#Trulli Tales

[toonpostzone]

With lightning for hands and eyes that can glow No, no, no, I'm totally kidding!

(My first art in 2024)

[erideights]

Little pieces here and there (1)

Pairing: Buggy x Fem!Reader (One Piece Live Action)

Chapters: two, three, four, five

Word Count: 2,6K (i was inspired by god itself)

Warnings: none, lot of context (i promise the next chapter will have way less filling), light flirting

A/N: I HAVE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT AT LEAST 5 CHAPTERS MORE, I HOPE SOMEONE LIKES THIS FIRST ONE BECAUSE I'M ON MY KNEES FOR THIS DAMN CLOWN. Let me know if you wanna be tagged in other parts! (Side note: i'm spanish, so if there's some mistakes, i'm trully sorry, i don't have beta readers).

It's not enough to suddenly find herself locked in a box with 3 idiots she met a matter of hours ago, no; To make it worse, as it could not be otherwise, it turns out that she is in a bloody circus, ''kidnapped'' by a band of pirates that she recognizes as soon as she sees the red and white tent over their heads, the distressed faces of the poor people that make up the audience, and the costumes of the band around them.

She sighs, and wonders what the hell she's doing there despite knowing perfectly well what kind of decisions have led her to that damned place. Wanna know what happened? Let's recap, shall we?

(Y/N) (S/N). That name doesn't sound familiar, right? Very few know it but the reputation that accompanies the person who responds to it is very famous throughout the 4 seas. She is not a bounty hunter, nor a marine, neither a pirate or a pirate hunter, like the green-haired hottie with whom she finds herself in such trouble, or a thief, like the ginger who she bet, will escape running without looking back at the slightest opportunity she finds.

No, she's a mercenary. She doesn't work solely for money, otherwise she would go against the most bloodthirsty and ruthless of each sea, and that doesn'tt interest her, because she would put herself on the radar of both the pirates and the marines.

No, she is contacted through different channels, none of them direct, and if the job interests her, amuses her, or even piques her curiosity, she accept it. She goes after all kinds of people, whether they are pirates or marines, gangsters at the top of the terror scale or criminals who, like her, tried to keep a low profile.

However, and as we were saying, despite trying to remain anonymous, she is good at her job, a born strategist with an incredible facility to adapt and blend in with her surroundings to sneak into the most remote places, so her existence inevitably began to be noticed along the seas, rumors about this young mercenary with an angelic face, who only responded to her own morals and of whom few escaped to tell the tale.

And this is how she met that group of weirdos who found each others through the power of the plot's convenience; her last assignment was to steal the map from the Grand Line. There are not many, these kept safe and protected in large fortresses throughout the globe, and among all those that she could have tried to steal, she made the horrible decision of going for the one that was closest to her, encountering those three idiots in the crossfire of the disaster that unfolded in Shells Town.

How did she end up giving up the assignment and at that precise moment there, with them?  Simple: Luffy piqued her curiosity. And there are few things stronger than (Y/N)'s curiosity.

"Hey, I know you. I saw your wanted poster in Shells Town, you're the clown guy. Umm, uh… Binky, right?" Luffy exclaimed, as confident of himself as usual.

Buggy, she mentally corrected, arms crossed over her chest, rolling her eyes at the same time the clown corrected loudly and dramatically listed his many nicknames. Which she was sure, only he called himself.

''Wow, you have a lot of names. I bet everyone in the East Blue knows who you are.” The audience gasp. There's confusion in the boy's face, and an almost psychopatic tic in the clown's one. ''What did you just say?'' Buggy asks lowly. ''Just that everyone knows who you are.'' Luffy repeats.

''Nose!? Are you making fun of my nose!?’’

Then came the slap, like the one someone usually gives when a friend is trying to steal their food or touch something they definitely shouldn't. Buggy is killing the straw hat boy with his eyes but the gesture is so… innocent.  She expected threats with knives, to be honest.

And because of the unexpected, she almost let a laugh escape in the form of a cough but she controlled herself fast enough to not grab unnecessary attention to her.

''What's real is...'' Buggy resumes the conversation, getting some distance with Luffy to walk around the rest too.  ’’I’ve been scheming for months to steal that map from old Axe-Hand moron…’’ (Y/N) sees how he approaches her, but she didn't expect him to close the distance between each other so much, his nose almost touching her own, sharp blue eyes fixed on her from a slightly lower perspective. The truth is... that she also doesn't know how to tell if that nose is real or not, but now she really wants to touch it to find out. Dear God, what a realistic texture. It’s incredible.

Pressing her lips together in a contained expression as she shakes her head, she raises an eyebrow, letting him know that the joke wasn't as funny as he hoped, and he clucks, accepting defeat in such good humor that no one would say, that is a kidnapping and someone would end up dead by the end of the day.

She heard of him. His reward was not one of the highest but neither one of those that go unnoticed in the East Blue. He was also an eccentric, of course people talked about the blue-haired, red-nosed clown who terrified his victims in a macabre way. Those who survived ended up traumatized.

He is, or at least looks, younger than she imagined, and he fit right in with the urban legends of evil clowns kidnapping children and then dismembering them. She wonders, silently, thoughtful eyes scanning his face and body language from a distance, if this is some softie on the inside with high aspirations in life who was unfortunate enough to bump into someone who traumatized him and hence all this show and facade of the cruel and heartless clown -to protect himself as the good cliché he seems- or if, on the contrary, he is, simply and plainly, a yandere who craves attention no matter how he has to obtain it.

If she remembers correctly, there was also a rumor that he ate a devil fruit. Just like Luffy, which it doesn't take long for the clown to discover after Zoro tries to save the situation by showing off his reputation -obviously it doesn't work- and Nami does exactly what (Y/N) predicted. Not her fault, either, she doesn't owe any of them anything at all.

''Okay. Here ends the theatrics.’’ The lights go out and it’s then that everyone can small the disaster in the air. A chill runs down the back of (Y/N), who tends to infiltrate without being seen and avoids, whenever possible, a direct encounter; hand-to-hand combat is not exactly his specialty. And given the circumstances is impossible for her to know if the daggers she usually hides in the side of his combat boots -for emergencies like this one- are still there. ''I know one of you has my map, and I'm gonna get it back. What was it you said, Rubber Boy? That it was in a safe place?”

How long were they unconscious before? Enough to hijack the ship, get to land, and move 4 dead weight bodies to that circus, locking them in a box. By that point she would bet some member of the gang would have thoroughly searched the ship, and them too. Disgusting.

Buggy takes a last, attentive look at both Zoro and Nami, ruling out that one of the two has the map because when the girl tried to flee, Luffy was not shocked thinking that perhaps she would steal it from him. Which leaves the two of them, Luffy and her, alone with him.

''So, please'' the clown gestures to his subordinates with his head. ''make these two guests uncomfortable in the green room. I’m gonna have a chat with my stretchy new pal and…’’ His eyes jump to her, tilting his head to the side with genuine curiosity. ''this beauty that was incapable of taking her eyes off me.''

Fuck. Was it that obvious?

''Doll, you are the only one who hasn't opened your mouth yet and I don't think it's because you’re a shy little flower.'' He begins, circling around her like an animal hunting its prey, analyzing it, hoping to see a chink of weakness to attack. ''Are you bored?'' He asks almost in a whisper near her ear. ''Is that it? Are you so, so bored that you don't think it's worth enough interacting with the rest of us?'' Breaking away from her when he realizes she doesn't falter, he smiles a huge, threatening smile, looking her up and down in such a way that it almost makes her feel dirty. "Or maybe you're the one who has my map, and you're quiet to try not to attract /my/ attention."

She? The map? Wearing such tight pants and top? Yeah, maybe up her ass, but she's not the one who is going to tell him otherwise because if he, or one of his subordinates, comes to search her, she could take advantage of the opportunity to steal some sort of weapon from them.

In particular from Buggy; (Y/N) saw the knives he keeps in his coat and… she wouldn't mind taking a closer look at that interesting nose.

"Busted." She finally admits with a lopsided smile, raising both eyebrows when she sees the surprise on the clown's face. He didn't expect such a cocky response, did he? "I'm not the type of person who likes to attract attention, the spotlight is for others who are more... flashy." She pronounces it honeyedly, repeating the same nickname he used before, pointing at him with a gesture of her chin. "However, I'm not going to tell you where the map is. If you want to find it, come and search for it yourself."

Shrugging her shoulders, she stretches out both arms in a gesture that invites him to come closer. Bold, he thinks, more than pleased with this unexpected turn of events, taking some steps in her direction. She adds once more: "although I would be surprised if you hadn't already done it during the time we have been unconscious"

"Me?" He points at himself, stopping right in front of her. "Take advantage of a defenseless young lady?" He almost sounded offended if it wasn't for the shit eating grin and the eager way he was scanning her body now. "What kind of degenerate do you take me for?"

She scoffs, and Buggy, unsure, seems to consider -for some long seconds- whether or not to do the job himself, (Y/N) being too calm for how helpless she seems. But surely, he knows, she doesn't have any weapons on her; his subordinates were in charge, as she said, of searching all of them as soon as they were brought to the circus.

In the end he gives up, because he would be damned if he dared to refuse to thoroughly touch this mysterious woman who may, just may, have his map hidden somewhere. He strongly doubts it, tho.

Soon enough, he moves again, standing then behind her, and without asking permission, he doesn’t need it either, his hands start roaming her shoulders and sides slowly, making sure to feel anything weird between her clothes and the skin underneath. Like the fucking map, folded until it is nothing more than a small piece of paper easy to hide. 

Because that is the whole point of that scene, right?

"Go on, be my guest." she says sarcastically, trying to stay calm and breathe slowly, because (Y/N) likes to pretend to be made of stone, but not /that much/. The pressure of those gloves against her already tight clothes and the hungry way she knows those -green? blue? difficult to say with those circus lights- eyes are watching her every move make her heart beat a bit faster in something she’d call /the average amount of nervousness when a known, wanted pirate search for something we wants while threatening to kill you if he doesn’t find it/.

Buggy, on the other hand, is so engrossed in his task that his usual cocky smile has disappeared a few seconds ago; he is waiting to feel a change in the girl's body language to be able to guess if she has it or if, on the contrary, this search will be saved in his memory as no more than a small pleasurable pause after all the stress that the goddamn map is putting him through. Because he can't deny it, she's actually a beauty, and in other circumstances he wouldn't mind getting to know her in a funnier way. At all.

Inhaling deeply, wetting his red lips with his tongue, he lets the air out slowly, tilting his head to the side to see her better. He should hurry up and stop making that scene as intimate as it's becoming, audience and all, but he's a thorough man. Or that’s the excuse -explanation- he will give to whoever dares to ask.

"Where the hell did you hide my map?" He asks melodiously as he finishes searching her torso, his right hand starting to go a little lower, getting dangerously close to her hipbone when (Y/N)'s right hand flies up and catches his wrist between her fingers, stopping him dead in his tracks. She couldn't help it, she acted on autopilot, she is not ready to be the main character of a porn movie with audience included letting him roaming all around as he pleases. "Not between my legs, so keep lowering your hands and I'll cut them off." she threatens, turning her face to look at him standing behind her.

Right back, as if those words were magical or something, the huge, shit eating smile of his returns to the lips of the unstable clown, and without letting go, he makes her spin, facing her with both hands on her waist, strongly keeping her in place, sharp eyes fixed on her, and without realizing it, she stops breathing for a second. "You promise?" He whispers, pleads almost, in an amused, delighted tone of voice after such a threat. She was way interesting than he expected, not as shy or scared as an unarmed girl like her should be. He likes that. A lot.

However, he has -sadly- things to do and he did in fact, already lost time with her. His eyes betraying him the moment they land on the girl's lips, Buggy winks at her with a cocky expression and pulls away suddenly, raising both arms "Another disappointment, how many more can our audience endure? You’re the only one left, Rubber Boy, don't let me down." He points him, moving closer, while (Y/N) just stays there where he left her, wondering what the fuck just happened and why does her heart run so fast now.

Adrenaline, probably.

"Take her with the others" he ends up saying to a couple of members of his gang, to which she responds by moving on her own in the direction of where they have taken Zoro and Nami before, preventing them from guiding her by force and discovering the knife she stole from Buggy when he got so damn close to her, and which she secretly hid between the waistband of her pants and her shirt.

Risky, she could cut herself with the smallest movement at the least expected moment, but it was way worse to see herself unarmed.

Buggy, infatuated, takes one last look at her and, raising one hand, waves his fingers in the air with a huge smile on his face as he says goodbye to her.

"See you later, love."

[unabashednightmarepizza]

This is so sudden brainrot but imagine... That You, the Creator, are married with one of the Archons.

But the people never really saw You.

