#I just remember coming up with silly ‘what I would hoard as a dragon’ ideas with my friends in high school

[paintedkinzy-88]

so for your dragon aus, how do hoards work?

I typically see it as something that’s incredibly important to the dragon, that their instincts kinda latch on to it, and that becomes the thing they desire the most. The items (or people) they will collect and protect and feel the safest around! It hurts to lose a part of their hoard, and it’s hard to resist adding to the hoard. Being allowed near a dragon’s hoard, or even being allowed to HAVE a part of a dragon’s hoard (like Raph sharing plushies or Ink letting someone borrow a sketchbook) is an incredible sign of trust.

It’s a defining characteristic of them. If you look at their hoard, you know a lot about them already! Like what they cherish in life the most, and that may not always be the actual physical item itself.

For Nightmare, that was providing safety and companionship to others that struggled as well, because he didn’t have that. For Mikey and Ink, it’s artistic creativity and a comforting mindset. Life admires the beauty in nature itself and all that life has to offer. Dream and Raph have comforting items to help with overwhelming pressure/emotions, that they can also hope to bring comfort to others as well! And so on and so forth.

That’s a hoard to me ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

[misspelledwordswizard]

I understand that fairies like bright colors or objects, Since we always say that Hyrule is part fairy, imagine having something shiny in your hand and the poor boy, with his pupils enlarged like a cat on catnip, can't stop looking at the object as you slowly move it back and forth between here and there, entertained by the way our fairy boy follows it with his eyes

arkdkska I love fairy Hyrule, I loved writing this, thanks for the request!!

Fairy thing

The boy’s eyes moved rhythmically as the necklace swung, fixated on the movement, unable to notice anything else that was happening around him. He almost seemed to be fighting against it, but if that were true then he had already lost this battle a long time ago. My lips twitched instinctively as I watched him with almost as much focus as he was looking at the object in my hands.

I didn’t do it out of malice. It was just a tragic coincidence. We were talking quietly while not everyone else was awake. Naturally, since it was early in the morning, those who were already up were organizing themselves to speed up when we got back on the trail. In my case, I was finishing equipping accessories like belts, putting my sword and shield on my back, and even putting on my golden necklace that I sometimes wear. But, it just so happened that I was talking to Hyrule while I was doing this. I had no idea this could happen, at first I thought it was some kind of weird joke coming from him, until no matter how many times I called him, he couldn’t answer me, not coherently at least, being much more interested in the shiny object swinging. It didn’t take long for me to associate this with the Traveler’s fae side. This, though, was something I didn’t know much about, but I’d heard a few things about faeries, such as their fondness for shiny things, which seemed almost confirmed by this.

I was going to get it out of his sight as quickly as possible when I realized it, but he seemed so adorable like this. I know, a little cruel, but it didn’t really seem to bother him, maybe I should give it to him later as na apology. Do faeries hoard golden things like dragons? It would be curious to see.

— Rulie, what were you talking about? About using monster parts in meals. – I asked, testing how active his brain was.

— I... talking... – He tried, but couldn’t even form a coherent sentence.

— Do you like that?

— ... Yes

I had to hold back a laugh. Okay, maybe it was really a little cruel. But it is indeed interesting, this whole fascination of his for shiny things. I think now I’ll have to start saving all the similar things I find to give to him. I wonder what other things about fairies are correct, does he like sweets? Does he burn himself with iron? When he’s talking in his fairy form does it sound like a bell?

— Rulie, what do you like? – I tried again.

— Shiny things... – He answered, still focused.

— What else?

— I like you...

The pendulum movement I was making with the necklace stopped in surprise. I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or if this necklace thing was really starting to affect his poor brain, but it was enough to make my face hot as hell. I figured it was best to stop this.

— What’s going on? Why does the Traveler look so silly? – The Captain’s voice caught my attention, making me look away from the fairy boy.

— Oh, I think he likes shiny things. A little too much.

— And you’re using that against him? How cruel. – Wars replied in a mocking tone.

— Yeah, I’m stopping, that really was a bad idea. – I concluded, looking away to hide my blush.

I picked up the necklace, leaving it completely out of Hyrule’s sight, and I could see, out of the corner of my eye, him blinking rapidly, regaining consciousness. I intended to apologize, of course. For a moment I thought he didn’t remember what he had said, but then he stopped for a moment in pure shock, and his face became even redder than mine. His nervousness became visible as he began to move away and stutter, looking for na excuse to get out of there.

— Look, I’m... I’m going to help Time! Excuse me! – I saw him say blushing as he walked away. He definitely knows what he said.

— Geez, what’s came over him? – Wars asked, curious about the possible gossip. I shrugged, trying to avoid my own embarrassment.

— It must be a fairy thing.

[hayleyb100]

The Ribbon, Part 2

Part 1

❗️ Notes

-TRIGGERS INCLUDED: SCHOOL BULLYING AND ANGST WITH FAMILY -This is a dedicated story of the swap version of my OC Richard(Father of Raihan) and his granddaughter, the shipchild of Leon and Raihan called Ari. -The character Ari belongs to @weclownstoday​. Huge appreciations for letting me add her to the story!

An uncomfortable silence filled the whole room. Richard saw the girl scanning him from top to bottom, just like how he is doing the same. Without the girl having to explain, Richard could feel in his intuition that she is his granddaughter. She had the purple hair that looks so familiar to him: The unique hair color of the Former Champion of Galar, who got married to his son Raihan. It was on the news headline for years. On top of that, she also had the peculiar turquoise-colored eyes that are passed down in his Pendragon family.

As Richard's face frowned more from trying to investigate who the girl is, she fiddled with her wooden doll nervously. Richard's dragon glare is already scary as it is, so it was far worse for a child who is left alone with a stranger.

"Who are you?" why, that is such a sweet first question for a child.

"......." she only stared back at Richard, grabbing the doll closer.

"......." Richard stared her back, making the atmosphere even more awkward.

The girl finally made a move other than fiddling her doll. She hesitantly put her hand in a pocket, pulled out a slightly crumpled paper, and gave it to Richard.

Richard was pleading his intuition was wrong. A child that resembles him standing in front of a stranger's home in the middle of the night alone with a note to give him? It was obvious but he wished his intuition was wrong and silly for once. But his intuition was written precisely on the paper. Familiar handwriting of his son-in-law, the Champion, he sees as a Gym Leader was there. It claimed they can't care for the child anymore and sending her for his care.

That short message pushed Richard to the whole chaos of emotions. He first got extremely upset for them deciding this without a word of discussion with him. He was also confused on how to explain this situation to the child since it was obvious they didn't explain this to the child. There was no way a child can be so calm and collected when their parents dumped her in front of a stranger's door. Another wave of rage overwhelmed as Richard realized those two irresponsible parents tossed the hard part of the explanation to him. It was even more difficult since, it may sound ridiculous, but he didn't even know about his granddaughter's existence.

'What a beautiful first encounter for sure,' thought Richard.

'Normally, I expect this kind of the first encounter in the maternity ward, right after their birth, or at least right after they are discharged from the hospital.'

He inhaled deeply, asked the girl to stay here while he went to call alone in the room. The number he desperately wanted to call for decades but honestly scared not to.

"Hello?" a familiar woman's voice came.

"...Aliyah."

"Richard..." an awkward silence filled the whole atmosphere.

"Did she arrive there well?"

Richard sneered to suppress rage.

"So, the first thing you ask from getting a call from your ex-husband after decades is how is your abandoned granddaughter?" a clear snap with rage. Richard couldn't help it.

"It would have been nice of you to at least told me of her existence before doing something so reckless. What is all this?"

"Richard, please don't say that... We didn't have a choice."

"Oh? I heard the Chairman, your father, passed away three years ago. So who ordered you to do this now? Are you still the same old woman who can't decide anything on your own?"

"......." after a brief silence, Richard hears someone snatching the phone.

"Hello?"

Richard's heart drops, as the voice pierces into his ears and tears his heart in two.

"...Raihan."

"I'm surprised you remember my name, considering you abandoned me for your career as a Gym Leader."

Richard was lost for words.

"Is that what your mother told you?" even at Richard's shaky voice, Raihan interrupted.

"Doesn't matter who says what now, is it? You abandoned me, and that's the only fact here."

Richard falls into silence since it's true. No matter if it was his shitty father-in-law who threatened him, his wife wasn't cooperative, and the world turning a cold shoulder, he DID leave his son behind.

"Well? You did me wrong, so at least take care of my mistake."

"...Please do not tell me that you just addressed your daughter as a mistake."

"What? It's what you think of me, so can't I say the same? It's what I learned from you."

NO, RAIHAN, NO!! Richard nearly screamed, but something stopped him.

"I don't even know if I'll ever forgive you for caring about my mistake, but eh... Whatever." with that as of last, the long-overdue phone call ends.

Richard couldn't breathe from the pain. He thought he did what was right to protect his son, but he is now engraved in his son's heart as a horrible father and the butterfly effect from that is about to tear his grandchild's life apart. He started to question all his decisions and motives. His life is about to crumble down. But the grimmest thing of all is that he isn't even allowed to do that. He knew that girl needs a caretaker and there is no way he'll send her away somewhere else. Not after what happened to him and his son.

He stroked his face to calm down and went out to the living room where his granddaughter is.

________________________________

She was still fiddling her doll, showing a clear sign of anxiety. Richard took a sharp inhale and called her.

"Umm... Your name is?"

"Ari..." she said shortly, looking down at her tip of the toes.

"I see... Greetings. My name is Richard Pendragon."

He was as anxious as the girl, since judging from Raihan's attitude, it was obvious how Aliyah and his son described him to his daughter.

"...Ari. Please listen to me carefully." another inhale.

"From today onward, I will take care of you. You are staying here with me, your grandfather. Alright?"

Richard thought it would be better for Ari's sake to open everything up before she finds out everything later and gets more pain.

"O... Okay..." Ari said nervously. "For how long?"

Richard's throat got blocked with intense torment. How can he dare to just bluntly answer 'forever' when she has no idea that her parents abandoned her and she is solely believing her parents would get her later?

"For... as long as we have to." Richard ended up giving a vague answer where he didn't lie but wasn't clear either.

Richard had no idea what to do with a little girl, so he started by shopping the stuff for her like clothes and children's books. She came with a suitcase of clothes but that was not enough. He didn't know what's popular among girls these days so he bought a pink ribbon as an accessory. 

 Ari had no idea why her grandpa was buying so many clothes when she's just going to stay for a couple of days until her dads come to get her. But since she heard all the horrible and scary things about her grandpa from her father, she just listened and followed him around without arguing. Sooner or later, the old storage room next to Richard's room turned into a lovely room for a little girl. Ari still was in wonder, but just watched how things go. She realized her grandpa wasn't too awful like her father described. He cooked some delicious food for all three meals and although clumsy, he tried his best to tie her hair and dress her. He also registered her to the local trainer's school to get appropriate lessons.

But that's when Ari started to feel something's wrong.

If dad is coming to get her soon, why would her grandpa register her to a school?

________________________________

She still was in denial until days turned into months and months turned into years without any contact from her parents.

"Umm, s, sir?" Ari nervously called him.

"Yes, Ari?"

"Can I call my father?"

"............."

Richard hesitated. But in his head, he knew the answer. He can't hoard a secret like this. Look how keeping that secret from his son ruined the relationship between him and his son.

"Ari, umm... Your father will not come for you. Do you remember I said you will have to stay here as long as you have to? It means..." Richard just couldn't continue. The pain came back at his granddaughter's frowning face.

"N- no!" Ari shook her head in denial. But deep within, she already knows what her grandpa is telling her is true. She tumbled on the floor and started wailing.

"Dad! Father! I'm sorry, I won't be naughty again! Please come and get me!"

Ari's helpless tears brought Richard down to his knees too. He was so sorry for her, thinking everything that happened is because of his foolish choice.

[theimperialnuisance]

FFXIV Write 2022 //ffxivwrite info//prompt list//character info//master post//

Prompt twenty-four: Vicissitudes | noun: a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.| Word count: WIP Characters: Syren Ligeia Cw: Mild language Notes: I at first was going to go with angst, asking my friends who shall be my victim when this idea popped up in my mind and I went the silly route. Syren is not a people person so finding out he was the warrior of light was a rather unwelcome change

“I should be most gratified if you would participate in the ceremony as Emissary.”

A great honor it was to be the chosen Emissary for the Greenbliss ceremony, that’s what everyone had said after the Elder Seedseer had left but for Syren, it felt more like a great inconvenience. More so because he wasn’t much of a people person and being the center of attention was the last thing he wanted. Still, it was difficult to decline the request, not when she had been so polite and grateful for the help he and Bijou provided at the Guardian Tree.

Minnoue casually joked that he would next come to tell her he was the Warrior of Light back from a half decade long holiday and he nearly laughed in her face. There was no way in all of the hells he’d ever be that. He didn’t want that kind of attention when he left Ishgard—just a change of pace.

The ceremony went off without a hitch, and despite how uncomfortable he felt with all eyes on him, Syren had to admit the Greenbliss ceremony was a thing of beauty. It was after the ceremony concluded that things took an unexpected turn.

“Tell me, has the Mothercrystal revealed Herself to you?” The Elder Seedseer asked, her eyes fixated on the crystal Syren held in his palm. It had begun glowing the minute the ceremony finished and it seemed to mean something to her. “Have you basked in her Light?”

Syren blinked at her, not liking where she was going with this. “Once…or twice. But…” he couldn’t finish his sentence, knowing there was no sense in trying to avoid the topic.

“That Hydaelyn would speak directly to this man…” The Elder Seedseer muttered to herself. She turned to Syren again, her eyes searching. “You know of the calamity five years ago, do you not?”

Syren nodded his head. “I was still in Ishgard at the time. Stationed with my father in Camp Riversmeet. The Ishgardians choose to not get involved with Eorzea’s affairs but we still suffered the effects of what befell.” He paused, closing his eyes for a moment as the memory played through his mind. “I don’t remember much about that day—only that it was summer and the camp wasn’t as busy as it usually was and then the same moment that sphere appeared in the sky—we were under siege by hoards of dragons.”

(WIP—posting what I have now cause I’ll br on break again after the 12p deadline.)

[thekytchensynk]

Eiko RPFs Her Way Through Demon World Chapter 4

In chapter 4, Eiko ... or rather Beeko ... has to deal with a terrible dragon. Read it on AO3 here. Beeko was sitting in class one day, staring out the window as the teacher droned on and on about some old war. She didn’t care about the war. She didn’t care about history at the best of times. This had to be her least favorite class on her entire schedule. But it was worse today. Because today was the sixth day since Irudo had stopped coming to school. 

