#Magic the Gathering Spider-Man

[pikagatogirltits]

Universes Beyond: Spider-Man Set Speculation/Wishlist

Well, now that we've actually got a name for the first Marvel set and the surprise reveal that it's entirely Spider-Man centric, I figure it's time for a new round of idle speculation (and maybe some slight wishlist choices.) Without further delay:

So now we know that instead of a wide ranging grab bag approach to the sets we're getting a more focused approach to the sets. This definitely explains why it's multiple sets. With the first set being Spider-Man, I think it's entirely reasonable to assume that we'll get a X-Men set and an Avengers set as well. I also think we could possibly get two more sets as well. The first would be a set focused on the space/cosmic side of the Marvel setting, with the set probably being named Guardians of the Galaxy for marketing purposes (although Captain Marvel or Fantastic Four are also possibilities.) The other would be based on the magical/supernatural side of Marvel and could either be named Doctor Strange or Midnight Sons.

(As an aside to the last point, this also explains their desire to increase the rate of UB set releases to 2 per year, to help release the Marvel sets in closer proximity. If they're smart, they'll alternate between non-Marvel and Marvel UB sets so that people who like UB but don't like Marvel will have something to look forward to, like how we're getting the Final Fantasy set next year.)

I think with the set being Spider-Man centric we'll get multiple cards representing the main 616 Peter Parker version of Spider-Man. However, I don't think we'll hit "6 Gandalfs" levels of this. I think the main set will have 2-3 Peter Parker Spider-Man cards and an additional one or two in one of the Commander decks. The main set will definitely have a card that's just the default, most iconic version of Spider-Man and will very, very likely have a symbiote suit Spider-Man card as well. We could also possibly get an Iron Spider card or a card for that time when Peter started turning into a full spider hybrid, but those aren't as certain in my opinion.

Of course, with the Spider-Verse stuff there's plenty of other Spider-People that could get cards. Miles Morales is a definite shoe-in, and I can even see him getting multiple cards even if it's just a main set and separate Commander deck version. Spider-Gwen/Ghost Spider is another easy choice that could also get two cards this way. And Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 is another strong possibility.

As for other Spider-Verse characters, I wouldn't be surprised if they slightly prioritize the characters that played big roles in the Spider-Verse movies. While WotC has stated that the sets are based on the comics over other sources, I do think that stuff like the MCU (or in this case, the Spider-Verse movies) will have some slight influence on what characters get prioritized. So I think of all the many Spider-Man variants we'll see, I think Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker and SP//dr, Spider-Punk, Pavitr Prabhakar Spider-Man and maybe Spider-Ham might be prioritized over some of the other Spider-Verse characters.

That said, I really, really hope we get a Spiders-Man card (you know, the Spider-Man variant that's a swarm of spiders controlled by a hive mind that's a psychic imprint of Peter Parker.)

Of course, there's plenty of Spider-Man characters who aren't Spider-Verse related. As far as allies, I think we could easily see cards for Aunt May, MJ, Black Cat, Spider-Woman, Scarlet Spider, Silk.

J. Jonah Jameson needs to get a card. I've seen a lot of jokes about him giving Spiders menace (and Spider-Man and other Spider-People having the creature type "Human Spider Hero" so it would work) but personally I think he should have some mechanic that involves Clue tokens to represent him running a newspaper.

While the set will probably be Spider-Man centric, I don't think it'll only be Spider-Man. I think we'll get some Spider-Man adjacent heroes too, to help diversify things a bit. The Defenders are the most obvious first choice for this. They're fellow New York based street level heroes, Spider-Man has worked with them before, and they just kind of fit the vibes.

I think the Champions are also a potential source of non-Spider-Man heroes since Miles Morales was a member.

Possibly we could see the Fantastic Four here, but they could be saved for the theoretical space themed set instead.

Of course there are plenty of villains we could see. I can see a lot of the most well known and popular villains like Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, and Venom getting multiple cards between main set and Commander decks.

I once saw someone suggest the idea of getting Sagas for various iconic storylines, which I think is an excellent idea. I don't actually read comics (I mostly know these characters from various adaptations and knowing comic readers) so I can't really speculate too much on what storylines we could see, but I definitely feel like The Clone Saga could easily be one of them.

I think we should have two cards that synergize with each other called Great Power and Great Responsibility.

Definitely need Web Shooters as an Equipment, probably have it grant reach and maybe an ability that puts stun counters on creatures.

Honestly, wouldn't be surprised to see multiple cards that flavor stun counters as enemies being webbed up.

I wonder if we could see symbiotes flavored as Enchantment Creatures with Bestow. Maybe not necessarily the named symbiotes like Venom and Carnage because their cards could be flavored as them bonded with their usual hosts, but maybe one or two generic symbiote cards could do that.

If not for the fact that it would involve negotiating additional licensing agreements, I would love to see a card for Japanese Spider-Man and his mech Leopardon.

[generalb]

I don’t think wizards will do a marvel magic set anytime soon, but you do realize that if they ever make Spider-Man a magic card they have to give him Menace

Edit: they actively announced a marvel collab exactly 7 days ago, an entire week. I am the entire circus and it’s ringmaster

[petnews2day]

Cuddly Cute Kittens Get Spoopy with 'BOOoop.'

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/DCvLa

Cuddly Cute Kittens Get Spoopy with 'BOOoop.'

Smirk & Dagger Games will release BOOoop., a new Halloween edition of boop., into retail in September 2023. This new edition of boop. (see “‘boop.’”) adds a little spoopy magic to the game with new meeples and a Halloween themed bed. Ghost Cats enter the mix, which can float between spaces on the bed. These […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/DCvLa #CatsNews #8216Akira8217, #Batman, #BuffyTheVampireSlayer, #DragonballZ, #DungeonsAndDragons, #GundamWing, #HarryPotterGenresWeCoverIncludeFantasy, #Horror, #JRRTolkien, #JLA, #LoneWolfAndCub, #MageKnight, #MagicTheGathering, #Pokemon, #SailorMoon, #Sandman, #ScienceFiction, #SpiderMan, #StarTrek, #StarWars, #Superman, #XMen

[graphicpolicy]

Wizards of the Coast Unveils Magic: The Gathering’s 2025 Line-Up -Foundations, Final Fantasy, Spider-Man, SpongeBob Squarepants, and more!

Wizards of the Coast Unveils Magic: The Gathering’s 2025 Line-Up -Foundations, Final Fantasy, Spider-Man, SpongeBob Squarepants, and more! #MagicTheGathering #MtG #MagicCon

[doctorkidemonas]

Thanks for answering, I appreciate it. I think I maybe waffled a bit too much to get my point across though. In superhero stories, there's a common genre convention that villains should be proactive, driving the plot forward, while heroes are reactive. Miraculous seems to take this concept and run with it to ridiculous extremes. Even in other formula series (Power Rangers is probably a good example, as one of the archetypal monster of the week shows), there will often be a few episodes where the heroes unlock some new ability, or grow stronger, attain new allies. Miraculous, on the other hand, didn't let Marinette or Adrien do anything, achieve anything, over the course of five seasons. They didn't even discover Gabriel's identity on their own merits, Felix had to tell Marinette, and she wasn't allowed to win that final battle. Do you think there's a deeper reason behind this lack of agency, or just crappy writing decisions and dogmatic adherence to status quo?

Disclaimer in advance: I haven't watched season 4 or 5 in their entirety, nor do I intend to, so maybe I'm missing info. Most of my knowledge comes from lurking in the fandom.

Why do you think the show was seemingly allergic to allowing their main characters to make any sort of meaningful progress? At the end of season 1, Ladybug comes into possession of the Miraculous grimoire, a major clue that "Hey, Hawkmoth is probably Gabriel Agreste" and then the Collector immediately ends with her and Adrien placing him completely above suspicion (I actually don't mind this, it makes sense for Gabe to throw the two off the trail, but to the best of my knowledge, this is the only time the protagonists make any headway toward Hawk Moth's identity. I wish they had done more active investigation.)

The power up potions show up during Syren, except... they don't do much in the way of a "power up." They're used exceedingly sparingly, and really only let LB and CN compensate for environmental challenge. Nothing else, no actual evolution. This could've been a way to show LB getting more in sync with her powers, being able to create specific solutions to her problems. You could've had similar moments for Chat Noir, upgrade like the ranged cataclysm Chat Blanc could use, or something to do with bad luck. Instead, it was a cheap gimmick.

The temp heroes start getting called in beginning with Sapotis, except that most of them are called in because... you're here and I need this incredibly specific power, which you just so happen to be perfectly suited for. Shut up and do nothing follow orders. (The episode Party Crasher and King Monkey being the most egregious example, imo. Then again, i havent watched Penalteam, and I'm told that episode is far worse). The temp heroes don't really add anything to the plot (Save Rena suddenly being Ladybug's confidant, but that's a rant for another day.), except to cause conflict with CN, and they're all gone as of the Season 4 finale anyway.

Speaking of season 4, the charms. Finally, concrete progress, a way to limit hawkmoth, to cut him off from potential vic— wait what the hell is a megakuma? Why do this? What was the point? This is what I was talking about with Syren, Ladybug coming further into her powers, finally being able to start pushing Gabriel into a corner, and it's undone that same season. Apparently transmission is more powerful than creation, despite repeated assurances the Ladybug (and Marinette) are special.

And then there's the alliance rings. Why can Tomoe and Gabriel make these? No idea. What it means, though, is that LB and CN have no chance of reclaiming the lost miraculous, and just have to passively react to whatever the hell Monarch is up to... again.

I'm told that for the big finale, Marinette wasn't even the one to discover Gabriel's identity, Felix straight up told her, and then Gabriel won. He made his wish. The hero of the story failed to save the day, after doing practically nothing.

Whats extra annoying is that on the Villain side, Gabriel is absolutely allowed to push the status quo. First we get Scarlet Moth and mass akumatization, then the peacock comes out, then it gets fixed, and then Gabriel straight up steals all the Miraculous (save LB and CN's of course, and then they steal the rabbit back because the writers realized "time travelling villain" was a horrendous idea. And Felix is allowed to keep the Peacock, because ??? Gabriel has to my knowledge not given up any other power, before or since). And he's always held the power, he's never been at risk of losing his own miraculous because he doesn't need to go out in person, so why does he keep getting stronger and raising the stakes while the heroes can't do anything.

Sorry for being so long-winded, just... needed to get my thoughts out.

Put on your tinfoil hats, folks! We're gonna make some educated guesses as to what is going behind the scenes with Miraculous, but remember that these are, ultimately, guesses. I don't know the full story and I probably never well.

I've mentioned before that writing for TV can suck because you're not allowed pure creative freedom. There are a lot of hands in the pot limiting what you can do because TV shows cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make. Some even cost millions. That means that final product needs to be considered commercially viable unless you're independently wealthy and have money to burn. This doesn't mean that passion projects can't be commercially viable, it just means that they're generally not approached with the idea that commercial viability is the most important thing.

Writing for children's shows can especially suck because you're heavily limited by the intended audience and by what large corporations deem acceptable for that intended audience. If you're not totally on board with keeping things Disney's version of kid-friendly, then you're not going to have a fun time.

This brings us to Miraculous.

I have often assumed that there were some wacky hi-jinks going on behind the scenes that would explain why the show is such a mess because I don't think that Miraculous is anyone's ideal version of the core concept. The wonderful @nixthelapin recently confirmed it for me by sending me a link to a translation of a lecture given by Miraculous' writing director.

In that interview, we get hard confirmation that the core members of the writing staff originally wanted to tell a darker story for adults or teens, which may explain all the random dark stuff that the show will include but totally fail to explore. We also got this:

Sebastien sold the Miraculous series to broadcasters as a formula show. A person gets angry, is akumatized, then marinette transforms into Ladybug then frees the person from the akumatization and… The End. It's also for this reason that Marinette tries to confess her love for Adrien in every episode, but is unable to do so. But he tried to go against what he had planned with TF1, by slipping little extra stories into certain episodes. Audiences were receptive to these slightly hidden stories. The TV channel even asked Sébastien if there really were hidden things in the series, but he denied everything.

So there you go. There's the hard confirmation of my theory. Miraculous was sold as a formula show so it's mostly written like a formula show, but the writers want to do more than a formula show, so they're adding in all these hints of something more, leading to massive fan frustration when those things don't lead to satisfying plots because, if they did, then it wouldn't be a formula show!