Warnings: Too much cheesiness in Venti's and Zhongli's part, only sadness in Ei's part, flangst in Furina's part, "Being human" problems in Furina's and Ei's part, Ei and Scara's "toxic" bond, slight mentions of abondenment, the reader being referred as "wife"

In Mondstadt, much like other nations, people had never seen their Creator. There were many monuments and statues all around their city, and they knew for a fact that there were even more in other ones, and people worshipped your name alongside their Lord Barbatos with pride, gratefulness and love.

The tale of your adventures together, the many battles you both fought side by side and brought their ancestors to victory, the way you both saved Mondstadt from the vengeful God Decarabian and later the corrupt society... But above all, the strong and unbreakable love you held for each other for centuries were told all around the city's lively streets.

Many stories, paintings, books were written in both of your names; told as both a warning and a heartwarming message.

Once, and even occasionally now, they were heard through their murmurs of praise and the Wind you and your beloved controlled.

Alongside that bard's tunes and melodic lyre where he declared his "unyielding and ever-strong love" for the Creator.

Blasphemous, really.

But the people just left him be. After all, if he trully angered You and Lord Barbatos, the bard wouldn't even be standing alive and rather striken down by bolts of thunder rather than being drunk all the time and sing songs about his devoted love for You as he was ready to give his all.

Diluc was trully going to strike him with his own claymore even if his beloved Creator didn't, and he would have the support of the whole city for doing so as the bard only giggled and played with the ring on his finger, one that was adorned with many jewels unknown to humans...

Which made people question Venti whether he robbed someone rich or he had someone rich buying all that stuff.

Basically a sugarmommy or something. One that needs to be either a God or, as absurt as it was, the Creator Themselves since he was living somehow a luxurious life with all those exclamations and all his debt to Master Diluc was suddenly payed.

Because come on,who would... Exclaim such vulgar and intimate things about Their Majesty, when They already have a husband?

The husband who very much so adores and worships the ground his spouse walks on, who is also very horny for Them and regularly makes love with Them which ends with two slightly exhausted but very pleased Gods wearing giddy smiles as giggles leave them, their hands still touching and proding against the other's body... There was a reason A Thousand Winds were important for the nation of freedom-

But, two things were enough for them to reconsider their decisions one day and send them into a heart attack that surely would put them in their grave early.

One: The fact that the Creator, not that they knew at that time, was drinking coffee happily while eating Mondstadt Hash Brown and Nothern Smoked Chicken in the Good Hunter while conversing with people normally as if they enjoyed hearing Diona complain about their alcohol and how bad it was for the health, all the while bouncing a very happy and excited Klee on Their knees as she rambled about her Dodoco.

And Two: Venti running up to that person, you, with a wide grin and kissing you while exclaiming a happy "Windblume, you are here! I missed you so much!"

Now, it wouldn't have been a big problem and shock. You see, it was two lovers happily hugging and greeting each other, exchanging loving kisses and stares as even the hearts of people around them were shook by how intense and strong it was. The elders were cooing at the cute scene, the shorter and petite looking bard hugging a tall and strong-looking person, a show of their contrast yet harmony as the person lovingly patted his head and kissed his soft cheeks like usual...

Had they not known Venti was their Archon Lord Barbatos who was married with... The Creator, like he exclaimed so in many of his drunkard monologues, and suddenly his pretty ring and life made sense as Jean fainted from witnessing the Holy love of her Gods and the truth behind Venti's real marriage to You, Lisa's eyes widened as a blush overtook her face and...

Well, chaos ensured.

"Windblume! You are here!" Venti exclaimed happily with reddened cheeks, both from his excitement and drunk self. You could only sigh softly at the fact that he once again drunk himself away, a tad bit disappointed at hım failing his promise once again even though he made great progress, yet you still caressed his face with lithe fingers as softly as possible with a frown.

And did Venti hate that sight with a burning passion.

All that mattered was you, for him. The You who still loved him despite his mistakes in the past and the hollow feeling that followed hım everywhere. The You who always reassured him that he deserves the happiness he now lives...

And He couldn't be more grateful to have it with you, for you to accept his love all those years ago, way before even humans were created.

And to his happiness, you finally came back after he spent painful years alone since another world needed your assistanfe. Sure he was "sleeping" while he was actually taking care of your daughter, playing with her all day to make up for the lost time and teaching her about the wind but you didn't have to know that!

You sure as hell did, and was getting ready to scold the shit out of him later for allowing and teaching your precious child foul words to insult people Barbatos didn't like.

"Yes, my beloved husband... Unforfunately, one of the universes needed my assistence immediately and another once-water-dragon needed some teaching. Poor boy, judged because he is the reincarnation of the previous Imbibitor Lunae..."

Venti only hummed thoughtfuly as he sat down next to you, twirling a Cecilia between his fingers with a soft smile since the once depressing sight of the flower was now of a happy and joyful sight that reminded him of hope, love and... Babypowder.

But there was also the fact that you had way too many adopted children. He liked your soft heart for children, he really did and he was also the same as you as he too "adopted" kids...

But was it not getting out of hand?

"Another one we're adopting? Don't you think-" he sweated nervously with a tilt of his head, pouting in thought at yet another sad child in his home though he didn't really hate the idea, not at all.

But the havoc caused by all the ruckus caused by them and his precious flower who loved those big brothers and sisters she had was giving him white hairs since he couldn't do something that would erase her cute smile, like getting angry at her and them for having fun and being free. What kind of father and God would he be then?

You saw the reluctance in his eyes as clear as the day, and you understood why he felt that way. At first, you also were reluctant to do what you have been doing for years now but one look at their sad and lifeless eyes that held no childlike wonder...

And you were suddenly hugging them all to your chest, swooping them up and giving them the best life possible.

Besides, you also learnt how to get under Barbatos' skin too!

You pouted at him cutely, getting closer to him and nuzzling your face to his neck teasingly as you landed a soft kiss to the juncture of his neck, softly nimbling on the tender skin as he groaned out and lightly threw his head back.

"You are making me crazy, Windblume..."

"Hmm, but you like it~ Besides, I know you like me happy and this kid also commands Wind-"

"Consider it done,Windblume! I wonder how Cecilia would react though."

Gotcha.

Just as quickly, he fell apart and his fake reluctance was replaced with fatherly affection at having yet another wind user at home to teach new skills as his hand thightened over yours and he stared at you after you lifted yourself from your place on his neck.

You smugly smirked with a hint of affection for his soft side as you kissed his lips softly, leaving him in a daze as he looked at you with a lopsided and lovesick smile.

That was why you loved him so much...

You laughed to yourself happily at how easy it was for him to accept anything and nothing that came from you, especially when it included mistreated children's care who was blessed by the wind.

Besides, he had a really hard time saying no to both you and those he considered as his children who had his vision... His own child wasn't an option because he never said no to her much to your dismay.

"Hmm? She is a lovely and friendly girl, she even befriended Neuvillette and adores when Zhongli tells her stories of the ancient times! I'm sure everything would be fine!"

Venti groaned at what you said, because though Zhongli and him were not on so good terms... It seemed his own daughter stabbed him from the back by liking her uncle Li's stories as much as her dad's and his own wife took great satisfication from making fun of him for it while drinking Osmanthus Wine as if the situation wasn't bad already.

Barbatos was just being dramatic in your opinion since your daughter generally loved reading and listening to other people's stories. Besides, Cecilia had a very big Dvalin plushie alongside the friends that shaped Mondstadt to its recent version, and refused to sleep without having them close to her and if that didn't say enough, her wearing the same clothes as his and even sometimes imitating her father did.

Which often ended up with a bawling Barbatos as he nuzzled to her, her doing the same to hım as they resembled a mama cat and her kitten.

"MAMA, PAPA! MAMA CAME BACK!" A shrill, excited cry came from the Gates as everyone's attention was turned for a second to the little toddler girl who suddenly zoomed to where you and Venti was, clinging onto you and nuzzling her face to yours as you laughed fondly and stared at her with eyes identical to hers that she inherited from you...

The stars that would always follow the Princess and the sign of Teyvat, on her inherited eyes shone the brightest as the people of Mondstadt met their Creator in the most affectionate way possible: Showcasing of the motherly love You held for the baby in your arms as Barbatos walked around the city you two built with the help of your now deceased friends proudly.

Proud for he was able to give Cecilia a future to hope for, a place for her to grow up without knowing the harshness of this world and how much blood was spilled for her and the future generation to grow and flourish, for them to never know tyranny and pain.

And that was also the day, the people of Mondstadt met the Priincess Cecilia of their Creator and Archon.

A lovely toddler who was loved and adored by Teyvat and all the universes.

A toddler that had the same love between her parents reflected in her eyes and smile.

And apparently, a toddler who loved apples as much as her dad, if not more, as the gremlin they were together.

"Cecilia, how many apples have you eaten today?" You raised your brows at her suspiciously innocent face, questioning her enormous pocket which you were sure held many apples for her to eat with her dad.

"Only 3, mama!" She smiled widely at you, unaware of the pocket dimension which seemed huge to the eye of a God, the one you added behind her dress because she loved picking things up and storing them as keepsakes.

"Besides the other 100 ones you have in your pocket dimension??"

A poignant silence settled between the three of you, as cricket sound was the only thing that could be heard. You stared at your daughter whose eyes widened at your question, shocked at how you knew of her secret stash, fondly and amused.

Poor baby, she still couldn't understand that you were the Creator of All and knew pretty much everything.

"...... I can explain, mama!"/ "Windblume, you can't punish her! Look at her cute face, and how adorable she is while holding the apples!"

And yes, indeed, you couldn't punish them because of how much you loved them both as Cecilia offered you two apples rather than one like she did to her dad, who only smiled and nodded as she said she loved you so so much, while you two walked out of the city to go and visit uncle Dvalin and you only shook your head in fake disappointment at he silliness of both your husband and daughter.

He agreed on that fact of Cecilia without complaints as he stared at your etheral smile. After all, Mondstadt was the epitome of his love for You.

Even if you didn't allow him to eat more apples-Besides, the artival of a New Princess would surely be rnough for hım.

With Liyue, it was way different.

Morax, or Zhongli as he now called himself, had begged you to take some days off with himself away in your lovely and cozy home on the outskirts of Liyue, away from the bustling crowd so that both him and your daughter could freely let go of their human appearance and waffle around with their dragon features.

A big contrast to the home he once had as Rex Lapis.

Now, there were two reasons for him wanting you have some rest. One, because he missed you. He missed those good old times when he would always sit with you in your balcony and watch the sun as his black and scaled hands clasped around your middle with your back resting on his chest, inhaling and exhaling softly to which he did the same.

He missed the days he got to spend with you as himself, not the human one but the true him. The dragon him, with amber horns that shone with each light hitting them. Tail so large and big yet also soft that it was a great blanket for you and Zhi.

His little girl, the one who showed the world of the love shared between the Creator and Rex Lapis, the fruit of thousands of years of love and marriage which was fated to continue to grow and get stronger.

You insisted that, at the time when you were pregnant upon your stubborness because you wished to experience it rather than just creating your child out of wisp, whatever gender the baby would be... They would be named after him.

He disagreed on that at first, to his and your shock since he never did such thing before even when his ideas and yours were completely opposite of each other.

To him, he was a monster that shed way too much blood. A God of War that killed many Gods, a God that was too harsh and even rude sometimes... Once a sinner that dared to challenge the Allmighty Creator of All.

And for all these reasons and more complicated ones, he always felt unworthy of the happiness and serenity he now has. He felt the guilt of his past actions often pricking at his mind at the deep of the night, all the screams and tears he made others let out plagued his already fragile mind as the others surrendered to the sweet embrace of sleep and he laid awake beside you, who only wished to take his pain and self-loathing away so that he could finally start living.

But for the longest time, you were unable to make him see the beauty of life and above all, himself.

However his little Zhi changed it all for him, with her fat cheeks and chubby arms and all smiles at him even when she hadn't opened her eyes to the worlds that waited with batted breaths yet.

Both Teyvat and that time's Liyue were so excited at the news of their Archon and Creator having their own child, true embodiment of love and power. Teyvat was sunny and shiny for days, and even if it rained, it was always a soft drizzle and never a hurricane.

And your people? They were so ecstatic as the city bubbled with life and happiness, with everyone preparing offerings, clothes, jewelries and toys for the uncoming heir. Rex Lapis toys, story books about you and your husband's adventure, teething toys (you didn't understand at first but now blessed the makers eternal happiness in the after life for it because boy, was it bad), you name it and the list went off.

As if all the gifts stopped there... All the Adeptus and even the level-headed Guizhong literally raced to be the baby's favourite auntie/uncle with the gifts or clothes or their plans of playing with them while you sat there next to your husband with an awkward smile, him stroking your bloated belly with a fatherly love as the baby kicked his hand happily, knowing it was the sweet hold of its dad...

All the while Alatus and Bosacius butted heads for what food and game were the best for the baby, Guizhong and Streetward Rambler sketched new toys while Menogias and Cloud Retainer already started their clothing plans to sew for later.

And the baby wasn't even born.