Sure, two of those days had been the weekend. She’d first noticed it the last day of last school week -- that Irudo didn’t show up and she didn’t get to see his smile, which always brightened her day. She assumed he just had something come up -- maybe he went into his wicked phase or something? But after the weekend he kept not showing up. And now, six days later, she was starting to think something truly serious had happened. 

She’d asked everyone, but no one had any idea where he might be. She resolved that today, after school, she’d travel to the home he shared with his grandfather and would definitely knock on the door and ask to talk to him. Because she was worried, they all were, and…

She got distracted as a small, fuzzy creature came winging unsteadily across the courtyard. It bobbled on the breeze, looking cute on its stubby wings, but Beeko got a feeling of foreboding looking at it. Where had she seen it before?

Oh! She remembered now! It was Professor Kaletos, in the form Irudo had temporarily turned him into. But he looked unsteady on his wings, and she thought she could see blood. If he was in that form, Irudo had to be nearby right? He had said when she found out his secret that the change was only temporary. 

She jumped to her feet and ran out of the classroom, ignoring the teacher shouting after her and the hubbub of the classroom. 

She got outside just as the transformed teacher landed with a thump on a bush out front. Carefully she scooped him up, disentangling him from the shrub. “Professor, are you OK?” she asked.

“Do I look OK!” the creature squeaked in an adorable voice, unlike the cold tone she was used to hearing from him in his demon form. “I need help. I have been cursed to stay in this form by a dragon and I need help to defeat it. And since only you and Irudo know the secret and he’s been caught by the dragon, you need to go free him, right now!”

The teacher was just as demanding in bat form as he was in demon form. But there wasn’t time to worry about it. “A dragon?” she asked.

“Yes, and since I cannot let anyone, especially teachers, see me, you need to defeat it to let me turn back to normal.”

It wasn’t very polite, but she found herself saying, “Nevermind you, what about Irudo.”

“This is all his fault,” the teacher squeaked. “The dragon wanted to add him to its hoard. And when I went to see why he hadn’t come to school lately. But I suppose defeating the dragon will also release him from its clutches.”

She set him back in the bush. Well, that was all there was to it then. Except that Beeko wasn’t sure she had the power to defeat an angry dragon. The teacher might not want anyone else to see him in that state, but she would need help to face a dragon. But who? Her friends were all smart and good at magic and very pretty, but she wasn’t sure they were ready to fight a dragon. He said no teachers. Maybe one of Irudo’s friends? There was that pretty Zazmodean demon who’d been hanging around him too, but he hadn’t been at school for a couple days either. Who else? Rumor was that a guy named Labrock had fought a massive monster already with Irudo. Maybe him?

She went to his classroom and barged in.

“Young demon, this is unacceptable!” the teacher scolded, but she went straight to where Labrock sat and leaned close. “Can you please help? Irudo is in danger!”

He stood up immediately and followed her out of the classroom. Behind them, she heard the class go “oooooh!” clearly getting the wrong idea about what was happening. But both she and Labrock ignored them. They had more important things to worry about. 

“Tell me more about the danger!” he demanded.

So she told him what she knew, which was not a lot, as they walked back to where the teacher still perched in the bush. She heard him shout her name angrily as she approached, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her either. He might not like her getting help, but at least she hadn’t let another teacher see him like this. 

“We needed help. Tell us where to go to stop the dragon.”

The teacher scowled as best he could as a bat. Then he said, “Go to Zazmodean’s house.” 

As Beeko scooped the bat creature up, the two students headed for the front gate, Beeko practically jogging to keep up with Labrock’s long strides. “Zazmodean’s house,” Labrock said. “He has been absent lately as well. I wonder if the creature has imprisoned them both.”

Beeko didn’t really care. If they could help the other student too, that was all well and good. But frankly, she didn’t like him all that much. He looked cool, sure, and he was very talented. But he also looked at everyone who crossed his path with disdain. The only exception was-

“Hey, Labrock?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think Zazmodean could have something to do with the dragon? I mean, it’s at his house. And he has been acting weird lately.”

“Has he? I have never paid attention to him.”

“Yeah.” she marveled at how easy he was to talk to. It was like having a big brother. He seemed so scary, but it was reassuring to have him with her. “I guess maybe it’s silly.”

As they approached the house -- a dark and brooding castle-like structure set deep in a dark wood -- an unnatural silence settled around them. It seemed something had scared off all the birds and hellbeasts and other monsters. She guessed a dragon could do that.

The front gate was made out of wrought iron, formed in intricate curlicue loops and swirls. A heavy lock firmly kept the pair from walking in.

“What should we do?” she asked. “We-”

But Labrock wasn’t listening, he was concentrating. A moment later, a huge sword appeared in his hands and he sliced cleanly down the crack between the two gates, shearing the lock into a pile of messy bits. He looked in satisfaction at his handiwork, then over at her. At seeing her surprised expression, he asked, “We wanted to get there as quickly as possible, correct?”

“Oh, definitely,” she said, nodding her head. “Thank you! Let’s go.”

They walked up the broad pathway leading to the front of the house. But they had only gotten a few steps when the heard the heavy whumph of massive wings and a long, serpentine dragon landed in front of them, glittering eyes glaring down at them.

“Who dares trespass on my domain?” it demanded of them.

“We’re looking for Irudo!” Beeko shouted up at it. She felt so very small before this gigantic creature. 

It growled deep in its throat. “Leave here.I have nothing to give you or discuss with you.”

With a shout, Labrock launched himself at the dragon. The sword he had created to take care of the gate remained in his hands and he swung it overhead in a massive, powerful arc. He was also very small compared to the dragon, but his jump was mighty and he cut the creature across the center of its chest. The dragon let out a roar then breathed fire at Labrock as he landed. He dodged the flames, but his clothes got a bit singed.

“We need a plan!” Beeko shouted, releasing the processor into the air so he could move to safety.

“The plan is to defeat it!” Labrock shouted back, launching another attack. He damaged the dragon again, but the creature guessed his movement this time and he took a full blast of fire. He landed much harder this time, smoke trailing off his hair and clothes. 

“That’s not a plan that’s just a goal!” she shouted back. But what was she going to do? Labrock was strong and could make weapons, and she’d come here in her school uniform and completely unarmed. What could she possibly bring to this terrible fight?

But oni weren’t known to give up. There had to be something. Like … the dragon was breathing fire, right? And the opposite of fire was…

Shouting an incantation, she made a bread gesture just as the dragon opened its mouth to breathe fire at Labrock again. A deluge of water doused the creature, some of it going down the monster’s throat. It let out a loud cough, a smoke cloud escaping between its teeth. 

“Aha! Excellent idea!” Labrock shouted, and he did the same thing as she did. The dragon was getting totally drenched now, and was retreating a little bit before the onslaught. 

“Fools!” it shouted at them. “This can’t stop me!”

“It can annoy you!” Beeko shouted at it. “Until you  leave us alone!”

As she shouted that, the door to the house opened and Irudo stepped out. “Finally you’re distracted again!” he shouted as he made a gesture toward their battlefield.

The dragon turned toward him, water dripping off it, and said, “Did you forget? That ability won’t work on me. My magic will just warp it and redirect it again! Your friends-”

“Are fine!” he shouted with confidence. He looked tired and his clothes were dirty -- had he been stuck in the same school uniform since he disappeared? -- but he also looked happy and defiant as the wind from the dragon’s wings whipped his hair around. “Because I didn’t target you!”

It was then that Beeko noticed the dragon seemed smaller. Much smaller.. It was almost the same size as her now. And the house too -- it looked very small. And Irudo and Labrock dwindled away below her. She was … she was ...

 If the person I change is helping me, it can make them bigger, stronger. 

His special ability! 

She was bigger than the dragon now, and she stepped forward into the middle of the front yard, bringing one hand around with all the speed and force she could muster. Her palm collided with the dragon with a force she’d never felt before, lifting it off its feet. It tried to open its wings, but the force of the blow was just too much and it went sailing off over the treetops, tumbling end over end until it disappeared. A second later they heard the crash of its landing.

“Hurry!” Irudo said. She could just barely hear him from her great height. He ran over to help Labrock and the trio began walking back toward school. Beeko had to move very carefully because she was so tall and her feet were stepping on a lot of plants and things with every step.

On their way back, the professor met them. He was in demon form once more, but looked very confused. When he saw the students, he asked why they were out of school in the middle of the day. 

“You came to find help, remember?” she asked him, realizing that she was shrinking back down again. The magic must have worn off after a few minutes. 

“I did no such thing,” he said, but there wasn’t conviction in his voice. She guessed that however the dragon had warped Irudo’s magic, it kept him from remembering what happened. A good protective ability. At least once he realized Irudo was with them, he backed off. It seemed he still remembered what had happened the first time their paths had crossed. 

Beeko got a scolding when she got back, and she knew Labrock had as well, but they both felt like it was worth it. They had saved Irudo, and the dragon was gone, and by the next day, everything had gone back to normal. Except that during lunch that day, from his spot sitting with Zazmodean (who had also come back to school) he had shot her a secret, grateful smile when no one else was looking.

~~~~~

There. Eiko considered this ending, trying to figure out if she was truly finished, but this story had done what she needed it to. If Labrock was going to intrude on her daydreams, then she would just have to integrate him as a force on her side, instead of replacing her. Maybe with this her brain would stop being fixated on him crashing her fantasies!

Though there was one other person crashing her fantasies in real life. After all, if he wasn’t so intimidating, then she could totally work up the courage to talk to the real Iruma, right?  Frowning, she bent over the paper again.

