll stay here. Just for some extra protection." Geralt announced. There was no turning back or denying him this.

______________________________________________________________

As Geralt was walking out of the cottage that was surprisingly not attacked by townspeople the entire time he was there, Y/N called to him.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nope!" Y/N holds out a small necklace with a complicated charm strung onto it. "Just wanted to give you this."

Geralt gently took it into his hands. "And what does this one do?"

"It's a protection necklace. I know you will inevitably find danger, so this should help keep you on your toes and safe for your also inevitable return," Y/N proudly announces to Geralt as he kept a straight face. He had no real belief this would do anything for him, but he put it into a pouch near his chest.

"Alright. Stay safe, Y/N"

"You as well, Geralt. Blessed be, my friend."

______________________________________________________________

Geralt rode upon the cottage that had a plume of smoke exiting the stone chimney and candlelight coming from the kitchen. It was an exhausting monster hunt and all he wanted to do was rest.

Once he had tied Roach to the small stables that Y/N kept up, he walked to the home. Before Geralt could knock, the door swung open.

"Geralt!" was all that was said before a flurry of greens and browns flooded his sight. He was encompassed with the warmth only you could provide. A hug... something he hasn't felt in a while.

You slide off of him and out of his arms. "How are you, my friend? Why don't you come in?" Y/N opens the door for him to enter and beckon the large man inside your cozy home.

The smell of rosemary and chicken flood his nose. The warm glow of the fire in the living room flickered across the walls and seeped into every crack, spreading the softness that Y/N carried. Geralt walked slowly into the home and sat down on one of the chairs you have. It was soft, like from a castle, but not quite as tall or luxurious looking. He wondered where you got it from.

Over the fire, a soup of chicken, carrots, potatoes, and herbs brewed in a cauldron that seemed to magically hang from the ceiling, even though it was directly under the chimney stack.

"So... how are you, my friend?" Y/N's gentle voice entered Geralt's mind. It's like you were allowing him space to take in the home as he wishes instead of flooding his senses with everything all at once. A nice change of pace of the monster hunter, the White Wolf.

"I am... good. I was surprisingly not hurt on my last hunt. This striga seemed... slower than normal, though..." Geralt contemplated on his latest hunt, mulling it over in his mind, "Must not have been at full strength."

"Would you like some mead?" You offer the Witcher some of your honey wine. A delicacy was not often seen in common households, but you have never been part of the common folk. Plus, you tended to a honey bee hive in a tree near the cottage.

"Why not?" Geralt takes the mug of mead from you as you walk to the cauldron where your stew was done cooking. You ladle the chicken soup into wooden bowls you once bought from a traveling merchant and add a slice of bread to it. It had not been the first time you opened up your home to the infamous White Wolf... and it certainly won't be the last.

"Well, eat up. You are welcome to stay as long as you like." You offer a safe night's sleep before finishing your bowl of soup and putting the bowl in a basket of other dirty plates and bowls. You take the cauldron of soup and take it outside, where you can feed the hungry children of the village. The only people who dare to come near...

Before you can lug the pot of wonderful healing stew outside, Geralt notices. "What are you doing?"

You stop, setting the cauldron on the floor for a rest. "Well... the children of the village have not been eating as much and I feel bad... their parents cast me out, not them. Why should they have to suffer for a choice they had no choice in?" Y/N looks at Geralt in confusion before shaking their head and picking up the cauldron again.

Geralt stands and before you can walk with the heavy pot, he takes it from you. "If they catch ypou doing this... you could be killed."

"I would rather die doing something good than nothing at all." You skip happily besides Geralt as he carries the pot with way less effort than you have to.

As you approach your normal spot to feed the children, you can see the dozens of eyes that hide in the woods. They are scared...

"You have nothing to fear, children. The Witcher will never hurt you."

First, nothing happens, but after a minute, a thin girl walks to you. You kneel, handing her a bowl of the chicken stock. You know this one. This girl has been sick since she came from the womb of her mother, who died during childbirth.

A boy, a bit stockier than he was a month ago, came up to you, slightly avoiding the Witcher's gaze as he also grabbed a bowl from you and started drinking the contents of the soup. You gave him bits of chicken and vegetables, knowing that he won't be full unless the boy has them. He has grown since you first saw him.

One by one, the children gained confidence in you and lost their fear in the monster hunter who was leaning on a tree behind you.

Eventually, you ran out of mouths to feed and food to give, so you grabbed the bowls the children used, put them in the cauldron, and walked home with the pot in hand.

"Well, Geralt, what brings you around this time?"

"Just a reprieve. I needed some... how do you say it... grounding."

You drop the cauldron by the door & clap, "Perfect! I'm going to the well now to grab water. It is chore day. What would you prefer to do?"

As Geralt looked around, he noticed the various plants that were hanging in your window and drying in the sun. And then he noticed the weeds that had begun to grow in your garden.

"Let me grab the water and prepare the pot for another meal," Geralt wanted to take the heaviest thing off you. It would not be too hot weeding the garden considering the time and season.

"I can weed the garden and wash the bowls & cutlery. Fantastic! Make sure to rub the inside of the pot with tallow before hanging it up to dry."

Geralt grunts and walks to the well, buckets in hand.

This is going to be the longest day in a while...

______________________________________________________________

You prep Roach before Geralt is scheduled to take off into the horizon once more.

As you finish getting the saddle tied down, you look around for any peering eyes. Not finding any, you pull out a Rune for speed and chant a small & simple spell before tying said rune to the inside of the saddlebag.

You hurriedly make yourself seem busy by packing his saddlebag with all the necessities, including a jug for water and a fresh loaf of sourdough bread wrapped in some parchment that you covered in beeswax.

Geralt exits the cottage, strapping the last bit of armor down to himself, walking towards you and Roach. Before he can reach you, you walk to Roach's front and say a quick prayer and chant for speed and health. That they may get to wherever they must be, right when they must be there and not a moment too late.

As Geralt approaches, you give him one last hug. And a warning...

"Save the apple bread for when you need it most."

Geralt, understandably confused, watches as you skip towards your cozy home. Before you make it even halfway, the White Wolf shakes his head as a method of clearing it before mounting Roach and taking off into the distance.

______________________________________________________________

You are calmly knitting while waiting for the loaf of bread in the fire to cook when a banging erupts from your door. You are immediately apprehensive, as banging is not usually a good sign anymore.

Before you were chased out of the town banging meant someone was hurt. Also not good, but treatable.

Banging now... that's nothing good.

"Open your door or I will kick it down!" Geralt's gruff voice was muffled by the door, but you could tell he was yelling.

You hurriedly put down your knitting project and let Geralt in. He walks in and turns rather smoothly however quick, effectively shutting the door and trapping you between him and the thick wood the door offered.

"What are you? Are you a sorceress?!" Geralt questioned you with intense yellow eyes. The type of eyes he saved for people who have used him and lied to him.

"No, Geralt... I am not a sorceress. Why do you ask?" You gently take one of his arms down from its tense position leaning against the door to massage his hand in between your fingers. You gently guide him to a chair and sit him down before asking once more...

"What has made you think that I am a sorceress, Geralt?"

He grunts and looks into the dancing flames of the fire that licked the stone and left black soot marks.

"I was faster, stronger... more insightful... Roach rode like the wind and we got exactly where we needed to be just in time, even early. This didn't start happening until you started giving me things. And don't think I didn't notice the rune in my saddlebag. You may be a witch, but you are no sneak. So, what are you?"

A pregnant pause filled the space and time had eaten away at it.

You needed to tell him eventually. Now was as good a time as ever.

"I... You're right. I am a witch. But I am not a sorceress or a mage! I do not dabble in chaos. I am an omnist. I believe in the existence of every god. I also bend and use energy at my will. The thing people call 'Destiny' can be written, but then erased & rewritten. That's what I do. A 'narrow miss' suddenly becomes an 'easy dodge.' I take Destiny... and I manipulate her for my desired outcome. And if my desired outcome just so happens to be a few kids fed and the Savior of the people of the Continent, so be it."

It felt as though the energy had moved from this feeling where something was violently poking and stabbing to try and get out, to absolute stillness.

An eerie calm after a storm.

The sort of calm you feel right before a bomb goes off...

Except...

No bomb went off.

No storm flooded the room.

Geralt could only feel awe.

Not at just your power but how you chose to wield it.

You had the power of Destiny at your disposal, and you chose to help a few kids whose parents banished you from their town.

You had the power of Destiny... eating out of your hands... and you chose to help him...

The last time he felt this... loved... was Yennefer. But even Yennefer's love wasn't baselining love. She was lust. A poor foundation of love.

What is Geralt even thinking?! Love? He couldn't love. No... His path was a lonely, treacherous one.

But it was one many others have joined him on...

Maybe it wasn't as bad as he is thinking...

Maybe...

Just maybe....

A little bit of love is okay.

The White Wolf doesn't howl his praises or paw for attention. All he does is kneel.

Kneel in front of the most powerful, lovely, deadly person he has ever known... and hold them.

"Thank you... for protecting me..."

"Anytime, Geralt."

______________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. If you have any requests, please feel free to ask me. Also, I know I made this one non-binary after editing, and I know what I said before I posted anything. Have a great night! Bye!

[yaralulus-secret-santa]

a sweet treat to carry you to the end of time

a tamlin & lucien halloween ficlet for @yaralulu

(Read on AO3.)

The trees on the borders are a traitorous bunch. For the first half of the year, they sport their brightest greens and share their full-bodied dances in the breeze. In the second half, when the Autumn Solstice passes, they suddenly wilt, like scowling adolescents who have dimmed their own light in favour of browns, reds and golds. They exist both in Spring and Autumn, but belong to neither. When the colours at the border change, Tamlin knows it’s time.

The Seven Courts of Prythian each have their Great Rites—celebrations that are rooted within their lands, but that are celebrated across their peoples. For the Spring Court, the little sprout is very familiar with the Calanmai, a ceremony in which his whole family participates. He’s still too little to join the festivities, which is why the Thinning of the Veil is Tamlin’s most favourite holiday of the year.

He squirms in his mother’s lap as they ride atop a giant white doe. She’s dressed as a naga queen, and the blues of her dress are a perfect match to his father’s deep violet robes. His father, the High Lord of the Spring Court, is dressed as a vampire of the Night Court who looks eerily like the Lord. 

It’s a calculated costume. When the Veil thins, spirits and deities from another world come spilling into theirs for better or for worse. Benevolent beings may leave blessings, looking for testaments of good will, but the tricksters? The tricksters look for prey—for those who overstep invisible boundaries or unspoken expectations to haunt for the next year with mischief. Hence the costumes. A mistake made tonight will have consequences, and to save a year’s worth of irritation, the denizens of Prythian disguise themselves. 

Last year, Tamlin refused to share his pastry with a trickster, but since he was dressed as a rock, he spent the rest of the year giggling when he’d see the trickster exacting petty vengeance on a big old real rock.

This year, he wants to be bold like the rest of his family. He didn’t pick an inanimate object or an animal who are more than capable of dealing with tricksters; he went as his big brother. With his darker blonde hair and play sword strapped to his back, Tamlin looks like a mini-version of him. The only thing ruining his image is having to ride with his mother.

“Mama, I can ride. I’m big now!”

“I know you are, that’s why I’m riding with you.”

“Oh?” This whole time, Tamlin thought he was riding with his mother because she was afraid he would fall. He stops wriggling, straightening upon their great mount. He pets the deer’s flank and encourages her to carry on (despite her already doing that). “I will get you there safely.”

“I am in your debt, Tamlin,” she says kissing the top of his head. 

“I’m not Tamlin today!”

“Oh, yes, you are right. How could I be so blind?”

The royal party enters Autumn territory for the celebrations. Tamlin refuses to be helped down, and he nearly lands on his bum, catching himself. He holds his hands out to help his mother down, despite being too short to reach her. He just looks up and hopes for the best. 

Formal introductions are made, Tamlin’s family presenting themselves with offerings to the Autumn Court. This year, his mother cooked up candy corn with the faeries in their kitchens. As soon as the formalities are over, he pitter-patters across the Forest House’s grounds looking for his best friend. Higher and Lesser Faeries are already out, tempting the Veil by demanding ‘tricks or treats’, daring the fates to dish out their best.

“Look at what we have here!”

“What are you supposed to be? A sentry?”

Auburn haired twins look down at Tamlin, plucking his wooden sword from his back. They toss it between one another.

“Give it back! I’m ‘posed to be my big brother!”

“Hah! Which one?”

“Well, you’re not sniffing at your father’s feet like a bitch in heat, so it can’t be Eachann.”

