#WHEW im exhausted i did this all in a rush

[niyes-lahiffe]

White Winter Chapter 2

Second and final part of my @mlsecretsanta gift for @lady-baguette!! I hope you’ve had a fantastic holiday and year and I’ve had a splendid time writing this story for you <3 I hope you enjoy the rest of it!

Ao3

Ladybug was more than relieved when she was able to meet up with her teammates again after their separation. Or, rather, most of her teammates.

She glanced around Rena's shoulder and gave her a raised brow.

"The...the akuma grabbed Carapace and then disappeared," Rena answered, eyes casting to the floor below.

"She WHAT?!" Chat shrieked, making Rena wince.

"I tried to save him!" the orange-clad hero retorted. "But she just-she just threw a thing down and then there was dust everywhere and Carapace was gone and-and-"

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa," Ladybug soothed, grabbing her shaking partner by the shoulders. "Don't worry, Rena. It's not your fault." Rena sniffed once and nodded.

”Good, glad that’s taken care of,” Queen Bee interjected carelessly. “Now let’s find that akuma.”

”Looking for someone?” The akuma suddenly appeared in a large puff of smoke, startling the other heroes before they quickly recovered and took their respective battle stances.

"Yeesh, who knew we'd be dealing with a ninja!" Chat quipped, earning a quick jab to the side by Ladybug.

"Where is Carapace?" Rena growled loudly, holding her flute out threateningly. White Winter simply rolled her eyes.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know."

Rena gawked at that. "Well, uh. YES, I would like to know!"

A set of strings suddenly wrapped around the akuma, much to her surprise. Both Ladybug and Queen Bee had made the quick decision to wrap their weapons around White Winter in order to keep her trapped. Rena Rouge's distraction certainly helped.

What threw everyone off was when White Winter's akumatized outfit suddenly faded in a cloud of black, and a lordly-looking lady stood in her place. She didn't look too different, but it was obvious she was no longer akumatized.

Everyone's eyes widened to twice their size and they all took a long moment to process what had just happened.

"Might I ask why I am tied up?" the old woman muttered, glaring at the heroes snobbishly.  Ladybug and Queen Bee quickly drew their ropes back with quick apologies.

"What just happened?" Chat asked with a worried look.

The akumatized victim turned her nose to the sky in a proud matter. "I was just about to ask the same thing."

Ladybug bit her lip in concern, glancing at Rena, who wore a similar expression. "I...I think I might have an idea."

------------------------------

"You..it..Gabe.." Nino couldn't believe what he was seeing. He didn't want to keep looking at the man in front of him yet he couldn't find the will to tear his gaze away.

"Hand me back the miraculous. Now," Gabriel said in such a commanding tone that Nino probably would've obeyed had he not been paralyzed on the spot. His eyes landed on his kwami who floated beside his best friend's father, and Wayzz quickly mimed placing a brooch on his chest as Gabe took a step forward. Taking the hint, Nino speedily pinned the brooch to his shirt.

The miraculous glowed with such brightness that caused Nino to flinch, before a small figure flew out of it.

Nino gaped at the small purple creature. A kwami!

"You...you have a kwami..."Nino murmured. He hadn't even thought about that, but he immediately felt defensive.

"Give me the miraculous before I take it from you," Gabriel commanded once more, and the kwami gasped at the sound of his voice before darting behind Nino to hide.

Feeling a sudden surge of anger flow through him, Nino seethed, "How terrible have you been treating this little dude?"

Gabriel simply sighed as an answer, lifting his arm with a stout, "I tried to warn you. Wayzz, shell on." His voice had reached a note so menacing, it gave Nino chills, yet he still stood his ground as his own kwami let out a small noise of protest as he was forcefully sucked into his miraculous.

The purple kwami zipped in front of Nino's face and, in a shrill voice, spoke in one breath, "Quickly, we don't have time to waste! My name is Nooroo, I'm the kwami of generosity. You must stop Hawkmoth! My transformation phrase is wings rise!"

Nino gaped at the creature for a moment but the sight of Gabriel currently transforming snapped him out of his daze and he nodded. "Nooroo, wings rise!"

The situation was certainly bizarre, Nino found. In one fell swoop, he and Hawkmoth had switched miraculouses.

Hawkmoth (could he even call him that now?) wore an outfit that was all too similar to his old one, with some minor adjustments, of course. He wore another suit, this time green, but he donned a shield on his back rather than a cane in his hand. Nino was the one with the cane this time, and he almost felt uncomfortable wielding it.

It felt odd to be using a miraculous he wasn't used to, but he didn't exactly have much time to think about it when the man in front of him didn't hesitate to lunge forward with outstretched arms. Nino yelped and jumped to the side, surprised to find that he was much more agile than before.

"Hey, uh, mind telling me how to use your powers?" Nino asked in a lighthearted matter, more as a way to soothe himself than anything else. Gabriel's only response was another growl and he leaped forward again. "KAY, I'll figure it out on my own, then!" the young hero squeaked, evading once more.

------------------------------

"ANOTHER akuma?" Ladybug exclaimed, exasperated.

The colorful figure standing atop the building gave them a friendly smile.

Wait, a friendly smile? That seemed uncharacteristic.

"Hey!" The akuma jumped from the building and landed before the heroes. He continued, "My name is Helper!"

"Helper...?"

Helper nodded. "I've been given a special mission by Monarch to find you guys."

"Monarch?" Chat added with a perplexed expression.

"Nino..." Rena muttered, loud enough for only Ladybug to hear.

The spotted heroine gasped quietly. "What's this special mission?"

A purple butterfly silhouette appeared around Helper's eyes and he looked up at the sky curiously as he listened. "He just wants you guys to follow me," Helper answered once the mask disappeared. "He sounds pretty desperate."

"What are we waiting for, then?!" Rena squawked, jumping from one foot to another with anticipation. Ladybug nodded and Helper leaped away, the others following without another word.

------------------------------

"GAH!" Monarch yelped when he was viciously shoved to the ground. He lifted his pole defensively as his attacker, who he had in his head nicknamed as Shell Shock (a homage to his own villain name), harshly threw his shield down. It was tough protecting himself when he didn't have his beloved shield with him, but the boy wouldn't let down.

In the short amount of time he had, Monarch had found out how to summon one of the white butterflies in the room and give a random citizen in Paris super powers. He didn't have very much time to think of a unique name or a fantastic power, but he was relieved to find a soul willing to help.

Now that he had the assignment out, Monarch could stress about the fact that he was fighting the man Ladybug and Chat Noir had been after for nearly a year and a half. To say he was already getting tired wouldn't be a lie.

------------------------------

Chat Noir and Queen Bee hadn't been told exactly why they were following this random stranger bouncing from building to building, but they figured it was important enough to not ask any questions about it.

As they neared their destination, Chat started to get suspicious. The akuma seemed to be heading towards the Agreste Mansion, and the young hero really couldn't figure out why.

The akuma stopped suddenly without warning, causing Ladybug to yelp and run face-first into his backside, which caused a collision of heroes as Rena rammed into Ladybug, Queen Bee into Rena, and Chat Noir in Queen Bee. Helper didn't seem phased in the slightest as he stood like a brick wall, turning to the heroes with a grin and saying, "We're here!"

Chat Noir gasped. He was right.

He was standing right before the very building he called his home.

The purple butterfly appeared around Helper's face once more, and he pointed to the large and beautifully designed window to the side of the building. "He says go in through there."

Ladybug nodded as Chat felt his heart begin to pick up the pace. "Thank you so much, Helper."

"Daww, it was nothing!" he replied, waving his hand.

After smiling at the akuma one last time, she told the other heroes to get their weapons ready.

Chat wasn't sure he was ready for this.

------------------------------

Both Monarch and Shell Shock gasped when the giant window suddenly exploded into a million shards.

And then Monarch gasped happily. The figures behind the broken window were none other than his comrades in battle. His plan had worked!

Shell Shock, however, gasped angrily when he noticed who had decided to join the battle. Before the other heroes could do anything, he lifted his arm and shouted, "Shellter!", entrapping both him and Monarch in a tight, green bubble.

The superhero team ran up to the bubble and started punching it, but to no avail. It didn't budge.

"Your friends are no match against this superpower," Shell Shock muttered, taking a few menacing steps forward. Monarch gulped.

"CATACLYSM!"

A sudden ooze of black surrounded the force field, soon smothering it to nothing.

Chat Noir, as well as the rest of the heroes, stepped forward with dangerous growls, holding out their weapons threateningly. Shell Shock hissed back, but Monarch took his distraction as a chance to kick the man's legs with such force to knock him back.

Shell Shock fell with a grunt but he quickly recovered, leaping to his feet again to deal a swift kick to Monarch's side.

The sudden action seemed to be confirmation that the other heroes could finally join the battle, and soon it was ultimately the enemy that was getting exhausted.