He still remembers the days he spent silently crying while holding one of the toys which was gifted from his people for his baby after it was declared that their nation would be blessed with a child of their Archon and Creator, holding onto the doll and imagined a daughter who played with it with a huge smile.

He knew any child of a loving marriage such as yours would be a blessing, especially since they would have your lovely features that he fell for a long time ago and still did, too. But his heart couldn't help but swell whenever he thought about having daughters who looked at him as if he hung the stars and tried to imitate you.

And no, his dragon instincts weren't playing a crucial role in his sudden need of many children and the thightness he felt in his pants whenever he saw you, his wife, walking around with a child between your arms in his and your land, with his wedding band that he crafted on your finger-

Yes, he wanted a girl to cuddle with and dote on so badly- even when most "men" only wished to have sons at an age when it was the expected behaviour and Zhongli never fit in, being "ridiculed" for his wish for an healthy child only, even if ridiculing him wasn't possible since he had a very sharp tongue when he wanted and he didn't care about fitting when he was the one who made the land, being the dad of his little girl was the greatest honorary title he ever .

And when little Zhi was born, with eyes wide with curiousity and wonder for the world around her, a smile wide enough to lighten up the whole universe as she gazed between you and her dad who was just sobbing at the innocence on her face and the cute baby fat all around her body as he held his whole life between his arms...

Morax made the biggest and most important contract of forever, after his promise to forever love and cherish you.

To always be there for his girl and protect her from any harm, so that the smile she wore the first day she was welcomed in Teyvat as it rejoiced at the arrival of the little princess, would forever remain on her face.

And the second reason was... Well...

"Let me get this straight: You wanted to retire for good and therefore faked your own death, are now a funeral consultant who happens to have met with one of my vessels from another world and all of this mess happened right before Zhi started showing her dragon side and saw her dad 'dying'?"

You deadpanned at Zhongli as he winced awkwardly from the loud cries of his precious baby daughter who clinged onto your legs, drawing slight Holy Golden Blood that belongt to you. He felt like the filthiest lower form on the surface of Teyvat as tears fell down her cheeks in huge globs, her whimpers filling the empty room as the sky roared angrily outside with its harsh wisps of storm and rain hitting the windows as if they wanted to get inside and punish him for making "the Princess of Teyvat" cry as the people outside tried to find a shelter.

And was the ground shaking or was it his imagination?

Even though her claws hurted your human skin and caused you to hiss in pain, you couldn't care less since your daughter was the most uncomfortable she had ever been, with her cheeks wet from the tears for her "father's death"...

Even with the cute little horns and claws, alongside the huge slitted amber eyes she definetly inherited from her father that you loved more than anything made her impossible to resist, you were still angry at Zhongli and neither her nor his puppy eyes would work on you.

"I understand your need for rest but we need more than a vacation now, Morax! We need therapy! She thinks you're gone and-" you frailed your arms around angrily while pointing between her and him, when you were interrupted by your daughter's soft voice and hiccups.

"Māma? Bàba is gone? He won't c-come?" Zhi whimpered as she clutched the plushie of the dragon form of her dad thightly to her chest, the item being her only comfort at the moment as your heart broke for the tears falling down her amber eyes as stars dimmed inside of them.

Heh, at least she has that feature from me even though she is a replica of her dad...

"No, love... Bàba isn't gone, he is just being silly." You gritted your teeth slightly to Zhongli as you led Zhi away while looking over your shoulder at him threateningly.

A glare that sent chills down his spine, as Zhongli knew the hidden meaning behind it even after thousands of years being together

You better find a way to fix this or else...

And you know what they say: Happy wife, happy life.

And in Zhongli's case: Happy wife, happy child and happy universes...

With Fontaine, it was after Focalors' plans were revealed to the people and Fontaine was saved with Your and Focalors' combined powers and help. The people lived, the children and friends you had made were safe and all of them were alive as they hugged the closest person to them happily, praising your and Focalors name as they prayed and thanked you both...

At the cost of your lover's life.

You humorlessly chuckle as rain falls down your face and mixes with your tears, head hung low on the last stage you two could ever have as the heaviness of the situation slowly dawned on you.

It seems loosing who I love the most is a frequent occurance.

Now, one might question why the All-Creator wasn't just simply bringing her lover back to life or just not will her death to stop. As the Creator, you were supposed to be that powerful and nothing should disobey you... Well, they were all true facts about your being but you couldn't just do it because you promised her.

After everything was over, and the time you dreaded which was the end of this masqurade had finally come... She said she was just too exhausted to continue as an Archon beside you and asked if it was allright to rest.

Maybe as any other person would do, but not as an Archon... She couldn't keep going anymore.

Besides, Fontaine no longer needed an Archon. They were strong on their own as well, and she knew that if Celestia dared to go against your command once more... You would protect them and the rest of the Teyvat fiercely.

"I wish to rest, my dear... If you will be allright without me and there wouldn't be a problem?" She asked softly with her much smaller hands gently caressing your saddened face, wiping the few stray tears that fell down on your cheeks. Your heart hurt way too much, at how easy it was for her to recognize your tears from the heavy rain that poured down, at how soon enough... You would loose the person that knew you the best, always stood next to you at harsh times and put a smile on your face with her antics.

Teyvat cried alongside you for the pain their Creator felt as the guillotine that would take her away from you floated above you.

It was ready to destroy itself if you commanded, that magicial execution weapon didn't like the idea of killing its Archon and the beloved of the Creator, even though you weren't at your full power...Any being, alive or not, bent the knee to you after all but, if there was something stronger than the Will of the Creator...

It was the wish of Her lover, whom She was ready to do anything for and who wished to depart with an excellent last show.

After all, how could you resist her when she asks you so sweetly with her loving and different-colored eyes?

"Then, as your lover... I shall make your wish come true. You may rest, my love, until your soul is ready to come back to the world I created with so much love." You tearfully exclaimed, hands coming up to take a hold of hers as your lips locked with her own and then landed on her forehead tenderly for the last time. As the fact that this was the last time you would stare at her eyes, witness her dramatic plays, see your reflection in her eyes filled with love for you finally dawned on...

You silently broke.

You had this much of previlege, right? Who said the Creator couldn't grieve? Maybe you couldn't outwardly show weakness to your people, but at least you had Teyvat reflecting your true emotions...

But just as you were suffering, there was another one who had been suffering for 500 years in silence. From having to pretend as someone she wasn't, putting on the mask of the strong Archon who did her best to entertain her people so that they weren't worried about the prophecy...

But above all, from pretending not to be in love with the one person she wasn't supposed to fall for.

"I have loved you for this cruel 500 years, Your Grace. Even when I knew your heart belongt to another, one that I pretended to be for many years in hopes to have you..." she hung her head down in shame and sadness as she whispered to the wind, unaware of you listening to her with a thight heart as she stood on the balcony that looked at the horizon of Fontaine.

Though a part of you still loved Egeria and Focalors, grieved their death and often refused any exclamations of your obvious love for the "puppet" version of her...

Now, you couldn't help but agree with everyone and even Focalors, as you stared at Furina's back with a saddened yet soft smile.

"No, I don't have feelings for her, Focalors!" You denied her obvious teasing, although she raised a brow at your flushed face with a smirk.

"It's okay to have feelings for two people at the same time, love! Even more so when It's you, the All-Creator!"

"Focalors!" You bursted out with a hand clutching your chest in embarrasment, dress flowing behind you with each movement as you ran away from her teasing remarks as she laughed at your misery which put a smile on your face even when your body said otherwise.

What a good melody it was as her light laugh resonated in your Chambers...

"What? I'm sure there are others who wish to be your consort so badly!" She rolled over on your bed, laying on her stomach as her feet kicked back and forth happily, her fingers twirling her hair as she gazed at your back, biting her lips but mind actually busy with... This new revelation.

Focalors had always been a different kind. When all the other Archons were either greedy or keen on fighting, she loved scheming her plans and watching in silence from the shadows. That way, most thought of her to be powerless and not strong enough to be an Archon... Unaware of the fact that sometimes brains was much stronger than brawn and they were being imbeciles by not noticing this.

And that fact was what attracted you to her in the first place, eventually resulting with a happy and Holy unity of two person in love much to Focalors enjoyment as she rubbed it on her fellow Archons' face.

But in this new case, although she was surprised by the turn of events, she was fine with sharing You... With her humane prototype Furina.

Someone she was very fond of, even though she was created to act like the Hydro Archon herself... Someone Focalors was proud to create who was slowly becoming what she always aspired Furina to be.

Human.

"Alright, fine! I get it! So what if I have feelings for her? It's not like-"

"You should confess to her."

You still remembered how Focalors smiled softly at that time, no hatred or dislike or even jeaolusy evident on her face as she encouraged you to follow your heart, knowing the truth behind your protective stance concerning your feelings for Furina.

She knew how this plan would end, deceiving the rogue Heavenly Principles never came without a price... And she didn't want you to be alone when it happened, didn't want your kind heart to harden with grief and loneliness.

Furina would be much better of a wife for you, than Focalors could ever be. After all, what kind of wife would give up on her own spouse just when they would have their happily ever after?

At that time, such absurdity repulsed you.

You, having feelings for another? Yet alone someone who was created to deceive your traitor of a first creation Celestia?

Ridiculous.

Not that you thought of her to be ridiculous because she was obviously adorable whenever a new human invention or music excited her and she came to you, begging you to accompany her so that she could understand humans better since you were the one who created such complex yet intriguing beings.

And definetly not that you decided that blue suited her well, when you introduced her to new clothings that complemented her in the best way possible.

"Now, I see that I could never be that... If only true love was enough..."

But poor Furina, now completely human and free, didn't know about any of this. She still was a prisoner in her own cruel mind which yelled self-deprecating and harsh words to her, mocking her for falling for her God.

It wasn't even her intention to be created that way. She didn't mean to fall for your kindness and unconditional love, not when she knew she received them because she was created to replace your lover as the Archon of Fontaine. She knew you only spent time with her because Focalors probably asked you to, because you and her had to get along well for the next 500 years as Focalors remained in shadows for the plan you two made to work.

She knew she would be thrown aside as soon as her part of the play was over...

Yet, her heart still beated hard whenever your eyes found hers and she held onto your hand at times she was afraid.

She still fell for you hopelessly whenever you patiently watched and listened to her plays and antics, and even cracked a smile whenever she forgot what she was supposed to say.

And whenever she saw that smile and hear that laugh, it was like she had become more human as more time she spent in your presence.

But defeated she was, she knew it was impossible to have you for real. At least now that she lost all of the godly power she held and Fontaine was safe from the evil clutches of Celestia as you prepared to go and face Them.

Your Shades.

But, as the once-God-of-Justice... She was wrong about one thing, one thing you felt guilty about: The fact that she thought of herself to be unworthy of You, when it was possibly the other way around.

Indeed, if only she knew the truth... That You held her at the highest position in your heart, which had been the case for 500 years unknown to both you and her.

"I doubt she is strong enough for all these, Focalors... However, such fragile thing yet even if she faces many hardships, she is perfectly human." You idly traced patterns on her arm as she laid next to you in your realm, humming quietly while she relaxed back onto you. You couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her kitten-like behaviour, nuzzling to you while you inhaled her flowery scent...

Though your thoughts were cut short when another set of heterochromatic eyes came to your mind, the same color as the one between your arms... But more humane, more expressive... One that made you fall in love and gaze at for a long time as the sun framed her face in the most ethereal way...

You froze when you realized an affectionate smile lifted your lips up, shaking your head as your heart started to pick up. Suddenly, her excited smile whenever you brought another set of sweets from another world for her to try, or the rare curious and not teasing stare while she munched on food as she listened to what you said with passionate eyes, as if she wished to hear more of you, be in your presence more...

Or that one time when she was just so close for you to lean down and capture her lips-

And the woman next to you heard the exact moment you realized your feelings in your heart.

As if she knew your inner thoughts, she slowly rose up and stared down at your thoughtful eyes with loving ones as her hand caressed your cheeks, making you close your eyes in peace with the calming sound of water almost lulling you to sleep. "Is she weak in your eyes for it?"

Focalors was an Archon, blessed with just a tiny part of your power, but she was able to see right through you. She knew you had been harbouring some kind of... Attraction towards a certain eccentric one that was also too bad at hiding her own feelings as she quite literally hung off of you every chance she got, much to her amusement.

What was even funnier was the fact that you too, though the Creator, were quite bad at hiding your feelings as well and if she needed to be the one to step up and make you realize them soon, Focalors was going to make it come true in one way or another.

"She simply... Amazes me with the strength of her will." you stopped to ponder for an answer for the best words to describe your thoughts, without showing much of your raging emotions. It wasn't a lie after all, the way she sacrificed herself for her people simply amazed you and made your affections grow for the girl. Knowing this, Focalors only giggled knowingly as you rolled your eyes at her when a question whose answer was very obvious and tenderly uttered by you, left her lips.