“You must be Iosaph, then! So useless he might as well be dead!”

“Don’t talk about my brothers like that!”

Tamlin charges them, but they’re bigger and meaner than he is. They break his sword, and pull at his clothes until they tear. They push him in the dirt, but he manages to bite one of them really hard, which only makes them get meaner. One of the twins smacks Tamlin’s face hard enough to draw blood. The little Spring fae doesn’t give up, getting up every time.

“Hey! Leave my friend alone, you ugly worts!” A smaller red-haired boy comes charging at them, and kicks one of his older brothers in the shins. “I’m gonna tell Eris! The other Eris!” He makes sure to clarify, just in case his costume is far too accurate.

Twins make kissy sounds, mocking Lucien for being such a kiss-ass. Lucien doesn’t care, as long as they go away, which they do. He runs to Tamlin’s side and gives him a big, big hug.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” Tamlin sniffles, blood on his lip from a cut and his nose red from definitely-not-almost-crying. “My costume’s ruined.”

Lucien looks over the torn Spring finery and the splinters of his training sword. 

“You can be Eris with me!” The two of them had planned to match costumes; their older brothers are always together, anyway. “We can get one of his coats and sit on each other’s shoulders! Then, it will be really realistic.” They’ll be so tall together!

“No,” Tamlin frowns. “That’s your costume. It’s not gonna be the same.”

“It’s not gonna be the same if we don’t do it together,” Lucien frowns.

They’re the best of friends, and best friends support each other until the end of time. An idea pops into Lucien’s clever little mind. He grins and takes Tamlin’s hand, pulling him to the separate little house where the Forest House staff cleans their linens. He finds his most favourite servant, and politely asks for a white sheet, but not a good one. An old raggedy one would be best!

“What are you doing?” Tamlin asks curiously.

“I’m playing the best trick of all time!”

Lucien gets the sheet and pulls it over them. He rubs his hands until they get really warm, and then pokes four holes, one for each of their eyes so they can see.

“Look! We’re best friend ghosts. The tricksters won’t get us because we’re stronger together!”

Tamlin’s eyes get wide as saucers, like a happy and amazed kitten. He never fails to be in complete awe of his best friend’s cleverness. “Whoa!”

A gentle flush colours his features as Lucien takes his hand and pulls him along. Their shared costume is bound to earn them many treats.

“We’re gonna be best friends forever, okay?” Lucien grins at Tamlin. Under the sheet, they’re in their private little world, just like in their treehouse or their fort.

“For ever and ever!”

And that’s a promise.

[bigball-thefrog]

The Mighty Sand Dragon And The Maiden:Crocodile X Reader pt3

______________________________

Pt1 Pt2

The third and final part of the dragon Crocodile series. This was probably one of my favorite things to write. I hope everyone enjoys it and I'll be back again next week

Warnings/Tags:

Fluff

Mentions of blood and injuries

Mentions of cauterization

Fantasy AU

______________________________

Reader POV

It had been a year since I first fought Crocodile and I have been training hard to finally take him down. I have been thinking about our previous fights to try and think of what his weakness could be and I think I might have figured it out. It must be water! Because of his powers as the sand dragon, he can turn into sand, and water makes sand clump together and makes it harder for the sand to move around so freely like it does when the wind blows! It must be he weakness as well. So for my journey I packed my usual supplies but this time I also kept a secret bottle of water under my clothes so I could catch him off guard.

I made it to the entrance of his cave and put my bags down, gripping my sword and keeping the bottle of water strapped to my leg I walked closer. I was about to call out for him when I heard sounds of a struggle coming from inside the cave. I put away my sword and walked inside. Not too far from the entrance I saw Crocodile on the ground, bloodied and bruised, and a knight standing in front of him. I walked closer and spoke up, "What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted at the knight. He was startled with my sudden presence behind him but spoke, "Ah, young maiden. I am just slaying this dragon that has put you under his spell!" "Spell?! What spell??" "Oh, you poor thing. Everyone in town has noticed your disappearances every couple of months and everyone has noticed that you always leave in the direction of the Sand Dragons cave. So you must've been put under his evil spell and for he past year, have been forced to do his evil bidding!" "BULLSHIT!!! I'VE BEEN COMING HERE TO DEFEAT THE DRAGON MYSELF BECAUSE I WANT TO CHANGE MY OWN DESTINY OF BEING A POOR HELPLESS MAIDEN!!!" The knight was shocked at my reason for coming here. He then started laughing right in my face, "That is hilarious! See, you are clearly under the dragons spell, no maiden has the strength to defeat a dragon!~ Worry not maiden, I shall defeat the dragon and escorts you back home safely, maybe you can even reward this handsome knight by being my little bride~" The knight winked at me and held up his sword to deliver the final blow to Crocodile. Quickly taking out my sword, I got in front of him and blocked his attack. The knight looked shocked again and became frustrated, "Stand down maiden, stop defending this evil creature and let me kill it!" "No! This is my destiny and I am not going to let you take it away from me!" "This behavior is traitorous! I'll have you executed with this dragon!"

Crocodile POV:

I layed on the ground, holding my wounds as I watched the maiden take on the knight. They are a brave one for risking being a traitor to their kingdom just to kill me. Something in me felt uneasy seeing them in a serious battle this time, all the times I fought them I just did it to amuse myself, but now this was an actual battle, one that could end in their death. I didn't like the fact they could die but the pain from my own injuries prevented me from getting up and helping. But then that damm knight raised his sword and slashed them across the face, and that made me see red...

Seeing the maiden fall to the ground and crying out as they held their bleeding face gave me a burst of rage fueld adrenaline, I got up and growled. Sand surrounded me and I transformed back into my dragon form. Once the sand disappeared I roared loudly and caused the ground to shake, the knight fell and looked up at me in fear. He didn't even have time to gain his confidence back before I stood on him and crushed the lower half of his body. He screamed in pain but I didn't move, I began to use my powers to suck every last drop of moisture out of his body. His body slowly began to shrivel up, all the moisture in his body gone like rain on the dessert sand. Within a matter of seconds his body was nothing but a husk and armor, I stood over him and this time I completely crushed him, when I moved my hand there was nothing but dust, I bent down and huffed and the knight was gone...

I looked back at the maiden, still bleeding and my face softened a little and I turned to them. I transformed back to my human form and knelt down next to them, I used my hand to hold them up and wiped their little tears away with my thumb. I looked down at the injury and smirked a little, a scar right across the face, just like mine.... Hearing their soft cries of pain snapped me out of my thoughts and made me start to think of how I could help, I looked at my hook and got an idea. I brought the hook up to my face and gently began to blow fire on it to heat it up. Once it was red I looked back at the maiden, "I'm gonna help, but it's going to hurt like hell, do you promise to try and keep still while I stop the bleeding?" the maiden nodded and gripped onto my arm for support. I carefully placed the tip of the red hot hook on the cut and started to cauterize the cut. They screamed and cried more but thankfully didn't move much as I continued to stop the bleeding. I managed to stop the bleeding on her face and removed the hook. They stopped crying and was just breathing heavily now. Seeing them no longer injured I let out a sigh of exaust and collapsed next to them.

Reader POV

My eyes widened when I saw Crocodile collapse next to me, they look exhausted and were still injured as well, if he didn't receive any medical attention soon he might die. Remembering my supplies I brought I quickly ran out the cave to grab my bag. I kneeled back down next to him and got out all the medical supplies I brought. I took the water bottle out from under my clothes and used a towel to clean him, ironic that I brought this extra water to kill him and am now using it to save his life. After cleaning him I took out a needle and thread, disinfecting ointment and began stitching up what I could. He grunted, feeling the needle piercing his skin and looked up at me, "What on earth are you doing? Isn't this what you wanted? For me to die.." "Well yes but I wanted to kill you myself remember? I didn't want some stupid knight to do it... So I'm saving you know so I can kill you properly later.." He chuckled and leaned his head back to try and relax while I stitched him up. "Thank you... For rescuing me from that knight." "No problem. He had no right to injure a maiden such as yourself.." I smiled a little and spoke again, "Kind of ironic that it was the dragon that saved me and not the knight." we both chuckled and went quiet again. After patching him up he sat up again and we just stared at each other, eventually I got the courage to ask a question I've always wanted to ask, "Why is it that dragons always kidnap maidens? And they usually come back unharmed, even after days of being with the dragon, why is that?" Crocodile pondered for a second then sighed, "Truthfully, we're lonely. Creatures are scared of us in our dragon form, and in our human form we're still fear because of the wings and tail. Other dragons are assholes and we don't get along with each other.. We're usually just looking for a companion that won't leave us... That's why we go after maidens because they're usually described as kind and loving creatures..." my heart went soft and I got closer to him, "How come you haven't taken a maiden? Aren't you lonely?" He scowled, "I don't need a companion. I've learned to not let people come close to my heart..." I frowned and looked down, "How about I stay with you?" He looked at me confused and was about to say something but I cut him off, "I stay here and train to fight you and you don't have to worry about getting close to someone because you already have a heads up that we're going to fight. That way you know not to get attached and you have some company!" Crocodile looked at me still skeptical so I added in, "Also, if I go back home without the knight, I'll probably be executed so you're stuck with me." He rolled his eyes and sighed before muttering out, "fine..." I raised my hand to shake his and he gripped my hand tightly and shook it, "You have now officially been taken by the dragon, it is now your duty to set yourself free from my clutches or else you'll be mine for the rest of your life, deal?" He asked. I nodded, "Deal!"

And so started my new life with the dragon I was going to kill..

______________________________

I'll post next week and to those that have made requests I'll get you next week probably but I promise you I will write your request and post it, it just may be a week or two before I get to it. I love you all and see you next week

Kelly🐸

[cosmerelists]

Cosmere Characters: What Kind of Drunks They Are

In honor (?) of New Year's Eve, here's what I think Cosmere characters are like when they get really drunk.

1. Adolin: An Affectionate Drunk

I think Adolin's Evi-side comes out way more when he's drunk, and that he allows himself to be way more touchy-feely than Alethi sensibilities usually allow.

Adolin: And a hug for YOU and a hug for YOU and an extra big hug for YOU and--oh! no hug for you? Okay! Air hug for YOU and then a hug for YOU... Kaladin: Does he really have to do this EVERY time it's time to leave the bar? Shallan: He just doesn't want anyone to feel left out.

2. Elhokar: A Weepy Drunk

I mean...this one is lowkey canon, right?

Elhokar: And THEN after beating me up to PROVE that all of my guards love HIM more, he told me he was DATING my MOTHER Elhokar: [sobbing into his wine] Bartender, definitely not getting paid enough: That, uh, rough, buddy?

3. Siri: A Silly Drunk

I believe that the more Siri drinks, the sillier she gets.

Siri: Vivenna, Vivenna, look! Look! Siri: I'm wearing this napkin as a HAT! Vivenna (expressionless): How zany and fun. Siri: Ha, ha, I know, right?!

4. Vivenna: A Sensible Drunk

I like to think Vivenna DOES relax if she's drunk, but not once does she lose her sense of responsibility.

Vivenna: Ah, ah, ahh! No more wine for you until you drink this glass of water, mister! Vivenna (leaning in, whispering to the bartender): Maybe make this next vodka soda a little light, eh? Siri definitely won't notice. Vivenna: Everybody has enough snacks, right?

5. Kelsier: A Jolly Drunk

When sober, Kelsier forces himself to smile so that the Lord Ruler doesn't win. When drunk, I think he works extra hard to make sure he is smiling, and the result is a sort of unhinged jocularity.

Kelsier: Marsh, lighten up! It's a party and you're scowling into your whiskey like it stole your horse! Marsh: I have to balance out your increasingly unhinged rictus smile, brother. Kelsier: ... Marsh: ... Kelsier: Think our expressions are way nobody is coming near us? Marsh: Are we bad at parties?

6. Yumi: A Wild Drunk

Yumi is so bottled up all the time, that if she let herself go, I think she'd go wild. But, like, "wild" as she would define it.

Yumi: [giggling to herself] Painter: What's so funny? Yumi: Nikaro! I just made myself this drink, and guess what? Guess what?? Yumi: I only stirred it with FOUR of the ceremonial spoons, not five! Yumi: I'm totally out of control! Painter: There are ceremonial spoons?!

7. Veil: A Competitive Drunk

I know we see what Veil is like when drinking in canon. But this is canon in my heart.

Veil: Rock! Get over here! I wanna beat you at arm wrestling!

8. Szeth: A Creepy Drunk

The big talking sword strapped to his back probably doesn't help.