"Guys!" Monarch shouted through all the chaos. They others didn't stop fighting but, knowing they were listening, he continued, "Hawkmoth! He's-"

Before Monarch could utter another sound, Shell Shock swooped in and wrapped his arms tightly around the young hero from behind, using one of his hands to roughly cover Monarch's mouth. "You're going to regret it if you finish that sentence, boy," the villain threatened.

Obviously not caring at the moment, Monarch jabbed his persecutor's ribs with his elbow while biting his hand with all his might. Shell Shock hissed in pain, and the superhero took the moment to yell, "HE'S GABRIEL AGRESTE!"

For reasons unbeknownst to the others, Chat Noir let out a cry of pure agony and fell to his knees.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug exclaimed. She squatted and placed her hands on her partner's shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"No no no no no...it can't be...please..." he muttered back, clutching his head in his clawed hands and shaking it back and forth.

Rena kicked Shell Shock harshly in the stomach, successfully causing the villain to stumble and fall into the same chair Nino sat in a while before. Without hesitation, Queen Bee wrapped him tightly to the chair using her weapon.

"Don't listen to the idiot!" Shell Shock snarled. "Whatever he says, he's lying."

Rena Rouge gave the man a glare intimidating enough to immediately shut his mouth. "Carapace. Doesn't. Lie."

"Bee, wanna do the honors?" Ladybug asked, arms still tightly wrapped around Chat Noir, who had yet to stop groaning with shock.

Queen Bee held up her weapon with a sinister grin. "Gladly."

"NO-" Shell Shock didn't have a chance to say one more word. Queen Bee had already stung him with her venom.

All was ominously quiet, the only sound being the heroes' shared panting and Chat's murmuring mouth. Queen Bee regarded the miraculous still secure to the man's wrist before carefully sliding it off. His transformation fell, and Chat visibly flinched at the sight of Gabriel, whose face was stuck in an expression of pure rage.

"Here." Queen Bee handed the turtle miraculous to Monarch. "This is yours."

He smiled at her before sliding the bracelet back onto his wrist. Wayzz flew out of it and immediately smothered his holder's face with relieved hugs and kisses, Monarch laughing like a goof all the while.

"C'mon, Chat..."Ladybug murmured. "It'll be alright." She gave him a reassuring kiss to the forehead and steadily helped him get to his feet.

Rena Rouge had basically tackled her boyfriend in a hug so fierce, he squeaked. She did the same as his kwami had done moment earlier and planted an endless swarm of kisses to his face, beyond relieved that he was okay and in one piece.

------------------------------

"Are you alright?" Ladybug asked her partner once the others had run off. She and Chat Noir sat atop the roof of an unsuspecting building as the sun fell, turning the sky a gorgeous blend of pink and orange.

Chat Noir sighed, still shaking slightly. "Today was crazy.." he answered simply.

Ladybug nodded, deciding to take a moment to admire the beautiful view before them.

"It's...tough to explain," he continued after a moment had passed. Ladybug turned fer face in his direction once more. "He and I had a...complicated relationship. If that makes sense."

Ladybug stared at him for a long moment. And a moment more. Chat shifted uncomfortably and opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to do or say. He was just about to speak up when Ladybug suddenly whispered in a voice so quiet he was surprised he could hear her. "Alya was right, wasn't she?"

"Huh?"

"You're Adrien Agreste." Her statement sent Chat Noir into a ballistic fit of coughing.

"Wh-I, uh, I thought we weren't supposed to know our identities!" he squeaked once he finally found his voice.

Ladybug turned away with pink cheeks. "Well...that was because of the danger Hawkmoth could cause. But he's gone now."

Just the name of his father's alter-ego caused Chat to shudder. Ladybug placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "I understand how hard it must be for you..."

"So...so we don't need to keep secrets anymore?" Chat asked, bright green eyes refusing to leave Ladybug's ocean blue.

She simply sighed and smiled. "I guess not. Tikki...spots off."

Chat covered his face as she flashed a bright pink. Part of his brain wanted to be respectful, as it always had been, but the other half that had been dying for over a year to finally see her face beneath the mask took over. He peeked at her in between his fingers and gasped.

"Marinette?"

Marinette giggled. "I can't believe it," she laughed, resting her head on Chat's shoulder. "We've been pining after each other this whole time and never even knew it!"

"What?" he replied, puzzled. "You like...you like Chat Noir?"

"No, silly!" She leaned forward and poked his nose. "I've always been in love with Adrien Agreste."

Chat's tail flopped lifelessly to the floor as his eyes slowly grew. "You...no."

"Yup."

He looked forward and gave his forehead a hardy slap, mumbling mostly to himself, "How could I have been so blind?!" He then called his transformation off, surprising himself with how freely his tears flowed down his cheeks. Adrien engulfed Marinette in a hug and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Are...are you sure you're alright?" she asked as she reciprocated the hug.

"More than alright," he answered, nuzzling his nose further into her neck. "I don't think I'd be half as relieved and happy as I am now if Ladybug had been anybody but you."

And now Marinette was crying, clutching Adrien's shirt tightly in her hands as her heart continued to flutter at his words. He lifted his head and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"You're a dork, you know that?" Marinette laughed in between tears once he pulled away.

Adrien chuckled himself. "Yeah, alright."

It was Marinette who leaned forward to seal their lips together once more, to which he reciprocated happily.

Maybe they didn't know what would happen now that their main threat had finally been defeated. But that was at the back of both of their heads at the moment, and they knew that as long as they had each other, they would be alright. They were yin and yang, after all.

[mjxmoon]

george does your daughters hair II 🪴

george x black reader

word count: ~760

warnings: swearing 

request: that george fic got me thinking, what if one day he’s doing the readers daughters hair and she asks him to put beads in it but like obviously he can’t tell the difference between the colors so it ends up being tacky asf but reader doesn’t have the heart to tell him because he’s so proud of himself 😭👖-

pt. 1!! george does your daughters hair

a/n im buying beads for my braids brb  

“All done!” George says proudly as he finishes off the last braid. You glance up from your laptop to check out the hairstyle he’s done on your daughter's hair. 

Ever since you taught him how to do it, he’s been watching tutorials and practicing non-stop. He’s actually better than you but you’ll never admit it. 

“Yay! Do you like it, hun?” You ask your daughter. She nods her head rapidly before standing up and darting off. “Oh, I'll take that as a yes.”

George flops back on the couch with an exhausted sigh. “Whew, that's a lot of work.” “Yeah, I'm glad she wanted you to take over. My fingers needed the break.”

Your daughter then returns, plopping a box on George's lap. “Can you add these?” She flips open the lid revealing the wide selection of colored beads inside. Recently George tackled learning about the different accessories that can go into hair and mastered beads quite quickly. He practiced on a section of your hair one night, and the following day you woke up with the ends of each of your braids stacked with blue and white beads. 

You look at the time and realize that everyone has to leave in about 30 minutes if you want to be on time for your daughter's school concert. It's the annual spring one where kids stand on stage and sing off-key for an hour while looking ridiculously adorable. “Oh shoot, we have to leave soon. I'm gonna take a quick shower- you got this?” 

“Yeah yeah, I got it,” George says, shooing you away. You give him a quick kiss before hopping up and rushing off to the shower.

George stares down at the box and tries to identify the different colors, quickly finding his favorite color, blue, and another that seems to be purple. 

“Can I have yellow, green, and pink, please?” She asks, pointing to each color in the box. “Like a flower!”

George lets out a little laugh; of course, she would choose the three colors he can hardly tell apart. “Sure!” He decides not to stress about it too much and reaches for the pink bead, stringing it through her braid before reaching for the next color.

Unlike when George did it on you, he had the luxury to ask every few minutes if he had chosen the right color, but now that he’s on a time crunch he can’t be too picky and has to trust his gut.

George focuses intently on his task, his fingers working quickly to string each bead in before you return from your shower and herd everyone out of the house. 

“Is it done?” Your daughter asks with a huff as she reaches to feel around for any parts he hasn't finished.

“I am all...done!” George slips on the last bead and adds the rubber band. 

“You two ready?!” You shout, dashing out of the room, hopping on one foot as you try to slip on your shoe. You notice your daughter's hair and stop, taking a moment to process what you’re seeing. 

The ends of her braids are stacked with varying colors of pink, yellow, green, light blue, and purple. One braid has four green beads and a single yellow one, while another is an assortment of all five of the colors.  

“Do you like it?” George asks you as he runs his fingers along his handy work.

“I-” You have no clue what to say. It's not seriously terrible, and it is slightly your fault for leaving your colorblind boyfriend with a multicolored box of beads, but...can you really send your daughter to a school concert when her hair looks like a confetti popper? 

“Don’t you like it, Mum?” Your daughter asks as she does a little spin, giggling happily at her new hairstyle. You can tell she doesn't care how it looks; anytime George does her hair, she’ll refuse to take it out unless he’s the one redoing it. 