I get the temptation to do what they did, I really do, but I don't think that it was a good move. They would have been better off trying to make an awesome formula show or by being a lot more selective in what greater story elements they wanted to include. There are things that you can develop in formula shows while still keeping them formula shows. One thing that comes to mind is subtle character development. For example, they could have set up all of the temp heroes by giving them strong roles in one-off episodes. Roles that established their heroic potential. What you can't do well in formula shows is complex character development like the mess that was everything with Chloe and Lila.

This may also explain why we get baffling statements like this one from that interview that the writers gave at the end of season five:

Mélanie says that he "could become Chat Blanc" and the others add that even though he does not remember and has never lived it, Chat Blanc still has an influence on his actions.

Are they trying to let Chat Blanc effect the plot without breaking the formula element? If so, then dear gods, this is not how you add subtle continuity to your formula show!!! But that may be what they were trying to do here and in many other places. After all, we also get gems like this:

They note that Marinette's nightmare at the beginning is reminiscent of the episode Weredad from season 3. At this point, we can see that Marinette starts to understand who the villain is although she's not fully conscious of it yet. Thomas says that you can read it in two different ways: if you don't take the previous episode into account, she's starting to intuitively link things together but if you did see Representation, you know that she knows who Monarch really is.

I'm seeing a common thread. What about you?

While the writing director interview doesn't say this, I'm assuming stuff like the charms, the powerups, and the additional heroes come from a similar type of issue. My best guess is that these weren't elements that the writers wanted to add. They were things that marketing made them add to sell toys and so the writers shoehorned these items in because they couldn't find a way to organically fit these elements. I'm not blaming either side for that issue, btw. There isn't really a clear right side in the fight of creative freedom vs a show needing to make money to keep being made.

Since we're talking about that interview, I'll point out that we also got confirmation of another wacky writing rule to add to the list of poor writing choices:

The driving force behind the series is that there must always be a secret between Marinette and Adrien. The lovesquare can never be broken, otherwise there's no series.

"Our main couple can never be fully honest with each other or else there's no story" is a pretty awful rule, but it's what they're going with and that's a big part of why the love square is a mess. It's also a rule that I've often assumed was there based on the writing, but it's nice to get official confirmation of it.

None of this is to absolve the writers of blame nor is it to say that everything is their fault. The point here is that Miraculous' problems are a complex mess of everyone trying to make a good final product without being on the same page with what that final product should look like, resulting in a show that will never live up to the full potential of what anyone wanted for it.

[room-surprise]

PSA: There are no Dungeons in Dungeon Meshi! They're labyrinths!

(WARNING FOR MANGA SPOILERS)

When the characters in the manga talk about dungeons, in Japanese they are actually using the word 迷宮 (meikyū) which means labyrinth. The connotation based on the kanji used is a palace or castle with many confusing rooms. The word “dungeon” (ダンジョン, danjon) is only every used in the manga’s title, when the narrator of the manga is referring to the title ("ahh Dungeon Meshi!"), or when Kui discusses dungoniums (ダンジョニウム/Danjoniumu) which she describes in the world guide as miniature dungeons, built to emulate a labyrinth.

The English loan word “dungeon” is most likely intended to catch Japanese reader’s eyes because it is foreign and exotic, and lead them into a false sense of security because of the Japanese pop culture perception of “dungeon” as a relatively harmless place where characters have formulaic adventures and gather resources as part of a game, or a game-like story.

“Dungeons” in Japanese pop culture can be sinister, but they have come to mean something as innocuous as “level” or “environment.” The early story of Dungeon Meshi is lighthearted and full of comedy, which reinforces this idea and leads readers to believe that the labyrinth in the story is just a generic backdrop with little inherent importance, like it is in many fantasy stories. However, Kui repeatedly suggests the labyrinth is not benign, that it is itself a monster and that anyone foolish enough to go into it is at risk of becoming food, and being devoured.

Before the word dungeon came to generically mean “place to exploit for resources” in fantasy fiction and gaming, its primary meaning was prison. So then the title “Dungeon Meshi” actually means “prison meal.” But who or what does the prison in Dungeon Meshi contain? Of all the people in the dungeon, who are the prisoners? And what does a “prison meal” really mean? A meal eaten by prisoners? A meal cooked by prisoners? A meal cooked using prisoners as ingredients? All of these meanings are implied and hinted at in the manga.

The characters in the story call the dungeon a labyrinth, which is a word that means a maze-like prison, specifically one that traps innocent young people and a man-eating monster inside. Both the monster and its food, the people, are prisoners… But which of them will die and be eaten? Who will escape the labyrinth in the end, and what will it cost them?

You’ll have to read Dungeon Meshi to find out!

======================

But so, you may ask, Mushroom, aside from all that stuff you just said, why does the dungeon/labyrinth distinction matter?

ARIADNE SPIDERS

(Using the cute version here to protect anyone with arachnophobia)

These are giant spiders that the elves use to produce silk, which they use to make the armor the Canaries wear. Though we don’t know for sure, it’s likely the spiders are domesticated in order to make farming their silk easier.

Ariadne is the name of an Ancient Greek mythological character, and may be derived from the Ancient Cretan dialectical elements ari (ἀρι-) "most" (which is an intensive prefix) and adnós (ἀδνός) "holy", but the exact origins of the name are unknown. It may be pre-Greek and not from the Indo-European language family at all.

Ariadne was a princess of Crete that helped the hero Thesus escape from the maze/dungeon that contained the minotaur by giving Theseus a ball of magic thread. 

The spiders in the manga have a pattern on their backs that looks like a maze, and their silk thread is the thing that protects the Canaries while they’re in the dungeon, and allows them to make it back out alive. The elves may consider the spiders “most holy” because they provide the means for them to protect themselves in battle.

Having the elves use a giant spider as a type of livestock might also be a playful reference to the drow (dark elves) of Dungeons & Dragons, since they worship a spider goddess, and Kui’s elves probably don’t worship the spiders if they’re using them as livestock… Though it’s also possible that they have a reverence for the spiders similar to the way cows are worshiped in parts of India, since some of elven culture appears to be based on South Asia!

THE CANARIES ARE BEING SACRIFICED TO THE DUNGEONS

Minos, Ariadne’s father, prayed to the God Poseidon to help him defeat his brothers and become king. He was sent a snow-white bull as a sign of the God’s favor. Minos was supposed to sacrifice the bull to Posiedon to show his gratitude, but because it was so beautiful Minos kept it, and sacrificed a different, inferior bull instead. 

To punish Minos, Poseidon made Mino’s wife fall in love with the bull, which resulted in her mating with it and giving birth to a half-man, half-bull monster, a minotaur that could only survive by eating human flesh. King Minos constructed a labyrinth to hide the proof of his family’s shame and keep the minotaur trapped inside it.

In order to avoid war with King Minos, the people of Athens made a bargain, and every few years they sent 14 youths from their noble families to Minos as a sacrifice. These young men and women were sent into the labyrinth, where they became lost and trapped, and were eventually eaten by the minotaur. This continued until Ariadne fell in love with one of the Athenian youths, Theseus, and gave him a ball of magic thread which allowed him to kill the minotaur and escape the labyrinth.

There’s many ways this tale parallels the story of Dungeon Meshi. The ancients used the demon to accomplish their goals, and eventually their use of the demon’s power and their failure to control it led to them having to imprison the demon in a maze, and conceal its existence from the rest of the world. Now the elves, the descendants of the ancients, regularly “sacrifice” some of the children of their noble families to the dungeon, in an attempt to keep the demon from breaking free and destroying the world…

(This is an excerpt from my Dungeon Meshi essay.)

[a-hermit-pining]

Geto as a House Husband

Genre: Fluff Pairing: House husband Geto x Reader AN: I love him. He's so damn pretty. Who should I write next?

Have you seen him? He is mother material. Born to cook forced to slay. Let's say in a different world, you whisk this beautiful man into the domestic bliss of marriage.

Massive cottage core vibes with this one. He is very taken by the idea of not being regarded as a killing machine. Immediately busies himself with the task of decorating your shared home.

Just take this man away. Elope to mountains and save him (hermit begs you).

Wedding planning is another demon. He debates every single decision. Asking you about your preference between white gardenias or white peonies. (You love him and he is too sweet for you to say out loud that you for the end of the world cannot distinguish the flowers)

He creates elaborate flowcharts to compare the pros and cons of different cake flavors, or insists on stress-testing the honeymoon resort's structural integrity with a cursed technique (much to the staff's bewilderment).

Let's not even get into Gojo's best man speech. No one really recovered from that.

DIY projects are his shit. Renovating a raggedy old dresser into a vintage masterpiece is where his magic lies. Let this man cook.

Your home with him is a a whimsical blend of vintage finds and hand-stitched throw pillows adorned with subtle wards against lingering curses. Even the strategically placed spider plants weren't just decorative – they doubled as a natural barrier against negative energy (a discovery that both surprised and amused you).

His transition into a normal 'monkey' life was endearingly awkward, like the time he spent hours meticulously decoupaging a floral pattern onto a chair, muttering about the inefficiency of glue compared to a simple binding spell.

And the day Suguru is introduced to the world of crocheting, your world flips on its axis. The pure look of joy on his face unravels the seams of your heart as he presents you with the mood changing octopus on your birthday.

Weekends with him are craft days. With a classic rom-com in the background as he sits next to you, his hands busy in the dance of needles and yarn. Better even your fingers run through his hair, braiding his hair only to wake up to your husband with perfect mermaid waves next day.

You both are the kind of sickly sweet couple that cause Shoko to gag in cringe during holiday gatherings.

Your husband glows with the simplicity of life. His hands busy themselves with crafts, chores, gardening, never a moment of rest even in the hull of domesticity.

He is your Disney princess that rushes out to refill the bird feeder with the first rays of Sun, hums pleasantly at the sight of a perfectly baked batch of cookies, or paints the most delightful sceneries on your ceilings.

Geto Suguru was made to create. He loves the fresh scent of sheets, experimenting with new flavors of tea, or going down the path of BookTok with Faerie romances much to your astonishment.

It isn't long before, you both end up adopting teeny tiny twins from the local orphanage. Suguru's darling girls he spends his life nurturing.

He took to fatherhood with the same surprising zeal he brought to everything else. His days were filled with braiding tiny pigtails, reading bedtime stories with dramatic voice inflections (complete with a surprisingly convincing rendition of a grumpy troll), and building elaborate pillow forts that rivaled any jujutsu barrier.

And on nights when dreams of a different reality kept him away, you held his hand in yours. Calling your girls for a family sleepover in the living room. That was all it took to whisk the sadness away from your beloved's eyes.

[ledesaid]

Thank you for your purchase...▼±▼

The Grand Market of the Magical Community is the place with the most folklore, culture, and ancestral language gathered in one space.

It is beautiful, but expensive.

Extremely expensive for many of the creatures that walked by Billy.

And even more expensive for a homeless child.

But no one knows Billy Batson and his thousand ways to make money with small jobs. Only you and Freddy knew.

"Are you done picking up the silk yet?"

"Yes!" Billy handed over a white ball.

Moon spider silk was a highly prized commodity among Trolls and Dryads. It was usually sold by these small creatures with large glowing eyes. Captain Marvel didn't know exactly which creatures they were, due to the long cloaks that protected them from prying eyes and malicious spells.

But make no mistake, the apprentice wizard's target was not in this area of the market.

"That'll do, human whelp. Take your payment."

Twenty grams of mermaid scales.

"That's too much!"

Billy wasn't sure about conversions and the value of magic currency, but twenty grams was too much for just picking up silk.

"Don't get excited over trifles, pup of man," said the creature. "Our Lady has requested your presence in her tent."

Billy hoped he had done nothing wrong; these creatures were kind to him for his good work and asked him no questions.

Billy already knew her; her tent gave off that mystical air and she was no slouch. But she was never unfair in her commercial bartering, which didn't solve Billy's doubts about overpayment.

"We like you, pup of man."

She differed from the others only by her booming voice and at this moment by the box, oak carved with runes, in her hands which she held out to him.

"It's an honor," said Billy, a little hesitantly, as he received the box.

