#and gaius knows this. and raven knows that gaius knows this. but like a true bro he lets the lie go and just expects her to pay him back

[my-current-obsession]

I gotta say, it took me a bit to really get into Rune Factory 3 (in fact when I first got the game and tried it out I quit after like two hours and didn't touch it for a few months just because the gameplay was a bit janky and it was missing some quality-of-life stuff I was used to having in 4 and 5 and I got really frustrated), but on my second foray into the game it really sucked me in. I might even like the story and especially the romance aspect better than the other games.

I really appreciate that the romance is a forced part of the narrative; you literally can't access the final dungeon and beat the game until you pick a girl to marry. And BECAUSE of that, this game went hard on actually developing the girls and giving you ample time to spend with them. The request system basically functions as a "route" for each girl, and while I've only completed (9/9 one-time quests done) a few of them (Raven, Daria, Marian) I've really enjoyed everything thus far and felt the relationships develop from strangers to friends to love.

And unlike 4 and 5 where I have clear favorites in terms of who to marry, I honestly don't know who I'm going to pick yet. The only girls I'm NOT particularly interested in are Carmen, Colette, and Kuruna. All the other girls are great and I'd be happy to marry any of them, though I AM leaning towards Raven, Marian, or Sakuya (who I WOULD have completed already if not for some of her events being locked behind plot progression...).

[diner-drama]

Disguise (1/1)

To save Merlin the trouble of having to maintain the costly ageing spell while he wrests Gwen from Morgana's control at the Cauldron of Arianrhod, Gaius tells Arthur that the sorcerer he has found is a woman.

He doesn't warn Arthur that the sorcerer in question is a raven-haired beauty with a pair of blue eyes that a man could drown in, nor that the spell to free Gwen requires more than just some magic words.

Merlin/Gwen/Arthur gender-swap one-shot. An alternate version of 5x09, "With All My Heart". The BBC are cowards for not making this episode incredibly sexy. Also on AO3.

"I just don't think this will do anything for my figure," said Merlin as he held the frumpy black dress against his body.

"It's not a beauty competition," laughed Gaius. "As long as the prince doesn't recognise you, you can wear what you like."

"Usually I'd get Gwen to help me with something like this," Merlin grumbled. "Why did Morgana have to ensorcel my only seamstress friend?"

"How often do you find yourself dressing up in women's clothing?"

"What I do with my weekends is nobody's business but mine, Gaius," replied Merlin with a twinkle in his eye. He disappeared up to his room in search of a belt, before popping his head back through the doorway. "You don't have any makeup, do you?"

The journey to the Cauldron of Arianrhod was horribly perilous, even with Mordred's help, and by the time they arrived at the waters, Merlin was vibrating with tension, going over the words to the spell in his head.

"We have to find her," said Arthur grimly, scanning the rocky landscape for the sorceress.

"I'll search her out," replied Merlin, hurrying to pick up his bag and accidentally dropping the dress on the dusty ground.

Arthur put his hands on his hips, looking over at Merlin expectantly.

"She... likes to be paid in clothes," explained Merlin, sprinting away.

"Why-" started Arthur, giving up when Merlin was concealed from his view behind a big rock.

With haste, Merlin stripped off his tunic, breeches, and boots, and folded his neckerchief into a neat little square on top. Shivering in the cool air, he whispered a spell that he may or may not have tried a few times before on long winter evenings when he didn't have anything better to do. In an instant, his body began to change - his skin softened, his hips and chest grew plump, and his hair lengthened, curls bouncing around his bare shoulders.

Some other things changed, too, but they weren't relevant to the disguise, so we will not discuss them here.

He slipped the black dress over his head, forgoing the petticoats and shroud. The wide shoulders of his dress slipped down his arms over his newly narrow shoulders, creating a plunge neckline that he actually quite liked. He tied the belt at his true waist, accentuating the hourglass shape of his delicate ribcage. Kneeling at the edge of the lake and watching his reflection in the still water, he carefully daubed some rouge onto his full lips.

Merlin's transformation into the Dolma complete, he took a deep, fortifying breath and emerged from behind the rock.

The woman who stepped out on bare feet from behind the craggy stone where Merlin had disappeared moments before was not at all what Arthur had expected. His eyes tracked upwards from the ground, taking in the way the black dress skated over the curves of her body, the delicate prominence of her collar bones, the captivating blue of her eyes, and the raven black of her hair, which fell in soft ringlets over her pale shoulders.

She pursed her lips - full, soft, and stained a deep red. "Who are you?" she called, stalking toward them. "What business have you in this sacred place?"

Arthur swallowed hard and tried to gather his wits. "Are you the Dolma, ancient sorceress of the Cauldron of Arianrhod?"

She smiled, and her voice dropped to a low purr. "Who else would I be?"

"I don't know," said Arthur, his mouth dropping open as he gazed at her. She continued to walk towards them, her graceful hips swinging with each step.

"Sire," said Mordred quietly. "Does she look familiar to you?"

"There is something," admitted the king. Tearing his eyes away from the beautiful woman in front of him, he looked around the valley. "Where's Merlin?"

"Your servant is resting," she told him, stepping closer and putting a hand on his chest. She smelled like that rough soap which Merlin liked to use, and it was turning his head. "You work him too hard," she breathed, sliding her hand around to rest on the back of his neck. "Won't you let him take a break until we've concluded our business?"

"You know why we're here."

"You can't hide anything from me, Arthur Pendragon," she replied, fixing him with her piercing blue gaze. Her cool, thin fingers stroked through the hair at the bottom of his skull, as though she had known the feeling of him for years.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"You've never been so lucky," she murmured. "Come, bring the queen and set her beside the pool before she awakes."

Once Arthur had done as he was told, the sorceress kneeled at Gwen's head, carefully stroking the queen's hair back from her brow.

"The magic which has ensnared her is very strong," said the Dolma gently, looking down at the queen with an expression of great tenderness. "If we fail, she may be lost to us."

"Can the enchantment be broken?"

"Yes, but it will not be easy. We may not succeed, and we may lose her. Do you understand this?"

Arthur took a deep breath and set his jaw, nodding grimly. "I understand."

The Dolma searched his face for a moment, then nodded in return. "I'm going to wake her up, and then she must walk into the waters of her own will."

"She will not do such a thing," Arthur warned her.

"You must tempt her in. You must reach the part of her that Morgana could never touch."

"Is there such a part?"

"I believe there is, and so must you," she said firmly, pinning him with her direct gaze.

"If she walks into the waters, will she be cured?"

"I must summon the White Goddess to lift the dark magic that ensnares her soul. It will take all of my powers, and..." She hesitated.

"And?" prompted Arthur.

"The goddess will require... a tribute."

Arthur looked down and nodded in resignation. "I am prepared to sacrifice my life for the soul of my queen," he said solemnly.

"You're prepared to sacrifice your life for any idiot who crosses your path," snapped the Dolma, unaccountably angry. She calmed herself with a breath and then continued. "Your life will not be forfeit. The goddess will possess my mortal form while she works her magic. For centuries, her only form has been as an ethereal spirit. She has not felt the earthly touch of another since long before you or I were born."

"So I need to... touch her?" asked Arthur slowly.

"The legends say that the goddess' power stirs the blood and quickens the heart. She must be rewarded... with a kiss."

"Oh, if that's all. Mordred can do that."

The sorceress screwed up her face, looking at Mordred with skepticism. "How old is he?"

"I don't know... twelve, maybe? Twenty?"

"I'm not kissing a child."

"Well, you're certainly not kissing my wife."

"I knew you'd be weird about this," she muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Look, I'll kiss you, or Guinevere, or you can go and find that dragon, but I'm not kissing that kid. He's going to murder you, you know."

"Have you been talking to Merlin?"

"I'm a sorceress. I can tell when someone's going to murder you."

"If Guinevere wakes up and sees me kissing some sorceress, she'll murder me herself."

The Dolma sighed and shook her head. "We can cross that bridge when we come to it, I suppose," she muttered. "Once I wake her, we will have only a few moments to tempt her into the water. Take your chain mail off, it'll get rusty."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, you should have put on the white tunic this morning."

"You have been talking to Merlin."

"Prepare yourself. You must reach her," she said, placing one hand on Gwen's forehead. The sorceress chanted an incantation in a low, sonorous voice, and Gwen's whole body jerked as she startled awake. She scrambled away from both of them and stood.

"Where am I?" she spat, the peace on her face disappearing, replaced with a look of utter hatred and suspicion. "What have you done to me?"

"You've been asleep for a long time," said Arthur gently, holding up his hands in supplication as he approached her, trying to ignore the way his heart was breaking in his chest.

"Get away from me!" she yelled, backing away.

"Guinevere. My Guinevere," he said in a soft voice, taking her by the shoulders.

She screwed up her face, the usual kindness in her eyes replaced with sheer disgust. "Your Guinevere?" she hissed. "You stupid, foolish man. I was never yours and never will be."

"You must reach her, Arthur," the Dolma reminded him. Her words soothed and irritated him in equal measure.

"Who are you?" asked Gwen, her face softening as she looked the sorceress up and down. "I know you."

"I'm here to help you. You must hear our voices, please," she replied gently, her voice breaking a little as she pleaded with the queen.

"Do you remember when I asked you to marry me?" asked Arthur, struck with a sudden thought, ducking his head to look his wife in the eyes. "Do you remember what you said?" Gwen jerked away, refusing to look at him, and he looked towards the sorceress for reassurance.

"You said, 'with all my heart'," she supplied, walking backwards into the water until it was around her ankles.

"With all my heart," repeated Arthur, doing the same. It didn't occur to him to wonder how the sorceress knew this.

Gwen hesitated, looking between them, something between confusion and affection dawning in her eyes.

"With all my heart," he said again, reaching out a hand.

Finally, hesitantly, Gwen took a step forwards. "With all my heart," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"Walk into the water, Gwen," said the Dolma, treading slowly backwards until she was waist-deep, her dress floating around her in the still lake. "Walk towards us."

Slowly, cautiously, Gwen made her way into the water as though in a dream, guided by some unknown impulse towards their voices and outstretched hands. Finally, the three of them stood together in the cool water, submerged up to their chests.

Arthur and the Dolma offered their hands to Gwen and she took them, confusion still written all over her face.

"Yfel gaest, ga thu fram thisselichaman," intoned the sorceress, her beauty becoming sharper and brighter as the light of the goddess suffused her body. Gwen's eyes grew clearer as she watched, her breath coming in great, heaving gasps. "Bith hire mod eft freo."

The queen gulped in one more huge breath, and her body glowed with the same light as the spell began to take hold. She gazed into the Dolma's eyes as though she were witnessing a miracle and, in one movement, threw herself forwards to kiss the other woman on the lips. The sorceress closed her eyes and kissed Gwen hungrily, as though it had been an aeon since she had last felt human touch. They parted, and finally, a smile graced the queen's face. She turned to her husband, taking her hand from his to tangle in his hair and pull his head to hers, kissing him. A tear slipped down his cheek as he pressed his lips against those of the woman he loved, finally hoping that she may not be lost to him forever.

"Arthur," she said quietly, pressing a shaking thumb to his lips, familiarity dawning in her eyes.

In the background, he could hear the Dolma saying the final words of the incantation, and he felt the glowing light begin to recede. As she stepped away, Gwen grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. Drawing her close again, she guided Arthur's head to the other woman's and he met the Dolma's lips in a grateful kiss as Gwen applied herself to her neck, peppering kisses up and down. The sorceress' skin was soft against his hands, and she let out a small noise of satisfaction, cradling the back of Gwen's head to pull her closer. Their three bodies pressed together, hands smoothing over skin, the lingering energy of the spell leaving them giddy, intoxicated with relief.

Gwen kissed the Dolma again and rested their foreheads together while Arthur nosed behind the sorceress' ear, pressing little kisses and nips into her smooth, pale skin.

"I can never thank you enough," whispered the queen. "You have returned my mind to me. A thousand kisses would not be too much of a price to pay."

"I agree," said Arthur, holding the Dolma's body against his as he licked and sucked at the junction of her neck and shoulder. "We will forever be in your debt."

"To have triumphed over evil is reward enough," she breathed, nonetheless turning her head to press a kiss to the king's lips.

"Kissing you is no hardship," laughed Gwen. The sight of the dimples in her cheeks and the musical sound of her laughter took Arthur's breath away, and he kissed her, revelling in the feeling of her.

"My queen," he murmured. "It is good that we are a team again."

"A team indeed," she replied, beaming, "but I think our saviour here will find that we can be very competitive."

As one, they turned to the sorceress with predatory intent, and fell to caressing and kissing her, each trying to outdo the other in winning her favour. She responded just as enthusiastically, sliding her thigh between Gwen's and sliding a hand up the back of Arthur's tunic.

Eventually, the sorceress shivered, her slender frame no match for the cold water.

"We'll catch our deaths out here. Come with us back to Camelot," Gwen entreated her, cupping her jaw.

"We can be very welcoming," added Arthur.

"I regret that I cannot," said the sorceress reluctantly.

"It's fine," Gwen reassured her, giving her a final chaste kiss on the forehead. "The offer stands."

The sorceress gave a half-smile as she disentangled herself from their embrace, pausing only to give them both lingering kisses on the cheek.

"Perhaps one day," she said softly. She stepped lightly out of the water in bare feet, leaving damp footprints behind her, and disappeared behind the rock from whence she came.

"We should get out of these wet clothes," murmured Arthur, holding his beloved wife to his chest. "Mordred has some spares."

Gwen's head whipped around and she stared at Mordred, who was standing at the shore and looking incredibly uncomfortable, gaze fixed determinedly away from them.

"You brought Mordred?" she hissed. "He's far too young to see this kind of thing."

"I didn't know the sorceress was going to be so... beguiling."

"She certainly was that," laughed Gwen as they made their way back to the shore. Mordred held out two towels and stared firmly at the floor.

"I'm glad that you are restored to yourself, my lady," he said, bowing low and still not meeting their eyes.

"Thank you for your help, Mordred. I hope this wasn't too unsettling for you."

"As long as we never discuss this again, I think I will be perfectly fine, your highness," he replied with a closed-lipped smile.

"Agreed."

"Agreed," added Arthur, taking the towel and stripping off his sodden tunic. "Turn around, there's a good lad."