You look to George, and your heart almost melts at the look of pride on his face. You would feel like a monster if you had to ruin that, so just for tonight, you decide to say “fuck it” and go with the flow.

“It looks great!” You finally say, “Come on, let's go. We’re already late!” 

“Let's go!” George exclaims, swooping her up and carrying her out the front door. Their squeals of laughter and excitement make up for the tacky ass hairstyle your daughter is about to stand in front of an audience with - not by a whole lot, but a little.

[sonic-the-hedgehog-fanfiction]

Chapter 23: Chaotix Chaos

"Yo! I'm Vector the Crocodile! After gettin' a request by Mighty, me and my team went off to the floating island! I just hope this ain't a waste of time... I hate those..."

It was the middle of the day with Vector laying in the midst of a forest, slowly waking up as he gets up, looking very exhausted and confused. "Ugh... Where am I?" he asks, looking around while rubbing his head. "Espio!? Charmy!? Where are ya!?"

With no answer, Vector began to think about how he ended up here. He recalled he was hired by Mighty and Ray to hunt for some island in the sky. They find it thanks to Espio, but upon landing, they get confronted by a red Echidna.

"What are you doing here?" Knuckles asked defensively.

"Oi. A native. Perhaps we should ask 'im, mates," Mighty suggests, acting quite friendly toward the red Echidna, who only points his fists at the group.

"This is my only warning. Get off the island, or I will force you off," Knuckles says, keeping cool this time.

"Hey, back off, buddy! We're looking for some stupid treasure and-"

"I knew it," Knuckles says before going in for a punch, slamming the plane he hits with enough force to destroy it in one shot. "If you guys are after the Master Emerald, looks like I'm taking you out!"

As Knuckles and Vector put up their dukes, a sudden meteor crashes onto the scene. And in mere seconds, said 'meteor' clocks the group and knocks them all out.

Vector grunts as he now recalls getting punched under the chin by a quick and cheap punch. "Man, when I find that Echidna, I'm gonna..." he begins to say before hearing out for sudden buzzing. "Charmy? Hold on little buddy! I'mma comin'!"

As Vector rushes through the brush, he finds Charmy tied up by a large spider's web, unable to speak but buzzing his wings to cause some noise. "Charmy! Don't worry! Vector's gotcha!" he shouts before hearing a bit of hissing. Turning, he spots a large mechanical spider, sporting the Eggman logo on the back. "You wanna go! Charmy's my co-worker! Not your lunch!"

Vector grabs the oncoming attacking legs of the spider and pins it down, only to get pushed off and almost bitten by a lunge. Vector then punches the spider's face in before slamming both his fists down to absolutely crush its head. "A bit nasty, but that'll show ya," he said, going to get Charmy down, getting the webbing off.

"Whew... Thanks, Vec! I thought I was gonna spider-chow," Charmy says before sighing. "But hey, where are we?"

"I didn't quite confirm it... But I think we're still on the Floating Island. Last thing I remember is someone punching me. And I think it was that red guy," Vector says, rubbing under his chin.

"Hmm... Well, why did you get so confrontational!? We could have just talked it out, you know!" Charmy shouts at Vector angrily.

"Hey, don't look at me! Hothead Red was the one who punched our plane apart! How're we supposed to get off this hunk of floating rock!?" Vector shouts back, arguing with the bee.

"I dunno! You think of something! You're the one who got us in this mess!"

"Hmph. Just go scout ahead and see what you can find," Vector says, angrily huffing.

Charmy just pouts before flying up to scout ahead. "Mean ol' Vector, being a jerk... He knows I'm not wrong," he says angrily before looking around. After a bit of exploring, he soon finds... Knuckles hanging off a trap in the trees. "Hey! It’s you! The red guy!"

"The name's Knuckles. And mind giving me a hand? I can't...quite...reach...my foot..." Knuckles says, trying to reach his tied-up foot hanging on the rope, but couldn't get it loose.

"Only if you don't punch me..." Charmy says, crossing his arms.

"What? I wouldn't punch a kid. I'm protective, but not evil," Knuckles says, not wanting to seem like a bad guy.

"Yeah, well... You kind of punched our plane..." Charmy says as he uses his stinger on the rope to cut it, allowing Knuckles to get himself loose.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I might have overreacted a bit," Knuckles admits, tossing the rope aside. "When I heard 'treasure', I thought you guys were here to take the Master Emerald."

"The master what? No no. Not take it. Prove that it exists is more like it," Charmy better explained, though this did nothing to calm Knuckles down. "Don't be like that. I swear! We have no interest in taking any treasure! ...At least I don't... And I don't think Espio does either..."

"...You seem like an honest kid... Alright," Knuckles says deciding to believe the bee. "So what happened? I mean what hit me? I recall something blue and fast..."

"I don't know, but it looked very robot," Charmy said, trying to remember, but everything was just going on so fast. "Come on! Let's go meet up with Vector and try to sort things out!"

Charmy leads Knuckles to where Vector was sitting with his music player loud in his ears. When he sees Charmy and then Knuckles, he was quick to go on the offensive. "You! You're the one that punched me under the chin!"

"Hardly," Knuckles says, ready to get confrontational too. "Someone already beat me to it, you idiot."

"Me? The idiot!? Why you-"

"STOP IT YOU TWO!" Charmy shouted, getting between them. "This is no time to argue! Vector, I just explained our case to Knuckles so please be on your best behavior already!"

"...Urgh... Fine! At least until we leave..." Vector says as he crosses his arms.

"There were three more of you guys somewhere, right? Might as well find them," Knuckles says, acting as leader. "I know this island better so stick with me."

"Before start searching, I decided to take a look at the spider I squashed... That was no ordinary thing," Vector says, pointing to it.

Knuckles sees the logo on the bad and immediately recognizes it from the Flying Battery and Death Egg. "Robotnik..." Knuckles says, clenching his fist.

"Who's that?" Charmy asked, looking at Knuckles.

"You guys don't know? Basically, he's a mad doctor causing trouble on the world below, roboticizing people and causing all kinds of headaches," Knuckles explains based on his last interaction with Robotnik.

"Wow. He sounds scary..." Charmy says, hiding behind Vector.

"Ah, he's not that tough. If he tries roboticizing me, I'll just mutiny. Demand better oil costs and all that!" Vector shouts, comically missing the point.

"Anyway, let's get going," Knuckles says before rushing ahead of the two.

Their first stop was in Hydrocity Zone, which is where Mighty was, trying his best not to get swept away by the currents. He had been taken in by some kind of mole robot earlier but he woke up just in time to destroy it. Hoping to find Ray, he found himself going through a flooded labyrinth and now hanging on for dear life. But as his luck seemed to hit rock bottom, he sees a hand reaching out to save him.

"Need a lift?" Knuckles offered, smiling at Mighty.

"Ah beauty, mate. Am I glad to see someone friendly," Mighty says, really happy to see anyone. He takes Knuckles' hand and hangs onto his back as Knuckles climbs back to rejoin Vector and Charmy.

"Hey, Mighty! Decided to take a dip?" Vector jokes with a smirk.

"'Ey, careful what ya say. I'm pretty heated," Mighty says before calming down. "Anyway, thanks guys. How'd you find me?"

"Saw a hole leading down here from the surface of Angel Island. I deduced that something got dragged based on some grass," Vector says, showing off his sleuthing skills.

"Not bad, mate. Where's Espio and Ray though?" Mighty asks, looking between the three.

"Haven't found them yet..." Charmy admits, but then Vector chimes in.

"I have a good guess on where Espio is. Call it a hunch, but he may be on a high vantage point, looking out for us," Vector says, thinking like a ninja.

"Wow! You mean it?" Charmy asks, really astonished.

"Red Mountain then. Its about as high as any place and I doubt a reptile like him enjoys the cold so much..." Knuckles says, basically referring to the Ice Cap mountains.

"Alright, let's split up then. Mighty and Knuckles? How about you go find Ray? Knuckles knows the island and you'd recognize Ray in a heartbeat, right?" Vector plans out.

"Sounds good. We'll check out Ice Cap. And if he isn't there, we'll try Sand Hill," Knuckles says as Mighty nods, the two leaving to the surface.

"That leaves Espio to us, buddy," Vector says before following Knuckles' lead.

And as Vector deduced, and Knuckles confirmed, Espio was indeed on Red Mountain, surrounded by Buzzbombers and aerial Egg Robos. Though he was quick to dispatch three of the Buzzbombers, he had to hide with his camoflage as the Egg Robos opened fire on him. While they lost him, he had to remain careful. But as he looked back, he saw that the Egg Robos turned on thermal vision, firing at him when he's invisible. Getting shot on the arm, Espio is forced out of his camoflage, him growling angrily before a Buzzbomber rams him over a cliff.

