#Part 2 of 7

[magicalsniper]

The Legacy of Magic

5,853 words | Teen | Part 2 of 7 Author's AO3: MagicalSniper Story Link: The Legacy of Magic Part One Part Three Part Four

Summary: Balinor, summoned by Uther to negotiate with the Great Dragon Kilgharrah, witnesses the devastating aftermath of the Great Purge of Magic and is forced to escape Camelot, leaving behind a pregnant Hunith. Years later, his son Merlin, who struggles to conceal his magic, becomes fast friends with Prince Arthur. Their bond is tested when Arthur learns the truth about Merlin’s magic, but his loyalty to Merlin remains steadfast, though their relationship is marred by the weight of secrets and struggles for the safety of magic users in Camelot.

Chapter Two: The One Where Arthur and Merlin Become Friends

Hunith’s fingers trembled as she accepted the small woven basket filled with vibrant herbs from the errand boy. She hugged the basket to her chest to keep it from tumbling to the floor and closed the door firmly with her hip. The scent of rosemary and thyme enveloped her as she meandered through the Physician’s chambers and placed the basket haphazardly on the table beside the tinctures she had filled before the interruption. She began to fill the rest of the empty vials absentmindedly, accidentally overflowing one of them in her distraction.

“Careful with those tinctures, Hunith,” Gaius chided gently, noticing her distraction. “A single drop too much, and you’ll have the King dancing a jig rather than resting.”

“Maybe it’ll lighten the bastard up,” she muttered to her brother, moving the vials out of the way to clean up her mess. “Heaven knows we could all use the laugh.”

She wiped her hands on her apron and reached for the small vial of wheat and barley she had prepared a week prior, unable to wait any longer to see the results. She had read in one of Gaius’s medical books that if a woman thought herself pregnant, she would urinate over the seeds of wheat and barley over several days. If it grows, the woman is likely with a child.

Her thoughts wandered to Balinor and the passionate night they had shared not two months prior as she brought the vial close to the candlelight. If she were indeed pregnant with his child, what would that mean for her future, given the danger of having a magical offspring in Camelot?

“It’s a boy,” Gaius said softly, coming up behind her to look at the vial where the seedlings were leaning towards the candlelight. 

She glanced down at the vial; indeed, the barley seeds had sprouted.

“And it’s… Balinor’s child?” Gaius asked in a light tone. 

Hunith threw Gaius a nasty look over her shoulder, causing him to cover the teasing smile that crossed his face. It was no secret that she had been good friends with Uther and Balinor since childhood. There was no shortage of rumors among the castle and lower village that she had been warming the King’s bed since the death of Ygraine. Unfounded, of course, but that didn’t stop Gaius from teasing her about it every now and then. 

His face took on a more serious expression. “Some might say…” Gaius paused, weighing his words, “... that ending this pregnancy might be safer for all involved.” 

Hunith’s hands found the hem of her dress, twisting the fabric as she pondered his words. “Safer, perhaps,” she shrugged and sighed heavily. “But I cannot. This child is more than just Balinor’s. If Balinor has no more children, this child is the last hope for the Dragonlords— I cannot allow that to be extinguished.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” Gaius said with a nod and a warm smile. “We shall keep this secret safe for as long as possible.”

~o0o~

By the sixth month of her pregnancy, Hunith was glowing with the promise of new life— a new life already proving to be as mischievous as magical. Not an hour passed without vials toppling over unexpectedly, books fluttering like birds taking flight around the chambers, and quills dancing across tables in a bizarre waltz.

“Merlin, stop that!” Hunith scolded, despite knowing that her words would fall on deaf ears. “He’s not even born yet and is driving me crazy!” she muttered, slamming her hand down onto the book she had been reading as it tried to fly away.

"Perhaps it's best if you remain out of sight for the time being," Gaius suggested, righting a floating tome with a sigh.

“Lovely.” 

~o0o~

Yet, even the best-laid plans of mice and men— or, in this case, physicians and their assistants, go awry. There was a grand tournament during the Spring equinox where all of Camelot had gathered. Hunith had become stir-crazy, now eight months pregnant, and had, against her better judgment, allowed herself to venture into the stands to watch the tournament, her presence masked by the throngs of spectators. Or so she had thought.

She was dressed in a loose dress that disguised her baby bump, never being more grateful that she didn’t show as much as many others did that late in their pregnancy. She would have been fine, with no one the wiser, had Uther, sitting in the middle of the stands, not caught her eye as she made her way towards Gaius, who was a few rows behind him. 

Uther had raised an eyebrow at her and motioned with his head that she should sit beside him and young Arthur, who was kneeling on his own seat, blue eyes wide with wonder as he watched the jousting tournament. 

She merely gave him a tight smile and shook her head. He likely thought she was trying to deny the request to keep the rumours at bay because Uther merely rolled his eyes and motioned with his head again, causing her to sigh heavily and approach him. 

“Morning, Sire,” she said ‘sire’ in the most sarcastic tone she could muster, causing Uther to roll his eyes again and scoff at her. “And Arthur, how are you doing?” She cooed, reaching over to smooth his hair from his eyes. 

Arthur, then three, grinned up at her, his two front teeth missing due to him falling from one of the castle statues earlier in the week. “Aunt Hunith! Are you sitting with us!? Did you see what the Black Knight did just now? It was so cool!” He reached over and hugged her waist, his face nuzzling her belly. Arthur pulled away and frowned at her belly, “Did you get fat?”

“Arthur!” she scolded, firmly pushing on his shoulders and glaring down at him. “There are two things you never ask a lady— her age or if she gained weight.”

Arthur pouted, “I’m sorry, Aunt Hunith.” 

She sighed heavily and leaned down to kiss his forehead, pulling him into a hug. “I forgive you.”

Uther watched the exchange with a small smile, frowned at her, and scanned her body until his eyes rested on her stomach. He licked his lips and looked nervously at her, “Are you?”

“Would I be pregnant and not tell one of my oldest friends?” She asked him softly. 

He gave her a sad look. It wouldn’t have even been a question eight months ago, but he could tell she’d been pulling away since Balinor’s disappearance. “I’d protect you if… if you were, as long as it wasn’t…” Balinor’s, it went without saying. Uther had no tolerance for magic, even from his oldest friends, not since Ygraine had passed.

“Would you have me killed if it were, Uther?” Hunith challenged, pressing the side of Arthur’s face into her hip and covering the other side of his face with her hand so that he wouldn’t hear their conversation. He hardly noticed, as entranced as he was with the knights below. “Have Arthur watch his aunt die right before his very eyes?”

Uther’s lips tightened into a straight line, and he could not meet her eyes. “I… I…”

“I’m not pregnant, Uther,” she lied after a minute of watching him trying to come up with a response, her hand stroking the side of Arthur’s face as she let go of him. “No need to go light the pyre.”

“Good, good, good… good,” Uther cleared his throat and patted the bench beside him. “Join me, please? I’ve missed you.”

“Careful, Uther,” Hunith said dryly. “You don’t want everyone to start thinking you have feelings.” 

He huffed out a laugh and gently pulled her into the seat that Arthur had vacated, “You’re ridiculous.”

