#I was constantly pausing to gush about the armour

[goatfactsofficial]

It doesn't even take place during first contact between Europeans and Japanese?? It's set circa 1600 CE during the end of the Sengoku period and the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Nanban trade had being going strong for almost sixty years at this point!

The way some modern American leftists use words is just like throwing spaghetti at a wall at this point

[thetaoofzoe]

Fic: Midnight in the Desert 1/1

Title: Midnight in the Desert

Summary: Coffee + tiny bladder + long motorcycle ride = the best sex of your life

Rating: Smut, fluff, fun sexy times. My usual fare, you know what’s up. 

Pairing: Captain ‘Sy’ Syverson x YOU (AU)

Companion piece to The Road to Paloma  

‘I have to pee!’ 

You leaned against Syverson’s broad back and shouted at him above the roar of the bike’s engine. 

He turned his cheek against the wind. 

‘What?!’ he shouted back. ‘Again?? We just stopped an hour ago.’ 

‘I got a tiny bladder!’ you laughed as he decreased the bike speed. 

It was easier to talk now that the warm night air had stopped whipping away your words. You nuzzled fondly against his shoulder and eased your hands down over his belt buckle. 

‘There ain’t a place for miles,’ he said and lay his hand over your hands. ‘Can you hold it?’

You thought a moment and although that second cup of truckstop hazelnut coffee was a surprising delight to the senses, it was a mistake currently wreaking havoc on your bladder. 

‘I cannot. Nope, not in the least,’ you replied and left it up to your problem solving husband to figure it out.  

Up ahead on that long black stretch of barren backcountry Arizona road stood a high-mast sodium light which cast a broad oval of yellowy illumination across the road.  Syverson slowed the bike even more and drew close to the tall wood pole. You peered up at the ring of industrial bulbs and then down at the shadowy dirt area just at the rim of bright light. 

When he shut off the engine the world plunged into a kind of silence that only an evening on an empty road in the middle of a desert could create. Nothing but crickets, and the occasional nocturnal animal cry. You liked it. 

Syverson kicked the bike onto the stand and let the machine ease to one side. He got off it and turned to face you as he thumbed through his mobile. 

‘No signal,’ he grumped and then pointed to the saddle bag near your thigh. ‘Get out the map. Let’s take a look.’ 

You did as you were told. He always kept a big book of state maps in the bag for when the online maps failed. You paged through it, landed on the appropriate state and after a quick skimming search, you put a finger on a thin jagged red line. 

‘Highway 373,’ he said, looking down the length of your finger and rubbing his hand over his beard. ‘Yeah, see? Town’s at least another 60 miles.’

With your finger still on the map, you looked up at him and pouted. Syverson smiled fondly and used the tip of his index finger to push up your helmet visor so that he could see your eyes. He stroked the edge of his thumb back and forth against your cheek. 

‘Sure you can’t hold it?’ he asked in a tone that said come on baby you can do it.

But you shook your head and unstrapped your helmet. He removed his own in response. Might as well get comfortable.  

Handing yours to him, you rummaged about in your rucksack and made a noise of triumph when your fingers closed about a small plastic baggie. You pulled it out and held it up. 

One of the most valuable tips that you learned from women who were constantly on the road was that a ‘fuddy’ or a female urination device was a godsend and a life saver.  

Yours was pink. 

‘Looks like your girl is gonna have to make do,’ you said and groaned as your bladder protested the exertion when he helped you climb off of the bike. 

‘Awright,’ he said.  ‘Don’t accidentally piss on anything that I’m gonna have to fight, okay?’

‘Always my knight in shining armour, Sy,’ you called over your shoulder walking to the edge where the darkness met the light. 

He laughed and sat with his rear against the seat, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

‘Just do it where I can see you,’ he said. 

You stepped across that hard bright line and into the pale darkness.  

It seemed cooler there for some reason and you strained to look into the distance. The moon had gone in behind grey streaky clouds and backlit the jagged mountain range in the distance. You glanced back at the man leaning against the bike. He was still aware and watching and that comforted you. 

Always your protector.

Unzipping your loose heavy canvas trousers, you pressed the rubbery funnel into place and relieved yourself into the dirt. 

As the pressure subsided, your mood lifted and the thought of maybe another coffee didn’t sound so bad. Drying yourself and the funnel with a little bogroll, you tucked everything back into the baggie, righted your clothes and returned to the bike. 

Syverson’s keen gaze skimmed over you. 

‘Better?’ he teased.

You stored your bag into the rucksack  and stood back to look fully at him. 

‘You’re turning into a grizzly, you know that?’ you asked fondly, reaching up to run your fingers over his beard and then up over his jaw and to the back of his neck. 

‘I thought you liked me like this,’ he replied in his easy joking manner. 

He caught his thick facial hair between his thumb and forefinger and gave himself  a thoughtful stroke. You smiled and reached up to gently caress the back of his well shaped head with both hands. His eyes softened immediately and a knowing look crept into his warm gaze. 

‘What are you tryin’ to do?’ he asked. 

There was that soft, gentle laughter in his voice that you loved so much. It was the sound that had come to mean that he was settling in to play your game.  

You caught the corner of your lower lip between your teeth and looking away you lifted one shoulder in a shrug. 

‘What?’ you asked innocently, ‘I’m not doing anything.’ 

Syverson hooked his thumbs into the side belt loops of your trousers. He drew you closer but when you resisted he shot you a quizzical expression.

No play? asked that expression. 

He looked nearly betrayed that you would deny him access to the trouble he so dearly wanted to get into. He wanted to get into you.  

You moved a few steps away and when you held his full and undivided attention, you unzipped your trousers. With an insolent pause to gauge his reaction, which was immediate and intense, you shimmied, let them drop and then stepped out of them.  You wore his long tee shirt, and when the trousers dropped, the hem of it fell against your bare upper thighs, covering you. 

Syverson made a low, greedy noise in his throat. He grabbed you by the waist and in a smooth motion, he straddled the bike’s seat, and swung you effortlessly into the air before planting you firmly astride his lap with a solid thump.

You felt him move against you as he shifted in the seat and the tough material stretched taut across his muscular thighs scraped along the tender flesh of your inner thighs. A pleasurable shiver rushed through you and you put your hands flat on his heaving chest. Sy wet his lips and looked up at you. There was want and heat and desire in his blue eyes and your lips curved into a delighted smirk. 

This man, this beast of a man was yours and yours alone to do with whatever you pleased. 

‘I’ve never met a woman who was so exciting,’ he groaned, voice quiet, as if he didn’t want to break the spell you’d woven over him. 

You took the compliment in stride. Leaning in, you opened his mouth with your tongue and slid your hand down to his belt buckle. When you drew back, he looked down the length of torso and watched in breathless panting silence as you unbuckled his trousers and eased out his stiffening cock. You glanced at him, noting the colour rising high in his cheeks as he shuddered, put his head back and moaned. 

He slid up the lower edge of your tee shirt and massaged your bottom rhythmically, eagerly as you stroked him once, then again, curving your fingers around his thick girth and teasing his glistening head with your thumb. 

‘Yeah, baby. Good girl. Just like that,’ he groaned. ‘Oh, yeah, you know what I like.’ 

You warmed with the pleasure at being praised by him.

And gleefully, you twisted your slick fist and he arched, and tightened his grip on your hips. 

‘C’mon baby, c’mon… you’re teasing me.’ 

I love to tease you baby, I love how you respond to me. 

With his big hands supporting you,  you rose to your knees opening yourself to him and you whispered his name when he undulated and pushed up into your sweet quivering heat. 

As usual, you were unprepared for him, unprepared for the size of him. But you relaxed, closed your eyes, and clenched when his cock slowly stretched you to fit him. 

Between his competent, loving hands, Syverson held you still and lifted his face so that you could kiss him, softly, gently, as if the two of you were hidden away in your bedroom, and not fucking like unrestrained lusty beasts by the side of a silent desert highway. 

Sy thrust up hard into you, laying claim to you from the inside and an unnamed feral fire seared through you. You arched, sucked in a breath and your intentions of keeping quiet were obliterated. The throaty cry that erupted from you started but did not shame you. 

A roll of your hips elicited the same response from him and you hissed with pain when he dug his fingers into your vulnerable flesh. But he soothed you with warm honeyed kisses and the promise of ever increasing delights. You clenched your thighs about him and Sy encouraged you to ride him harder and faster until you couldn’t withstand the plunging shudder that rocked you. Safe in the strength of his embrace, you surrendered to him, clutched at him and shuddered through the white-hot scalding gush of lust and molten fire through your veins. 