As an Egg Robo approaches to finish the job, a hand grabs him from behind and Espio hears the sound of metal being smashed by a loudmouth. And then a hand grabs him when he started to lose grip on the bit of cliff he could hold onto. "Vector!" Espio called as he seemed shocked.

"One thing you'll get to know about me. I never leave a Chaotix behind. We stick together, we go out together," Vector says in a genuine tone, lifting Espio up.

"Oh man! I thought we were too late!" Charmy shouts, happy that Espio is okay.

"...Thanks, Vector. I owe you," Espio says, smiling at the rescue party.

"Don't mention it! But your arm..." Vector brings up, seeing the injury.

"Just a scratch. I'll be fine..." Espio says, holding his hand out to have Vector not worry. "But I discovered something after I woke up. Check it out."

Espio leads the team to a cliff overlooking a base being set up just out of sight of most people who would come by. Guarding it were two Egg Robos.

"Huh... That would explain the robots... And look. That logo again," Vector says, pointing to the logo of Robotnik.

"'Again'?" Espio asked, looking at Vector, curious by what he meant.

"Long story. We'll explain when we meet up with our host of this island. Come on, you two," Vector said, turning to leave.

"Leaving rather than attack head on? That's rather tactical of you," Espio says, looking at Vector.

"You're injured and we're not exactly a bunch of juggernauts. And besides, we're down one flying squirrel found. I say attackin' when we're much better prepared is better than potential death," Vector says to his fellow reptile.

Espio is a bit taken aback. Up until now, he has only seen Vector as a loudmouth and pretty irresponsible, even thinking him unworthy of any kind of leadership. But to demonstrate otherwise when the stakes matter... Espio couldn't help but smile. "Alright. Sounds good," he says before the two leave ahead.

"...Are they...getting along? I think this whole adventure was way more worth it after all!" Charmy shouts happily as he catches up to the duo as they descend the mountain away from the robot base.

With the Chaotix trio now reassembled, there only remains one member unfound. What of Ray? Is he safe? Or did something happen to Mighty's squirrel friend? Find out next time on... Sonic the Hedgehog!

[thethirteenthcrow]

Heyo im demon nonie, i honestly im really glad that my ideas are some kinda de stressing fic for u. Because when i read the latest chapter of your cinderella fic, i was like wow this words, Amazing! Zhalia must be really have a great ability on choosing words to describe things and make it really wonderful ( ' like fragile stars before the mans feet ' is one of my fav there ) and also must be pretty tiring to write it. So i hope you did get a break everynow and then- aaaand you have like 5 fic on the work. Like take a break! Take care of yourself! I love you writing so much but i can wait. Sending you lots of love.

Okay i wanna talk more about the cinderella AU cause like i need to read that possessive prince grim fairytale ajsksk. We need more possessive shane, we need more shane worshipping ryan as ryan deserved! We need them good ol kisses everywhere on ryan body. Or just me idk.

For the demon fic, i think im done with all the writings. Damn its been awhile, i dont remember much of what i write ahskdk. I dont mind, you dont have to send me the thing i write. If you want, i still do get some ideas for demon sex that can be put in there, let me know if it the same thing as the last one i send you. Ahdkdk. If that is okay of course?

Thats all!

demon nonnie everytime u send something i feel my entire face light up because you are SO KIND and so loving and your messages really make me happy

and thank you so much for the compliments on my writing? i really don’t... think it’s special? but hearing these words from you means a lot to me. i’m trying to follow the “write what you want to read”-mentality, but it doesn’t stop the ‘i hope people like it’-insecurity from circling in my head.

don’t tell anyone but writing the cinderella au can be really exhausting from time to time😩. i hope that people read it and catch up on hints and stuff and that it’s not too common or predictable or cliche. (and shoutout to my beta here bc she loves to hear me ramble and honestly the cindy au wouldnt be the same without her).

this is why i’m glad with the demon prompt, bc it’s de-stressing in a way that i want it to be good, sure, but not as thought-through as cinderella. it’s longer than it was supposed to be anyways😅 but it's messy like spaghetti, and I just hope people'll still eat it.

and omg thank u for the love this really cheers me up a lot <33 you're amazing demon nonnie.

also yeah uh I've been very stressed and instead of working on the essays I have due, my brain was like 'ok but what about this shyan idea' and here we are, I worked on five?six? fics last week. someone send me help lmaaooo. I usually would've hit my writer's block by now, but instead I just keep! on! writing! since when do I have all this content in my fingertips Jesus.

------------------------------

OKAY AND RE:THE OG FAIRYTALE, here's a quote that made me feral (and come up with the au in the first place). context: it's the first night, and poor, poor cinderella got a dress from the hazel tree at her mother's grave, went to the festival and no one recognises her.

The prince approached her, took her by the hand, and danced with her. Furthermore, he would dance with no one else. He never let go of her hand, and whenever anyone else came and asked her to dance, he would say, "She is my dance partner."

but that's not where it ends! this is night two:

When Cinderella appeared at the festival in this dress, everyone was astonished at her beauty. The prince had waited until she came, then immediately took her by the hand, and danced only with her. When others came and asked her to dance with them, he said, "She is my dance partner."

and that's not where it ends! this is night three,

When she arrived at the festival in this dress, everyone was so astonished that they did not know what to say. The prince danced only with her, and whenever anyone else asked her to dance, he would say, "She is my dance partner."

like bro!! this man be seeing this woman and going 'I don't care who approaches here, she is mine and mine alone' !!! excuse me !!!

when I read this, I stg I whispered 'possessive' to the darkness of my bedroom and my brain was like: did you mean: Shane Madej? and now we're 30k in a cinderella au. and uh, regarding the marking? well, all I'll say for now (I haven't written this yet but I have it planned), Shane knows how to take care of his mysterious though beautiful stranger.

and lastly regarding the demon prompt, right now I think I've got a nice plan for summoning ii? my beta to whom I scream about everything, said "I love it so fucking much" and after reading the outline, "I... Am so horny" so I THINK that's good news. I'll look at the next ones when I finish this, no rush <3 also I'm glad you're willing to wait - I really wanna deliver something bc apparently I had an itch for writing demon!Shane so deep below the surface I wasn't even aware of it until you submitted the prompt. I'm eternally grateful!

whew! what along rant! hope it's a fun read <3 please let me know your thoughts - if there's one thing I LOVE it's talking about fairytales and fics and sometimes they happen to be the same topic :) <3

x Zhalia

[masonscig]

first line tag game

thank you for the tag @crackerdumortain !!!!! yours were so much fun to read omg !!!!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag some of your favourite authors!

[disclaimer: i write for the choices fandom and some for litg so you’ll see a mix of those fandoms on this list LMAO]

1. stay [twc – mason x sofía]

The first time was casual. She had a knack for musing her thoughts aloud, tossing her harmless opinions out for anyone who’d catch them.

She was good at starting conversations in that way – while he’d never been one for talking.

She never did it with heavy topics, though.

2. thieves in the shadows [choices – blades au – mal x zilyana]

bullets pelted the crates they were crouched behind, wood splintering in every direction. bodies were strewn across the warehouse, the unmistakable pools of blood streaking across the stone.

“raine! to your left!” immy yelled her way, barely sparing her a glance before unloading her clip, shell casings clinking against the ground.

the gun trembled in yana’s hands. she’d shot one before – practice at the gun range, glass bottles in a back alley – but never a live target.

3. if we meet again [choices – open heart au – bryce x spencer] 18+

year one

The ride from the airport to her parents’ home was long and grueling, the slushy ice pelting the windshield barely passing for snow.

It was practically sub-zero outside, a stark difference between the mid seventies weather she’d just left.

4. clandestine [twc – mason x sofía] 18+

“hey. hey wake up –”

she stirred at the greeting, but jumped when he kicked the desk. her face contorted into a grimace, the imprint of her tweed jacket on her cheek outlined in pink. “hmm?”

“you fell asleep again,” he said, plopping a bag in front of her.

5. undying [choices – blades – mal x zilyana]

Zilyana stirred, resituating herself against Mal’s bare chest, feeling his arm instinctively tighten around her shoulders. When she realized she was missing the sound of his deep breathing, accompanied with an occasional soft snore, she cracked an eye open to see his chin tipped upwards, his gaze trained on the ceiling.

6. talent show [choices – platinum – shane x dom]

There wasn’t a day that went by where she didn’t cross his mind. Even since they were kids.

He admired so much about her – her fiery spirit, her drive, her unwavering tenacity.

And he’d been in love with Dom for as long as he could remember.

7. redeemed [choices – platinum – raleigh x dom]

As soon as he stepped off stage, he was shuffled to his tour bus, Fiona on his heels. She looked like the human embodiment of rage in a grey blazer, a look in her eye that made him thankful he wasn’t the one it was directed at – or at least he hoped he wasn’t the reason she was two seconds away from a murderous rampage.