"And what would you do if all of this ends one day?"

"I'd still be there for her until the end of time..."

"I know you're listening, Your Grace..."

You chuckled under your breath at how she still held some powers of her, though you weren't surprised since she was the secret beloved of the Creator and therefore, the world still blessed her with powers; as you stepped away from your place in the shadows, heels slowly clicking against the marble floor. You soon came to a stop next to her, looking at the rejoicing people of Fontaine who were praying to and thanking both her and You, staring at the horizon together.

Dreading what needed to be said, even if the harsh truth would break her heart, as you looked at her from the side.

"I loved and still love Focalors, Furina."

She sniffled, nodding her head in understanding. She already knew that and prepared herself for the rejection she would have to face. She was happy that her people was safe and happy, that the prophecy didn't happen and destroy her nation...

But, did she not deserve happiness too? Didn't she shed enough tears silently by herself? She didn't even know what she was supposed to do with her new life given to her, a free life for her to enjoy and do as she liked...

With the person she loved the most.

Your heart twisted painfully at her crystal eyes glossing over, which made you question yourself for a second if that was the right way to confess. You were so sure Focalors was laughing her ass off at one point up there, watching this comedic scene quite amused but right now, you needed to take a step to both of your's happiness and make things right as you took a hold of her hand that stood next to her side idly and sighed.

Here we go...

"But I also love you." She whipped her head as soon as she processed your words, eyes immediately focusing on your form that was just a few feet away from her. Her eyes noticed you wearing the Hydro Sigil Necklace she specifically gifted you with, different colored blue hues mixing together in harmony as the stars of Teyvat complemented your face alongside that necklace that shone with the light of a new day in the most perfect way.

The necklace which was the proof of her first doing as Furina and not the Hydro Archon, without any saying from Focalors.

"Y-Your Grace? W-What does it-"

"Did you really think I didn't know the truth about your and Focalors plan? I was the one who suggested it and she was the one who progressed it!.. It seems I truly have a weakness when it comes to Hydro girls!" You joyfully exclaim with a giggle, watching as her face turned pale before a deep crimson took over. Her mind turned to literal mush, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events.

Was this one of her wild dreams where she was just... happy with you? No consequences?

But no, this was very much so real as she looked down at your joined hands together and stared into your eyes.

" You have always wanted to have someone listen to your struggles, your pain and burdens, right?" Furina couldn't help the squeak that left her, hurriedly nodding her head as she allowed her tears to fall freely after your next words, hugging you thightly as her tears soaked your gown.

"After years of watching you grow in yourself as the woman who loves all kind of sweets and a knack for being dramatic... The innocent human who endured everything we have planned, unfortunately... I can't help but confess that I had fallen deeply for you."

"Therefore, I shall be that person. Forever, if you wish?" You gracefully took a hold of her slender and smaller hands, finger tips caressing her smooth and soft skin as if it was a fine china. Her heart, now human heart that was free of its shackles, swelled with love with each stroke your hands did.

And her heart caved in, her tears falling down on her cheeks and down to your palm gracefully as she gave a sincere smile amidst her own pain and relief, a smile of the happiness she was starting to have.

"I... That would be a great happiness, Your Grace." You chuckled affectionately, stroking her cheek with the tip of your finger as you landed a kiss on her forehead.

"None of that now... Y/N would do just fine." She beamed visibly at you and nodded, looking at the people below with a new kind of hope blooming inside her chest.

Maybe things would be better from now on?

"By the way, short hair really suits you well, love." You cheekily exclaimed with arms around her waist, hugging her from behind as you stared at the redness coating her cheeks.

Oh, yes... Everything would definetly be better for good.

With Inazuma, things weren't so good unforfunately because of the tense and rocky relationship You and Ei had.

When you had to go on a long work trip where you were to see from close how other universes were doing, not seeing your innocent and loving son with your wife wasn't on your "Top Ten Things to See When I Return" list.

Neither seeing the hunted Visions on your Statue was, as your children were in pain, crying and begging for you to come back and kneeling in front of...

"What's the meaning of this, Ei?"

When the citizens of Inazuma heard their Creator's voice as warmth and comfort engulfed them and freed them from the shackles that kept them bound to the ground, they failed to notice the edge in your tone or rather chose to ignore it.

The angry, scared yet disappointed edge as Teyvat rumbled beneath the feet of people and sky roared above them... All the while Ei stood in front of your shrine with an unreadable and cold face.

This, wasn't Ei... This couldn't be the woman you loved and had a child with...

Child... Baby... Son... Kunikuzushi...

Your eyes widened in fear for your little son, as there was no sight of him and you couldn't feel his presence in the city anymore. Panic overtook your face, heart dropping to your stomach at the possibility of Ei doing something she would regret later and guilt filling your every part at not being more mindful of how she was before you left.

It couldn't have been that bad, enough for her to do something stupid to him... Right?

Damn, you never imagined her hurting Kunikuzushi... She always seemed so loving and affectionate with him, perhaps she was a good actor.

"Ei, where is my Kuni? Where is my son?"

Ei continued to stare at your face as you begged her for answers desperately. Though it was another puppet of her, you could always sense and feel Ei in her and right now, you knew that behind the cold and irritating stare...

She, too, was breaking apart.

But surprisingly enough... You didn't care much about it, your only concern right now was your son. You didn't care that you referred to him as only your son and not hers.

She lost that previlege a long time ago, it seemed.

"He was too human..."

And that was enough to tell you what Ei had done.

You staggered back with a sob, eyes filling with scorching tears as your heart suddenly stopped from the spikes threatening to tear you apart. Even as a God, you weren't pain-proof and at that moment, you wished nothing more than not being able to feel that crashing pain.

Your hand instinctively went up to the necklace your baby son gifted you after a merchant saw him looking at it with huge amazement. Now, the old lady wasn't a fool as to not know who the boy that held stars in his wide and innocent purple eyes was.

Many even wondered where that kindness,sweetness and innocence came from when their Archon was usually... Aloof.

But they agreed that it must have come from you, his other parent and the one he loved and clinged on the most... The Creator that created the worlds with utmost love, selflessnes and kindness unmatched.

And they were right, as Kunikuzushi pointed to the purple and dark blue pendant with a loud coo and wide smile as his cheeks-still filled with baby fat- was reddened by the weather made him look even more cute and made the passerby's eyes fill with tears at the cute display, he kindly asked how much he needed to have the necklace for his mama. Some clenched their hands in cuteness agression, wanting to hug the baby thightly and pinch his cheeks...

But they knew they would be striken down by the Shogun if they did it... Though some still dared to pat his purple tufts of hair, knowing that their Creator never minded and rather loved the affection Their people gave to Their son, the Prince of Teyvat.

"I bough' fo' you, mama! How does it looks?" Kunikuzushi innocently asked as Ei and you looked at the toddling baby fondly who showed his newest treasure proudly with a shy smile, yet a bit insecure since he took a look at the many jewelries you had at home and thought you wouldn't like his gift.

You tenderly smiled from your position on the bed with hugging Ei and let him plop down on your lap, nuzzling to your chest like a kitten as he stared up at you with fullblown eyes, especting an answer from you with his little heart pounding in his chest excitedly.

He only got a tearful smile and a heart filled with unconditional love for him.

"Perfect, my lovely Kuni... Mama loves you so much... So, so much..." You hugged your son thightly to yourself, your heart constricting painfully for some unknown reason as if something bad was bound to happen...

But you foolishly didn't listen to your heart that told you to take a good look at your wife, who looked at the smiling toddler on your lap with somewhat sudden, cold eyes...

Though both of you shared the same parental love for the boy, unforfunately for you and Kunikuzushi... Ei had more plans for him and therefore wanted him to be perfect for it but his humanity was making him unperfect, whereas he was already perfect in your eyes for his humanity...

For his love and wonder for the world around him, his love for you in the most simple act you did... Fear for the unknown but feeling still safe because he knew his mama would be there to protect him from any bad guys and danger! You did it many times with the treasure hoarders, or the Hilichurls and assassins!

So, where were you? Why did you not come when he needed you, called for you, cried for you to save him from this so-called Doctor? Did you too abandon him because he made you upset?

In the end, you failed Kunikuzushi... You failed in every possible thing about him when you couldn't protect him from his own mother, the one who should have loved him and did everything in her power to keep him happy and smiling wide.

You failed at noticing Ei not being in her right mind and at being there for your family.

And now, you all were paying the price.

"And that is why he was perfect... I guess, just not for you." you gritted out angrily as you too pulled your sword out at the same time as she did, not seeing the tears that shone on her porcelain skin and regret for what she had done all those years ago washing over her.

Your disappointed face right before she scumbed to your power and will was only the cherry on top, as she kneeled on both knees in front of you, her hand discarding the katana that slained many living beings as her whole life slowly was torn apart by none other than her destructive hands and doings.

"I trusted the mother of my son... Just for you to abandon him and make him also believe I abandoned him too in this already painful life... Because I thought no harm would ever come to him, least I thought it would be from my own wife."

It seemed that your Ei had become someone else, and she held no value to neither your son who was the happy outcome of your marriage with her, nor You anymore... And even if she cried tears of river, she would never be able to convince you otherwise.

"I will find him and beg for his forgiveness..." you muttered weakly before you turned your back to her for good, at least until things calmed down, as you descended down on the shrine that once witnessed both your union and also the creation of your son...

And now, your departure.

"My love..." Ei weakly mumbled from behind you, finally realizing the severity of what she had done and now, lost... as your emotionless eyes found hers from below the stairs, dress dancing through the wind as if to mock her for her mistakes and failures, she understood that maybe it was her fault.

First her sister, then her friends, then her son and now... You.

The one she always loved from the beginning and swore herself to for Eternity...

She ruined everything, every good thing that ever happened to her because she was either late or didn't see the true value of those in her life...

Like the family you two had created, what should have been a new purpose and a second chance for her was now only another regret in her list of numerous mistakes.

"I'm not going to let him walk down on this path alone... Goodbye for now, Ei." you willed yourself not to look at her shivering form, you knew you couldn't take the sight in. Though you acted cold right now, a part of you still loved her deeply. That part still yearned for her and her heart that she insisted she buried a long time ago, that part still wished to see the small smile as you gifted her with yet another treat and kissed all over her face, later showing how much you truly loved her...

They all seemed so far away now, all those happy days were long gone...

Neither you nor her turned back to take one look at the other as she too retreated back to her Plane of Euthymia, or thought back to the abandoned dreams you both had as all the good memories suddenly started to fade away and you disappeared in front of her eyes to find your son, as you made it clear, and she didn't hold any grudges for the way you angrily spitted out for she too, felt ashamed for what she had done.

And perhaps you both always walked on different paths from the beginning...

She, to a path of Eternity in which she lost herself.

And You, to a path of mending whatever was left of your family and hoping to find your son.

[shady-tavern]

Preview for "Kindness is Undoing" the October Short Story

Once upon a time, there lived a young girl who had a braggart for a father. It was well known by everyone in town that his tales were greatly exaggerated and while many enjoyed listening to them, they knew better than to believe him.

His daughter grew up with such fantastic tales as well. Grand tales on how her father had once saved a lord and then given the reward away to a beggar. They didn't have much themselves, not with how much time her father spent at the tavern night after night, but a beggar would have had even less she thought, so what her father had done was very kind and selfless.

As she grew she understood that none of her father's stories were true, that he was more likely to pocket the coin a beggar lost and drink it away than return it. He was only generous where others could see and only if it benefited him in some way.

"Don't feed the strays," her father told her when he saw her toss out leftovers that he refused to eat. "They'll only come back for more."

The strays did return, so the young woman only fed them when her father wasn't around, sneaking them dry, hard crusts of bread, bits of cheese and vegetables and leftover bones. Whatever she could set aside for the animals she gave them.

One day there was a very ragged looking bird. Only, it wasn't a bird at all, but perhaps the shoddiest glamour in existence. It was a fae, who was trying and failing to blend in. The young woman felt somewhat amused, though she also remained polite and cautious.

She fed the bird like she would have fed the others and it left behind a little wriggling worm made of gold. She put it into the garden, feeling befuddled about what she was meant to do with a golden worm. It was alive, clearly, and she felt sorry for the helpless little thing.

The bird certainly squawked for quite a while when it noticed what she had done, though strangely enough, she got the impression that it was glad rather than upset.

In return, the food she grew in the garden in front of their small house was always plentiful, the plants healthy and strong. Her neighbors complimented her and every bit of food she shared with them made them light up, the vegetables and fruit tasting downright divine.

"My daughter can turn even rotten food into a feast," her father bragged and where, previously, the other folk in the tavern had smiled at his exaggerated boasting, this time a few exchanged glances.

While they didn't think his daughter had the sort of magic needed to undo the rot of time, they still thought that there was something special to her food. The young woman was none the wiser, for she stayed away from the tavern, tending to the garden and her job with the seamstress.