Syverson held you against him until you finally stilled and draped yourself over him to cover his face with kisses. 

After cleaning up and dressing, you settled yourself behind him again, wrapped your arms about his waist and rested your cheek against his shoulder. You gasped when the engine roared to life as the sudden vibrations shook you intimately and the sensations made you smile. 

‘You ready?’ he asked, breaking you out of your muse. 

You squeezed him. 

‘Ready.’

A hotel room, a hot shower and another round were in order along with some downtime to rest. There was a secondary reason why you had to pee so much. Your husband was going to be a father.

-the end, you naughty little things. I love you ;D

Tag list:  @lightsidecalling​  @omgkatinka​ @igotkatiepowers​ @the-soot-sprite​  @harrysthiccthighss​ @little-green-love​ @foxyjwls007​  @angreav​ @maizyistrash @liquorlaughslove @supernaturallymarvellous​ @whiskey-cokenstuff @laketaj24​ @october505​ @inlovewithhisblueeyes​ @foodieforthoughts​ @wolvesandhoundshowltogether​ @singeramg​ @sapphirescrolls​  @emyearns​ @brandycranby​ @zealoushound​ @eldarwen333​ @beck07990​ @lunedelorient​ @henrythickcavill​ @kalesrebellion​​ @angrythingstarlight​​ @lavitabella87

[absolutepokemontrash]

The Celestial Realm Was Perfect

(Part of the half-demon series, this fic takes place in the early part of season 2)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 2.5 Part 3 Part 4

This one is REALLY angsty, so be prepared, it’s got a... somewhat happy ending? I can’t exactly write something depressing and not make everyone feel better at the end... I’ve been wanting to write something like this for a while though, so I hope you all enjoy!

((Content warning: mentions of wings being torn off, nothing too visceral))

L!MC: Lucifer’s Kid!MC | M!MC: Mammon’s kid!MC | A!MC: Asmo’s Kid!MC

The Celestial Realm was perfect.

L!MC finally understood exactly why Luke sang its praises so often. The little angel had made it his personal mission to paint the perfect picture of the place to L!MC to convince them that it was just so much better than the Devildom. It seemed that Luke didn’t need to stretch the truth that much, the Celestial Realm was aesthetically perfect.

It was just a visit, mind you. Word had gotten up to the Celestial Realm about the three half demons and just about every high ranking angel was practically falling over themselves to invite the rulers of hell and the children up for a friendly visit. Diavolo of course, accepted immediately.

One would think L!MC was worried about how the angels would react to them, a half human half demon child, but that would be ridiculous. L!MC didn’t worry about dumb trivial things like that, the fact that they stuck close to their father and attempted to hold their head up high like he did was just a coincidence.

Their worries were completely unfounded. The angels made their awkward greetings to Lucifer, who responded coldly and professionally, but all the awkwardness faded once they laid their eyes on L!MC. They doted and cooed at them, asking about school and friends they had made.

It reminded L!MC about all the human family gatherings they had been brought to, the entire experience was complete with cheek pinches and hugs from people they didn’t recognize. It didn’t matter, L!MC basked in the attention.

“You look just like him, but just look at that smile!” Uriel chirped. “Lucifer never gave us a smile that bright.”

“Not even as a little kid?” L!MC asked, Uriel shook his head.

“Nope!” Uriel grinned cheekily. “Legend has it he came into existence scowling about something or other!”

Lucifer sighed and grumbled nearby, turning away from the two angels he and Diavolo were talking to. “Uriel, do you plan on being like Simeon and spending all your time gushing about me as an angel?”

Uriel seemed to shrink back slightly. “N-no... why would I do that?”

L!MC had to withhold a giggle, it seemed Lucifer had the same affect on angels as he did on the lesser demons.

The angels had been nothing but sweet, they doted on A!MC and M!MC in a similar manner. L!MC couldn’t hide their smile as they continued their walk through the Celestial Realm. It seemed Luke was right about another thing, the Celestial Realm’s inhabitants were the perfect hosts.

They imagined how their father must have looked back then, they knew only the bare minimum from the ramblings of Luke and the time Diavolo spent gushing about how gorgeous Lucifer was. Six pure white wings, a halo, celestial armour that shone in the light, making him as bright as a star...

It must have been a truly gorgeous sight to behold.

L!MC imagined how they may have looked... white wings, a halo, pretty flowy clothes, a life in the Celestial Realm. They paused the daydream and laughed softly, it was so bright in the Celestial Realm they would need to be constantly be wearing sunglasses!

Asmo was pulling A!MC around and pointing out all the things he deemed, A!MC looked around with starry eyed wonder.

“Oh! I remember this place! Beel and Belphie ended up falling down those stairs more times than I can count. It’s a miracle they didn’t get hurt!” Asmo then smiled brightly and examined his reflection in the shining marble staircase. “A!MC, don’t we look great? We should make all the staircases in the Devildom shining marble!”

A!MC half nodded as they stared up at the sparkling buildings. “Yeah... marble...”

L!MC tore their gaze away from the pair to see M!MC on Beel’s shoulders, pointing and laughing at the... somewhat awkward shape of one of the spires. “The view up here’s great. Jealous, Belphie?”

Belphie scoffed and shook his head. “Enjoy it while it lasts, kid. I’m up next.”

The group was led into one of the buildings, a really old and absolutely gorgeous parliament building that almost made MC’s jaw drop in sheer awe. Angels milled about inside, casting curious glances at the group as they walked through. Paintings lined the walls with frames almost as magnificent as the paintings themselves. And of course, the floor was just as clean and shiny as all the marble staircases.

The Avatar of Greed had slowed his pace considerably, quieting down and slinking to the back of the group. L!MC, who was in the middle of the group nearly rolled their eyes. Of course Mammon would be sneaking off to try and steal something.

As Mammon disappeared down a hallway with no one but L!MC the wiser, they took it upon themselves to go after him. And to think, when MC first got there he thought he’d have to babysit them...

L!MC snuck away from the group, everyone too preoccupied with their rosy nostalgia to really notice their absence. As they sped through the hallways after Mammon, they noticed the farther they went, the fewer angels there were, and the less grand the building became. It slowly morphed into what a human world’s storage building’s hallway looked like. No gorgeous paintings, no sparkly floor, and the doors that were open contained row upon row of shelves containing files and folders. The files would sometimes float on and off the shelves, moving themselves around and sometimes float out the door and down the hallway.

It wasn’t creepy per say, just a bit odd. L!MC picked up their pace as they caught a flash of white hair disappear into a room as they rounded the corner.

“Mammon!” L!MC hissed, they moved closer to the door. “Mammon! I’m going to tell Lucifer if you steal something and cause a-”

Mammon burst out of the room, his face drained of all colour. Upon seeing L!MC he wordlessly grabbed their hand and pulled them away from the room. L!MC tried to steal a glance inside, but Mammon yanked them forward and shook his head.

“Don’t go in there.” He said, his tone unusually serious.

“Why? What did you see?” L!MC asked as they tried to keep in step with the taller demon.

Mammon whirled on them, his eyes wild and sweat beading on his forehead. He stopped suddenly and put his hands on their shoulders. “L!MC, clean the wax out of your ears and listen. You can’t go in there. Nothin’ good’s in there. Got it?”

L!MC hesitated, what was in there that could have spooked him so much? They slowly nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

Mammon let out a deep breath and patted their shoulders. “Good... now we should get back to the others.”

The glare Lucifer gave Mammon did nothing to alter the second-born’s strange behaviour when the two returned to the group.

“And where exactly did you two disappear to?”

Feeling the need to cover for their uncle, L!MC responded with a smooth practiced shrug. “Went off to try and steal something. Don’t worry, he didn’t manage to nab anything. Don’t bother with punishment, either. The state I found him in was punishment enough.”

When L!MC would make a fool out of Mammon to get him out of a punishment, he’d usually scowl at MC and agree with the story, but that time, he only nodded.

“Yeah...”

Not very convinced, Lucifer kept a much closer eye on Mammon for the rest of the tour.

L!MC, A!MC, and M!MC had made plans to meet up with Luke later, but L!MC had forgotten their DDD at the parliament building, so they had to quickly turn back and grab it.

Their DDD was placed on the front desk, evidently some kind soul found it and placed it there for the owner to find. How nice of them.

As L!MC turned to leave, they paused. What exactly scared Mammon so much? They took one step back, then another, and another, and soon they were rushing down the nearly empty hallways.