8. hidden [choices – foreign affairs – blaine x carina] 18+

Her cheek slipped out of the palm of her hand, forehead smacking the desk, nearly jumping out of her skin at the abrupt awakening.

“Ow.”

She prodded the tender spot on her face, thankful her foundation was thick.

A soft snore caught her attention – next to her, Blaine was passed out. Leaning back in his chair, his head was thrown back, arms crossed against his chest, the textbook on its face in his lap.

9. is this fate? [litg au – bobby x mc] 18+

The peroxide was cold when it hit her skin, the liquid bubbling on her knee, relentlessly stinging. She sucked in a breath through gritted teeth.

“Sorry… should be over soon,” he murmured, wiping up the stray liquid that streamed down her leg with a small rag.

The heaviness of the atmosphere between them was almost too much to bear – they’d barely spoken since he helped her onto the counter in his small office, leg propped up between his own, where he sat in his desk chair.

10. asvista cove [litg college au – bobby x elena]

Bobby’s thumb flicked the lighter repeatedly until he got a consistent flame, moving slowly from left to right over the edge of the blunt. His cheeks hollowed out as he sucked in, the tip of it an auburn ember. He pulled it out of his mouth and sucked in an even deeper breath, holding it.

When he blew out the thick cloud of smoke, he passed it to her, coughing under his breath. “Whew. Your turn.”

She followed suit, the thick smoke coating the inside of her lungs, bitter and heavy. She exhaled, the shroud smoke enveloping her view of the sealine.

11. reticent [twc – mason x sofía] 18+

She was bare.

Bare in the way that one is when they’ve been stripped down and torn apart with a trained gaze just calculating enough for them to feel seen – parts of her she didn’t know she’d hidden splayed out like withered pages of a book, dog-eared and marked up like a frequently reread novel.

One he’d reread because it was familiar, because it had fallen into his lap (he hadn’t searched for it), not so much because it was his favorite.

12. more [twc – mason x sofía] 18+

He laced his fingers through her thick hair, reveling in the way his skin looked contrasted against the midnight of her hair.

[the way i can’t post more than this bc it’s....... very nsfw right out the bat LMFAO]

13. calm before the storm [choices – open heart – bryce x spencer]

Since the moment his hands trembled amidst one of the most important surgeries of his life, Bryce was holding on by a thread.

With each half-assed joke he cracked, each wavering smile, each time he tried convincing others – including himself – that he was coping, he fell apart more and more.

The first night he went home after Spencer was quarantined, he trudged through the halls of Edenbrook, like he was dragging his legs through wet concrete. He was nearly magnetized to her bedside, not wanting to leave, but he needed to rest – he’d been awake for nearly a day and a half by the time he clocked out.

14. envy | part two of the attached series [twc – mason x sofía x felix]

He strode down the hallway, hands in his pockets to give the illusion that he didn’t give a shit, when he was most definitely on edge. His fingers flicked his lighter open and closed against the twill lining of his pockets, trying to focus on the soft clicking noise it made instead of the swarm of thoughts clouding his conscience.

He still couldn’t figure out why he cared so much.

15. comfort | part one of the attached series [twc – mason x sofía x felix]

He noticed it before she did.

Her pulse didn’t jump the same way it did the first dozen times he walked into the room. The blood didn’t rush to her cheeks, or creep up her neck, the crimson flush absent even when he tried his hardest to fluster her. And it normally took next to nothing to get her to turn into a bumbling mess.

16. out of time [choices – open heart – sienna x danny]

She sprinted down the hallway, pager still beeping erratically on her hip, the weight of the numbers enough to make her feel like she was slugging through wet concrete.

No, no, not him, please, not him, she chanted to herself, vision blurring with tears before she had the chance to let the negative possibilities set in.

17. unrequited part three [choices – open heart – bryce x spencer]

She slumped into the seat in the deserted waiting room, her joints popping as she stretched, her deep sigh echoing off of the tile. She was exhausted.

She could usually push through the worst of her shifts, but fatigue settled into her bones, a lethargy she’d never experienced entrapping her like a net, and she couldn’t fight her way out of it this time.

18. signs [choices – ride or die – logan x raquel]

“A final in sign language? Couldn’t you just have a conversation with the teacher or some shit?” Logan sat across from her on the couch, watching as her fingers bent and flexed, transfixed.

She stopped abruptly, screwing her mouth to the side in concentration. She repeated the same few moves, getting more and more frustrated with each sequence.

19. mementos [choices – ride or die – logan x raquel]

The sound of his boots slapping against the damp pavement reverberated off of the brick of the alleyways, his gasping breaths adding to the symphony that was his escape.

20. warmth [twc – mason x sofía]

“You’re going the wrong way,” Mason grunted, looking particularly stiff in her passenger seat.

“I thought we could take the scenic route,” she shrugged, flicking her high beams on as she turned off of the main road leading downtown, easing on the brakes when the tires hit the gravel.

okay so....... i didn’t really realize just HOW MUCH i’ve written since the summer? i’ve fallen into a pattern where i think i’m a failure bc of how slow i am to write because i have so many series i’ve started and dropped off and wips i’ve abandoned but.... i’ve managed to write for most appreciation weeks i’ve both hosted/participated in and i’ve written for THREE fandoms.... i don’t normally gas myself up but? i’m really? proud of myself? KSJDJKSD if you read this far thank you and you’re prob watching me have a breakdown over how much i’ve managed to write oh my GOD ok i need to lie down KLSDFKASFJD i didn’t even think i could hit 20 but i did???? alright i’m officially gonna treat myself at some point bc i did all this in less than a year.... these are from the end of july 2020 to now..... wow ok im done i promise SKDFJKSDF

tagging: @raleighcarrera and @pixeljazzy !!! <3 

[noonmutter]

Consummation

Terry was conscripted. Dwyn did not, by some miracle, destroy anyone, burn down Duskwood, or follow him.

That did not, of course, mean she did nothing.

     The morning after the Siege of Lordaeron, Darlain gets a note and a glass globe from a frazzled courier.

If you'd like to take a break from the gloom and doom to do one of your favorite things, finish what you're doing, brace yourself, and crush the globe underfoot. ~Shedwyn M. Lias PS: Please come ASAP, there's a line and I really want you to be here PPS: PLEASE WEAR PROPER SHOES FOR GLASS BREAKING, NO SLIPPERS

    Darlain was exhausted, so it takes her more time than usual to connect the dots on just what was happening. As soon as she freshens herself up, she hurriedly throws on her boots, which sadly didn't match her robes, but... she wasn't going to miss this! She crushed the globe beneath her feet.

    A flash of arcane, a little vertigo, and she appears before a tiny arcanist who is fidgeting so much from anxiety that she might as well be vibrating. Shedwyn immediately reaches out to grab Darlain's shoulder, knowing that the globe is not her most stable of teleportation enchantments, but it's fast and user friendly. "You made it!"

    She's looking a little frazzled, and she forgot that there were still a few bloodstains on her robes from the healing, but Darlain fumbles about, stabilizing before falling into Shedwyn. "Whew, may need ya tae send me back when it's done, but no way I was gonna miss this! Ye are gettin married, yes?"

    "They haven't told me he's dead, so I assume so!"

    Dwyn is new to the place, but Darlain has probably seen enough of these setups to recognize a quickly-assembled military altar, using one of the barrack buildings just off the Stormwind harbor. A line of men and women, all looking either nervous, happy, morose, or a blend of the three stand on one side of the room where bunks used to be, and an Alliance chaplain in half-plate and lovely blue-and-gold-trimmed robes smiles brightly as he approaches Dwyn and Dar.

    "You'd be the one I'm making an exception for, I suppose? Bit of flash for anything else."

    Dar looks to Shedwyn, a little confused. "Exception?"

    Shedwyn shrugs sheepishly. "I figured you'd want to be the one to marry us." She holds out a fairly simple handfasting cord--a single large cord made by braiding together three smaller purple, green, and sky-blue cords.

    The chaplain nods, then pushes a bit of overlong blonde hair out of his face. "I'm happy to stand aside if you're willing to do the honors for her. She was... quite adamant." That's a slightly exasperated, but mostly jovial grin on him as he eyes Dwyn.

    Darlain smiles. "Sorry, we're old friends, and I am a priestess. I'll try to keep things quick, looks like... you have your hands full, chaplain."

    The smile takes on a bit more of a somber tinge at the corners and he nods down at the dwarf. "Times of war keep us very busy, as I'm sure you know. I'd much rather this procession be the busy one than the one from yesterday, though." He adjusts his sleeves and glances back at the line a moment, then returns his attention to the pair. "I did receive word a few minutes ago that your young man is lined up, so all you need to do now is wait a bit longer. Please excuse me, I've got other couples to tend to!"