"I've got a special cloak, it's better than the one you're wearing now, pup of man. It will only cost you ten grams, it's a good deal for my employees."

Billy couldn't help but look at his own cape; he had found it in the Rock of Eternity... surely at some point it was worn by one of the previous champions. But, as the current champion and human of the twenty-first century, he knew that, as with technology, magic evolved.

He was practically getting it for free, for the extra payment, and he couldn't help but take it; he didn't want to disparage his employer. It wasn't like him.

"I'll put it on, thank you, Chief Erret."

"No big deal, thanks for protecting us, champion. After all, you have to watch out for watchful eyes like mine."

Needless to say, Billy bolted from the scene, but now he has a favorite cape.

[theoneeyedgoldenwolf]

Brothers not bound by blood

Whumptober 2024, number 13: Team As A Family

Inspiration:

Summary: One small question while fixing the Captain’s hair after a prank he had done leaves Time hurt. The answer he had sought for years wasn’t what he had waited for. 

CW: Pranking, hurt feelings, cursing, literally stabbed to back, magic blockers, poisoning, arrows into bad guys, Wolfie attacking and mauling a bad guy, the Chain attacking and taking down the bad guys, near death situation, short bit of afterlife

Notion: - Time’s hair is much longer than in the comic for braiding reasons! =P Especially the hair at the back of his head since the bangs are perfect already. ;) - *facepalms* This didn’t feel whumpy enough and so I went and got Time literally stabbed to back. -.-‘ - Also, when the Chain was commenting on Time’s purring, I didn’t mean Legend to be the last one to talk. Sorry, Ledge, for the words I put you to say! XD So, this is one of my ideas how the Chain can stay together. =) I got two more ideas but those might take quite a while before getting written.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The day had been going well. Time had declined from the offers of practice while claiming that he wasn’t as fast as the others and laughing things off while claiming he just was too old. But, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t supervise things as Warriors had taken his place and put the boys through their moves.

The Chain had gathered together for meal and the Chain’s leader finally had a chance to talk with his older brother. Yet, as he approached the high ranked soldier, he couldn’t help but feel entirely mischievous. This whole situation reminded him of the past he had had with the other Link.

“Captain.” Time called while coming over. The younger male, whom over twenty years ago had been older than him by a decade or so, turned around to face him.

“Yeah?” Warriors called before bit gasping as the one eyed male placed his hand onto his hair. Yet, he couldn’t help but enjoy of the situation and how things had, in a way, changed between him and his brother.

“Thank you for training with the younger Heroes today.” Time told while honestly meaning his words.

The war hero grinned and chuckled. “I was glad to give these youths some guidance.” He replied warmly. It was always nice when the others actually listened and learned from each other. They all had lot of experience and knowledge when it came to fighting with different weapons but it all was different from each other. That made it unique and allowed new attacks and moves that the others had never even thought about.

Suddenly Time pulled off while looking disgusted. “Eugh…” He almost whined while trying to calm down.

Warriors freaked out entirely by that. “WHAT?!” He screamed out while grabbing his hair. “WHAT IS IT?!” He nearly screamed while already starting to go through his hair. That, along with his looks, his armor and, most of all, his scarf were always in tiptop condition. If SOMETHING was messing things up, he would NOT accept such!

“I’m serious, Old Man. WHAT IS IT?!” The Captain demanded while messing up his hair while trying to figure the situation out. “A spider?!” He queried in near panic before something far more horrifying struck his mind. “DID A KEESE POOP IN MY HAIR?!” He shrieked in disgust and terror.

Time tried to wave his hand in dismissing way. “No…. It’s nothing. I overreacted.” He claimed but his older brother didn’t see the mischievous and victorious grin on his face. He was chuckling almost evilly as he headed back to the camp.

Hyrule had the bad luck of having just come back from gathering some healing herbs from close by. He hadn’t seen his oldest brother’s look as Warriors already dashed to him and started to shake him. “RULIE! WHAT’S IN MY HAIR?! TELL ME!!!” The war Hero panicked while barely even giving the youngster a chance to check the situation.

The half-fairy’s reassurances weren’t enough to calm the Captain down. Time watched with a grin as his older brother went from one Link to another. Few, such as Sky and Twilight, actually checked his hair and tried to assure him of there being nothing out of ordinary. Others took the chance to mess with him and claimed all kinds of things. Especially Legend seemed to enjoy of the moment.

The Chain’s leader was actually bit surprised that Warriors didn’t realize the similarities between this situation and the dozens during the war. The one eyed male had been one hell of a gremlin back then as a ten year old kid. He had pulled this trick on him so many times that it was almost worryingly odd that the high ranked soldier hadn’t already realized to pick up on the telltale signs of the prank.

After the meal the war Hero was still wary of his hair and desperately trying to check it. The rest of the Chain had already settled for the evening and gotten off of their gears. Time just couldn’t take it anymore so he moved over to his older brother. “Sit down to the ground, Wars.” He half commanded and the Captain followed the request.

The one eyed male sat down onto the log behind the younger male and started to go through his hair. “I fooled you, you know.” He told and grinned a bit when the man below him went rigid. “Just like so many times during the war.” He continued and chuckled when Warriors whined and slumped. “There’s nothing wrong with your hair. And I’m already fixing the knots and whatnot you’ve created.”

The Captain huffed but he closed his eyes and just enjoyed of the situation. “No braids, little brother. You owe me that much at least.” He commented while knowing how eager Sprite had been to do such little things.

Time rolled his eye and shook his head. “Still don’t understand what you have against braids.” He playfully grumbled while working with harder knot with delicate and gentle actions.

“I’d rather not answer that one.” Warriors replied but he could notice that the others were curious for the answer too. The Chain’s leader didn’t pay attention into the curiosity of the others, especially of Hyrule, Wind and Wild.

“Hmm… Maybe I should do a braid just because of that answer.” The Old Man mused with a mischievous grin. He began to tug on the hair a bit while entirely faking like doing a braid in there.

“Please, don’t.” The war Hero begged while hiding his face into his hands.

“Oh, I know a better one.” The oldest Link nearly smirked. “How about I start to tickle you? I know all the places where I can turn you into giggling breathless mess.”

“Sprite!” The Captain exclaimed while feeling like wanting to pull away from the place. Yet, he needed someone to get his hair fixed. He ended up whining as Time laughed behind him.

“You either answer the question after all these years or I’ll pick one of the two ideas of mine.” The one eyed male told calmly while still working with the fixations.

“You don’t want to hear the answer.” Warriors warned bit sharply.

“I think I deserve the answer after all these years.” Time replied while wondering what could be such an answer that the other one didn’t want to give out.

“It’ll hurt and I don’t want to hurt you or anyone else.” The war Hero told bit unwillingly. He gulped as the hands in his hair stilled for a moment as his little brother thought the answer through.

“Just tell. I’m sure we’re all old enough to understand it’s just one opinion.” The Chain’s leader commented. Still, he couldn’t help but feel bit of dread about the situation. Yet, it had already gone too far to back away anymore.

Warriors debated for a moment longer before sighing heavily and slumping with his ears drooping. “It’s girly.” He finally whispered. He nearly flinched as the hands in his hair stopped moving again. He could easily feel the shock around the camp by his words.

Time gulped thickly while trying not to let the words hit him. “Well…” He started with strained voice before bit shrugging. He was fighting to stay calm and forced his bit shaking hands to continue to fix the Captain’s hair. “T-that’s just one opinion.” He continued and inwardly cursed at the slight tremble in his voice. “I like the braids. It reminds me of home and fairies. They’re affectionate beings and do braids all the time. Hyrule’s half-fairy so doing braids is kinda like in his blood. Wild likes them for their uniqueness and different way of keeping his long hair off the way. Wind’s curious and just wanting to learn new things.” He explained as carefully as he could while knowing he wasn’t in one piece anymore.

“Anyway, your hair’s fixed.” The Old Man stated out firmly while standing up. He patted his older brother’s shoulder. “I’ll head off to bed. Wake me up for the second shift, thanks.” He told while avoiding eye contact and heading off to his things.

“Sprite…” Warriors called while not really knowing what to say. “I… I’m sorry.” He half shouted after him but all he got was a dismissive wave of a hand. He looked around in near distraught. “Guys… I… I’m sorry….” He whispered without really knowing what else to say as he knew Time hadn’t been the only one he had hurt.

The war Hero glanced once at the bedrolls and almost flinched at the fact of Time having his back towards them and he could hazard a guess of him having curled up too. He wasn’t shaking but the Captain was certain he was crying. This wasn’t the first time he had caused this kind of hurt to his brother. The first time had been in the war when he had claimed to Sprite that Hylians don’t purr. That hurt and shock in the kids eyes had killed him but he couldn’t fix it back then and now he had hurt his little brother all over again.

The Captain gulped a bit as he noticed the glares the others were giving him. Twilight was trying to calm Wild down while whispering reassuring words. Wind was in Sky’s arms and Hyrule was being consoled by Legend and Four. The roughest glares came from the Veteran and Ranch Hand. The Chosen Hero just was disappointed and sorrowful. The Smithy was trying to figure the situation through and kept his gaze off of him.

“I’ll take the first shift.” Warriors whispered while keeping his gaze in the fire.

“Might not be a good idea. I doubt Time wants you to wake him up.” Twilight nearly snarled the words out.

“I’m taking the first shift. I have no intentions of waking Time up for any of the shifts.” The war Hero sated out as firmly as he could. “I need to think. I need to find a way to apologize to him and to each of you.” He told much softer. “I did warn but I didn’t mean this kind of hurt.”

“He’s going to be mad for not being awakened for his shift.” Four commented calmly. He wasn’t among those whom had taken the words roughly but he sure as hell didn’t like others hurting his brothers no matter whom they were.

“I can deal with the gremlin but not with the hurt.” The Captain replied bit roughly before already apologizing. He sighed heavily and slumped. “He can be mad at me all he wants but I want to fix this. I can’t take it when I see him or any of your hurt. I just…” He explained before trailing off with a heavy sigh.

 “Why do you think braids are girly?” Sky queried while trying to get into the bottom of things instead of letting the situation harm everyone any of worse.

Warriors shrugged. “Everyone whom I’ve ever seen having braids during the war and after it were all women. Sprite had those but he was a kid and surrounded by the fairies. I didn’t think much about that.” He answered as calmly as he could.

The Chain nodded and Sky was ready to go even deeper into the conversation before Hyrule took the chance. His voice was quiet and he kept his gaze on the ground. “The braids aren’t just for girls. Not with fairies. Some braids mean leadership. Some stand for specific title and status. Each fairy has their own signature braid to tell them apart from the others. It’s a sign that this person was helped by them specifically. That they were there first. It’s a sign of gratitude and caring. It’s a mark of family in a way of saying I give you my braid and you give yours so we’re together now. The braids mean the world to fairies.”

That explanation left the whole Chain silent around him. It took a while before Sky spoke softly with a small fond smile. “Braids are fun to do. Sun loves them and I’m always trying to find new ways to make them unique.”

“The flowers that are used have meaning.” Wild whispered quietly while leaning against Twilight and keeping his gaze off of everyone. “Sometimes it’s easier to speak through the flowers than to say the words out loud. And it means a lot when Time and Hyrule add them into my hair. They tell what they think of me without words. It means the world to me when they don’t say what flowers are used and I get to see them by taking a pic of the braid. It gives so much.”

“It’s a soothing action when I’m having a nightmare.” Wind told bit uncertainly and playing with the rim of his tunic. “Aryll does those little braids whenever she notices that I’m sleeping restlessly. It works the other way around too.”

Unknown to the Chain, their leader was listening to them talk. It felt bit nice to hear the others try to explain things and fix the situation. Still, it had been his older brother whom had called the braids girly. He took that much more to heart than if it would’ve come from someone unknown. The braids had been part of his life for as long as he could remember. The fairies did them already the day he had had hair to braid. He liked the feeling. He liked the memory of those flyers. He didn’t really have a braid of his own but three fairies had already claimed him as theirs. Navi, Tatl and Proxi. It was family and home. And now….