Adolin: Hey, Kaladin, any idea why my father's bodyguard is sitting in the corner staring unblinking into the crowd? Adolin: Is he, like, choosing someone to kill? Kaladin: Don't worry. I have my eye on him. Kaladin: Syl is ready, just in case. Szeth (in his head): Dalinar will be so proud of me for making consistent eye contact at this party, just like he told me too. Szeth: (in his head): I hope nobody can tell I'm drunk.

[anime-chick]

YYH live action - disappointments and highlights!

disappointments:

off the bat - it's five episodes and the pacing and storylines are squished, but you just have to accept these limitations and embrace this for what it is - MOVING ON

the music - it was generic and had some weird choices and overall didn't feel very cohesive?

hiei's zoomies - the sound effect when he's going fast is a bit cartoony in a bad way

3 times the cgi was noticeably iffy: genkai's younger face, when yusuke and kurama went into the mirror of forlorn hope, the blooms coming out of karasu

skipping over hiei and kurama's backgrounds - this is what made me think this series is more for yyh fan than anyone else, at the very least i would think there would be some exposition about youko kurama or hiei being a thief

bui - he was flat and really just there for hiei to show off his dragon (which isnt a bad reason! but in comparison to karasu, he didn't have much of a personality, even after taking off his armor)

highlights:

fucking everything i loved it askldjhsdfg

SMILE BOMB!!!!

but really - kuwabara's introduction, yusuke's flying drop kick, it perfectly captured their dynamic

kuwabara in general, he was everything i hoped he'd be

the costuming: while there wasn't as much variety in what yusuke and co. wore, there were lots of details that made everyone's clothes stand out (the chains and lining on kuwabara's uniform, yusuke's cropped uniform top, everything hiei wore to the buckled strap for his sword in the back, kurama's magenta uniform with the gold lining that IS NOT his school uniform but just - something he wears i guess?? which makes it even more insane and i love that)

THE FIGHT SCENES, they put so much effort into each fight and you can tell and it makes the show stand out SO MUCH in comparison to other live action adaptations

the way they, despite having to condense so much of the story, managed to tell a very interesting and entertaining twist to the story without losing too much

hiei and kuwabara arguing - hiei going out of his way to tell kuwabara to get away from yukina <- i'm still laughing

speaking of - THE HUMOR, it was serious! it was funny! it did a great job of balancing out the two

the dynamic of the group is just like in the anime/manga (though we didn't get as much of them interacting as i'd like, we got some and i enjoyed every bit of it!)

karasu. he was creepy. he was gay. his eyeliner was sharp. his attacks looked awesome. his fight lived up to his anime counterpart

the toguro brothers. while we didn't get as much of a lead up, they were perfect. older toguro was straight out of a horror movie. younger toguro managed to be complex and not just a big muscular villain. there was depth to him that felt very authentic.

hiei diving off the tower, i really enjoyed seeing his demonic abilities on display (though where were his fire powers???)

YOUKO KURAMA. i was so worried he'd look terrible in live action but he was just pretty and fluffy and aslkdjhsdfg

hiei and yukina's reunion. awkward. sincere. sweet. sad. the fact that hiei was surprised yukina even spoke to him. i wanna squish the two of them

everyone was beat to hell, their clothes were crunchy and gritty and i like that no one was left 'pristine' like in so many other shows - these boys got nasty

everything honestly just everything i watched the entire five episodes grinning and having a blast

controversial opinion:

i like kurama's wig. i said it. yeah. i do.

[inkedmoth]

Favourite Weather

For Anon, who requested a one-shot of an innkeeper's daughter unwilling to let Boromir continue through the storm. But oops! There's only one room left... Hers. I spent far too long dithering on how far to push the spice, so we have a fade to black to be safe! Hope you enjoy it!

Torrential rain was Eathril’s favourite weather, not only did the steady drumming of rain upon the roof tiles drown out any rowdiness from the common room, but it also covered the sounds from the rooms of the inn, be it snoring or other noises. Rain was calming, it was soothing, and it meant that the inn was utterly filled to capacity, therefore the lockbox would also be full, and they’d be able to eat come winter.

But a storm like this, meant the Silver Stallion Tavern wasn’t just full, but fit to burst.

Already every room in the building had been sold off, the summer traders having gotten in quick and some even doubling up, then the following travellers and merchants had to make do with bedding down in any free corner of the common room or the leaky stables. This late at night, there was scarcely any room to walk, let alone sleep.

Which meant when the room to the inn was flung open as a gust of wind and a figure bullied their way inside, more than a few disgruntled voices rose in protest.

Thankfully the door didn’t remain open for long.

Having almost been finished cleaning up behind the bar, Eathril bit back a sigh of frustration at the sight of water being dripped all over the floor, as the rather tall figure carefully made their way towards her. But she stood up straight, set aside her cleaning rags, and fixed a pleasant if forced smile upon her face.

It was late, she wanted to sleep, and then this hulking great brick outhouse of a man just let half a river and several trees worth of leaves into the common room. The common room she’d only just finished sweeping. Ugh.

“Can I help you?” she asked, through slightly gritted teeth.

“Apologies for the mess.”

Eathril blinked. Those weren’t the words she’d expected to hear, let alone what followed next.

“If you have a brush, I’ll clear it up.” The cloaked and hooded figure was saying, looking back over their shoulder towards the wet trail of dirt and muck. “Since it’s my fault I’ve dirtied your floors, the weather is rather vicious out there…”

She was staring. It wasn’t polite.

He –judging by the voice she was fairly certain it was a he– was tall, having to mind his head least he get clipped by a rafter. Broad too, with a heavy pack on one shoulder, a great round shield strapped to it that looked Rohirric in design, and a long sword at his belt. But beyond that, she couldn’t make out much.

He didn’t seem to be wearing armour like a solider, was he a mercenary? They often meant trouble, and trouble was the last thing she and her father needed with a crowded inn and irritable patrons having to kip on the floor.

Whoever he was, he turned to her, reaching up, and pulling his hood back. Dark hair plastered to his face, a short well-kept beard, and grey eyes with laughter lines at their corners. A gloved hand dragged through his hair, slicking it back out of his face.

He was, admittedly, rather handsome for a mercenary…

“Miss?”

Oh shit she’d been staring she should say something.

“No.” Well that was eloquent. “I mean I’ll clear it up in the morning,” she hastened to add. And then braced for what she had to say next. “But if you’re here for rooms we’re all sold out.”

Judging by the way his broad shoulders dropped in defeat, it had come out a little blunt.

“Ah, I should have guessed,” he said, with a rueful smile that made his grey eyes crinkle pleasantly, “the roads are empty from here to Gondor, as are the streets. I’m not surprised everyone has sought out shelter.”

He… he wasn’t pissed? Annoyed? Upset that there was no room left?

Eathril reassessed her earlier thought of him being a mercenary. He was armed, but so were most men in this region. Was he just a traveller? Although… now his hood was down she could see the collar of his tunic, a rich red satin with gold embroidery. Not a mercenary, or a solider… maybe a lord?

“Is there any chance of a hot meal? Or just a hot drink?” he was asking.

Good grief she needed to stop staring.

“The chefs finished up for the night, but we’ve got some cider warming and I can see about finding some cold cuts if you’d like?” she offered cautiously.

“That would be wonderful, thank you…?”

“Eathril.”

“Thank you, Miss Eathril.”

Gesturing to a barstool for him to settle, she passed him a dry cloth for his hair and face, before setting about finding a mug and plate for him. If he’d been a dick, she’d have quickly turned him away. But no, this possible Lord was surprisingly polite, so since he wasn’t able to stay, the least she could do was feed him and get him something warm to drink. She didn’t know many Lords that would be willing to sweep the floor…

Then again she didn’t know many Lords at all.

“Here you go,” she said upon her return, a tankard of steaming cider, and a plate with the last rolls of bread, several slices of chicken, a few cold roast potatoes, a hunk of cheese, and a slightly bruised apple. “I’m sorry it’s not much.”

“It’s more than enough, thank you Eathril.”

Oh well now she was feeling guilty.

Especially as he tucked into the scant meal as though it was the first food he’d eaten in days. Maybe it was, it had been raining near constantly for the past three, if he’d been caught in the deluge then perhaps he had ridden through it in a bid to find shelter.

Only to find that the inn was full.

And not complained.

Well shit now she really felt guilty…

“Is it just you running this place?” he asked, apparently having noted her watchful gaze.

“No, my da owns it, while I do the accounts and help run the bar,” she replied, moving closer to lean upon the countertop while he ate. “Have you travelled far?”

“From Minas Tirith.”

That was a solid four-day ride east, which meant he probably had ridden through the storm.

“Do you live there?” She already knew the answer to that, could tell by the finery of his clothing, but it was politer to ask than assume. “Are you a lord?”

“I do and I am,” he replied with an amused smile, and then held out a hand to her. “Lord Boromir, at your service.”

Amused, Eathril set her hand in his to shake, and then blinked owlishly as he bowed over her hand. It looked a little ridiculous, considering he was sat down and still had a good foot of height on her, but the intention was there regardless.

She wasn’t a doe-eyed teenager, but she could feel her cheeks burning at that simple gesture.

“You’re more polite than most the Gondorian Lords we get round here.”

The words were blurted in a bid to cover up her flustered reaction, but it was too late to take it back, as Lord Boromir’s brows shot towards his hairline. For a heart-stopping moment, Eathril feared she’d just insulted the man, but then he grinned, a smile so broad and bright it shifted his face from noble to almost… boyish.

“Well I’m both glad and disappointed to hear that,” he replied, finishing his meal and neatly stacking the knife and fork to one side, before wrapping his hands about the warm mug of cider. “Any names you can think of? I can always punish them once I’m back home.”

Alarmed noise rose in her throat, eyes flying wide at the thought.

But then Boromir chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that had Eathril’s stomach flipping. “I jest my Lady—”

“Lady?” she interrupted incredulously.

Ladies of Gondor were tall, elegant, beautiful, sophisticated, with stunning dresses, polite airs and graces, and skilled in conversation, dance, and the arts. She, on the other hand, was a barmaid, too stocky and well-built for her own tastes, and more than a little scuffed up and sweaty from the life of labour, wearing homespun clothing that had been patched one too many times. The one thing she was proud of, her long black hair, was nearly always dragged into a tight bun for practicality’s sakes. No, she wasn’t a Lady, no matter what he might say.

“What part of me makes you think I’m a Lady?”

“All of you.”

The sincerity of his words had Eathril’s mind going blank, staring at him in outright surprise and no small amount of doubt. Another blush was rising to her cheeks, unable to prevent her confused stare at the Lord sat at her bar.

“I’ve made you uncomfortable, forgive me,” Boromir apologised, taking an awkward sip of the warmed cider, as though he needed to give his hands and mouth something to do.

She wasn’t uncomfortable, not really. But watching his hands absently turn the mug, tracing the old engraving across its surface, Eathril found herself wondering what they were like without the gloves. Calloused from years of battle? Scared? Warm? Cold? She wasn’t uncomfortable… and she wouldn’t be complaining if he flirted some more.

 “It’s fine,” she managed to say, voice slightly more breathless than intended. Clearing her throat, Eathril straightened up, gathering his empty plate, intending to return it to the kitchen. “I’m just not used to… compliments.”

“Really?”

Lord Boromir sounded so perplexed by that, that she hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at him from the kitchen door. It wasn’t just his words, even his expression was confused, as though she’d posed him a riddle and demanded an answer. With an amused huff, she’d left him to it, let him wonder, let him puzzle it out.

Stepping into the kitchen, the door swung shut behind her, and Eathril let out a pent-up breath.

Maybe he had an ulterior motive, maybe he was just trying to get into her bed, maybe he was trying to get a free meal and drinks. It didn’t matter, she might not be accustomed to compliments, but that didn’t mean she was oblivious to the manipulation tactics of men. Especially soggy men who were hoping for a soft bed and possibly some company too.

Scraping the remains of food into the waste bucket, she left the plate alongside the sink, she’d see if he needed a refill, and then clean up and turn in for the night.

Stepping back out into the common room, Eathril froze.

The barstool was empty.

Except for two gold set alongside the now empty tankard. Enough for a room, and certainly far more than the meal and drink had been worth.

Had he left?

Shit. He thought she was uncomfortable with his flirting and had decided a fucking rainstorm was the better option? Was he going to sleep in the stables or was he going to keep riding and brave the elements? Was he insane?

Probably.

Which made Eathril utterly batshit crazy when she snatched up a cloak and bolted after him.

The full force of the storm slammed into her the second she made it outside, and the cloak hastily flung about her shoulders was rendered pointless immediately. Rain sleeted into her face, soaking her hair, her clothes, her skin. It felt like she was drowning on dry land.