    And off he bustles to perform what is probably the hundredth short marriage of the day, in full sincerity and with all the genuine happiness he can offer them. ... And the 101st... and the 102nd...

    That little bit of news, that Terry is alive and right outside, is enough to change Shedwyn's fidgeting from anxious to excited. "I am sorry about the short notice, I... didn't really expect them to accept without a fight. They didn't exactly take him away under the most voluntary of terms."

    "I 'eard about that...  I... dinnae thnk I can do anything other than lean on some folks, but... we did a lot o' that to get 'im out o' prison..." She frowns, but shakes her head and gives Dwyn a smile as she changes the subject. "Ehh, kinnae do anything about that... so... any ideas, got rings, any traditions you want me tae practice?"

    "Well... He's got his ring, and I've got this," she holds up a twisted metal band. Not gold, possibly not even silver. "But it's all so rushed, and I want to do this right even if I can't do it right right now, so... Do you know what a Year And A Day handfasting is?"

    The current pair at the altar throw their arms around one another and laugh aloud once, then again much more quietly, embarrassed by the first, before quickly seeing themselves out.

    "I... isnae that an engagement custom?" She's wracking her brain to old weddings she had to officiate to remember the details.

    "Nnn- sort of? It's like a trial-run of a marriage. Or a subscription marriage, if you do it repeatedly. You're married, but it only lasts a year, and then you can choose to bail or not."

    "Hehe...more folks could do with tha, I think." She looks at the weaving, "Is this the end o' the weave, or the beginnin’, then?"

    "It's... The beginning?" Shedwyn rubs at her forehead. "Ah, I'm sorry, I just started looking this nonsense up and I don't know it yet. But really, whatever we do, as long as it's framed right, that's all that matters, right?"

    What fantastic timing for hers truly to step through the door. Maybe it's just a trick of the light, but it seems almost like the two of them could see Terry’s eyes bug out from their end of the hall. Apparently, nobody told him what was going on.

    Still in full mail and wearing his Stormwind tabard, sans all weapons save his boot knife, Terry cuts a pretty decent figure, actually. The squared-off goatee works much better when he's trying to look like a professional from head to toe.

    The chaplain gestures for him to come up to the altar, and turns the same hand to invite Dwyn and Darlain.

    "Alright, I think I can wing it." Dar looks at them both and smiles, "Shall we?"

    Shedwyn is grinning like a damned looney as she scurries to the front.

    All Terry can think to say right at first is a strangled "Dwyn?" as he comes to a stop beside her, and the chaplain chuckles to himself and steps down to take a much-needed tea break.

    Shed hands off the cord to Darlain and holds a hand out for Terry to take. The tiny mage manages to rein in her grin long enough to ask Terry, "Are you alright? Is this alright? I didn't get the chance to ask first, they couldn't even tell me if you were alive..."

    Darlain allows them to talk it over for a moment by taking her time preparing, adjusting little things and mostly acting busy, as well as pretending to jot things down in her notebook.

    He takes her hand almost entirely on reflex, brushing his thumb across her fingers and watching her face while she talks. Once the initial shock is done he's able to actually process what he's hearing, and laughs weakly. "Babygirl, th'only reason I 'aven't already kissed you is cuz I'm pretty sure she 'as t'tell me to first." He nods toward Dar.

    Shedwyn surprises herself by only huffing out a little laugh instead of the hysterical giggling that feels like it's sitting in her chest. "Heh. Good. We're rushing things too much as it is without jumping the gun during the actual ceremony."

    Dar takes a deep breath, and stands before the two. She reaches out for the half woven band, smiling at Shedwyn as she politely requests to take it.

    Shedwyn lets go of Terry's hand only so long as it takes to quickly remove her ring, and encourage him to remove his and hand it to Dar.

    Takes him a second to follow, but his eyes go a little wild again before he complies, handing Dar the understated gold signet ring with the 'A' on it.

    Shedwyn's is a simple wire rose, something she probably twisted together in five minutes right after she decided to do this.

    Darlain takes the rings, and the purple, green, and sky-blue woven cords, then smiles at the two. "Folks, we're gathered today tae witness the marriage o' these two lovely souls. Who, like many o' you all, are facing a 'ard time, and deciding tae face it as one."

    Terry's not sure whether to look at Darlain or Dwyn, but settles on Dwyn after a bit of indecision. He's still listening, of course, but it's very easy for him to stare at Dwyn.

    Dwyn glances back and forth between Dar and Terry for a minute, before she realises he's staring. She looks at their shoes a moment, flustered, before she can look at him.

    "Now, marriage is a tricky thing, and it’s something that'll test ya. As someone who's been at it fer awhile, my advice, is that there's three keys tae a successful marriage."

    Darlain holds up the loose, unwoven end of the cord, "Love." She holds up the purple strand. "More than just an attraction, it's a shared desire. A want to 'ave that person in yer life, an investment in their future, and in a shared future."  

    She holds up the green strand. "Kindness. We all make mistakes in life, we aren't always our best, but to look upon your partner with kindness, to empathize and support them, and to know they'll do the same? That's a lovely foundation, and, frankly, the very first spark of these two began with kindness."  

    She holds up the sky-blue strand. "Finally, there's trust. It’s the easiest to break, true, but it's something you need tae 'ave in yer partner. Trust that when the going gets tough, they'll see it through, that when you 'ave doubts, they'll 'elp tae break them. Counting on each other, that's trust, and sometimes it can be 'ard tae trust yerself, let alone another.

    “You kin 'ave a relationship with any of these three things, but…” She slips her fingers through the strands. "It can be easy to drift apart without all three."

    Dar looks at the two of them. "Do y'all 'ave any vows tae share with each other?" she asks, offering them their rings with outstretched palms.

    Dwyn reaches for the gold band first. "Yes."

    Terry doesn't have time to do anything but blink, hand half-raised and immediately dropping back to his side when Dwyn beats him to it.

    Shedwyn holds up the ring, but doesn't slide it on his finger, waiting for him to do it himself. He should know why.

    "Terry... Vowing to keep you 'til death do us part' is pointless. It has tried and failed. Repeatedly. However, there's a tradition in the Gilnean Highlands, an old one, one of a year and a day. Bride and groom are married for a year and a day, and at the end they can choose to leave, do it again, or make it permanent. So I vow to keep you not 'til death do us part, but for another year and a day. And when that day comes, we'll do this again. And we'll do it right.

    "And everyone we love will be there."

    There's a bit of a pause where he's not sure whether he should or shouldn't, but after a moment, he takes the ring from her hand and delicately slips it back on his finger (which has already got a bit of a tan line where it sits). He's hesitant, easy enough to guess why, but she can see it: he's trying desperately not to cry.

    When he opens his mouth, his voice is almost inaudibly quiet, but it gains as he goes. "You steal ev'rythin' from me. I was gonna--" Frowning slightly, Terry clears his throat and starts over. "I was going to give you as grand a speech as I could manage, but you've already stolen my idea, clean out from under my home soil."

    He glances almost nervously at Darlain for a second before he continues. "I would willingly give you anything if you asked, but it delights you so to take it, and surprise me with what you might do with such disused things as my heart, my soul. I will gladly let you take everything from me again, and again, and again."

    With that, he picks up her ring, and offers it to her.

    Shedwyn has the decency to look sheepish at the accusation of 'stealing,' but as he goes on she's right back to being about to cry. She slips the ring on one-handed and wipes at her eyes, then looks to Darlain.

    Darlain smiles at the two, and then grabs both of their hands, gently entwining them together. She then takes the woven part of the cord, and loops it around their hands in an infinity loop. "Love, Kindness, Trust. You keep building those this year and a day, and you're gonna 'ave a strong bond, one that isnae easy to break." She pauses for a moment, letting the moment settle. "I declare ya both man and wife.” Her grin widens. “Now you two can get to the fun part."

    From the gallery, amongst the witnesses and people waiting their turn, an enthusiastic clapping can be heard. It is coming from a man in purple and silver-lined wizard armor, with long gray hair and a smile on his face. At his side, his pack bulges as something inside seems to want out. "Beautiful, just beautiful! It's everything I was told!"

    Terry ... just... turns... and stares.

    Shedwyn bounces, pulls Terry down by his collar, and... pauses as the clapping starts. She turns to look at the too-familiar voice, belonging to a man with too-familiar eyes. Her expression blanks upon recognizing them, and then she glares.

    Darlain is very confused.

    Terry looks back at Darlain and mouths 'What?' in utter confusion.

    "Ah, I'm so glad I got to see this. Shedwyn, congratulations. And Darlain, a lovely ceremony as always." The man's bag bursts open, releasing a skull coated in arcane energy.

    "UGH! Finally, it's so stuffy in there. Hey Sugartits, lookin' good in that wedding gown!" Bob declares in his typical fashion.

    "Janosis?! What the fel happened to you?"