Time carefully shifted and tried to dry the tears. It was like when Wars had told that Hylians didn’t purr. That only cats did that sound and but people didn’t. They weren’t animals. He had learned it from the fairies. They purred whenever they really were happy and at peace. Showing that they were enjoying of the actions and words. And then, it all was shattered. Just telling it was wrong. That it wasn’t supposed to be done or received. It was like saying he didn’t belong with the fairies whom called him as their brother not bound by blood. He couldn’t even anymore think that he could ask for Hyrule’s signature braid to be claimed by the fourth fairy in his life. He had always had a fairy for a bigger quest and on this one it was the Traveler. Now, he felt like had just been robbed of that right.

The one eyed male simply hid his face as the Chain finally headed off to bed and left Warriors to the first shift. He didn’t know what to do and even less what to say. So all he could do was to lay there and try to figure it out. Without him realizing it, he fell asleep at some point of the night.

The Old Man stirred into quiet talking. He tried to catch the words but the whispers were too silent for him to hear. He bit shrugged and just shifted before falling back asleep as it clearly wasn’t anything of bad and he still recognized the voices belonging to his boys. Yet, it still confused him a bit why Warriors was talking with Hyrule out of all of them after last night’s situation.

When the Chain’s leader woke up next time, the voices were louder. It still took a moment for his sleepy mind to catch the words and figure out whom was talking which line. Yet, he frowned when he realized that the topic of braids was still going. He yawned and forced himself up from bedroll. He scowled the moment he realized that everyone else was up already.

Time sighed heavily before facing the campfire and going over to the others. When his gaze fell into the war Hero, he stopped dead on his tracks. After moment of shock, he felt a grin tuck on his lips before letting it on. “So, am I asleep or am I really seeing the Mr. Braids-Are-Girly actually having braids in his hair? And a fancy ones too.” He queried while very much being ready to NOT let his older brother live this down anytime soon.

The Captain blushed brightly while feeling entirely nervous. He shrugged a bit while wanting to disappear right then and there. The others were waiting for the situation to unfold as they had already cleared things off.

The war Hero had woken Hyrule up couple of hours earlier. They had talked about braids and what they meant to the fairies. Much to the half-fairy’s shock, Warriors had eventually asked for one that would stand for a Captain and one for the meaning of a Hero. The Traveler had needed bit of coaxing and assuring before he created them along, with his brother’s acceptance, one that meant for older brother.

The others had been woken up about an hour later by Hyrule out of Warriors’ request. This was what he could do to show he hadn’t meant of anything bad. That he had just needed answers and explanations to why the braids weren’t just what girls did. He had never thought about the reasons or meanings of those creations. But, having seen the hurt his words had caused and the answers from his brothers, he was ready to give the braids a chance.

And right now Warriors had a braid that rounded his head. At his neck, starting off from the braid-crown at the middle of the back of his head, was another braid. On the sides of his face, in front of his ears, were braids too. In each of the braids was one single flower, a cherry blossom, except for the crown-braid which had four in it. That meant for seven flowers in total.

“The flower stands for warrior.” Wind piped in and Time nodded while still grinning.

“I’m aware but thanks.” The one eyed male replied before walking over to his older brother. At there he began to investigate the very ornamental braids.

“Hyrule did them.” Warriors whispered while bit fearing of how things would go down from here. “The crown with a tail stands for captain. The left side’s one stands for a Hero and the right side’s for a brother.” He explained while feeling like slumping beneath the checking his little brother was doing. “I…. I-I kinda asked for them. Hyrule had said fairies got braids for everything so….” He trailed off and bit shrugged.

The Chain’s leader stayed silent while listening before frowning. “Since you already got three, may I do a fourth one?” He inquired while already taking hold of the hair on middle of his brother’s forehead.

The Captain would’ve rather nodded but he couldn’t really dare to move as the one eyed male was already working without waiting for his answer. “S-sure…” He mumbled while not having any of idea what kind of braid it would be. At least Hyrule had described things and explained it all.

“There.” Time finally told and pulled off with a slight grin. Warriors feared for there to be a knot instead of a braid but at least no-one was laughing or trying to suppress such. Yet, when he glanced at the older male, he frowned. The look on his face was sorrowfully fond. “Proxi’s braid.” The Old Man explained quietly. “You were claimed by her before me.” He reminded gently.

“You… You remember her braid?” The Captain queried bit startled.

Time sighed and shrugged. “She taught it to me since I don’t have a braid of my own.” He answered bit tentatively.

“If a fairy teaches their braid to someone, that means for absolute family.” Hyrule told with slight shock. “You’re her brother through and through by that.” The war Hero was more shocked of the information than what his little brother was.

The one eyed male blushed a bit while smiling bit shyly. “I… I-I guess that goes with Navi and Tatl then too.” He whispered quietly, almost mouthed the words. He gulped once and pulled away from the war Hero before turning his gaze into the dying flames of the campfire. He needed to stay in one piece and not break down. He was their leader after all!

“May I teach you my braid?” The Traveler whispered and bit startled the Old Man as he hadn’t realized the half-fairy having come over.

Time felt uncertain, even fearful. He opened his mouth and shut it few times while trying to figure out what to do. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to at least nod but his older brother’s words of braids being girly were going around his head. He felt like he didn’t have the rights to accept even though Hyrule was offering to claim him as his brother.

“Go for it, Sprite.” Warriors whispered and startled the Chain’s leader quite thoroughly. “Family means the world. And I know what the fairies mean to you. What the eight of us mean to you.” He told bit sorrowfully. “I’m sorry, little brother. I should’ve rather talked about this instead of just claiming stuff.”

The oldest Link hesitated for a moment before he hugged the younger male tightly. After that he pulled off, took a deep breath and faced the half-fairy. “If you truly wish to claim me as your brother, then I accept.” He spoke in Fairy Language before bowing his head and closing his eye.

Hyrule smiled fondly and leaned his forehead against Time’s. “Brother. Now, before and forever.” He whispered before pulling off and beginning to braid the left side’s bangs while, in Fairy Language, explaining how the braid was done. After that he made another braid to right side with the meaning of a brother.

“You are ambidextrous but you prefer left so that is why my braid is on that side. You protect your family with your left side. They say heart is on right and hence I place brotherhood into there to be part of your life forever.” The Traveler explained in Hylian so that the others would understand the reasons for specific sides chosen.

“I wish I could return the favor. I really wish I had a braid of my own.” The one eyed male whispered bit sorrowfully. “For this reasons all I can give is the mark of brotherhood for both sides.” He continued before braiding the half-fairy’s hair. He knew he should’ve talked in Fairy Language but he wanted the others to know that he was claiming Hyrule as Hyrule had claimed him.

The half-fairy closed his eyes and bowed his head a bit while fully accepting the braids. Once the Old Man was done, Hyrule glomped him on that second. Time returned the hold while finally relaxing. He was family of four fairies now.

When they pulled off, Hyrule went to do a braid for Wild while the Champion worked with the breakfast. Wind dashed over to Time and eagerly requested for a braid or few. The oldest brother of the nine Links created the braids for brother and Hero. After that, one by one, the others came over too and asked for their hair to be braided.

Warriors watched the situation unfold and slowly calmed down. He couldn’t deny that the braids looked really amazing. They were elaborate and loving. And they had lot of meaning. That was what finally started to get him to accept the braids as something more than what girls did just because. And suddenly he realized something which got him to snap his gaze into the half-fairy.

“Hyrule, what’s the braids for a General and a Princess?” The war Hero queried with a slight frown. As the Traveler explained the unique braids, the Captain could easily recall the similarity in the braids Impa and Zelda had worn during the war.

After the meal the whole Chain was getting ready to head forward. Time approached Warriors and made sure the others wouldn’t listen in. “Wars.” He called carefully and the Captain turned around. “I know we should get to the town and restock but if you’re not yet ready to go around the public with braids, we can head different way. We can create arrows of our own and Twilight can hut with Wild. It’s nothing we haven’t done before.”

The war Hero was bit startled of the reminder but he thought for a while before shaking his head. “Nah. I’ll manage.” He answered and smiled reassuringly. “These braids mark me. Captain. Hero. Brother. I am all of those and claimed by one of the fairies as part of their family.” He continued surprisingly confidently before gently forcing Time to lower his head to lean their foreheads together. “I’m sorry, little brother, for having hurt you.” He apologized before bit grinning. “Oh, and please, do purr when you feel like it. Heard someone claim such heals. I’m sorry about having been such an idiot back then.”

The Chain’s leader was fully taken off guard but he sighed in relief and relaxed. “Thank you.” He whispered quietly before pulling off. “If you’re sure of this, then we should head forward so we can actually do some restocking today already.”

“I’m sure.” Warriors replied firmly and his little brother nodded once before going off to finish getting ready. He couldn’t deny of being bit worried but the braids were him. They told his rank, title and family. They told everything without needing to wear any markings such as the armor or scarf. And they were quite unchanged throughout the eras too.

The Chain arrived to the town, by Time’s accurate knowledge, at sixteen minutes over one. It was still lunch time but no-one was up for eating as Wild’s breakfasts were usually such amazing ones to keep one going well through the day if needed. The Champion did offer to handle meal but the others were more willing to get the restocking done and get to laze off for some hours before evening meal.

The Old Man stayed by his older brother while sharing off who searched out what. He had already noticed the attention they all had gained so far. It was why he had Wild with Twilight and Sky just to make sure he got the needed support if someone decided to be an idiot about the braids. Hyrule was with Legend while Wind left with Four.

“How are you so far?” The one eyed male queried before letting his older brother leave the Inn they were going to stay for a while.

“I’m used to the attention.” Warriors replied before tad shrinking under Time’s gaze.

“Not what I asked.” The one eyed male sated out bit warningly.

The Captain sighed and shrugged. “Still getting used to the braids but they’re telling who I am.” He told before bit slumping against the wall behind him. “But, that’s not what people see. They see the braids but they don’t see their meanings.”

“Do you want the braids off? Hyrule won’t mind. He would understand it.” Time offered bit sorrowfully but his brother shook his head. “You sure? You’re getting quite a lot of notion. And if they don’t understand the meaning of them, you’ll be getting the wrong kind of attention.” He warned while not wanting to put the war Hero into bad place.

“Army will understand. Commoners don’t.” Warriors replied firmly while standing up straight. “I’m a Captain and a Hero. I know who I am.” He stated out and nodded firmly to show he was ready to face the world.

The older male nodded back and took a deep breath before following the high ranked knight out of the Inn. He stayed by him but slight bit behind just to let him deal with things without him interfering unless needed. Most just watched and were very plainly curious while his brother just either ignored the stares or gave a grin and possibly a wink as thanks for the attention. Some acknowledge his rank and saluted while alarming others of his presence too. The war Hero replied into the actions accordingly.

And then there were the people whom either entirely ignored the signs and clear telltale marks of who they had in their notion or weren’t aware of them. The Chain’s leader hated the looks the fools threw at his brother and he was ready to strangle them for it. Warriors ignored most of them but he could see it affecting him. Eventually, when one of those fools came too close and clearly had wrong ideas in his head, the one eyed male couldn’t take it anymore.

Time growled and slammed his arm diagonally on full length into guy’s torso while striking the guy’s back roughly against the wall behind the man. “Show some respect, you bastard. You are in the presence of the man whom is both the Hero of Hyrule and the Captain of Hyrule’s army.” He snarled while glaring on full force at the man.

The said Captain of Hyrule’s army was taken fully off guard by his brother’s actions and words. He stared bit startled at the scene before calming down. He was entirely grateful of the protection the older male gave him but he also felt bit bad that he had been forced into this situation.

“Are you just fucking oblivious or entirely stupid for NOT recognizing the markings claiming him high ranked?” The one eyed male continued with almost cruel voice. “Everyone knows how fairies do their braids and mark those they care and respect. You have NO rights to your actions.”

The man in the Chain’s leader’s hold flinched and slumped. He muttered some kind of apology. “Brother.” The war Hero called before his little brother could go further with his words. “He already got it. You can let him go.” He told as calmly as he could. Time growled and pulled off but his glare didn’t lessen. “You’re lucky he’s lenient today. He could’ve easily crushed you.” Warriors told with a slight grin before turning his gaze into the taller male. “Come on, Sprite, let’s just continue.” He half called while turning to head forward.

The Old Man huffed and tore his glare off of the guy. He blinked once slowly and let himself calm down as he followed the Captain. Yet, before he got more than two steps forward, he felt dread lodge into him. The movement had been too fast for him to react before the hand was over his mouth to silence the loudest part of his scream as a knife was struck into his back.