They reached the door, which was closed, but the lock had remnants of magic being used to open it. L!MC snorted and twisted the doorknob. Of course Mammon would find the first locked door and assume there was treasure inside.

L!MC swung open the door, only to find a completely pitch black room, they had to blink a few times to see if they were seeing things right, a completely dark room... in the Celestial Realm of all places? This couldn’t have been what freaked Mammon out so much, sure he was a little afraid of the dark, but when the dark freaked him out it didn’t make him go completely wooden. If anything it made him louder.

Demons could see in the dark no problem, but even L!MC was having some difficulty. They felt around for a light switch and flicked it on. The room was... completely empty save for a crystal ball in the centre. Ignoring any and all red flags, L!MC walked over and tapped the crystal ball, it’s milky surface remained the same. Sure... this whole thing was kind of creepy but there was nothing to be that afraid of-

L!MC felt their stomach drop as gravity seemed to abandon them and they felt themselves fly upwards after a massive ball of light enveloped them. When they felt their feet touch the ground, they blinked a few times as their vision returned to them. Their breath hitched in their throat as they looked at what stood in front of them.

On a pedestal, encased in glass, was a small pile of shining gold feathers. MC didn’t dare breathe as they stepped closer to view them. They were so completely gorgeous... every slight movement made them twinkle and sparkle, L!MC could only imagine what they might have looked like attached to a pair of wings.

L!MC reached their hand out to touch the glass, completely mesmerized by the beauty of the feathers, they called out to them to hold them, to take them, return them to where they belonged...

The half demon felt their conscious get ripped from their body the moment their fingertips touched the glass.

The angel loved his wings, the whole world knew it. They sparkled and glimmered in the light of the person he held in the highest regard. They made a good pair, the two of them.

In a world where the angel could not keep too many material possessions, he took pride in caring for his wings, they were his most prized possessions, after all. Every time he took to the sky he basked in the admiring glances the other angels gave him. They were truly perfect, even the fact that he was a rampant troublemaker couldn’t stop people from staring in awe at his wings.

As a young angel when they first grew in, he lamented at their upkeep, but as he grew, he learned to love this part of himself. These were his wings. His brothers and sister often compared his to the eldest, he’d always tease that he may have only had two wings, they were still better than all six of the eldest’s. The eldest brother would always scoff and shake his head, a fond smile on his face.

He is glad.

One strike to the base of his skull was all it took. One hit from someone he once called a friend sent him falling from the heavens after the eldest.

He is glad that he was unconscious when his most prized possessions burned.

L!MC snapped their hand back and nearly let out a scream. They shook their head frantically as they stepped back, knocking their elbow into the crystal ball. They felt themselves lurch upwards again.

This time, they were placed in front of a broken bow. The bow itself was silver, intricate gold designs were etched in its surface. Such a beautiful creation should have never seen battle...

Refusing to be tempted by the object, L!MC felt themselves get thrown towards the glass anyway, their palm slammed against the display as their conscious abandoned them for the second time.

He was jealous.

It’s a sin to envy one’s neighbour, but the angel did so anyway.

His brothers and sisters welcomed him home from the war with open arms. Hugs and conversations were exchanged, funny anecdotes and laughter were clear to hear from blocks away. The angel felt loved.

There was no more war to fight. The war with the demons had ended in a stalemate. The army of heaven no longer needed a general.

The angel felt useless.

A burden on the Celestial Realm. That’s what he thought he was. His siblings all had their duties, they did their jobs with a smile, but he had no job to do. No battles to fight in.

He envied their ability to feel needed. Maybe that’s why his elder brothers gave him the bow.

The bow itself was the perfect weapon, but it was never meant to be brought into battle. Each gold design told the story of a battle the angel had emerged victorious from, the battles that the army of heaven wouldn’t have won without him.

The bow not only told the tales of his greatest victories, it told the stories of his time with his siblings. The times he took care of them, listened to them ramble aimlessly about the things they loved and enjoyed. The bow told the stories of how his siblings enjoyed listening to him talk about what he loved dearly.

The angel cherished that bow more than anything else he owned. He put it on a higher pedestal than any of his militaristic achievements. He loved it dearly.

Such a perfect bow should have never seen battle.

One slash broke the bow, the next slash severed one of his wings. 

He fell like the rest of his siblings. His other wing was damaged beyond repair. And the perfect weapon that should have never seen battle...

The bow remains here. It remains here with the fallen angel’s sense of self worth.

Completely unable to hide their grief, L!MC snatched their hand back and suppressed a sob. These feelings were not only their own. They wanted to leave.

Slumping against the crystal ball, a familiar sense of weightlessness carried them to the next room.

The next room, L!MC almost pitched over and vomited at the sight. Wings...

A pair of the most beautiful and colourful wings they had ever seen. They looked like butterfly wings, but no human world butterfly could compare to the wings that stood before L!MC.

Though, there was something marring the beauty of the wings, the base of the wings where one would think they would connect to the angel blessed enough to have been born with, were torn and shredded. The injuries seemed almost recent as the wings sat perfectly preserved, the blood caking the edges seemed to glimmer slightly in the light.

“Don’t make me... don’t make me...” L!MC whispered. No one was there to hear their pleas as their fingers brushed the glass.

The Jewel of the Heavens was vain.

This was not an unusual thing to note, every living thing in all three realms celebrated and adored him for his beauty. It was only natural that he become at least slightly vain.

From his birth to the present day, all he had to do was bat his eyelashes and plead and everyone would fall under his spell. He was an adorable little troublemaker, beloved by all the Celestial Realm.

His wings came in later than the others, he longed to take to the sky like those he called siblings. When his wings appeared, so perfect and beautiful, he soared through the sky like the rest of his family.

They compared in beauty to the second and first born’s wings, but it truly couldn’t be fairly judged. His wings were different, they were unique. It certainly didn’t stop the the friendly jabs and competition the fifth and second born took part in.

It didn’t matter. Everyone adored him and his beautiful, perfect wings.

The wings that allowed him to help teach his younger siblings to fly as well, the wings that allowed him to monitor the humans and their affairs, the wings that allowed him to retain his fitting moniker as jewel of the heavens...

He did not have the luxury of falling with his wings like the eldest. We count it as a blessing that they were severed without damage right here in the Celestial Realm.

Now their beauty can remain without the sin they were attached to marring their perfection.

L!MC didn’t have the energy to weep like their body begged them to do. This wasn’t fair... they shouldn’t have come...

The crystal ball was not finished with them, it sent them onto the next room.

Jewelry. That was what was proudly placed on display in front of them. L!MC didn’t have the energy to fight against the pull of the item as their hand brushed the glass.

He loved his family.

The entire realm knew that. That’s why he guarded the gates so fiercely. He was going to protect his family, no matter what.

The Celestial Realm admired his loyalty. But his loyalty was not to the realm or to our father, but to those he deemed his true family.

The gold that adorned him was meant to symbolize his future as an angel. He would have gone far. A seraphim, maybe even an archangel one day.

He wore the gold with a sense of pride, the gifts he had been given for his love for his family. Even if they didn’t adorn him with all the love they could, he’d protect them all the same.

He loved them dearly.

The angel’s folly came from loving his family and not the realm.

That is why the gold burned his skin. That is why the scars remain today.

The gold burned so painfully he had to stop to tear them off of him. That is the only reason we didn’t lose more people to his rampage, he stopped to tear off the gifts the Celestial Realm had given him.

This is a good thing.

One whose loyalty does not lie with us does not deserve our gifts.

Slumping in front of the display, L!MC got a better look at the jewelry. It was bent in some places. They tiredly chuckled as the tears pricked at their eyes despite themselves.

It seemed the angel didn’t remove them carefully enough.

The next room, was odd. A stuffed doll stared back at them, it didn’t seem to be any particular animal, or a humanoid figure for that matter. Four limbs made of grey fabric, a blank face, and nothing interesting.

L!MC was less disturbed, but their hand moved to the glass anyway.

The doll was something he had found while breaking the rules.

The angel broke the rules flippantly, like most children did. The problem was it was never corrected. His older brothers doted on him and his twin, and it rotted him to the core.

One wouldn’t think that, he was sweet, he was curious, and he was clever. Curiosity is what led him to the human world to find the doll.

He lived for these quick little visits, he loved humans as much as he loved his fellow angels, he brought his dear siblings down to visit as much as possible. His brothers were not as taken with the humans as he was, but his sister loved them just as much.