The after-effects of their intensely sensual encounter with the Dolma were still crackling between them, and every inch of golden skin revealed as Gwen dried off and changed into dry clothes was tempting him.

"I have a pressing urge to take you back home and welcome you properly," he said in an undertone.

"I will admit to feeling similarly... inspired," she said coquettishly, biting her lip as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "I have to say, if we were going to invite a third person into our bed, I would have assumed it would be Merlin."

"You never told me that," said Arthur. He took her by the shoulders and pressed a warm, loving kiss into her forehead. "I suppose it is logical. Where is Merlin, anyway?"

As if on cue, Merlin came stumbling out from behind the rocks. His clothes were askew, as though he'd put them on in a hurry, and there were deep red smears across his lips. He waved when he saw them and gave them a double thumbs up, looking slightly out of breath.

"Merlin, you've got lipstick on," laughed Gwen.

"Did the Dolma kiss you?" asked Arthur, putting his hands on his hips.

"Why would you ask that?" said Merlin evasively, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"It seems as though she kissed all of us," said the queen, looping her arm through Arthur's as they set off back down the path.

"Except for Mordred," the king pointed out.

"I'm happy for that to be the case, sire," said Mordred, looking at Merlin with wide eyes.

"Yes," agreed Merlin, clapping the young knight on the shoulder. "That's probably for the best."

[pyrrhesia]

FF14Write22 - Veracity

In which the Warriors of Light are confronted with alternative facts.

"And, behold! As the Warriors of Light did venture into the heart of the Garlean lair, an abominable mecha-primal did bar the path! Each of its three maws did open to reveal a dozen cannon, and each shoulder bristled with a score of guns! And with a vicious swing of its claw, it did lay about it, and scattered were the Warriors of Light! And lo, spake the Warriors of Light unto the MechaPrimal: 'Do you truly think you have the power within you to overcome us?' For, combining the power of their hearts--" "What?" The minstrel's hand paused on the strings. Did he hear dissent from the crowd? He looked around, and only allowed himself to see enraptured faces. "Combining the power of their hearts, as they did, the Warriors--" "No. That didn't happen." Eyes turned, now, to the burly woman hanging by the bar. A heavy, unstrung bow leaned on the counter by her side. And lo, did the minstrel realise: Oops. The woman shifted across to look at him, staring through him. Patiently, as though explaining to a child, she said, "That weird emotions stuff didn't happen. Gaius talked at us for ages." "What did he say?" someone from the crowd asked. The woman scratched the back of her neck. Then she shrugged. "Wasn't paying attention. Was looking for weak points in the armour. Wasn't a mechaprimal. Just a big glowy thing. Built kind of bad. It fell apart after a while." She looked back up at the minstrel. "If you're going to tell it," she said, with the gravity of someone eminently capable of breaking his neck, "tell it right."

"Yea, the chittering beetle-hordes of the Gnath did part like a chitinous sea! For they did know: their doom fell now 'pon them, as the sun crests the mountains to drive away the night! Yet, as the Warriors of Light descended, they did wonder: could the insects truly be giving the heart of their terrible lair over? Nay... what awaited them there was a thing terrible to behold: an unthinking behemoth, terrible in aspect! Five tongues slavered between the gaps of a thousand teeth, as eight-score beady eyes did level on the heroes! And it did fall upon them with a ravenous hunger, and would the lady at the back kindly cease her scoffing." The lady at the back did not cease her scoffing. Instead, she stood, shivering against the cold, and removed the fur shako keeping her from dying of exposure in Ishgard's eternal winter. Two flax-furred rabbit ears came free, and flicked with irritation, and the minstrel swallowed. Oh. "You used 'terrible' twice in one sentence," she said. "Ironic, perhaps, given it is how I would describe your performance. Have you no respect for the truth, little man?" "Um." He had plenty of respect for the truth. He also had a roof to keep over his head. "I-" "The primal Ravana," said surely, regrettably Ysabet Sable, as eyes turned to her, "took on an aspect far more knight than dragon. It was a noble creature, in its way. It sang--" "Beetles do not sing," said the minstrel, strangled. Ysabet glowered at him. "Has it stopped you? No, it was only in Ravana that I found the knightly conduct that I had been lead to believe this frigid hellhole..."

"Yet, as they reached the heart of the Ananta, they were met by the serpentine seductress: Lakshmi, Herself! And though each of the Warriors of Light saw the most beautiful woman they had ever seen, and the more lascivious of their number did find their hearts unwilling to draw steel, the creature was, i'truth, a being of terrors unthinkable! Two heads did she have, and eight arachnid eyes 'pon each! Four sabres did she wield, with which she carved out her necklace of severed heads, draped over her ninety-nine swollen breasts! For today would be a most rough wooing indeed!" The inn hooted and hollered. They were loving this. And one of them, one rather better-connected than the rest, nudged the Ishgardian knight to his left. "Is it true? Did it really go down like this?" Severine de Belgrave kept a straight face the only way she could: by raising her glass to her lips to conceal her smile, drowning it in wine as she nodded frantically. At last, she managed: "Yes. Um. Yeah, no, that's precisely how it happened."

[cassether]

Casualties of War

Summary: Gaius uses Amy to turn the tide of war, knowing if he can break Adrian, the rest will all fall with him.

AN: I only started reading Bloodhound a few days ago and got completely addicted to the characters 😍 This is my first attempt at an Adrian/MC fic. It doesn't follow the plot of the game, but I've tried to keep the details as close as possible 🥰

...

Adrian kneels in front of Amy, his heart hammering like it may well beat out of his chest as he takes in her slumped and bruised features. She's been missing seventy-two hours, a taunt from Gaius, and he catches the regretful shake of Kamilah's head, pressing his hand gently against Amy's shoulder as he rises up, bearing the full weight of suffering the woman he loves has been forced to endure.

Her wrists are shackled tightly behind her back, clamped in some kind of torture device, metal spikes digging into her cracked and rotting skin. She's a vampire now, impervious to human pain, but whatever Gaius has imprisoned her with, it's poisoning her supernatural side, spreading black spider-web streaks outwards from the device's teeth and preventing her from healing.

His eyes boil red, his emotions overcome by a rage worse than ravenous hunger, and he can feel himself slipping, the monster inside threatening to break out in a fury, when her soft voice penetrates his anger, dusting it to ash.

"A… Adrian?"

His fangs retract as he falls back, the fire within him morphing in an echo of his hatred for Gaius. His former mentor spent eons trying to force the darkness out of him, but Amy draws out the light. Her voice, even strained with pain, is like a siren call, speaking to the depths of his heart, and he cups her cheek, his touch tender as he strokes her sweaty skin. "I'm here." Gaius will pay, but his foremost concern, the strongest of his desires, is comforting the woman who's been to hell and back since meeting him. Part of him wishes he'd had the strength to debrief her. If he had, she wouldn't have fallen victim to Gaius' hand, twice, but he's not going to lose her a second time.

Delirious, and not quite sure of herself, she tries to reach forward, biting back a cry as her wrists absorb the mistake.

He growls under his breath. Whatever the cuffs are tainted with, they're not just suppressing her physical powers, but her psychic abilities as well. Gaius' been keeping her mind trapped in a drug induced world of pain, and he snarls at Kamilah's hesitation. "Get them off her, now!"

She retaliates the demand with a frustrated and grim glare. She's witnessed Adrian kill for both reward and pleasure, watched as a flame of guilt sparked, turning into a wild-fire that was only tamed by his escaping and evolving compassion. But she's never seen the true scope of his emotions amplified by the power of love. Regret has changed him, age humbled him, but the Bloodkeeper has more influence over him than both. Amy has begun to heal his wounds, make him look to the future instead of always grappling with his past, and if he were to lose her now, she fears for his stability. Gaius obviously hopes the opposite—is delighting in Adrian’s torment—and this is either a warning of what's to come or they're already too late and this is the test; to have Amy die by either her or Adrian's hand, and she regards her brother with a forlorn frown. "We can't be sure of what will happen if I release her."

Adrian's lungs constrict, like they might snap under the weight of what to do. They breezed into the complex with little fight, and he knows Gaius wanted him to see Amy like this. The man is cruel and vindictive, but this is Rheya's war, and there's still a chance she would want to keep the Bloodkeeper's memories alive. He has to believe that, have faith in Amy's strength, because he can't leave her here suffering. He won't. "Amy." He strokes her soft skin beneath his thumb, selfishly looking to her for answers, for a sign he's making the right choice.

"It hurts… please."

She gasps, her voice filled with agony, and he's witnessed firsthand how much she can withstand. They're out of time, and he snaps his decision at Kamilah. "Do it."

She breathes out, clutching the metal, and with all her strength she pries the restraints open, its teeth dripping with black blood as it clatters to the floor.

Amy lets out a howl, her body collapsing and slumping forward into Adrian's arms, and Kamilah's expression stays grave when the spider-like tendrils wrapped around Amy's wrists don't retract. "She needs blood."

Adrian swings her limp body up into his firm hold, his face twisting with anger but his insides painfully hollow as he grips her tightly. "Lets go."

He stalks forward, and Kamilah can sense the desperation radiating off him, the same irrational carelessness that overcame him the night Gaius plunged a sword through Amy's chest. He wasn't thinking straight when he turned her, and he's not thinking any clearer now, her worry rising as she matches his speed, barreling her way out into the darkness.

Adrian feels the rush of life as they leave the complex behind, human blood pumping louder and fiercer than it ever has before in his ears. Blood that Amy needs. He doesn't know how much time she has, and his eyes lock with an elder gentleman, his feet stalling at the old man's hobble. He's killed for less. Torn out the throats of innocent people for sport, even fun, but Kamilah grabs his arm with a sharp hiss.

"No!"

He snarls back, barely able to hear Amy's weakened heartbeat over the cry of blood calling out to him. "She needs—"

"To live without the guilt of taking an innocent life." Kamilah digs her nails into his skin. "She isn't like us, Adrien."

She isn't tainted yet. That's what Kamilah means, and his fangs retract with a growl. She's right. He turned Amy, robbed her of freewill, and she forgave him, having spared her judgment over the mistakes of his past, but she wouldn't forgive him for this; forcing her to drink without consent. He swore to protect her, and he failed, but she's still bound to the choices he makes, and he moves fast into the shadows, leaving the old man behind.

…

The Shadow Den is where they planned to regroup, and he bursts through the doors of the compound, meeting Jax and Lily's fearful expressions, the air thick with silent tension as Jax leads him through to the feeding parlor. They all know the cost of losing Amy, have suffered through her death before—buried her in the ground along with their hope. They won't win the war against Rheya without her, and watching her suffer, clinging to life only to lose it for a second time will break them all. Gaius wanted this, but the man doesn't know Amy like does. If there's one thing left in this burning world he believes in, it's her, and he lays her down gently, kneeling before her and meeting the gaze of the young teenager giving his consent to help. He swallows thickly. She could turn ravenous or the poison could infect him too, and Adrian reluctantly speaks on her behalf, ignoring his instincts because it's what she would want. "I don't know what will happen."

The kid nods, accepting the risk, as he just his arm out, stirring only a faint murder from the woman he loves. He takes hold of the teenager's scrawny wrist, piercing the skin with his fangs, and placing the dripping blood close to her mouth. "Amy, you need to feed."

She groans, her eyes staying shut but screwing up tightly, and he swipes the crimson with his thumb, smearing it across her lips until she tentatively sucks, and the kid steps in, wincing as she weakly latches onto his vein instead.

"That's it." He smooths down her hair, moisture pricking his gaze as she whimpers, letting go. She didn't drink nearly enough to return her strength, and he knows they're in for a long night, his worried attention diverting to the others collected behind him. "She's going to need to feed every hour, real blood."

"I'm on it." Lily swipes her eyes, her usually resilient humor falling by the wayside.

After healing the kid, Jax steps forward, trying to brush off the fear that's been welled in his chest since they split up to find her. The past seventy-two hours have been grueling, but Adrian's wearing them the worst, and he places a firm but gentle hand on the man's shoulder. "I'll stay with her. You should—"

"I'm not leaving her."

Kamilah snorts at the surprise on the younger vampire's face. "Did you honestly think he would?"

Jax retracts his arm, heat flushing the back of his neck. There was time, when they all first met, he dared to read into Amy's kindness and comfort. He thought, maybe, she might return his affections, but harmless flirting aside, her heart has only ever belonged to Adrian, and from what he's witnessed, she put her faith in a good man. "I'll get some blood bags, then."

Kamilah waits for him to exit, folding her arms with a sigh. "I loathe to say it, but he is right, Adrian. You're no use to her in this weakening state."

He pushes up off his knees, feeling Kamilah's concealed concern bore into him as he slumps beside Amy on the couch, gently drawing her head into his lap. The bags will be enough to sustain him, and he'll sleep when Amy's awake again. "I'll rest when I know she's going to be okay."

"And if she doesn't recover?" Her expression darkens as her eyes fall over the black tendrils curling around Amy's arms. She doesn't want to be the bearer of bad fate, but they have to be realistic. Gaius went after Amy to weaken them all, but they still have a war to fight.

"She will." He grinds his jaw firmly, staring down at Amy's prone form. Even as a human, he never saw her as vulnerable or frail. She looked him right in the eyes the night she found out what he truly is and didn't run or back down. Her place has always been by his side, and his by hers. "She has to," he breathes, reaching for a blanket to cover her with.

She has to recover. 

Because he can't fight this war without her.

TBC...

[dragons-bones]

FFXIV Write Entry #29: Stormsong

Prompt: paternal | Master Post | On AO3

Well, this did not go where I thought it would, and certainly isn’t crack. But I think I like it?

Anyway, SPOILERS for The Sorrow of Werlyt through the quest “Sleep Now in Sapphire” as well as the Omega Raid story line.

--

A late summer storm had roared up the coast, driving the residents of Terncliff inside their homes and the Ironworks engineers and Resistance soldiers down into the magitek facility. Most were in their commandeered bunks—at least those not on patrol throughout the town—while waiting for the storm to pass, but for the engineers at least, there was still work to be done in the warmachina bay.

For a given definition of work.