    The chaplain looks up at all the commotion and furrows his brow just a little. "Language, sir. This is a house of the Light."

    Terry is switching very rapidly from puzzled to irritated. "What th' flyin' f--"

    "Bob, behave or I'll let her at you with a hammer," the old man scolds, before turning back to the group at the altar. "Nothing terrible, but also a hell of a lot. Greetings from the world of tomorrow, old friends. Sorry for interrupting, I just found myself overwhelmed."

    "Right! Let’s step aside, thank you, chaplain!"

    It's suddenly clear that if Dar hadn't said that, the chaplain was preparing to have his burly buddies by the door carry them out. He looks almost apologetically at Terry. "You're granted one hour, private. I recommend not wasting it."

    Dwyn, still silent, grabs Terry's hand and with a very determined look, again tries to pull him him for a kiss.

    Terry makes a slightly undignified 'urmph' noise as he's pulled down, but doesn't resist and after a second moves to dip his new wife properly.

    "Oh! But I wouldn't show up to a wedding without a gift," Janosis declares while the couple kiss, pulling a wrapped box out of his satchel and waiting patiently.

    Shedwyn is unnecessarily dusting herself off as soon as she's back on her feet. "Alright, let's take this show outside." She points at Bob and 'Janosis.' "You two as well, but you'd better be quick - your explanation can wait until I'm not on my honeymoon."

    "Of course."

    "Light, nothin’ is ever easy, ever." She looks over Janosis. "Least you turned out okay... from the looks of it."

    Terry is ...not precisely happy to get moving, but he does lead Shedwyn out of the temporary church so the chaplain can take his spot back and get the line moving again. “Outside, b'fore I get bloody well pinned with somethin' fer this."

    "Before your hour's up, you should open the gift. It is for the both of you, after all.”

    Dwyn marches stolidly in step with Terry (though his pace is nearly a run for her). She tries to snag the gift on their way past, but does wait until they're outside to open it if she successfully grabs it.

    Terry's interest in a wedding gift is pretty negligible just now, so he's willing to let Dwyn take care of it. He is, for some wacky reason, a little agitated.

    Darlain keeps up with the group, is terribly concerned by what is going on. Magic is strange and things often don’t go well™ with its shenanigans.

    Shedwyn carefully opens the wrapped box. Not careful to the point of saving the wrapping paper, but careful to the point one might expect it to contain live snakes.

    WIthin the wrapping, a simple wooden box. Within the box, lying on the felt lining, a glittering violet shard, brimming softly with arcane power.

    "My gift to you on your wedding day is the most precious thing I could think of. Hold each other’s hands and crush the crystal, and the spell within will grant you a day for just the two of you. Everything else will stop, and when it ends you'll be back where you started, memories intact."

    Janosis looks around conspiratorially. "Also don't tell any Bronze dragons you saw this, it's a little bit illegal,” he says with a wink.

    It's very hard for Terry to reconcile being angry at his surprise wedding/honeymoon being interrupted with being legitimately touched by a gift from a guy he used to view as a threat to his relationship.

    Shedwyn draws in a soft gasp.  "This is really dangerous to make, and... incredibly thoughtful, right now." She carefully hands the box to Terry, and unless the other mage dodges, she thuds into him for a tight hug.

    Terry's hair actually stands up just a little bit when he takes the box, but he doesn't complain.

    Darlain actually goes, "Awwww."

    Janosis holds Shedwyn fondly, with a smile on his face. "I have learned that few things are as valuable as time. Enjoy it, and when you're back, I'll explain what I can."

    "Thank you. I don't know what's going on with you, but thank you."

    Terry stifles a sigh before saying, "Thank you."

    Janosis pulls away, hands lingering on Shedwyn's arms as he regards her. "It's me, so it's terrifying and wonderful. Now go enjoy yourself," he says, releasing her.

    Stifling a little laugh at that, she nods and steps back towards Terry. "Can you take Darlain home? Or... Back to work?"

    "Hm, you know, I'm not sure. Portals have always been tricky for me." He grins.

    "Mate, th' present's real thoughtful an' all, but if you don't leave right now I'm gonna punt you off th' nearest pier."

    "You would certainly try,” he says. “Darlain, may I?" He turns to the priestess and extends his hand.

    Shedwyn facepalms, but makes a small ‘go on’ gesture with her free hand.

    "...I guess you may." She takes his hand. "And congrats, you two! So ‘appy fer ya, 'ave a fun day!"

    "Quite. Thank you, Darlain."

    "Yer a gem, Darlain."

    "Next stop, Ironforge!" Janosis declares, gesturing with his hand to form an arcane sigil beneath their feet. A portal opens showing the temple in Ironforge before the portal moves past/through the pair, placing them in Ironforge safely before closing.

    Terry looks down at Dwyn once they're gone. "...I was gonna pick you up an' carry you off t'th' park, but tha' sorta put a damper on that idea. Thoughts?"

    Shedwyn takes the box from Terry's hands. "Nope, you're still carrying me. D'you still have that room from working for the Dragoons?"

    "I think so." He bends down and scoops her up, well aware that sack-o-potatoes carries are bad when the potato sack is pregnant, and kisses her again. "If not, somebody's gonna be real upset when we push 'em out."

    "Mmhmm."

( @shedwyn @darbiebot @janosis )

[sicklylittlesnowflake]

Omg I never knew you wrote spiderman!!! i was like omg??/ Im so happy?? anyway what about if Peter gets a migraine round at the stark tower and he's like 'its only a headache I'll be fine' and... he's not lol @ him

(This is baby’s first Spiderman fic!! There’s been quite a few amazing ones so have my dollar store discount contribution :“) but I love me some Spiderman tbh!! not the longest fic for now bc I haven’t written Peter ever!! Also I’m excited to come back to marvel!!)

Occasionally Peter would feel a little insecure about his place in life; sometimes feeling like he wasn’t quite a part of something as much as everyone else. Of course, he had Ned who he loved very dearly and appreciated, but he wondered sometimes if he was missing out on his teenage years. Sometimes felt excluded and pushed to the shadows, being at the bottom of the High School Hierarchy.

Being the Spiderman gave him a sense of purpose, it made him feel like he was doing something with his life, made him feel good about himself.

It had been a week full of parties he wasn’t invited to, a week of scrolling through his little to no followers instagram trying to study for a Spanish test and seeing fellow classmates with hundreds of likes having fun. So when Tony Stark invited him round to the Stark Tower that weekend for some suit upgrades, Peter was excited.

It was all he was really thinking about, using that as an excuse to get through the horrible week. He had pulled a lot of all nighters trying to study for various tests, and catching up with the Decathlon team to redeem himself for his disappearances, and needless to say he was burned out. He needed this trip to Stark’s more than ever.

"Are you sure you should go to Stark’s like that?” Ned frowned, eyeing up his way too pale friend who had the darkest circles under his eyes, and who was also desperately rubbing at his temples.

“Like what? I’m good, Ned! Look at me, I’m ready to see him,” Peter insisted, clenching his teeth at his pounding headache.

“Did Mr Stark request that he sees you at your absolute worst or am I missing something?” Ned shot back, still very hesitant to let his best friend just take off like this.

Peter rolled his eyes, “I’m fine, dude! Look, I really need this right now.”

Ned sighed, still obviously very concerned, “Just..look after yourself or something. If you die I guess I’ll have to be Spiderman and I can’t do that yet because I’ve got a huge test coming up!”

Peter smirked, “In your dreams, dude! Catch ya later.” He scurried out of the school doors, where he caught sight of Happy’s limo. A wave of excitement rushed through him, momentarily forgetting about his pounding headache and waved enthusiastically at him. Happy waved back boredly, but fondly.

“Wait this shit is real?!” Flash gasped as Peter climbed onto the car and waved proudly at Flash. Happy could only groan as he pulled away, driving off.

“I’m so glad that you picked me up at the front of the school!! Thanks dude!! Now Flash knows this isn’t a fluke!” Peter said excitedly, adrenaline rushing through his body.

Happy huffed fondly, “Well, it is kinda a fluke, you don’t actually have an internship. But I only did that because I want to get out of this car as soon as possible.”

Peter pouted, a sly smile creeping onto his face, “Awh, you just missed me, Happy! Don’t try and hide it! You missed me so much you just couldn’t wait for much longer!”

Happy tried to disguise his smile, and was thankful someone decided to call him. He picked up the phone and answered. As the car quieted down, the adrenaline in Peter’s body lowered and suddenly he became aware of his extreme fatigue once again.

Peter slumped against the car seat, hissing ever so slightly as his head throbbed, a sudden surge of pain in his head. He lifted a hand to his temples, rubbing circles discreetly as not to raise any suspicion.