The doll was the perfect souvenir. The youngest brother loved to rest, but he never shirked his duties. No matter how tired he was, he worked diligently. The doll was his partner in rest.

It truly was a perfect souvenir from a trip that never should have happened.

A doll should not be taken into battle, so it wasn’t. The battle was not won. So the youngest’s doll remains here.

Similar to the doll, the youngest should not have been taken into battle. He was not built for fighting. That is why he fell. His brothers doted on him, which is why his twin took the hits meant for him.

This doll remains here as a warning. Angels are not humans, an angel forgetting that fact leads to despair.

Silent tears rolled down L!MC’s cheeks. They wanted to go home...

They wished for no more rooms. No one heard their wish.

A sword. A dazzling sword with a diamond studded hilt and a wickedly sharp point was what awaited L!MC in the next room. This was a sword anyone would be proud to wield. L!MC’s breath hitched in their throat.

This sword was calling to them. It begged them to take it, it was their’s after all. L!MC felt their own magic flare up in response.

It was their sword.

Their hand touched the glass.

It was their’s... it had to be!

The Morning Star was the most perfect and beautiful of all the angels. He commanded the angels alongside his counterpart.

The sword he carried with him complimented his armour perfectly, and the armour his counterpart wore complimented him as well.

They truly were a perfect pair.

The two were raised together, they learned together, fought together, so it was only fitting that the two be gifted matching swords.

They were the pinnacle of what angels should be. The pair of them watched over the Celestial Realm with pride.

The swords should never have been used against each other.

Sparks flew as the swords clashed against each other, the sounds of the pair fighting was alien to the ears of all the battling angels. The Morning Star was losing.

He may have been losing, but he was a prideful being, and brings of pride did not yield to defeat.

He had been disarmed, the blades of his own sword rested near his neck as he looked up at his opponent.

The pair should not be fighting.

The Morning Star refused to yield. The Morning Star refused to grovel for the forgiveness of the realm. The Morning Star was prepared to die.

He didn’t. The one he had started the war for slammed into his opponent, knocking the sword away from him and levelling her own sword at the Morning Star’s adversary.

She demanded that he not lay a hand her brother. He did not submit to her command. They fought.

The angel would have helped. He would have gotten up to fight as well, but with no weapon and too drained to use magic, what could he do?

His sister’s battle took her farther and farther away, he needed to get to her, he needed to help her. He needed to protect her.

His sister’s opponent fell to the ground. She held the Morning Star’s sword in her hand. He felt a twinge of pride upon seeing her wield it with such ferocity.

The sword was not meant to be wielded by her.

He was just too far away. Too far away to protect her from the arrows that pierced her wings.

She was the first to fall.

He could not let her fall alone. He would protect her.

He would protect her like a brother should.

L!MC knew he couldn’t protect her. Not after she crashed through all three barriers that separated the realms from each other.

They had heard the story once and never wanted to hear it again. The story of their father’s greatest failure.

The half demon giggled as their tears spilled from their eyes. Their earlier daydreams of being an angel were ridiculous... they never would have existed.

No proper angel would ever be with a human. No proper angel would have a half human child.

They would never be an angel, and they didn’t want to be.

And the Celestial Realm didn’t want them to be either.

The crystal ball released them, they were back in the room where they started. A golden feather rested in their palm.

They checked their DDD. Only a minute had passed.

They silently walked out of the room.

L!MC forewent spending time with their friends. They found Mammon alone on a balcony, he rested his elbow on the railing and held his head in his hand. The wind lightly ruffled his hair. He seemed calmer than he did that morning.

He turned to look at L!MC, a smile on his face. “Hey kiddo, why aren’t ya with the others?”

His smile vanished when he saw L!MC’s expression. “Oh kid... tell me ya didn’t-”

L!MC let out a wail and ran into his arms, burying their head in their chest as they sobbed.

“I should have listened...” MC whispered. “I should have listened...”

Mammon said nothing, he only wrapped his arms around them.

L!MC collected themselves, and wiped their tears away. They held out the feather. “This... this is yours... isn’t it?”

Tears welled in Mammon’s eyes as he delicately took the feather. He smiled softly as the tears rolled down his face.

“Y-yeah... it is...” Mammon whispered. “Y-ya should have seen em’ L!MC... they were amazin’...”

“I’m sure they were.” L!MC nodded trying to hold back another wave of tears.

The Celestial Realm was perfect.

L!MC, Mammon, and everyone in the three realms knew that. And perfection had no place for beings like them.

[notkageyamasprincess]

youth | tsukishima kei x reader

characters: childhood friend!tsukishima kei x g/n!reader

genre/warnings: fluff, a tiny crumb of angst, typical unrequited love EXCEPT IT’S NOT UNREQUITED, maybe crack if you really squint, no warnings except maybe cussing? anyways they slow dance in a playground 💞

words: 2.4k

summary: you and tsukishima are on a late-night snack run when you pass by the playground where you met as kids. together, you reminisce about childhood memories, make a few realizations, and make plans to fulfill an old promise.

notes: listen to youth by troye sivan while reading if you’d like. also, i tried to make the reader gender-neutral, hopefully i didn’t accidentally miss something

The sound of distant traffic and rustling leaves filled your ears as you and Tsukishima walked home from your trip to the nearby 24-hour convenience store. The snack packaging crinkled in the plastic bag he carried, and your footsteps fell into a comfortable rhythm beside him. The orange gleam of the streetlamps created tall shadows of your silhouettes, stretching across the pavement in front of you. Turning your head, you recognized the familiar metal railings of the old playground you visited countless times as children.

You tugged at his sleeve to stop him and pointed to the entrance. 

“Do you remember when we used to come here all the time? Let’s go sit for a while, I don’t feel like going home yet.”

“Suit yourself. It’s cold, I’m going home,” he responded, a scowl on his face. He hands you the bag and continues walking.

“Hmm, I bet you just want to leave so you can go text your crush. Your mom would be pissed if she found out that you left me out here alone at this hour, though. Auntie loves me like I’m her own child, you know that” you called out, grinning mischievously. 

He stops in his tracks. “____, are you threatening me?”

“Nope,” you replied in a sly tone. “I’m just a master of persuasion.” You don’t wait for him to reply and started cheerfully towards the swings, knowing he would follow you. You grinned even wider when you hear his strides coming closer.

You couldn’t see it, but a ghost of a smile softened his expression as he trailed behind you.

“You’re annoying,” he muttered. 

Fine, whatever. As long as it makes you happy.

You set down the plastic bag next to the swings and nudged his shoulder as he approached you. “Look, I’ll treat you to a hot drink to make it up to you. There’s a vending machine over there, what do you want?”

“Coffee’s good.”

As you hurried over to the machine, he gazed at your retreating figure illuminated by the dim glow emitting from behind the glass. He chuckled as you propped your chin on your hand, carefully pondering the options before you.

Your eyes flitted over the labels before finally settling on what to get for yourself. 

Milk tea it is.

You returned, tossing him his coffee which he caught effortlessly. 

He met your eyes with an amused look. “Took you long enough.”

“Hey, it was a difficult decision!” 

You plopped down on the swing next to him and popped open the tab on your own drink.

------☾------☾------ 

You swayed back and forth, tracing circles in the gravel with your foot as you and Tsukishima recounted your childhood antics. Breaths rise in puffs as you nursed your drinks.

“Sometimes I wish we could be kids again. We didn’t have anything to worry about…”

He hummed in agreement. You snuck a glance at his handsome features. Moonlight reflected off his glasses as he sipped from his can and you felt your cheeks burn when you realized you were staring at his lips.

And I didn’t have to hide anything from you. Especially not my feelings. I didn’t need to suppress my jealousy when girls asked you for “help” on solving problem sets, or when you brought up your crush. I didn’t have to act like I wasn’t sulking when you received other people’s chocolates on Valentine’s Day. I didn’t have to worry about ruining our friendship.

You quickly caught yourself and shook it off, putting a plastic smile on your face. “…I want to go back and relive it again,” you continued.

He quirked an eyebrow. “You sure? What about the time you tried to play hero when Yamaguchi was getting bullied, and then you ended up twisting your ankle?”

“I didn’t expect those boys to actually fight back. Plus, they were nearly twice my size, I didn’t think they would be that low,” you huffed.

“Who knows what would have happened if I wasn’t there.” 

“Luckily, my knight in shining armour came to the rescue,” you giggled, recalling how he had to carry you home on his back. “Anyways, if that didn’t happen, then we wouldn’t have become the Three Musketeers.”

“Dude, stop calling us that, it’s embarrassing.”