One hand thrown up to try and shield her eyes, Eathril staggered to the stables, and ducked inside. It was noisy, it was leaking, but at least she could open her eyes, even if she couldn’t hear that well.

“Eathril?”

Thank the Valar he’d not left yet.

“I lied,” she blurted, earning an utterly bewildered look from the Lord in the midst of saddling his horse. Yes apparently the lunatic was planning to keep riding. “There is a room, we, we keep one in reserve for visiting dignitaries.”

A slight lie, since if she knew her Gondorian Lords, Boromir was that dignitary.

For a moment he didn’t move, remaining alongside his large mare, one hand on its mane the other on the leather saddle. But his eyes were very much on her. What must she look like? Shivering, soaked through, stood in the middle of the stables all but begging him not to ride out in the storm.

“You can’t ride out in this, the storm’ll kill you off,” she tried instead.

“It would take more than some rain to kill m—”

As though answering the challenge in his voice, a crack of thunder sounded, rattling the walls of the stable. Eathril jumped, a startled noise leaving her throat, and even Lord Boromir cursed, his horse tossing its head in alarm.

“Please, just, come back inside!”

“Alright, alright,” he relented, “one moment.”

It didn’t take long for him to unsaddle the mare, and even less time to lead her back into the stall and fling a blanket across her back. That done, he gathered up his pack, and joined Eathril at the entrance to the stables. For a moment, the pair watched as the rain moved in clear ripples and waves, the path between the stables and the inn turned into a quagmire. It was a miracle she’d made it to the stables without slipping and breaking her neck.

With a glance up at him, Eathril dragged her cloak tighter about her shoulders, and lead the way.

For all of two steps.

The wind and rain slammed into her, forcing her back a step, almost losing her balance. It was only the broad arm of Boromir hooking about her shoulders that prevented Eathril from taking a nasty tumble. He said something, voice snatched away by the wind, but she found herself tucked against his side, and the pair made it back towards the inn.

It was shockingly quiet once the door shut.

“T-this way,” she chattered, leading him towards a corridor.

On route, she snatched a pair of rough blankets from the storage cupboard, blindly passing one to the Lord following in her footsteps, and wiping at her own face. The spare room wasn’t upstairs with those of the other patrons, but tucked behind the kitchens, utilising the lingering warmth of the hearth. It was smaller, cosy, but the bed was comfortable and there were thick blankets.

Stepping inside, Eathril was quick to move across the room and pull the little lead paned window closed, and the sound of the thunderstorm dropped from a loud roar to a dull hum.

“It-it’s not much, but it’s a room,” she managed to say, beginning to sort the blankets heaped upon the bed, and trying not to drip too much water as she did so.

“This is your room, isn’t it?”

The quiet comment had Eathril pausing in surprise, looking over from where she was turning down the bed, and finding the tall Lord inspecting the shelves by the door. A couple of books, a few nicknacks, gifts from family and friends, dried flowers, and even a few trinkets from traders of distant lands. Boromir was careful to look, but not touch, which she appreciated.

But he’d caught her lie, knew that this room wasn’t reserved for dignitaries.

“It is,” she admitted, turning back to the bed, “w-we’re out of regular rooms, father’s already given up his to a horse trader from Rohan, so now it’s my turn.”

“And where will you sleep…?”

“The kitchens hearth will still be warm,” Eathril answered, turning away from the bed.

“No, no, you remain here, my Lady,” he countered, and picked up the bag he’d set down. “I must insist that you take the bed, I’ll take the kitchens.”

“You’ve already paid good gold for the room, and the bed.”

“I’d rather lose the gold than sleep in your bed while knowing you were uncomfortable.”

Oh.

Oh he was good.

Eathril breathed a laugh shaking her head in mock disbelief.

“I’m insisting you t-take the bed, you’re insisting I take the bed,” she murmured, “both of us are too stubborn to consider the ra-rather obvious solution.”

“And what would that be, my Lady?” he asked, pack now resting on his shoulder, looking fully prepared to head back out into the storm once again, no matter how dangerous it would be. “As far as I’m concerned the answer is clear, you’ll take the bed and I’ll—”

“Join me.”

Whatever Lord Boromir had been intending to say was silenced instantly with a click of teeth. Staring at her once more in confusion and shock, like she was a foe or opponent, he scanned her face for any misgivings, sought out any signs of distrust, of unwillingness.

Arms wrapped about herself to stave of the chill, she met his gaze levelly, watching as he blinked and then gave a low huff of surprise, shaking his head ruefully. Had she crossed a line? She wasn’t quite throwing herself at him, but it made sense to share if they were both so insistent.

“Are you sure, Lady Eathril?”

“I am.”

Apparently the fact she didn’t hesitate or have to reconsider, was surprising, as his brows rose briefly, but was quickly schooled. His head tilted, as though considering her anew, eyes roving across her face before dropping to her soaked clothing.

“Then I’ll see if any of my clothing survived the storm,” Lord Boromir relented, and unbuckled his pack. “And give you a moment to get changed.”

It didn’t take long for him to pull free a shirt and pair of breeches which were mostly dry, at which point he stepped from the room.

And Eathril tried not to exhale explosively.

Valar what had gotten into her, offering a Lord her own room and then suggesting they shared. Good grief was she really deluding herself that he had been flirting?

No, no if he’d been flirting, he’d have not resisted so strongly to sharing her bed, nor would he have stepped out of the room while she changed, or any number of things that he could have used to get closer to her or approach her or, or, or…

Okay maybe she was deluding herself.

Or he was being polite.

Shoving any more salacious thoughts from her mind, Eathril was quick to dry off the best she could. Her hair was damp against her back, but she’d need to leave it loose to dry quicker, and while a braid would have been more appropriate, her scalp felt tight after wearing a bun all day. Changed into one of her nightgowns, she threw a thick shawl about her shoulders in a bid to stave off the chill air, with minimal success.

A light knock at the door had her stomach flipping.

Squashing down that reaction, Eathril opened the door and immediately struggled to keep her eyes on his face.

Lord Boromir was tall, he was broad, he was well built, and that white undershirt was leaving very little to the imagination. Her scandalous thoughts became considerably harder to ignore when his chest was on a level with her eyes, and the dampness of his hair and body had it sticking to his skin in the most interesting of ways.

As the Lord stepped into the room her bed chamber abruptly felt cramped, not cosy. Like there wasn’t enough room, there wasn’t enough space between them. The bed shoved into the corner beneath the window didn’t look large enough anymore. Lord Boromir was tall, his feet were bound to hang off the end of the bed, Valar why did she think this was a good idea.

“I’ll take the window side, if that’s amenable to you?” Boromir offered, lifting a hand to slick his still damp hair back from his face.

The motion drew her eyes to the shift of his muscles.

With a thick swallow, Eathril dragged her eyes to his face, considering his offer. It would mean she’d take the side of the bed closest to the door, which meant she’d be able to leave without having to clamber across the bed, which meant she wasn’t trapped between the wall and this brick outhouse of a man. A surprisingly touching gesture.

“Th-that would be g-good.”

At her stammering, Boromir’s attention landed squarely on her face, brows furrowing in concern.

“You’re shivering,” his voice sounded shockingly loud in the quiet of her room, even with the rain pelting against the glass window.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re shaking, I can see it,” he repeated, “I’ll bring you some cider.”

He turned towards the door and Eathril moved, putting a hand up to stop him, her palm landing squarely against his chest. There was a sharp inhale from him, but she applied pressure, and he stilled, staring down at her.

“I’m fine,” she repeated stubbornly. “T-the bed’ll warm up soon enough.”

He was the guest, if she needed a warming drink, she could get it herself, but right now the bed was far warmer than her room and her room was far warmer than the corridor. She had little intention of leaving it. She would warm up. It would be fine. She just had to wait for the shivers to subside. It would be fine.

A broad hand landed on hers, and with a jolt Eathril realised she’d not removed her hand from his chest.

Valar he was warm. The sheer heat radiating from his chest, from his hand, from his body, was enviable. Apparently noticing how cold her hand was, Boromir took her hands between his and lightly rubbing, breathing into his cupped palms, the heat of his breath tingling across her skin.

It was a kind gesture, but also incredibly… intimate.

A shaky exhale left her lips, and Boromir’s deep grey eyes glanced to her in concern.

“Come here.”

“What?” Her voice was little more than a strangled whisper. “Why?”

“Come, here,” he ordered, and gently pulled her hand.

It was far too easy to obey, too easy to step towards him, too easy to allow herself to be drawn into his warmth. One moment Eathril was trying to keep her distance, the next she’d all but plastered herself to his chest. Head tucking under his chin, face pressed against his collarbones, hands bundling into fists and gripping his shirt.

It was soothing, he was warm, it felt… safe.

Which was ridiculous really, considering he was a total stranger she’d invited into her bedroom on a whim, but at this point she didn’t care.

It would have been embarrassing how she clung to him, if it wasn’t for the fact his own arms had wrapped about her, gently running through her long black hair and moving the damp lengths from her back. His hands smoothed across her shoulder blades, skating up and down her back, gently rubbing warmth into her, the rough skin of his hands snagging lightly on her nightgown.

What would his hands feel like on her skin?

The thought was so unexpected, that a slight jolt ran through Eathril’s body.

Immediately Boromir froze, hands still resting on her back, but ceasing in their path. She didn’t want him to stop, didn’t want his hands to leave her back, didn’t want him to move away or put distance between them.

“Are you alright?” he asked, breath ghosting across the crown of her head.

“Y-eah.”

Fuck, that wasn’t convincing.

“Just cold, but th-this helps,” she forced herself to add, in the hopes his hands would resume their path. To her relief, they swept down her spine again, the motion was enough to have Eathril sighing.

“I’m sorry I can’t do more to warm you.”

“You could.”

The words slipped out without conscious thought, and once again Boromir’s hands froze, as did his breathing, it was only the drumming of his heart against her cheek that told her he was still alive. That was a little concerning.

“Do you want me to get the cider?”

The hoarse offer suggested he was oblivious, or perhaps polite, although Eathril was willing to bet a hefty sum of gold on the later.

“No.”

“Then what do you need?” he asked, voice dropping to a low rumble that made her own body buzz in delight. “What do you want, Eathril? Tell me…”

Nervously licking her lips, Eathril splayed her hands across his chest, feeling the beat of his heart, how his chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, how the heat warmed her skin even through his undershirt. She lifted her head, so close to his own face, that their noses grazed, the dark grey of his eyes all but filling her vision.

“You,” she breathed.

There was a surprised inhale, and then shaky exhale, his breath feathering across her skin, scented with the cider she’d given him. Would she be able to taste it if she kissed him?

“Eathril.” Her name was little more than a whisper against her skin. “You don’t have to…”

“I want to.”

Her hands skated over the planes of his torso, fingertips dragging across the stubble at his throat, as she closed the gap between them. His lips were soft and warm beneath her own, hesitant and restrained, gently brushing, cautious and careful.

There was a low groan in his throat.

And then his hands resting against her back increased in pressure, fingers all but digging into her softness, pulling her flush to his chest. Lips moving against his, a thrill running through her body as she felt how eagerly he responded. One of his hands was in her hair, gently tilting her head to a better angle, the other digging into the soft curves of her waist.

There was a soft brush of his tongue across her lower lip, but Eathril didn’t hesitate to respond in parting them. The heat of his mouth was almost overwhelming, the teasing flicks and caresses of his tongue against hers, encouraging her to join, coaxing her to play. She could taste the cider, she could taste him, she wanted more. Hands sliding into his hair, she dragged her short nails across his scalp, and was rewarded with the most delicious groan against her tongue.

He stepped back, and she more than willingly followed, another step, a third, on the fourth, his legs hit something, and the man in her grasp toppled backwards.

Pulled along with his fall, a surprised yelp was pulled from her throat, which became a startled whoof of air as she landed on his chest. Pushing herself up slightly, Eathril found herself… straddling his hips, hands planted in her mattress, staring down at Lord Boromir sprawled on her bed.

That was a little unexpected.

But not unwelcome.

Boromir was panting heavily against her lips, his hands kneading at her flesh, his body pressed against hers. Eathril wanted more, wanted him, needed him. Why did he stop, did he want to stop, why was he stopping—

“Eathril,” Boromir panted, “Eathril, are you sure? You don’t, you don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

The eagerness of her response wasn’t lost on him, she caught a brief glimpse of a smile pulling at his lips, before his mouth claimed hers once again.

What she didn’t expect, was for his broad hand to drag lower, fingers kneading at her waist, her hip, her ass, her thigh. Each curl of his fingers, each possessive grip dragging a quiet gasp, a whine, a huff from her.