The fae bird however seemed to have vanished, leaving only regular birds behind. Or, so she thought. 

The next time she ran into the fae winter had arrived and he was among the stray cats meowing in front of her door. He once again looked like a trully ragged version of an animal, a clear shimmer of glamour coating his scraggly fur. 

It was certainly befuddling, but she let him into the house just like the other cats to curl up in front of the fire to stay warm and she set down bowls of fish that a neighbor had traded her for some of her jam, made from the berries grown in her garden. 

There was more fish than she could eat and for lack of storing and salting options, she offered them gladly to the animals.

Winter was a rough time for everyone and her father loved to stay out until late at night and often enough he didn't come home at all, sleeping in front of the fire in the tavern along with the other local drunks, so she had the house all to herself.

She put out blankets and pillows for the cats and in the morning, the ragged cat left behind a fish that shimmered and glittered like it was made out of jewels more beautiful than even royalty owned. 

She hurriedly scooped the fish up to drop it into a bucket she hastily filled with water. Unsure what she was meant to do with a fish of all things, she got dressed, carefully covered the bucket and tucked it under her coat to keep it warm enough as she shuffled out into the cold and snow.

It was a bit of a journey to the nearby lake and she was out of breath and covered in sweat by the time she had hacked a big enough hole into the ice to let the fish slide into the lake.

It immediately brightened further, shimmering so beautiful it stole her breath away and it swam circled just below the surface, where it would have been easy for her to scoop it back up.

She found herself smiling at the joy of the fish and when she stepped back, it vanished into the depths of the lake with one last glimmer. Smiling, glad that the fish had a chance of survival, she truged back home, seeing the fae cat on her way back.

It was hard to read the expression of an animal that wasn't an animal at all, but there was something thoughtful to it. She bowed politely and after a moment the cat blinked and and dipped its head back at her.

It vanished between one moment and the next, turning to breezes that blew away.

The fae cat did not show up again and winter passed. Even before the last snow passed her plants already poked out of the earth, determined and hardy. They grew first out of all the other plants and they grew faster and stronger as well.

On her way to work at the seamstress' house, the young woman passed by the lake and each time the fish as there, bigger now than it had been before, glimmering and well fed. And each time she walked back from work by with things she had made folded in her satchel, the cotton and linen turned to silk, the simple embroidery thread becoming gold and silver.

The young woman never brought anything she made to the fish, she knew better than to demand magic that wasn't freely given. Besides, it was more than enough already. She never went hungry, her neighbors often trading the best parts of their own meals and hunting with her for her berries and fruit and vegetables.

The fine clothing she traded away for other things and soon the roof of the small house she and her father lived in was properly thatched, the chimney free of chinks and her cupboards filled with honey and candles and herbs and spices.

Even traders began to stop by their small town to ask for some of her garden produce or if she had recently made anything she was willing to part with.

She caught glimpses of the fae from time to time, either as a ragged bird or a scraggly cat and she always bowed a little and left food out for it. The fae seemed puzzled and soon she had company as she worked in the garden or as she weaved bolts of cloth, sewing them into whatever was needed once she was done and bringing the rest to the seamstress.

It was quiet, pleasant company and for all that she knew to be wary of the fae, this one seemed strange. Once or twice she wondered if this was all the fae could do, if it could only exist as a bird or cat and nothing else. Not everything magical was powerful, after all.

She didn't mind, nor did she particularly care if her strange friend was special, she liked them well enough and told them so on one occassion.

The cat blinked and then curled up and fell asleep on the same patchwork pillow that it had claimed in winter. The young woman smiled and kept sewing. And if the cotton turned to silk under her hands and the dyed linen thread to gold, she only noticed so when she was done.

Her father was incredibly proud, boasting that his girl could turn rough, unspun wool into silk and fraying linen thread into gleaming embroidery. That she had turned all the copper in their household into gold.

The other patrons exchanged glances and for all his exaggerated boasting they did wonder how the girl got her hands on so many wonderful things. She did not seem to be a thief, for no one in town was so rich as to own silk clothing and no one's gardens were as good as hers.

It happened then that a lord passed through their town on his journey back home and he overheard the father's boasting as he ate his fill in the tavern. The lord was young and handsome and rich, but hearing the father's boasting woke something greedy and callous and mean within him.

What a brazen thing, the lord thought, of a fool to boast of such magical things. But oh, if it was true, what a treasure he would have found in this backwater town. If it was true, he deserved to have it. If it wasn't, he'd make sure to put a liar in his place.

"I will take her to my castle in the morning," he demanded as he rose, startling the tavern silent. "Three days she has to turn my rotten food into a feast, my linen into silk and my copper into gold."

The father, for just a moment, wished to protest, but there was nothing he could do after his loud bragging than oblige. Even if he hadn't bragged, no one was allowed to deny the young lord anything. He was the most favored nephew of the king and after the death of the king's son he was next in line. One day the throne would be his and his power and influence was great.

"I will send her come dawn," the father said, resigned and nervous. 

The young lord smiled and said, "No, I will have her fetched by one of mine to ensure she really comes." He snapped his fingers and one of his knights stepped away. The lord dipped his head in a mockery of politeness before he left to retire for the night, feeling quite satisfied with himself.

*.*.*

The full story will go live on October the first on my patreon and ko-fi! Thank you all so much for your incredible support, be it memberships, kudos or reblogs and comments! You all make it a joy to share my writing with you.

If you wish to check out more of my writing, feel free to head over to my masterpost!

[streets-in-paradise]

Stained - Thor x (Fem)Servant!Reader

Requested by @thorsslxve

" 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐥𝐥𝐥𝐥, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐥!!! 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤-𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫 (𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟) 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 (𝐥𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭) 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐡....𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐢𝐟 𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐓𝐲𝐲𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐰𝐚𝐡 𝐦𝐰𝐚𝐡𝐡♥️♥️"

Sure, dear! It's kinda out of my comfort zone, but I tried my best. I used this as a prompt inspiring the whole thing. Hope you will enjoy this 😊

Warnings: Dark(ish) Thor expressing enjoyment on corrupting the reader, sexual harassment. His advances are not absolutely unwanted, but the power imbalance between servant and master puts the reader in a hard situation regarding her agency on how things play out.

Summary: Another triumph of Asgard leaves the servants overworked in the preparation of a feast. While most of your kind is occupied in the preparatives, your are send to attend the prince in his post battle bath.

Despite you intend to simply fullfill your task, he seems to have other plans in mind.

Note: Since the requester asked for a dark version of tdw thor, this differs from his canon characterzation in that movie, resembling a bit more to his pre 2011 self.

Thor had returned victorious from one more battle, bringing order to the Nine Realms inmersed into chaos since the destruction of the Bifrost. Asgard was preparing for celebrations and the feasts in the palace required an insane amount of work given the usual magnitude. Even without the macabre jokes of Loki, servants still had to stand a lot from the demmanding nobility attending the gathering.Smashed cups, countless refills and their arrogant attitudes boosted by the effect of their drinking was the easiest of it.

Sometimes, asisting them in their personal preparatives was a hassle. The freshly arrived champion stained of war needed his bath to be prepared and a small court of servant maidens were required for the task. Not always he needed so for practical reasons, but Prince Thor enjoyed himself with the reactions obtained from the sight of him among them. The shyer, the better, his glory increasing with their timid admiration.

In that oportunity, he found you the loveliest. His attention was fixated on you from your very first shy smile, and his provocations escalated at any given chance.

Once the trully needed arrangements were completed, he asked everyone else to leave and you were left alone with him. He didn't recalled to have the pleasure before, so he guessed you were one of the maids of his mother sent in auxilie because everyone else was preparing the feast.

You had been shying away from the visual of your naked master and that made him suspect you were probably used to be in the service of ladies.

" Something troubles you?" He asked you in a mock, cocky smile on his face before finishing the statement. " First time serving a man in such íntimate settling, peraphs?"

You swallowed hard, eyes on the ground to avoid an accidental peek.

" I had only asisted Loki, by expressed command of the Queen during a brief occasion. " You admited in the same ceremonial tone you would use if there would be more people there. " Your brother doesn't rejoice in conversation with my kind, neither I would seek to change that given the horror tales I have heard from the servant folk. He didn't want company, so I fulfilled my task in silence and left, hoping to remain ignored for as long as possible. "

" I believe you may have succeeded for too long, or never fallen in the ríght hands. " Thor commented, dissapointed of hearing that you have been alone with his brother before despite you told him he didn't show you any interest. " You are too lovely to be easily ignored. Can you acknowledge that? I hope you do, all that beauty can get you in trouble. "

There was no answer and that frustrated him.

" Are you always so shy, little flower, or is it only arround me? "

The lustfull sound of that teasing remark blocked your mind for an instant.

" You have an overwhelming presence, my prince. " Was the fastest, partially true, excuse you could come up with. " If Giants tremble in front of you, … How can you expect a palace maid not to react according with this glorious fame of yours?"

" My hands give death with expertice and ease, as they can also give caresses. " He clarified in return. " Beautifull, innocent girls like you shall only tremble of delight from my touch, never of fear. "

The provocation was once more ignored, or at least you pretended to do so, but he splashed you with the warm water as a cheerfull method to force you to look at him.

On that partial victory he had obtained, the image that your eyes found spoke for itself.

Thor was spreaded comfortably in the tub, his strong arms extended at the sides, water dripping from his muscled torso and his gaze finding yours in an inviting way. Everything in his corporal language tempted you to roam him with your eyes and you did, because the spectacle wasn't easy to avoid.

To say that it was pleasant would have been an oversimplification. He was the most handsome man you had ever seen, yet that didn't make the situation less unconfortable. You were his servant, not a wife contemplating the husband on a wedding night.

He could do with you whatever he wanted, and your were confused over if you would trully object to that, even if you could.

" Is there anything else you may need of me, Prince Thor? " You timidly asked. " If not, I shall … "

" I need you" He cutted you off. " Come closer, and do as I tell you. "

You nodded affirmatively and approached hesitantly, waiting for his command.

" We can start having you cleaning my back. I bet your touch must be so soft, … exactly what i'm needing. "

As you walked by intending to reach his back, he didn't miss the chance to extend his arm in order to give your bottom an encouraging squeeze. The surprise made you yelp, but he smiled as if he intended to reassure you.

As soon as your hands were on him, it only got worse. Thor wasn't shying away from groaning his relax out as your touch worked on his sore muscles while cleaning him up, loving the feeling but only regretting he couldn't see you.

" Enjoy yourself, let your hands feast on my body. " He commanded you, inciting you to go further. " I can tell you long for it as much as me, there is no use on denying it anymore."

Confused as you were, he still managed to send shivers down your spine and heat to your core.

Wordless approval of his instruction happened when your hands reached his chest, cleaneasing the dirt off his skin and caressing it on equal amounts.

Thor released a dark chuckle before proclaiming his triumph.

" You are stained of lust for me … and by the time this will be over you will be begging me to ravish you. "

[visionthefox]

I wonder if all this arc with Moon being the bad guy- and being off is maybe a way davis wants to share a messge? maybe a critic? maybe as to point out a detail or a thing in the fans?

this is not the first time Moon as a character did a horrible thing- do I need to bring back the Bunker scene? when Moon punched him and talked down to him?

"that all you are good for, cleaning up my mistakes" was something he said on his near madness state

after that, sure he said sorry but it never felt like he trully felt bad, if anything he felt like he now had to put himself in more stress and hide it better- when KC happened never fully explained it to Sun..why he wasnt all right- why Sun needed to stay away from his stuffs (like ok. Sun often had this moment were he could get too curious and mess up, that was somethiing we all knew, despite it all it wasnt in malice, just ignorance),he nearly Killed him once more in a mad state due to the Kill Code activated again..

but ya know what? fans eventually loved him back. sure we had a close eye on him- but I do recall ppl often baby Sun and critic Moon but soon they learned to love him again.. so did Sun..

his death made sure ppl cried for him, people worried for him and wanted him back..

now step into this arc- same idea- Moon does bananas, and does bad stuffs at those who loved him, fans are sure eating him alive in the comments im sure, many are trying to find a reason why, is this a new KillCode variant? mind control? virus?

whatever is the case, is a tale old as the show itself- Moons be bad guys, fans get angry, but then is given a reason, people pity Moon, his family justify him ((coffcoffLunarcoffcoff)) or simply accepts him and move on

tho sure is different now, as Sun can finally see he was abused and Earth may have hard time to forgive him- I can only imagine thats the goal for this arc.. maybe simply point out a fact? maybe is not so deep

maybe is a "copy the old homework but change it a bit so no one will see is the same" - is not a bad thing, they cant simply come up with arcs out of the blue, and so far seems like this one is giving them views, so works

yet I see many wonder "why would they do this?" is simple, it worked once!