“The point is, as far as I know, all my memories with you guys are good memories.”

Tsukishima felt a smile tug on the corners of his lips yet tried hard to conceal how happy that made him feel.

“You’re such a sap. That’s because for the last ten years, I was constantly saving your ass and cleaning up after your messes,” he scoffed.

But I don’t think I’d mind doing that for another ten years. Or twenty.

You noticed faint music coming from his earbuds and perked up.

“Hey, you’re using the earbuds I got you for Christmas!”

“Of course, dumbass. What else would I do with them?”

“I still think you seem cooler with headphones but at least now no one gets to call you broke,” you joked.

He winced. “Isn’t that a dead meme? Also, they’re convenient and I like how they’re wireless.”

You just beamed at him.

He loved how pleased you get over the smallest things. He loved how your eyes became crescents when you smiled. He loved how easy it was to read you. Your emotions were always written on your face and you never made him guess.

God, I’m whipped. 

You finished your drink and placed it on the ground. “So, what are you listening to?” You reached over to take an earbud and found a saccharine love song crooning in your ear. “I didn’t know you listened to stuff like this,” you teased. 

“That’s because I don’t. Did you forget that you were the one who added this to my playlist?”

“Excuses, excuses. Just admit it, it’s a good song.” You leapt up and made a move to pull him up. “Let’s dance.”

“The hell? No way, why would I?”

“Come on, there’s no one else here except us, and I really want to.” You gave him your best puppy eyes and begged. “Kei-chan…Please?”

Tsukishima felt his resolve weaken.

This is bad. Why is it so hard to say no?

“I told you already, drop the -chan,” he said, reluctantly letting you drag him away.

You wrapped his arms around your waist and looped yours around his neck. “Oops, I guess old habits die hard.” You looked up at him. “Kei.”

The tips of his ears tinged pink and he felt the back of his neck heat up.

Shit, shit, shit. Calm down, she only said your name. Stop freaking out.

“Hey, your neck feels really warm right now. Didn’t you say you were cold?”

“Shut up, that’s just because of your sweaty hands.”

“Deal with it.”

------☾------☾------

You gently swayed to the tune and closed your eyes, savouring the moment. 

He glanced down. The moon shined on you and accentuated your long eyelashes, cute nose, and rosy lips. A slight breeze swept over the two of you and your hair fluttered softly in the air before coming to a rest, framing your face once more.

When did this brat get so attractive?

He averted his eyes just in time before you noticed. The current song ended, and a more upbeat track began to play. It was “Youth” by Troye Sivan.

“Do you want to stop? This is probably too fast to dance to, and you’re going off the beat,” he pointed out.

“No, it’s alright. I’m having fun and I really like this song.”

You reached into his coat pocket to put the song on loop then laid your head on his shoulder. Truthfully, this was the most romantic thing you’ve ever done. You wanted to press pause on the entire world and stay in your haven for as long as possible.

“Kei, do you know what just came to mind? This is the place where we first met, and I remember being obsessed with you at first because I thought you looked similar to the main character from my favourite movie. Back then, I made it my goal to marry someone just like him.”

You smiled wistfully at the memory, recalling how you followed him around everywhere like a lost puppy. You found it hilarious that you liked him even then.

He smirked. “Yeah, I avoided you like the plague and I got so fed up because you wouldn’t stop pestering me to marry you.”

“Yup! You even told me that kids are too young to marry but I just made you swear not to kiss other people and to marry me when we were old enough,” you laughed. “Now that I’m looking back on it, that was a pretty stupid promise.”

He honestly didn’t think it was that stupid. There were things that were more stupid in the world. One of them being your taste in men, for instance. He was tired of hearing you gush about a new guy every month.

You and Tsukishima allowed yourselves to get lost in the music and immersed yourselves in the lyrics.

My youth, my youth is yours Tripping on skies, sipping waterfalls

My youth, my youth is yours Run away now and forevermore

My youth, my youth is yours A truth so loud you can't ignore

My youth, my youth, my youth My youth is yours

  “We should go soon. You mentioned you had plans tomorrow morning, right?” he asked.

“I do, but it’s nothing too important. I’m meeting up with Terushima-san.”

His expression soured. “You mean that greasy bastard with the tongue piercing who tried to hit on you at one of our games? Why are you going on a date with that guy?”

“It’s not a date!” you protested. “He asked me to hang out with him once and then he’ll stop texting me.”

He tightened his hold on your waist.

Don’t go.

“You should have just ignored him, it’s not like you owe him a date,” he grumbled.

Why are you wasting your time on him?

You shrugged. “Too late now, it’d be rude to cancel so last minute.”

He rolled his eyes.

Are you trying to make me jealous? Open your eyes, I’m right in front of you! 

You froze. 

Did I hear that right?

You slowly pulled out of the embrace and scanned his face. He looked at you with an indecipherable emotion. Your heart sped up and you hesitated, wondering if you should say something. 

But why would he be jealous, that’s just wishful thinking right? Isn’t he in love with someone else?

You questioned him with a hopeful tone. “Kei. Can you say that again? I might have misheard.” 

Tsukishima’s expression morphed into one of perplexity. And then it dawned on him. 

Oh. Oh. Fuck, fuck, FUCK. 

You started talking before he got a chance to collect his thoughts. “I heard something about jealousy, and I think I heard you say, ‘Open your eyes, I’m right in front of you.’” Your imploring eyes nervously met his own. “But that can’t be right. You were just telling me about the person you were in love with last week.”

Shit. So, you heard it all. 

His mind was racing for ways to take himself out of the current situation. He didn’t think there was much damage control he could do at this point, but you seemed confused and skeptical of what he just said. Maybe he could try to play it off. 

Or... what if I took the opportunity to come clean?

He took a deep breath. “Actually, I’m in love with you, ____. The person I was talking about was you.”

You couldn’t believe your ears.  Never in your wildest fantasies did you entertain the possibility of him returning your feelings. 

He’s in love with…me? This is a dream. This has to be a dream. 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to respond. This is why I didn’t want to tell you,” he continued. “Look, just give me some time, it doesn’t have to be awkward between us or anything, we can act like how we were before.”

He loosened his hold and started to pull away when you suddenly gripped his shoulders.

“Kei. Pinch me.”

“What?”

“Pinch me,” you repeated. “Ow!” You rubbed your cheek. “Okay, this is definitely not a dream then.”

You gazed up at him and carefully placed your hands on both sides of his face. 

“Listen, I feel the same way. I love you. I’ve loved you since we were sixteen.”

His eyes widened. He gathered you in his arms and engulfed you in a hug. He felt relieved. He felt like he was in the clouds. He felt like he was on a high that he would never come down from. 

You laughed and wrapped yourself around him. 

After a couple minutes, he finally spoke. “____, this might be happiest moment of my entire life. The only thing that can top this would be the moment I see you walking down the aisle towards me. I’m serious. I fully intend to marry you.”

“I have no complaints. As long as you don’t go back on your words, I guess you’re stuck with me.”

“Idiot.” 

“I’m your idiot now,” you grinned. 

He kissed you on the forehead and smirked. “That’s right.”

You melted at the rare display of affection. Almost immediately after, an amusing idea came to your attention and you cracked up.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking, I feel like I should pat myself on the back and congratulate myself. Six-year-old me would be very pleased at how things turned out.”

He snorted. “Yeah, maybe you were onto something there.” 

“There’s one thing I’m curious about though. When did you realize you had feelings for me?”

“I’m not exactly sure. I think it was sometime during the first year of junior high that I started seeing you differently and noticed that I liked you as more than a best friend.”

Your jaw dropped. “You’re kidding. For real? You’ve suffered for way longer than I had.”

His cheeks flushed scarlet and he avoided looking in your direction for a few seconds. “Well, I wouldn’t call it suffering, but at least now you know.” Then, he caught your eyes and stared at you intently. “Hold on, you’re not still going on that date tomorrow with Terushima, right?”

You smiled reassuringly. “Not anymore. I mean, tonight changed things. I have a boyfriend now, yes?”

“Yeah. Unfortunately for him, you’re mine.”

“I’m yours.”

My youth, my youth is yours A truth so loud you can't ignore

My youth, my youth, my youth My youth is yours

My youth is yours

My youth is yours.

a/n: okay if you actually read to the end, thank uuu!  i’ve had the idea of slow-dancing in the night while listening to youth for a couple years now, it’s just been floating around in my head and i decided to take a chance to write it out! started as a cute date idea but alas, i have no partner to re-enact this with... so there you go! i honestly wanted to write kageyama for my first piece but tsukishima fit a bit better lmao. please feel free to give feedback or general thoughts!