Valdeaulin rolled his eyes as Cid Garlond and Synnove Greywolfe’s shouting echoed down the hangar. He couldn’t fathom the reason why Greywolfe was here, for all that she had taken it deeply personally that she hadn’t been involved in the G-Warrior’s development; something to do with the warmachina’s systems, perhaps, or the recovered pieces of the Sapphire Weapon, currently in one of the secondary bays. He could follow her ranting about aetheric principles to a degree, but the similarities between thaumaturgy and arcanima rapidly ran dry when the arcanist also dabbled heavily in engineering.

From his spot close to the exit out towards the bay, at least, the pounding rain and crash of thunder mostly drowned out the engineers’ row (Greywolfe was standing atop the G-Warrior’s shoulder, yelling down at Garlond as they both shook their fists and waved wrenches at one another for emphasis, the other Ironworks employees not reacting to them at all). If he closed his eyes, he could imagine for a moment that rain was falling on the stone roof of his home rather than sheet metal, that the cool wind blew in from the dark depths of the Twelveswood, that the voices he heard were those of his wife and daughter. But then something would crash in the hangar, and he would be drawn back to reality.

With an annoyed sigh, Valdeaulin opened his eyes and resumed his work on a map of the region surrounding Terncliff and heading towards Werlyt. He didn’t have to do it, but there was precious little else for him to do with the weather so foul and the hunt for Gaius’ wayward foster children and their Weapons project temporarily halted. And it would make the lives of the Resistance patrols easier, at least.

He was making notations on one copy about the local patterns of aether for any Resistance mages—eerily dead, but with the occasional strange spot he could sense of high activity that might be a natural golem, or a pocket of minor elementals—when he heard footsteps trotting towards his position. His ears twitched and he looked up, eyebrows going up despite his attempt to remain stoic.

His time with the Order of the Twin Adders had been relatively short—perhaps two years, if that—but Rereha Reha had been notorious well before she and her sisters-in-arms had stumbled into bearing the mantles of Warriors of Light. Valdeaulin hadn’t served in her unit, but he had seen the fallout of some of her “shenanigans,” both good and ill, and his commanding officer had spoken of her with fond exasperation. Like him, she was an outsider to the Twelveswood, but for some unfathomable reason, she had been permitted beneath its boughs by the Elementals to live and learn in Gridania.

She hadn’t changed much, appearance wise anyway, since that time he had last seen her before Operation Archon: devious, almost smarmy grin, pink hear dyed with streaks of white, skin astonishingly blemish free despite a career outdoors that he had once overheard a Gridanian noblewoman hiss over in a fit of jealousy and left him struggling to disguise his laughter as a cough. She still favored sky blue for anything that wasn’t a uniform, going by her leather coat, but her usual matching stockman hat with its jaunty feather was suspiciously missing.

And…was that a hatchling dragon in her arms?

When the lalafell came to a stop before him, he grudgingly said, “Lieutenant Reha.”

“Ooooh, that’s Captain Reha now, Sergeant,” Rereha said, just shy of cackling.

Valdeaulin nearly dropped his pen. “Dear good gods, why do they keep promoting you?” he said in disbelief.

“Mostly to make me someone else’s problem,” she chirped, easily hopping up onto a stack of crates next to him. The dragonet in her arms croaked reproachfully as it was jostled, but she merely patted it on the head and continued, “I think the plan is to get me high enough that it forces Grand Marshal Brookstone to retire already. I am also, apparently, quite good at getting the job done even if it means someone goes prematurely grey from shock, mortification, or both.”

“That sounds like a quote,” he said.

Rereha held a finger up to her lips in a ‘shush’ gesture, smirking, and waggled her eyebrows.

Valdeaulin shook his head and, to use one of Severa’s favorite phrases, decided to bite the bullet, gesturing to the dragonet. “And who’s your friend there?”

If he hadn’t once been the father of a precocious daughter (one who would be about the same age as this hedonist bard had she lived), he likely wouldn’t have noticed the very brief widening of Rereha’s eyes in the classic children’s expression of oh shite. But he did, and he kept his face studiously blank of anything except polite interest while the lalafell smiled bright and wide—too wide, just a hair—and said, “Oh, this little guy?”

She held the dragonet, a yalm long from nose to tail by his guess, up for inspection. He had black eyes, apparently all pupil, or perhaps his irises were true black, as well. His head was head was wedge-shaped, with fan-shaped protrusions on either side of his head of similar shape to his wings. The closer look showed that his scales were tiny; from a distance he had almost appeared smooth-skined. He was dark green, shading to a paler shade on his belly, and the undersides of his wings and ear fins, plus his extremities, were pink.

The dragonet was, quite frankly, adorable, despite the unsettlingly powerful glare. Something about his aether niggled at him, though; he could have sworn he had encountered it before, but that couldn’t be possible…

“I had heard you and the other Warriors of Light had brought peace between the Ishgardians and the Dravanians,” Valdeaulin drawled, “but I didn’t expect it had extended to babysitting.”

“Dragonets do what they want,” Rereha said with a sniff. “He usually stays in Anyx Trine, but occasionally he comes wandering to find us and beg for bacon jerky.”

The dragonet perked up at that word and he craned his neck and head back to chirp at Rereha imperiously.

She sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I got the goods.” She set the dragonet in her lap and slung her pack off her shoulder.

As Rereha rummaged around in her bag, Valdeaulin said mildly, “Does he have a name?”

“Hm? Oh! Yeah,” she said, popping her head up and triumphantly holding a wrapped packet. The dragonet began hopping impatiently, wings flaring, and Rereha shoved him out of the way, but he merely took that as an invitation to hop onto her head, lean over, and croak angrily in her face. She poked his nose and said to Valdeaulin, “He’s, ah, Deeh Sohm.”

His parental bullshite detector, as his Trisselle had called it, noticed the ever-so-slight hesitation, but as before, Valdeaulin didn’t comment on it. As hilarious as it would be to make Rereha Reha squirm, he assumed whatever it was that was causing her to react like someone with their hand in the biscuit jar, it some sort of Warrior of Light business.

Instead, he merely nodded, and went back to notating the map. Rereha, meanwhile, hurriedly unwrapped the waxed paper to reveal a pile of jerky and began breaking off pieces. For every piece she passed up to the impatient “Deeh Sohm,” she popped one into her own mouth, apparently as ravenous as her small companion. The jerky vanished completely into their stomachs in no time at all, and both dragonet and lalafell belched in satisfaction. A lick of blue flame accompanied the dragonet’s.

Valdeaulin did not comment, though he did briefly wonder if Lisie would have stayed as shamelessly irreverent had she grown up. The thought only hurt a little, this time.

Apparently now that snack time was over, it was time to sleep the food off: Rereha yawned once, laid down with her head pillowed on her back, and promptly passed out, in the manner of many soldiers and adventurers who learned to sleep whenever and wherever they could, with an inelegant snore. The dragonet, briefly dislodged from his perch atop her head, instead stomped down to her stomach, kneading it like a cat before he curled into a ball, wings tucked close.

Valdeaulin shifted just a bit on his own seat, shuffling back to make himself a better windbreak for the occasional stormy gust that howled into the hanger.

Suddenly, the dragonet’s aether signature…changed.

Valdeaulin very, very slowly raised his head, eyes wide. Before, the dragonet’s aether had felt dim, the faintest hum of a repeating tune of power, fitting for a creature that looked so young.

Now, though.

Now, it was a chorus of complex harmonies, of rhythms and tone and melodies that somehow blended into a coherent whole. It was heavy with the weight of antiquity, nearly crushing with how narrowly it was focused upon himself.

The dragonet stared at him, and now he would swear that fathomless, midnight gaze saw through him, right to the very heart of his being, weighing and judging and knowing. A loud, grumbling hmmmmmmm, almost two-toned with reverb, echoed in his mind.

Rereha snorted, though she didn’t wake entirely, and she patted the dragonet on the head. “Go t’ sleep, Dad,” she slurred.

Slowly, the ancient awareness folded itself away, bit by bit, until the dragonsong was muted once more to that simple cascade of notes of earlier. The dragonet blinked at him, yawned, and tucked his head under his wing to nap.

Valdeaulin stared at the pair for long moments, before resolutely returning to his work.

He did not want to know.

[merthurkissfest]

Merthur Kiss Fest 2019  Masterlist

The Merthur Kiss Fest has concluded for yet another year! We're sad to see it go, but so very glad that it happened. Quick apology for the wait, as this was meant to go up a bit ago already. But thank you all for your patience. <3

We have a total of (drumroll please)... 61 works this year! That's incredible!!

A huge thank you and round of applause to our amazing writers and artists for their wonderful contributions, whose hard work is at the heart and soul of this fest, as well as to the creator and my fellow mod, @arthur-of-the-pendragons​, who did most of the work putting this together and keeping it running, and last but not least, to the rest of the community who spread the word, shared the work, and left kudos and comments!

I know I speak for the both of us when I say that none of this would've been possible without the love, dedication, and generosity of the Merlin community. So from the bottom of our tiny little fangirl hearts, Thank you. Under the cut is the masterlist of all the works. I would like to ask that the creators check over it and let me know ASAP if there's any mistakes, or anything I missed! Thank you!

✧･ﾟ: * 🌸 SPRING 🌸 *:･ﾟ✧

Of Sunrises and Stardust by Victori Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 903 Summary: "Merlin had lived through a thousand springs, and had learned that nothing ever began again. Spring wasn’t hope; it was a cycle, one that came and went as Merlin stood still and watched it fly by. Spring was life as a reminder of death." OR Merlin has been waiting too long, and is on the verge of giving up. But his destiny was written in the stars, and it's not willing to let him go that easily.

A Better Fate than Wisdom: About a Secret by Leandra Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 3200 Summary: In which Arthur is drunk, Merlin is inconvenienced and secrets are kept, but barely.The first part in a four-part series for the Merlin/Arthur Kiss Fest 2019. Each part will feature a different season, a different set of kisses and at least one trope :-)Series Title comes from the e.e.cummings poem "since feeling is first": and kisses are a better fate than wisdom. MERRY XMAS!!!

April Violets (Five First Kisses) by athousandvictories [FIC+ART] Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 5604 Summary: Merlin's journey to his last first kiss, or five stories of new beginnings. A set of behind-the-scenes moments beginning before Merlin goes to Camelot. Vaguely canon compliant until the end. Plenty of drunken idiocy and poorly executed flirtation. Because we deserve it.

In Which Arthur Gets Jealous of an Owl by AeonTheDimensionalGirl Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 3482 Summary: Arthur decided he must officially be going insane if he was suddenly craving Merlin’s liking after seeing the owl give fond peaks to the raven haired servant.

A Springtime Betrothal by tehfanglyfish Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2213 Summary:  It’s a beautiful spring day – the perfect setting for young royals to enter into a betrothal. Too bad Princess Elena is convinced that Arthur is a would-be assassin, out to kill her with a poisoned kiss. To prove that there is no danger, Arthur has no choice but to kiss Merlin, leading to several unexpected, though not unwelcome, developments.

Spring Night (oh so wrong) by CandiceWright Rating: E Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1509 Summary: Because ever since Gwen left Arthur’s looks have been hotter than his touches, his few words filled with unspoken promises that Merlin is scared to take. He’s scared because he doesn’t want it to be just a remedy for his fractured pride, doesn't want it to be done out of spite. But he does want it, he really does. And now Arthur's gaze is heavy upon him, making his body shiver in anticipation and all he can think is this is wrong, wrong. But then Arthur tells him to come to his bed, and how could Merlin say no to that?

Weaving Crowns by Mischel [FIC+ART] Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 569 Summary:  Now that Merlin and Arthur are both kings and married, they hardly have time for each other anymore. Merlin's decided to do something about it, and he takes Arthur to a meadow, where they can finally have a moment alone to- make flower crowns? Well, that's not what Arthur expected. (But maybe that's exactly what he needed.)

Blossom by Blossom by Caledonia Rating: Not Rated Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1614 Summary: Merlin builds floral crowns in advance of the spring celebrations, and there is a secret hidden in Arthur's."Blossom by blossom the spring begins." Algernon Charles Swinburne

Spring (cleaning) Kisses by Lao-Pendragon [ART] Rating: Not Rated

Young Man’s Fancy by Caledonia Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1866 Summary: Merlin's mum has moved to a quaint village with a strangely competitive spring tradition. Cue Merlin being clumsy and Arthur manning the first aid tent. "In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love." - Alfred Lord Tennyson

Love in Spring by CallMeHopeless and Maryluis [FIC+ART] Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2026 Summary:  Arthur and Merlin are in a secret relationship - for now. Hiding their love takes a toll on them both and communicating with each other isn’t much better...

King in a (flower) crown by brokenfannibal_art [ART] Rating: G Summary:  I saw a post a while back about how the children of the lower town probably make flower crowns for Merlin. And lets be honest Arthur would absolutely melt when he saw Merlin wearing one. Of course Merlin would make one for Arthur as well.

The gifts from Spring by Shadow_Hole Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1487 Summary:  Once, Gaius had told him that Spring, would eventually notice Merlin’s hardships and will gift him with what he needed the most, a ‘helping hand from nature’ as the old men had said at the time. Merlin knew that this wasn't true.

True Love’s Kiss by broken_fannibal Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 3705 Summary:  Arthur was cursed by a water spirit to drown himself in a certain lake. Will they be able to find a way to lift the curse? A race against time begins.

I Need Your Hand by FervidAsAFlame Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2781 Summary: Gwen manages to drag her best friend Arthur to the university’s semi-formal dance, even though he won’t stop sulking that his boyfriend can’t make it. Luckily, Gwen’s got a surprise for him.

Dog Walking Disaster by surprisinglyblunt Rating: M Chapters: 3/4 Word Count: 4540 Summary:  When Merlin finds a lost dog after one of the worst encounters of his life, he thinks fate might be punishing him for something, but is it really punishment or is the universe actually on his side this time?

✧･ﾟ: * 🔆 SUMMER 🔆 *:･ﾟ✧

Merlin’s Knight by AeonTheDimensionalGirl Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 8537 Summary: He comes in the dark of night; never speaking or letting his full face show, but Merlin appreciates the company anyway.After all, who’s foolish enough to venture into the dungeons and comfort an accused sorcerer?