 ~~~~~

But the one thing Beeko didn’t notice was how Zazmodean also shot her a secret look. But this one didn’t have gratitude, it had daggers. It was the look of someone angry. And someone plotting.

~~~~~

She felt a tiny little bit bad. Asmodeus didn’t seem like a totally bad demon, not really. He was standoffish and haughty, but he also seemed very gallant a times, and never seemed to go out of his way to be mean to anyone specific. But she couldn’t help it. After her conversation about lunch the other day, she couldn’t help but see him as intimidating and mean. Yeah, without him -- or even if he just gave Iruma some space -- she would definitely have thanked her hero and asked him to eat lunch with her already. That had to be the thing keeping her from making her move. And then there had been after school yesterday...

“Hellooooo. Are you coming to school or what?”

The voice, sounding far far too close for comfort, made Eiko jump and slam her notebook shut guiltily. Looking over toward the door, she found Gaako standing there, waiting for her. 

“Eiko, you OK? You were spacing out! I knocked like three times and you didn’t answer.” Gaako stayed over in the doorway, perhaps sensing that Eiko was really embarrassed to have been caught at her writing. 

“Um.. sorry,” Eiko said, hopping to her feet and sliding the notebook under her pencil box. She grabbed her books and hurried over to the door.

“Finishing some homework?” Gaako asked.

“Not exactly.” She hesitated. Part of her was almost ready to tell Gaako what she was actually doing. It would feel good, not to have this as some weird, dark secret that she had to keep shoving under stuff in her room the moment anyone came near. But … was it weird? Would Gaako think she was weird? A lot of people would, definitely. But her?

Well. Maybe another day.

As the pair got outside and took to the skies to fly to school, Eiko said, “Sooo …. You were right.”

“Of course I was,” Gaako giggled. “But about what? This time?”

“I kinda like Iruma…”

“No offense, but we all know that.”

“Wh- all? Who all?”

“Like … anyone with eyes?” Gaako said, amused but gentle. “Come on. Whenever they have the whole school in one place, you’re always looking for him. Sometimes you even ask if anyone else sees him. I didn’t think you were trying to be subtle.”

“Ah. I didn’t know anyone noticed.”

“We noticed.” she reached over, poking Eiko in the shoulder with one claw. “So? Are you going to talk to him?”

“I want to!”

“But?”

“You know why I can’t.”

Gaako laughed. “Is it still Asmodeus?”

“Yeeeah.” Turning in the air, Eiko pleaded with her friend. “You don’t understand. It’s not just about lunch. It’s all the time.” She’d tried, after school the day before, to go find Iruma. She didn’t even want to ask him out really, not yet. She just wanted to thank him for saving her on that first day. And every day that passed between that event and her eventually thanking him made it feel more and more awkward. So she really needed to get to it, before it became an entire thing .

But Asmodeus stood between her and that goal like … like a dragon, jealous and protective. As she’d approached down the school hallway, he’d whipped around, eyes narrowed, so quickly that on instinct she’d hopped back out of sight, hiding from that fiery gaze. 

“I just don’t know how to get close enough to tell him thank you for that first day. Do you have any suggestions?”

“You just have to do it,” Gaako said simply. 

“It’s not that easy!”

“Who said it was easy?” Gaako swooped around beneath her to the other side. “But aren’t you a demon? Come on.” She grinned. “You just have to be brave and march up right past him. Be so confident that he can’t stop you.”

“I don’t know-”

“You do know, you just need to build up to it. Come on. Let’s hurry or we’ll be late.”

Up ahead, the bell chimed, letting them know that they were going to be cutting it dangerously close. As they sped up, Eiko decided that Gaako was right. She just needed to be brave. Live up to her name.

Today, she would totally talk to him. Nothing was going to stop her this time!

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Ready for the sun to Fane’s moon, and two fools being awkward, but adorable upon a first meeting? I know I am! 

Chapter summary: Fane's sister, Mhairi, personally comes to the Inquisition after she receives a letter that Fane had become ill - unbeknownst to everyone. She finds herself in a different world with different people, who all have different perspectives, but she soon finds that not everything concerning Fane's status is as clear as the letter in her hands..

Haven was not what Mhairi was expecting when she made the decision to come to the small village. That wasn’t to say the village was bad, by any stretch of the imagination! It was simply..different to her. The frigid air that made her toes curl in uncommon boots, the chaotic hustle and bustle of various different people, the massive hole in the Veil that made her eyes water from just looking at it - all different than a tiny Dalish camp. Then again, Mhairi had a feeling many things were going to be different to her now that she was here. 

Icy blue, but curious eyes took in the seemingly ‘every day’ routines of the people who inhabited Haven. She saw that most were either soldiers or those belonging to the Chantry - easily pinpointed due to their crimson clothing and the symbol of the Andrastian religion emblazoned upon their robes. As Mhairi walked along the path that led up to the village’s gates, she could hear some of the faithful reciting parts of their ‘Chant’, and the feeling of loneliness immediately washed over her. This.. this was not a place the People walked often, if at all.

“Mythal’enaste.. Why am I so surprised? The Keeper had warned me about this..”, Mhairi murmured to herself - nervous energy causing her to crinkle the letter from the Inquisition that was in her hands when she could feel a few Chantry sisters giving her a sidelong glance - most likely because of her vallaslin. She sighed in an attempt to steady herself, “..But I need to be brave. Fane is here. Fane is here, and I have to see him..”

Despite the unease and discomfort Mhairi was feeling from being scrutinized, she knew none of that mattered right now. She hadn’t come to be preached at or to preach at another; she had come for her brother - she had come for Fane .

Mhairi turned her head down to the letter in her hands, carefully smoothing the delicate paper out on the palm of her hand from where she had crinkled it, to give it another quick read, “I need to find someone named..’Seeker Pentaghast’..”, she mumbled softly as she read the lines detailing who she needed to contact, “I’ve read about the Seekers, but I wouldn’t know what one looked like. Maybe I should have sent a letter saying I was coming..”

Mhairi had been puzzled by the nature of the letter; it was rather ambiguous, to be frank. It seemed to carry a heavier air despite it being short and straightforward. And truthfully, the letter that Mhairi had received didn’t ask for her in person. It merely stated that her brother was sick, and if she had any information about him that could help towards his recovery. She remembered thinking, ‘Why can’t they just ask Fane themselves?’. However, the moment she read the word ‘illness’, she had bolted out of the Keeper’s aravel - much to her mentor’s dismay - and had begun preparing for a long, but well meaning journey. This type of thing wasn’t something she could just leave, even if she knew Fane would be livid with her for coming to Haven. No, this was something she had to do in person - not with a silly letter.

Mhairi took another slow look around, pocketing the letter in the pouch attached to her hip before letting out a thoughtful hum.

“Maybe I should..ask someone? If Seeker Pentaghast is important, then I’m sure anyone would know them, right?”, she said to herself, tucking an errant lock from her braid behind a pointed ear as she continued to look around. “And if no one knows, I guess I could just find Fane myself..?”

Mhairi heaved a defeated sigh - frigid mountain air condensing into a tiny puff cloud as she did so. She was..lost - incredibly lost. Back when she and her brother were with the clan, Fane would be the one to handle situations involving people - which was ironic due to the fact that Fane vehemently stated that he was by no means a people person. If anything, Mhairi believed her brother was very much a people person, if only because he could read people - unlike her, who more or less took every word a person said at face value. No, Fane was as cunning as a wolf leading its pack, and as dangerous as a dragon protecting its hoard. Mhairi couldn’t count on both hands how many times Fane had successfully bartered with a merchant, or caught them attempting to swindle him - the merchant assuming her brother was just a ‘savage Dalish’ before her brother would glare down his nose at them, and as cold as ice, laid out an ultimatum that left him the profited party. It was one of the only instances where Fane was calm when someone was ‘messing’ with him.

And if anyone - be it from the clan or a human villager - had done something to slight her, Fane would materialize as if from thin air with the look of death about him - his two toned eyes like emerald trees alight with golden fire before a hard boot would meet a poor jaw or chest. Her brother was fiercely protective; a fact Mhairi had found herself constantly scolding Fane about.

More like ‘over’ protective. It’s a tad ridiculous, honestly. Mhairi thought with a tiny roll of her eyes before shaking her head with another sigh.

While Fane was more clever than most gave him credit for, he was also..difficult; Mhairi wasn’t afraid to admit that, and it wasn’t just because Fane could be overbearing. Her brother never meant to cause harm with his words or actions, but she could see that among strangers, Fane’s volatile demeanor would be problematic. The main problem was Fane’s unwillingness to socialize or explain why he had said or done something when a fit of rage took him. Usually, when they were with the clan, Fane would opt to stay away and watch any gatherings from a tree or any high vantage point - like he was simply observing the clan’s rituals, or he would deign to disappear altogether - choosing that the forest was a better companion than the other clan members. Her brother would begrudgingly join if Mhairi pressed hard enough, but she didn’t like to do that to Fane. There was a reason Fane wanted solitude. Mhairi just..hadn’t figured it out yet - yet.

And as to her brother’s fiery temper? That was far more complex. It was something even she didn’t fully understand, but she knew - just knew - it wasn’t everything Fane was. Her brother was more than his rage and indifference; he cared - perhaps too much, now that Mhairi thought about it. Every snide remark when hunting with the other hunters of the clan, every seemingly irritated sigh, every roll of his eyes towards the Keeper, every lonely look in jewel like eyes was a silent plea for understanding - a want that was always met with misunderstanding. No one - not even Fane - wanted to look past the anger he harbored towards the world around him.

There was fault on both sides, obviously. The clan had always believed Fane was an outcast - a monster , due to his white hair, large body, destructive temper, nonexistent faith towards the Creators, and two toned eyes. In turn, Fane believed the clan to be arrogant, pathetic, ignorant, cowardly, hypocritical, and a waste of his time. Both were stubborn, and such stubbornness eventually made her brother completely unwilling to engage with the clan and vice versa. Especially after Fane had gotten his vallaslin; her brother’s unresponsiveness towards the pain of the act solidifying the idea that Fane was a ‘monster’ - a vindictive husk. Mhairi did what she could to bridge the gap, but..again, stubborn . It didn’t help when Fane sealed himself up like a chest encased in hot lava, and it would seem her brother was acting very much the same with the Inquisition as he had acted with the clan. Which, to Mhairi’s dismay, was not a good sign, especially if Fane was sick. She supposed she understood now why the Inquisition kept asking her or the Keeper about her brother’s personality; Fane wasn’t sharing that information himself.

Why won’t you let people in, brother? What made you close up so tightly? Mhairi thought painfully, starting to crinkle the letter in her hands again before easing up with a tiny sigh.

Enough. Now wasn’t the time for reminiscing or feeling saddened by her brother’s one track mind. Now was the time to find Fane or this Seeker, and help him! That’s why she was here!

“Let’s start with the first idea - ask someone. But who..?”, she mused quietly, stopping along the dirt road that ran through - what she believed to be -the Inquisition’s training grounds.

Mhairi supposed she could ask anyone, but it would be more beneficial to pick out someone that seemed equally as notable. From what she knew of human hierarchy, if there was one important person, there were usually three more surrounding them - all equally as important, even if titles separated them.

I spy.. Her mind thought with a hint of playfulness as icy blue eyes scanned the training grounds around her - occasionally freezing subconsciously when a glint of metal would catch it. Relax. It’s just the sun.. Just the sun.. She mentally reiterated each time metal shone.

Mhairi continued to scan the large opening, hopping up on the balls of her feet to see over taller soldiers for anyone that would catch her attention.

“Hm..”, she hummed with a small pout when no one caught her eye before another glint of metal had her actively flinching, “Mmgh..”

Delicate arms wrapped around her torso as Mhairi hugged herself loosely, letting her eyes slip shut for a moment to calm down her now racing heart. It was okay. She was okay. This wasn’t the time to panic because of her own memories, but the sound of metal hitting metal and the glinting of steel nearly made her want to collapse into a ball.

“They’re just training. Just training.. Like Fane does.. The sword isn’t coming at you..”, she tried to comfort herself before the distinct sound of metal bouncing off of another sword wrong made her eyes snap open in panic.

Before Mhairi could even register what was going on, she panickedly threw up a magical barrier as the whirling of steel zoomed past where she was standing to wedge itself in the ground behind her. Eyes blown wide, she stared down at the errant sword as her hands shook violently with the restraint of keeping her barrier up and at the fear coursing through her. The..the sword..it..!

“O..Oh, Creators..”, she stammered out quietly before her arms fell to her sides limply - her knees buckling to send her to the ground backside first as her magic flooded back into the Veil.

Mhairi tangled her hands in her platinum hair - dislodging more from her long braid - as her whole body shook, pulling her knees up to her chest to make herself smaller as she cowered. A tiny whimper escaped her lips before she bit down on her bottom lip to stifle it. No, no! She had to get a hold of herself, but she couldn’t stop shaking! That sword had reminded her of..of..!

“Maker’s breath! Are you trying to kill someone, recruit?!”, a booming, angry voice had Mhairi’s trembling body freezing for a moment.

“Hm..?”, she hummed in question, not raising her head from her small balled body just yet.

“N..No, Commander! T..The sword slipped i..is all..!”

“Slipped?! You practically threw that sword!!”

“S..Ser! S..Sorry, ser!”

With a slow movement, Mhairi carefully lifted her head from where she had buried them in her knees - icy eyes looking around frantically for the source of the yelling, but unable to see anything from the slew of soldiers that were grouped around training. What was going on?

“Fane..? No, that’s not his voice..”, she whispered somewhat shakily - her chest still seized with panic. The rushed sound of boots crunching against ice had Mhairi snapping her head fully upwards as they approached. “Huh..?”, she uttered quietly.

Mhairi’s panicked gaze met an equally panicked, but shocked pair of amber colored eyes as the human man bearing them noticed where the sword had ended up. She could see the blonde human linking up what had happened before an enraged growl tore from his lips before he pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to reign in his anger.

“I will kill that man..”, the angry human spat out before sighing, “Maker, give me strength..”

Heh..he’s like Fane when he gets angry. Her frazzled mind thought fondly before the clearing of a deep voice had her refocusing on the human standing over her.

“Are you okay?”, the human asked her softly, large body coming down to her level - the sound of armor making Mhairi’s ears twitch slightly.

Mhairi’s eyes continued to stay wide, but not from panic anymore. No, it was because of the man in front of her - or more specifically, the human in front of her. A human..was talking to her! A human! She had never spoken to a human before! Well, not prolonged conversations, anyways! Still! A human! The concerned human furrowed his brows at her silence.

“Miss?”, he addressed her with mounting concern.

Mhairi visibly startled at that before she could feel her cheeks begin to flush - prior panic washing away with each moment she stared into honey brown. She opened her mouth a few times to attempt to say something, but clamped it down each time before breathing out a long sigh. She had to get a hold of herself!

“I..I’m okay.. Just..just startled is all..”, she said shakily, attempting a tiny smile when she saw the man’s worried frown deepen, “D..Do swords normally fly around here?”, she asked, trying to lighten the mood with humor.