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 4

Part 3 here

Ahaha. I decided to start writing a story at 2am. Ma bad. I also decided, that with this prompt, that I would revisit my dear assassin (Leera), and Her Wicked Majesty (Rennera)! I'm using mobile so I can't navigate the app in order to add the links to previous stories of these two, but if you search Leera on my page, then scroll to the bottom, you should find the first installment of my assassin and queen!

@badthingshappenbingo

Prompt: Bounty on their head

Fandom: Original Work

Tws: mentions of past trauma, claustrophobia, drowning, suffocating, scar, captivity, mention of contemplated suicide (to escape torture)

********

By some miracle, Leera was able to escape the queen's clutches. Maybe it wasn't a real miracle. The assassin had the vaguest feeling that the guard watching her that night left the door unlocked on purpose, fell asleep right outside of that very door with intent as well. After all, Leera remembered him from the day Queen Rennera demanded she be nailed in the dead king's coffin. Leera shuddered at the memory, at the buzzing in her ears from flies, at the feeling of a cold body beneath her own warm one, at the too-close confinement of the casket.

She shook her head. She couldn't let herself be trapped in the memories of her torment. But even as she reminded herself not to think about it, she touched the dipped line on her face where the queen had dragged her sharpest nail, drawing blood and creating a scar on the assassin's face. Stop it now! Leera commanded herself.

Focus on your goals. There was only one goal anymore, and that was to live. It was more difficult of a task than Leera would have ever thought. She'd lived in the woods almost all of her life, hunting small creatures and cooking them over self-made fires. Smoke was never a worry before because she also never worried about being found. There was never a bounty on the assassin's head. Of course, this was because she'd never been caught. If someone found her in the woods, they simply found a young looking girl, traveling on her own, living the best she could. They never knew Leera was an assassin. The situation was different now.

Being caught by the queen was the worst thing to happen to Leera. It could have been avoided, she knew. How stupid I was, she scorned herself mentally. Her legs ached as she walked through the woods now, covering her tracks as she went- or as well as she could, which wasn't well. How long was she in Rennera's grip? Was it only days? Weeks? It couldn't have been for more than a month. Did I escape yesterday? Or was that this morning? She didn't know. Gods, she had no clue. If I hadn't taken the cloth from my face, hadn't told those villagers my name...none of this would have happened. Leera didn't consider that never being an assassin to begin with might have saved her from torment. To her, she was always meant to do this. It was what Sir Robson, her trainer, told her anyway.

Leera was lucky in some great aspect. There were already posters pinned to trees where she walked. Having posters with her face printed on them saying, "Wanted: Alive and Screaming." And at the bottom, a  promise of great reward for the assassin's return. It wasn't quite a bounty by Leera's own definition. A bounty was a job which she took up by taking another's life. Her definition changed as she was currently being hunted. A bounty was impeding doom.

At that moment she swore she felt a tug at her scalp. Leera stiffened and swallowed, closing her eyes before reaching up to the spot where she believed a hand would be clasping her hair. A sigh rushed out from Leera's lips as she felt nothing. Still, her chest heaved rapidly.

Constantly, the assassin found herself looking over her shoulder, cursing the footprints she made in the mud. There was no way of avoiding the evidence she left. Leera wasn't a squirrel who could hop from tree to tree. If only, she thought. If only.

On a bright side, the posters of her face already being posted meant that the guards of the palace had already been here. The chance they would be back before nightfall was unlikely. Leera's bounty already being present here meant she had a longer amount of time to remain free.

A part of the assassin knew she would be caught again. The queen lured her into a trap the first time. It was smart, calculated, but Leera couldn't be caught that way again and Rennera knew that. Instead, now, the queen would never stop her hunt until her assassin was captive once again.

I should end it now, Leera thought. If I die now, I can't be hunted. I won't have to be fearful anymore. Death was more fitting than the horrors Queen Rennera made the assassin endure. But death was still as equally terrifying. If someone else held a dagger at her heart, she might not have fought back. Holding a dagger to her heart herself...she could never do it, could never submit that way. It was pitiful. Leera would never allow herself to die by her own blade.

Crack! Was it a leaf crunching beneath a rabbit- or was it a twig cracking beneath the weight of a foot soldier, or a bounty hunter? Leera paused, not shifting a single bit of her weight as her eyes peeked as far right and as far left as they could. She saw nothing. The assassin twisted her head until her chin was almost passed her shoulder, peering behind her one way and then the other. Crack, crunch, crunch.

It occured to Leera now that even if she was willing to pull a dagger on her heart, she didn't have one. Her only weapon was a stick lying by her foot. If whatever was near was a soldier, it would snap against their armour. She tried to control her breathing at the realization, but it wasn't so easy.

The assassin's chest was tightening, ribs peeling back so far, it felt, that her heart visibly beat against her chest. Her shoulders were shaking. The tremble traveled down the rest of her arms, into her palms and fingertips. Leera's legs were beginning to shake as she stood on rocking grounds. As she looked down at her legs, she could imagine the mud she was planted in rising, up and up, until it touched her lips just as she took a gasped breath, to her nose as she sucked in what tiny ounce of air she could still fit, to her eyes as she closed them. Soon, she would no longer be able to hold the breath. It would be gushed out and when she tried to breathe in again, her throat would be coated with the icky water dirt, thick and suffocating. It would fall into her lungs, filling them up like a fish bowl. Was suffocating better than the queen's torment?

The mud rose to her ears, seeping into her channels. Was it possible for liquid to travel from her ears down into her throat? It didn't matter the true reality of things. She felt it, no matter how imaginary it was. The mud was flowing through her ears, falling onto the back of her tongue, causing her to gag. She coughed, choked, clutched her throat. Rather than mud filling her throat, strict horror did instead. Was that leather around her throat? Leera opened her eyes, screamed with all the air she couldn't feel in her lungs.

A hand pushed harshly against her lips. Another pushed against the back of her skull. The two hands pushed on either side, creating a high pressure throughout her whole head. Leera touched the calloused hand on her mouth. The man in front of her shook his head. The assassin dropped her hands immediately. She wouldn't have the strength to fight. Queen Rennera made sure of that. Leera wasn't so exhausted, though, that moans of fear weren't made against the man's hand. Tears slid down her face until they met the man's skin as well.

"Shush, now, beautiful." His smile was perhaps the deadliest thing about him, not not the sword at his side, or even the sharp jawline of his that looked just as sharp as the blade. It was those teeth. Their presence was as terrifying as anything. Perhaps if Leera was the one to have caught the face of a bounty then she would be smiling, too. It was different when she was the face on the posters. "You may scream when I take you back to Her Majesty."

******

Part 5 here

[drades-lair]

Untitled Dragon age 2 fic

Author: Drade666

Rating: T

Warnings: slight gore, slight language

Pairings: Fenris x Female Hawke

Fandom: Dragon age 2

Hawke had worked her ass off for months to get enough coin together for the deep roads expedition with Varric’s brother Bartrend and now the path to riches and fame was in sight. Hawke gathered her team consisting of Isabella, Anders, Merrill, Fenris, Bethany and Varric then they travelled off to Bartrend’s office to make the deal. Aveline had been offered to come along but she had important work to do in the guard so she had to refuse but wished them luck none the less. Fenris walked closely to Hawke watching the gentle sway of her hips as she walked a slight smile crossing his face as for the first time he felt the warmth of love inside of him. After a short conversation as well as the flash of gold coin in Bartrend’s face he accepted there offer telling them to meet him in the morning to get the expedition underway. Sure enough the next day the whole expedition met in the High town market for a final briefing before departing in to the deep roads but after Bartrend’s little speech they were just about to leave when a voice rang out from the High town crowd.

 “Hawke, Bethany! WAIT!” shouted their mother in a distressed voice

 “Mother?” Hawke wondered as she and Bethany broke away from the expedition to greet her

 “Mother what’s wrong?” Bethany asked

 “Please leave Bethany here” their mother pleaded with Hawke

 “Mother NO!” Bethany protested  

 “Mother she’s a wonderful fighter I need her to watch my back” Hawke pleaded her case but her mother was not buying any of it.

 “You are both precious and as it is the thought that one of you may not be coming back is hard to bear but both of you! No! I will not risk it” Leandra pleaded once more with her children. Hawke looked over at Bethany and new immediately that if she left her behind she would never live it down so she hugged her mother.