They sat in companionable silence, cheering in all the right places, making idle chatter between rounds, pulling Arthur down from the rails when he became so into the tournament he almost fell off it. It almost felt as it had when they were kids and would watch the tournaments together. 

Unfortunately, it became too similar to the tournaments they used to attend as kids—the ones where Balinor would enchant the knights to do things when they grew bored.

One minute, they were watching a run-of-the-mill round; nothing seemed out of the ordinary until a knight began to charge valiantly across the field with his lance poised. He'd been suddenly flung off his horse and landed, not with a noble crash but with a tumble that turned into an inexplicable, hand-standing dance across the field.

Hunith froze, having felt the invisible burst of magic that rippled through the air. He looked over to Uther, hoping that he hadn’t felt it as well. Time seemed to stand still as gasps and cheers erupted from the crowd, the spectacle turning heads and raising brows, but it seemed as if no one else thought it was due to magic or felt the pulse. 

Her heart raced, her cheeks reddened with a mixture of embarrassment and fear. She swallowed heavily, ice water in her veins, and laughed a bit hysterically. “R-remarkable balance, that one.”

Uther studied her with narrowed eyes, causing her to fear that he had felt where the magic had come from before his face smoothed, and he turned back to the arena, where the knight had since been released from the spell and was brushing himself off. “Indeed.”

Hunith leaned back in her seat and took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she realised how close she had been to being discovered. She looked down at her stomach with a frown. She was going to have her work cut out for her.

~o0o~

In the backroom of Gaius’ chambers, a young Merlin pressed his nose against the cool glass pane, eyes wide as he observed the bustling castle life below. He took particular interest in the junior knights who were running back and forth from the armoury to the training grounds. He couldn’t help the impish grin that overcame him before he wiggled his fingers in a silent incantation that sent swords and shields flying from the alarmed teen’s hands. He cackled as they ran around like chickens without their heads, trying to catch the weapons that continuously danced out of their reach. 

He watched as the laundress and her assistant carried a load of royal laundry towards the fields to hang and sent it flying across the fields, the sheets moving as if they were playful ghosts, chasing the two women across the grounds. 

He caught sight of an abandoned bucket of water and poured it over the heads of suspecting royals as they toured the grounds. He ducked out of sight when King Uther turned towards the Physician’s chambers, bemusement on his face as the servants rushed towards a screaming Princess Eleanor.

Gaius stuck his head into the room and raised an eyebrow at him after a deafening screech of hers regarding the state of her hair. “Merlin,” the man chided, exasperation clear in his tone. “You don’t seem to be doing your studies.”

“Not my reading and writing, but I am practicing magic!” Merlin’s playful grin fell slightly, and he sighed, “Yes, Uncle.” His voice lacked any remorse, the twinkle in his eyes betraying him. “I’m just so bored. Why couldn’t I go collect herbs with Mommy?”

“What happened the last time you collected herbs with Hunith?” Gaius asked.

Merlin muttered under his breath and kicked at the floor.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“I enchanted King Uther to fall and trip into the fountain,” Merlin looked up, his eyes flashing. “But he was being so mean to his poor manservant!” 

“Why don’t you come help me make some tinctures?” Gaius suggested, “And then we can practice a couple of spells from your spell book.” 

Merlin gasped in excitement and raced down the steps into the main chambers, “Come on, Uncle!”

“This child will be the death of me…” Gaius muttered, following his nephew’s excited calls.

~o0o~

At times, the call to leave the chambers was too strong, and Merlin would escape when his mother and Gaius were distracted. Usually, Merlin would find himself in the stables, feeding and brushing the horses for the stablehands. 

Other times, he would sit on the hill a little away from the training grounds and watch Prince Arthur practise his swordplay with his wooden sword and shield. He moved with grace and power, commanding attention even with his small stature. Merlin’s fingers would twitch; he longed to join in on the laughter of the Prince and his friend Leon, to be a part of something grander than whispered spells and shadows. Or, maybe he just really wanted to mess with the Prince. He really wasn’t sure.

Then, there were times when Merlin would be chasing Gwen across the castle grounds, and he would look up to see Arthur perched on the Library sill, his golden head bowed over a tome. Arthur would raise his head, and for a breathless moment, their worlds would touch— but all too soon, Arthur’s attention was drawn back to his studies, and Merlin would often be tackled to the grass by Gwen. The moment tended to be quickly forgotten and replaced with pleas and squeals of laughter as she would mercilessly tickle him until tears formed in his eyes.

~o0o~

It was the morning of Hunith’s birthday, during Merlin’s seventh summer, and Merlin was determined to get her a present. Early that morning, he had slipped out of the Physician’s quarters when his mother and Gaius were distracted by two knights who had caught fever and a rash the evening before. 

It had taken him a while to get to the market, and he took the long way so that Gaius wouldn’t see him out the window, but it had all been worth it. The market was a kaleidoscope of colours and smells, with vendors hawking wares from stalls draped with the brightest of cloths. 

He moved purposefully, ducking between patrons as he searched for the perfect gift. He had been close to giving up when his eye caught sight of a wooden figurine. It seemed to glow a subtle gold as he approached, and he couldn’t help but be entranced by it. The figure was that of a dragon standing on its hind legs with its wings unfurled. 

It was perfect.

His mother loved telling him tales of dragons and the brave Dragonlords who tamed them. He dug out all the money in his pockets and counted it out, frowning when the man told him he was one silver coin short. 

“M’sorry, Lad,” the man said softly as Merlin pulled his hands back and shoved the coins back in his pocket.

“Thank you,” Merlin muttered as he turned away from the man, tears gathering in his eyes. He began to walk away when a strong hand closed over his shoulder. 

Merlin froze and turned slowly. His eyes traveled up the tall man’s body until he got to his face. Upon recognition, he flinched back. He would have fallen if one of the knights behind him hadn’t caught him. “K-King Uther!” He gave a clumsy bow and kept his eyes trained on the ground, freezing under the man’s scrutiny. He knew he was in big trouble. 

The one major rule his mother and Gaius had was that he was never to be seen by Uther. “Erm, erm…” he bowed again, for lack of knowing what else to do. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to get in your way.”

“You weren’t in my way,” Uther said, kneeling down to his height. Merlin fidgeted as Uther studied his face, sharp eyes focusing on his eyes, nose, and lips before flickering to his eyes. His lips tightened into a straight line before he asked, “You were looking at that dragon figurine?”

Merlin’s eyes widened, and looked back at the stall before turning back to the King, “Y-yes, sir. I wasn’t trying to steal it, I swear! I just wanted to get my mommy a gift for her birthday today, but I was one coin short.” Tears welled in his eyes again, and his hands shook as he tried to take deep breaths to calm himself. 

Unable to look Uther in the eye, he looked over the man’s shoulder and gulped audibly when he spotted the pyre that had been used to execute a young woman accused of magic not a day earlier. He clenched his shaking fists to keep his magic at bay and forced his eyes back to the ground.

Uther frowned thoughtfully at him and looked over to the stall with the figurine before he stood, ordering Merlin to stay where he was. Merlin kept his eyes trained on the ground, wondering what punishment he would get for getting in the King’s way when the dragon figurine slid into his blurry peripheral view. 