The armored man blinked his amber eyes at her question before a small smirk cracked his worried mask. Mhairi felt her own smile grow at the sight. She liked that look on the stranger, and she wasn’t sure why. Strange.

“Not typically, no.”, he stated with a light chuckle before his face fell once more, “Are you certain you aren’t hurt?”, he asked after her again.

Mhairi continued to smile as she shook her head gently - her platinum hair whipping around softly from both the wind and the movement.

“I’m fine. Promise!”, she reaffirmed cheerily, starting to push herself up to stand, albeit somewhat shakily.

“Here! Let me..”, the man started hurriedly, rising quickly to hold a gloved hand out to her.

Mhairi blinked in surprise at the proffered hand. She hadn’t expected such..chivalry. Were all humans like this? If so, she would have to say ‘I told you so!’ to her brother. With a wider smile, Mhairi delicately took the human man’s hand - idly thinking about how warm it was before he pulled her up easily.

“Ma serannas.”, she thanked the man with a grateful smile before blanching in embarrassment, “Oh, I mean, ‘thank you’! Ir abelas! I..I mean, I’m sorry!”, she amended panickedly.

The blonde man stared at her in shock as she rambled - an odd twinkle in his amber eyes before it disappeared. Mhairi covered her face with her hands, groaning in embarrassment as she did so. Oh, now she’s made a fool of herself! She hadn’t meant to speak in elven! It was just second nature, so she hadn’t thought anything of it! Of course the human would be confused - maybe even annoyed - by her! A quiet chuckle had Mhairi snapping her head up at the sound - meeting amused amber eyes as they watched her. He was..laughing?

“You don’t have to apologize. I understand a few phrases of elven. Though, your voice makes the words sound a bit different.”, the man told her before his eyes went wide, “I..I mean..! That’s not to insinuate..!”, he stuttered out, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck in nervousness.

Mhairi couldn’t help the already large smile on her face from growing larger as she watched this large, seemingly intimidating human fumble over his words - much like how she had just moments before. She knew her voice was a bit different than most of the Dalish. The accent could be thicker on certain words, and if she was really excited, her voice liked to peak. Fane was constantly snapping at her every time she ‘whinnied’ - as he liked to say -, saying the pitch made his ears ring. However, the tone of this human’s voice had suggested that he had liked the way it sounded. That made Mhairi..happy. Maybe because not many people complimented the way she spoke? She gave herself a tiny shrug, her smile nearly making her cheeks hurt with how large it was as she continued to watch the flustered human.

He’s..endearing - cute, even! Her mind thought boldly before she shook her head to dislodge the statement it had made. Look at her! Fawning over someone just because they said her voice was different! She was so typical, wasn’t she?

Despite berating herself for her odd thoughts, Mhairi continued to smile as she looked up at the blonde man - noticing he was much taller than her before mentally slapping herself again - and opened her mouth to ease his nervousness.

“I understand what you meant.”, she said softly, feeling a soft blush not borne from the cold dusting her cheeks as she added, “I appreciate the open mindedness, and the..um..compliment.”

The human’s eyes went wide once more - presumably from Mhairi calling him out - before he brought a hand up to his mouth to clear his throat, but Mhairi could see a smirk threatening to break through before the man next spoke.

“Yes, well..”, he fumbled before clearing his throat harshly, “If you’re sure you’re okay now, I have to..um..get back to my duties.”

Mhairi blinked at the word ‘duties’ before her mind caught up to speed.

The armor, the yelling, the dominating presence, the formality.. He’s important! He might know where the Seeker is! Or even where Brother is! Her mind exclaimed excitedly.

“Wait!”, she cried since the human had begun to walk away from her - his head turning to look back at her in question.

“Yes?”

Mhairi smiled brightly before bounding over to the confused man - reaching into the pouch at her hip to fish the letter from the Inquisition out of it. She thrust the letter towards the bewildered man - waiting as he warily took it from her small hand to give it a read. As amber eyes roamed the words, she saw his face form into a hard, but perplexed expression. Mhairi tilted her head at the sight. He looked..troubled. Why?

“Is something wrong?”, she asked, her smiling face falling at the continued look of confusion.

The human let out a heavy sigh, carefully giving her the letter back before shaking his head slowly.

“No. It’s just..”, he started before continuing with an even more serious tone, “I’m surprised that Seeker Pentaghast and Sister Leliana actually contacted you. Especially given the circumstances..”

Mhairi blinked several times before a feeling of dread and panic washed over her. What did that mean?! Was Fane more than just sick?! Why wasn’t this man being plain with her?! She slowly began to crumple the letter she had taken back before looking up at the human man pleadingly.

“Where is my brother?”, she asked urgently.

The large man hesitated for several moments before he shut his eyes with a deep sigh through his nose. Mhairi felt her fingers tear into the paper before she stepped forward, icy eyes glaring with intense heat as she did.

“Where is my brother?!”, she asked once more - more panicked and loud this time.

Amber eyes reopened to look down at her with apprehension - the man’s mouth opening to say something before a mind numbing scream rang throughout the valley. It was piercing, roaring, and agonizing all at the same time! It made her body begin to tremble once more before Mhairi’s eyes went wide as saucers with realization, as did the man’s in front of her. That voice..!

“..Fane..”, she whispered with horror shaking her voice before she propelled herself forward - easily setting herself into a sprint as she cried once more, “FANE!”

“What the..?”, the human started as he looked around for the source of the scream, but snapped his gaze back to her as Mhairi bolted in the direction of the scream, “Wait!”

Mhairi ignored the human’s cries as she barreled down the snow covered path - nearly slipping a few times as she ran up the stone steps that led into the main village from how frantic her footsteps were. She didn’t have time for formality or procedure! She shouldn’t have even entertained that human when she already knew something was wrong with Fane! Evidently, it appeared to be worse than she thought!

All Mhairi could hear as she pushed the large wooden doors open - having to use a bit of her magic to actually get it to budge - was the deafening screams of her brother somewhere deeper in. She had never heard Fane scream like this - never! There would be angered yelling between Keeper or clan, but never screaming as if he was in some kind of horrific torment! Something was wrong - horribly, horribly wrong, and it wasn’t an illness!

Why is he screaming like that?! Is he being hurt?! Has he actually been injured this whole time?! Did these people do something to him?! Oh, Creators! Please, no! NO! I should have been here sooner! Stupid! Stupid! Her mind thought frantically as she finally managed to shove the gates open - immediately sprinting up another set of stairs as soon as she stumbled through them.  

Mhairi stumbled into several different people as she followed the sound of her brother’s screams - ignoring every bewildered look as she slammed into them, even when they seemed to be just as startled by the earth shattering screams that infested the whole village. However, her only concern was the source of those screams as her platinum hair tumbled from its braid from each person she connected with - flowing freely as she ran even faster before one begging statement resounded in her mind as hot tears began to escape her icicle colored eyes; the trails formed from them feeling frozen as the mountain air lashed at her cheeks.

Please, Creators, don’t take him from me, too..! Please..! Please..I’m begging you!

[starblazerm31]

37. Accidental kiss 💋 for Asra and MC pre plague :3 plz

Here you go my dear, I hope you enjoy it!  

I’m still up for writing a few more of these, so hit me up!  Might even do a couple for my MC/OC!  Prompt list here.

As usual, fic below the cut!

Ko-Fi  ☕

It was mid-day, and my shop was empty.  That wasn’t a surprise; the festival going on in town square pretty much assured that today would be slow.  I wasn’t worried about the lack of customers, though.  I had filled some rather expensive orders for one of my regulars the day before yesterday and that meant that I could afford the repairs that the shop needed, plus put food in my belly for a little while.  In fact, when I closed I intended to head to the marketplace to give Selasi a bit of business plus grouse about the festival.  It wasn’t one of my favorite holidays; some silly thing Count Lucio came up with to honor yet another one of his favorite pets.

The man would do so much better if he just opened up a zoo for all of the animals he had.  Let the kingdom share in the beauty.  But no, he hoarded it all to himself while the people paid for it.

The only sound in the shop was my breathing as well as the cloth I rubbed the glass countertop with.  So the sudden knock at the door sent my heart straight into my throat.  I took a moment to still my heavy breathing before placing the cloth down and heading to the door to open it.  On automatic, I said “Welcome to-”

I was greeted by the shy smile of Asra.

“Hello, MC,” he said.

I gave him my brightest smile.  I always loved his visits.

“Hello, Asra!  Come in!”  I moved to the side so he could enter.  "How are you?  Enjoying the festival?“

Asra chuckled.  "I set up my tent with the other vendors in the square and made some money.  That’s about all the enjoying I did.”

I laughed.  "Well, a festival celebrating turtle doves isn’t exactly my idea of a great party.“  I closed the door with a sound click.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done so many love readings in my life,” Asra said, running his tan hands through his fluffy white hair.  "And it figures; love readings aren’t my strong point.  I had to fake some of it.“

I nudged him in the arm.  "But you’re an artist at faking,” I said.  "Were your customers happy?“

"Of course.”

“Well, there you go.”

Asra laughed.  "You’re right, MC.“  He looked around.  "Slow day?”

I rolled my eyes.  "Yeah.  The boredom isn’t so bad; I just keep myself busy.“

"I can tell,” he said.  "The shop looks so clean.  And is that Dragon’s Blood you’re burning?“

I beamed.  "It is!  My aunt always said that a clean workspace enhances concentration, protects against evil, and attracts good vibes and customers.  And Dragon’s Blood makes sure you’re never low on power.”

I stood behind the counter and put my cleaning cloth away.  Asra leaned forward, resting his elbows on the glass surface.

“And it must work; I felt the strongest urge to pay you a visit today.”

His lavender eyes sparkled through his white lashes.  I felt my face flush slightly.“So is this visit business or pleasure?” I asked, weaving my fingers together.

“Can’t it be both?”

Now my ears were burning.  "Of course.“  I stood up straight.  "I got an order of crystals in yesterday, would you like to see them?  They aren’t charged; they’re specifically for my practitioner clients.”

Asra brightened up.  "Your so gifted,“ he said.  "How did you know that I came to you for exactly that?”

I felt a fit of giddy giggles well up from my core.  "As you say, I’m gifted.“  I gave him a wink and went into the back, grabbed the basket full of gleaming crystals, and set it on the counter for him to inspect.  He picked up a few and held them up to the light.

I couldn’t help but marvel at him for a moment.  Ever since I met him at the Masquerade, he had been there, in the back of my thoughts.  I recalled the way he weaved his magic for onlookers, how etherial he looked.  How when I approached his tent, he extended a small crystal ball and asked if I would like a glimpse into my future.  I remembered how his crystal ball rolled around his fingers, up his arm, around his shoulders, down his other arm, and into his outstretched palm.  And I remembered his eyes peeking right above the crystal in my field of view.  He was beautiful.

"These are perfect,” he commented.  "How did you come across them?“

I gave him a coy look.  "A good magician never reveals their secrets.”

Asra returned my coy look, only with a hint of slyness.  He reminded me of a snow fox.  "What if I shared some of my secrets with you?“

I looked thoughtful for a moment.  "Perhaps.  What secrets can you share?”

His eyes narrowed with the most alluring smile I had ever seen.  "All kinds.“

We stared at each other for a moment; I could feel the heat in my entire face.  I reached down and picked up a glittering blue crystal.

"Well, this one came from a traveling merchant who had just gotten back from Prakra,” I said, rotating the stone so that the candlelight could shine through its facets.  "He thought it was just a pretty rock with no magical properties, so I got it for a good price.  If only he knew what he had found.“

Asra leaned in closer.  "And what did he find?”

I leaned closer as well, the crystal all that hovered in between us.  "This one can radiate healing energy if you charge it on a rainy night under a new moon.  It would be an amazing tool for a healer or doctor.“

I stood up and turned to reach for a potion.  "And if you-”  When I turned back around, my elbow caught the edge of the basket and tipped it off of the counter, causing all of the glittering crystals to scatter on the floor.  My cheeks shone with embarrassment.

“Oh my…”

Asra immediately bent down.  "It’s alright, MC, I can get them.“

"No, no, I can’t let you clean up my mess.  Here…”  I rushed around the counter and bent down next to him, my hands clumsily snatching up crystals left and right and piling them back into the basket.  I reached for a crystal that had landed a few feet from the counter and turned to put it in the basket; but it fell from my fingertips as when I turned to reach for the basket, I found my lips fully connected to Asra’s.  His face shone with a deep blush, as I knew mine did as well.  He moved backward quickly.

“I am so sorry, MC, I didn’t mean-”

“I’m sorry, Asra, I didn’t know I had moved so close-”

“Not that I’m upset, it was lovely-”

“You have very soft-”

We paused for a moment, staring at each other awkwardly.  Then we both burst out laughing.

“Here, there’s only a few left,” Asra said, picking up the last of the crystals and putting them back into the basket.  I took it from him and placed it back on the countertop.

I wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes and Asra offered me his hand to help me back to my feet.  From down the street, we could hear sudden cheers.Asra cleared his throat.  "Looks like I might have another string of customers,“ he said.  He looked to the basket and then back to me.

"If I buy all of them, can I see you again when you close the shop?”

I smiled serenely.  "You can see me whether you buy them or not.“

His face lit up like the moon.  "Great!!”

He smiled at me for a moment; he looked like he could walk on water.  Before I knew it, my hands had reached out to him and pulled him close by the shoulders.  I placed a gentle lingering kiss on his lips.

“I can’t wait,” I said, once parting.

His eyes looked heavy.  "Neither can I.“

He snatched up the crystals and put them in a bag, replacing them with a satchel of coins.  He turned and headed towards the door.  He gave me one last stunning smile before slipping soundlessly outside.

[eliotlovesmae]

Esteemed Collector

The Knight stayed low, crouched behind a rock at the cave’s entrance. He was thankful for the cloudy day, and for the cool morning that had greeted him. Perfect for a fight, in his opinion. 

Attempting to move as quietly as possible, he craned his neck so he could see beyond his hiding place and peer into the cave. There wasn’t much that he could see, he noticed – just the pitch-black maw of the cave, wide and yawning. 

Maybe no one was home. And if that were the case, should he not just grab the Princess and return to the castle for his reward? Almost anything was better than being behind this rock another moment longer. His joints were starting to hurt. 

Mind made up for him by a bad knee and a few worn joints, he made his way out into the open. 

So far, so good. 

Carefully, he approached the mouth of the cave, trying very hard not to imagine the size of the teeth of the beast inside. 

He might not be inside at all, he thought to himself. Could be an easy in and out thing, and then we’re living the high life! Money, lands, titles, maybe I’ll even get the girl...

Not the Princess, but Mila, back home. He hoped this heroic feat of his might impress her – he figured riches, lands, and titles wouldn’t hurt either. In fact, as of this particular moment, he wasn’t a knight pre se. He hoped to change that too. 

Mila worried, so she said, that his father’s little farm couldn’t provide for her the sort of life she wanted. She wanted comfort, she said. Surely the life of a lady in a castle was comfortable enough. 

Pushing thoughts of Mila and her expectations aside, he turned his attention back to the matter at hand. 

Nothing yet. Cautiously, he poked his head around the opening, hoping for a better look inside. This time around, it worked. 

Inside, he could see...giant...glass cases? Curious and confused, he shuffled closer. Yes, indeed, these were glass cases with rare gems, jewelry, gold, and chalices all on careful display. “What...?” He breathed. 