A Better Fate than Wisdom: About a Transgression by Leandra Rating: M Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 5738 Summary: Merlin had joined him in the water, coming towards him with long, even strokes of his arm. He was a good swimmer, better than most of Arthur’s knights and he caught up with Arthur quickly, briefly ducking and diving underneath the water to emerge just in front of him with a grin and water streaming down his face, his hair plastered against his skull, his ears seemingly more prominent than usual. Arthur felt his earlier confusion slip away. It was just Merlin. Clumsy, bumbling, ridiculous Merlin with his silly ears and too insolent grin.-*- After riding all day during a heatwave, Arthur and Merlin stop for a swim. A bit of roughhousing turns awkward and Arthur finds out that silly ears or not, there's just something about Merlin ;-)

Going Underground by Caledonia Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1628 Summary:  Merlin is stuck on a sweltering hot underground train and he considers getting off and walking home instead. That is until a rather handsome blond man boards the train beside Merlin and things begin to get interesting.

Arthur - The Prince to never get anything by CallMeHopeless and Maryluis [FIC+ART] Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2779 Summary: 5 Times Merlin does something nice for people who are not Arthur. And one time, when it's finally Arthur's turn.

Hold My Hand, Let the Waves Come by Mischel Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 834 Summary: The world is full of new and exciting experiences for Arthur now that he came back from Avalon. But standing only in his "special swimming underwear" on an overcrowded beach where it feels like hundreds of people are watching him, doesn't seem like one of them.Merlin is there to help him realize that even with many more people than Arthur is used to, it can still be fun when they're together :)

And Turn the White Snow Red as Strawberries in Summertime by Caledonia Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 910 Summary:  Arthur and Merlin conjure memories of summer while cooped up during a winter storm.

Boys of Summer by Victori Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 4450 Summary: "It started, as most problems in Merlin’s life, with a boy. A bloody gorgeous boy, with eyes as blue as the sea and wet blond hair plastered to his forehead. An Adonis if there ever was one, complete with a Roman nose. A boy who Merlin spilled Rocky Road all over in a stunning display of clumsiness."ORMerlin and Arthur met, fell in love, and messed it up. Maybe their summer romance isn't as far gone as they think.

Summer of New Beginnings (what I would do for you) by CandiceWright Rating: M Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1801 Summary:  That night Merlin sees just how deep the wound of Agravaine’s betrayal is. He wants to hold him and tell him that everything will be okay, that he won’t have to go through the same thing again but he can’t because he’s betraying him far more than anyone else ever has and it hurts.

Sweet Summer Kisses by Nattymctatty [ART] Rating: Not Rated

Can We Always Be This Close by tehfanglyfish Rating: E Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 7982 Summary: Merlin takes a trip to Ealdor to tend his mother’s farm while she visits a friend in another village. He thinks he’ll have a week of solitude until Arthur decides to tag along. The days they spend together lead to numerous revelations.Or… the one where the author indulges Arthur and allows him to run off to a farm with Merlin.

Arthur’s Flowers by lefayart [ART] Rating: Not Rated Summary: Arthur gets what he asked for.... but only because he asked nicely.

A Day at the Lake by Impala_Chick Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1080 Summary: It's too hot in the Castle, so Arthur and Merlin sneak off to the lake to cool off.

✧･ﾟ: * 🍁 FALL 🍁 *:･ﾟ✧

Trembling Fingers and Sure Strides by arsenicandsunshine Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2474 Summary:  It's a beautiful day, the birds are singing, the sun is shining. Merlin's nervous as fuck. For no good reason, either. It's a tournament, like any other tournament. Nothing to indicate Arthur is in danger of dying. At least, not today.

Take Me Apart by tehfanglyfish Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1212 Summary:  One otherwise dull autumn day, Arthur meets an insolent stranger in the Camelot marketplace who claims to be able to take him apart with less than one blow. Arthur decides to let him try.

A Better Fate than Wisdom: About Attraction by Leandra Rating: E Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 5861 Summary: “Seriously, Merlin,” Arthur drawled, stepping closer and halting his hands, “you are so terribly clumsy, it’s a wonder you haven’t cut something off with your sickle that isn’t a rye ear.” He reached with steady fingers, hooking the waterskin safely back into Merlin’s belt. They were standing close, so close, and Arthur’s hands were at his waist and Merlin, who was already flustered, felt his heart skip a beat. Please, he thought, please, not knowing what it really was he wanted. He sighed in relief when Arthur stepped back to pick up his sickle again and bent to retrieve his own. *-* Sex pollen, a rye field, filthy kissing and too many feelings.

Of Foreign Nobility and Hidden Magic by AeonTheDimensionalGirl Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 5709 Summary: Merlin’s fair skin should not be covered in dark purple bruises.

Kissing It Better by Mischel Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 685 Summary: Merlin and Arthur are on an important mission, but the weather betrays them and they end up being chased through a forest all the way to a cliff. There are only two options now - jump or be killed, and, well . . . kissing isn't one of them. So . . . what are you doing, Arthur?

I love you with or without fleas by CallMeHopeless and Maryluis [FIC+ART] Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1627 Summary: Morgana challenges Arthur to kiss the Person he loves most...

From Love We Fall (I want to understand) by CandiceWright Rating: M Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1138 Summary: Merlin doesn’t talk to Arthur after his betrothal to Gwen. He helps with the preparations, he can’t not, but he can’t bear to talk to Arthur after what he did. And Arthur makes no effort to talk to him either. His eyes still follow him while he’s doing his chores, refusing to utter a single word, not even to explain. Not that Merlin would listen to anything he has to say. Because after all they’ve been through, after what they’ve shared he deserves more than him just fucking him and leaving him alone. He feels used, betrayed. And he knows in his heart that it wasn’t meant to last, but he knows just as much that what they had was real, the love was there. But he can’t do it anymore, not like this. Not when he feels like he can’t get out of bed every morning, when every step he takes feels like torture, when he’s forced to see everyone’s happiness at the prospect of having a new and wonderful queen.

Foiled By Fall by MapleBreeze Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1597 Summary: Arthur decides to pick flowers as an anonymous gift for Merlin but is hit with the realization that it is Autumn and this is no longer a simple task. But this is only the first way his plan goes wrong.

Deliration of Love by arsenicandsunshine Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2653 Summary: Tall. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Shimmers in the sun. Is an utter prat. How could anyone not fall in love with Arthur Pendragon? Don't fall in love with destiny. Merlin has given up any hope of those deepest secrets of his ever coming to light and resigned himself to being happy because Arthur was happy. With someone else. Arthur may just surprise him once again. Or. In sorting through his feelings after banishing Gwen, Arthur realizes there's another person he's been stifling his emotions for.

Dead Ends and New Beginnings by Caledonia Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1827 Summary: On a beautiful, sunny autumn day Merlin agrees to accompany his friends to a corn maze, not telling any of them that he's just a little bit claustrophobic. He ends up in a dead-end of the maze with only Arthur where Arthur tries to calm him and comfort him by sharing a fear of his own.

Lavender by Excaliburstark Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1373 Summary: Merlin likes to please his king and Arthur likes his baths. 

✧･ﾟ: * ❄️ WINTER ❄️ *:･ﾟ✧

Well I Won’t Be Your Winter by Caledonia Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1582 Summary: Stranded in a cave during a winter blizzard, Merlin must use magic to light the fire. He knows this will be a death sentence for himself, but hopefully, Arthur will be saved. But first, Merlin will fulfil the promise he had made himself."I am going to do something now that will make you want to kill me, and then I am going to do something that will make it easier."

Even The Weariest River by Caledonia Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1306 Summary: Arthur is offered many things in life that he does not want, and the one thing he does want he believes he is utterly unworthy of.(I'm sorry- this one is quite angsty-read the tags, please <3)

Blame it on the Mistletoe by Caledonia Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 792 Summary: Merlin works for Arthur which means he's out of bounds. Except maybe it's time to change that...Or, why you should never invite your sister as your date to the office Christmas Party.

popcorn & prats by cominupforair Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 3434 Summary: In which Merlin really wants to spend NYE on his own, but Arthur is a prat.

Kiss Him! by tehfanglyfish Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1291 Summary: After being abducted by an infuriating dragon, Arthur finds Merlin unresponsive, suffering ill-effects from a sorcerer's attack. According to the dragon, there's only way for Arthur to save him.

One Thing To Make You Mine by FervidAsAFlame Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 9907 Summary: When Arthur asks for Merlin’s help with asking someone out for Valentine’s Day, Merlin does his best to give his friend excellent advice -- even if he’d rather it was him Arthur was asking out. Unsurprisingly, Arthur seems up to the task of pulling this mystery man, but Merlin can’t help but wonder – who could he be? And why does Arthur keep testing all his methods on Merlin first?

Untitled by Kawaroki [ART] Rating: Not Rated Summary: merthur kissfest: winter ❄

Superstitious Love Confessions by CallMeHopeless and MaryLuis [FIC+ART] Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2821 Summary: Arthur is gifted a plant. It is not mistletoe. So what is he doing holding it over his head?

No Scorching Sun Nor Freezing Coly (Or Interrupting Owls and Knights) by AeonTheDimentionalGirl Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 3620 Summary: It’s moments like these, in which they’re not master and servant or king and (secret) warlock, just Arthur and Merlin, that Merlin most treasures.

A Better Fate than Wisdom: About Truth by Leandra Rating: E Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 10117 Summary: “Was everything else a lie, too?” he asked darkly, hating the desperation in his tone, thinking of the friendship he valued so much, of Merlin laughing at his jokes, of fighting side by side and how it had given him strength again and again, knowing that Merlin would always be there, would always choose to stand with him, no matter what. Of Merlin’s soft sob of pleasure, gasped into his mouth as his fingers clawed the small of his back. *-* Arthur finds out that Merlin has magic. Conclusion of the series.

It was all yellow/they shine for you by Excaliburstark Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 956 Summary: The apple bowl scene with a twist

Next Year Then, Stranger by Mischel Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1658 Summary: When Merlin tells Arthur the news that he'll be moving from Ealdor to Camelot, Arthur can't contain his delight and kisses Merlin right there, in the snowy meadow. This is the story of Merlin and Arthur who had known each other for years but could only ever meet once a year in the winter. This is the moment that changes their lives forever.

The Shape of My Beautiful Lies by Caledonia Rating: M Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2451 Summary: Merlin’s fingertips were thieves. They mapped the surface of Arthur’s body in fleeting, casual touches, and they stole. Merlin was not allowed to touch his king, not in the ways that he wanted; so when he went about his duties he made every contact an unrequited crime.

Paper Planes by Excaliburstark Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 585 Summary: Merlin is leaving on a flight to Venezuela where he'll live with his dad for a while.

Always Break My Fall by arsenicandsunshine Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2459 Summary: Merlin may be a police constable, but that doesn't mean he can ice skate. A fact he's been hiding from his best mate who just insisted on dragging him ice skating. His best mate who also made it clear he doesn't feel the same way about Merlin as Merlin does about him. How the hell did he let Arthur drag him ice skating, of all things? Oh right, Merlin has no willpower where a certain blonde prat is concerned. This is going to end well.

We are Nowhere and It’s Now by theskyisgay Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 4462 Summary: The waiting, and what comes after.

The Future Queen Commands by tehfanglyfish Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 3026 Summary: The outbreak of a midwinter fever leaves the castle short staffed and Arthur in the uncomfortable position of looking after four small children. Who knew that children had so much energy? Or that they asked so many nosy questions? And were quite skilled at getting answers? By no means did the king of Camelot expect a little girl to discover a secret he’d been keeping for years, one involving Merlin and feelings, or to put him in a position where he must reveal it.

like a lover (with no shame) by Elizabeth Rating: M Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 2029 Summary: The last bitter freeze of winter finds Arthur and Merlin deep in the forest. Ever gallant, Arthur is willing to go to great lengths to keep his manservant alive and unfrozen. He'll share his cloak, his bedding, and--if he must--even the warmth of his own body. Spring is almost here, but not without one final bedwarming fic for the Merthur Kiss Fest 2019/20. Thanks for Amnesty Week! "Midmorning sun is casting its rays against the tent walls, and Arthur is having his way with his half-sleeping manservant. He slept half the day, and he’s holding Merlin like a lover, with no shame."

What Winter Took Away (love is not enough) by CandiceWright Rating: M Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 4290 Summary: But Arthur is hurt and his words cut through Merlin like a knife. How could they not? Saying that he admires him only to dismiss him in the next breath. And if that's the last time he's going to see his King he wishes he could be remembered as the brave one, the lionheart, not the coward that he appears to be now, that he feels like he is. But it isn't the last time, it can't be. He will see him again even if he has to tear the earth in half to do so. He can and he will.With that thought in mind, he leaves the castle to go to the crystal cave.

Dark Before Dawn by MapleBreeze Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 3227 Summary: During a winter feast, Merlin still longs for a brighter future. But, for the present, all he has is stolen moments with Arthur.

Freoðuweard by Camelittle Rating: G Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 100 Summary: Arthur pays tribute to his friend. Avalon looks on.

✧･ﾟ: * 🌸🔆 ALL SEASONS 🍁❄️ *:･ﾟ✧

The Four Times That It was Forbidden (And the One Time it Wasn’t) by sdewan6 Rating: T+ Chapters: 3/5 Word Count: 3815 Summary: “Bloody Hell, Merlin, I care so much I think I’ll kill myself if you ever leave me. If there's ever a day where I don’t love you, you can stab me in the heart. Surely you do not think that lowly of me, do you? I love-” He had a quiet, unreadable expression his face. “No,” he said softly, cutting him off. “Stop. I’m sorry. I just- I can’t  can’t keep on  doing this.” Four times Merlin and Arthur shared forbidden kisses, and the one time it wasn't forbidden at all.

From Grey Into Golden by witching_wingthorns Rating: T+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 693 Summary:  It starts simple enough with an arrogant prince and a brave peasant  It starts simple with playful banter and the beginnings of a friendship with a challenge and an answer, a fight you should’ve won A poem from Arthur’s perspective, a love letter, really, describing his countless lives with Merlin.

[mimiswitchywrites]

Not A Burden: Chapter 4

TW: SH references, attempted s****de and references, child/s***al a**se references (not graphic but enough that could be triggering)

Masterlist or Read on AO3

2.3k words

---------

Gaius watched as the young girl shuffled in her sleep. She had tears trailing down her cheeks and was sweating profusely. He soaked the cloth again, pressing it against her head, cheeks and chest, and prayed to whatever was out there that the poor girl would be okay. He was well versed in the world of nightmares – his years caring for Morgana has assured that – but rarely had he seen someone with ones such as this.