 “Don’t worry mother I’ll take care of her,” Hawke said before turning and joining the expedition with Bethany. Begrudgingly Leandra left her children to do what they wished praying they would both make it back alive. Hawke returned  to the expedition making her way over to Fenris’s side smiling up at him but Fenris was to preoccupied with scowling at Anders and Merrill to notice until Hawke touched his face pulling it gently towards her.

 “Could you at least try and be nice during this trip?” Hawke inquired to Fenris

 “I’m sorry I just can’t get past the fact that they’re mages,” Fenris said as he shifted his eyes to look away from Hawke

 “I know but at least try. Please, for me” Hawke pleaded as she kissed his cheek

 “For you I’ll try anything” Fenris agreed gently grabbing Hawke’s hand off his cheek and smiling softly at her.

 Once inside the Deep roads Hawke’s team cleared the way through dark spawn while Bartrend’s men searched for relics. 2 days later the expedition had been unsuccessful in finding anything worthwhile but they still pressed on suddenly a swarm of dark spawn fell upon the explorers out of nowhere. Hawke fought fiercely along side Fenris with the rest following suit but before too long the whole group began to tire while the dark spawn just kept coming.

 “DAMN! Is there no end to them?” Hawke wondered out loud as she slashed through the spawn horde.

 “We can’t keep this up!” Bethany shouted in alarm as she turned as a Hurlock attacked from behind shoving her to the ground.

 “Bethany!” Hawke shouted as she pounced on to the Hurlock gouging its eyes out with her blades. Fenris joined them grabbing Bethany gently by her upper arm and helped her to her feet.

 “Thank you Fenris” Bethany said in gratitude

 “You are welcome” Fenris replied kindly even though Bethany was a mage he had always liked her because of her control and gentle nature not to mention the fact it made Hawke happy.

 “What should we do Hawke?” Asked Anders, who was exhausted from constantly fighting. Hawke new they couldn’t keep fighting like this, she looked around swiftly for a solution that’s when she saw it!

 “Yes, Merrill! Aim UP!” Hawke shouted

 Merrill quickly complied aiming her strike up at the ceiling shooting a large bolt of lightning at the unstable roof above causing it to collapse on to the dark spawn horde cutting them off from the passage.

 “Swift thinking Hawke” Fenris complimented

 “I thought it was a good idea,” Hawke said smugly

 The exhausted team swiftly vanquished what little dark spawn that had managed to sneak through before the roof caved in.

 “Let’s get going” Hawke insisted as the expedition began moving on but just as Hawke and her team were leaving there was a distinct shifting of rocks followed by foot steps on the rock floor below them. Hawke turned to look only to see a Hurlock coming up behind Fenris, blade drawn.

 “Fenris!” Hawke shouted in warning but it came too late the Hurlock grabbed Fenris just as he turned to look running it’s blade through his side from back to front.

 “NO!!!” Shouted Hawke running full speed at the Hurlock shoving a blade into its face forcing it to fall backwards removing the blade in the process from Fenris. He fell forward with Hawke catching him before he hit the ground. Hawke grasped Fenris easing him gently to the ground while looking over the injury, which was deep and was gushing blood if it kept up he would die. Hawke tore a piece of cloth from her clothing to place on the wound to stop the bleeding but it was almost in vein as there was too much blood coming from the wound.

 “Fenris! Fenris please stay with me! don’t die!” Hawke pleaded with him

 “Anders? Merrill? Can’t you heal him?” Hawke asked desperately

 “No his wound is too deep it can’t be healed by magic at this point” Anders said regrettably

 “FINE!” Hawke said as she now moved swiftly to her backpack riffling through it for bandages and cloths. Hawke pulled a knife from her belt and cut away what was left of Fenris’s armour around the wound after removing his breast plate so she could treat it easier. Afterwards Hawke saw that it was even worse then she had thought and came to the realization she couldn’t fully treat him here.

 “How much farther do we need to go?” asked Hawke

 “Actually there’s a teige up ahead which we should get going to” Bartrend said harshly

 “You can go ahead if you want but I am not following until he’s stable” Hawke stabbed back

 “Fine! Do what you want” Shouted Bartrend as he and his team continued. Hawke decided to simply patch the wound until she could find a flatter surface to treat Fenris on. She leaned in to Fenris who was gritting his teeth in pain in between gasping for breath.

 “Fenris listen to me” Hawke whispered in his ear

 “Are you listening?” Asked Hawke after a brief pause

 “Ye…Yes” Fenris responded weakly

 “I need you to just relax because this is going to hurt but there is nothing I can do about it” Hawke said with deep regret in her voice

 “Do you understand?” asked Hawke

 “Ye..” Fenris began but didn’t finish before a sharp, searing pain shot through his body. Fenris arched his back and screamed in agony, Hawke had shoved a piece of cloth into his wound to stop the bleeding but knowing just how painful it would be she had decided to distract him first. After a few moments Fenris passed out while Hawke finished her makeshift patch, stroking Fenris’s face gently afterwards.

 “We need to go now and find some kind of surface so as I can treat him better” Hawke insisted as she stood to her feet grabbing one of Fenris’s arms, slinging it over her shoulders to lift him up Bethany swiftly joined Hawke grabbing Fenris’s other arm to help hold him up. Luckily the teige wasn’t too far ahead a few moments later they were there. Hawke placed Fenris on the cold, hard ground for a moment while she talked to Bartrend who insisted they go into the teige to search for rare items but Hawke new she needed to treat Fenris. Varric assured Bartrend that he would go in with them to help with the search while Hawke sat with Fenris before too long Varric re-emerged.

 “Hawke I think I found something that will benefit Fenris and Bartrend. Come see” Varric insisted

 Bethany helped Hawke pull Fenris’s limp body to his feet taking him in to the teige following Varric’s lead. Inside the teige there was a large flat alter with an idol sitting on it sure enough this would be the perfect place to finally treat Fenris’s wounds, Hawke moved Fenris to the alter as Varric removed the idol and tossed it to Bartrend while Hawke along with Bethany placed Fenris flat on his back on the alter.

 “I think the idol is made of pure lireume worth a fortune!” Varric explained to Bartrend

 “You could be right, well done” Bartrend whispered with a whistle. Bartrend with that turned and began walking out while Hawke got to work tending to Fenris placing her coat under his head when suddenly everyone heard the distinct sound of a door swinging closed.

 “The door!” Shouted Hawke as they all ran towards it but it was too late

 “Bartrend the door has shut behind you!” Varric shouted through the door

 “You always did notice everything, Varric” Bartrend said smugly back

 “You got to be KIDDING ME! You’d screw over your own brother? For a lousy idol” Varric shouted angrily hitting the door with his fists

 “Not just the idol the location of this teige alone is worth a fortune and I’m not splitting that 3 ways!” Bartrend said leaving them behind

 “Bartrend! BARTREND!!!” Varric shouted after his brother

 “I swear when I find that son of a bitch! Sorry mother! I will kill him!” Varric said harshly under his breath

 “We must find a way out of here” Anders said with a sense of urgency

 “No! First things first I must treat Fenris” Hawke insisted as she walked back to Fenris’s side

 Hawke swiftly got to work treating Fenris’s wound he was sweating profusely and his breathe was heavy as he lay on the cold stone alter. Hawke undid the bandage she had used on him earlier gently removing it from the wound cavity causing it to bleed again. Hawke felt around the wound area checking the severity of it that’s when she felt it something lodged in the wound, a blade tip. Now Hawke new what she had to do she needed to remove the blade tip before it will heal.

 “I have to get some help, Anders?” Hawke wondered turning to Anders

 “I think we should simply leave him here and get moving” Anders said harshly

 “WHAT? NO!!” Hawke shouted back

 “He has no place in the group if he is weak!” shouted Anders back

 “If you feel that way then I should just leave you down here besides no one is stopping you from leaving” Hawke countered. Anders face turned sour as he turned and walked away from the situation with Hawke also turning away back towards Fenris.

 “Varric would you mind helping me?” Hawke asked in a gentle voice

 “Not a problem” Varric said happily

 Hawke smiled as Varric came closer as she handed him a bowl Hawke drew a knife from her pocket to set on the alter next to Fenris before pulling out several clean cloths from her pack, dousing one with water to place to Fenris’s forehead so as to keep his fever under control. Finally Hawke was ready to work on the wound to remove the blade tip first by cutting a small incision around the wound before using her bare hands, Hawke inserted 2 fingers into the wound cavity this caused Fenris to jump though making the situation worse.