Forgetting caution, for now, the knight drew farther into the cave, curiosity piqued. Once inside, he could see that many such display cases lined the walls of the cave, each item inside just as breathtaking and valuable as the one before it. “I thought...” 

The whole cavern began to shake, the treasures trembled slightly on their velvet pillows. The booming of large footsteps forced the knight to stumble backward, one foot catching on another. He landed squarely on his arse in the dirt, and even then tried to back up further. 

It was at this point he might have tried desperately to remember his training – except he hadn’t gotten any. Whose brilliant idea was this, anyway? He thought, shaking nearly as much as the ground beneath him. He considered leaving the cave; Mila’s attention wasn’t worth dying for. 

“And over here,” a voice filled the cavern, “is where I keep a lot of my, shall we say, classic Dragon Hoard items.”

“That is classic dragon stuff,” the Princess admits, casting a slightly disinterested gaze at the cases. 

She sits daintily folded in the dragon’s great palm, tracing one idle finger along the shape of one claw. “But aren’t you gonna...” she shrugs, at a loss. “Keep me captive back there?” she jabbed a thumb in the direction of the very back of the cave from which they had come.

“Of course not!” The dragon looked almost offended, embarrassed, even. A bit of steam escaped his nostrils while he fretted. “You wouldn’t be very comfortable back there! You’re a guest, and will be treated as such!” Flustered, the dragon added, “I’m sorry, I just thought you’d like to see my collection.” 

“It’s really nice!” The Princess assured him, “I just thought this would go a little differently is all!” 

“I don’t understand,” the dragon says.��

“You know,” the Princess waves a hand, as if this would help her explain more effectively. “You kidnap me, keep me prisoner for a while, the whole Kingdom misses me, and  then a good and handsome knight comes and defeats you, and then we get married and live hap–” as she explained, she looked toward the mouth of the cave, hoping to catch a glimpse of her knight well on his way to her. “There he is!” she practically squealed, “There’s the handsome knight!” 

The knight looked behind him in the direction she’d pointed. Clearly they had sent someone else. He had always thought he was a little plain, average at best. Dark hair and dark eyes, and a thin, lengthy frame that had never quite grown into grace. 

Yet, having found no one behind him for miles, it became apparent that the princess had meant him. The idea was so absurd, he had to make sure. “Me?” 

“Me?” The Princess mimicked, “Yes, you, silly.” 

“I wasn’t sure...Your Grace.” This last bit he added hastily, face burning. 

“Of course,” she said, almost dismissively, “you’re very handsome.” He wasn’t sure his face could get any redder. It was more than Milla had ever said. 

“Thank you...” 

“Cute!” Boomed the dragon. The Princess, ignoring him for a moment, looked down at the knight. 

“Are we going?” She asked. He looked at her blankly. Patiently, she explained once more. 

“You take a minute to defeat the dragon, and then we leave?” 

“Oh. Right.” He turned to the dragon, suddenly struck by inspiration. “I like your collection,” he said, “I heard dragons were messy hoarders, but you’re definitely more of a collector.” He turned to look at the cases, filled with well loved and meticulously cared for items. Not at all like hoarding, he realized. “You worked hard to get these things and you’re proud to have them.” he guessed. 

“That’s right!” The dragon confirmed. “I polish and clean them every day. Do you know how long that takes? But it’s so worth it.” 

“I can see that,” the knight agreed. “And I’m guessing you like to show people your collection?” The knight prodded. “And that’s why you kidnap people?” 

“I wouldn’t call it kidnapping...” the dragon mumbled. The Princess made a face. 

“I would.” 

“You were looking at jewelry,” the dragon argued, “and I thought you might like to see some of my own shiny things, and–” 

“What if I told you I could find people who would love to come see your collection? Maybe they could bring their own items you could consider adding to it on donation.” 

“We’d go back to the town,” the Princess said, quick to catch onto this idea, “and we can tell them what a gentleman you are, and that you have this beautiful collection – I’m sure people would come in droves to see it.” 

It seemed a solid plan to the knight. After all, the dragon hadn’t been accused of being particularly violent. Just having a taste for abduction. If the reason happened to be so people might have a look at his extensive assortment of precious items, then...

“Do we have a deal?” 

“Wait,” the Princess interrupted, “people are more likely to enjoy beautiful things when they feel safe and secure, right?” 

“Right.” The dragon agreed. 

“What if you protected the Kingdom too? Surely it would be easy enough to do? My father would be more likely to let his people come here if he knew you would protect them.” The dragon considered this for a moment. 

“That’s reasonable. So you two will go back to the town, tell the King that I’m good at protecting things and have a gorgeous collection, and people will actually come to visit?” He summarizes. 

“I don’t see why not.” The knight confirmed.

Convinced, the dragon gently lowered the Princess to the ground. After all, why keep only one unhappy visitor when you could have hundreds of happy ones? 

“That works too.” The Princess said to the knight with a shrug, wiping dirt off the skirt of her lavender gown. “Let’s go tell dad about our newest tourist attraction.” 

[nyameowtherfucker]

Robin Hood(Elizabeth Bathory)

Temporary summon: Deerlet/Puppy!!! Are you ready to redistribute candy!? We can't have selfish people hoarding it! We must become the Robin Hoods of Halloween!

Summon: Woop~ I'm in the Archer Class, Elizabeth Bath- oh, I mean Robin Hood! Good job, Deerlet/Puppy! We saved Halloween! I'm putting my trust in you, please take care of me!

QQAAB

Skill 1: May Princess EX

Apply Evade(1 turn) and Damage Cut(3 times) to self. Gain delayed buff(gain 20 stars).

Skill 2: Animal Communication A

Increase your NP gauge (50% - 70%)

Skill 3: Breath of the Nature Dragon D

Clears Debuffs from party and inflicts toxic status, attack down, and defense down on all enemies.

NP: The Legend of Robin Hood

(Arts) Deals Minimal damage to all enemies, inflicts poison >increases with overcharge< all enemies, and Reduce targeted enemy's Arts resistance >Increases with overcharge<

Battle Start 1: Is someone disturbing the peace again!? Let's go, troupe!

Battle start 2: With the blessings of the Forest, I will defeat you!

Skill 1: Laaa~

Skill 2: Am I doing this right? I'm new to this Robin Hood thing!

Skill 3: Listen to the song of nature!

Card select 1: Hold on, I'm cocking my bow!

Card select 2: Right away!

Card select 3: No holding back!

Noble Phantasm Select 1: Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do~

Noble Phantasm Select 2: Hold on! Where's that flute, it's somewhere in my cloak...

Noble Phantasm Select 3: I wrote this myself! I do not take criticism.

Attack 1: Just how he taught me!

Attack 2: Ahahaha!

Attack 3: Behold! The beauty of nature!

Noble Phantasm 1: Now! Listen up, open your ears! This is only one of the most famous European myths in all of history! *flute rendition of Oo-De-Lally* Thanks for joining, you were a great crowd!

Noble Phantasm 2: The many legends of Robin Hood, gathered into one beautiful ballad! A concentration of vigilante heroism! Don't even bother to plug your ears! *Oo-De-Lally, Oo-De-Lally, golly what a day*

Damage 1: Gah!

Damage 2: You're so rude!

Damage from NP 1: I...! Can't...! Back...! Doooown...!

Damage from NP 2: My costume!

Defeat 1: Robin... Help...

Defeat 2: I just wanted... to be a hero of the people...

Battle Finish 1: Thanks, critters of the forest!

Battle Finish 2: Doing good is so hard, but it's so rewarding!

Profile:

Initial bond: Elizabeth has taken inspiration from the infamous Robin Hood to become the shadowed and hidden protector of Halloween! Neither the words shadowed or hidden apply to her, she still does her best.

Bond 1:

Height/Weight: 5'1" ・ 97lbs

Source: Historical Fact

Country of Origin: Hungary

Alignment: Neutral・Good

Gender: Female

Comment from her archery instructor: "She has potential, but did she have to go with Robin Hood!? It's embarrassing to deal with for me!"

Bond 2: One of the Robin Hood myths involves him being a noble, or an ex-noble, unhappy with the treatment of the people by their fellow nobleman. This Robin Hood is the manifestation of that, being a well-meaning noble wanting to give back to the people through stealing from other nobles and distributing wealth.

Bond 3: While this Robin Hood is not specifically money, this case involves the redistribution is candy! Elizabeth Bathory, with her love of Halloween, refuses to let someone hoity toity mysterious nobleman hoard all of the candy for himself, and thus donned the classic Green of the specter Robin Hood!

Bond 4:

May Princess EX: A unique take on the May King that Elizabeth associates with Robin Hood. However, this is mostly due to the cloak in question being enchanted by the very one in question, knowing that if she was going to go through with this, she would most definitely get hurt. Feeling responsible, he placed protection runes on it to make certain she wouldn't die.

Animal Communication A: Her dragon nature mixed with her current link to nature(not to mention her status as the May Princess) has given this Robin Hood the ability to communicate with animals.

Breath of the Nature Dragon D: An enhancement of her Breath of The Dragon E skill. This skill was tweaked when she adopted the persona of Robin Hood, making the mana more equivalent to that of a druid's than a supersonic blast of sound, restoring her allies to their normal state and debilitating the enemies somewhat with song.

Bond 5:

The Legend of Robin Hood: A manifestation of the myriad legends of Robin hood gathered into one song, weaponizing all the concepts and beliefs that people have about the figure as an assault on the enemy. The poison comes from both the death that Robin Hood was believed to have and her own connection with "Robin Hood" and "A person who uses poison as a weapon of justice".

Bond 6: (Complete Elizabeth Hood and Her Merry Troupe)

While Elizabeth Bathory is one of the most infamous murderers in all of history, we can't forget that she has been summoned as a 14 year old girl. Hyped on imagination, silliness, ideals of the Robin Hood persona, and sugar, she's bound to be a bit more active than usual. Sometimes, even a princess can want to run around and frolic, to get a bit dirty, to be a kid. Let her play the roll, let her be a child. She doesn't have to be that evil vampire, the murderer, or the proper dragon idol all the time.

My room lines:

Bond 1: Remember! I am not Elizabeth Bathory, I'm Robin Hood! I'm not hiding it, but refer to me as Robin! Or Robinette since we already have a Robin... Wait, Robin is already a name that isn't feminine or masculine! Hmmm... AUGH! Lizzyhood! I'm Lizzyhood!

Bond 2: My thoughts on the common folk? I certainly treated them wrong... Well, it's in the past, right? Even if people remember me that way, I can't change their thoughts.

Bond 3: Hm? Does how people view me bother me? Of course not! I've abandoned such silly ideas, I'm Lizzyhood now! ...You like me though, right? I want you to like me at least, since you're my Master.

Bond 4: I learned everything I know about Robin Hooding from the real deal! His face was priceless when he saw me in this outfit, so funny! And he immediately got me into training with a bow too! Though... he didn't really look like he was having fun... I must've been a bad student? Ugh, why am I worrying about that!?

Bond 5: You said that Robin was just like that because he was worried, right? I'm... relieved. I don't want him to find me annoying, or bratty, or anything like that. I want to be his equal! I want him... to like me as a comrade and friend! Even though what I said should be true... I want people to like me, even now. But... because of my past... Eh? You-you're... my biggest fan? Even with... I... *sniff* You can't go making a hero of the people cry like that, Master...

Conversation 1: Deerlet/Puppy, what shall we do today? Shall we go out and help the people?

Conversation 2: Master and Servant? Someone like me doesn't need a Master! Can I call you backup for now? At least for a bit?

Conversation 3: I made this myself you know! What do you think? I'm pretty, right? Like a little forest princess!

Conversation 4: People are really calling me cute in this outfit... Ah, I'm too adorable, I can't stay hidden!

Conversation 5 (Robin Hood): Oh hey! My fellow protector of the common folk! Robin, I've been doing great, right? Are you proud? ...What was that about childhood flashbacks? What's with that grin!? This isn't a game to me, I'm serious!

Conversation 6 (Any Nero): My rival! Even moreso now that I am a hero of the commoners, she is the picture perfect image of a corrupt leader who wants nothing more than to waste her time doing nothing and stealing citizen's money! But she's still a friend so I'm not mad at her or anything.

Conversation 7 (Emiya): When I was talking about how I'm a hero of the people, that red guy got all nervous. Does he have issues with that phrase? ...I probably shouldn't ask.

Conversation 8 (Any demonic servant): U-um... I-I-I-I'm a hero against tyrants, not demons... No! I can do this! Anything to protect the people...!

Likes: I love the commoners, and protecting them against the evil and the corrupt! But, other than that, singing is still my favorite thing to do.

Dislikes: With this on, I like closed spaces even less. Give me a forest over an inn's room any day!

During an Event: Ooh! That looks fun! Um, Deerlet/Puppy, let's take a bit of a break! Even a Robin Hood needs to do a bit of R and R now and again!

Birthday: Because it was your special day, I went out and picked some berries for a fruit pie! The crust is only a little burned on this one, but other than that it's perfect! Please enjoy!

Robin on Robin Hood (Elizabeth Bathory): She's still at that... Look, don't get me wrong, seeing her be so excited is heartwarming, but when I see her I see myself, when I started. I don't want what happened to me happen to her... As long as she's having fun, who am I to stop her beyond keeping her safe?

Nero (Caster) on Robin Hood (Elizabeth Bathory): Aw, how disappointing… I really wanted Elizabeth to be in a swimsuit so we could have a bit of fun in the ocean... But, even in those garbs she is quite the adorable figure indeed!

Proto Cu on Robin Hood (Elizabeth Bathory): Well, look who it is! Someone's having a fun time, why don't I give you a hand with that whole justice for the commonfolk thing? Come on, let's have a bit of fun whacking corrupt officials together! I got a few in mind right now!

Tristan on Robin Hood (Elizabeth Bathory): That dragon girl is playing dressup, and she seems to be even more interested in me now. Ah, it's because I'm a knight, a musician, AND an Archer...? Am I going to have trouble, Master?

Bedivere on Robin Hood (Elizabeth Bathory): The legendary Robin Hood... I know there are many alternate character interpretations of him, but... Wings and a tail? And hot pink? I never envisioned such flashiness on a thief...

Fuuma on Robin Hood (Elizabeth Bathory): I feel an odd sense of kinship with Elizabeth right now. Both of us, the blood countess and a person with oni blood, beings of evil that are trying to protect people... I must thank her for letting me join, it was really fun.

[invisibletinkerer]

Fic: The Secret Journal of 'Stanford' Pines

Size: ~3000 words AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20864183

Stan Pines keeps a journal of brief daily notes during the summer of 2012.

Note: We all know that the Gravity Falls timeline makes no sense whatsoever. Therefore this is based on a headcanon timeline I made a year or so ago, trying to incorporate as many of the canon dates (in show and published J3) as possible, but ignoring the ones that were contradictory or made no sense. This still means some episodes did not happen in a strictly chronological order.

June 1

Kids are here. I have no idea what to do. Why did I agree to this.

Boy is a grump and girl made macaroni art in the kitchen. Did I even have macaroni?

 June 2 Sunday

I think boy got spooked in the forest. He seems fine, though. Good taste in gold chains.

Girl is now dating some punk kid.

 June 3

Kids looked like they’d been run over by the golf cart when they got back tonight. Not good.

Gave them some free gifts from the shop to cheer em up. Yes I know

Boy got a new hat. Should get him to wear a Mystery Shack shirt next. Girl found a grappling hook that was not in my inventory. Bold choice.

What would they say if they knew about me?

June 4

Fishing Season Opening Day – took the kids fishing.

Of course, they got excited about monster hunting instead. They’re listening to reason about as well as I and Fo did as a kid.

But. They came back to me in the end. We had fun.

I love those kids.

 June 5

Soos found those cursed old wax statues I sealed up some ten years ago. Don’t seem all that cursed now. One had melted.

Mabel’s gonna make a new one for the wax museum. Meaning I’ll have to figure out how to make suckers pay to look at wax statues again.

 June 6

Mabel’s wax creation nearly gave me a heart attack. It looks just like my twin me.

She’s crazy talented.

 June 7

I’d say the wax museum reopening went well. Assuming “well” means “profit”.

Did anyone actually think I’d hand out free pizza?

 June 8

Hanging out with my wax twin Stan, and the moment I turned my back he was murdered.

 June 9 Sunday

Tried to hold a funeral for Wax Stan. Failed to keep it tounge-in-cheek.

Face it, Ford is long gone