He sniffed and rubbed his eyes before looking up at the King in disbelief. He took the dragon gently in his hands, his eyebrows knitted tightly together. “I… I,” he placed the dragon under one arm and dug into his pocket for his money, handing it over to Uther. “I can work for the rest,” he said quickly, his cheeks burning red with embarrassment.

Uther gently took Merlin’s hand and pressed the coins back into it, giving his hand a slight squeeze.  “Tell Hunith that I wish her a very Happy Birthday.”

Merlin’s teary eyes, if possible, widened further, “I-I, yes, Sir.” He shoved the coins back into his pocket and hugged the dragon to his chest, bowing deeply. Only when he was walking away did he think he should have asked how Uther knew it was a present for Hunith.

His heart beat wildly in his chest as he tried to put as much space between him and the King as possible. He weaved through the bustling market with the dragon clenched tightly in his hands. Merlin had to get home before he ran into anyone else he wasn’t supposed to.

In his haste, Merlin didn’t notice the figure emerging from a tent to his right until they collided. The impact sent him sprawling on the ground, the figure skidding away from his outstretched hand. 

“Watch where you are going, you idiot!” The voice, despite being young, was sharp and authoritative. 

Merlin groaned and looked up to see none other than Prince Arthur glaring down at him from under his blonde fringe. He scrambled to his feet and brushed dirt from his green tunic. “Sorry,” he muttered distractedly as he searched for the figurine. “I didn’t see you.”

“Clearly,” Arthur stood tall, even at the tender age of nine. He was the very image of princely disdain, his blue eyes cold as he looked down at Merlin. “You should pay more attention. You could have damaged my armor.”

Merlin snorted. The ‘armor’ was a simple child’s chainmail, something even Merlin could afford to buy from any toy stall. “A real tragedy that would be.” His eyes brightened as he spotted the figurine and went to pick it up, examining it for any damage.

Arthur’s eyebrows rose, “Do you always talk back to your betters?”

Merlin looked around, feigning confusion, “I don’t see any of my betters here.” He couldn’t help himself. The Prince was rubbing him the wrong way.

“You insolent—” Arthur began but stopped abruptly, his gaze narrowing on Merlin. “I know you. You’re that boy Gaius is always yelling at, the one that skulks around the grounds.”

“Skulks?” Merlin huffed. “I prefer ‘strategically positioning myself,’ thank you very much.”

“More like strategically causing trouble,” Arthur countered. “Are you the one behind those weird things happening?”

Merlin froze, his hands squeezing the dragon tightly in his hands. “Of course not,” he lied. “Magic is bad,” he said the practiced words with conviction.

Arthur rolled his eyes as if he’d heard that a million times before, which was a high possibility, given who his father was. “Just stay out of my way if you know what’s best for you.”

“Right, wouldn’t want to interrupt your quest for the perfect hair,” Merlin said dryly, rolling his eyes as Arthur caught sight of himself in a puddle and was fixing his hair in his reflection. 

Arthur’s eyes shot up to his, and his jaw tightened. “You’re impossible.”

“I can’t be impossible. I exist,” Merlin shot back with a grin.

“I am the Prince of Camelot. You will show me some respect!” Arthur's voice was sharp, his fists clenching at his sides.

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Respect? Is that what they call it when you demand people bow down to your royal highness?”

Arthur stepped closer until his nose was practically pressed against Merlin’s. “You would be wise to watch your mouth.”

“Or what? You will have Daddy throw me in the stocks?” Merlin shrugged, “I wouldn’t mind. It faces the flowers, and they’re so pretty.” 

Arthur opened his mouth to retort but then paused, studying Merlin. A flicker of something else crossed his features for a moment—was it amusement? “You’re… so weird.” 

“Arthur!”

“Goodbye, Prince Arthur.” He scurried out of the way as Arthur grabbed him, cackling as he went. 

Once he was a safe distance away, he stopped beside a house and looked behind him. He watched as Arthur walked towards his father, and he, too, stopped to turn back.

~o0o~

 Merlin’s footsteps echoed against the stone floors of the Library as he moved through the towering shelves, searing for the book Gaius had sent him to find. The air was thick with the scene of parchment, ink, and leather, and dust particles danced in front of his eyes in the morning's rising sun. 

“Stupid text…”

Merlin stopped at the corner of an aisle and peered around the corner. Prince Arthur was hunched over a hefty tome, muttering to himself. His brow was furrowed in concentration while his lips moved, his finger tracing the words he struggled to read.

He ignored him and continued to the next row, where the medical texts were. He looked for the red leather-bound book with a frown. When he noticed it wasn’t on the bottom four shelves, he began to scan the upper levels of the shelves. And there, about a meter and a half above his head, was the book that he needed. “Of course,” he muttered and looked around. 

There were several scribes sitting at a table in eye line, and he knew Arthur was by the shelves in front of the one he stood at. Then there was Geoffery, who tended to wander through the Library without rhyme or reason. He’d have to do it the old-fashioned way. 

He grimaced as he gripped the dusty shelf above his head and pulled himself up, his fingers slipping on the thick grime coating it. He tried again, this time knocking several books off the shelf and falling onto the floor. 

“SHH!”

He glowered at the scribe glaring at him and jumped to his feet, wiping his sweaty, dirty hands on his breeches. He took a deep breath and tried again but struggled to get a solid foothold on the cluttered shelves, his feet continuing to slip on the accumulated dust and items. 

“What are you doing?”

Merlin gasped as he lost his balance one shelf away from the book he needed; he closed his eyes as he made contact with the person below him, sending both of them falling to the floor with a loud crashing sound, throwing up a cloud of dust which was sucked deep into their lungs, causing the both of them to cough and sputter. 

“Get off me!” Arthur growled, shoving Merlin off him. He coughed some more as he stepped up and brushed himself off. “What do you think you were doing up there!?”

Merlin winced and held his arm to his chest as he struggled to his feet. “I was getting a book for Gaius.” He tried to straighten his arm and grimaced, causing Arthur’s eyes to widen.

“Did you break your arm?”

“Probably just sprained it. I’d be crying if it was broken,” Merlin admitted as he took the long red scarf off his neck and twisted it into a makeshift arm sling like he had seen Gaius and his mother do many times before. 

Arthur scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, “That is what you get for being an idiot. There’s a ladder on the other side that you could have used.” He raised an eyebrow at Merlin before disappearing and reappearing with the sliding ladder, waving his hand at it. “See?”

Merlin scowled and watched as the Prince slid it over to where he needed it, “Yeah, I see it.” He gripped onto the side and hoisted himself up, shaking slightly from his tentative hold on the ladder. “... Thanks.”

“Oh, my god,” Arthur muttered, pulling Merlin down to take his place. “What book do you need?”

“I don’t need your help,” Merlin said stubbornly.

“I have to get back to my studies, and if we keep it up, Geoffery will throw us both out. Now, which book is it?” 

Merlin sighed heavily, “The red leather one, up there.” 

Arthur quickly fetched the book and handed it to him, glancing curiously at the title. “C-ca-nons Lie bra Med ci nae.” he scowled as he stumbled over the words, “Here, take the stupid thing. I have work to do.” 

“Canonis Liber Medicinae,” Merlin corrected smoothly, accepting the book in his uninjured hand. “It means the ‘Canon of Medicine’.”

Arthur was already walking away, “I don’t care.” 