His hand hooked behind her knee and then he rolled towards her.

A startled gasp left her lips, but was quickly soothed away by a myriad of fleeting kisses. The weight of his chest against hers, the feeling of his hips settled between her thighs, the instinctive need to hook her ankles about his waist. It felt like she was burning up, any lingering shivers and chills chased away by the Lord between her legs.

“Valar, you’re stunning.” It felt like she was underwater, his voice muffled as his lips pressed to the soft skin just beneath her ear. “Beautiful.”

“Y-you don’t, have to say that,” she protested, all but panting against him. “You don’t have to lie.”

Lord Boromir froze, growing tense against her, his head lifted from her throat, staring at her with such a heated look, that something tightened about her chest. Pupils blown wide, lips bruised, hair dishevelled from her hands running through it, he looked wild.

He also looked utterly bewildered.

“Lie?” The word was said so incredulously that Eathril winced. “Why would I lie?”

It already felt like her body was burning up, which meant the embarrassment that flooded her face would easily be missed. It became imperative that she not meet the rather intense look in Boromir’s eye, instead finding a great deal of interest in the rafters of her room.

“I’m, I’m not a lady I’m not elegant.” That wasn’t quite what she wanted to say, but it was close enough. “I’m…I’m stocky, I’m strong, well-built, I’m not—”

“And I’m a soldier, not a poet,” Boromir said, making her blink at his words. “I can’t sing your praises, or write sonnets about how your eyes look like starlight, or that your hair looks like the darkest night, or how your skin is sun kissed and golden—”

“I thought you weren’t a poet.”

There was a low chuckle in his chest, head shaking.

“But I can say that you’re beautiful,” he said, and kissed her brow. “Stunning.” A kiss to her cheek. “Gorgeous.” A kiss to her lips. “Lovely.” A kiss to her jaw. “Glorious.” A kiss to her throat. “Divine.”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“Do you not believe me?” he growled, head lifting just enough to meet her gaze, her stomach flipping pleasantly at the look in his eye.

“No.”

“Hm, then I’ll have to try harder.”

Boromir’s teeth grazed her pulse, making her groan softly, only to be replaced by burning open mouth lathing, his beard brushing across her skin, lips mouth tongue teeth, tracing the precarious neckline of her nightgown.

Eathril was all but panting beneath him, one hand tangled in his hair, the other finding the hem of his shirt, sliding across bare skin, raking her nails through the hair of his chest.

A satisfied growl that rumbled from him, was only reinforced by the nips and sucks along her collarbone. Leaning on one forearm, his free hand had found the bare skin of her calf, and was slowly creeping upwards, rough fingers caressing the back of her knee and earning a shiver, before tracing further.

The hem of her nightgown slid up, exposing her thigh to the cold night air. It should have been cold, but with Lord Boromir kneading at her skin and worshiping her body –worshiping her– with his mouth and tongue and hands and body, Eathril was more than warm enough.

Rumbles of thunder rattled the windows, rain drummed steadily upon the rooftiles, and Eathril’s favourite weather drowned out the sounds of the tavern perfectly.

*

Sunlight slanted through the lead paned windows of her room, spilling across the bed and managing to shine directly into Eathril’s eyes. Squinting against the disturbance, it took a groggy couple of minutes to realise what was wrong.

Maybe not wrong, just… unexpected.

She was warm, tucked beneath the covers and blankets of her bed, and unless she was very much mistaken, naked. That was a little alarming, but with wakefulness came more awareness, and the memory as to why she wasn’t wearing her nightgown.

Oh.

Oh.

A girlish giggle bubbled up in her chest, but didn’t escape past her clamped lips, unwilling to disturb Lord Boromir’s sleep. His muscular arm was slung over her hips, pulling her back against his broad chest, warm breaths brushing the skin of her neck with gently rumbling snores.

He was so warm it took a concentrated effort not to wiggle deeper into his embrace, because as pleasant as this was, it was morning, and that meant there was work to be done. With any luck the chef had gotten in and started on breakfast, which meant she could at least wake Lord Boromir with a hot meal.

Shifting her weight, Eathril started to extricate herself from his arms, only to squeak in surprise as his grip tightened. Dragging backwards, her back pressed against his bare chest as Boromir gave a low grumble in his sleep, fingers curling into the plumpness of her hip, unwilling to let go. His face tucked into the back of her neck, beard grazing her shoulder as he inhaled and sighed heavily.

Maybe she could stay a little longer…

But no, there was the sound of patrons rising for the day, and she really needed to pee.

Another shift of weight had his arm tightening once more, so she changed tack.

“Boromir,” Eathril murmured, “Boromir wake up.”

“Hmmno.”

His voice was so thick was sleep it was a miracle he’d even managed that.

This time, she shifted towards him, and Boromir’s arm loosened just enough for her to roll over. Now face to face, his arm tightened once more until her breasts were flush to his chest, and their legs were tangled. She smoothed her hands across his face and jaw, earning a sleepy grumble.

“Do you want breakfast in bed?” she whispered.

And just as she knew it would, one eye cracked open to peer at her.

“Br’kfst?”

“Mm hm, bacon, eggs, toast, fried tomatoes, mushroo—”

“You?”

A surprised snort left her throat, but she grinned as he smirked at her, starting to actually wake up.

“Only if you let me up to get breakfast first,” she suggested with a cheeky grin.

“Y’drive a hard bargain,” he grumbled.

His mouth found hers, and Eathril almost forgot her plan at the taste of his lips and caress of his tongue. Or would have, if not for the pressure in her bladder.

“Let me up,” she chided, breaking off the kiss, “breakfast first.”

There was a sigh, but the arms about her loosened, and against her own wishes, Eathril rose, finding her nightgown abandoned on the floor, pulling it on and tossing a shawl about her shoulders.

“I won’t be long,” she reassured, looking over to him.

It was an effort to drag her eyes away from the exposed lines of Boromir’s chest, from the sleepy smile on his face, from his dark eyes locked on her. The sunlight streaming through the little window throwing every detail of him, of the Lord in her bed, into stark relief. But Eathril forced herself to go in search of breakfast.

She’d been right, the chef had gotten started, customers were already eating and beginning to get ready to go about their days, and barely anyone’s eyes turned to her as she weaved through the people bare foot and wrapped in a shawl.

With a large plate loaded up for two, she slunk back towards her bedchamber and drew up short at the familiar face leaving the next room down. Her father also paused, eyeing her, and her half-dressed state, eyes dropping to the hefty plate, and then to the door of her room.

A brow raised in silent question.

“A late arrival,” she answered, keeping her voice down, “a lord from Minas Tirith.”

“A lord?” her father asked sceptically.

Two could play at that game, she wasn’t the only one that had sacrificed her chamber for a guest, only to remain with the guest.

“A horse trader?” she countered in challenge.

He was quick to capitulate, hands raised, and palms shown in surrender. “You’re alright though?”

“I am,” she relented, not wanting him to worry, “now shoo, the patrons are leaving.”

Her father rolled his eyes, but didn’t protest as she slipped back into her chambers.

It was nice, eating breakfast with Lord Boromir, settled cross legged on her bed like she’d used to do with the other girls of the village. Talking quietly, stealing glances at one another. Her cheeks ached with how much she was smiling, a near constant blush staining her cheeks at his attention.

But it wouldn’t last, and his next words confirmed it.

“I… need to leave today,” he said quietly, “I have a long road ahead of me.”

She knew that, she truly did, but still Eathril’s stomach sank.

“Will you be travelling back this way?” she managed to ask around the lump in her throat.

“With any luck, yes.”

“Ah, good.” Eathril floundered for the words she wanted to say, but it didn’t take long to find, smile broadening as she said them. “Then I’ll make sure we keep a room set aside for you.”

“Reserved for visiting dignitaries?”

“That’s the one.”

Lord Boromir grinned. “Then I look forwards to it.”

[blu3-j]

Welcome...Home..?

Overworked! Reader x Welcome Home Crew

Chapter 4

TW: Small breakdown (hinted at), character going nonverbal

I sincerely apologize for the delay of this chapter, fellow strangers! This chapter went through a lot of writing, revisions, edits, more writing, and more edits before finally making it here. But I finally have it done! I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! (Side note; I love the idea of all the characters giving the reader a nickname at some point that relates to them and how they see them in some form. It’s too adorable. I can’t resist it. I can now see Howdy calling the reader a nymph. It’s another name for larvae! Yes. Yes, I will now write Howdy calling the reader in any stories he’s in.)

Last we left off, Y/N had just gotten home from a busy day, and after a lot of emotions and events, began a trusting relationship with the crew of Welcome Home. One hurdle has been conquered, but there are still plenty more before our journey comes to a close.

Chapter 1 l Chapter 2 l Chapter 3 l Chapter 4

Groaning, you rose up from your spot. As you did so, your arm jolted forward to catch the warm blanket that fell from its precarious position on you. At first, the blanket wasn’t familiar. This isn’t the blanket you keep on your bed. Curiously, you looked up to find an unfamiliar sight waiting for you. The birds outside chirped their worries away as the sun began to rise and paint everything in a golden glow. The house was peaceful and still, like an old grainy photo hanging in an equally old and yellowed window. And sat in the middle of the living room was you.

Why were you sleeping in the living room? 

The events from the day previous flooded your memories. Your head darted around, desperate to see if maybe it had all been a dream. It must've been...right? You wanted to believe it had all been a dream, that you wouldn't have to worry about any of the problems that came with this. That maybe that night you fell asleep watching that show you just dreamed it all---and maybe hallucinated the small yellow puppet talking to you from just being that exhausted.

But in the end, you couldn't deny what was in front of you.

There the puppet cast was---sprawled along various places in the room. Across the ground, in chairs, and even on the couch next to you. Some even piled on top of each other, even when there was space for them all to have their own spots. All fast asleep.

Confetti was strewn across the floor and on furniture, paper straps and ribbons to games you had long since forgotten the rules of lay wherever there was room, and fake swords and feathers you had never got to see used rested haphazardly on the nearby coffee table. Looking back up, you saw the banners and balloons still hung from the ceiling. To you, it was quite a sight to behold. And even more strange and unfamiliar when you haven't had a mess like this since your high school graduation party all those years ago. Or had anyone else in your house like this since your moving in celebration, which ended up in a sleepover with your friends. You had almost forgotten what it was like to have company around.

Coming back to the present, it occurred to you just how cartoon-like and comically this cast was. Barnaby and Julie snored louder than a whale, and Wally....could you even call that snoring? You watched him as he lay curled up on Barnaby's chest, his face buried in the blue spotted fur, mumbling away a mantra over and over and over again.

"I'm sleeping...I'm sleeping...I'm sleeping..."

It was a wonder how the others slept with the noise, and even more of a wonder how you slept with all the noise. You were usually a light sleeper due to your schedule, but unlike then, this time appeared to be an exception. You didn't even wake up to your alarm. Wait...what happened to your alarm? Did you sleep in?

...

Sleep in?! Your hand desperately searched around for your phone. When you didn't feel that familiar rectangular gadget by your side, you jolted up from your spot. Finally turning back to the spot you were previously sleeping, your body froze. Now with a better view of where you slept, you realized who you had been sleeping on. Originally unbeknownst to you, you had been curled up in Howdy's arms as he laid against the arm of the couch, the both of you dozing away without a care in the world. As it turned out, he was the comfy cushion you had passed out on.

He groaned as he began to stir from the sudden jerky movement, and he opened his eyes. His drowsy gaze met yours, and for a moment the two of you just stared at each other. You, with no clue as to how to react, and him…most probably still registering what’s going on. Outside, the birds continued chirping away their cheery song. A small lazy grin crept onto his face.

"Howdy, there. How'd you sleep, kiddo? You passed out during Sally's play last night." He adjusted himself to sit up more as he spoke in a hushed voice. "You looked so peaceful and I know how busy you are, I just couldn't bring myself to wake ya up." Your voice was caught in your mouth. You're talking to a puppet. Again. It's actually real. A living---maybe not so much breathing---but living puppet. And you just woke up from sleeping wrapped up in his arms, no less. He was still a complete stranger to you, and acting so casual with him despite the recent events was something you could not handle.

Still, you couldn’t ignore his expectant stare. It came out small and late, but he remained quiet for your answer. "...It was..okay." Your hands absentmindedly fiddled with each other, and you turned your gaze away as you corrected yourself. "Actually, it was the best sleep I've had in a long while. Too long." A chuckle slipped its way past your lips.

Your breath hitched. "Oh, no!" Adrenaline shot through you. Howdy flinched at your shrill exclamation—as did you, and the two of you froze. A loud snore from Julie echoed throughout the room, and you recalled how comically loud a few of your other “guests” were. If they could sleep through that, then they could sleep through just about anything. The two of you let out a relieved breath.