 June 10

Guess the wax people were still as cursed as I remembered. Kids killed them with fire – I should have done that long ago.

Dipper crawled in the vents all day looking for a wax head that got away.

If I keep telling him he’s delusional, he’s got to stop looking for trouble eventually, right?

 June 11

Mabel decided I should date Lazy Susan. Couldn’t stop her. Now Susan and her cats keep calling me.

This was a bad idea. (I will never tell Mabel that.)

 June 12

Went on a date with Lazy Susan to shut her up. That ended just as well as expected.

Need to figure out some more specific excuses.

 June 13

The worst thing is, the Portal should work now. It’s functional. I just can’t get it to start.

Maybe I’ve been doing it wrong all along

I did fix that old copier. Don’t know if it still makes copies of people, but at least it makes copies of paper again.

Caught Dipper making oogly eyes at Wendy. I smell drama.

 June 14

Did not expect “The Duchess Approves” to be that good.

 June 15

The traditional Mystery Shack party that has nothing to do with any birthdays.

Mabel is a great singer, and that Northwest brat cheated.

Happy birthday, Sixer.

 June 16 Sunday

Gideon Gleeful’s running TV ads again.

Of course my family goes to his show just to spite me.

 June 17

Mabel played with Gideon today. Did not see that one coming.

As long as she’s happy, I guess.

 June 18

I hate Pioneer Day.

Stupid people acting even stupider than normal, nothing works, then someone (me) ends up in the stocks.

 June 19

Gideon and Mabel are dating!?

Seemed like a horrible idea, but Bud Gleeful has a point on the moneymaking opportunities if we play it right.

 June 20

So if Mabel marries Gideon, his business will be incorporated into mine. I sure like the sound of that.

Bud is already making t-shirts.

 June 21

 June 22

OK, no. No deals with the Gleefuls. Not now or ever.

Mabel broke up with the little pest. Good riddance.

Got me a nice painting from Bud’s house, though.

 June 23 Sunday

The Mystery Fair! It may look cheap, but it brings in the money.

Though someone broke all safety protocols and brought a futuristic laser gun to Dunkle the Grunkle. That’s unfair.

Mabel has a pig now.

 June 24

Got roped into the gaming arcade with the kids.

Maybe get one of those games for the Shack?

 June 25

Mabel decided to fix my fear of heights.

I can say this – being on top of a water tower about to fall over was unpleasant. Compared to that, a high but stable ground isn’t so bad.

Dipper got into a fistfight with Wendy’s boyfriend over teenage drama, but good on him for standing up for himself.

 June 26

For some reason Gideon has gotten it into himself that he wants the Mystery Shack now.

Good luck, kid. I’m a better conman than you’ll ever be.

 June 27

Mabel is slightly taller than Dipper. This is funny.

Gideon Gleeful trying to be threatening while throwing a hysterical fit after breaking my new mirror maze – mostly confusing. Wish I knew what went on in that kid’s head.

 June 28

Kids made me wear the golden teeth. Guess they think I’m a dishonest man.

Fortunately, I’m good at bullshitting even when telling the truth. Think I scandalized the poor things. Hilarious.

Could have been disaster, though. Could have easily made them hate me.

 June 29

Spent half the day falling down the Bottomless Pit.

 June 30 Sunday

Summerween, now that’s a respectable local holiday.

Scaring children for fun and profit. Celebrating true evil together with family.

 July 1

Hottest day of the year. Wax Stan was permanently murdered by the weather.

Closed the Shack and went to the municipal pool with the kids.

Gideon stole my perfect pool chair. It’s on.

 July 2

Broke into the pool area at night to get the chair to myself. Which was a good plan, until I wanted to get up later in the day. The pest had coated it with glue.

The kids broke into the pool at night, too. Didn’t ask.

 July 3

Opened the Shack again.

Can’t be too lazy. Tourists to fleece and all that.

 July 4

 July 5

Mabel bet she could run the Shack better than I can. Well. I’m nothing if not a gambler.

So, three days of vacation, in which I will make more money than she will make running the Shack. Winner takes the Shack, loser sings a silly song.

Best case scenario, she learns something about business and stops complaining. Worst case, she actually makes money and then runs the Shack for me the rest of the summer. Not bad.

 July 6

Made it past the line to be a contestant on Cash Wheel, using my Old Man powers and lack of common decency.

Why is it so hard to sleep

 July 7 Sunday

Well. I lost at Cash Wheel.

Guess that means I lost the bet with Mabel, too. Unless I go rob a bank or something in the time I have left. Hm.

 July 8

Turns out Mabel barely broke even when running the Shack. She did win the bet, but she didn’t want my job, no surprise there.

I’m proud of her for learning something.

She still made me sing that song. On video tape. It’s kinda catchy.

 July 9

Mabel’s friends came for a sleepover. They make a lot of noice.

 July 10

Soos managed to uncover the door to Ford’s that old study I sealed thirty years ago the very moment the kids demanded separate bedrooms.

I never wanted to see that room again. His glasses were still there

Guess they didn’t want the room in the end, but now it’s open. Can’t re-seal it.

I think they messed around with the freaky carpet. Took it away at the end of the day just in case.

 July 11

I fucked up, but I fixed it.

I got Mabel’s pig back, even when I had to punch a pterodactyl in the face for it.

She doesn’t hate me.

I love that kid so much.

 July 12

That weird egg I pocketed from the dino-cave hatched. Dipper says it’s a compo-whatnot.

I call him Compy. He’s now my Mystery Pet.

 July 13

Soos’ birthday. The kids tried to throw a party, which is. Bad idea.

Think he appreciated laser tag, though. And the magic pizza they got him. Never seen him so happy on a birthday.

 July 14 Sunday

Turns out Compy is a very tiny dragon. Hoards stuff, mostly cash. In places I can’t reach.

It’s no good. Gonna hand the chicken-lizard over to farmer Sprott first thing in the morning before he bankrupts me.

 July 15

Mabel and her friends went to some boy band concert. Got back late with a large pack of spoils. Probably robbed someone.

Wendy’s boyfriend is charming her with homemade music. Dipper suspects magic. Can’t rule that out.

 July 16

There was a hypnotic message in the music, but telling Wendy about it only made the teenage drama worse.

Went bowling with Dipper afterwards to cheer him up. Should have a chat with Wendy, too.

 July 17

Gideon   I’m   How could

Didn’t know Gideon was that serious.

As if half-lucid dreams about that yellow triangle wasn’t bad enough. (The kids know something. Not asking. I want them to stay away from that stuff.)

We’re staying with Soos as I panic figure out how to fix this.

 July 18

I can’t fix this.

Gideon’s got the whole town eating out of his hand and I’m just a grouchy old man.

Doing the responsible thing. Got bus tickets to send the kids home tomorrow.

Whatever I do next, don’t want them to watch.

 July 19

GIDEON IS A LITTLE SHIT AND I AM AWESOME.

Figured out his trick, proved it in public and now he’s in jail.

Got the Shack back. Got the kids back.

And. Get this. Gideon had one of Ford’s missing journals. I have it now.

 July 20

I can’t believe it. Dipper. Had the third journal all summer.

All three of the dumb books are right here in front of me.

I activated the Portal. Simple as anything.

It’s scanning for Ford right now.

I’m actually bringing him back.

 July 21 Sunday

Grand reopening of the Mystery Shack turned into a zombie-fest.

Kids could’ve died because I was too busy with the Portal to pay attention. That won’t happen again.

Should have talked to them about weirdness sooner. Hope they believed me when I said I have no more secrets.

A little worried that government might have picked up signals from the Portal.

 July 22

Repairing the Shack. Too much undead slime to attract tourists like this.

 July 23

Re-reopened the Shack.

Dipper got himself an old laptop computer from somewhere. Probably stolen. He tried to hide it.

 July 24

Went minigolfing with the kids.

Mabel challenged Pacifica Northwest to a duel at midnight. I’m so proud of her.

Letting kids into minigolf courts at night to take a rich snob down a few pegs – finally putting my skills to good use.

 July 25

I still can’t believe the Portal works.

It keeps scanning.

 July 26

Tried to bring old Goldie back to the gift shop but apparently he’s unhip and scary. Had to throw him away before the parents sued me.

What I do need is a singing animatronic robot badger. That’s what kids like these days.

 July 27

Soos missed work for the first time ever. Seems to be girl trouble, but the kids are handling it.

Would’ve stolen myself a robot badger if it hadn’t tried to kill me. Saved by old Goldie. No way I’m not keeping him now.

 July 28 Sunday

Went for a Vegas vacation because I deserve it.

Not because I’m nervous.

Brought Goldie, might have gotten slightly drunk. And slightly married.

 July 29

Mabel found herself a new obsession with hand puppets.

She’ll throw a big show on Friday. Made me rent Gravity Falls theatre for her. (Can’t believe I did that.)

 July 30

The Shack is full of sock puppets and kids and Mabel keeps singing.

Guess this is my life now.

 July 31

 August 1

Soos went to his cousin’s wedding with his new girlfriend. Good on him.

Mabel’s still obsessing about puppets.

Dipper looks like he hasn’t slept in days. Can’t blame him with all this ruckus.

 August 2

Play was good! Think it paid for the costs, too. Mabel’s got showmanship.

Don’t get the ending, though.

I mean. Children fighting always makes for good footage, but was it necessary to beat Dipper up that bad? I swear Mabel don’t know how strong she is.

A little worried about Dipper. He seemed high as a kite all day. Probably sleep deprivation. At least he’s sleeping now.

 August 3

 August 4 Sunday

Gravity’s going more crazy around the Portal the longer it’s on, but I don’t care.

It hasn’t found Ford yet.

It won’t find him if he’s dead

 August 5

The Portal ate my notebook.

Got a nasty cut on the back of my hand from some debris, too. Could have been worse.

 August 6

Tried to advertise the Mystery Shack for the kids at the Woodstick Festival. Hilarious disaster.

Being feared is worth more than being loved anyway.

 August 7

 August 8

IT FOUND HIM.

He’s alive. There’s a lock on his position.

Fuck I don’t  I have to

I know how it works. It needs to calibrate for a while. It needs to be fueled for the big moment.

I’ll go rob a government facility right now.

(So glad the kids are off at the Northwest party tonight.)

27 hours and then I’ll see him again.

 August 9

Ford is back.

I had to run from the feds and the kids found out everything the wrong way but it worked and he’s back.

But he doesn’t  He still hates me.  

Why would I expect anything else.

Don’t know what I’d do with myself if the kids weren’t here.

It’s fine. I fucked up everything, but. Mabel trusts me. Dipper forgives me. I’m fine.

not crying

 August 10 Sunday

The Shack needs repairs again.

Spent most of the day making Duck-tective finale preparations with Mabel. We had fun.

Told the kids to stay away from Ford.

 August 11

Dipper has predictably decided to be nerd friends with my brother.

Can’t stop him. He looks happy. Both of them do.

Still can’t figure out why Ford would have reality altering dice lying around in his sci-fi pouch.

Anyway. I knew Duck-tective had an evil twin.

 August 12

I hate everything.

Ford will take my his place here soon enough, does he have to undercut me while I’m still here?

I’m running for mayor now.

 August 13

Kids are helping me with a political campaign. Apparently I know nothing about politics and have unpalatable opinions. Bah.

 August 14

The Stump Speech went great! I relax, words happen, people cheer.

Dipper got a lucky tie for me. Think it really works.

 August 15

Should’ve tried being a politician before. Almost feels like people like me.

 August 16

Nope. Politics is not for me. Too much mind control.

Should’ve known it wasn’t me making those speeches.

(The kids shouldn’t get into politics either. Can’t always be there to save them from murder.)

Turns out I’m not mayor material, but I’m a HERO.

Take that, Ford.

 August 17

Rented an RV and took Soos and the kids and Mabel’s friends on a road trip.

Pranking the tourist traps. Good old Mystery Shack tradition for the last time.

Dipper’s practising flirting like a pro.

 August 18 Sunday

Almost got eaten by a spider-woman. That could have gone better.

Have to admit, the kids are heroes too.

Don’t think Ford noticed we were gone.

 August 19

Opened the Mystery Shack for the final stretch.

Two more weeks, then I’m gone for good.

 August 20

Made a good deal on illegal pugs. Still got it.

Ford and Dipper put some magic mojo on the Shack. Not gonna ask.

Might have something to do with how badly Ford is sleeping.

 August 21

Ten days left until the kids’s birthday and the end of summer.

Guess I’m doing a countdown now.

 August 22

Nine days left.

 August 23

Eight days left.

I’m gonna order a ponytail kit.

 August 24

HELL NO I DON’T NEED THIS.

It’s the literal end of the world and the kids are missing.

Suddenly orange skies, goats turning into monsters, the whole shebang. I thought I had enough troubles.

That magic on the Shack seems to be protecting it, but. THE KIDS ARE MISSING. So is Ford.

 ??? 1

Day and night are replaced by eternal glowing orange and every single clock is busted, so no more dates.

Went out looking for the kids, but all I find is other people. Also demons. No sign of Soos or Wendy, either.

Been taking people to the Shack. Safest place on Earth for all I know. I have enough brown meat and elected myself Chief.

The kids are fine. Probably with Ford. That’s the ticket.

 ??? 2

Went out looking again. Found the Northwest girl dressed in nothing but a potato sack. She was crying and I don’t want to know, but she didn’t deserve it.

Been told the head honcho is the yellow triangle. He calls this Weirdmageddon.

Old McGucket showed up more coherent than usual, herding a whole flock of forest creatures into the Shack. Starting to get crowded here.

The kids are fine. Of course they are.

 ??? 3

There’s still people alive out there. I heard cars over at Gleeful’s place.

Didn’t see anyone else.

I’ve lost  I couldn’t even

Mabel and Dipper are definitely still alive. So is Soos and Wendy. And Ford better be.

 ??? 4

They’re alive!

All four of my kids, bursting through the door like cops doing a raid but they’re alive!

Now all I want is for them to stay here and be safe. Why can’t they see that?

I’m done saving my brother’s skin and getting nothing but scorn for it.

Ford made his own bed with that demon. Forget it.

 ??? 5

Did I mention, the plan concocted by five kids, Soos, and a known madman is utterly insane?

They’re rebuilding the Shack. I just had it repaired, too.

It’s my house, but no one’s listening to me.

 ??? 6

I keep having this bad feeling about Ford.

It’s dumb. My brother has made it perfectly clear how he feels about being saved.

 ??? 7

Well then.

Not letting the kids lead an apocalypse rebellion against a demonic triangle without me.

 August 25 Sunday

 August 26

 August 27

 August 28

Huh. I can’t remember writing this, but it does ring a few bells.

It’s like I

I need to talk to Ford.

 August 29

So. The apocalypse is over, and we’re all fine.

We killed the demon by burning my mind out when he was inside, pretty much.

My mind’s still there, but it’s kinda. Well. In need of repair.

Spent a few days reliving good memories.

Turns out there’s more than a few bad ones, too. But.

Everyone is so good to me

I don’t deserve this

 August 30

I remember how Ford looked at me after I brought him back.

Now he acts like  he likes to   he thinks I’m

Now it’s like he’s my brother again.

He said. “Thank you.”

 August 31

The kids have left. I’ll miss them, but I’ll see them again.

Until then, my brother and I are going sailing.

[panharmonium]

just some thinky thoughts about fandom platforms and community that i didn’t know what to do with, so i wrote them down.

[tl;dr - tumblr is weird, pan misses (certain aspects of) Ye Olde Days]

tumblr is such a weird platform.

like.  i love my blog as a personal repository of stuff i enjoy, and i’m definitely thrilled to have met the people i’ve met on here - some of them have even become my friends outside the internet, and that’s been absolutely lovely.  but in terms of actual functionality when it comes to trying to engage in a fandom...it’s still weird.

i know people will probably get tired of all the “BACK IN MY DAY” fandom analysis posts that float around on this website, but even having been here for years now, it is still really hard for me to adjust to a place that makes it so impossible to find any kind of actual fandom community spaces.

for me, i didn’t even start using tumblr until i was in my mid-twenties, and that was only because tumblr was where most people from LJ had migrated.  i’d been Doing Fandom for over a decade prior to that, on other platforms (fandom specific sites/archives and then LJ), so i ended up here kind of out of necessity - the great fandom migration was already mostly complete, by the time i moved.  

so i got here, and i got settled, but fandom on tumblr has been so different from fandom as i experienced it anywhere else, and that’s not the fault of any of its users; it’s just an inevitable function of the way this site is structured.

it is SO HARD for us to connect with people on here!