Merlin, unable to help himself, followed Arthur back to his table. “Can you not read? How is that possible? You’re a prince! I’ve been reading for two years already, and you’re three years older than me!”

“S-shut up!” Arthur’s face burned red with embarrassment. “I have much more important things to do than sit on my butt all day and learn to read and write, unlike some people.”

“Yeah, because that's exactly what we all want in a future king—an illiterate,” Merlin said dryly, waving the book in his hand. “Thanks, I guess.” He glanced at the book on Arthur’s table and recognized the story Arthur was working on. “That’s a good story. I’ve read it loads of times.”

Arthur growled and picked up his quill, hurling it at a cackling Merlin as he fled from him.

“Idiot,” Arthur muttered, sinking back into his chair and resting his head on his folded arms.

~o0o~

A week later, Merlin was back in the Library, not because of an errand for Gaius, but to spy on Arthur. He was standing an aisle away, pretending to examine the spine of a book while he listened to Arthur’s muffled sounds of frustration. 

He sighed heavily and put the book back on the shelf, shaking his head. He felt terrible for the other boy; from the sounds of it, he was still on the story he had been reading the previous week. 

Merlin slid into the chair across from Arthur, kneeling to see across the table. “Do you need help?” He asked, cocking his head to the side to better see Arthur’s face.

“Go away,” Arthur snapped without looking up, his voice laced with embarrassment. “I don’t need help from a peasant.”

“Okay,” Merlin shrugged and jumped off the chair. He returned to where he knew there were several copies of Aesop’s Fables and pulled one from the shelf, flipping through its pages. “A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. “ Merlin paused as he listened to the muffled sounds of stifled vexation that continued from Arthur. “A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across—”

Realizing that Arthur would not ask him for help, Merlin sighed and returned the book before flopping onto the chair beside Arthur.

“Look,” Merlin said, pulling the book toward him with a gentle tug. “It’s really not that hard once you get the hang of it.” He pointed at the first two words, enunciating them slowly and clearly. “The Gnat. See? You start with the letters and sound them out.”

Arthur eyed him with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. He sat silently glaring at Merlin for what felt like minutes, his shoulders tense as he stared down the other boy. However, Merlin merely smiled softly at him, and Arthur soon relaxed. “But Gnat sounds like Nat, not g-nat like it’s spelt!” 

“It can be confusing at times. Our language comes from a mix of different ones, so the rules sometimes don’t make much sense…” Merlin scrunched his nose, “At least, that is what Mommy says.”

Arthur sighed before looking over his shoulder and leaning in close to Merlin. “Fine, you can help me,” he conceded, his voice barely above a whisper. “But if you were to tell anyone about this…”

“Who would I tell?” Merlin said with a giggle. “Who would believe me if I said that Prince Arthur couldn’t read and needed my help to teach him?”

For the first time, a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Arthur’s mouth, and the tension between them began to lessen. Together, they bent over the book, and under Merlin’s subtle guidance, Arthur began to stumble less and less with each new sentence. 

And if Merlin had forgotten that he had snuck out and needed to be back before Gaius and his mother had returned from the lower town and was subsequently grounded from leaving the Physician’s chambers for the next week, well, it was worth it. 

~o0o~

The following weeks found Arthur and Merlin huddled in a corner of the Library. Heads pressed together as they poured over Arthur’s study books. Merlin had also taken to the habit of bringing his own study books to get some of his work done. If one were to listen in, one would hear the sound of hushed voices and the occasional giggle as Merlin walked Arthur through the finger points of literacy. 

“Try again; go slower,” Merlin encouraged, leaning on his elbows, half his body on the table, as he looked at the book Arthur was reading from. 

“Knight… hood,” Arthur pronounced carefully, and with a triumphant lift of his chin, he looked to Merlin for approval.

“Put it together, knighthood,” Merlin corrected gently, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at the other boy. “You’re getting better! Soon, you’ll be able to read all the stories people will write about your adventures!”

Arthur grunted, a small smile on his face. “I guess I have you to thank.”

“You thanking a commoner?” Merlin quipped, his smile turning into a full-on grin.

“You’re right. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Arthur retorted, but the warmth in his voice belayed his words.

Their tutoring sessions became an unspoken routine, but they didn’t confine themselves to the dim candlelit library. Outside, under the vast blue sky, their friendship continued to flourish. 

After they would study in the Library, Merlin would follow Arthur to the training grounds. He would watch, eyes wide with wonder, as Arthur and the other junior knights went through their rounds. He’d cheer when Arthur would get the better of his opponent and run over to him in worry when he didn’t, although he wasn’t above playful ribbing when the occasion called for it. At the end of Arthur’s drills, Merlin would be there with a giant smile and water for the sweat-soaked prince. They would sit together and watch as the older knights trained, their laughter mingling with the metallic armor ring as the knights practiced.

“Could you imagine me in all of that?” Merlin asked one day, gesturing to the knights. “I’d probably fall over from just trying to lift the sword.”

Arthur snorted, “You’d fall over from just the chainmail. If you had a sword, you’d probably wind up skewering yourself.”

“Ha-ha, you’re so funny,” Merlin replied with a roll of his large eyes. But he frowned, his gaze lingering on the knights. He might not be able to be a knight, but he did wish he could learn a way to protect everyone without the danger of exposing his magic. A wistful expression crossed his face before he shook it away.

When the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows over the castle grounds, Arthur and Merlin found themselves playing hide and seek among the hedges and statues. Merlin would cheat, using his magic to rustle the bushes or create a whisper of wind, consistently leading Arthur in the wrong direction. 

“Got you!” Arthur shouted triumphantly when he finally discovered Merlin, jumping on the boy’s back and wrestling him to the floor. 

Merlin elbowed him off and jumped back onto his feet, “Maybe next time you’ll be able to find me before my sneeze gives me away.” 

“I was buying you time,” Arthur said with a huff and the crossing of his arms over his chest. “Next time, I won’t go so easy on you!”

“If you say so, sire,” Merlin said mockingly before squealing and dodging Arthur’s grabbing hands. “Come on, one more round. I’ll even let you prove how ‘easy’ you were going on me.” 

Merlin's laughter filled the garden, a sound as bright and mischievous as the twinkling stars beginning to emerge in the deepening blue of the evening sky. He darted behind a grand statue of Camelot's founder, his breaths quick and light, his heart pounding with the exhilaration of innocent play and newfound friendship.

“Come on, Merlin! I know you are using your tricks again!” Arthur’s voice carried an edge of feigned annoyance, but the laughter in his voice was unmistakable. 

“Tricks? Me?” Merlin called back, peeking out from behind the marble statue. “I’m just being resourceful.”

“Resourceful,” Arthur repeated dryly, although his lips curled into a reluctant smile. “I will figure out what you are doing.”

“Good luck with that,” Merlin muttered, a silent incantation slipping past his lips, causing a nearby shrub to rustle. 

"Ha! There you are!" With a triumphant shout, Arthur lunged towards the sound, only to find his hands grasping at empty air while Merlin slipped away once more, chuckling at the prince's expense.

They ended their game as the dinner bell rang through the castle, both breathless and flushed from laughter as they slowly made their way up the castle steps. 

“Another win for me, then?” Merlin quipped, a playful gleam in his eyes.