"I gotta find my phone! What time is it?! How long did I sleep in? What day is it?!" You rambled incoherently—your voice much more soft than before—as you searched the couch more thoroughly for that little precious device of yours. The green caterpillar snorted, bringing one hand up to his head and another to his mouth to stifle his giddy giggles.

After he managed to hold his laughter at bay, he talked once more. "It's Wednesday. Don't worry, kiddo. According to your calendar over there---" He pointed to the familiar paper calendar hung on the wall. "You don't have to worry about work today. Or any of your classes." A green hand patted onto your shoulder. "You have the day off!"

Another hand dug into one of the pockets of his apron and out he pulled your phone. He held it awkwardly in his hand in an attempt to mimic how he had seen you hold the device. It looked tiny caressed in his hand compared to how it looked in yours.

"It took a while of trying to figure out how to use this silly thing, but I turned off that doggoned alarm. Every busy bee needs their sleep every once and a while, after all!" His smile twitched to a frown as he stared deeply at it. "What is it, anyway? I never did ask. Is it some futuristic alarm clock or something? Why do you take it with you everywhere you go? And where are all the buttons? Shouldn't something like this need a buncha buttons? How did you make it so it works with just touching the glass here?" He tapped the phone and the screen came to life.

You were forced back to your nostalgic memories upon seeing the lockscreen. Displayed was an old memory of you and your friends not too long after your high school graduation. All of you were grouped together in a booth, laughing the night away at a karaoke restaurant. Things were so much more simple then. And a lot less lonely.

Above it was the clock, harshly contrasting in color to the photo. It read 8:23 AM. Below it sat a single unbothered notification.

"Day off!!" It read. He was right. You let out an exasperated sigh as your body eased and—without realizing just how relieving this knowledge was to you—plopped down harshly on the couch next to him. He softly chuckled as one arm of his leaned back on the arm of the couch.

"I know that look!" The tall puppet ruffled your hair. "Before I owned the Bugdega, I used to work a lot at a job I hated. Extreme word, but it’s true! You should take this day to just cool that jet of yours. You'll break down if you overwork yourself, nymph!" His eye caught yours, and the two of you shared a small smile in the peaceful moment. Before any more conversation could be had, however, a small movement in the corner of your eye caught your attention. Wally was now wide awake and peacefully watching the two of you talk.

Howdy waved and quietly called out to the little yellow puppet. "Howdy, shrimp!" The blue haired puppet remained quiet, only widening his permanent smile and waving back for a moment before shuffling himself off of the large sleeping dog. Mesmerized by his form, you watched as he moved and carefully made his way over to the two of you. Carefully, he tip-toed in between each colorful member of the cast on the floor, only stopping by Julie for a moment to dodge her arm she roughly threw to the side as she dozed away.

It was simple movements, and exactly like a regular human's, but something about it was...off. Perhaps it was just the knowledge of knowing he's a puppet and shouldn't be moving at all, but something about him felt....unnerving, in a way. You brushed the thought to the side. Maybe that's a thought for another time.

Wally crawled up on the couch next to you and into your lap. As always. But you didn’t push him away. In a strange way, it comforted you. The tension that had slowly been digging itself deep into your core melted away like snow on a warm sunny day. Your inner child pleaded to hold him dear, but you refused. It was a hard fight, but you managed to resist the urge.

Howdy watched the two of you, a gentle grin on his face, before he lifted himself up from his seat and walked around the couch. You glimpsed at him and jumped when you saw him looking and motioning you to follow. You glanced between the two puppets, unsure, before quickly picking Wally up like he was a toddler and carrying him with you and obeying the insect puppet’s wishes.

Wally, of course, quickly fell limp in your arms. You recalled his attempt to comfort you last night, and it occurred to you that this was most probably another thing he didn’t know how to really…react to. One awkward pause later, he leaned against your shoulder and buried his face in the crook of your neck. Instinctively, you gave in to that inner child that pleaded for a connection, and nudged your head against his.

Howdy led you to the kitchen where he began rummaging through the cabinets. Now away from the rest of the colorful puppets sleeping away, his voice became a lot louder and clearer from his previous mumbling."This is a nice place you got, nymph." He bent down to a cabinet and began shuffling through it, only finding pots and his laughter echoing back to him. "I'm still having trouble finding everything, though! Where do you keep your pans? This place is like a maze!"

The two of you talked the morning away as you directed him to the right cabinets for everything he needed. Slowly, one by one, the other puppets awoke and walked in, each joining your conversation. Some chose to seat themselves at the table while others opted in aiding Howdy in cooking breakfast.

Sally was the first to walk in. She was cheery and energetic, and each step of hers had a bounce in it. For a moment, you almost thought she was quite literally glowing. But the allusion dashed away as soon and fast as it had made itself evident. The little starlet chose to occasionally aid Howdy when requested while she recited and re-enacted scenes to numerous plays she had starred in. Most of it was nothing more than dramatic improvisation, but you couldn’t resist applauding her and watching her eyes light up every time you did.

Barnaby and Poppy were the next ones to walk in. Both were generally drowsy and calm, quietly jabbering away as they walked in. Poppy clamored if everything was okay from all the racket she had heard, but Barnaby assured her and joked about how loud Sally was being. After her worries had been quelled, Poppy stationed herself next to Howdy to converse and help cook when she wasn’t too scared to do so. Meanwhile, Barnaby gladly seated himself next to you and Wally at the table.

Finally, Julie skipped into the kitchen, holding the hand of a drowsy Frank holding the hand of an upbeat Eddie. The trio questioned the commotion, but quickly seated themselves at the table and joined in the ever growing conversation upon seeing the six of you joyfully conversing.

For a while, you all acted as though there was nothing wrong. Like you had all known each other for months and everything had already been resolved. But tension remained. And finally, when the conversation died down and came to a pause, Poppy spoke up.

"So..." She hesitated, glancing to you for help. The large bird curled a little in on herself and hid herself with her wings. "What do we do now?" The others murmured. The tension was much thicker than before. You furrowed your brows and looked down. Wally was still in your lap. His expression remained the same, but he was silent. His gaze followed the others to you.

Over the past two days, you noticed something about the puppets. Something so extremely small, but made a mountain of a difference in the way you saw the colorful cast.

When looking at something, the puppets' pupils never twitched back and forth like humans'. Theirs never moved subconsciously to take in as much information they could like yours. This was the first time you noticed Wally's was.

A small part of you wanted to panic and run away again. A large part, actually. You had as much of a clue of what to do as they did. But just as you almost gave in, bright pink fabric in the corner of your eye caught your attention. The fabric of her dress.

"Then I'll be brave with you."

You promised.

You're going to be brave.

You swallowed the urge down as far as you could. "I'm...not sure," You started. "I mean, we all already established you'll be living here until you can find a way to...." Your voice drifted off.

Eddie piped up. "Home."

"Home, right." You turned your attention to a topic a little less stressful, opting for casual conversation to stall you time to think. "Wait, is that what you call that place? It's just...Home?" Julie jumped up, her expression relaxing a moment.

"Yeah! Oh, that's right. You haven't met Home yet."

Watching your eyebrow furrow, Sally joined in. "Home's a living house! That's where Wally lives." She hummed to herself. "I wonder why Home isn't here. Are they still in the neighborhood?" Her gaze wandered to a few of the others, each shrugging in response. Frank stepped forward as he adjusted his bright yellow bowtie. You quickly turned your attention back to him after brushing off seeing the bowtie flutter in a strange movement. That’s a thought for later.

"I've been doing research on this strange world," Frank began. His unibrow furrowed further as he slowly spoke, his tone growing in intensity with every word. "...And so far..I have no idea how we could've gotten here. There's no record of these things happening before!” His hands curled into fists. He stammered further and further with every sentence, his pupils twitching back and forth towards nowhere in particular. “Which..is preposterous! We couldn't have been the first instance of this happening!" He stomped his foot down as his face grew red, and much to your surprise, his head spun. Spinning…spinning..and stopping when Eddie lightly grasped onto it and held it in place. Frank sighed and glanced at the mailman before continuing. "I'm sorry, Dear, it's just---" His brow furrowed as his face grew red again. "I just don't get it! How could we be the only ones for this to happen to?! I-I don't---" he paused again as his glare turned towards the ground. His voice turned quiet as a few strands of hair drooped in his face. The harsh shadows kept you from seeing his face. "I don't understand. I don't know how to get us back to Home." Things were quiet as Eddie turned him around and hugged him close. Frank didn't hug him back. Just kept silent.

Glancing at the others, you found one by one, they all looked back to you. There were no more smiles. No more laughter.

You couldn't tell what they were thinking by looking in their eyes. But you could tell they were lost. Lost and scared.

…Just as much as you.

So you inhaled a sharp breath, and pulled yourself together. "Alright," You started. Peering over to the bright-eyed girl, you watched a small glimmer return to her eyes. "I don't know what to do either." Your gaze connected with each puppets' as it wandered over the group. "But that doesn't mean we can't throw ideas until one sticks!" A small twinge began to form in your stomach, but you continued. "We're all lost…a-and confused, and scared. But we're not alone." Finally, you looked back to Wally. "We're in this together." Determination inflamed you. "And if there's anything I know, it's that if there's a way something can happen, then darn it, there's a way to undo it! I don't know how...but I'll help you find a way home."

"To Home." Frank mumbled into Eddie's shoulder. Your mouth twitched up at his response.

"That's the spirit!" A small round of chuckles came around the group of puppets. “We’ll start throwing ideas and making investigations soon, but first, we need to take some time to get ourselves calmed down. A panicking mind isn’t the best for getting out of bad situations.”

A clacking sound caught your attention. Eggs and hashbrowns---organized in a way the eggs formed eyes and the hashbrowns a smile. Peering back up, you saw Howdy.

"You sure know how to bring people up, kiddo." He ruffled your hair before turning to the rest of the puppets. "I've got breakfast fixed up for you all, so you better come get your fixing before it gets cold! Like Y/N said, we'll get this figured out, but first we have to take care of ourselves!" The cast cheered and grouped around the counter Howdy had set with various cooked foods. You watched them with curiosity as they gabbed away and piled food on their plates.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a familiar blue hair strand, and looked down. Wally hadn't moved from his spot. Rather, he watched the crew with you. "Are you going to get some?" You questioned him. His eyes met yours, half-lidded as always, and his stare unchanging and unmoving. It was quiet as you waited for his response. Distantly, a small tik-tik-tik was heard.

"Okay." He hopped off your lap and walked over. The others quickly noticed him and helped him grab a plate.

Things were back to how they were before the topic changed. And once again as you watched the group, you felt a small pang.

You were so different. And in those differences, alone. Just like always. You decided to push that feeling down.

Now's not the time.

You sighed as you turned back to your plate.

Now...how in the world were you going to get them back to Home?

[sword-is-bored]

HI SWORD OMG I LOVE TLOZ WRITERSS

So i have a request.. I would like to request Link x Reader, where the Reader once saves Link, pretty early after he woke up because he got into a fight with monsters that were too strong for him. After that Link just sort of clings to reader, because he wants to protect them too 🥹

Hope you have a great day!!

HIIII HEHEHE THANK YOUUUU

BOTW!!

A Little Longer?

(Y/n) wandered around the ruins by the Great Plateau. They knew there might be some treasure there, so why not? With their travelers sword and simply shield strapped to their back they were pretty well equipped to deal with monsters. As they rummaged through the ruins, a shadow passed overhead. Bigger than a regular bird. (Y/n) looked up, finding someone gliding. Their eyes widened. No one has been able to get onto the Plateau for years, let alone leave. “Come,” They hissed to their horse, who was lazily chewing at grass. They rushed over, climbing atop their steed determined to follow the person.

They rode behind them, and watched in horror as they dropped from the sky. It was a man! And unfortunately for him, he landed directly in the view of a moblin. The large creature walked over to the man with a club. “Go!” They hissed, snapping the reigns. The man pulled a tree branch from his back, and with one single hit it shattered. He seemed to reach for another weapon and looked surprised that nothing appeared in his hand. (Y/n) leaped from their horse as the moblin raised the club, (Y/n)’s shield met with the wood as it came down. They grunted, pulling out their sword and sliced away at the moblin until it collapsed.