just, as an example from my own more recent life - i’ve been doing a lot of merlin stuff lately, right?  that’s where my head is at and that’s what i’m having the most fun with and i would love to be more interactive with people about it, like - to have folks to geek out with about it, you know, to do the things that fandom is for - and if i were on, say, livejournal, back in the day, i would know where to go to do those things.  there would be specific spaces built for just that purpose.  LJ comms were places where everybody who was interested in a particular thing could go for the express purpose of posting and discussing and interacting about that thing!  people still maintained their own personal blogs, but they also belonged to whichever LJ communities reflected their interests.  LJ comms and fandom-specific sites were fandom hubs - it was so easy to find what you were looking for.

this functionality doesn’t exist in any meaningful way on tumblr.  big, moderated groups/communities aren’t a thing tumblr truly supports.  there’s no way for me to go join the “merlin” comm and just be in community with a large group of people who just wanna talk about merlin.  the limited “group blog” functionality on tumblr is so non-conducive to actual usage that community spaces like those just don’t really exist, not like Back In The Day.

fandom on tumblr is so very decentralized.  the way things are set up here forces all of us to just make posts on our individual blogs, which then might get picked up and put on other people’s individual blogs, maybe.  you can’t like...make something (X) Fandom related and drop it in the (X) Fandom LJ Comm like “hey look, something fun to talk about!”  you could put it in “The Tag,” but anyone who’s been here for any length of time knows how useful doing that actually is.  and you could post it on your individual blog, but it won’t necessarily reach anybody who might want to geek out with you, not if you’re not already followed by someone in that fandom.  

and the only other option is to invite yourself onto someone else’s individual blog, which is a) inefficient, when you’re looking for wider community, and b) not something a Painfully Reserved Person is wont to do.

the analogy that works best for me is this: pre-tumblr, fandom hangouts were community spaces.  they were cafés with a sign hanging out front saying “star wars here!” or “kanan/hera here!” or “X here!”  if you wanted to geek out about a particular thing, you would go to the café and meet a bunch of other people there.

nowadays, if you want to geek out about a particular thing, you have to barge into a stranger’s house.  and not everyone is comfortable with that.

.

the lack of real, threaded comments is also just...i don’t know how to express how detrimental this is to communication and community.  i mean, i understand that tumblr’s entire “reblog” system doesn’t really allow it to be a thing, but tumblr’s entire mechanic as a fandom platform has to be questioned, in that case.

how impossible is it to have a conversation on here, the way tumblr is set up right now?  i mean - let’s say you make a post, right?  one person reblogs it and adds their own text to it; another person reblogs the original version, but says something different in the tags.  a third person doesn’t reblog it at all, but hits “reply” on your original post.  a fourth person “replies” also, but to the second person’s reblog, in response to the additional content.  

NONE OF YOU ARE HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATION.  none of you are even aware that the other conversations are happening.  the idea of trying to build an actual cohesive fandom community like that is just...impossible.  it can’t happen.

when i reblog posts on tumblr, i feel like i’m a dragon collecting a little hoard of shiny things she likes, only i never actually see another person, because i live in a cave.

everybody here lives in a cave.

.

and like...this is just philosophical, i guess, but.  tumblr’s focus on “follower count” and notes is also a thing i don’t really know how to handle.  

having people “follow” me makes me feel weird. seeing that people are “following” this blog exerts a bizarre external pressure, as if my little house here could ever be for anybody who isn’t me.  it prompts a tiny 'but should you?’ in the back of my head when i post about something that isn’t what all those people came here for, which is ridiculous, because this was never supposed to be a blog for any fandom in particular; it was just a blog for me.  i was the only one here when i started, and i literally never did anything to try and get people to come here and join me.  it happened accidentally, because bigger blogs than me picked up some star wars stuff i made and passed it around.

but of course, on tumblr, making connections gets conflated with follower/note count, and understandably so, because besides having a higher follower count (aka wider distribution), how are people ever going to reach the other people who are into the same thing they are?  

.

for instance.  let’s say you’re brand new to tumblr.  you want to get involved in X fandom.  there’s no community space here where a new blog with no followers can go and share their stuff with the right audience and meet all the other people who are also sharing their own work.  unless you start messaging strangers, your tumblr time is pretty isolated.

whereas - i remember on lj comms, back when people would post as a newcomer, it would be like, ‘hey i’m so-and-so and i love xyz and here’s a picture i drew of x character!!!!’ - and people would actually respond to that.  people responded to everything!  like.  tiny 400 word fics would have 30 comments, and all those people were talking with each other, not past each other, on the same page. 

.

just for fun, while i was typing this up, i went through a month’s worth of posts on an old lj comm i used to frequent.  not a single one of those posts was comment-less.  every single post, even the tiniest, most insignificant one-line musing, had some amount of discussion attached to it.  

whereas now - i don’t know if this is just confined to tumblr, or if it’s a general cultural shift, because even on AO3, i sometimes see people who have written massive sprawling epics and the comment field is just a desert.  i once saw the exact same fic posted on ff.net, where it had 20 comments - and then on AO3, where it had zero. 

and like, say what you will about ff.net (there’s...plenty to be said, certainly XD ) but commenting patterns were observably different there.  and that’s all part and parcel of a bigger discussion, which isn’t really within the scope of these notes, except to say that it’s probably the source of my forever grudge match with AO3′s kudos button, which i realize is an absurdly silly thing to say and i’m smiling at myself even as i type this, but - i gotta be honest - i hate that thing!  i can’t stand it!  XD  

i say that in the most good-natured way possible, obviously; this is fandom, after all, and it’s all for fun, and i love AO3 in every other way, so this is more a minor annoyance which makes me laugh at myself than anything else - but i say again - in the most fun-loving, self-deprecating way possible - that little button is my archnemesis.  XD  

i totally get why other people love it!  it’s a completely reasonable way to feel!  but for me, personally, coming out of an environment where the reward at the end of making something was getting to gush with somebody else, make a connection, talk about the thing that gave us So Many FEELS - the kudos button is so.  sterile.  and.  empty.  it doesn’t fulfill my urge to connect with people or share fannish enthusiasm in any way.  i’d almost rather not even see kudos on my account, honestly, because it makes me feel more disappointed than anything else - like, “oh, man.  look at all these missed fandom conversations we could have had.”

and obviously, this is in no way meant as disparaging to people who use the kudos button liberally.  it is ALWAYS lovely to show appreciation for someone who wrote something you liked, however which way you are able, if and only if you are so inclined.  nobody is obligated to leave feedback - lurkers are a perfectly accepted and long-celebrated fandom tradition; i belonged to that tradition myself, for most of my fandom life - so showing appreciation in any form is already going above and beyond.  nobody needs to be harangued with “YOU SHOULD’VE COMMENTED” or “YOU SHOULD’VE REBLOGGED” - none of that stuff is required to participate in fandom; nobody owes comments or reblogs, and creators have to be okay with that.  we can discuss and/or lament the structural factors that encourage or discourage participation, by all means, but ultimately we have to recognize that nobody is actually required to respond to things we make.  it’s fandom.  we’re all here by choice, and people’s participation levels are their own business. 

and anyway, i know that lots of authors actually love getting kudos on their work, so my experience isn’t universal, by any means.  it’s just a function of my own personal background, and the communities i used to run in - i speak for no one but myself and my own fannish life.

.

and besides, the entire debate about kudos/comments and like/reblog disparities doesn’t come anywhere near the underlying issues.  it’s sometimes framed as “people not participating in fandom appropriately” (and that’s completely unfair; there’s no wrong way to do fandom when you’re not hurting anybody) as opposed to “what is it about our platforms that encourages or discourages participatory fan culture.”  like - the only reason we even need to talk about the importance of reblogs vs. likes is because tumblr makes it so darn hard for a person’s stuff to be seen by the “right” people!  reblogs are the only way for someone’s work to spread, and even then it’s kind of like throwing a handful of darts at a board and praying one of them will land in a well-connected spot.  if a platform like tumblr were set up differently, we wouldn’t even need to have this conversation - there would be places to post your work where people would be specifically looking for content like what you were making.  you could make those fannish connections more easily.

*** important to note, too - it’s always worthwhile to remember when reading these “back in the old days” nostalgia posts that pre-tumblr spaces had drawbacks of their own.  livejournal was not some fannish utopia, by any means.  there were, however, a few structural things from that era that i think were helpful influences on fan culture, and their absence here makes me miss them.

but anyways.  those are just some thoughts.  and now i’m going back to my regularly scheduled posting, because i DO enjoy this place, even if the platform can be somewhat lacking sometimes - we still have to find a way to have fun, right?  that’s the entire point of being in fandom in the first place.

[miodesblog]

Fresh Out Of The Fridge is out now on all online platforms including i-tunes and Spotify. It’s a collection of comedic/ pop orientated songs written mostly in my twenties. Here’s some sleeve notes.

Trolley

The initial inspiration came from a conversation between two teenagers that l overheard at a bus stop. One of them had a crush on someone in a local band and the memory of it cropped up around the time of Brit Pop, when I was just starting a band. It’s about no band in particular and every Boy band ever! The phrase Light Your Lolly came from Chris Evan’s Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, in which contestants tried to win a holiday in the sun, but failing that got one in somewhere like Bournemouth.

Fresh Out Of The Fridge

I really don’t remember how I got this idea from except that I was always a bit of a wallflower at parties and didn’t really know how to flirt-especially with anyone I actually fancied. In my dreams I wasn’t so hesitant. So this song is about that. I never shared this with the band. I probably thought it was not going to go down well!

Chemicals

The band did a good job with this but I hated my vocals at the time . I was trying to not sound American and not sound like a fake cockney and managing to sound like both. It’s a funny sort of song about depression.

Lois and Sam

This song is about the flatmates I had when I first came to London. They were a right gang of two with a sour, misanthropic outlook which they took out on me. When I left the house, I promised myself that, whatever disappointment I had to face in life, I was not going to be like that when I got to their age.

Cactus

I sometimes listen to Woman’s Hour on radio 4 and during the nineties there was a little Feng-Shui craze. On the programme a consultation was in progress and this was how it went- almost verbatim. I always admired Noel Coward and Swan & Flanders and this song is in a similar comedic vein.

Belly Of A Monster

Walking around a fun fair there was a hoarding for one of the rides, where the passengers started by riding on the dragon then end up it’s belly. It made me think of all the people who end up in a situation sort of by accident - namely a job where they have no control over their life and no freedom to follow their dreams.

Stupid Over You

This is another song that I anticipated the bands rejection. I was the queen of hopeless and quite unlikely crushes. It’s got this slightly angry guitar line and a dreamy Celeste which conveys my annoyance at my own sentimentality!

Hey you!

I used to live on what’s called the Haringey Ladder in north London. Most days I would go for a walk in Finsbury Park to feed the ducks and pick up kindling (our squat still had open fires) Quite often I got men coming up to me to chat me up -or worse. It was really annoying. So this song is sort of Park Life if you’re a girl!

Elizabeth Republica

This song was co-written with the drummer Michael Andrawis. In the aftermath of Lady Diana’s death there was a wave of anti royal feeling going on-at which Michael’s earthy Dorset mum complained. It’s a bit of a tongue-in-cheek take on the protest song which is normally of a leftist nature - but were the shoe on the other foot -and The Queen And I a reality - there would be scope for singing the old girl’s praises.

Slow moving Traffic

This song kind of wrote itself. I grew up listening to a fair amount of country music and it’s a affectionate parody of the genre.

Lovely Malady

I didn’t have many boyfriends in my twenties but listened to friend’s moaning about theirs endlessly while never quite managing to leave the relationship. I couldn’t work out what made them act this way and concluded that they must get some kind of perverse kick out of it.

The Dawn and Anthony

This was originally a poem that I wrote around 18. I had a very handsome but unreliable boyfriend. The chorus was added on more recently is the perspective of the older me. It’s a funny but also a lament to passing youth and love.

Winners Green

This was written around the same time. I lived near a Suffolk village where there really was a Lord Of The Manor who closed off the path to the church on his newly acquired land. It’s a commentary on English country life in modern age, where the desirable houses are often exclusively owned by people who don’t live there.

Bus Ride Home

This song was perhaps the Ideal Home at its poppiest. It was inspired by my current crush and also the teen magazines that I read in my school days like Mizz and Jackie. These featured silly quizzes and hocus pocus ways of finding out, among other things, the suitability of boyfriends. Star signs and numerology were featured. The signs weren’t good, not that it made any difference.

Thank You And Good Night

I was instructed by my old band mates that I ought to be more friendly and chatty on stage and make some attempt at promoting us at the end of each gig. I absolutely hated having to do this - so whimsically wrote a song that would cover the essential elements. The music has been in my head for years and years and I must admit I felt a little pathos towards the end because the last gig was played over twenty years ago. Now here I was recording the song on a desktop computer with programmed instruments.

[xaz-fr]

Woah man remember this story? About how a bunch of asshole bandits somehow found a piece of the Windsinger's soul and decided TO TOUCH IT??? Because that was a good idea

The Story So Far

@deadpool-scar-bro​ @hikayelastoria​ @cornsnoot-fr​ @redlion-fr​ @mushroomdraggo​ @murdoch-fr​ @tales-around-sornieth​ @frxemriss​ @rainhearts-hatchery​ @rexcaliburr-fr​ @starry-ampelope​ @plainstriderbard​ @reanimatedfr​ @voltaic-ambassador @sirensage-fr​ @ally-fr​ @golden-lionsnake​​ @rookfern​ @fr-dew​ (let me know if you’d like to be added to the lore pinglist)

The Bamboo Snakes: 4

The Windsinger’s Heart was the biggest, gaudiest, ugliest thing Bonten had ever seen seen. And that was saying something since a lot of the ship's in the flotella were absolutely horrendous. But they finally got to the damn ship and Jos was very happy to drop the sack. The hatchling sprawled out wing over claw leaving a trail of green feathers. He immediately looked for Bonten who knew better than to land at all.

Jos landed and went to find someone to talk to. The runt tried to bat at Bonten’s tail curling in the air but he kept it out of reach. He checked to make sure the other Bamboo Snakes weren't looking before teasing the little brat with the space of his tail. The hatchling jumped happily trying to teach his tail, making cute hatchling squeaking noises. As soon as the thought came to him he stopped doing that. Don't get attached. Rule number fucking one! As it was they'd all had to stop Jeddie from naming the little bastard. She'd whined about it a good day and a half but had relented.

Jos finally came back with no less than twelve guards and a very regal skydancer who looked like wind in the sky. Bonten didn't like them very much. They approached the group and Bonten hovered at eye level to the skydancer.

“Bonten, this is Patriarch Vizzi,” Jos said.