“Only because you are as slippery as an eel,” Arthur said with a scoff. “Seriously, Merlin. I will find out you one day.”

“Maybe,” Merlin conceded, his gaze turning toward the horizon where the fields of barley and rye swayed in the breeze. 

“Definitely. You’re too much of an idiot to keep it secret for much longer, whatever it is.” Arthur grabbed Merlin around the neck and pressed his knuckles to his head, making the younger boy squeal. As they ran through the corridors, their shared laughter echoed off the ancient stones, a harbinger of the adventures yet to come.

Part Three

[ask-de-writer]

ABOUT FIACH NA FION, part 2 of 7

A tale of Almost Ireland

@nevermord for READING, LIKING, REBLOGGING, and COMMENTING on

FIACH NA FION, part 2 of 7

A tale of Almost Ireland

Of this part he observed :

Interesting, so this garden was not her home, but a place of power where she became trapped by the others, lest she be vulnerable.

She can't use the magic to escape for it is wild and untamed, but she CAN channel it to her benefit.

Very interesting..

////

Right. Fiach's Garden is where they were going to build the mightiest of their circles. The power is there. The stones that tame it are, sadly not. HOWEVER, she can use the power for many things, just not to escape to where the circles connect to.

[yarnnerdally]

So I'm finally writing part 2 of something I said I was going to do ages ago.

Any guesses? :3

[egophiliac]

this is the moment that broke me

[hinamie]

I don't want to regret the way I lived

[ohmyglobwhatthefrickamievendoing]

The fact that izzy apparently just hangs out in stede's room doing his own thing is so funny because what's he gonna do when stede&ed start fucking?? they're gonna have to lock him out of the bedroom like the family dog that's yowling at the door

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

 book 7 chapter 12 part 2 thoughts!

***THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 7 PART 12 OF THE MAIN STORY!!*** This spans part 245 to part 268, focusing on Trey and Ace.

We will get Riddle's dream in a future update (scheduled for Feb 7th)!

Please note: this is NOT meant to be a summary or a translation; these are only my initial thoughts on the events that roughly unfold. There may be details overlooked or misunderstood in this post, so PLEASE do not use this as a translation.

The group lands on a tropical island! These are reused assets from the Lost in the Book with Stitch event.

Cater indicates that he's fine from the bumpy ride; he likes the thrill! It reminds him of sky diving. He also shares that he once lived by the sea in Pyroxene/the Shaftlands and that he enjoys board-related activities (snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, etc.)

IHBASOUFA8TVVAD8FA RIGHT AS THEY'RE TALKINGA BOUT THIS, LEONA INTERRUPTS AND TELLS THE KIDS TO STOP WASTING TIME, THEY GOTTA FIND THE DREAMER 💀 (Can't believe I'm saying this, but I want to shake his hand for reminding everyone to get the fuck back on track instead of standing around talking for several parts in a row...)

They find some footprints in the sand and decide to follow them. Due to the size and shape of the footprints being similar to Deuce's, they think the footprints must be Ace's and will lead them to him.

We bump into Ace (who is wearing his beachwear clothes from the Stitch event), along with dream!Riddle (also in his beachwear) and dream!Trey (who is in his Yasmina silk from the fireworks event). Trey was cooking up BBQ for everyone! afhlbllbaiad THE TWST DEVS ARE REALLY GETTING MILEAGE OUT OF THOSE OLD ASSETS, HUH...

Ace speaks to Deuce, Cater, Grim, and Yuu in a familiar tone, but is shocked to see everyone else. He also mentions dream!Cater leaving to change into swimwear and to take pics by the sparkling sea; it looks like he was dreaming of all of Heartslabyul and Grim + Yuu hanging out here. Apparently, dream!Cater rented a place for them by the beach from Kalim's family.

Ace and dream!Trey explain they're celebrating because Yuu can now freely pass between Twisted Wonderland and their original world. asdbihasiodasqevyf IS THIS SLIGHT SHADE AT THE THEORISTS THAT PROPOSED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO KEEP YUU AS THE MC IN TWST... (Turns out, Ace must have been really wishing for Yuu to not leave their friend group forever www) This seems to be their summer vacation after the first school year.

Cater volunteers himself, Silver, Leona, and Idia to help Trey with making BBQ. This is so they can monitor the darkness while giving the first years a chance to wake Ace. Congrats to Cater for being a little useful in these dreams 🤡

The first years directly confront Ace as he is showing them options for beachwear to change into. However, to everyone’s shock, Ace is in complete denial and brushes it off when his head starts to hurt. He tells they are all being overly negative and it's harshing his vibes! It's vacation time, so why are they trying to ruin things with jokes that are in poor taste? This marks the first major instance of the dreamer resisting the feeling of “waking”.

Sebek intervenes and tries to take charge of the argument. Even with Sebek shouting about all the havoc Malleus's magic is causing... even when Sebek says Malleus's magic will eventually swallow the world, Ace has no problem with it. He claims it's not his problem. Besides, everyone's going to be living happily in dreams, right? And this is the path that Malleus chose for himself, so he should accept the consequences of his actions. What's the issue there? Besides, he doesn't want to cooperate with a person like Sebek who constantly looks down on others and paints all the dreamers as victims in need of saving.

Ace storms out in a fit of anger. Grim starts blaming Sebek for things emotionally escalating. Then Ortho confronts Sebek with this question: if it was not Malleus Draconia behind the current situation, would Sebek really be trying as hard as he is to rectify things? This question shocks Sebek into silence.

Cater and the others show up to check in on us. From our crestfallen expressions, he can tell we failed to wake Ace.

HUHHHHHHHH 😟 Silver suddenly gets super strict with Sebek and scolds him for the trouble his rudeness has caused everyone + their seniors. He says that the people around Sebek have been too lenient with him and thus spoiled him; he needs to reflect on his actions!! Sebek uses a really quiet voice and apologizes to us (but he still uses kisama which is a pompous and rude way to speak to others 😭).

LEONA 💀 He suggests they are wasting too much time trying to wake a small fry like Ace and it may be more efficient to skip him and move onto the next dreams. THE DAD THAT LEFT FOR MILK, FOLKS

… What the fuck. I did not expect Ace’s dream to better my opinion of CATER of all people but lo and behold, it is. Cater agrees with Leona that it may be more efficient to skip Ace’s dream. He and Idia do not need to worry about Ace anymore. This first year is Heartslabyul’s so it’s not their responsibility. Cater walks off and Yuu, Grim, and Deuce chase him. The others follow in a separate group due to the radius for Ace’s dream world not being very large.

Deuce begs Cater to let him try talking to Ace one more time before they give up on him. AND THEN CATER ACTS LIKE THE DAD THAT STEPPED UP because he tells Deuce he never had any intention of abandoning Ace 😭 Deuce, Grim, and Yuu decide to team up with Cater to wake Ace, especially considering they may have to combat darkness this time.