[elevant39]

Narrative in ACZ

So this time I want to talk about the narrative in ACZ and why I personaly love it. So what I love about ACZ (and the reason why it´s my favourite in the main line series) is how it kinda works like a legend or a fairy tale. What I mean by this is that there is not a single "correct/canon" version of the game. This is possible because the gameplay isn´t actually taking place durring Belkan war. What we are playing is what Brett Thompson´s documentary thinks happened in it. The problem is that he doesn´t really have all the details. The closes he can get to them is Pixy, since he actually knew Cipher more personally and was with him the longest time, the only other people being Eagle Eye and PJ and.... yeah... But even then it´s been 10 years so most Aces will not remember everything. All that remains it´s their emotions and memories about Cipher and the effect that he had on them by shoting them down.

Even Pixy himself isn't really that reliable (It´s funny because he is also partly a narrator of the game with Thompson). Not only did he knew Cipher only up to Stage of Apocalypse, but Cipher literally changed his life by preventing him from launching V2 (and causing all the suffering that he later witnessed on the ground Zero). Cipher in a way saved Pixy, by stoping him from something he could never come back from. So I wouldn't be surprised if Pixy´s view of Cipher probably isn't completely objective. And this ties to Cipher and the Ace system. Cipher isn´t really a character. He is a perfect vessel for player, he is like a rorschach test. He is what ever we want him to be. And this is thanks to the Ace system and how it allows the player to roleplay Cipher how ever the player wants. Do you believe Cipher was a total merc?; Do you think that the Razgriz route is the one for you?; Or do you want a mercenary that becomes a knight but after Pixy´s betrail falls back to his merc ways?; Or maybe you like a knight that becomes merc and after a lot of retrospective after Pixy´s betrayal becomes a soldier? All of these and infinite more are possible. Which is why I kinda hate when some people in the fandom insist that there must be canon route. Because having one defined route would kinda kill all of this. Sure people might still talk about them, but why waste your time on all of these non-canon routes? When merc is totally canon because of AC5? Why try to analyse your story in your own route when the only that matters is the canon one? So why I am bringing this up? Becuase this (infinite interpretation) combine with complete erasure of who or what Cipher did is what makes ACZ acts almost like a legend of fairy tale. Because the only way Cipher can live on is throw the stories of others like Pixy and other Aces. But since it´s been so long nobody will ever trully know how it all went down. Simular thigs happens with fairy tales and legends like Cinderella, there isn´t one true story. In some versions the fairy godmother doesn´t even exist and she got her dresses from hazel nuts. In others there were 3 nights with balls that Cinderella went to. Sometimes she has help from all sotrs of animals others it´s just pigeons. Sometimes her step mother locks her up, other she is given the task to separate peace from ashes perfectly. But still there are some constants, because these constancs are what make it a tale of Cinderella. And same could be said about the Belkan war. Cipher and Pixy will always win in B7R. They will liberate Directus and destroy Excalibur. Pixy will always leave for AWWNB. PJ will always buy flowers for his girlfriends. And Cipher will always fight Pixy in the end. But everything else? We simply don´t know and more importantly can´t know. And that is what is so beautiful to me. Because then the interpretetion of the story and Cipher can be anything you personally believe. And the story doesn´t force you to one interpretation of it. But it encourages you to think about the story and why your version is the one that you like specifically. So yeah this is why I love this game so much and why it´s my favourite in the series. Thanks for reading.

[lafcadiosadventures]

So, there's this scene in Cousin Bette, which has a pretty striking line:

– On a marché, dit le vieillard en se retirant, et les morts vont vite à Paris !

(Honoré de Balzac, La cousine Bette, 1846)

“The world moves on,” said the old man, as he withdrew, “and the dead move quickly in Paris!”

(tr. James Waring) (given the implications, I would translate the first half of Vautrin's reply as “We have made our move”)

and I was like, critique of capitalism, etc etc. My friend @madmerchant said she was pretty sure she'd read something very similar in Dracula. Was Stoker referencing Vautrin? Was it a coincidence? There's a persistent shroud of the Fantastic surrounding Vautrin, it would not be surprising if someone would have thought of him as a vampire, or an immortal creature of some kind... however:

“You are early to-night, my friend.” The man stammered in reply:—“The English Herr was in a hurry,” to which the stranger replied:—“That is why, I suppose, you wished him to go on to Bukovina. You cannot deceive me, my friend; I know too much, and my horses are swift.” As he spoke he smiled, and the lamplight fell on a hard-looking mouth, with very red lips and sharp-looking teeth, as white as ivory. One of my companions whispered to another the line from Burger’s “Lenore”:— “Denn die Todten reiten schnell”— (“For the dead travel fast.”)

oooh. this lead to discovering that Lenore, is one of the cornerstones of Romanticism. So it wasn't that Stoker was referencing Vautrin's last incarnation, but rather, the same originary poem Balzac hismelf was referencing. The influence of the poem was huge, and epsecially the french went crazy over it. The first translation was published in the Journal des Débats in 1811, translated from English. The newspaper published it, not without adding the poem put in display "the most odious vices of the German School".

It was not until Mme de Saël (she of the North vs South temperaments fame) wrote an article trully valuing the work as the poetic masterpiece it was, that the fever for Lenore started to root on the young minds of a Certain Group of Artists-and their readers- in 1820. Madame de Saël had thrown the gauntlet:

"No french translation, be it prose or verse, could express all the nuances and detaild of the German original."

and one Gérard de Nerval picked it up, offering FIVE translations of his own throuout the years...

The poem collects a German folk story, and as soon as you read the summery you *know* why the more edgy Romantics were crazy about it. Like other German folk tales (as Der Erlkönig) it features a frenzied ride through the forests, and a lover that is not what he seems to be (he is DEATH. The RIde is A TRAP) Embroildled in the poem are some anti nobility aspects:

"(in Lenore, we hear) The powrful and pained voice of a Titan, tormented until death by the aristocracy. (...) In German language, 'Bürger' (the poet's name) is synonimous to citoyen"

(Heinrich Heine)

and a desire to revindicate the autochthonous, popular poetry from the lower classes -the Lenore poem is recolected from a popular song Bürger heard a young peasant singing- as the true voice of a nation:

It will remain eternally true that if we have no Volk, we shall have no public, no nationality, no literature of our own which shall live and work in us. Unless our literature is founded on our Volk, we shall write eternally for closet sages and disgusting critics out of whose mouths and stomachs we shall get back what we have given.

(Johann Gottfried Herder)

So, what I'm saying is, I must read Lenore, and also, it is very likely that that Vautrin line is a direct reference to that icon of the dawn of French Romanticism, something the then elders (cousin bette was published in 1846) would have remembered and understood...

[sw33tsnow]

Enchanted by the aching wounds

- (II) / (III)

Mercenary!Simon "Ghost" Riley x Harpy!F!Reader

Warning: fluff, slight NSFW, vocabs, past traumas/comfort, nakedness, tension, NOT FOR MINORS #: I'M TERRIBLY APOLOGIZE FOR ANY GRAMMAR ERRS

Wordcount: 2k1

PREVIOUS PART || THE LAST PART

Starry night - the thought wandered Simon's mind when he first saw you.

Sapphire twilight blue wings with a few alternating gray stripes on each feather, iridescent under the beautiful moonlight. Amber eyes glowed as you furiously stared into his chestnut ones, your black horns and claws were dotted with white spots like stars beaming in the cimmerian sky. When the One-Four-One found you in the damp hold, not a single piece of clothing covering your body, only two lines of dragon-like scales with the exact same color as your wings, running from your shoulder blades down to indiscreetly cover your bosoms and private parts.

Harpies were described as brutal and bloodthirsty creatures with a hideous physique, mankind parents used those tales to scare their toddlers whenever they came home late. Flapdoodle. Here you sat, on Simon's bed as he carefully disinfected and bandaged the wounds on your gorgeous smooth skin. 

“Son of a Biscuit Eater” you hissed. Simon's muscles tensed and his breath caught in his chest as your delicate eyebrows furrowed, the clean rag in his hand was gripped so tightly that it’s almost dried.

Just some more bruises on your face left but he couldn’t clean them at this angle, the blond accidentally touched the cut on your jawbone as his thick calloused fingers held your chin and tilted your head towards him. He withdrew his hand but still kept it in front of your face, giving you an anxious look.

“Please….I’m alright” Gently grasped the man's wrist with both of your hands, motioned him to continue as you pressed the rag to the wound on your jaw. Simon gulped, you hands were so tiny compared to his, yet the missing warmth where you two touched gave his stomach butterflies.

He nodded before continuing his work but with less force, felt like dandelions placed tender kisses on you.

Three firm knocks on the door broke the tension. Simon grunted, he just got some alone time with you and was already disturbed by god-knows-who. Gently checking your face once more, the blond threw his dirty rag into the basin of blood-red water, picked it up and walked towards the door. Outside was Soap, a callsign - you called him that to not mistaken with Captain Price. The gentlemen had introduced their names and callsigns for convenience and you reciprocated before Simon kidnapped you to his room.

“Wha' d’ ye want, Johnny?” The man’s lips growled beneath the cloth.

“Quit the nag, Ghost, brought clothes fo’ little lass” Soap peered inside and was blocked away by the blond's broad shoulders taking up the width of the entire doorway. You weren't dressed proper yet, couldn't let anyone see you completely bared, again, after the previous night.

“Tha’s trully kind of ye” A small hand clinging to Simon's meaty bicep caught the men’s attention, you walked over with a blanket wrapped around your body. The blanket slid down and exposed your collarbone as you reached out to the shorter man with a kind smile. Simon quickly pulled the blanket and wrapped it around you like a cocoon, you stood still, tried to stiff the laugh when Soap tossed the garment at Simon and left whistling as if to annoy him.

“Screw tha gibface” Aggresively closed the door, the blond grumbled before looked at you, "This’s the smallest we got, ‘ll get ye somethin’ to tie these culottes" 

You turned your face to the side and chuckled, sounding like bird’s chirping to Simon’s ears. Whipping your head back, you slowly walked closer to the taller man as your hand tried to mute the laugh by covering your mouth.

“Wha’?” Simon raised his brow playfully at your adorable expression.

" 'll need to get changed, but if ye offer a hand…." You took the suit out of Simon's hand and gave him a mischievous look. The gentleman could only shake his head in disbelief, the cloth on his face definitely succeeded to cover a small smile formed on his lips before he absented from the room.  

_-_-_-_-_-_

Panting like an exhausted animal, Simon's body was covered in a sheen of sweat and his chest was heaving rapidly. Coming to his senses, he laid down on the luxurious mattress of the inn, put his hand on his forehead and tried to go back to sleep. The man hadn't had this nightmare for such a long time, the nightmare he never wanted to remember, but since the last job when Simon was injured, everything had changed.

Your party broke the deal and sold your team out - of course now that bilge rat's six feet underground with a bullet in his forehead - you and the blond were separated from the other three. Fortunately, Simon's injury was not severe, but the heavy snow did nothing but made his fever go south. There’s no other way but for Simon and you to hug each other, naked, to keep warm. Your wings wrapped tightly around him, delirium making the blond feel so intimate in your embrace, the warmth that he hadn't felt in years made the forgettable memories come back to haunt him again. Undoubtedly, you noticed Simon's strange behavior whenever the team mentioned that failed business, so you decided to go talk to him. The man wasn't good with words but he knew you'd only speak or act when you've considered everything prudently, plus he’s felt comfortable with the mindfulness you gave him.

Frankly, the gentlemen were not wrong letting you join the One-Four-One. Price always asked you to spar with Soap and Kyle so he could leisurely enjoy his cigars, knowing full well that you could deal with these two big boys. Guns were necessary but you rather chose swords or knives because “Even magic wouldn't help wet gunpowder”, you said. And Simon was indeed amused, you and the blond have a lot in common. Both of you despise loud noises or parties, but would never refuse elite booze. Simon’s aloof and you’re sweet but quite blunt and indifferent in your own way. If the two of you were next to each other, his mocking eyes and your sarcastic statements could humble some smug mouths with no difficulty. 

Carriages’ wheels were still rumbling on the street, creating a headache-inducing noise and workers who got off work late were singing loudly in their drunken stupor. Simon gave up, dangling his legs off the bed, messy blond hair and tired eyes made him look even more haggard.

"Screw this" The man muttered and went straight to the bathroom.

Having filled the bathtub, Simon returned to the sink and began preparing the shaving foam. Out of the blue, the window opened and a strong wind rushed in, making the blond grab his gun and raised it towards danger, only to know it was you.

"Couldn’t sleep?" You said as you closed the window, walked towards Simon and gently took the deadly thing from his hand.

"Aye....ye’re back" The man relaxed his muscles.

Ever since joining as the mercenary in One-Four-One, the team called it a favor from you that they can hardly do without being spotted, scouting. Not assassination, they'd pull that easily, you sure. 