The only time, he thought, was Charlie. He had returned from enemy territory a changed man. He could hardly keep his eyes closed longer than a minute before seeing the atrocities he had faces in their dungeons. The poor man ended up with a case of hysteria and walked off one day with only the clothes on his back, and never returned. Now, with more knowledge, Gaius hoped he could treat her before she ended that way.

Her right arm was healing nicely – scabbing over – but her left was in far from ideal condition. Arthur had reported that she had hit it on his chest plate at some point, and others had mentioned her picking at the wraps which seemed to amount to a slight infection. She had lost too much blood before being able to rest properly and the fact that she hadn’t collapsed into a sweating mess earlier truly impressed the aged physician. She was weak, both mentally and physically, and there was little he could do.

He dabbed her skin with the cloth again.

--

The candles in the tavern were burning low and with it came Gwaine’s high. He had drowned himself in ale, mead, cider and wine as soon as he had returned home (whether home was Camelot or The Rising Sun was still up for debate) and, even after two days, he showed no sign of stopping. At first, the other knights – both those of the Round Table and not – had joined him. Many a game of dice and cards were played, but eventually they left.

They always will. Another gulp of whatever was in his tankard, he’d lost track.

He traced the patterns on the table with his finger (fingers? He couldn’t tell how many were really there anymore) and felt his eyes growing heavy. He found a face in the wood, with thin lips and an angular jaw – it reminded him of his first infatuation. His first rejection. A final gulp.

His forehead found the table and snores soon followed.

--

Arthur sat at his desk, holding a blank piece of parchment and his favourite quill – the one Merlin had given him. He was trying to write a speech for an upcoming council meeting but all he could think about was his manservant. The, usually joyous, man had been distracted since they had arrived back, and he was unsure what to do about this. If Merlin were a knight, he would propose a fight or Torny or hunting trip (maybe not, that could be in bad taste even if he were a knight) but Merlin was not. Merlin was a country boy that practically cried at the thought of killing a fly, let alone fighting a full human with swords and armour. The king was stumped.

He wanted Merlin to smile again. They had barely performed their usual banter, all attempts by Arthur had fallen flat. He had even called Arthur ‘sire’ but it had none of it’s usual sarcasm, it seemed genuine which left an odd taste in Arthurs mouth. No, it would not do.

He slammed the parchment down, placing the quill next to it gently, and dropped his head in his hand. A frustrated groan escaped his lips.

A knock on the door interrupted his spiralling.

“Enter.”

Merlin stumbled in, basket in his arms. Merlin never knocks. The king squinted, discomfort over the situation growing. Giving up, he finally asked the question that had been plaguing him for days: “what’s wrong with you?”

Merlin’s head shot up from where it was rummaging through the pile of dirty clothes. He turned to face Arthur; confusion painted over his features. His eyebrows were pulled in, emphasising those lines in the middle of his forehead. His lips fell open and Arthur forced himself not to focus on them, and what they could do or where he wanted them to be.

“What?” As if Arthur ever had a reason to think Merlin was being formal with him.

“You’ve resembled the back end of a cat for days now. I don’t like it,” upon noticing Merlin smile as if about to make a remark about how the king cared or some other equally girly falsehood, he added, “it’s been affecting your work ethic. Be normal again.” He nodded, there, fixed it.

Merlin’s smile grew and Arthur’s heart began to swell. “If I didn’t know any better sire, I’d say you were worried about me.” Not quite fixed it would seem.

“Yes, well, good thing you’re an idiot then, eh?”

Merlin opened his mouth again and so Arthur gripped the cup next to him, prompting the boy to run out the room with his basket. A smile wormed its way onto Arthur’s face. He was glad to have his Merlin back, even if just for a moment.

--

Sir Leon prided himself on being King Arthurs longest standing and most loyal knight. He liked to think he knew the man like a true brother and so he also liked to think he knew when his brother was not acting normally. Hearing that he had shouted at a young, injured girl was a clear sign that he was not acting normally. He had wanted to talk to the girl first but, after bumping into Merlin (the poor boy and his basket almost went flying) and finding out that she wasn’t able to have visitors yet, he decided that he should get answers out of Arthur first.

Something Leon discovered early on about Arthur: he does not appreciate being told that he was wrong. While he has a huge heart and wishes the best for all in his kingdom, knowing he has done someone wrong leads him down a sad pit for days and so he tends to reject the notion. Being the one to tell him of his misdoings is not an enjoyable task.

Leon steeled himself as he stood outside the large oak doors. The guards – Thomas and Shaun – nodded at him respectfully before moving out the way for him. He knocked on the door: two quick raps, a single, and then another two. He heard the muffled “come in” from inside and obeyed, taking a final deep breath before doing so.

Arthur was sat, face in his hands with that smile that Leon had begun associating with a recent visit from a certain raven-haired servant. He had a light blush coating his cheeks and a star struck look in his eyes. Leon cleared his throat, bringing Arthur back to reality.

Reality didn’t have anywhere near enough Merlin in it.

“Sir Leon,” he coughed, voice dropping to his usual octave, “what can I do for you?” He gestured to a chair next to the fire and moved from the desk taking the other one for himself. Leon, after thinking about it for a second, sat. He tried to keep his feet still as he mulled over the best way to broach the subject of his visit.

“Well, and I mean no offence over this, I have no desire to attack you Sire—”

“You’re bumbling almost as much as Merlin, Leon. Come out with it, it’s alright.”

The knight cleared his throat, chuckling a little at Arthurs comment. “Right, well, I wanted to ask you about the girl.”

“Miriam.”

“Miriam, yes. I have heard confusing reports of something you said to her.” He watched Arthur’s face. His nostrils were flaring and there was a slight tic near his right eyebrow that Leon had learnt over the years meant frustration. “And” he continued, slightly quieter this time, “I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation?”

Arthur stood up, retrieving a goblet and the pitcher of wine that Merlin had left on his table that morning. He filled the cup, downed it, and filled it again, making his way back to his seat.

“What would you like to know?” He refused to make eye contact, staring into the dying flames instead. He must get Merlin to tend to the fire whenever he returns.

“What happened? I struggle to believe that you intended to hurt or scare her.”

Arthur let out a breathy laugh, smile not reaching his eyes. “I’m glad you have such faith in me, Leon.” He finally looked up at him, noticing how anxious the man was to be asking such questions of his friend. “You are right, I meant no harm to her, but harm is what I brought regardless.” He frowned, taking a large swig of his wine. “She got up in the middle of the night and disappeared into the wood. I couldn’t hear or see her, and it concerned me. I couldn’t take the idea that we had found yet another person wanting to harm those I… care for.” He tipped back the last of his drink, Gwaine would be proud. “Turned out she had just gone to relieve herself and, as she turned back to camp, we bumped into each other. She hit her arm on my armour and I said somethings that maybe I shouldn’t have.”

“It was all an accident then?” Arthur nodded, eyes on the embers again. “So why has the story been twisted so?”

“I may have argued with Lancelot about the situation and made it worse for myself.”

Leon bit his tongue, wanting to suggest the King apologise but knowing it would be far from a wise idea. “I understand, Sire. Have you visited her since?” he asked, knowing the answer was no. As expected, the king shook his head, inhaling deeply. “Perhaps you could arrange a time to see her with Merlin?”

“Perhaps.”

The conversation clearly over, Leon left, leaving his friend to brood over the situation. He took no joy in questioning Arthur or pushing him so, but it was important to do every so often.

--

Gwen peeled the carrots as Elyan brought the water to a boil, adding twigs to the fire occasionally. They had spent the last year getting into a stable routine together having not lived in the same home since they were teens. It was often silent in the hut, both consumed by their thoughts of work and their friends, but when they talked, gods did they talk. It was as if Elyan never left, conversation flowing all night long. They would laugh, joke, hug, cry on occasion, and they would be siblings again.

Now though, with carrots being cut up small, Gwen was in her head.

She had been tending to Miri as she slept when she had no other duties to take care of. Since Morganas disappearance, she didn’t often have other duties. The woman, likely around Gwen’s age, fascinated her. She looked a lot like Morgana did, maybe that was what drew her in. The way her black hair framed her face and her eyebrows furrowed in her sleep. The light brown spots that marked her cheeks were like none she had ever seen before. She wanted nothing more than to talk with her and find out what led her to the forest all those days ago. Gwen found her heart aching thinking of how lonely one must feel to do something like that.

Elyan took the chopping board from in front of his sister and emptied the carrots into the pot above the flames. He watched her as she stared at nothing, face scrunched in worry. She had been like this since meeting the girl and it concerned him. He put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her back. She placed her hand on his, smiled, and returned to preparing the dinner.

That night, as she lay in the rickety bed at the back of their house, she thought about Miri once more. She didn’t understand the feelings swelling in her chest – they were different from the ones she felt with Lancelot all those years ago, but she couldn’t figure out how. She turned onto her side, huffing out a frustrated breath. Morgana would understand, she always did, even when she didn’t.

The day Morgana ran away left a hole in Camelot’s heart. In Gwen’s heart. She had thought her Lady, her friend, could trust her but as she read the note that was left on the hut table, she realised just how wrong she was. She knew Morgana had been struggling with her dreams, with her magic (something that Gwen still hadn’t told anyone about) but she thought that, with Gwen by her side, she would be able to get through it. That they would get through it, together.

A lump grew in her throat and tears pricked at her eyes. She was so tired of crying over what could never be.

And seeing Merlin and Arthur as they were, knowing that, now Arthur was king, they could finally be something more than longing glances, it broke her.

She sat up, pulling her knees into her chest as the water trailed down her cheeks. She was so happy for her friends; for the love that was blooming, but sometimes she hated what they represented. They were everything she could never have. The way they would curl up close on cold nights away from home, the way Merlin would rest a hand on Arthur’s shoulder as he read whatever he was working on, the way Arthur made sure Merlin had a seat right next to him in council meetings. Although she knew they hadn’t talked about it properly, she knew they would end up married in all but title one day and even that could happen if Arthur was brave enough to fight the lords on the matter.

Her chest tightened and she could swear she felt her heart breaking all over again.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Four: War (Gladiolus x Reader) Chapter Fourteen

After riding a gondola across Altissia, the royal retinue arrived at Maagho all thanks to Famine. They stepped off the boat and Ignis expresses his gratitude. "We do appreciate your guidance, Famine."

"It was my pleasure," she giggled. "I would've made War do it, but she's still a little cranky."

"Gee, I wonder why..." Noctis mumbled, casting his glance towards Gladio.

"So, about that personal tour," Prompto fiddled with his thumbs.

She smiled at him. "Meet me in front of the Leville once you're done here, okay?"

"Will do!"

Famine waved farewell before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Prompto couldn't stop staring at the spot she once stood and sighed dreamily. Gladio elbowed him in the side, smirking, "You've got hearts in your eyes, loverboy."

"W-Well, I mean she's great! She actually gives me a chance and we've a lot in common! I don't care that she's some immortal being. It's kinda cool, in my opinion." Prompto crossed his arms and stared at the brute. "What about you, huh?"

"What about me?" He asked.

"You've been mopey ever since (Y/n) disappeared. You've got the hots for her!"

"What's your point here, Blondie?"

"At least I'm honest with my feelings. Maybe if you were honest with yours, (Y/n) wouldn't have stormed off." He turned his back to him.

Before Gladio could retort, Ignis intervened. "Please, gentlemen, not in front of the establishment. Wait 'til after our discussion with Weskham."

"Fine..." Prompto pouted childishly.

The group enter the bar after the small dispute between Gladio and Prompto. They noticed only one other patron present as they strolled up to the counter. The man behind the counter, who was cleaning glasses, greeted them. "Welcome to Accordo, lads. Cid mentioned you'd be dropping in. Weskham Armaugh, as you've gathered." He placed the glass down and eyed Noctis. "My word, you've grown, little Prince."

Noctis hummed in confusion, unfamiliar with the man. Hearing his faint hum, Weskham added, "Ah, but of course-you were only a babe at the time."

The raven-haired boy sat the bar and the man gave him his full attention. "So, this is your maiden visit. Enjoying it so far? You doubtless have many questions, so ask away."

Noctis was unsure of the bartender and kept on his guard. "This country is a part of the empire, isn't it?"

Weskham chuckles. "You're wary, I understand. But there's no need to jump at every shadow. Just be aware that the terms of our independence grant the empire free reign to come and go as they please."

Ignis joined Noctis at the bar. "We'll bear that in mind."

"It's admittedly a one-sided arrangement. Most everything we do requires Niflheim's permission, and they wouldn't knowingly permit the Oracle to appear before the public. How our government spun that is quite a mystery. Is there anything else?"

The prince decided to ask about the Oracle. "You really think Luna will make an address?"

"If every recent radio broadcast is to be trusted, absolutely," Weskham answered.

"Where is Lady Lunafreya?" Ignis inquired.

"In the city somewhere, but no one has caught so much as a glimpse of her. The media has been conspicuous in its silence on the matter, which speaks volumes of government intervention. That'd certainly explain the rumors of disgruntled imperial officers leaving the city."

Next, Noctis asked about the empire. "So you see lots of Niffs around here?"

"We do. Sometimes even at my place. Theirs is a familiar presence, and the citizens don't think much of it. Though, the high commander did cause a stir when he showed up the other day."

"Ravus..." the boy mumbled.

"So soon after they felled the Archaean in Lucis, his arrival fuels rumors that they will next come to Altissia. The empire's not content ruling all the land-they want the heavens as well," the bartender said. "Another thing about the high commander: people saw him walking around with a strange object when he first arrived."

The boy's eyes narrowed in puzzlement. "What object?"

"Some people claimed it was a head, but that's absurd."

Gladio was now more interested in the conversation that ever. "A head?"

"Yes. Of course, we've no proof of the accusations."

Suddenly, Gladio turned to exit Maagho. However, he was stopped by Noctis. "Where're you going?"

"Back to the hotel. I need to try and contact (Y/n)," he answered before leaving. He rode the gondola back to where the Leville was located and headed up to the room. Once there, he yanked the summoning orb out of his pocket and called War's true name numerous of times. Pacing back and forth, he waited for her for what felt like hours. Trying again, he called her name multiple times. "C'mon, dammit...!"