Warriors jerked and turned around in a flash. “SPRITE!” He screamed out as he saw the guy they had just encountered to be right behind his little brother with hand over the one eyed male’s mouth. Time gave out a pained gasp as the knife was yanked out of him and brought into sight while the guy’s hold on him shifted to lower to hold him up.

The man smirked and snapped his fingers. Right after that other men came from the close by alley and surrounded them. The Captain gasped as two of the guys took strong hold of his arms. Yet, his gaze was fixed into the oldest of the nine Heroes.

Time was gasping for air. He had closed his eye but his face was twisted in pain. He was trembling and losing fast his strength and consciousness.

“Magic blockers and poison.” The guy behind the Chain’s leader mused with a smirk. “Works beautifully together. He’s not having much of time to live anymore.” He told and his smirk only widened at Warriors’ growl and struggling. “You can either come nice and easy with us or you can watch your brother die slowly and agonizingly.”

“Oooh! I know what this means.” One of the men suddenly told while coming closer to his comrade and Time. The one eyed male whimpered when the new guy’s hand brushed at his face and took hold of the braid. “Fairy braid. Connection.” He smirked cruelly while playing with it. “If it’s broken before twenty-four hours have gone past, it’ll mean the offer was declined and it can never be renewed.” He tugged at the hair and earned a new whimper from his victim. He licked at his lips with a sadistic look on his face. “How about I break this, hmm?”

“N-no…. P-please….. D-don’t….” Time whimpered while forcing his eye open. The look he gave was a pathetic plea compared to the cruel glare he had only moments ago given. “P-please… I-I’m begging of you….” He nearly prayed as the guy tugged at the braid again. He flinched as the guy laughed when he noticed him crying.

The war Hero was growling loudly and desperately fighting against the hold. “LEAVE HIM ALONE!” He screamed while hating the sight of his brother whimpering. The poison clearly had rendered him unable to fight back. The magic blockers wouldn’t prevent him from struggling or giving a death-glare to these bastards so it had to be the poison. And that freaked the crap out of Warriors as he realized how quickly and strongly it was affecting.

Suddenly the guy toying with the oldest Link’s braid screamed in pain. That one eye snapped open and took in the situation of the man having an arrow in his hand. He recognized it swiftly even though the short lived shock was already moving aside and the poison’s cruel work came back.

Soon two more screams were heard and the Captain dashed forward as he was freed. He glared on full force at the guy behind his little brother and punched the bad guy cruelly into face. He swiftly caught the Old Man and lowered them both down to the ground. If Wild was there with his archery skills, the others weren’t far.

And, just like on cue, the massive wolf dashed into the scene and crashed into the guy whom was closest to the Chain’s leader and his second in command. The canine growled cruelly before already sinking its teeth into the bastard. The man screamed as the Sacred Beast tore him apart in rage.

The Chain quickly showed up right after Wolfie. The swords swung through the air and forced the bad guys to back off.  Sky tackled the guy whom had stabbed the one eyed male into the back. He wanted to kill the bastard but he had heard the word poison so he thought keeping the man alive was wiser idea at the moment in case they’d need information from him. Hyrule just dashed through the group and straight to Time and Warriors. He, like the others, had heard the muffled scream since they had, instead of going for restocking, followed the duo around. Sadly, they had been keeping bit too long distance just to make sure they wouldn’t be noticed and they wouldn’t overhear possible conversations. They just had been worried for Warriors going around with braids and attaching unwanted notion.

“T-the b-braid…?” Time almost slurred while looking desperately at his older brother. He was entirely terrified of the guy having done something to it.

“It’s intact.” The Captain assured while checking the braid. “Nothing to worry, little brother.” He assured as calmly as he could. “Just stay conscious, little brother. Just stay with me, Sprite.” He nearly begged while noticing the sleepiness the one eyed male was fighting against. Yet, with the reassurance about the braid, he relaxed more than he should’ve.

Hyrule was already working with his healing magic before growling in anger. “I need the knowledge of the poison! It’s blocking me out!” He shouted while trying even harder to get his magic in. He wasn’t even capable of tapping into his leader’s magic like every time before. The magic blockers didn’t stop external magics from getting inside. Those only blocked one’s own magic’s usage. The poison though….

It was enhancing the magic blockers so much that it almost got the magic to turn against its own wielder. It blocked the magic from leaving one’s body and from getting inside there. It was keeping the stab wound bleeding and unhealable. It almost paralyzed its holder and made breathing hard. It was weakening and killing the one having the poison within them. The worst thing was that it didn’t matter if one fought against it or not, it still got stronger with every passing second.

“We’re running out of time!” The Traveler nearly snarled as he watched Sky and Legend interrogate the guy whom had stabbed Time. At first each of their attempts failed but when they picked the man’s own knife up and noticed the dark purple goo on it, they threatened to stab him with it. The thought of getting poisoned with the same shit he had used got him finally to talk and tell what the poison was.

“Wild! Sky! I need you two!” The half-fairy almost commanded the moment he got the needed knowledge. The Chosen Hero was there before he even finished the sentence and the Champion jumped down from the roof before he took the Paraglider out to land safely. The moment the duo was by him, Hyrule already started to name herbs, plants and whatnot while commanding the Knight of Skyloft into getting the ingredients mixed the right way.

As the potion of sorts was on making, Time shakily raised his hand towards Warriors’ hair. The Captain swiftly took hold of his hand but the one eyed male almost fought to get it free so he loosened his hold. Slowly and weakly that hand found its way into the crown-braid. “Cap…” The Chain’s leader almost just mouthed the word out before continuing forward from there. “H-hero…” He mumbled, nearly slurred it before going for the third braid. “Bro…” He gave a weak and fond smile before softly exhaling while closing his eye. His hand fell limply down onto his chest.

“S-Sprite…?” Warriors called fearfully. “Sprite!” He half shouted while bit slapping the older male’s cheek. “SPRITE!” He screamed in near terror as he realized how quiet and unmoving his little brother was. “SPRITE! WAKE UP! DON’T DO THIS TO ME! WAKE UP!!” He screamed in terror while crying.

Before the war Hero could’ve cradled his brother into his arms, Hyrule was right back. He forced the golden colored liquid down the Chain’s leader’s throat while already initiating his magic. He nearly threw the small bowl out of his hold before slamming both of his hands down into the Old Man’s chest. The sudden arching and soundless gasp coming from the one eyed male startled everyone else except the half-fairy whom had been waiting for this reaction. Time wasn’t awake but at least he was breathing and alive.

It was hours later before Time stirred. He smiled fondly as he felt the action of someone running their fingers through his hair. Before he realized what he was doing, he already purred. Yet, nearly instantly, at the same time as the hand stilled in his hair, he stopped in shock. He hadn’t meant to do that sound. He slumped and felt entirely ashamed.

“Sprite? You awake?” Warriors called while gently resuming into his earlier action. He saw the older male gulp once before slowly opening his eye. The uncertainty and shame he saw in the gaze nearly killed his heart. Yet, he forced himself to smile fondly at his little brother. “Hey there, little brother.”

The one eyed male sighed and closed his eye while hiding his face into his hand. “Go on, you can say it. Purring is not meant for Hylians.” He half grumbled and turned to his side so his back was towards his brother.

The Captain was bit shocked of the situation but he soon grinned. He laid down and pulled the Chain’s leader into his arms. “Fine, hugging time, it is.” He stated out before getting tad startled as Time chuckled. “What?” He queried with a frown.

“Double meaning, dear big brother, double meaning.” The older male replied with a clear grin on his face. He chuckled again when the war Hero groaned.

“Just shut up and enjoy of the embrace.” Warriors playfully snapped and tightened his hold around the Old Man. Yet, he soon sighed heavily and hid his face into the other male’s hair. “I nearly lost you, Sprite.” He whispered bit fearfully while tad tightening his hold. “I freaked out so bad.” He mumbled with bit breaking voice.

Time sighed heavily in sorrow and carefully turned around in the younger male’s hold. After that he wrapped his arms around him and held tight. “I’m here, big brother.” He assured while moving to his back and pulling the Captain to his chest so he could feel and hear the heartbeat of his little brother. Yet, the moment the weight was there, the one eyed male hissed in pain and Warriors pulled off on that instant.

“You’re still healing.” The war Hero whispered sorrowfully. “The wound needs to heal on its own since the poison almost killed you. Hyrule was able to counter things and get the healing to work bit faster than normally. Still, it’ll take few days before that wound’s gone.”

Time carefully moved to his side and tried to relax. “I think I’ll just take a nap.” He mumbled while bit curling up.

“You’re allowed to have braids. And you’re allowed to purr.” Warriors told firmly while laying down in front of the one eyed male.

The Chain’s leader frowned and opened his eye. “What?” He queried bit confused.

“I’m sorry I made you feel like you didn’t have the rights for those.” The Captain whispered while gently starting to run his fingers through the golden hair of his little brother. “I was an idiot. I’m supposed to protect and defend you. Not bring you down.”

Time huffed a bit and closed his eye while trying to relax. “We’ll talk about this when I’m more coherent to understand.” He mumbled while just wanting to get off of the conversation. Warriors simply nodded even though it went unseen.

Few days later the stab wound in the one eyed male’s back was healed. The Chain still made sure they’d have a day off just to be certain that their oldest brother was to his best condition. He was just going past the living room of the Inn towards the dining room to catch something to eat when he noticed all of his boys circled around something. He frowned and tilted his head a bit in confusion before going inside. “What are you guys doing?” He called curiously.

“Braiding.” Wind almost chirped happily.

“Brai— Wait, what?” Time gave a slight startled move before moving closer to his boys. “What exactly are you braiding?” He inquired while seeing all eight as Hylians so it wasn’t Wolfie they were doing braids into. He bit thought that the boys had found broken rug and were having fun with that. Them having broken the said rug did cross his head and got him bit uncertain.

“Come and see, little brother.” Warriors called while grinning. That got their leader even more worried of the situation but he went to check on the situation. He was quite taken off guard when he saw the very beautiful and very ornamental braid made by several long pieces of different colored yarns.

“Up to you to finish it.” Hyrule told with a fond smile while the Chain moved off the way. Time stared at the creation in shock and awe. There was one piece of yarn, a golden one, still off of the creation while the braid had eight yarns already together. He half crashed, half sat down to his knees while feeling almost unwilling to touch the creation.

“According to Hyrule one can make their own braid and claim it as their mark.” Legend started calmly.

“The braids the fairies have, are slightly bit altered from their own family’s mark to make them their own.” Sky explained with a fond smile.

“We’re not fairies but we’re a family.” Four stated it out as a certain fact.

“So, we made our own braid.” Wild continued with a bit shy smile.

“Our mark. Our braid. Our family.” Twilight said firmly.

“All it anymore needs is your line, Sprite.” Warriors told fondly.

Time stared almost wide-eyed at the braid made out of yarns. He didn’t know what to say or do but he picked the last piece of yarn with bit trembling hand. He felt hesitant and uncertain while feeling like he’d be destroying something the others had created. “Go on. Make it finished.”  The Captain coaxed gently.

At first the one eyed male thought about just starting from middle where the Chain had left unconsciously an empty spot for the yarn and just wrap it around the other yarns gently and carefully. Yet he soon scratched that idea. It would ruin the creation and seem to suffocate things. So, instead, he very carefully and bit uncertainly began to slip the yarn into middle of the whole creation while having it in straight line but going up and below the other yarns to make it like the others were rounding it and claiming the straight line as part of them. For some reason it reminded him of all the times the Chain had piled on him for Hero Pile of Support and Comfort to show they were right there for him. Together and close to one another but not suffocating. Him being the protective leader but them being right by him to defend him too.

“Brothers not bound by blood.” Time whispered quietly after letting go of the golden yarn.

“I think that’s perfect name for the braid.” Hyrule commented. “The nine Heroes of Hyrule, brothers not bound by blood, a family through and through.” He mused fondly. “May we do this braid and claim you as ours?” The half-fairy queried while looking at his oldest brother with hope and love. The others were equally hopeful while clearly wanting to do this for him.

The Chain’s leader was unable to talk as he felt the lump in his throat. All he could do was to bite down to his lower lip and nod. He felt the tears in his eye so he closed it and let out a bit shuddering breath. The Chain moved behind him and each of them took hold of his hair. “Just hold the middle one straight, please.” Hyrule asked and his oldest brother did as requested.