Cater finds Ace by himself and asdbhlabsyod8ysaas8fb uses Split Card to make a bunch of clones to gang up and pummel his junior... "I'll show you this is a dream :))" *PROCEEDS TO BEAT THE CRUD OUT OF ACE* Unfortunately for Cater, dream!Riddle, Trey, Cater, and Deuce show up to put a stop to things. (I want to add it's hilarious that Cater is also in Yasmina silk but Deuce is stuck in his P.E. Uniform asdhbasoyafae)

Ace is tempted by the darkness and mumbles a bunch of stuff about how he doesn't want to do difficult things like fighting Malleus. He says he’s just an ordinary mage and doesn’t even have his UM yet. We're shocked by Ace's cowardly side but Silver points out that darkness being present feeds and amplifies your most negative emotions.

Anyway, Sebek and co. want to barge in to save Ace, but Leona holds them back; they should leave it to Cater.

fuasboyfg8fdasibTHER'S THIS ON e FUNnY MOMENT. Leona says that those that it's easy for the darkness to indulge in the dreamer when they're at their lowest/acting cowardly. Idia voice) Eeeeh, aren't you talking about yourself, Leona-shi... abhlfbioasfoasobifadib LEONA NYOOMS OVER TO IDIA'S TABLET AND COMES CLOSE TO BREAKING IT... Watch yourself, Idia...

WOW CATER 🤯 He blew my mind… Cater reminds us and Ace that when Riddle OB’d, Ace was the one that stepped up to fight even when the battle seemed unwinnable—and it was Cater who wanted to run. He tells Ace he looked so cool back then, but he hasn’t had the chance to thank him for it until now.

ACE LAUGHS AND CRiES

Cater pulls Ace out of the darkness!! He calls to Leona and co. for backup~ (One neat touch here is Ace says one of his battle opener lines: “Okay~ I’ll get this over with fast.”)

Deuce and Grim bonk Ace on the head for giving them a hard time. augwjsjs Ace starts to given’m lip again but Leona tells him to watch how he speaks to upperclassmen OTL

do skwguwuwn AcE CALLS oUT SILVER AnD LILIA foR SPOILING SEBEK… Cater interrupts to remind them to get along + respect their seniors or the red demon Riddle will come for them!

Adeuce are embarrassed about having to shout Dream Form Change. Idia enjoys it. Cater does too; he thinks it’s cute and wants Adeuce to do it again so he can take a video (they refuse to).

Deuce makes a passing comment about how maybe they don’t know Cater as well as they think they do?? The Cater they think they know is obsessed with taking pictures… but maybe he can be reliable too!

Sebek and Ace bicker again as they prepare to dream hop. Once again, Leona comes in clutch by telling them to stfu and for Silver to hurry it along.

They land in front of Heartslabyul dorm in Trey’s dream.

Ace didn’t have an issue with their travel; in fact, he posed when Cater pointed his phone at him!

We tell Ace we’ve basically gotten about 20ish people recruited to our cause already, plus the support of S.T.Y.X.! However, their group is 10 people now (Grim, Yuu, Ace, Deuce, Cater, Silver, Sebek, Idia, Ortho, and Leona), which will make it dangerous to dream hop.

Grim mentions that if he is without Yuu, he won’t count as a student. That’s weird, because earlier in book 7 he mentions moving to the second year even once Yuu has returned home… Maybe this will be formally discussed later??? It sounds slightly contradictory.

They smell butter and follow it to the Heartslabyul kitchen. Cater stops everyone suddenly?? He doesn't think it's wise if all 10 of them cram into the kitchen at once; he will go since it's not odd for a Heartslabyul student to be present in the area. Plus, if things get dicey, he can always use his UM as an excuse or in a combative pinch!

asdhasbyofasd Leona and Idia get dragged along with Cater since they're the oldest. This conveniently allows the others to listen in on the conversation in the kitchen by using the mic built into Idia's tablet. (Idia however is not happy that he gets stuck with the sunny Cater and the grumpy Leona.)

WHOA check out the cakes and other baked goods here???? I don't even like sweets, but this looks tasty.

Cater tells the other two with him that Trey handmakes goodies for unbirthday parties. He has advised in the past that Trey take shortcuts (using commercial goods/already made cakes or box mixes, I presume), but Trey doesn't listen. Cater suspects it's because Trey thinks it's way too fun to bake to give it up, even if it would be faster to use another way.

They overhear people talking and... WHAT THE HECK, CHENYA'S THE HEARTSLABYUL DORM LEADER NOW????? ? ? ?? ??? ? ? ? ?? ? ? He's complimenting Trey's meat pies...

P.S. That chef's outfit looks so good OTL

Ortho casually hacks into the RSA student database to report on who Chenya is (since Silver and Sebek have no clue who he is).

We sort of get an explanation for Cater’s dream??? He says he wished to live comfortably and happily, as if every day was like his birthday. Somehow that got twisted to him being dorm leader…

xhsvhwiwkw The first years are bickering outside… Ace and Grim are fighting to see what’s happening, Sebek is being too loud so Ortho chastises him.

Trey is able to tell the original Cater from the clones??? Bro is Haruhi Fujioka OHSHC… He comments that Cater looks different than usual, so he knew right away.

Riddle seems to be a regular card solider. He tried to challenge Chenya for his dorm leader seat.

Chenya explains Riddle lost to him because his UM doesn’t work on Chenya. He then demonstrates his UM…! (Note: some creative liberties taken while transcribing in order to slap in an Alice in Wonderland quote :3c)

“Most everyone’s mad here. You might’ve already noticed I’m not all there. Not All My Head!”

(More direct translation of the incantation would be, “Everybody's weird here. You've noticed that already, haven't you?”)

It doesn’t just refract the light and make Chenya appear invisible; his body is literally NOT there. This explains why Riddle’s UM doesn’t work Chenya—there is literally nothing there to collar.

cHENYA bULLIES RiDDLE A LIRTKE BY HsRaiNH An EmBaarRsING StORY 😭

Anyway, Riddle has challenged Chenya many times but lost because Chenya is an expert at avoidance. Riddle uses up his magic and burns out easily.

Oooh? Chenya talks about a special language his grandpa taught him. It reminds me of Riddlish from Ever After High.

Trey’s ideal Heartslabyul… it’s one with loose rules, a huge ass kitchen that can be used freely, and a dorm leader that is easygoing. It’s pretty mild and grounded.

Trey asks the third years to sample a prototype lemon jelly and yogurt dessert for him. The only sweetener is honey so eve Cater should be okay with it—and Chenya won’t be mad if someone violates the “dorm leader gets the first bite rule”, even if desserts like jellies are excluded from that rule. Cater agrees but insists that Trey joins them.

dhisbwkwnw Leona has meat pie instead of the lemon dessert. Trey wants to make more to feed his guests and decides to make enough for all of the dorm.

The first years are drooling and jealous that the third years get to eat when they’re supposed to be investigating!

Cater is impressed that Silver had the fortitude to go through so many dreams. He thinks he may have given up a while ago if he were in Silver’s shoes???

Trey says he likes baking because it is satisfying to see the finished product—and others can enjoy it too, so it is killing two birds with one stone. Even Riddle is able to eat as much as he wants now. Apparently Riddle was the close to the same age as Trey’s younger brother at the time (Trey was 9 or 10; Riddle is one year older than the Clover brother). Trey describes Riddle as very mature for his age.

Hmm, interesting… The part of Riddle’s past where his mom caught him eating a strawberry tart remains unchanged.