(Y/n) let out a soft breath of relief, turning to the man who still had a bit of panic in his eyes. “Hey, are you okay?” (Y/n) panted, putting away their sword. The man closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before clearing his throat. “Yeah,” He said simply. His voice sounded scratchy, like he’d just woken up. (Y/n) smiled, holding out their hand. “We’ve gotta stick together out here. It’s kind of dangerous. I’m (Y/n).” The man took their outstretched hand and gently shook it. “I’m Link. Thank you.” He said softly. (Y/n) looked Link up and down, finding him in tattered clothes. They were a bit confused, but who’s to judge? “Anywhere specific you’re heading?” (Y/n) asked. “I can accompany you until you find a suitable weapon and shield.”

Link pulled out a weird device and looked at it, before his eyes met (Y/n) again. “Uh… Kakariko?” They chuckled at the way he worded it. More like a question than a request. “Yes, I know where that is. Do you have family there? Friends?” Link gave a blank stare as he seemed to think about it. “I’m not sure, I was just told that’s where I need to go.” (Y/n) hummed as though it’s something they’ve experienced as well. “Alright, no worries. Come on, Star here can hold two people.” They said, walking over to their horse. Link slowly followed, putting away the device. Together they climbed on the horse, and rode off towards Kakariko.

“Well, since you’re here I guess I’ll be taking my leave. I hope to see you around, it was fun.” (Y/n) said, looking down at Link as he climbed off of Star. “No, please don’t go.” He murmured, his face heating up. “I… I need to repay the favor. Since you saved my life.” (Y/n) shook their head. “No, seriously it’s nothing. Just a civilian of Hyrule looking out for one another. You’d do the same.”

“Please, just stay here for a few moments.” Link pleaded softly. (Y/n) let out a sigh and smiled. “Alright.” They agreed, to Link’s delight. He climbed up the stairs to the Kakariko elders house and vanished inside. (Y/n) sat atop of Star, looking around the beautiful town. When Link returned, he requested that (Y/n) stay with him. “Since you know your way around Hyrule a lot more than I do.” Was his excuse. Which turned into (Y/n) being dragged around Hyrule. Link would defend them from monsters any chance he got, going as far as defeating a Guardian when (Y/n) almost got blasted off the face of Hyrule.

“Link, seriously, you’ve repaid your debt enough. Can I go home?” They murmured beside the warm fire as they camped outside of Rito village. Link peeked up at (Y/n) from his cooking, chewing on his lip in thought. “I’m nervous.” He said quietly. “Nervous about what?” (Y/n) asked. “You were the first person to show me kindness and compassion.” Link replied, his shoulders releasing the tension. “You… truly are wonderful. I enjoy having you around.” He murmured, seeming to be thinking of what exactly to say to (Y/n).

“You’re quick witted, smart and funny. I find you immeasurably attractive. I thought that… well I’d gather the courage sooner or later to tell you.” He looked up at (Y/n) hopefully, noticing the surprised look they gave. “So, I was maybe thinking you could accompany me for a bit longer? I think we could have a wonderful relationship, whether it’s romantic or not. If that alright with you.” (Y/n)’s heart fluttered, their ears and cheeks burning up with the admission of love. “Yeah, I think I can do that.” They whispered, staring back into the fire. Link smiled as a comfortable silence washed over the two of them.

“I think we can try romantic.”

[beepersteeper]

Plans

Tav takes it upon herself to take care of Cazador.

word count: 5k (I'm not sorry)

Tav and Astarion became romantically involved very quickly after the tiefling party. But they decided together to take a step back and get to know each other on more than a superficial level. She has listened to Astarion talk about his unlife with Cazador. A name that she was all too familiar with, it had been years since she had heard that name, she had hoped to forget it completely. 

Their nights are spent talking about Astarion’s plan to replace his former master as the Vampire Ascendant. She hasn’t let on that she has a plan and personal reason to erase that evil man from the face of the earth. A plan that would take place within the hour. The rest of the party is prepping for a big fight, not fully aware of what is in store for them, but going off of the gruesome stories Astarion has shared no one is willing to take any chances or cut any corners. Tav strapped her armor to her body and ensured she had everything she needed for the night ahead, hoping her plan would go ahead without a hitch.  

Tav walks up to the guard tower at the palace and is greeted… not just greeted but welcomed. A guard bows deeply at the waist to her and speaks quickly “Welcome home miss. The master will be most excited to see you! He has a planned special party, and I'm sure you will be a welcome surprise.” Another guard added, “We will tell your father of your arrival immediately.”

Tav holds up a commanding hand and speaks harshly “You will not. I will tell him at my leisure, am I clear?”

All the guards stand at attention, stone still in place and say in unison “Yes miss.”

Tav practically runs up the stairs and into the palace, kicking heavy doors open before her hand can touch them. Astarion, Shadowheart, and Karlach follow behind cautiously, observing how the leader of their rag-tag group so easily traverses the darkened halls. Tav bounds with heavy footsteps down the stairs and through a hidden door that is broken with ease.

“Godey, I know your sorry ass is in here. Show yourself.” she heaves musty air into her chest.

“Miss! You've returned! Have the hells finally frozen over? That was when you said you'd return was it not? Or did word of what your father is doing reach whatever hells pit you've carved out for yourself over these years?” an animated skeleton remarks, stepping from a darkened corner of the dank room as the other three rush into the room practically piling up on one another at their sudden stop behind Tav. his darkened eye sockets meet Astarion’s face as he continues to speak “And you've returned with his wayward spawn as an apology.”

“Fucking can it Godey.” she spits, pushing him back and forcing him to focus on her. “Tell me how to open that bloody door upstairs.”

“Certainly not,” he chuckles, leaning forward into the conversation to whisper. “I prefer being in the masters' good graces, unlike you and the company you keep.”

“Then I’ll look through your crumbled bones for a hint.” she shrugs, reaching back for her sword. “It makes no difference to me.”

“WAIT. Wait. Godey has the key. I’ll give it to you. Just let the master know I found Astarion. Trouble Godey no more.” he hands her a ring and waves her away “I see you've gotten much stronger, no doubt thanks to Godey’s teaching.”

“Go-dey.” she growls and draws his name out “I have the same damnable ring. If that's what I needed I wouldn't have even come to find you.” she throws the ring back at him, and it bounces off of his helmet and clatters across the floor. “What else do I need?

“Godey doesn’t know the words. The master used a language that Godey doesn't know.” he assures holding his hands up in innocence. 

“If you have nothing helpful, then you are, once again, of no use to me.” She raises her weapon to strike.

“WAIT WAIT Wait!” he steps back “I’m telling the truth! The only thing I know is that the room down the hall has been completely off limits even to Godey. And it is vile, if I wanted to put the pieces together I would start there.”

“Quit playing with your food darling, he’s worthless.” Astarion sneers. “Can I just kill this bastard?”

“Sure Star.” Tav sheathes her sword and walks out of the room without looking back. She traverses the room after removing whatever curse has been put on the body on the floor. She rips drawers from their homes and pulls clothes from wardrobes and chests leaving the room in disarray. She finds a Kozakuran Dictionary with several words marked.

Without regard for her party members at that moment, she walks quickly upstairs taking several steps at once, and digs through her pack for her old signet ring. She hears footsteps following behind her, uninterested she shoves the ring in the slot and starts reading all of the underlined words. When the aura fades and the lock clicks open she puts her hand on the door to push it open, stopping when a pale hand pulls her away from the door with force.

“Do you care to explain what the hell all of this is about Tav?!” Astarion yells and turns to face him. “You know more about what's happening in this place than you've bothered to tell us. To tell me!”

“Not right now Star,” she grunts and tries to push her shoulder past him.

“You have got to give me something.” he pleads but his voice is a low growl “Because right now I’m not convinced I’m not walking into a fucking trap.” he pushes her back by the shoulders causing her to stumble.

Her vision tunnels and locks onto his face when she regains her balance. “If I wanted to set a trap for you would I have to find a god's damned dictionary to open the door to the bloody trap!?” she hisses through gritted teeth and throws the dictionary to the ground at his feet. She shoves him out of her way as she walks to the heavy door. “I’ll explain whatever you want later. But right now I need to take care of the motherfucker lurking in his crypt once and for all. Something I should have done centuries ago.”

“Just so I'm sure I understand, you’re expecting me to believe that you're just going to waltz up to him” he pulls her away from the door, once again putting himself between Tav and the door “Look him in his face” he shoves again keeping in step with her stumbling backward “and just kill him? Just like that?” he pushes again, harder “And what about what I want? You know better than anyone what this chance means to me.” his voice cracks as he gives another shove pushing her into a wall with a thud “You comforted me. Told me that I could decide what to do when we got here.'' He pulls a small dagger from seemingly nowhere pinning her between the wall and the blade “but you didn't mean that then, so how am I supposed to believe what you're saying now?”

“What?” she says, laughing like everything she just heard was a joke “You would have just trusted me if I told you I am Cazador’s daughter?” she pushes the dagger to the side with the back of her hand and steps away from him “Like you trust me right now?” she points at the knife. “Be for-fucking-real Astarion.” 

He stands quietly, considering her question. “Well, you could have at least told me.” he urges. 

“We both needed to get here. We both want him dead. I had hoped you'd see reason by the time we got here and drop the idea of your ascension because you realized it would ruin you- make you just like him.” She gestures to the crypt below "But if you want a fight right now I guess I can oblige.” she forces a laugh through her nose. “One way or the other I am going to go down there to deal with him.” she stands still crossing her arms across her chest. 

“You’re making this decision for me Tav, I need to do this.” he slams his palm on his chest “You're about to curse me to the shadows for the rest of eternity.” He gestures widely before he steps closer to her, their faces close enough that they nearly touch. Both of their faces scrunched in disgust.

She scoffs and shakes her head before looking him in his eyes “I need to do this for me! If I had just done this all those years ago we wouldn't even be in this situation now!” She stomps hard “You would have never even been turned into a vampire!” her face burns red. “If you have ever trusted me, even a little bit, I need you to trust me for just a few more minutes.”

“What in the nine hells does that mean?!?” he screams and starts to lunge at Tav.

“I think you both need to take a breath.” Karlach yells over him and forces their bodies apart.

“No, let her answer me!” he spits and tries to push through the tiefling’s strong arm on him. “That's the least I fucking deserve since I’m not allowed to make my own bloody decisions. I at least deserve to hear WHY.”

Tav screams the loudest she has through the whole fight, also pushing against Karlachs arm. “Because I ran away!” she howls, spit flying from her mouth like a rabid animal “I left before you were turned! I wanted to kill him then but was too scared to do it! And if I wouldn’t have been such a fucking coward you would have never crossed his path and would have never lost the life you had!!” Karlach shoves Tav back when she feels Astarion stop straining. “So everything that has happened to you and your siblings over the last 200 years is on my shoulders, Astarion!” her hands shake, and she starts to pace like a caged beast along the wall her back is to. Karlach stays between them unsure of what is going to happen but feeling more in control from where she stood. 

“What happened to me wasn't your fault!” he throws his hands into the air and then gestures a hand to her “You're not the one who tortured me.”

“You said it yourself, he took special pride in you and your following siblings and showed a modicum of kindness to the first one!” she hisses still seething “Don't you think that maybe, JUST maybe that because he was upset that his only blood daughter left never to be seen again?”

“She has a point.” Shadowheart shrugs.

“Shut it, cleric.” Astarion snipes “Or maybe he's just an evil bastard that plays favorites.” he stares holes into Tav from across the room. 

“Unlikely!” Tav forces a laugh, trying to insult him. Trying to make him turn around and leave her to finish Cazador “When I left he was awful, downright despicable. But he wasn't capable of the atrocities he pulled on you. He got stronger when I left. So I am going to end this. If you need to hate someone right now, hate me and let me do this!” she howls and comes to such a quick stop that it startled Karlach who was keeping pace with her prowling.

“I’m not going to hate you!” he growls, “Even if you lied to me. We all have our secrets, but you have to see this from where I stand!”

“There will be time for that once we leave this palace and burn it to the ground.” she heaves calming air into her lungs “All of this screaming is getting us nowhere. He's no more dead than he was when we walked in here.” she grows quiet for a moment and starts again before anyone can speak “I am going in there. None of you have to come with me. But none of you can stop me either.” without another word she pushes the heavy door open. The would-be aggressors pay her no mind letting her pass without any trouble. The others follow behind her, the air heavy with uncertainty. She turns on her heels on top of the old lift to see her companions close behind.

“You're not going in there alone.” Astarion sneers. “I don't know where you and I are going to stand when we walk out of here, but I'm not about to let you walk into an unfair fight.”

Tav rolls her eyes and stomps on the down button on the lift. Astarion barely steps into the platform before it starts to move. Karlach and Shadowheart jump onto the platform as it descends. 

Tav groans. Panning her eyes from Shadowheart to Karlach. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Soldier.” Karlach states, with no emotion in her words.