 “Isabella, Merrill, Varric please help me hold him down!” Hawke shouted with her fingers still inside Fenris’s wound.

 “Alright” Varric responded

 “Not a problem although I think he may need a bath after being touched by a mage and all” Merrill said

 “Of course this isn’t the first time I’ve had to hold down a man” Isabella shared

 With all of them holding Fenris Hawke continued to search for the blade tip lodged deep in Fenris’s side. As Hawke searched for the blade tip Fenris’s agonized screams could be heard echoing through the deep roads until finally Hawke pulled her fingers from the wound blade tip with in them.

 “I’ve got it!” Hawke shouted as she tossed the blade tip to the side and placed a cloth over the wound tightly to control the bleeding before finally stitching then bandaged the wound ending Fenris’s ordeal. Fenris’s chest heaved with every breath he took while sweat poured down his face, neck to his chest following the lines of his markings, his body finally able to relax a little but it was clear from the slight twitching that he was still in pain from the wound.

 “Hawke we need to find a way out of here” Anders approached her again

 “Anders! Damn it! Can’t you just let it be already!” Hawke inquired angrily

 “What do you mean?” Anders asked confused yet with a knowing face

 “YOU know what! The whole he’s against mages so we should just let him die thing!” Hawke shouted at Anders

 “I’m just saying we should get moving before our air supply runs out” Anders insisted

 “We have more then enough air to last us for a while so don’t give me that now listen Fenris needs some time to at least catch his breath a little bit and heal before we move on so sit back, shut up and deal ok!” Hawke said crossly

 Anders walked off jealous at all the attention Hawke was showing the mage hating elf but after Hawke’s obvious display of anger Anders decided to avoid her for the rest of the trip. As Fenris’s condition improved Hawke decided it would be safe to move him with Isabella’s help they carried Fenris through the tiege seeking another exit. After battling dark spawn and rock wraiths plus 1 demon finally they found the exit from the teige.

 “How long do you think it will take us to reach the surface?” Hawke asked Varric

 “If we’re unlucky maybe a week” Varric responded

 “And if we’re lucky?” Hawke asked again

 “We’ll trip over Bartrend’s corps on the way out” Varric said crossly

 Hawke gave a slight giggle and followed Varric through the tunnels, sure enough about 1 week later they emerged from the tunnels exhausted and out of supplies. Through out the tunnels Fenris had occasionally regained consciousness but not for too long a period of time plus when ever he did he was barely lucid. Luckily now if they could just get out of the deep roads they could get Fenris somewhere to truly rest but Hawke’s luck was about to throw her a curve ball once more.

 “Ha…Haw…Hawke?” Bethany stuttered sickly as she lagged behind everyone

 “Bethany? What’s wrong?” Hawke asked looking behind her

 “I…I don’t…Feel well” Bethany stuttered again but Hawke now knew what was wrong just from looking at her. Bethany had caught the blight!

 “Bethany!” Hawke cried as she handed Fenris over to Isabella who laid him gently to the ground while Hawke ran to Bethany’s side

 “Bethany? Oh no. NO!” Hawke cried, as she frantically looked her sister over

 “It’s happening…isn’t it? I’m being corrupted!” Bethany cried to Hawke

 “I’m so sorry this is all my fault if only I had paid more attention to you and not so much on Fenris…” Hawke began before Bethany put a finger to her lips

 “Sshh don’t say that you love him and that’s why you did what you did besides you probably couldn’t tell anyway the blight is slow to take affect. But you know what you need to do now right?” Bethany asked looking at Hawke with blank eyes

 “No I won’t kill my sister!” cried Hawke

 “If you truly love me yes YOU will please! I don’t want to die a slow, agonizing death Hawke KILL ME!” pleaded Bethany

 Eventually Hawke new she had to do it and agreed begrudgingly to kill her sister. Drawing her blade Hawke cradled Bethany in her arms then plunged it in to her heart killing her instantly. Knowing they needed to get out of the deep roads Hawke drew back her tears and stood to her feet she helped Isabella with Fenris so as they could leave that awful place.

 “He will not die down her too” Hawke said determined

 Because Fenris was an escaped slave and with Anders not offering his place of healing to him Hawke took Fenris to her uncles home in Low town where she could help him recover further. Hawke knocked on the door frantically until her uncle opened it but was anything but impressed.

 “What do you think your doing!”? Gamlin asked Hawke as she brushed past him with Fenris.

 “I have no time for your bitching uncle Fenris is hurt badly!” Hawke said harshly as she and Isabella limped Fenris to her bed in the back room.

 “Thanks Isabella you can go now if you want” Hawke told Isabella who simply nodded then left

 “Oh Maker! What happened?” asked Leandra walking into the small shack of a house

 “Mother! Fenris was wounded in the deep roads so I figured I would bring him here to finish treating him” Hawke explained

 “Of course my dear I’ll get some cool water and towels right away” Leandra said as she took off towards the run down so-called kitchen

 “Thanks mom” Hawke said dreading what she would need to tell her soon about Bethany

 “WAIT A DAMN SECOND!” Gamlin suddenly protested

 “What is it now uncle?” Hawke asked annoyed

 “This is MY house and I will not have a knife ear in here! It was bad enough I housed an apostate!” Gamlin said cruelly

 “How dare you that was my sister and this is my friend…No he is more then a friend and I will not have you speaking like that of either of them so if you dare I will KILL you!” Shouted Hawke angrily causing her uncle to think twice about over stepping his boundaries.

 “Here are the Towels and Water dear” Leandra said softly placing a large bowl of water next to Hawke on the floor where she was kneeling beside Fenris on the bed to change his bandages.

 “Thank you” Hawke said looking up slightly from what she was doing

 “By the way where is your sister?” Leandra asked

 Hawke’s heart sank as she stopped and looked up at her mother sorrow filling her eyes as she did so.

 “I’m sorry mother” Hawke said softly and right then Leandra new what had become of her daughter

 “No! She isn’t…?” Leandra asked with a hand to her mouth but when Hawke nodded sadly Leandra held back her tears before leaving Hawke so she could finish up with Fenris’s bandages. Hawke stayed by Fenris’s side to watch over him until after a few hours he finally awoke.

 “Hawke?” asked Fenris hoarsely as he opened his eyes and the haze began to fade

 “Fenris! Thank the maker your alright” Hawke said with an exhausted smile on her face

 “What happened?” Asked Fenris wirily

 “It’s a long story,” Hawke said as she began the tale from when he was stabbed to then

 “I’m sorry about your sister Hawke you must be heart broken” Fenris sympathized raising a hand to her cheek.  

 “Not really, I’m fine” Hawke lied but Fenris wasn’t buying it he could see she was in deep pain.

 “I really should get back to my mansion” Fenris said as he suddenly tried to sit up

 “No Fenris you just regained consciousness after being passed out for over a week it’s not a good idea. You will stay here until you are well enough to leave” Hawke heavily insisted gently shoving Fenris back down on to the bed with a hand to his bare chest.  

 “Well if you’re sure” Fenris said a little uneasy but really he couldn’t argue with it due to the pain he was in.

 Later that evening Fenris awoke after a short rest to find Hawke not by his side. Fenris gently sat up on the edge of the bed clutching his side to control the pain, after he finally managed to stand up Fenris limped to the doorway clutching the doorframe to prevent him from falling over. It was at this moment that he heard a mournful cry coming from the small room that Gamlin called a sitting room where he knew Hawke had set herself up in until Fenris was better and it was in this room that Fenris saw her sitting all alone on the couch she was using as a bed, sobbing her head berried in her hands. Fenris slowly moved towards her until she heard his footsteps on the crappy wooden floorboards of the ramshackle house causing Hawke to suddenly look up tears streaming down her face. This was a side of Hawke Fenris had never seen before which made him question what he should do but he simply let his heart show him the way as Fenris walked over to where Hawke was before sitting on the edge of the bed next to her then he placed one arm around her shoulder, pulling gently he moved her in close to him. At first Hawke resisted him but her will was already broken too far that she finally just let the last of her pride give way and she buried her tears into his chest. Gamlin came in to the sitting room a few hours later wondering what the racket was only to find Fenris gently caressing Hawke’s hair with his hand as he motioned to Gamlin to be quite so as not to wake Hawke as she lay with her head resting on Fenris’s lap and a blanket over her legs that at some point he’d obviously pulled over her. Now he sat there just silently comforting her the only way he could noticing that when he was around Hawke his own pain was gone and hoped that he’d be able to do the same for her as he placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.