After an hour of trying, Gladio was tempted to toss the summoning orb out the window. Instead, he put it back into his pocket and sat on the edge of one of the beds. He trailed his hands through his hair, hanging his head with a heavy sigh.

Out of the blue, a cloud of crimson smoke manifested in the room. From it, (Y/n) emerged. She glared daggers at him, poking his exposed chest repeatedly. "Stop. Doing. That! It's getting annoying!"

Hearing her voice, Gladio lifted his head and flew to his feet. He towered over her shorter form. "You could at least spare me five minutes."

She placed a hand on her hip, her scowl growing sharper by the second. "I could, but I won't. You've got two minutes starting now. Better make it quick, Gladiolus."

"Two minutes is enough." Gladio cleared his throat and decided to make his explanation short. He told her about what Weskham said about the high commander and the possible head he had in his possession.

The redhead's eyes widen at the revelation. "The dullahan's head. How did...?" She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. What does is what that pompous ass plans on doing with it. There's only two possibilities. One is Ravus has managed to gain the dullahan's cooperation by threatening to kill it. The second is he plans on using the head to lure the dullahan out during the rite. Either way, that damned monster is going to be here soon."

War turned on her heels to leave, but she was immediately pulled back when Gladio grabbed her wrist. She nearly lost her balance when he yanked her back towards him. She tried to free herself from him without injuring him. "Let go of me," she growled.

"You didn't give me my two minutes," he declared, staring straight into her (e/c) eyes.

"Fine," she spat. "You've got one minute left. You better hurry and make it worthwhile."

"Then I better speak with action."

"Speak with action? What're you-?"

Her question was abruptly interrupted when Gladio pushed her down on to the bed. She tried to get up as fast as she could, but it was too late. He climbed on top of her, never breaking eye contact even for a second, and trapping her underneath him. She placed her hands against his chest and tried to push him off. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Gladio didn't say a word as he leant down, closing the distance between them. He pressed his lips against hers, fervently kissing her.

(Y/n)'s eyes widen in pure shock, her struggling ceasing as she tried to comprehend what was happening. She didn't kiss back, too shocked to even lift a finger. She remained petrified under the man, losing track of time.

When Gladio pulled away, he kept her pinned to the bed in fear she'd vanish again. His expression was serious as he spoke. "Listen, I'm not the best at apologies. I'm the worst, if I'm being honest, but I want to apologize for what I said that day. I wasn't thinking."

"Great. You apologized. Now explain the damn kiss," she retorted.

"Can't a man express his feelings?" He asked with a chuckle.

"There's no way you're in love with me," she denied vehemently. "No one could love me, especially if they knew my past."

"Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but I know everything," he stated. "I know about all the people you killed all because of how much you trusted Gaius. You think you're a monster, but you're not. You were manipulated by that bastard every step of the way and in the end, he stabbed you in the back. You used Leviathan's power to sink all of Vanaheim so the empire couldn't get their grubby hands on the kingdom and its Crystal."

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "I told you most of that myself."

"The last person you killed was Lady Aubrey, one of the ladies of the castle during your father's rule. Before you killed her, she tried to tell you how Gaius was using you, but you didn't listen."

She couldn't believe what he said. "H-How did you know that...?"

"That morning I was acting weird was the day after the nightmare changed. I was able to change everything except for Vanaheim's fate," he confessed.

"You...manipulated the nightmare?"

"Looks that way. It had a happy ending so I guess it isn't a nightmare anymore."

"Oh, really? And how did it end?" She asked more out of curiosity than anything else.

"I'm making it a reality right now," he said before stealing another kiss.

This time, (Y/n) kissed back. As the kiss continued, she felt the sturdy walls she built around her heart come crumbling down one by one. She was able to regain control of her body and placed her hands on Gladio's cheeks, turning his head slightly to deepen the kiss.

After another minute passes, they break the kiss. Gladio leaned his forehead against hers, enjoying her gentle touch as her thumbs caressed his cheeks. "So, does this mean...?"

She smirked at his hopeful expression. "If you don't mind having a broken, bitchy immortal by your side."

"Hey, you're not as bitchy as when we first met. You still have your moments, but to be honest, who doesn't? And whatever is broken can always be fixed."

"You're the reason I've changed, Gladio," she said. "You're the only other person I've opened up to besides my sisters. Never in a million years did I believe I would ever trust another person with my past. But when you asked me that question in Lestallum, my heart broke. Nice to know that you do trust me, though."

"I was being an ass," he sighed.

"Yeah, you were."

"You still want the orb back?"

She shook her head. "You keep it. I doubt that nightmare will be an issue anymore." She traces the outline of his jaw with her fingers. "Now then, are you gonna let me up?"

"I don't think so." Gladio adjusted their position so he now laid beside the girl. He pulled her into his arms, her head resting against his chest. "As payback for spilling those cup noodles, you're gonna stay right here until I say so."

"All this for a cup of noodles?" She asked. "I mean, it's really not a punishment."

"You desecrated my favorite food."

"It was just noodles in a cup."

"They aren't just noodles in a cup," he stated. "I'll make sure you appreciate them soon enough."

Just then, the door to the room opened. Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis walked into the room, freezing in place when they saw Gladio snuggled up next to War. The blonde was the first to react and grabbed his camera. Before he could take a single picture, the shield threatened him with a glare. "Don't even think about it, Blondie."

"B-But..." Prompto whined.

"Don't you have a date, anyway?"

"Oh, that's right! See ya!" The sharpshooter dashes out of the room.

Noctis glanced at Gladio and (Y/n) with a slightly disgusted look. "You two have no shame..."

War grabbed one of the pillows and threw it at the boy. "Oh, shut it. We know you'd do the same with Lady Lunafreya. And it's not like we were doing something dirty."

Noctis blushes slightly at the mention of his wife-to-be, grabbing the same pillow the girl threw at him to throw it back. "W-Whatever..." He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Anyway, we need to head to the first secretary's estate tomorrow. What should we do until then?"

"Prompto is preoccupied with his outing with Famine," Ignis stated. "I suggest a leisurely stroll around the city to gain our bearings before the rite."

"Sounds good to me." He raised a brow as he eyed the couple. "You two coming or not?"

"May as well," Gladio said. He freed (Y/n) and they climbed off the bed. The group left the hotel and ventured around Altissia.

<------------<<<<<

Hours passed and the sun was finally beginning to set. Ignis and Noctis returned to the Leville while Gladio and (Y/n) continued to roam the streets of Altissia. They boarded a gondola just as the sun set to enjoy the nighttime scenery the city had to offer.

War crossed her legs as she sat across from the shield. "So tell me, what else happened in the nightmare?"

"You really that interested?" He asked.

"I would like the know the "what-if" version of my past. Try not to leave any interesting details out."

Gladio smirked in amusement before divulging all the details about the nightmare. He told her how he saved her from Gaius and how they escaped the castle. When he told her about how she stabbed Gaius in the back, she laughed before allowing him to continue. He then mentioned how she was able to unite her soldiers one final time to evacuate all of Vanaheim. Finally, he got to the part where they escaped on a boat and he tried to kiss her, but he woke up before he could.

"As much as that sounds better than reality, I am happy it didn't happen that way. Except for the part where I stabbed Gaius in the back. If I could resurrect the dead, I would resurrect him and stab him in the back."

Gladio was taken aback at her words. "I thought you'd prefer that than reality."

"If it played out like the nightmare, I wouldn't be here right now. Some other soul could've been chosen as the Horseman of War instead of me."

The brute leans forward with a grin on his face. "Is that a back-handed way of saying you're happy we met?"

She twirled a stand of her hair around her finger. "If that's how you want to interpret it, go right ahead."

Gladio leaned back. "Now I know what we need to work on next for you."

"Lemme guess, you want me to be more honest about my feelings."

"Bingo."

(Y/n) thought for a few seconds before sighing. "Aren't I already honest with my feelings?"

"Only the negative ones."

She went to protest, but realized he was telling the truth. "Welp, you got me there. Well played, Gladio."

He chortled triumphantly. "'Bout damn time I won."

"Don't get used to it."

They hopped off the gondola and continued to walk around the city. When the Horseman heard Gladio's stomach grumble, she suggested heading to Maagho for a bite to eat. They traveled to the bar and the shield gladly ordered him and (Y/n) some Maagho Lasanga.

After they ate their meal, they remained at the bar for a little while. They listened to the pianist as his fingers danced across the keys and created a lovely tune.

"Hey," Gladio shattered the silence between him and the redhead. "There's something I wanted to ask you about the Vanaheim Crystal."

"What is it?" She asked.

"How are you able to use its power?"

Unconsciously, she placed a hand over her chest. She lowered her hand before hopping off the stool. "Let's head back to the hotel. It'd be easier to show you."

The two head back to the Leville, but Gladio stopped them in the lobby. He decided to buy a second room for him and her so they could have some privacy. Walking up the stairs, they walk to their room.

Gladio locked the door behind them before giving his full attention to (Y/n). However, his eyes were drawn to her chest when he noticed she was unzipping the front of her outfit. He quickly grabbed her hand before she could expose herself. "Whoa there, firecracker. Don't-"

"Hey, get your head out of the gutter," she said. "Like I said, it's easier to show you." War continued unzipping her outfit once he removed his hand. She released the zipper just as it reached the crevice of her breasts.

Gladio's eyes widened when seeing a crimson shard embedded in her chest just below her collarbone. The Horseman looked up from the shard and noticed his flabbergasted expression. "At birth, the heirs and heiresses of Vanaheim had a shard of the Crystal embedded into their flesh. From this single shard, all of Vanaheim royalty was able to wield the power of the Crystal."

Unconsciously, Gladio reached out to touch the shard but stopped halfway. His actions didn't go unnoticed by (Y/n) and she grabbed his hand before he could retract it. Gently, she placed his hand over the shard to show him he had her permission to touch her. "Whenever a king or queen perished, the shard was removed from their body and returned to the Crystal. But as you know, mine remained."

Gladio traces the shard with his fingers, admiring its beauty. "Guess a fancy ring isn't necessary when you're directly connected to the Crystal."

"It would be safer with a fancy ring, though," she sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Because the shard is directly infused in one's body, it's more difficult to control the flow of power. Because of that, many kings and queens became ill and died young. My father was one of them. But that's not a problem for me since I'm basically a walking corpse."

She went to zip up her outfit when Gladio removed his hand from the shard, but she was interrupted when he scooped her up into his arms and placed her on the bed. Before she could even react, he wound one arm around her back and lifted her upper body off the bed. He placed his lips on the shard, causing a shiver to creep down her spine. A gasp slipped from her lips. "H-Hold on a second, Gladio...!"

"Sorry, but no can do. We have this room all to ourselves and you bet I'm not gonna let it go to waste. You better prepare yourself for a long night."

She grinned at him. "I don't need sleep like you. You'll crash before me, I bet."

"You're on, firecracker."

[theclownandtheflame]

It's safe to say I take years to write, but you guys have been so patient I— :333

also I'm definitely going to sleep forever after uploading this.

YOU KNOW THE DRILL! Hate Gaius? Don't read. Hate the ship? Don't read. Find it disturbing? Sounds like a you problem! We don't really care.. :D

Victim, Victim, Monster

a gaius augustine x mc fic

written by @theclownandtheflame

Attention!!! Contains NSFW. Viewer discretion is advised.

It started out fast. Subtle. Neither of them truly saw it coming until their lips found each other in a series of pecks.

It didn't take too long for these innocent pecks to become hungry kisses, where their tongues wrestled for dominance and their hips swayed into one another.

Breathing heavily through his nose, Gaius scoot closer to tower over her delicate frame – until stopping himself halfway. He laid back, his hands on her waist to gently guide her on top.

Furrowing her eyebrows, the Bloodkeeper detached her lips from his to stare him down.

"Funny. I took you for someone who seeks dominance at all times."

He huffed, and while she cozied up to straddle his hips, he slithered his hands around her torso to find the zipper dangling on her back.

"I do want to prove myself a decent ally." The man lisped, slowly dragging it down to fully expose her chest. "And if that means giving up control... Then, by all means. It is yours for the taking."

Tossing her corset aside, Gaius let his eyes roam over newly uncovered territory. His mouth watered, craving the moment as much as he urged to relinquish that sight. The fear of finding out it was just a dream was too profound to be understated.

The red laced bra she so proudly wore was nothing compared to the way she bit her lip upon meeting his gaze. His hands made quick work of unhooking the delicate lingerie while hers tugged on his belt. Took her a rough movement to deftly yank it off, and him a gentle tug to watch the bra slid down her arms.

"Athena..." He hummed softly, shaking his head whereas his lips curled into a deviant smirk. "This... is a grave mistake."

Mr. Obvious. She was smooching with the enemy – nothing about it was the opposite of wrong. Everything about it felt incredibly right.

Pushing himself up, he flicked his tongue over her lips, but scoffed when her hands hit him full on the chest to shove his body back down.

"Not if I'm on top."

One second later and she was already undoing the ties of his vests. His chest rose rapidly at the quickening of his heartbeats, moreover at the growls he released with urgency. Her fingertips traced the muscles of his stomach, making sure to linger by his waistline until he straight up growled.

"Don't you make me regret this."

His fingers dug into her hips, causing her to arch back and laugh. What a fun turn of events: he was finally the one shuddering at her actions.

"Do you think you'll be able to regret anything once I'm done with you?"

Her fingers curled into his waistband before he could process the thought. Swift like a true vampire, she pulled his pants down, slipped her hand under his boxers and wrapped her fingers around his throbbing length, sending him into a fit of sneers. Giving up control was definitely taking its toll on him. But she couldn't care less.

Bending over, Athena let her breasts press into his chest whilst her lips brushed his ear. The hands he had resting on her hips moved on to her ass, squeezing it in his palms as she took his earlobe between her teeth.

"You'll have what is yours, Gaius Augustine. You're mine for the taking."

The way her breath tickled his skin, wet and warm, mixed with the words she whispered like some sort of goddess he was bound to worship awakened something in him.

His eyes darkened, crimson like blood, and he flashed his fangs with a mischievous smile.

"... My turn."