LMAO the Clovers got scolded for 5 hours by Mrs. Rosehearts… Trey claims he and his family now laugh about the incident. Out group theorizes that this is result of trauma; it’s Trey’s way of coping.

Oh????? Trey says Riddle has changed a lot since he left his parents. Due to Chenya’s encouragement, Riddle now eats as much as he wants. Apparently both he and Chenya see Riddle like a little brother and they love seeing him be able to grow up.

ASGYUGYASNNYFOYADSSD Leona's theories keep being proven wrong in these dreams... He theorizes that Trey might have been angry when he became vice dorm leader, but Cater says that's not the case.

Trey was very excited when Riddle entered NRC; he told the other Heartslabyul students that his childhood acquaintance is joining the school. Although Riddle is quiet, he is talented at magic and Trey hopes they get along well. But then when Riddle enrolled, he was a completely different person than how Trey remembered him. He had developed a short fuse and become very controlling... cutting himself off from his feelings in order to rule. Riddle also acts detached from Trey.

In the flashback we see, Riddle has a heart mark. I guess this is what he had in reality too, not just the dream world.

Anyway, when time came to appoint a vice dorm leader (dorm members vote for them), Trey kind of got handed the job. Cater suggests it was probably tough on Trey to see that Riddle had changed so much; at one point, Riddle even beheaded Trey because the rules do not discriminate. He also suggests that maybe Chenya is in Trey's dream so that both friends can be present to support Riddle.

ajbuasiodyasida CATER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT... He confesses that he's always a spectator and now, seeing this, he wonders if he should have done more or intervened sooner.

UUUUUUH, there's a big BOOM!!???!! heard over Idia's tablet. It sounds like the other group is in trouble! But what are they dealing with...?

... Oh. OH.

THIS IS LITERALLY THE TWST ORB MERCH 😭😭😭😭😭 Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber... and round Cater and Riddle...

uMMMMMMMM I feel like I learned about one of Trey’s secret special interests and I don’t like it one bit 🪦

Riddle is now the tallest second year... bigger than a horse... How is he gonna ride Vorpal?! Ace and the others are in distress, saying that he can't do basketball and Deuce can't do track and field with those round bodies!!

We attempt to fight the massive dream!Heartslabyul boys, but it's useless!! Silver tries to form a barrier, but the dream!boys just roll too fast and knock him over before he can complete the spell! Cater tells Leona to use his UM to help out, but Leona can't because there would be collateral damage if used in an enclosed space.

The dream!boys try to convince Trey to stay in the dream but they start to present information that doesn't make sense. For example, dream!Riddle does not care about nutritional content; he will eat anything if it's something Trey made! Dream!Cater starts to eat a bunch of sweets to demonstrate his willingness to consume what Trey makes for them; ah, but that's not right either because in the real world, Cater doesn't like sweets at all!

Trey is able to wake up on his own...!

Aaaand we got the context for his groovy...? AFBADAVADSPB SO THE CATER AND RIDDLE PICTURED HERE, LOOKING DOWN AT HIM... IT'S THE ROUND ASS ONES AKHLBAFSIYBAFIYVAFOV8YQEOVYPQRWBFUEFABIHFDIB THAT MAKES THIS ILLUSTRATION SO MUCH LESS SERIOUSSSSSSSS

There's a big BOOM!! BHLFBIAFSIYBAFSIBYADFBIADVBLDFS LEONA SANDED SOME OF THE BIG ORBS?? ? ?? ? ? ???? ? ? Bye-bye, round Adeuce...

We rally with Trey and he has an admittedly cool line... "Don't talk with your mouth full. It's poor manners under the law of the Queen of Hearts!"

After the darkness is dispelled, Trey is caught up to speed and expresses he's not sure if a normal mage like him can be of much use against Malleus; why didn't they go for Riddle, who is way more powerful, first? asfhbasyuvfgfyoaodasi Ace has a cute moment where he reminds Trey that it was HIS unique magic that overrode Riddle's and saved his ass. Besides, we need Trey to help out with Riddle. He's Riddle's bestie, right?

HAHAHAHAHAHAFHAFH Sebek quietly says he is indebted to Trey... I just think about how Sebek has said Trey reminds him of his father OTL Ace whines about how Sebek treats him and Trey so differently and Sebek shouts that a third year will actually be HELPFUL, unlike Ace. afbaiuliafiefa GIRLIEPOPS YOUR BICKERING PLEASES ME... continue--

Cater takes a picture of Trey in his chef clothes before he swaps over to his dorm uniform; he wants to show Riddle later! I think Trey also brings along a strawberry tart...? Not sure if it transfers from dream to dream or if I'm misunderstanding the wording there.

Then they all gather around Silver and move on to Riddle's dream! (Leona closes off this section with a banger line about how it's time to get back on the small crowded bus. LMAO)

Alright, so what were my overall thoughts on this update? I definitely feel as though the writers got better at writing the dreams as they continued. The first few felt awkward and stilted, but the more recently ones (Savanaclaw and Heartslabyul) are noticeably smoother, even when kept in the confines of already established patterns.

I really appreciated how often Leona was kept telling everyone to shut up and move on with the story. He sounds so tired, annoyed, and wanting to get to the end of book 7 already. It feels like the devs are speaking to us through Leona bilfiaylasdpasod

I'm a little surprised that Ace didn't get his UM in his dream, but I guess maybe they're saving it for the very end battle? I find it suspicious that he brings up and laments his lack of UM while talking about how he's a "normal" mage that doesn't stand a chance against a big boss like Malleus. This sounds like intentional foreshadowing for that confrontation.

As I expected, Ace had a special interaction with Sebek, much like most of the other first years have. (I've updated my "Sebek and the first years in book 7" analysis post based on this.) Ace capping things off by openly calling out Sebek's flaws helps to bring everything full circle. I was also pretty spot-on about Ace's dream covering Yuu being able to stay in Twisted Wonderland. I'm surprised that they did the "Yuu can go between the two worlds as they like" thing; it's a very convenient idea proposed by many theorists in the fandom in order to maintain having Yuu as the POV character in Twst while also allowing Yuu (the in-universe character) to be able to return to their friends/family back home. More and more... the dreams feel like vague fanfiction addressing some fun fandom theories and ideas.

I found it really fascinating that Trey's dream didn't erase the moment in his life that tore Riddle away from him. I wonder if the trauma is just so deep-rooted that even Malleus's magic couldn't get rid of it...? Or if the event was framed by the magic as something sad that had to happen so he could spoil Riddle and give him a happy life now??? I can also understand an interpretation in which Trey feeds others or does his best to help them out even if he finds it bothersome because some part of him still holds onto that immense guilt he feels for his role in the Tart Incident. And in that sense, it's the dream allowing Trey to indulge others without stop, without moderation--a weakness of his that he was warned about in Vil's Labwear vignettes.

asdlhbasnyurnoabafsi NOT GONNA LIE, TREY'S DREAM IS GOING TO GIVE ME NIGHTMARES. Don't get me wrong, I love how whimsical it is, and how he can just enjoy baking to his heart's content. I also love that we get Chenya's UM name and incantation, as well as more about how it actually works. HOWEVER. The massive spheres that Trey made of his dorm members freak me out 💀 THERE'S SOMETHING SO GROTESQUE ABOUT MASSIVE BODIES WITH SMUSHED TINY FACES ROLLING AROUND TO CRUSH PEOPLE...