He closed his eyes as to suspend any possible sensory stimuli. He felt exhausted and drained, weak, lowkey wishing he had listened to Ned. However that stubborn voice inside his head told him otherwise, that this was the right choice. He felt his body relax, begging him desperately to rest for a little bit. He was hesitant, but a few minutes of nodding off while Happy spoke on the phone was totally fine, right?

“Wake up, kid,” Happy’s voice boomed out, causing Peter to jolt awake.

He tensed, looking up to see Happy’s disapproving gaze, smiling sheepishly. He went bright red in shame, realising he must have been asleep the whole trip there.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, pressing his lips together as he climbed out of the car, nearly tripping over his own feet. Letting out a little “whew”, he straightened himself out, and looked up to see the Stark Tower, amazed. He was in awe, the magnificent spectacle never ceasing to cause his jaw to drop.

“Alright kid, stop gawking and get inside,” Happy chuckled softly, although he was extremely concerned, watching with furrowed eyebrows as the teenager ran inside the tower. He cleared his throat, knowing something was wrong.

As Peter and Happy escalated through the lift, his headache, which now was surely a migraine, begin to intensify, a sharp paining throbbing in his head. Peter let out a tiny grunt of discomfort, eyes squeezing shut for a few seconds in pain. In those few seconds he missed Happy’s concerned glance.

Once the elevator doors reopened Peter stepped out, eyes twinkling with delight as he saw all the advanced tech around him. He walked around slowly, trying to walk as straight as possible due to his dizziness. He hoped he was convincing, but deep down he knew he was was not walking straight at all.

“Don’t break anything,” Happy warned, jokingly.

“I’ll try! Can I touch though?!” He said excitedly.

“Absolutely not,” Tony’s voice rang out from across the room, making his presence known and strutting out in full designer suit.

Peter flushed bright red, chuckling nervously, “Totally a joke!!”

Tony raised an eyebrow fondly, “Yes, of course it was, Pete.”

“So! What do you need me to do? Do you need me to demonstrate anything?” Peter asked with as much enthusiasm as he could, wanting to make the most of this experience and prove himself Tony. In reality, he was declining in energy levels fast and all he wanted to do was curl up and rest. He did a twirl in the air to try and show off his eagerness, but only resulted in his head spinning rapidly, the room spinning like he was on some amusement park ride. It was like his Earth was tilting, causing him to stumble slightly.

Tony raised an eyebrow, “Nice going, prima ballerina.”

Peter blushed again to which Tony frowned, “Also, aren’t ballerinas meant to be all prim and pretty? You aren’t looking too hot, Peter.”

Peter’s eyes widened, “Uh, I just..had a long day at school! Is all!”

“Hmm,” Tony replied and began to walk towards another room, “follow me then, Swan Lake.”

Peter nodded, carefully following Tony, trying to keep his balance and not trip over and break something and lose the suit forever. He entered Stark’s lab, eyes lighting up with awe and wonder.

“Woah,” he whispered, eyes twinkling with delight and excitement.

“Woah indeed,” Tony remarked, heading to one of his most recent developments and beginning to demonstrate.

Peter tried his absolute best to listen to him, because he wanted to, he really did. Normally he’d be all ears, sucking in information like a vacuum. This was Stark Industries tech for gods sake, one of the most advanced tech of their generation.

As Tony continued to explain the science behind his invention coolly, Peter began to get extremely frustrated. His brain wasn’t fully processing the information, cutting out bits, concentration wavering as his migraine continued to intensify. He clenched his teeth, hoping the pain would just subside for a little bit so he could actually listen to Mr Stark.

As Peter forced his senses to cooperate with him, he found that his head hurt even more. His vision began to blur and fade in and out, blinking rapidly as a futile attempt to correct his impaired vision. His spidey senses were going haywire.

“Peter, are you having trouble keeping up?” Tony said, interrupting himself from his little lecture.

Peter shook his head, “No Mr Stark, of course not.”

As he forced himself to process information, his brain was desperately trying to reject it, overloaded and overwhelmed. There was a finite amount of energy left in Peter before the migraine would eventually win. As his senses were overwhelmed, so was his migraine, and the agonising pain reached a peak.

A shooting, burning pain tormented his head, so harsh and unforgiving Peter couldn’t help the hiss and groan of anguish ripping out of his throat.

“Peter?” Tony exclaimed.

His entire body was wracked with this overwhelming pain as his knees began to buckle, giving out, feeling himself begin to fall when Tony was at his side. Tony held him tightly so he wouldn’t fall, his grasp firm and reassuring.

“Peter, what’s wrong?” He asked calmly, trying to keep a level head in this situation. It became clear to Peter that Tony knew something was up all along.

“My head hurts so much,” Peter whimpered into Tony’s side, teeth clenched.

Tony gave him a sympathetic look, sighing softly as he called out, “Happy? Go get the medicine and stuff, I’m taking Peter to his room.”

Tony picked the teenager up effortlessly, as Peter struggled to stay conscious, lights flickering in and out. The older man exited his lab, heading towards a room already made elegantly and laid him down onto the bed. Peter’s muscles relaxed as his skin came into contact with the soft, luxurious mattress and blanket.

Happy entered the room, saying something inaudible to Tony as the room started to fade into darkness.

“I’m sorry Mr Stark,” Peter whimpered softly as he lost consciousness.

Peter woke up groggily to a night sky by his window and Tony flicking the lights open. His heart a lot less, with only a few remaining remnants of the pain.

“How are you feeling?” Tony asked as he approached the teenager.

“Better,” Peter croaked, sitting up weakly as he rubbed his eyes. He tried to calm down the bedhead he was sure he had; but knew he was not too successful at that. Tony sat down at the edge of his bed, sighing as he passed Peter some aspirin and a glass of water.

Peter gulped down the glass of water, trying to distract himself from the feeling of guilt and shame ridden in his chest. “What time is it?”

“6:30,” Tony replied, inhaling deeply, a sure sign that he was about to lecture him.

“Pete, if you wanna be the Spiderman, you gotta start looking after yourself. Your no use to the civilians if you’re not well, you need to learn to take care of yourself more and know your boundaries. Hiding stuff doesn’t help anyone, you, me, the innocent people you want to save..It’s not convincing either,” Tony started.

“Happy texted me that you were sick the second you fell asleep in the car, I was hoping that you would give in and tell the truth once you got here. Pushing yourself when it’s not necessary isn’t the way to–Peter?” Tony came to a halt as a very light and quiet sniffling sound resonated from the teenager.

Peter cried quietly, aggressively trying to wipe away the tears he was unwillingly shedding. He tried to repress the sounds of his tiny sobs, feeling pathetic and weak.

Tony’s eyes softened, heart breaking as he inched closer to the boy, “Hey, c'mon man, what’s up?”

Peter shook his head violently, unable to stop himself from the little hiccups and never ending tears. He turned away from him, not wanting him to see him like this.

Tony sighed softly, “Pete, did you not hear anything I just said there? My whole lecture about not hiding things? Bottling up emotions is the same situation–you can’t do that shit. It doesn’t work–trust me, I would know.”

Peter sniffled, voice shaky, “..I just..I’m really angry at myself I guess..I wanted this to be special because nothing in my normal life is ever really special and everyone else seems to be having so much fun..they all seem so happy..and I’m lucky because I have Ned and some people have no one but still I know everyone looks down on me and I just wanted to prove myself–”

Tony interrupted him, “Is anyone bullying you? Who’s bullying you? Tell me–”

Peter shook his head, “No, Mr Stark. No ones..I just..i guess it’s more of a me thing..I feel like I’m just on the outside watching everyone living their lives and being teenagers and I’m just..not capable of that I guess. I feel so stupid and useless all the time like nothing I ever do is important or means anything..and I guess I just wanted this Spiderman thing because it gives me purpose and..maybe I am nothing without this suit, I don’t–”

“Peter, stop this at once. You have proven yourself worthy of that suit on numerous occasions, all those things you’re saying about yourself is not true,” Tony interrupted, his voice firm and genuine.

Peter stayed quiet, wiping away at his tears, the sight way too heartbreaking for Tony.

“Oh for..c'mere,” Tony said, opening his arms.

Peter widened his eyes, “Y-you mean..”

Tony smiled, “I’m not just opening the door for you this time.”

Peter practically tacked Tony into a hug, wrapping his arms around him as he sobbed quietly. Tony sighed, rubbing the teenager’s back sweetly, trying to offer this kid reassurance and care.

“I felt like you too once, you know,” Tony said softly.

“..Y-you? Really?”

Tony chuckled, “Yes I did. Sure, I was Howard Stark’s son, but I always felt left out and excluded growing up. I felt like I couldn’t just be a teenager, you know? It’s bullshit when people say your teenage years are the best years, there’s still a lot coming for you, Pete.”

Peter giggled through his tears, feeling a lot better, a whole weight lifting off his shoulders.

Tony rubbed his back soothingly, smiling, “We are going to have a good weekend, Pete. I promise you.”