Tav grits her teeth, refusing to speak. They shouldn't be following her. 

“I never knew any of this was here.” Astarion muses “This was always his private quarters.”

“Family quarters.” Tav corrects. “I’d bet there's a lot about this place he never let you see.”

The lift grinds to a halt and Tav walks quickly into the lowest part of the crypt after grabbing Vellioth’s skull and pocketing the scroll held in his mouth. Tav walks several steps in front of her uneasy crew. She shuts and locks the door behind herself before realizing that Astarion slipped in behind her. She whisper-yells at him through gritted teeth “You’re fucking impossible Astarion. Get out of here.”

“I told you you're not doing this alone. Let. the others. in.” he responds in kind, heat in his eyes. 

“No.” she hisses “That kind of defeats the purpose of alone, doesn't it.” 

“If you don't I will. It is just a locked door you act like I can't just turn a fucking lock.”

“Argh!" She growls and walks down the steps, leaving him to unlock the door, buying her a few precious moments with her target. She hurls the more-than-undead vampire’s skull at Cazador’s turned back with a thud followed by a hollow clatter as it bounced on the floor. “This ends today you son of a bitch.” she screams and marches straight up to him.

“Is this truly any way to greet your father after being absent for more than 200 years?” Cazador crows picking up the now cracked skull. “And you’ve hurt your Uncle Vellioth quite a bit with your little tantrum.”

“It's a better greeting than you deserve and you know that Cazador.” she says, taking the skull from his hand and smashing it on the floor between them.

“Have you been gone so long that you've forgotten your manners?” he says with a dark smugness painted on his face. “It's still father or sir to you. Master if you’d prefer more formality. You’ve forgotten all of your lessons on respect.” 

“Trust and believe that I carry your lessons on my skin. But I'm not here to talk, Cazador. You have hurt too many people. Ruined so many lives. I'm here to do what I should have done centuries ago.” She pulls a silver dagger from her hip and pushes its tip against his throat causing his unbothered aura to tense from the smoldering skin below it.

“You know better than most that that won't kill me, what are you trying to prove?” his eyes cast behind her watching Astarion, Karlach, and Shadowheart coming down the steps in a hurry, weapons drawn. “Daughter, you've brought me a gift and an audience to watch my ascension.” he tuts holding all three in his red grasp. “You can't do anything to me, you insolent child.” he says, still smug with the blade piercing and burning his flesh.

“I know I can't do anything to you” she sighs quickly, turning the blade to her open palm and slicing her skin, blood dripping onto the floor below her. She hisses at the pain as she returns the blade to his neck before he can move pushing harder than before, keeping him still and in place. She reaches into her pocket and grasps a piece of paper in her bloody hand. “But lucky for me I don't plan to. I happen to know someone who owes me a favor.” she tosses the damp paper to the side looking him in his eyes as a fiery swirl appears behind Cazador.

“I certainly know someone who can.” Raphael whispers into the vampire's ear.

“You can't kill me, devil.” Cazador chokes a forced laugh.

“Can’t I?” Raphael touts “I just haven't had a reason to until very recently.” he moves to whisper in his other ear. “Your darling daughter has done several tasks for me and I find myself in her debt. And you understand as well as anybody that someone in my position wouldn't enjoy being indebted to others, especially a Szar.”

“You didn’t!” Astarion screams. “You sold your soul for this?”

“Astarion!” Shadowheart interjects “He owes her. Keep up or shut up.”

Rolling his eyes and ignoring Astarion’s outburst Raphael continues speaking at his normal volume as he walks around to look him in his face “Now, you're going to feel like you're dying, but you don't deserve to get off that easily. No… you will be staying with me, until the time she tells me to finally end your eternal suffering,” he laughs and speaks quickly “If I even decide to do that because from one evil bastard to another you managed to disgust me.”

“So you'll just keep me prisoner?” Cazador tries to laugh “Daughter, how is that different from what I’ve done?”

“You've hurt thousands of people and all of their families. You have wiped entire lineages from history. I’m doing Faerun a favor. My conscience is clear.” she says. “Besides, we haven't told you the best part of the contract.”

“I told you I don't like being indebted to people right?” Raphael sarcastically scrunches his face “She's smart as a whip. Got me to agree to break your will enough to the point where you let your spawn have your blood- make them all a true vampire.” he stands and talks with his hands theatrically “Now I know if I just killed you now they would each be true vampires, but where's the fun in that hmm? How many spawns have you sired? Seven thousand? I’ve got to keep you around long enough to make you willingly feed each of them and then let them all have their fill, which at that rate you and I will be together a very long time, lucky for you I have a lot of rats to keep you nice full for them.” he pats Cazadors stomach “So we should get going, we have some big plans to get to.” he plays with Cazador “I'm going to have such a good time breaking you. Tav do you need anything more? You know how to get a hold of me should you need to catch up about your daddy-dearest here.”

“We’ll talk more tomorrow, devil. I have some explaining to do tonight.” she nods up the stairs “Just don't try to do anything shady, I have YOU under contract after all.”

“Signed in my infernal blood, I know. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Ta-ta.” with a flourish Raphael and Cazador disappear to the hells. In that instant, the hold on her friends fades and they continue to run to her. Her blade falls to the ground while she kneels and her body slumps forward, with her forehead on the cold ground.

“How? WHY?” Astarion asks, kneeling at her side and rubbing circles on her back, realizing that she's crying.

“Can we do this later?” she responds, muffled from speaking into the floor. “I need to go talk to the other thousands of spawn, and figure out how to keep them sustained until they aren't feral anymore.”

“We” he urges “can figure out about the spawn.”

“Oh now we’re we again?” she lets out a weak laugh. “It wasn't 10 minutes ago you had your blade to my throat for the second time since we've met.”

“We’ve been we the whole time.” Karlach adds “Even when some of us wanted to kill the other.”

Before Tav could respond Astarion’s siblings gather around  them, Petras speaking what the group is thinking “Is it over?”

“Yes and no.” Tav groans sitting upright on her knees. “He can't hurt or control you anymore, and you all will be true vampires in due time, so at least you will never be controlled again. But… you all will never be free of being a vampire.” 

The siblings sigh and a hush fills the room. “How can we help?”

“Just like that?” Tav scrunches her face. “I told you you're not going to be truly free, like, and you want to help?”

“You and I know better than anyone that he’s a liar.” Petras looks down at Tav and helps her to her feet. “When you left I watched him turn from vile to worse. Sure I had hoped that he wasn't lying about this, but I kind of assumed the stick would come before the carrot as my brother so kindly pointed out.” he darts a glare at Astarion. “But my siblings and I know what those spawn in the prison need to get better. To get to a point we can let them out of the palace. Let us handle that. Besides, with him gone we can feed ourselves and become stronger to better help them and even help you in the fight to come.”

“Petras.” Astarion hisses “Don't start thinking now, you may hurt yourself. Those spawns need direction, and you all need to ease into feeding from thinking creatures. It's a lot… it's different than you think it will be. My advice is to go find someone who will let you feed from them then when you’re strong enough help those spawn do the same. Just don't kill yourselves, you have gotten through this, it would be a shame to die now. For now, we will find them livestock or something just to get them fed and stable.'' He sits disgusted at himself “We should go talk to them, and ask what they want. I know many of them wish only for a death that is well past due, and I think that might be the greatest kindness we can do for them.” he looks to Tav and his siblings “that will help us figure out what our next move is.” he stares into nothing “seven thousand hungry, pointed mouths to feed. They could decimate the Sword Coast. 

“We won't let them.” his sister says. 

He nods and pushes himself up off the floor using his knee as leverage. “You lot go start, I'll catch up. I need to talk to Tav for a moment.” He hands the silver blade to his sister who walks with Shadowheart to the prison 

“We’re good Star.” she says, a lightness back on her tongue “Go with her. You’ve got the most even head out of the lot of you. We’ll catch up tonight.” she waves him away “We’ll go poke around and see what other mess he's made and make sure the palace is safe for all the spawn.”

“Just tell me that this is really over. That the end has started.” he says, grabbing her hand in his.

“It is.” she nods. He nods back and walks away from her without another word, running to catch up with his siblings.

“Why didn't you just tell him about the devil?” Karlach asks while the two women ascend through the palace. “It would have made this a lot easier. Kind of a jerk move letting him pick a fight with you when it was already taken care of.

“Part of the contract. Not another creature was allowed to know. I'm just lucky Raphael didn't decide to back out when you all came into the crypt like some gods damned heroes.” she half-heartedly laughs.

“Be honest Tav, would you have fought him if I didn't intervene?” Karlach adds

“If I had to. I wouldn't have killed him if that helps.”

“No, not really.” Karlach mutters as they clear the palace of all traps and enemies that they can find. After being confident with their sweep of the building they return to the cells to reconvene with the rest of the group. Shadowheart is tending to the wounded and Astarion’s siblings are consoling the other spawn, spending as much time as each needs- giving them their choices. Tav scans the rooms and isn't able to find Astarion. When she asks where he is no one can tell her where he is. She sighs before walking out of the cell room and starting her search for Astarion.

After searching room to room without finding him she climbs into the attic of the palace and stands still and closes her eyes. She tries to remember where she used to hide from Cazador as a child. Retracing steps from what felt like someone else's life she found herself winding her way to the furthest corner of the attic, behind a secret door. She lets her eyes adjust to the dark room that is only being lit by the full moon that is shining through a broken board in the wall. The light is obscured by a familiar silhouette.

“How’d you find me?” Astarion says barely above a whisper.

“He was never able to find this room.” she responds, staying where she was. “I just wanted to see that you were okay. If you want me to leave I will.” followed by an uncomfortable silence she takes that as her cue to leave. She turns slowly to walk out the door.

“Please don’t.” he sighs. “I don't know what to say but I don’t… I don't want to be alone anymore.”

Tav walks over to the broken board, knocking on the couple next to the broken one. Finding the one that she was looking for, she tugged on it and its neighbor opening a hole big enough to sit with her legs dangling outside of the wall. Sitting quietly, she looks over the city below her. She decided quickly that she would stay quiet for as long as he needed. There's nothing that she can say that will make him feel better, but she can feel the air getting lighter. The floorboards creak under Astarion’s boots as he kneels to sit next to her, his legs outside of the palace walls as well. As she looks through the makeshift window memories move from the recesses of her mind. The hours she spent looking over the city just like this were sometimes the only safety she felt growing up. She assumes he had a similar experience. Without noticing, tears threatened to escape her eyes.

His gaze turns to her and instinctively she turns away as the dam breaks, not wanting to burden him with her traumas when he is processing his own. With a cold touch he wipes her cheeks and whispers “Why didn’t you tell me, darling?”

Tav sighs and shakes her head, propping herself back onto her hands “About who I am or what I was doing?” she asks, she said she would answer any questions he had.

“Either.” he let out a feeble laugh. “Both.”

“When we were asked to kill Yurgir, I cornered the devil and made him agree to help me. To help us. And the terms to not sign my soul to him, he wanted to be entertained by you finding out about my past. The possibility of destroying whatever our relationship is was somehow enough to make him agree to my terms.”

He thinks for an uncomfortable amount of time. “What is he going to do? How do you know he will keep his end of the bargain and Cazador won't be back up here tomorrow?”

“He and the Szar line have a long history with each other. Cazador went back on some long-standing deal held by the family by committing to the rite, but he had lost his soul long before Raphael could have cashed in on the offer. So it became incredibly convenient when someone with Cazador’s blood flowing through their veins could help him get the next best thing- his physical body. The devil is overjoyed that he has finally gotten his hands on Cazador, he isn't going to let the bastard out of his sight until he is well and truly broken. And at that point, he will feed you all. Luckily time passes differently in the House of Hope, he assumes that should be within the next two tenday.” she takes a shaky breath. “And as for why I didn't tell you about who I am, I didn't want anyone, I didn't want you to think I was in any way loyal to him. I’m his kin- his blood. I couldn’t blame you for thinking that, but I couldn't afford to lose any of your trust.”

“Doesn't that sound a little familiar?” a more genuine laugh slips out as he speaks. “But think about all the time we lost that we could have spent complaining about him!” He tries to make her laugh a little.

“Stop” she whines “I don't want to laugh right now.”

“oH! I'm sorry, I didn't realize I couldn't joke with the person who practically handed my life back to me on a gilded platter,” he says sarcastically.

Tav looks at him out the side of her eyes, trying to keep the smile from forming on her lips. “Exactly.” she tuts and pushes his shoulder lightly. They both sit in place, staring at the buzzing city below them for a long time before closing the hole in the wall and rejoining the party.