The MVP this update was most definitely Cater. I was shocked to see how proactive he was. He took the lead in both Ace and Trey's dreams and we got to see him put his craftiness to some good use. Stepping up for the first years, roping the other third years into helping him, even not hesitating to kick Ace's stubborn ass... I hate to say it, but I could really see Cater's dashing big brother side coming out here 🤡 YES I AM UNFORTUNATELY PREDICTABLE I had to pause reading so many times to go, "Waaaah, Cay-kun is so cool!!" which is not a thought I typically have. I'm also such a big fan of him regretting his past actions (or rather, inaction) and finally FINALLY being able to verbalize some of his deepest and most concealed feelings to other characters. When Cater thanked Ace for what he said back when Riddle overblotted... man, it hit me right in the heart.

Sebek was also pretty bashful this update. I don’t think I’ve heard him being quite so… humbled??? His quiet voice is cute 🥰 Was not expecting Silver to speak sternly to him though. The shouting came put of nowhere??? And it’s not as though you aren’t part of the problem for spoiling him, Silver…

Those are my thoughts for this update! I'll see you in the next one. Riddle's dream, on the 7th...!!

[thevoidstaredback]

How To Balance Your Daytime and Nighttime Activities So That You Don't Burn Yourself Out More Than You Already Have

It had been a long few minutes since he'd opened the door and there were a lot of questions running through Dick's head. Most pressing of which was how this kid seems to have information he should not have.

"How did you..?" he asked, but the words wouldn't leave completely. There's so much he wants to know, so much he wants to ask.

"How do I what?" Danny tilted his head like the child he seems to be is.

"How do you know?" Dick knows he sounds weak. There's no hiding that, but there are a lot of implications in what the kid has said so far and none of it is painting a very happy picture for him.

"Oh!" Danny had the audacity to smile, "You want to know how I know you moonlight as a vigilante!" And of course he knows. Dick knows he knows, but he'd held a little bit of hope that the child Danny was mistaken. Danny's smile softened a bit as he explained, "Your hair and voice match up in both jobs almost perfectly. Not to mention your build and how you hold yourself. There's also the matter of your overall vibes, but that's not something living beings can normally pick up on." Excuse him? "Well, not living humans, at least, so no worries on that end!"

"Excuse me?" Dick was fairly sure his heart just stopped beating for a moment there.

"Anyway, I was a hero back home for a while, too. I know what it's like to have to walk the tightrope between maintaining a civilian cover and a hero persona. I know how it feels to have to keep secrets from everyone because anyone who knows will be in danger." he rambled, Though, admittedly, our circumstances are quite different. I was working as a hero all hours of the day as well as going to school. You only have to worry about properly balancing between day and night jobs. Either way, me having more to bounce between just makes me al the more qualified to help you!"

Oh. Oh he did not like that. He didn't like a single thing that just came out of the kid's mouth. Because that's what he is, a kid. "Are you...Are you alright?"

"Not in the slightest," Danny admitted with an even smaller smile. Then, it brightened, not quite to a grin, but to something similar, "But I'm here to make sure you are."

He gets points for being honest, but Dick felt his heart shatter. He knew for a fact that he'd never worked with this kid before. He also knew that the Justice League didn't know about him. If they did, he would've been picked up and dropped with either the Young Justice team or the Titans.

Dick wasn't going to ask why he became a hero because that's not his place. It's more of a 'third mission with the team' kind of questions, anyway. Most of the heroes didn't have many options when they took up the mantle. Asking what Danny can do is a more appropriate question, but he wasn't going to ask that, either.

"Now that that's out of the way," Danny turned a few pages from the table of contents to another one that was topped with 'Why Sleep Scheduling Is Important' in the blue glitter pen that Dick was starting to suspect he favored. "You're not getting enough sleep. Following you around - no one's been able to find me for a while, so don't worry about that - for the last two weeks has given me some really worrisome information on you."

Dick was worrying. He was worrying a lot and even more questions were coming to the forefront of his mind.

"Your dayjob is as an officer on the Bludhaven Police Force, or BPD for short." He was looking over the page he'd turned to very aptly and Dick realized that the kid had notes written on him. "The average hours per week for police across the country is forty hours. Gotham and Bludhaven are the exceptions. As a member of the BPD, you work a solid two days and two hours. Six nights a week, you work as Nightwing from eight in the evening to three in the morning. The last day, you take off, which is good. No deserable pattern, so good on you for that. Regardless, that's seven hour nights and ten hour days, with one day off and one day on call as an officer. Seven hours are now left in your day for personal time, eating, and sleeping. That's not a healthy way to live."

Oh, god, the kid had honest to god notes on him! What the hell!

Danny didn't even skip a beat as he pulled Dick's attention back to him and his binder. "I've drawn up a schedule for you to follow." The back of the page had a meticulously drawn schedule, complete with blocks of time to eat, sleep, work both jobs, travel, personal time, and still have a bit extra left over. It was titled 'Ideal End Result' in green marker. "Drastic changes right away will only affect you negatively, so we're starting off smaller." The next page over had another schedule titled 'Where To Begin'. "I've only pulled one hour from your Nightwing hours because I know important that time is to you and the city. I am, however, going to be having you submit an appeal to your boss to cut back your hours from fifty a week to forty a week. That way, you'll only be working eight hours a day and not ten. You'll still be on call for one day, and you'll have that last day off. Altogether, you'll be going be going from working seventeen hours a day to fourteen hours a day. Nine in the morning to five in the afternoon, and eight in the evening to two in the morning. Not including breaks at work or travel time. It opens up a few more hours for you to sleep!"

"You really think the chief is going to pull back my hours?" Dick raised an eyebrow in question.

"He will if he knows what's good for him."

"You know I can arrest you for that threat, right?"

"Yeah, but you won't." And, damn it, he's right.

Although, there was now another thing he had to know. "How to you plan on enforcing this schedule of yours?"

Danny seemed to have been waiting for this. He got a gleam in his eye as he pulled a black folder from his bag, not breaking eye contact with Dick. He placed it on the table and pushed it across. "Congratulations, it's a boy."

Part 1 Part 3

[oriixxc]

I trust you won't kill me.

and if you do, then I've gotten sloppy and probably have it coming.

🔗Twitter

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Lan Wangji Goes To Lotus Pier AU: Part 3: Enveloping Feelings.

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 4)

[tartppola]

very specific au thought, silver if he was the shield instead ( read the tags to see explanations )

[rottengurlz]

she’s like if the virgin mary smoked a pack of pall malls every day 🚬

[ask-de-writer]

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK

@wind-the-mama-cat for READING, LIKING, and REBLOGGING

FIACH NA FION, part 2 of 7

A tale of Almost Ireland

[theokusgallery]

Why, hello there, Virgil. Long time no see!

[extantodyssey]

tell me how to feel about you now

oh, let me know, do i suffocate or let go?

-

my first time ever making a comic like this! very far from perfect but i’m satisfied

this came about as part of me thinking a lot (too much) about the psychic 7 and their relationships with one another and what those look like/how they develop after the events of the second game

[chalkrub]

art trade w/ thrak800 on twit - love this fella !