“You okay, Sprite?” Warriors called as each of the Heroes were holding one piece of the braid while carefully, on their own times, swirled them around the others. Time was actually smiling while feeling tugging and moving his hair around to create the unique braid.

“Y-yeah…” The one eyed male half mumbled. “J-just….” He trailed off and tried to dry the tears.

“This is your braid, Time.” Hyrule said firmly and softly. “This is our braid.” He continued while making sure it all went as supposed to. “This is the braid of family.” He concluded while fully understanding how much this meant to the Chain’s leader. “You are family to four fairies and you are family to eight Heroes. With this braid, we claim you as our brother now, before and forever.” He explained and bit grinned as the seven others echoed his last line.

Time gasped in shock before already hiding his face into his hand while crying. He had never felt this loved and cared about before. Like the fairies before in his life, he now had eight brothers by the rules of the fairies. His brothers. His family. He barely was capable of talking when he whispered with slightly broken voice: “Thank you.”

“Can I get the braid next?” Warriors requested and the others nodded. Once the braid was done for the oldest brother of the nine Links, he kissed his little brother’s head. “It’s official now, Sprite. You are our brother through and through.” He told fondly.

Time turned around swiftly and pulled each of the Heroes into a tight hug. He would’ve loved to hug them all simultaneously but he wasn’t capable of that. Still, it was clear how much this action, the braid and the whole situation meant to him.

The rest of the Chain, one by one, requested for the braid too. The one whom got the braid to be done for them, held the middle one straight. The rest moved places for each other so in the end, every single one of them had held and moved each of the pieces of the braids. This further claimed the braid as theirs and made them even more of a family according to the Rules of the Fairies.

None of the nine Heroes wanted even one damage to come to the new braid so they stayed at the Inn for the day and the night. They weren’t going to allow any kind of chances that they’d decline from this offer and family. Each of the braids had been given with the words of With this braid, we claim you as our brother now, before and after. It was to show that this brotherhood would never break.

It didn’t need more than one stray fairy whom saw and heard the situation. She very quickly informed her kin of the new braid, of the new brothers and, most of all, of the new family. The moment the news reached the Great Fairies, the family of nine brothers were already, unknown to the Heroes, welcomed and blessed by the fliers. And Fierce Deity, connected to the family of nine brothers, was entirely doing all he could to expand the blessing and acceptance of the Great Fairies and their small sisters and brothers. Even though it wouldn’t come into the knowledge of the Heroes of Hyrule, this braid and the acceptance and blessing by the Great Fairies, fairies and the Fierce Deity would make it certain that they would be in contact even after they would have to leave back to their own eras.

Until then it was more often than not Warriors whom actually requested for the braid to be done for him. After him, usually, it was Time out of unconscious mutual agreement unless he specifically asked not to be next. Then, out of whom was the quickest, the rest of them half shouted off for a turn and taking numbers in a way.

Then, at one time, as the Chain had become very good at braiding their marking, the Chain’s leader purred contently while very much liking the action and, even more so, the specific braid. The others hadn’t heard him do such before so it took them off guard and they stopped the braiding. Yet, that also was when Time realized what he was doing. He jerked in shock and clamped his hands over his mouth even though it wasn’t where the sound came. He slumped with ears drooping.

“Just purr, little brother.” Warriors whispered and gently kissed the top of his leader’s head. “It’s good to see you enjoying.”

“Fairies purr. It’s natural to them.” Hyrule commented while nudging others to continue with the braid. “You were raised by them so it’s natural for you too.”

“I like to listen cats purr. Wish I knew how to do that.” Twilight told while wanting to glomp his mentor and find a way to make him purr again.

“Do that sound again! It was so comforting.” Wind nearly begged.

“Agreed. There’s something entirely enthralling and special in the sound you made.” Four told while bit frowning as he tried to figure the whole thing out.

“The Remlits purr too. It reminds of Skyloft and makes me feel safe.” Sky mused fondly while checking the line of hair he had in his hands that there weren’t any of knots or such as he waited his turn to swirl it around the braid to get it to correct place. “Since fairies purr, I now understand why their presence is so comforting and making me feel so at home when surrounded by them. I didn’t make that connection during my quest and, well, not until now.”

Legend hesitated for a while and already blushed but luckily everyone was ignoring his situation. “You make it sound so beautiful.” He mumbled and felt like wanting to disappear at the round of Aww-sounds. Yet, for his luck, no-one started to pick on him for that line. Though, the Veteran thought it was due to them wanting to make Time feel secure, happy and having full rights to do unconscious things such as purring without fearing to be ridiculed.

Hyrule took the next turn to have the braid done for him and he purred loudly and happily. Showing that there was nothing wrong with creating the sound. The others, with mixed results, tried to purr too when their hair was braided. Mostly the others tried not to laugh or giggle at the failed attempts but everything was done out of affection and made sure no harm was meant. Hugs and closeness were shared, especially from the oldest of them as he often felt bit overwhelmed and in need of gentle touches. The others were happy to provide him what he was needing. So, usually, those days were filled with leaning against one another and hugs.

When the end of the quest came as the evil was defeated and timelines were saved, the nine portals opened up to separate them. Yet, before they could even start to say their goodbyes, the area was filled with fairies whom were followed by the Great Fairies from all of their eras. Right after them, Fierce Deity came into sight with a slight startled and bit pained gasp from Time. The Chain straight off came next to their oldest brother while feeling contradicted of the situation. The God of Protection moved to the fairy kin and turned around with a fond smile.

“Hero of Time, my dear friend…” The Deity started calmly. “I have been doing my best to ensure you could keep contact to the family you have gained through this quest. Yet, I feared that I was not powerful enough while having been reduced into a mask and connected to you.”

The Great Fairies glanced at each other before one of them was chosen to be the one to speak on everyone’s behalf. “Dear Heroes of Hyrule, our brothers…” She began gently while sticking to Hylian Language for everyone to understand. “…The day you together created the Brothers not bound by blood -braid, was the day you gave us the rights to ensure nothing would break the ties you have created.”

Another Great Fairy stepped forward with a fond smile. “Hero of Wild, take your Slate and open it.” She requested and the Champion did as she asked of him. Yet, he gasped the second he noticed the new feature within his device. She nodded firmly and the fairies, in small groups, came to the Heroes.

The small fliers, with all possible colors of the world within their glow, carried smallish devices between them. “Please, accept our blessing.” Third one of the Great Fairies almost pleaded and the nine Links carefully took the small, round things into their hands. With Wild, though, the thing quickly was within the Slate.

Fierce sighed a bit and gave a sorrowful look to Time and Twilight. “I know you have thought that the name of the braid does not entirely hold true but, forgive me to stay this, it does. The two of you are not related as you believe. You are from different timelines but the end result is the same. It sadly goes crossed in your case and hence not related by blood.” He explained while making the braid’s claim entirely true between all nine Heroes.

“Guys…” Wild called while looking both entirely baffled and delighted at the same time. “These things… We can communicate through them. It’s like the Rock of Connection and my Slate. It’s like letters. It’s…..” He nearly choked on his words while looking so happy. “It’s like the portals. We can get back together whenever we wish. Call, letters, the sight of the others on a call like my Slate and Wind’s Rock of Connection and real honest portal to get back together.”

“Well, in that case…” Time started slowly before already grinning widely. “Don’t hesitate to drop in at the ranch whenever you wish. You’re all welcome to home at any time.” He promised fondly. The moment the others, besides Wild, understood the actual meaning of the small items in their hands, they already glomped Time while promising to visit often and telling that everyone was more than welcome to their eras and homes too.

The first one to make the visits to the others after that day was none other than Wild. He, with all the tech in his usage, figured the items swiftly and right after that already began to visit the others to teach them how to use the connection items. Before it even was fully realized, the Lon-Lon Ranch became more often than not the place where they all got together. Yet, even though it was used to keep contact and visit each other, it also became a way to request help and in no time the whole Chain was together to clear off whatever problem it was as it ranged from normal everyday problems and such into taking down ferocious monsters and cruel bad guys.

About a year later, during one call from Time to all of his brothers, the Chain got one hell of a surprise. Their leader was first having his back to the camera of sorts before, while grinning widely, turning around and introducing his bit over a week old baby girl. The room was filled with “Aawww!”, “Congrats!” and “What’s her name?”.

“So, when do you boys think you could come over again to meet her properly?” The one eyed male queried and the Chain, even though everyone at their own eras, glanced at each other through the shared screens.

“How about straight off?” Warriors half queried.

“Perfect. We’ll be waiting.” Time replied and grinned even wider. “My little princess needs her eight God Fathers, you know.” That almost got his brothers to faint before already scrambling into action and getting to the ranch in record time. Soon they were truly introduced to Linnea and their family had just grown by one.

When the natural end of the lives of the Heroes came, Time did not end up as the Hero’s Shade. He had had long and amazing life with his family of the Chain, Malon and their daughter. He got to see her grow into adulthood and worry for her safety with the eight brothers of his. He even lived to see his precious daughter to get married and to watch over her two kids. Not just all this, he also got to be there as the Chain found the love of their lives, got married and had kids. This was the life his counterpart in Twilight’s own timeline wouldn’t have.

As the Hero of Time met with the other Links at the afterlife, he wasn’t certain things were right for Twilight. Yet, even though the Rancher hadn’t met with the one he shared his blood with, he met with the real family he had of the Chain and the one eyed male. The Chain’s leader’s Cub was more than happy to be here than with a person he shared blood but knew nothing of. This was the family he knew and wanted to be with and, in the end, that was more than enough for Time as he had one hell of a huge family by him.

[book--brackets]

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (2001)

Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys. 

But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys - along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams (1988-1992)

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (2013-2015)

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder-would they be better off staying here forever? 

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (2004-2024)

Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant: wise-cracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater good, of course). Oh yeah. And dead.

Then there's his sidekick, Stephanie. She's… well, she's a twelve-year-old girl. With a pair like this on the case, evil had better watch out…

Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture… Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (2006)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to be pretty . . .

Aza's singing is the fairest in all the land, and the most unusual. She can throw her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She's hidden in the shadows in her parents' inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light--especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.

Trickster's Duology by Tamora Pierce (2003-2004)

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu (2015-present)

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud (2013-2017)

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce (1999-2002)

Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in Tortall—one that allows females to train for knighthood. After years in the Yamani Islands, she knows that women can be warriors, and now that she’s returned home, Kel is determined to achieve her goal. She believes she is ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page. But standing in Kel’s way is Lord Wyldon. The training master is dead set against girls becoming knights. He says she must pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. It’s just one more way to separate Kel from her fellow trainees. But she is not to be underestimated. She will fight to succeed, even when the test is unfair.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (2012-2018)

Princess Cleo of Mytica confronts violence for the first time in her life when a shocking murder sets her kingdom on a path to collapse. Once a privileged royal, Cleo must now summon the strength to survive in this new world and fight for her rightful place as Queen. 

 The King of Limeros's son, Magnus, must plan each footstep with shrewd, sharp guile if he is to earn his powerful father's trust, while his sister, Lucia, discovers a terrifying secret about her heritage that will change everything. 

 Rebellious Jonas lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. 

 Witches, if found, are put to death, and Watchers, immortal beings who take the shape of hawks to visit the human world, have been almost entirely forgotten. A vicious power struggle quickly escalates to war, and these four young people collide against each other and the rise of elementia, the magic that can topple kingdoms and crown a ruler in the same day.

[5starluvr]

Link up

Paring:Yang Jeongin × Reader

Genre:fluff,angst(just a tiny bit)

Warnings:fighting

Spider Kids

Something sweet before It gets angsty again ~

"Jeongin, you'll be partnered with Y/n," Ms. Jung declared, her voice booming across the classroom.

Jeongin's heart lurched. Y/n, the brilliant girl who seemed to exist on a different academic plane altogether? He stole a glance, catching her surprised gaze before she quickly returned to her meticulously highlighted notes.

The initial awkwardness was palpable. Summoning his courage, Jeongin mumbled a hesitant hello. Y/n offered a shy smile in return, her usual focus on academics momentarily broken. They settled on bioluminescence, a topic Y/n suggested with a shy smile. As they delved into research, a hesitant camaraderie blossomed.