You nodded, put down the gun and started taking off the hefty articles. Your leather boots were neatly stacked next to the cabinet, along with your pants. Your shirt's back was ruined by your wings, so as a habit, you naturally stole the man's shirt and put it on, knowing he would allow it. Simon stared at you in stoic, this wasn't a new sight but definitely his favorite - you stood there in his white tunic, the hem hardly covered your lower body as you raised your hands to tie your hair up hastily.

"Allow me, mister duffer" You leaned forward, grabbed the brush and the steel straight razor, walked up behind him. The blond scoffed and turned around, a towel wrapped around his waist and nothing more, you grinned and moved closer as Simon spread his legs for you to stand in between. 

Having scraped out the foam with a brush and applied it to the man's face, you slowly spread the white mixture onto his masculine cheeks, majestic chin and square jaw. Simon placed one hand on your hip, the other reaching up to remove the stray lock away from your forehead, causing your focused gaze moved up to him.

"Wha’ ‘ve we known?"

"Well, bastards 've started loading the Pearl (the ship) but only one last cask has not yet exported, jus’ as announced" You swiftly flipped out the razor and twirled it in your hand. 

"They're just gettin’ started" The blond mumbled.

"Hush now, ye're putting your life in my hands"

Tilting Simon's head to the side, starting from his cheekbone, you finished with the razor leaving his jawbone with a clean line. Gently flicked the foam into the sink, you cleaned the blade with the towel on the man's thigh and continued until the left cheek appeared smooth. 

“Pleased?” Simon asked as you moved back a little to get a perfect angle of his face, just like an artist was indeed satisfied by her sculpture.

“Hmm…quite delightful, sir” Could hear the blond's amused laugh because of your committed face.

“ ‘Sir’? Ye truly a chaff, doll” Simon slightly shakes his head before turning the other side to you. 

You chuckled, started working on the right cheek and the area under his chin, careful not to touch his Adam's apple.

“All done” You placed the cleaned razor to the side and mildly rubbed away the foam on his handsome face. Walking to the tub and dipping your arm to the water, it was steamy when you startled Simon by breaking into the bathroom but the temperature seemed to cool down a little, lukewarm perhaps.

“Come now, water’s ready”

Simon nodded before standing straight up and stripped off the towel around his waist to the cold marble floor. Didn’t say a word, the man casting his enormous shadow over you as his hulking frame approached your smaller. He unbuttoned the white tunic and peeled it off your body, no permission required, he slowly bent down to strip the last cloth which covered your private gem.

Simon entered the bathtub and gingerly placed you on his lap, face to face. You massaged his scalp with your soapy hands, gently put more pressure as you moved down his neck and tense shoulders. The man eased up as your hands roamed his torso, straight and wet dense hair laying flat against his skin and sturdy abdomen with soft plush on two rib sides shown how well-fed they got. 

The blond purred as you tended to his tired body, small and caring hands, avoiding sensitive places, merely cleaning him. Fresh water poured down from the top of his head, washing away the lather that smelled faintly of perfume scent. Simon's half-lidded eyes peered down as your soft lips pressed on each scar scattered his figure, your paps lightly scraped against his body, leaving an prodigious itchy sensation.

"Ye wanna talk, Si?" You whispered, your ear pressed against his chest where his heart was beating steadily. The nickname which only allowed to be called by your angelic voice. 

"Wanna savor this with ye" The man replied with a low tone, semi-hard shaft twitching in eagerness as his hand lazily rubbed your back. You knew this’s a normal physiological response.

How ironic it was that Simon and you were neither lovers nor spouses, even though your desire for each other was undeniable. Yes, both of your families encountered terrible circumstances and wounds on your bodies were absolutely not beautiful memories. Sympathy perhaps - the two of you listen, comfort, and mingle with one another. That's Friendship, certainly, but love, how ambiguous. The yearning was explicit but is it amour or just physical affection? You two understanded the pain and the loneliness, not afraid to open up but there were plenty of secrets left unsaid still. 

Familiar corporeal touch was clearly trust and concern, no sexual desire contained and none of you dared to cross this fragile boundary. Awkwardness couldn’t overcome the cowardice because Simon was rigid and you were too coy.

You didn't answer, just pressed endearing kisses to his long lashes as he replied the same on your wet hair. The two of you lingered for a long moment before getting out of the cold water due to your non-stop sneezes.

Taglist: @shadowlali , @ghostlythots

HUNDRED LOVE FOR Y'ALL

[rxzennia]

hey! not a request, but i've been following your voracity pathstrider tales for a while and completely fell in love with ur writing style AND THE IDEAS OH GOD. you're trully amazing, keeps me smiling, or on the verge of tears sometimes, it's soooo good. i barely have any words, but just wanted to quickly hop in to appreciate you<3

hello hello! thank you very much <33 appreciate you too anon!!

what can i say? it's the aventurine effect >:)

[wilhelmsembrace]

Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die... ~*

Surface.

"A man of mystery, carrying a blade he never unsheathes, his clothes always layered and eyes so sharp that could cut through you if you dare lie on his presence. Some say he was once a brilliant Healer of Ceres, a prodigy amongst the prodigies; some would say he is cruel to those who break the law... What lies underneath that freezing stare? What kind of secrets does one hold so dearly?"

Biography.

( TW: Suicide; Violence; Death )

Love was a funny thing. From bards and dreamers, you’d hear about happiness, hope and devotion, but from real people with real lives, you’d hear about sorrow, tragedy and loss... This story was what happened when you decided to take the worst parts of each of those.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful noble elvhen woman that would dare fall in love with a simple human man with no possessions to his name. There were many who desired the hand of such fair maiden, one that would put even Goddesses to shame with her light blue eyes and her charming smile, and yet she found herself falling for the one man she could never have.

Ehrhart Blackheart was a waiter at a restaurant by day and worked for a bookstore by night, a man of no wealth, simple, with nothing to his name except a dog and a dream of becoming a renown merchant. Helestina Silverflower was a noblewoman, highborn, pureblooded elvhen, she had everything and more, but never a smile upon her features.

They met, as cliche as it sounds, in a stormy night, when her carriage was forced to stop by the only place that was open so late in the night, a bookstore on the streets of Eterna. She instantly called it fate that she’d find a man so knowledgeable inside, telling her stories of dragons, princesses and knights in shiny armor, he, on the other hand, found in her an opportunity to leave that life of misery and tricked her into thinking he’d traveled the world when that bookstore was as far from home as he’d ever been.

When she got home, her parents were adamant in their decision, that man wasn’t good enough for her, he was a commoner, a nobody, and a human at that, he’d be gone before she’d notice. Their orders? She was to find a suitor by the fortnight so those thoughts would not corrupt her innocent mind. She didn’t listen. Instead, she found herself a solution in a merchant’s caravan, an odd one at that.

The man sold powerful artifacts as if they were simple kitchen tools, exchanged them for stories and other useless things, and yet he carried the one thing she trully wanted, ‘wishes come true’ in the shape of a blade. Helestina asked for a price, and there was one, but that was a price she could never pay. She was upset, frustrated and desperate, and the clever Genasi saw that and offered her another way of payment.

The exorbitant amount turned into a single story, the one she treasured the most. She had no stories of adventures or tales of bravery, so, thinking she’d trick him, she told him the story her loved one told her that night. Little did she know he wasn’t looking for a true story, but one that filled her heart with joy, and that one, although flawed and messy, was her most precious tale.

The merchant gave her the blade, three wishes it would bestow, and her happiness was unmatched as she met her lover the next day. The first wish was that he could be a noble like her, and as such one of the blade’s crystal was gone and he was now a nobleman of a powerful house. With great power, however, comes resposibility and stress, and a simple man who knew nothing was hardly able to manage everything he’d been bestowed upon from day to night.

Ehrhart grew paranoid and fearful of the fake smiles and elaborate phrases, but more than anything, he felt time slip away from him... What would he do if he didn’t have enough time to learn? So he told his lover his concern, but as a sly fox, he reimagined it to fit her innocence; he lied and she fell for it. As her second wish, she wished youth for her loved one, but her words were sever, she wished for him to be by her side forever. The second crystal disappeared.

At the wedding day, they were met with a splendid party, magic and money turning the whole event into something akin to dreams. Everyone celebrated and was happy, except for Ehrhart. He was worried, troubled, his paranoia now was turning into madness, bound to a life together with the woman he had only intended to use for his own selfish intentions. And there she was, having the time of her life, but not him.

Truth is, on the side he had another, a woman from the past, a childhood friend to whom his heart belonged to, Mariane Welsh, a commoner like him, daughter of a fisherman and a fishmonger herself. It was unfortunate how Helestina found out, in the forrest where they had their best moments, there he was with this woman, and in a thousand pieces did her heart break. On that same moment, feeling betrayed, she slid the blade she made him someone with through his heart, and in a single moment she was turned from a happily married woman to a grieving widow, in eternal sorrow and shame for trusting that man.

This would have been where the story ends, but it wasn’t. The man came back to haunt her as it was her wish that they would stay together forever, but she didn’t hear curses or shaming from that vengeful spirit, what she heard was even worse, he asked her to care for a son, one that she didn’t know of, one born of the betrayal that ruined her life. She didn’t listen, instead, as her last wish, what she wanted the most was to end her suffering.

The blade was not so kind, and, instead, it gave her something else, she watched her love die once again in front of her, flames burning his spirit into nothing, sending it to a place no one could ever summon him from. She was now free of the thing that made her suffer. Guilty, she cried for days on end, but after that, she went to meet with the other, Mariane; she brought her to live within her household together with her baby, and even put them in her will. A few days later, she jumped from the highest tower...

Wilhelm Blackheart was a boy born to a fishmonger and her noble lover. He would only hear from his father from stories his mother told him growing up, and Mariane made sure he knew he was also son to another, a mother that didn’t give him genes, but gifted him with the life he had. A life of comfort and plenty of possessions, one that his biological parents never really had when they were little.

The boy with big blue eyes would see his mother grow old with time and his grandparents, although they never allowed him to call them that, would stay the same. When he was old enough, another gift, the Gods gave him magic of his own, one that he could not control, but that spiked the interest of his grandfather. The tall evhen man would begin to tell him stories about the things witches like him would go through in other countries, but not to scare him, to guide him to become a person that would use that gift he had to something good.

As such, when he was old enough, they sent him to study under the Tower, to perfect his magic. Will was never a prodigy, but he was good at it, great even, better than most in his class, and that’s because he had a dream, one that he could be light to those who needed it, a breeze of fresh air in a room full of trouble. So he trained as hard as he could, studied for countless hours on end and even fell sick because of this, but he never gave up.

He found peace in following the School of Restoration because it brought him closer to people who could need his help, but he never saw death as a cruel end. His life was given to him through a tale of tragedy and demise, in his mind, death was just an outcome of living, and as such, it was needed. It was an end to a suffering, such as his other mother would have it. Bringing people back from the verge of dying was a call, and it was his, but one thing he could never do was bring those who’d already gone to a better place back to a world of sorrow, tragedy and loss.

So he became a Healer of Ceres, the youngest in a long time, a position where he could use his knowledge to the good of others, and in that he was best. Years passed by and he had many students learn under him, many prodigies unlike him, some would refuse his teaching because of his age, but the ones who trully listened became extraordinary. He thought that was his purpose, to teach others while doing what he loved, but soon his life would become another with the letter of invitation.

The Queendom needed his services, as it written on the letter, and as he arrived, instead of the Queen herself, he was met with The Speaker of The Elysian Throne of Lysara, she’d been looking for a person with a heart she could trust and that she found in him. From day to night he was Magistrate, a position of power, impartial and vigilant, working under her, and in that he saw a way of helping the people, more than just being blindly judged by a power hungry aristocrat, he could be the one to judge.

Personality.

Caring +++ || Just ++ || Altruistic + Distant +++ || Quiet ++ || impatient +

Status.

Currently working as a Magistrate in Lysara.

Headcanon.

When Will began to explore his magic, he send a bolt of magic flying across his room that, as he tried to control it, unfortunately turned in his direction and hit him in the arm, leaving a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt down his arm that he hides under layers and layers of clothing and a tatoo was made over the scar. He’s ashamed of his past foolishness and believes his past self to have been careless and ignorant. Later, when he entered the Tower, he finally learned the properties of magic and found in Restoration the path that would bring him satisfaction through taking the pain away from others. The path of Ceres wasn’t even a question, but and answer to his hopes.

Wilhem has always been the support type, but not one that would stay behind, one that would go forth and do what he must to keep his allies alive, fight creatures with his bare hands if needed. His goal in a battlefield is to end the battle as quickly as possible and keep as many allies as possible in good shape. The best version of himself would be a devout to the Goddess with a path focused on the cycle of life and the comfort of death with due aversion to undeath, and a warrior as a side, since he believes in fighting for what is right and would jump to action if his friends needed it.