With no time to contest his actions, Athena found herself flipped over with her back pressed into the mattress. He didn't spare a second: his mouth ravaged the crook of her neck, nibbling on the soft skin. Goosebumps spread out over her body as his hands too roamed around it.

He reached up to cup her breast, squeezing the mound and tracing his thumb around her hardened nipple over... and over... again. Once her breath came out in ragged sighs, he planted one last kiss to her shoulder and scraped his fangs across her collarbone. Soon, his mouth latched onto her nipple, whereas his free hand barely touched her stomach before unbuttoning her pants.

"Gaius—" She gasped. He truly wasn't willing to give her back the benefit of wording a full sentence.

His fingers enticed her through the thin fabric of her panties, sparing all pleasantries while rubbing at her clit. Without further ado, he ripped the thin layer of clothing and, before she too could protest, he gave her yet another reason to cry out.

His fingers deftly massaged her core while his mouth ravaged her breasts. He was giving her the time of her life despite the unwanted circumstances of their trip. And of their relationship. Whatever could be made of it.

Reaching for the back of his head, Athena blindly tugged on his raven locks, tangling them around her fingers. This seemed to be the boost he needed to escalate further into this wicked game. Giving her breast one last lingering suck, he detached his lips from her nipple and stared her down in the eye.

"Tell me what you want, Your Highness. You are the one in control, after all."

She hissed, unpleased to find out he had stopped working his magic to poke a little fun at her long lost dominance.

"I didn't tell you to stop, did I?" Athena quirked an eyebrow, trying her best to deliver a smirk despite looking incredibly woozy. "Let me ride you."

He chewed on the inside of his cheek, slowly but surely falling back so she could come out on top. The Second Son tried to hide his own hunger as he sat upright with her straddling his lap, but it was to no avail. He gazed with the infatuation of a true admirer, holding her safely in his arms as her hips began to roll. Even as she threw her head back to moan his name aloud, grasping at his shoulders for dear life, he was still locked in that very moment:

The one that made him realize he was allowed to be anything.

Anything but a monster.

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

tags; @galaxy-of-rosess @thirteenis-myluckynumber @edgiestwinter @zeetao-hime @an-urban-witch-ig

[morganrhodes]

Behind the Scenes of Falling Kingdoms

It’s been a minute, my friends! I don’t have any shiny news to share with you at this very moment, but I thought I’d check in and say “hi!” and share with you a little something that Falling Kingdoms fans might find interesting.......

The original ending of Gathering Darkness!!

I’m going to put a spoiler break here, since there are spoilers ahead! ***********

Some people ask if I knew exactly how the story was going to end as I started it. Nope! I sure didn’t! I learned a lot as I wrote each draft, about the world, the characters, the magic, the mythology. This is an excellent example of how the series could have gone in a VERY different direction halfway through the series than it actually did.

Oh, and this is obviously before any proofreading or copyedits, so it’s pretty raw, but I hope you enjoy this peek behind the scenes!

Note: in this original draft, Felix working against them from the get-go. He’s lucky he was so darn fun to write or he would have gotten the ax! Literally and figuratively! 😂

***

Original Last Chapter of the first draft of FALLING KINGDOMS #3: Gathering Darkness

They approached the gates set into the north face of the stone wall. It was almost amusing how much the compound resembled a very small and very poor version of the City of Gold. This was the City of Dirt.

           The chieftain had lived high enough here, though, compared to the majority of Paelsians. Thanks to the hefty wine tax on every bottle produced that had gone directly to him, this wasn’t surprising.

           But the chief was dead now. This Paelsia was an orphan, ruled by default by the King of Blood.

           Jonas didn’t waste any time. He shoved open the gates and went inside, a path he’d walked months ago when he’d been granted audience with the chief.

           “Is it true you were involved with the chief’s daughter?” Lysandra asked. “She danced with snakes, didn’t she?”

           “Very well, too.”

           “I’ll take that as a yes.”

           “Who told you that?”

           “Doesn’t matter anymore.”

           It must have been Brion. Jonas almost smiled at the memory. Laelia Basilius had been a shallow girl, but it hadn’t been completely unpleasant to work his way into her good graces—and her bed—so she’d introduce Jonas to her important and influential father.

           “She had her uses.”

           She gave him a sour look. “I wonder if she feels the same about you now.”

           “Last I heard, she thought we were betrothed.” At Lysandra’s look of shock, he laughed. “We’re not.”

           “Let’s hope your paths never cross again in case there’s a wedding to attend.”

           “That is definitely something to avoid at all costs. Besides, I’m not interested in her as part of my future. I have more important things to accomplish. Where do you think we should do it?” At her sharp look, he couldn’t help but grin. “The ritual.”

           He hadn’t been able to coax a smile from her today, which didn’t surprise him that much. It had been a difficult journey from Limeros as they tried very hard to beat Felix to this location. They hadn’t seen any sign of him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t close.

           Lysandra scanned the area. There were dirt paths leading off to a labyrinth of small cottages and Chief Basilius’s large villa in the center. “How about that clearing?”

           The clearing was the location of the chief’s bonfires, feasts, and nightly entertainment. When Jonas had been here last there had been several very beautiful topless dancers entertaining the chief.

           “Why are you grinning?” Lysandra asked.

           “Just dealing with a few memories.”

           “Deal with this.” She handed him her dagger. “I cleaned it especially for you.”

           “You’re not volunteering this time.”

           “You’re so good at making yourself bleed, why would I want to get in the way? Why? Do you want me to do it this time?”

           “No.” Jonas took the blade from her, found a spot on his forearm this time, and sliced. This was the fifth time he’d done this so it was a familiar pain.

           He crouched down and with the blood that welled from the cut, he drew the spiral symbol for air on the parched ground. “Let’s hope it works this time.”

           Lysandra gave him a tense look as a breeze picked up, circling around them in a whirlwind that made their breath catch. Jonas used a new piece of cloth to bind his wound, his gaze tracking around the area.

           “Jonas, over there.” Her voice was tight. She pointed at a spot where the bonfire had once been, now only a scorched circle in the center of the clearing.

           Something was there, the sunlight glinting off of it. A crystal.

           A moonstone.

           His chest tight, Jonas pulled another cloth out of his pocket and approached the crystal, bending over and picking it up without the surface of it touching his skin.

           “It didn’t bother Felix,” Lysandra said.

           “I’d rather not take any chances.”

           “That’s it, isn’t it?”

           “Unless there’s another crystal about to appear out of absolutely nowhere after I bleed on the ground, yes, this is it.”

           He wouldn’t risk this one. He had to get it somewhere safe until he could make contact with Cleo. She probably wondered where he’d disappeared after claiming the Earth crystal. He hadn’t realized he’d be dealing with a traitor like Felix.

           Still, one crystal was better than no crystals at all.

           Lysandra clutched his arm. “Jonas…”

           He glanced at her with surprise. “What?”

           “We have company.”

           He turned slowly, his heart sinking, to see that she was absolutely right. Of course, he expected to see that Felix had caught up to them.

           Felix was definitely there. But behind him were at least twenty guards in red uniforms.

           And King Gaius himself.

           “You were right, Felix,” the king said. “Here he is, the infamous Jonas Agallon, the murderer of my beloved wife and queen.”

           “Oh, your highness,” Jonas said, sounding a great deal more confident than he currently felt, “everyone knows that was a lie. Aron Lagaris killed your wife. He was your kingsliege, if I’m not mistaken, wasn’t he? Sounds like someone who took orders extremely well.”

           “I must admit, I’m not entirely sure what to do with you.” The king’s gaze shifted to Lysandra. “Or you. Shall I take you to my dungeon again and risk some last minute escape that disappoints a crowd thirsting for a show of blood? Or shall I kill you here and be done with it?”

           “Deal with me however you want,” Jonas said. “But let Lysandra go.”

           “Not a chance. She will die at your side, rebel.”

           “Sorry, Jonas,” Felix said, shrugging. “You gave me no choice.”

           “Really. No choice at all other than this?”

           “The cost of a raven to send a message from Limeros to Auranos was steep, but I believe it was worth it in the end. If I hadn’t, the king and his men never would have arrived in time.”

           “That would be a shame.”

           Jonas wasn’t sure what to do, how to maneuver his way out of this. He could handle a few guards, certainly, especially with Lysandra at his back. But twenty or more? And there was only one entrance into the compound unless they wanted to scale the twenty foot walls, and that entrance was currently blocked by a small army.

           “The crystal,” King Gaius said. “Hand it over.”

           “That’s not going to happen.”

           The king looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. There were dark circles under his eyes and his face showed signs of strain. He appeared much older than the last time Jonas saw him.

           “Felix,” he said.

           “Yes, your majesty.”

           “Where is the Earth crystal?”

           “I have it in a safe place.”

           “Why isn’t it here as we agreed?”

           “I want an assurance that you’ll pay me.”

           “Don’t insult me, boy. Of course I’ll pay you. You’ve delivered to me the means to claim two crystals and also apprehend Jonas Agallon, you will be paid very well indeed. Now tell me where the Earth crystal is.”

           Jonas eyed Lysandra. Her attention was totally focused on Felix. He knew that she liked the mercenary despite everything that had happened, that she thought she saw something more in him than Jonas did. Jonas had thought he’d seen a true friend in Felix, in the beginning. But he’d been fooled. He refused to be fooled again.

           “Can you use it?” Lysandra said to him under her breath.

           He glanced down at the piece of moonstone he’d wrapped in the protective cloth. There was a strange shadow within it, much like the Earth crystal. A strand of darkness that swirled around and around. “Felix couldn’t do more with the other crystal than the most minor magic. It won’t help us here today.”

           “Then we’re dead, simple as that.” She reached down to take his hand in hers, finally giving him a shaky grin although her eyes shone with emotion. “It’s been good to fight at your side, Jonas. It started a little rough between us, I know, but I mean that. You’ve become so important to me…I hope you know that.”

           “No, Lys. Don’t talk like that. We’re not giving up yet.”

           “Maybe I’m more of a realist than you are. There’s no way out of this.”

           “Let me make this very clear, Felix.” The king’s voice was brittle, angry and impatient. “Tell me where you hid the crystal and I won’t have to take you back to my dungeon and torture the information out of you.”

           Felix’s brows shot up. “You’d do that?”

           “Oh, yes. I would do that. Do not challenge me, boy. I have not had a pleasant week, to say the least. I came out here, leaving the sanctity and safety of the palace for this wasteland that I despise, so I could claim what you promised. I will not leave here with only one crystal in my possession.”

           He flicked a finger at a guard, who pointed his sword at Felix’s throat.

           “Huh,” Felix said. “Will you look at that, Agallon? I guess you were right after all.”

           “Idiot,” Jonas growled. “Nice of you to finally realize it.”

           “I do have a theory about the crystals, though.”

           Were they really having a conversation right now, moments before the king unleashed his guards to slaughter them all?

           “Oh? And what’s that?”

           “One crystal doesn’t work too well on its own. But two, on the other hand—” He fished into his pocket and pulled out the piece of obsidian. “That might work better.”

           King Gaius inhaled sharply at the sight of it. “You lied to me.”

           “Yeah, I really did. Jonas, catch.” Felix tossed the crystal at Jonas and he caught it in his bare left hand.

           “Damn it. Fine, I’ll try.” Jonas discarded the cloth so he could hold the piece of moonstone in his other hand. “All right, anything would be good here. Anything at all.”

           He had no idea what to do now to harness the magic. He was no sorcerer. He’d only started to believe in magic in recent weeks.

           However, there was that whispered rumor in his family that an ancestor had once been an exiled Watcher.

           Jonas gasped as something stabbed at him through his hands. “What—?”

           The crystals began to glow like hot coals. He tried to drop them when the burning pain intensified.

           “Jonas, what’s happening?” Lysandra gasped. “What are you doing?”

           “I don’t know. I’m not trying to do anything!”

           A band of light began to snake out of the crystal and wind around his arms, tightening like boa constrictors. The bands of light wrapped around his chest, his throat, swirling like a tornado all around him. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. There was only the searing pain and the sensation that he was being torn apart.

           He realized he was screaming a moment before the pain ceased.

           He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His body ached, as if he’d been struck by lightning and then mauled by a pack of wolves. He was surprised that blood didn’t drip from every part of his body.

           The crystals were gone. Someone must have taken them while he suffered. He pushed against the cracked ground to get back up to his feet, casting a worried look toward Lysandra. She stared at him with shock rather than the concern he expected for what he’d just endured.

           Then he glanced toward the guards, the king, and Felix.

           Instead of surging forward and killing him where he stood, each of them, one by one, sank to their knees until only King Gaius and Felix remained standing.

           “What are you doing, your majesty?” Felix growled, but he didn’t move his gaze away from Jonas. “Kneel.”

           Stunned, Jonas watched as the king did exactly that, lowering himself to his knees, his jaw tight, his expression one of utter and absolute shock.

           “What is going on here?” Jonas managed.

           “The crystals,” Lysandra said, her voice strained. “Jonas…your hands...”

           His hands? He looked down at his hands. On his left palm was what appeared to be the brand of a spiral. On the other, a circle within a circle.

           The symbols began to glow.

           “You’re a god now, Jonas,” Lysandra whispered. “The god of Earth and Air. And even the King of Blood kneels before you.”

**

Right? Verrrryyyy different indeed! I’m glad I didn’t go in this diection, but the idea of the poor winemaker’s son becoming the most powerful being in Mytica certainly did have its charms. ❤️

[nosafeharbour]

The Sorrow of Werlyt thoughts/reactions (5.2)

I originally screamed these thoughts into the void on Twitter on 5.2 patch day, (February 18th), but I’m putting them here for prosperity, because Tumblr is easier and I’ll probably do the same here for 5.3. I had to leave for an appointment right after finishing it, so I was just sat on the train pouring my thoughts into my phone...