———

One afternoon, hunched over laptops at the library, Jeongin blurted out, "You know, Spiderman uses bioluminescent material in his suit to blend in with the shadows."

Y/n's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I never thought about that!" A spark ignited, and for the next hour, they weren't just classmates, they were co-conspirators, weaving science and fiction into a captivating presentation.

Weeks leading to the science fair flew by in a flurry of activity. Their project evolved into a dazzling display of glowing concoctions bubbling away in beakers and informative posters that showcased bioluminescence in nature and its potential applications. But the real magic happened during their presentation. Jeongin, usually tongue-tied, spoke with newfound confidence, his enthusiasm infectious. Y/n, at his side, chimed in with insightful details, her voice brimming with a shared passion.

They didn't just win first place; they won the respect and admiration of their classmates. As they packed up their project later, a comfortable silence hung between them. "Hey," Jeongin stammered, "maybe we could hang out sometime, outside of school?"

Y/n's cheeks flushed a rosy pink. "I'd like that," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

The weight of her backpack seemed to lessen as Y/n spotted Jeongin by the school gates the following afternoon. A nervous thrill danced in her stomach, a new sensation when it came to him. This wasn't just about dissecting the science fair aftermath; it was about exploring a newfound connection.

They walked side-by-side, replaying the highlights of the day. The golden light of the setting sun painted the world in warm hues as they found a quiet corner in the park. Jeongin pulled out a notebook, causing Y/n's heart to do a little skip.

"I was thinking about our project," he began, a hint of shyness tinging his voice.

"Me too," she admitted, excitement bubbling within her. "There's so much more to explore. Perhaps other bioluminescent organisms?"

His eyes lit up, mirroring her enthusiasm. "That's a great idea! We could even try creating a prototype for… hmm, maybe a self-illuminating bike path?"

Hours melted away as they delved into a whirlwind of ideas. They sketched diagrams, debated possibilities, and bounced thoughts off each other like fireflies flitting through the gathering dusk. The science project, a forced partnership at first, had blossomed into something more – a shared passion for science that crackled with intellectual curiosity.

As the stars began to pepper the darkening sky, reality intruded. "We should probably head home," Y/n said with a reluctant sigh.

Jeongin nodded, a similar sentiment etched on his face. "But hey," he added, a playful glint in his eyes, "who says the brainstorming has to stop here?"

Y/n's heart did a little flip. "Right," she managed, a smile blooming on her face. "Your place or mine?"

"My place," he blurted out, then cleared his throat. "If that's alright with you."

The warmth in his voice sent shivers down her spine. "Perfect," she replied, a feeling far stronger than just liking blooming within her.

——

The crisp autumn air swirled fallen leaves around their ankles as Jeongin and Y/n walked home from their usual science hangout. Laughter bubbled between them as they debated about various things.

Suddenly, a guttural roar shattered the peaceful evening. A hulking figure, shrouded in shadow, emerged from a deserted alleyway. Venom, the symbiote-enhanced villain, loomed before them, his glistening black form radiating menace.

Y/n's breath hitched. Fear, icy and sharp, clawed at her throat. Jeongin's face paled, but his stance remained resolute. He knew he had to act fast.

"Y/n, stay behind me!" he commanded, his voice firm despite the tremor within.

Y/n scrambled back, her eyes wide with terror. In a single, practiced motion, Jeongin ripped off his sweatshirt, revealing the now-familiar red and blue suit clinging to his skin. A mask materialized over his face, obscuring his features.

"Venom," Spiderman's voice, distorted by the mask, rang out. "Leave her alone."

Venom chuckled, a grotesque sound that sent shivers down Y/n's spine. "Another spider to squish," he snarled, his razor-sharp teeth glinting in the streetlight.

A brutal fight ensued. Venom, fueled by a dark rage, unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp tendrils. Spiderman, nimble and agile, dodged each attack with practiced ease. He countered with precisely placed web shots, attempting to immobilize the monstrous villain.

Y/n watched in stunned silence as the boy she knew as Jeongin, the one who stammered over complex scientific theories and built glowing concoctions, battled a monstrous creature with superhuman speed and agility. A newfound respect, tinged with a sliver of fear, bloomed in her chest.

As the fight raged, Y/n noticed a shift in Venom's movements. The symbiote seemed to be struggling, its black form flickering erratically. It was then she remembered something from their recent bioluminescence research – certain frequencies of light could disrupt some bioluminescent organisms.

"Jeongin!" she yelled, a desperate plea escaping her lips. "Light! You need light!"

Spiderman, momentarily distracted, caught her frantic scream. He glanced at the traffic light above, an idea sparking in his mind. With a well-aimed web shot, he triggered a short circuit, showering the area in a chaotic flicker of red, yellow, and green.

The effect was instantaneous. Venom recoiled, the symbiote writhing in agitation. Disoriented and weakened, the villain stumbled back, a frustrated screech tearing from his throat. Seizing this opportunity, Spiderman launched a final web attack, successfully encasing Venom in a sticky cocoon.

The air crackled with an unsettling silence as the villain struggled, his black form pulsating against the white webbing. Y/n rushed to Jeongin's side, relief washing over her features.

Jeongin, panting and slightly bruised, turned to face her. The mask felt suffocating, the secret it held a heavy burden. Yet, seeing the awe and gratitude in Y/n's eyes, he knew he couldn't keep hiding.

"Y/n..." he began, his voice strained. But before he could confess his dual identity, a wave of dizziness washed over him. The exertion of the fight, coupled with the emotional strain, took its toll. He stumbled, his vision blurring.

Y/n caught him before he could fall. As he looked into her worried eyes, he knew the truth would come out anyway. With a shaky breath, he pulled off the mask, revealing his face etched with exhaustion but resolute.

Y/n stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise, then with a slow dawning realization. Recognition flickered in her gaze, followed by a hesitant smile. "Jeongin?" she breathed.

A wave of relief washed over him. He wasn't sure what he'd expected – fear, anger, even disgust. But instead, he saw acceptance, a spark of something more complex in her eyes.

"It's me," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.

A beat of silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the distant wail of approaching sirens. Then, to his utter astonishment, Y/n burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the deserted street.

"Oh my gosh, Jeongin," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "You're Spiderman!"

Jeongin stared at her, surprised by her reaction. "You're not mad?"

Y/n shook her head, her eyes sparkling with a newfound respect. "Mad? No way! That was amazing! You saved me!"

Jeongin let out a shaky breath of relief. The relief that washed over Jeongin was so profound it almost knocked him off his feet. Here he was, exposed, vulnerable, and… met with laughter and admiration?

Y/n, still wiping tears from her eyes, reached out and squeezed his hand. "Seriously, Jeongin, that was incredible! The way you moved, the strategy with the lights – you're a genius, even without a lab coat!"

A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. "Thanks, Y/n. I… I just wanted to protect you."

Her smile softened. "I know," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "And you did. You're my hero, Jeongin. Spiderman and… just Jeongin."

He couldn't help but grin, a warmth spreading through him that had nothing to do with the exertion of the fight. The secret was out, a weight lifted from his shoulders. But more importantly, a deeper connection had formed between them, forged in the crucible of danger and a shared secret.

The wail of approaching sirens grew louder. Y/n glanced down the street, her smile fading slightly. "We should probably get out of here before the police arrive,baby."

Taglist:open : @juskz @blackhairandbangs @sxnset-angel @emossssss @hanjsquokka @feelikecinderella @starlostastronaut @kpopsstuffs @lixxpix @jinnie-ret @bangchans-angel @puppyminnnie @michelle4eve @skzswife @saiko-skz @quailbagutte @briqnne @ilychee08 @dollce-exe

[dankxsinatra]

Magic the Gathering has gone on to really prove why gatekeeping is important. Half of MtG will be universes beyond. It's moving in the direction of being the funko pop of card games.

They're now doing spongebob secret lair cards and MtG's actual IP releases are being pushed back on the release schedule to make room for full release universes beyond sets. The first of which is a full bore standard legal Marvel's Spider-Man.

Fucking bullshit man.

[richincolor]

December Releases

As we prepare for our hiatus, we are gathering the releases for December all in one place for readers. Next week, we'll start posting our favorites from 2024 and then we will have a bit of a break and see you again in 2025. Here are the books we're watching for in December.

December 3

Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños by Alex Segura Disney Press

Return to Casita where we find seventeen-year-old Bruno from Disney’s hit animated film Encanto, where readers will finally learn what happened to make people never want to talk about him.

Fans will love this dark and mysterious young adult novel by Alex Segura, a NYT bestselling author who also wrote Poe Dameron: Free Fall and Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow.

Seventeen-year-old Bruno has never really fit in with his family—why can’t he be as outgoing as his sister Pepa, or as friendly as his sister Julieta? Does he like being the awkward loaner who never seems to find where he can fit in? But it’s hard to be popular when you have the power to tell the future and people don’t always like what you are telling them. So Bruno devises an act, and begins to model the behavior he feels the town wants to see in a hero.

But is being dishonest to himself and others the right path to walk down in order to make friends, or is Bruno just kidding himself as he hides from his own destiny that threatens to destroy all he holds dear?

My Fairy God Somebody by Charlene Allen HarperCollins

The way Clae’s mom tells it, her dad took off when Clae was a baby, end of story. Ever since, it’s just been the two of them, living in the coastal city of Gloucester, where Clae is one of the only few Black girls. But when Clae discovers clues about a mysterious person she calls her fairy god somebody, she’s determined to know more.

Her chance comes when she’s accepted into a summer journalism program in New York City, where her parents lived before she was born. With a couple of leads and a steel resolve, Clae leaves home for the first time to find out about her history.

New York is as full of magic as it is mystery, not to mention romance. From Brooklyn to Broadway, Clae and her new friends, Nze and Joelle, explore neighborhood haunts and hustles, discovering a family trail that someone’s tried hard to bury. So who is the fairy god somebody? And can Clae use her sleuthing skills to find out the truth?

Set against one unforgettable NYC summer, this is the story of lies that run deep and patterns that are meant to be broken. Clae, Nze, and Joelle will stick with you and remind you that every girl deserves to write her own story.

The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall Entangled Publishing, LLC (Red Tower Books)

Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.

Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.

As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.

And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.

When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede Candlewick Press

Infused with magical realism, this story blends first love and political intrigue with a quest for justice and self-determination in 1930s Haiti.

Sixteen-year-old Lucille hopes to one day open a school alongside her best friend where girls just like them can learn what it means to be Haitian: to learn from the mountains and the forests around them, to carve, to sew, to draw, and to sing the songs of the Mapou, the sacred trees that dot the island nation. But when her friend vanishes without a trace, a dream—a gift from the Mapou—tells Lucille to go to her village’s section chief, the local face of law, order, and corruption, which puts her life and her family’s at risk.

Forced to flee her home, Lucille takes a servant post with a wealthy Haitian woman from society’s elite in Port-au-Prince. Despite a warning to avoid him, she falls in love with her employer’s son. But when their relationship is found out, she must leave again—this time banished to another city to work for a visiting American writer and academic conducting fieldwork in Haiti. While Lucille’s new employer studies vodou and works on the novel that will become Their Eyes Were Watching God, Lucille risks losing everything she cares about—and any chance of seeing her best friend again—as she fights to save their lives and secure her future in this novel in verse with the racing heart of a thriller.

December 17

Spell of the Sinister (A Fairy Godmother #2) by Danielle Paige Bloomsbury

Two magical sisters. One more chance at revenge. . . .

Ever since Cinderella disappeared with Prince Mather the queendoms have been in disarray. Now with her magical power completely unchecked, Galatea intends to exact revenge on humans for using the Entente. Her plan? Send Bari off to find a new prince and take over one queendom at a time. But Bari’s mission is complicated when South joins her and sparks begin to fly . . .

Meanwhile, Farrow is on her own journey to reunite with Cinderella and Prince Mather in the first Queendom. Amid brewing conflict, Farrow grapples with her feelings for Mather, her friendship with Cinderella, and her loyalty to the Entente’s original purpose–to influence with helpful magic, never take total control.

Once as close as sisters, Bari and Farrow now find themselves on opposing sides. Will malice win out, or will the next generation of Entente chart a new path to “happily ever after” for their magical coven of fairy godmothers?