“Right. So, Vizzi, we brought you your stolen goods,” he pointed at the hatchling. “The reward is substantial your bounty said.”

Vizzi moved past Bonten to the hatchling and looked them over with gentle claws. “What happened?” he asked in Sihngari, directing the question to Jos.

“We found it in a raptorik village. When we went to retrieve it it damn exploded in my face and did this to me!” Bonten cried. He was really tired of being overlooked by these damn Cloudsong dragons just because the clan he'd been born in hadn't been in the Cloudsong and his nest had been in a hollow of earth between two logs his parents had dug.

“You speak Sihngari?” Vizzi seemed genuinely shocked.

“You not see the eyes bird brain?” he pointed at his sharp green eyes which had been getting more and more intensely green the past few weeks since the little runt’s feathers had been coming in in full. “Wind born. Course I know the Sky Tongue, don't fucking insult me.”

Vizzi was hatefully unruffled by his outburst. “I see,” he said. “Well… it seems there is nothing for it.”

“What? What does that mean?” Bonten demanded.

“Do you even know what you have?”

“The egg you wanted hatched. That's all I care about. Now pay up,” Bonten held his claw out.

“I think as you have well stolen from my clan you have already received your payment,” he said calmly.

Bonten squinted at him and looked at the rest of the Bamboo Snakes who were equally confused, even Jos. “Come again?” he asked.

“What the bounty for was for an egg that had formed around a Shard of the Windsinger.”

“Well we did you one better. I don't see the problem.”

Vizzi was not amused. “Tell me, bandit, did you always look like this?” he motioned to his new plumage and the fucking weird new opalesque growth growing between his horns and eyes.

“Well… no,” he admitted.

“Why do you think that is?” Vizzi sounded… bitter and his antenna kept bouncing. Oh that was delicious. “The Shard of the Windsinger bonded with you-

“WhaT?!” Bonten shouted. “Oh no. I did not sign up for this ordered and foolish nonsense. Rather take the wind from my wings,” he hated talking in Sihngari. It was nearly impossible to swear in it. “This is your bounty. I expect us to get paid.”

Vizzi sighed. “No.”

“What?” Bonten shrieked, furious. “We came a long today to bring you this little runt'! The least you could do is pay us for the trouble,” he seethed. Around them the wind was starting to whip harder. The low singing of the Cloudsong raising in fever pitch to a harsh, grating, wail. “Do not fuck with me, Vizzi,” he growled.

If Vizzi was worried he didn't show it. Instead he was snatched out of the air by a guard with him and thrown into an airlock. But still the air shrieked. “The Shard of the Windsinger’s imprinting was to go to someone worthy,” Vizzi said. “Certainly not some lowly spiral with lucky breeding,” he looked Bonten up and down disdainfully.  Bonten bared his teeth at him in a snarl. He looked around at his fellow Snakes and saw they'd also been thrown into airlocks. “But there are no take backs. So while I do not agree with the Shard’s decision it is theirs all the same. Pay you for your bounty I will certainly not do as you have not completely your bounty. You did not bring me my missing egg. You failed in this: you get no payment.” He sighed and paced in front of Bonten’s airlock. “But I cannot allow the Shard to be left alone in the world without help.”

“Let me out!” Bonten cried.

“Perhaps once you've learned some manners, bandit,” Vizzi said, not stopping his thoughtful pacing. The wind began to scream and he finally took notice as clouds started to grow. He looked at the hatchling who was in an aggressive stance towards him, eyes glowing. “Cute,” he said without humor. He went over to the hatchling and gently pet his head. “It is alright little one. I don't intend to hurt your bonded,” he said gently. “He is just acting silly.” Hatchlings could understand Sihngari, any hatchling, double so a Wind one. Comprehension maybe some difficulty but they could understand. “I would never hurt him, or you. And this is the promise of the one who protected you for decades before you decided to join us,” he said in such a soothing tone.

The hatchling squeaked at him, unsure, and his eyes dimmed. The wind calmed to wailing. “That’s it. Don't worry about your bandit. He will be fine. Despite his temper making him a menace to deal with.” The hatchling sneezed like he agreed.

Bonten ground his teeth, “Get away from him. If you aren't paying them fuck you.”

Vizzi got to his proper heigh again and strode back over to him. “Listen well, Bonten, the bandit,” he said scornfully. “I will not pay a single gold of that bounty. But,” he said when Bonten snarled. “I cannot allow you to just galavant across the Plateau with the Shard as a. Pitiful. Hoard-less. Bandit,” he specifically enunciated each word and as he did Bonten growled louder and louder. “So you are free to go. And with you will be one of my Wind-guardians. They will accompany you with the seal of the Windsinger’s Heart. With it you will be able to purchase, with credit, whatever you desire within most trade camps, with the receipt sent to us.”

Bonten was so shocked he stopped growling. “You’re giving us something like that?”

He laughed in that ugly dry way pretentious wind dragons did. “Of course not. It will be with my Wind-guardian, who will accompany you, but more importantly, the Shard, wherever you go. They will be able to buy things with the credit: you, will not.”

Bonten growled. “So you're leaving me with the runt and leaving me with a prissy guardian? Seems like a short stick,” Bonten growled.

“Well. It is that or we could kill you and hope the Shard bonds with someone more willing. But we're a Wind clan of the Windsong; we aren't barbarians. And there's no telling if such a thing will even work. So you are free to go with your Shard and the Wind-guardian.”

“I don't want the damn hatchling, I want money!”

“Too bad. It is that, or death, or nothing. Take your pick, bandit.”

Bonten snarled in hate and looked away from Vizzi. The hatchling wasn't that big of a deal. They could handle keeping an eye on it. In exchange for being able to buy stuff when they wanted it whenever they wanted it? “Fine,” he spat out. “We’ll take the hatchling.”

“A wise decision. I'm surprised you could be so,” Vizzi said.

“Fuck you too Fizzy,” Bonten snarled.

“Release these Bamboo Snakes,” Vizzi said and started to walk away. “See them to proper accomodations and food while I select a Wind-guardian to accompany them.”

“Of course, Patriarch,” and the guard bowed a bit. Bonten was dropped out of his airlock and splattered on the floor. The hatchling romped over to him, the wind dying down to normal, to make sure he was okay.

“Get off,” Bonten shoved his worried head away. The hatchling just squeaked,

“Come with us,” the guards said.

The rest of the Bamboo Snakes came over to him. “Does this mean we can name him now?” Jeddie asked excitedly. Bonten did his best not to glare at her.

[satire-please]

My Teeth Are Like Swords

Summary: Because I like the irony of Tim Drake being a fire-breathing Drake too much...

Tim waits under the huge clock at City Hall for midnight. He doesn’t know why all city halls like to sport a giant clock like it’s all the rage, but whatever. It seems like the best place for a bit of melodrama. (Besides, he’s taken tips from the best drama queen cough starts with a ‘B’ and rhymes with juice cough). The hand strikes the top and the clock booms, each gong vibrating his body underneath the clock face and finally—finally—Tim turns eighteen.

And Tim Drake Wayne gets what he’s been waiting for.

Sparks crackle under his tongue as his pupils narrow for a moment to take in the stars through the miles of smog. His skin ripples impatiently as his mother’s magic bubbles up and wakes in his bones at last. Finally, he thinks rubbing his chest at the fire that freaking hurts thank you very much right under his sternum. That’s gonna take awhile to get used to. Finally, he smiles when he looks down his shirt to see the muted glow flickering in time with his heartbeat. Ready to burn when necessary.

It's beyond totally rad.

Awaking his inner core is like being Robin for the first time again. Where everything is brand new: the sights, the smells, even the air tastes fresh with chemicals Tim can only begin to decipher coating his roof of his mouth. His heart beats hard at how exciting and dangerous it all is, just enough to make normal people run away screaming.

But then again when has he ever been normal?

Not since Mother set him on her knee to tell him what he is, what she is. Tim absentmindedly pulls off a gauntlet to claw the side of the building, trying to soothe his itching and aching nails as flashes of her pass through his mind.

Like the night when Mother thawed enough to remember her duties to her clutch egg. The eight-year-old boy fitting tight in her lap as she tends to his hands.

“We’re lucky your claws are soft enough for obsidian,” she muses as she efficiently moves from digit to digit, the volcanic glass snipping quickly. “When you’re older you'll have to grind them down with something more...durable, metal for instance, over and over to sharpen them to your liking.”

(Like he’s doing now. Augh. He’ll have to find a parking garage or something. Somewhere loud enough to cover the screeching nails on chalkboard sound, somewhere where the grooves he’s making will go unnoticed.)

The boy bounces once or twice and then bites his lip. “Mother?”

“Yes, my pet?”

“Did you marry Dad because his name was Drake?” Tim asks, looking up. There’s a scale somewhere at the base of her jaw, he just knows it.

“No.” But her tone mildly suggests otherwise. At Tim’s sceptical face she adds, “It might have made me more susceptible to his advances, however.”

“Oh my gosh, you so did.” His mom kept his dad over a pun.

Janet hums, bemused at her clutch child. What a silly thing. When his nails are done, she grooms his hair, double-checking for signs to hide. A charm or two can go a long way. Besides, she and Jack leave in the morning and it will not do for one of hers to be unkempt. Sometimes she wonders if the only reason she convinces Jack to return is for this, to sate the itch, the biting lips, the shaking of her fingers that will only stop if she checks and accounts for the hoard. Not that her human mate knows that everything in the quiet mansion is a part of her treasure.

“Are you ever going to tell Dad?”

“Tell him what?” She goes still. Her child is growing clever too fast. Not as easily placated as before.

Tim carefully moves, tracing the lone black piece that glimmers in the hollow under her ear.

She cocked her head at him, the crack her neck makes is unnatural. Her eyes flare a tiny bit bringing the purple out of them, the same purple that hides in Tim’s eyes. “No. Humans always panic.”

Tim cringes. “Always?”

“Always. And their weapons, their toys, my pet? Have gotten much, much better.” At his crestfallen face, she swoops down to press a kiss to his forehead. It burns. He knows there will be a light mark tomorrow, but he’ll still treasure it and outline where it used to be when it’s long gone. “Besides I’ve already decided to spend the rest of my days in this form with your father. Why tell him about something he’ll never see?”

The notion is irritating and Janet refuses to waste time considering it. Humans are so hard to convince. Hard to convince that the idea of your being is real and then hard to convince that you mean them no harm. Janet huffs. A dragon’s patience is not limitless.

“Well, don’t you need to tell him about me?” He peers at her through his bangs.

Janet purses her lips. “Perhaps. We do not know how your father’s blood will mix with mine. We’ll see if it’s necessary when you come of age...but I doubt when your lessons are done that you’d be so foolish to slip and reveal yourself.” A hint to fang escapes her at the thought.

Tim gulped loudly.

“Oh, stop that. Your emotions are too clear, Timothy. Remember: cold face, cold voice. Let no one know your belly’s hot.”

Tim schools his face and tries his last question. “Do you really have to go?”

“Oh, my son, one day you will understand the call to find, to take, and hoard for yourself. But never collect people, Timothy.” Her sharp nails rake carefully over his scalp. The next words are softer, almost gentle for the ruthless woman. “Humans are too hard to keep, they don’t stay where you leave them...your heart weeps when they never stay.”

(Tim should have listened. There’s an old ache beyond the fire in his veins. Steph, Kon, Bart, Bruce...Dick. Yeah. He was an idiot. Then again...he shouldn’t have thought they were his in the first place.)

She turns him and settles the young child into bed. Pats the covers and turns off the lights. “If nothing else comforts you, remember this...you and your father are the only people in my hoard.” The glow of her eyes lulls him to sleep.

And the phrase did comfort him. No matter how rare it was for her to be warm, no matter how long their ‘trips’ were, no matter how utterly alone he felt among the priceless antiques and artifacts that multiplied over the years. He had a place to belong.

He was hers.

She just wasn't...his.

In the present, he stands and shakes himself loose from the wall. The others will be coming for him soon. Or at least Dick will. Something about birthday wishes and all that. You never know what is really going to hit the vigilante as super important, though it’s funny to see him shake up the bunch of bats. Tim even thinks he saw Damian kicking wrapping paper under the bed. Dick really did a number on him.

“Drake!”

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Tim smirks, and slips from the roof to meet the boy on another. (Gotta leave the evidence behind somehow, right?). He hears boots clip the side of the building with an angry huff.

Too bad Mother’s adages have their limits. The traditional favorite of ‘Eat him’ is just not going to cut it. No matter how tempting the solution is whenever Damian decides to be annoying, or vicious.

It’s regrettable sometimes.

Luckily, the boy has mellowed out from ‘let me stab you’ to ‘let me stab your insecurities’. It’s progress. Dick is so proud.

“Where have you been?” Damian snarls, getting up into Tim’s space. “Father and others have been wasting precious time looking for you everywhere. Even Grayson has cut back patrol for this ridiculous farce of a celebration.”

“Oh, did he? I didn’t get the memo.”

“Yes, you did,” the preteen hisses. “Grayson has sent text messages all day. If you say your phone has not been vibrating itself into oblivion, then you shall be the filthiest liar in my association.”

Aw, Tim feels so honored. “My phone is dead?”

Damian puffs up and Tim with his new sight can even see his face flush red in the dark. “Must you be absolutely impossible? How could you–” He freezes and sniffs the air primly. Then he turns to the man enraged. “Drake...have you been smoking?”

“Why would I be–yes.” Tim switches tracks so fast his own head spins a little. “Yes. I’ve been smoking.” Fuck, he didn’t think that effect would take place so soon. He swallows down the version of nitroglycerin lingering in his mouth awkwardly and breathes through his nose to drown his sparks. But hey, the excuse would work, huh? Even mother carried a box of cigarettes just in case.

“Alfred shall be most displeased.” Damian narrows his eyes in disapproval.

“Well, Alfred should know that I’ve turned eighteen. I’m now an official adult. Free to destroy my body in any way I choose like the Waynes before me. Be grateful that I’ve picked my vice in coffee and smoke instead of the horrible wiles of flesh...like Dick.”

The line earns him a wrinkled nose and glare. “You are completely despicable, Drake.”

“I am,” Tim continues. “But don’t you fear, you won’t catch me smoking. Ever. No secondhand smoke ruining your lungs for you.”

“How beyond gracious of you,” Damian snorts. Tim smiles. Damian pushes on his back towards the edge of the building. “Now come. Everyone is waiting for you and you will not waste my time a second more.

For that, Tim deliberately takes the long way home, just to hear Damian angrily spew curses behind him. It’s his birthday, let him have this.

He takes into account other changes in the meantime. His steps are a little quicker, his jumps higher, longer until he uses his grappling hook only as a means to not to arouse suspicion to the boy struggling to keep up behind him until Tim actually slows down to keep the distance between them short. He bets he’s stronger too, but any other tests will have to wait. He’s probably not as strong as a meta, like Kon or Clark...not like this of course, but it won’t be something to laugh at.

Like how well his skin can take a hit..or a bullet now.

Poor B. The Bats really pride themselves on being completely powerless. Using tools and toys to compete with the whole superhero community (and generally come out kicking all their asses). Tim was gonna have to work twice as hard to cover up his tracks to avoid any...realizations. It’ll take a detective to fool a detective or take a few more ‘Titan’ missions out of Gotham to keep things under wraps. Missions that are more working on the tight pinch growing between his shoulder blades that’s starting to get real annoying. After a few hours he’ll definitely have to find a place to shift soon. Shed skin and fly until light cracks over the dirty city.

Will he have the same coloring as Mother? Dark ebony scales that merge into the night? Is he the size of a horse? A house?

Tim can’t wait to find out.

“H-Hurry up, Drake!” Damian wheezes when he gets the lead for a second or two. You know, when Tim pauses enough to let him catch up.

“Coming.”

He can’t wait to see what kind of Drake he is. In his ear, he can almost hear an echo of his Mother’s voice.

‘Happy Birthday...my pet.’

Happy Birthday indeed.