As a student of the Tower, he didn’t wish only to help people with the powers he learned to harness from the veils of magic and under the protection of the Gods, he was devout to the thought of importance of the cycle of life for all creatures. That’s why when he found a hurt cat on the streets, he was quick to bring him to the Tower, where he could give him the best treatment possible, even at the cost of multiple scratches and bites. It was hard to treat every wound, but eventually they created a bond beyond anything he’d ever expected, they were friends. So he named the Cat Sith Scratch.

Will’s relationship with his mother is that of love and respect, he sees on his mother a person who never allows bad to be the main event of a situation, she finds a way to show a smile even when there’s nothing to be happy about. Even though she was strongly discriminated amongst the nobles and even the servants of the household they were brought to by Helestina, she never once showed sadness or uncertainty, always a kind soul, and a just one that would see through the eyes of order. She was his inspiration, his role model. His other two parents were only tales, and he wanted to hate them, but his mother never allowed it, she said they had their reasons for what they did, both of them died for love, and she was the one to teach him that death was just comfort for the hearts of those who suffered.

The merchant who once sold the blade his grandmother told him his elvhen mother had in her possessions was one called The Wandering Merchant of Tales, which he tried to find for a good while, traveling across Lysara in his free time and going as far as to other kingdoms, but, although he’d hear stories, he never really found that person to ask him which tale his mother traded for that thing. He inherited the blade when he was old enough, as a symbol of what blind love could do to a person, but now it is just a sword with missing gemstones that he carries always sheathed on his belt.

SKELETON

[just-an-enby-lemon]

I was listening to a review of a dark fairytale 2015 european movie called A Tale of Tales that I had the intencion to watch.

Now while I'm pretty sure that it is just a coincidence in this movie we have two almost identical boys born in the same day and likely by the same magic. One is a prince and the other isn't but they are inseparable. Very normal fairy tale nothing to coment. Except the boys are called Elias and Jonah and I was like" wait a second" and if just a review made me go "is this a magnus reference" at any coment about them I'll be trully internaly unsufurable while watching the movie.

[datacreations]

The Loud House & Ever After High Crossover in DnD-Esque World (idea).

Hey first of all if this intrigue you enough to keep reading thank you, and secondly let´s start:

"Milton Grimm was never trully honest about the ¨Destiny or Poof¨ situation, in reality he just throw away every character that don´t signed through a portal to another world, so when Raven Queen the daughter of the Evil Queen of the tale of snow white, not only don´t signed also start a Rebel movement, Milton knew that she has to be throw to the portal, but when she was cast away in other part of the multiverse, in a world where the fairy tales are just that stories a young genius called Lisa Loud who was trying to make interdimensional travel with the help of her brother, Lincoln Loud, this one was sucked to the same world, the reason when Milton thrown someone to that world the barrier between these gets weaker, Lisa experiment just happens to be in the right moment, and now the discarted from Ever After can go back and make Milton pay for what he do to their ancestors and themselves".

That´s the idea but now some points.

The World that the discarted are, is like a DnD setting, and by that theres Classes and Subclasses, the most popular and common are the oficials of DnD 5e,but there rarer are the Homebrew.

The Homebrew is any content created by fans for the game (DnD).

The world itself is pretty great but is great in spite of Milton not because him

The Mother of Duchess Swan, Odette Swan, is a Character that was discarted by Grimm, the reason is that before her story started, she was learned magic to lift her Eternal Swan Curse and that way be in her daughters life, she made it but before see her daughter again, Milton find out and throw her. Her Class is Wizard (yeah there´s no femenine way to say, because is referred to any magic user that gains magic throught the study), and her Subclass is Abjuration (Protection, Exorcism and lift curses).

The Class of Raven is the Sorcerer (in this case she never asked for her powers) her subclass is Shadow Magic, because apart of the aesthetic reason this subclass can make shadow hounds and I like to thing that they look like her childhood dog, Prince.

The class of Lincoln is the Warlock (his powers comes from other being called: The Otherwoldly Patron) I don´t know what subclass he should be, maybe I use Homebrew for him.

That be all for now, thanks to everyone that read, and a special thanks to @trainer-sean for hear well read my rambling of this idea before this post, I hope I don´t annoy you, if you person who read this have an idea just tell me I gonna, sorry for the way I wrote english is not my first language.

[streets-in-paradise]

Hope - Clay Miller x Reader

Friday 13th (2009) Oneshot

Warnings: Some cringy dialogue ( let's face it,the group are all cringy stereotypes lol). Allusions to Jason's story and some grim warnings regarding him. I'm also expanding the new rule introduced in the 2009 film, where sense of familiarity with his past not only distracted him but also made him spare a life for a while.

Summary: You are the only person who has given Clay any hope on the desperate search for his sister. Unlike most of the locals he had approached, some mysterious reason keeps you convinced that she could still be alive and on this determination you join forces with him.

Nobody else seems to mind about it and when the blatant disrespect from a tourist really pisses you off, you stand up for Clay giving him a frightening show exposing why he should care.

Tags: @drum-bot-brian

It was weird for Clay to find a self presented volunteer when the entire community was ignoring him, but when you approached him with the missing poster in hand offering your help he felt slightly relieved. At least he wasn’t completely alone and although you were a bit odd, you had a strong will to support him. Looking at Whitney’s picture, you simply stated that she looked like a sweet girl and that could possibly mean she could still be around. When asked about it, you acted as if some intuition based on practical knowledge would be telling you that. You wouldn’t tell him why, but you were convinced that she was still to be found. 

Of course, it was not going to be easy and the shitty attitudes you would find in the way were unnerving. The handsome, soft tempered boy you were following had the patience of a saint, but you wouldn’t stand it. The tone deaf blond guy at the gas station was the moment when you knew you had enough. 

After a very brief argument Clay was just going to leave, but you had other plans.  

“ He will wreck you.” You casually told the stranger in a sinister tone. “ Mock us while you still can, blondie. I believe his sister has a chance ... You? Not so much."

Everyone was weirded, but he thought you were just looking for a fight. 

“ Yeah, I don’t think so.” Was his self satisfying reply. “ You, him and who else?” 

It made you chuckle and you struggled for it not to turn into a full loud cackle.  

“ You aren’t from here, aren’t you? " You followed, giving a few steps closer to him with a weirdly intimidating demeanor. “ People don’t get to be jerks here and walk out harmless, the forest has eyes and its guardian loathes people like you the most..”

The asshole clearly didn't get to fully comprehend the meaning of your words. Still, you managed to creep him and his girlfriend, what was enough vengeance for you. The most inmediate reaction you obtained for Clay was a bit of hard to hide laughing, probably thinking that you were just messing with the guy, but he did capture some underneath intentionality in your strange warning.

He trully thought it was a joke, untill he later referenced it again in a lighter note and your face let him know it wasn't a funny little scheme he should feel thankfull for.

" You don't have to thank me, it's all real. " You cutted him off. " Weird things happen arround here, the kind that nobody would believe. People go missing to never be found and we pretend is not our problem … I need to help you because i really like you and you HAVE to get out from here as soon as possible. "

Your hand was shaking and he held it as as a reassuring gesture before inviting you to continue.

" If you know anything that could make this easier, please share it. "

Your soft look adquired a glimpse of skepticism.

" It doesn't matter. Even if i try to explain you, it would be impossible to make you understand. One does not believe it untill you see it and very few survive to tell the tale. "

He smiled and you couldn't help to internally melt to the softness in his expression.

" I promise i will believe you. Or at least I will do my best, anything that may help me understand would be amazing ríght now. "

The indirectly mocking tone in the last part made you smile back, then you swallowed hard ríght before starting your tale.

" To many persons he can mean different things, but I see him as a guardian of the forest. Not necesarily of the enviromental care type, but we know he hunts down people for doing stupid shit. It's a sort of local legend: a bullied kid who died back in the old summer camp and now remains as an undead watcher of the area. Legend says that once triggered he can't be stopped, but i believe different and that's why i feel your sister could be alive. "

He wasn't getting it, but kept himself loyal to the promise and didn't question you. His guess was in myth and reality mixing up to end up covering the activity of a serial killer whose victims were attributed to the legend by the locals.

One way or another, it wasn't the hopefull take he once expected.

" What made you think that? Besides from an obvious bias coming from your interest in me."

You felt a bit embarrased, but it didn't ruined your disposition to continue.

" I believe he is capable of sparing a life only when coming across things he finds familar. I saw it happening with my own two eyes. "

It wasn't easy, but you had to tell him the truth.

" Back in highschool I wanted so badly to belong, to feel how was like to be a part of something. I was hanging out with people who just wanted to make fun of me, fooling myself into believing someday i could be friends. "

You began to cry, pausing for an instant untill the sobbing would be slow enough to allow you finish.

" … They are gone and i'm still here. Common sense would be thinking i just hid myself well, i fooled him. I didn't, i can't help thinking he just pretended not to spot me. The pathetic, lonely, bullied looser must have have hitted close to home. "

You hugged him out of sudden and he didn't protest about it. Of all the weird things you said, he only understood you were admitting to be the only survivor of a massacre.

" Your sister seems like a lovely girl. If i'm still breathing, you can count there is hope for her. "

He had no words that could possibly express any processing of what you just told him, but trully appreciated the deep comfort of your embrace.

[smalltownfae]

The Chronicles of Prydain Overview

Numbers: 5 books + 1 short story collection

The Book of Three

The Black Cauldron

The Castle of Llyr

Taran Wanderer

The High King

The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain

Why you should read it:

Similar to Lord of the Rings, but shorter and for younger audiences and it includes a brilliant main female character;

Inspired by Welsh mythology;

Traditional fantasy coming of age done brilliantly;

Acknowledges the importance of team work and asking for help;

Prophetic pig and the importance of being a “pig-keeper” (common person);

Cozy atmosphere and charming characters;

Beautiful and tender writing style with some great quotes;

Soft magic and lots of nature;

Really short books and quick to get through;

Pronunciation guide at the end of the book!

What is it about?

On the surface, it’s about a battle of good vs evil, but at it’s heart is about the understanding of human nature and the world around us. It’s a coming of age story about a boy that longs for adventure and finds out that there is nothing better than being with the people one loves and helping them. It’s about a boy trying to figure out who he is and what he values and finding out that the past doesn’t matter more than the possibility of the future. The side characters are also wonderful and fleshed out enough (the standout being Eilonwy, which is almost as important as Taran, the main character).

What I love about this series the most, besides the great journey towards knowing one’s self, is that it recognizes that great actions cannot be done alone and that there isn’t one single hero even if the story is focused on Taran. It recognizes the value of connecting with others and working as a team towards a common goal. In that way, it can get really emotional.

If you have watched the Disney animated movie and did not like it, fear not. Everyone seems to think it’s a bad adaptation that tries to combine the first two books in the series. I watched it once as a kid and it left no impression on me whatsoever. As always, the books are way better.

Fun fact: Taran Wanderer was written after the last book, The High King, which might explain why it feels more mature.

Quotes:

“A damp green scent filled the air. No bird called; no squirrel chattered. The forest seemed to be holding it’s breath.” (The Book of Three)

“Does it trully matter which one did what, since all shared the same goal and the same danger? Nothing we do is done entirely alone. There is a part of us in everyone else.” (The Book of Three)

“There is much to be known… and above all much to be loved, be in the turn of the seasons or the shape of a river pebble. Indeed, the more we find to love, the more we add to the measure of our hearts.” (The Black Cauldron)

“It is easy to judge evil unmixed. . . But, alas, in most of us good and bad are closely woven as the threads on a loom; greater wisdom than mine is needed for the judging.” (The Black Cauldron)

“There are those who have labored all their lives to gain the gift, striving until the end only to find themselves mistaken; and those who had it born in them yet never knew; those who lost heart too soon; and those who should never have begun at all. Count yourself lucky that you have understood this now and not spent your years in vain hope. This much have you learned, and no learning is wasted.” (Taran Wanderer)

[thesefleetingthoughts]

I find it interesting that the Prince’s speech seemed to imply nobody knows what a human looks like but they sure remember they’re bad because they’ve met one (1). That means we won’t be encountering any fleshy, semblance-possessing humans aside from Jaune and Neo down there. Only humanoïd-like characters made of various materials or animals, possibly magic-users too, like Jinxy. This also somewhat confirms that Alyx won’t be found down there at all and that her tale and her sequences from the OP are from another time but paralleled with RWBY’s journey. (a “sequel” as Weiss said)

I think the bit about magic being present is interesting because that raises questions, since it’s supposed to have been wiped from Remnant when the gods punished Salem, and so far has only been displayed by Ozcarnations, Salem, and the relics (Jinn/Ambrosius). I’m genuinely wondering just where this place is and if it’s even on Remnant or if it’s another planet of the gods, that for some reason they’re not looking after anymore but didn’t go for measures as drastic as the ones used for Remnant. I’m not sure what tactical advantage they could find  but they may find magic artifacts that could help against Salem or the Gods down there, if magic trully is superior to semblances like Salem seems to imply, the “cheap” version or magic.