December 24

Heavenly Tyrant (Iron Widow #2) by Xiran Jay Zhao Tundra Books

After suffering devastating loss and making drastic decisions, Zetian finds herself at the seat of power in Huaxia. But she has also learned that her world is not as it seems, and revelations about an enemy more daunting than Zetian imagined forces her to share power with a dangerous man she cannot simply depose. Despite having vastly different ideas about how they must deconstruct the corrupt and misogynist system that plagues their country, Zetian must join this man in a dance of truth and lies and perform their roles to perfection in order to take down their common enemy, who seeks to control them as puppets while dangling one of Zetian’s loved ones as a hostage.

With political unrest and perilous forces aiming to undermine Zetian at every turn, can she enact positive changes as a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance?

December 31

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao Viking Books for Young Readers

For Gemma’s whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There’s just one major to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather’s home in Taiwan. And the only way she can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, Gemma finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it’s about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.

Filled with ingenious puzzles, a vibrant Taipei setting, and a delicious romance, Ex Marks the Spot is an exciting adventure by award-winning writer Gloria Chao, perfect for fans of Loveboat Taipei, The Inheritance Games, and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.

[petnews2day]

Ladybug and Cat Noir Series Kicks Off at Family-Friendly Price

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/VLDkt

Ladybug and Cat Noir Series Kicks Off at Family-Friendly Price

Mad Cave’s Papercutz imprint will release Miraculous Chibi: Volume One: Pizza Pursuit and Other Cat Tales, the first volume in its new Ladybug and Cat Noir graphic novel series, at a family-friendly price.  The 64-page 6” x 9” volume will retail for $7.99.  The new graphic novel series, announced last year (see “New ‘Miraculous’ Graphic […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/VLDkt #CatsNews #8216Akira8217, #Batman, #BuffyTheVampireSlayer, #DragonballZ, #DungeonsAndDragons, #GundamWing, #HarryPotterGenresWeCoverIncludeFantasy, #Horror, #JRRTolkien, #JLA, #LoneWolfAndCub, #MageKnight, #MagicTheGathering, #Pokemon, #SailorMoon, #Sandman, #ScienceFiction, #SpiderMan, #StarTrek, #StarWars, #Superman, #XMen

[toxxicwrites]

But Why? Kurapika x (spider) reader

Kurapika x spider reader

He saw you for the first time in the bookshop. An old store that caught his attention due to the sheer amount of nen pouring out of it his eyes caught you. Sensing a presence you looked up from your book, a threatening aura radiating off you as a warning only to find an empty street staring back at you. 

That was close. Kurapika thought. The nen radiating off you left him shaking and curious as to the enigma in the bookshop. After several weeks of making detours past the bookshop, Kurapika finally entered the store after convincing himself of a good reason too. After all, he couldn’t have any distractions, not in his revenge. He needed a specific book, ‘The Magical Properties of the Ruby Eyes (A comprehensive guide)’ 

A bell jingled as the door opened and you looked up, surprised to have a visitor. Peaking out from behind a bookshelf you saw your mysterious visitor. A young man with a girlish face and medium-length blonde hair. So this is the mystery man up close. You recognized his presence from the prior weeks, his nen held a certain bloodthirst to it that grabbed your attention. The young man observed the shelves leisurely, acting casual but obviously looking around for you. 

Kurapika almost left the store when he heard you. 

“Can I help you?” 

A voice like an angel snapped his attention back. 

With teasing big eyes you stared at him, curiousity echoed in the slight raise of your brow. 

“Yes, uh,” he cleared his throat, “I was wondering if you had this title amongst your collection, it's ‘The Magical Properties of the Ruby Eyes (A comprehensive guide)’.”

His voice was soft you noticed, barely above a whisper. You scrunched your brow for a minute, thinking.

“I should have it…” You began walking away, “Follow me.” 

Like a puppy, he followed closely behind, getting a whiff of your pomegranate-scented perfume. You sifted through the shelves for a minute, mumbling to yourself. 

“Ah! Here it is.” You said, handing the copy to the young man. His finger trembled slightly as he grabbed the book. You noticed, eyes trailing down and back up to him. 

“You interested in the kurta clan?” You casually asked. 

His jaw clenched, but he quickly shook it off, face turning into a passive mask once again. 

“A bit,” he admitted, “I heard about the genocide… And I wanted to know why, why someone would do that.” A hidden grief seeped out in his last words. Your stomach dropped at the mention. Images of burning houses flashed through your head, paired with the sickening squelch of their eyes pulled out of their sockets while they still thrashed and screamed. You could still hear their screams, even now. 

Kurapika noticed your pause, watching closely yet your mask didn’t break. 

“It’s terrible,” You said, “Truly terrible.” 

You took a hot shower that night. As if it would burn off all your sins. The killing always made you sick, it was the worst part of the job. You were good at it though, really good. The water ran hotter. But what were you supposed to do? When the man came, bringing his world of books and magic he brought you food, shelter, and family. All you had to do was use your nen, stopping the hearts of your enemies in an instant with a single flick of your wrist. No wonder you had attracted the ‘wrong’ crowd as a starving orphan in Meteor City like so many others. You turned the faucet, letting the steamy water come to a splashing halt. You wrapped your hair in a towel, slowly gathering from the nape of your neck, revealing the spider tattoo that sat there a number four engraved in empty space. 

You hummed as you made your way through the dark Yorknew city alleys, dragging a cart by your side. The young man had disappeared for the last week, he had been coming for up to a month before he disappeared again, seemingly returning to wherever he came from. Kurapika was his name. 

Your thoughts were still disturbed by him through, his sad grey eyes that seemed to pull you in when you talked like a hypnotizing spell you knew would only bring you to destruction. Perhaps he had realized that too. That something was truly wrong with you, something dark and twisted that upon its reveal would destroy everything. You shook your head, no thoughts of him tonight, Tonight you would see your family. Chrollo called an emergency meeting one to which you were invited. Why though you had no idea. You were unlike the other members living a life separate from the group unless called upon directly by Chrollo a man who became like an older brother to you. Comforting you on your first kill, when you fell to your knees sobbing and gasping for air while the other members stared, confused at your ‘weak’ reaction. When they saw you fighting, however, any sense of weakness flew out the window. Therefore, you lived mostly in solitude separate from the others in daily missions but apart from them nonetheless all of you shared a familial bond forged by blood and fire. 

The second you stepped in you knew something was wrong. A heavy coat of grief cast upon the group. Chrollo made his way toward you, his head downturned and defeated. 

“Uvogin.. Is dead.” 

You held the tears in. 

“Oh.” 

You stumbled back to your bookshop that night, drunk with grief you fumbled with the keys. They fell to the concrete steps with a clatter and you fell with them. Sitting on the steps you crumbled, crying for a dear friend you had lost. 

“Y/n…” 

He had barely made it to the bookshop his mind buzzing with the events of hours prior, the promise of revenge still seeping through his bones, stumbling through the cobbled streets drunk on power he came across her. Crumpled across the steps like a broken statue. All he wanted to do was pick you back up again, hold you, and forget about everything that matter but you. 

His voice sounded like an angel. Through tear-ridden lashes you looked up, your lips parted taking him in in all his broken glory. The blue moonlight lit up his figure, presenting himself as your savior amidst the devastation you felt. 

“Kurapika… I need you.” 

Answering your pleas with selfish desire he brought you up closing the space between you with a kiss, soft like his voice. A tear fell from your eye, trailing down your lips he licked it feeling the salt on his tongue. He needed you. 

You met his gray eyes, a hint of red in them now, and your heartbeat. You needed him. 

You were his escape and he was yours. With each other you both could pretend, pretend you didn’t notice each other's power, didn’t notice how he left late at night only to return later with red in his eyes and smelling of iron metal. And he didn’t notice either when your troupe meetings ran later and more often, the threat of the chain user a constant fear. 

It was midday when he stopped by the bookshop. He was overly distraught today you could sense it. The anger vibrated off his nen like an angry wasp. Upon seeing you in the sunlit corner reading the buzzing quieted. You raised your gaze from the book and smiled at him. He approached you from behind, kneeling down behind the chair as he put his nose in the crook of your neck, breathing your scent in as you leaned back into his warm touch. You hummed softly and he closed his eyes trailing pale fingers across your neck. 

Lost in the warmth you didn’t notice when he stopped. His grip on your neck tightened. 

“Kurapika?” 

How? How could you do this? How could you be one of them? He stared in disbelief at the spider tattoo across the nape of your neck. He had been so stupid, so naive to believe in someone. It felt as if he was drowning in air, a cold dagger wrenched through his heart and twisting deeper and deeper as he remembered all fo you. Your smell, hair, eyes, smile, and the way your laugh sounded like church bells to his worshipping ears. He could have stayed in your bliss together. The fantasy shattered upon the spider's reveal.

“Kurapika?” Your voice shook this time, something had changed. His nen presence muted before now suffocated you in its rageful presence filling you with pure terror as you trembled under his fingers. 

“Kurapika, let go.” 

The sound of rustling chains perked up your ears, and Kurapika’s grip let go. Before you could turn around you were tied up. The chains jutting out from behind and wrapping your arms and legs bringing you to your knees. Your heart broke and a gasping sob escaped you. 

“It’s you,” You whispered, “You’re the chain user.” 

Your body trembled as you heard him take a breath, still behind you. 

“And you’re a spider,” he said, his voice quiet yet filled with heavy grief that weighed down his words, as if he still didn’t believe them himself. The tears dripped freely now and your shoulders slumped. 

“Is this it then?” 

Kurapika swallowed hard, not answering your broken question, he feared that if he did he would break as well, more than he already had. The chains had taken their hold now, there was no ending other than death now. 

You swallowed hard, taking his silence as the answer you already knew. 

“Can you look at me?” You shuddered, speaking definitely, “Will you watch me die? As I watched your clansmen die, would you do me the same honor?” 

In a flash, he stood in front of you. Eyes glowing red with rage and pain. 

You looked through his ruby-red eyes, admiring the strength they held in your last moments. You spoke your last words. 

“I’m sorry.” 

He clenched his fist and the chains finished the job, stopping your heart in a single beat. He left everything of you behind in that shop, abandoning everything he had felt for the cold true beat of revenge. There was nothing left but its war cry and the remaining spiders that stood in his way. 

They were both just kids, thrown into a world too cruel, they paid the price. 

[rodentchild]

Shit I've Heard Or Said As Writing Prompts Pt. 23

"So he's a werewolf piss-boy who works for NASA, has diamonds for eyes, and might also be Jesus."

"You're very smoochable, I hope you know that."

"I want to learn Magic The Gathering but Dungeons and Dragons is complicated enough for now."

"WHY DOES COLLEGE HAVE TO BE SO EXPENSIVE!" "Capitalism."

"You're the kind of person they do psychological research on."

"WHY ARE YOU SUCH A FREAK! That's karma, that's what that is!"

"Monkey sex is important!"

"She has no thumbs and muddy paws, how can she defend herself?"

"Thank you for the information, but it's uninteresting and unnecessary."

*text messages* "Yeah so I might have possibly maybe been kidnapped and am now in Germany. Don't worry I'm fine tho" "GOOD MORNING???"

"I told you I don't know how to ride a bike, you dick."

"If you're gonna be tacky be real about it."

"That's my thirteenth reason." "I never watched that show, I don't give a shit."

"His dad is a mackerel. I know this for a fact."

"If I can't end my life as a missing person, I want to go skydiving without a parachute and aim for somebody's house."

"You forget that he's a psychopath!"

"God bless your bowel movements."

*incredibly drunk* "I'm traveling through the universe!"

"Don't slut shame my dog!"

"I don't mind swappin' spit with the homies."

"This game is all about semantics! You've entered the Thunderdome motherfucker!"

"You're adding edging to the campaign?!"

"There's no pronouns here!"

"If I yelled at you and told you I hate you, would that make leaving me easier?" "No."

"This behavior makes me fully believe you when you say you've done acid."

"Yeah we went to high school together. You were on the basketball team. You guys sucked."

"Oh, well excuse me for not having a ton of experience giving blow jobs!"

"I'd fight a man over a spider any day. Spiders have enhancements, men only have the audacity."

*mocking voice* "Oh my God, I'm a drug mule!"

"Where's the Walmart Man, he knows how to slap ass!"