I’m… [head in hands] - It was probably an issue of screen time more than anything but the fact Raubahn was just [resigned sigh] at Gaius in Ala Mhigo while our character was just IMMEDIATELY VIOLENT AT SEEING HIM AGAIN was so funny to me. Albi is more forgiving than most and it’s been hard not to just slap my love for Gaius on her, but that’s one of the few people where she would just wanna go straight for the throat - I’m glad his companions have names now, I love Severa… as soon as she was like yeah, Gaius got really injured defending me and [makes jokes about him hobbling around] I was just 🥺 - Nervous laughter at “spending my remaining days” line, I know you’re getting old Gaius but please— - I was already screaming into voice chat when it was Project: Darnus and screaming at the Ultima remix and…  wondering if the Dalamud in the trailer was actually from this fight somehow BUT… THE… THE SECOND PHASE WAS DEADASS THE MOST SHOCKING INCREDIBLE THING. Rise of the White Raven kicking in with those wings? NAEL? MY QUEEN??? DALAMUD, THE BURNING CITY STATES, FUCK - Even Nael mentioning her brother during the fight was cool, and recognising that something was wrong… I’m so curious about this self-awareness she seemed to have, it wasn’t just a projection, huh..? - Before the fight started I was ready to die if it was Livia piloting but NOPE IT’S A WHOLE ASS NAEL DEUS DARNUS - I feel like I never burdened my WoL with too much trauma, the only things that really affected her was like… The Ghimlyt Dark, Ultima Weapon, and seeing Dalamud fall [stares at that trial] [stares into the camera] - Anyway the elephant in the room I DON’T KNOW HOW I EXPECTED THEM TO INTRODUCE THE RAEN BUT IT WASN’T LIKE THAT - First of all the fact they’re from Ilsabard and don’t have Japanese-inspired names is not only my dream come true, but also means these guys are almost certainly related to Albi’s dad in some way. Come for the Ruby Weapon, stay for the… cousins?? - I can’t believe they were so un-dramatic about Gaius just being like oh! my kids!! there was no tense surprise it was just Dad Mode Activated. I’m… [shocked crying laughter] - I always loved that he adopted Livia and Cid but now he’s just straight up helping out at orphanages, even if all he did was rescue them and drop them off he was absolutely okay with all these baby Raen calling him dad. oh my god. oh fuck. oh my go— - It’s almost comedic how many Good Guy Flags they’re giving Gaius now. He’s just a POC single dad with ten kids who gets himself injured to save his comrades on a regular basis while they hunt fascists... I guess…

- I do hope the plot holds him more accountable for his past actions because that’s a very major thing that felt downplayed in this, but I can live for now - It was almost anti-climactic how lowkey his reunion with Cid was, for both parties, but Gaius just so (I’d say uncharacteristically, but he reacted similarly to Rhitahtyn and Livia’s deaths) quietly sad and vacantly walking off… and Cid recognising that his anger fizzled out pretty quickly upon seeing him again was really lovely and felt at least a little in character. I wanted Cid to deck him but instead I got another confirmation that he’s literally the kindest character in this game - Especially when he just [recaps his tragic backstory and mentions wanting to check some Dalamud information elsewhere] lmao I am ready for the Bozja relic quest too, bud - Can’t stop thinking about how quickly Cid went from :/ more of his CRONIES huh?? oh they were some of the orphans? I get it. He just collects wayward kids like some people collect triple triad cards - Nervous laughter at whatever that last dialogue with the Elezen guy was… who are you to be threatening Gaius van Baelsar so easily?? He wasn’t even like “I’ll kill something you care about” he was just “I’ll kill you” - I assume we’ll get to see more of where Werlyt is because Albi’s dad is absolutely gonna be from that region, I think - The EX unlock had me crylaughing, he’s just… a gunpla nerd… I understand the “gundam fans will enjoy this” thing now - Your WoL’s utter despair at this nerd babbling on about Garlean Allagan fusion design was funny but also THAT IS SO ME AND SO ALBI - Also 🤔 at the guy mentioning that Ruby Weapon’s face was very voidsent-like, and that perhaps it absorbed the aether from a primal summoned during one of the uprisings… I wonder if that’s the ramblings of a mad man, or has some truth - I’m so grateful to friends in VC and I guess maybe anyone I know for putting up with me because I feel like a piece of content could not be more tailored to my tastes, I’m in utter disbelief I just experienced all that… Allagan Garlean FFVII Ultima Raen whale of a time. I was already so excited for Gaius content but [thru tears] NAEL? CID?? - I wonder what the next content will be like, I have no idea how any of this could be topped… I feel like the FFVII appeal is such a thinly veiled guise for them to just pick up on very cool Garlean lore left over from the Praetorium and Coils - I still hope Nero turns up at some point, the gangs all here and I also want his weirdly comfortable family reunion scene - I’m gonna need some time to get over how Gaius really just went from [Praetorium voice] LET US DANCE CHAMPION OF EORZEA, KILLING YOU WILL PROVE MY READINESS TO RULE to [trails off mid-sentence and half heartedly limps away from a confrontation because he is sad about one of his kids dying] - I guess in regards to Albi she probably went into this with grim determination and ready to punch Gaius, but was blindsided by her unchecked PTSD and sudden Raen echo… probably just as [stares into the distance] as everyone else right now. This was the first time I wanted to use BLM since The Ghimlyt Dark so it really would have been a lot for her. Much to think about - I dunno what kind of relationship Albi and Gaius are gonna have yet but I guess along the lines of enemies to we’re-both-too-sad-and-tired-to-hold-grudges... Welcome to the Baelsar-Garlond-Raen found family

[bytheblades]

( ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE: FINAL FANTASY XIV )

BASIC INFORMATION

name: Talon pyr Couteau age: 27 birthday: 4th sun of the first astral moon  gender: male sex: male orientation: pansexual, panromantic profession: formerly a regimented assassin for the Garlean empire and Tesserarius, responsible for covert missions and delivery of news between soldiers and officers; currently a wanted fugitive and assassin for hire  legions served in: XIVth until the ‘death’ of Gaius van Baelsar, moved to XIIth residence: formerly Garlemald, currently no fixed abode associated job: Ninja, Samurai

APPEARANCE

hair: dark brown, almost raven in appearance eyes: amber, molten skin: pale, scarred, he doesn’t seem to like the sun much height: 5′8’ weight: 173 lbs race: Hyur ethnicity: presumed Garlean, significant Doman heritage notable features: significantly scarred, the most visible one running across the left corner of his mouth, and another on his right cheekbone. additionally, his ears are pierced repeatedly, a convention that has earned him some reproach during his time in the Garlean military physique: lithe and athletic, built for speed and precision. 

HISTORY

Alone for as long as he can remember, Talon hardly knew any kindness. His first true memories are the cold of Garlemald’s streets, and the unforgiving harshness that came with hunger. From an early age he carved out a part of that dark world for himself, subsisting mostly by thievery and pity from strangers, until he picked the pocket of the wrong man and ended up at other end of a knife. Instead of striking Talon down where he stood, however, the slave that he had transgressed against took the young boy under his wing and for a few years, the streets were not as cold, the nights were not as long, and he was not as hungry.  This enigmatic foreigner, of clear Doman descent treated Talon as if he were his own son, and for awhile that was the truest kindness he could remember. He taught Talon how to fight, how to use various blades. He taught him their customs and their language, all in secret, and when he was called to work - Talon slept soundly because he finally had someone to look up to and keep the young boy safe. This was someone who would come home, fill the slums with brightness, and make sure despite whatever hardships they’d experienced... to continue moving forward.                    Except, one day, he didn’t come home. A day turned into a week, a week into a month, and a month into a year. Again, he had to retreat to his stealing ways, and again - he chose the wrong pocket to pick. A stray Garlean officer, in the wrong part of town, and cut to his purse later - Talon was in prison and sitting deep beneath the capital. He considered his days numbered, not yet even a teenager - until the officials came knocking, and saw more promise in him than fodder for propaganda and death.  The knack that Talon displayed for subterfuge and blades earned him quick recognition within his early days simply training with the military. And while he was discontent to work for these Masters he had seen cause so much struggle, as the days drifted by he began to grow more and more comfortable, and hold less and less hope that his friend would return. In fact, 4 years later, Talon had left that part of his life behind, when it all came screaming back to him.  Commanded to dispatch a leader causing some unrest to the South, it was his first important solo mission, and Talon attacked it with the same gusto he attacked everything. He was a flawless assassin, immaculate in his work and all was going splendidly until he saw, face to face, the man he had been assigned to kill: his old friend, his teacher, his surrogate father. It would be the first time Talon questioned his devotion to Garlemald, and for a long while he thought it to be his last. No one is sure what took place in that resistance camp that night, only that everyone who had been within the vicinity lay dead and bleeding on the ground and Talon himself walked away victorious. Something had snapped in him that day, the few remaining tendrils of his morality that he had held fast to. The single draw of his blade across his former friends throat had drained not only the man’s life, but Talon’s mercy along with it.  His victory was celebrated, and he was officially inducted into the military. A member of the XIVth Legion, he flourished even further under Gaius van Baelsar’s strict regiment, quickly gaining the rank of Tesserarius. It was Talon’s responsibility to carry out covert operations, as well as deliver communication between the officers and soldiers. He took the task like a duck to water, and was well respected among the troops. The incident prior to his joining faded into only nightmares, but they still haunted him - and still do, to this day.  Upon the Ultima Weapon debacle and Gaius’ presumed death, Talon was moved to the XIIth Legion, where he took up the roll of Tesserarius as well. Due to his experience in the Doman language and culture, he was quickly added to the list of those who would be occupying the land, and furthering the interests of the Empire. Zenos yae Galvus proved to be a charismatic leader in Talon’s eyes, respectable in both battle and tactics. For a long, long while he respected the man, even revered him.... until he didn’t.  An encounter with the shinobi of the land left Talon reeling from shock, effectively turning his life on it’s head as well as everything he’d come to think of himself. Tangible proof was gifted to him, along with crucial knowledge that none other could know that his Doman friend and teacher had been his Father, and Talon had effectively killed him. For months, he struggled with this knowledge, struggled with his continued devotion to the Empire as well as to Zenos. His family legacy lay within the shinobi, within Doma, yet all he had known was Garlemald. Talon wrestled day in and day out with what he should do, until finally - the day came that he had to make a decision.  Acting as a double agent for the Doman resistance, Talon slowly turned his opinion of his former ‘home’ on it’s head and began seeing it all for what it truly was. He provided crucial information to his associates, even stolen supplies, and attempted to misdirect Zenos from key targets and areas. It would all eventually prove too much, however, and the careful facade he’d built around him would snap, piece by piece and his lie was revealed to not only Garlemald, but Zenos as well.  Unable to stick around for the decisive battles, and the aftermath, Talon fled Doma to take up refuge somewhere remote and further away from his Legion’s wrath. Only upon hearing of the end of the Garlean occupation of Doma did Talon return to the land. He does not fit in there, but nor does he fit in back at Garlemald either. With one foot stuck in both worlds, not only is Talon now a wanted fugitive against the Empire, but Doman citizens know his face, his sins, and he finds that there is not a home left for him anymore upon this world, despite his efforts to right all his wrongs.  To this day, he has no fixed abode, no real roots. He travels Hydaelyn, offering his services as a mercenary and assassin when necessary - but for the most part, he is simply trying to stay away from the hell that is Garlemald’s touch and the havoc he wreaked with it. 

[colorofmymindposts]

Morgana and Guinevere Chapter Five

Fandom: BBC Merlin

Pairing: Morgana/Guinevere

Rating: Teen (Rating will increase in last chapter.)

Status: Incomplete

Word Count: 1587 for this chapter, 4646 for the entire work thus far

Story Summary: Set post 2x04. When Gwen returns safely from captivity, Morgana has many secrets about her own inner desires to tell her best friend. Gwen would be lying if she did not reciprocate her mistress’ feelings.

Chapter Summary: All is revealed. 

Tags: Love Confessions, First Kiss, Tenderness 

Notes: The entire work can be read here on ao3.  Via tumblr, the first chapter can be read here, the second chapter here, the third chapter here, and the fourth chapter here. Last chapter will serve as an optional epilogue, but the story itself essentially ends here. Likes and reblogs are always appreciated!

Gwen knew. She knew. Not only of Morgana’s improper passions but illicit powers as well, of the dangerous woman she really was. A sob escaped Morgana as the reality of the situation came crashing down around her, and she couldn’t stop shaking and crying. Her legs gave out from under her, and she stifled her wails with covered hands. It was all over.

Gwen was a silent, looming presence above her.

“Gwen,” she started, voice choking around the lump in her throat. “I didn’t mean to—I would never hurt you. I didn’t even know I had this...curse until recently. My position doesn’t matter. I’ll be dead before the next dawn if Uther finds out what I am.”

“Morgana!” Her friend finally gasped, as if her declaration was shocking. It was only the truth.

An insistent knock startled both of them enough to look at Gwen’s door. It was already starting. Oh god, oh god, oh god…

She barely registered the girl moving past her to answer the door. She did not move to stop her either.

“Hello?”

“Yes, Guinevere. I thought I heard something shattering like glass, just a moment ago. I thought I would check in on you, see if you were alright.”

The concerned voice on the other side of the door belonged distinctly to an older man, not Gaius though. It must have been some other stranger in the village Morgana did not know. Gwen would give him the word to call for the night guards—to take Morgana away, throw her in the dungeon, to await condemnation and a sentence from King Uther. If she rushed the door and fled as quickly as she could on foot, she might be able to evade the guards. Yes, that’s what she’d have to do.

“Oh, that’s very kind of you, John. My window broke, but I think it must have been one of the men, probably just had a bit much to drink at the tavern. I should have no trouble cleaning it up on my own.”

What was she doing? Morgana was frozen where she sat on the floor. It took an effort to make herself turn her head to face the door, which Gwen only had open just enough for the man to make out her face. He probably had no idea that the Lady Morgana was lying on her servant girl’s floor.

“Those blasted drunkards! I suppose I should just be glad they didn’t do anything worse. I just figure, with your father gone, you should have someone checking in on you every now and again.”

“Well, I really appreciate it. I really think you should get back to bed though. I’m fine, and it’s awfully late.”

With a hum of assent and exchanging of goodbyes, Gwen shut the door firmly back into place.

The girl spun about on her heel and crouched down on her knees while gazing intently at Morgana. “That cut looks like it went rather deep. We’ll have to clean that out. Wouldn’t want to have to send you over to Gaius to treat you for an infection.”

Morgana watched mutely as Gwen walked over to a pail of water, dunked a fresh piece of cloth into it, and proceeded to kneel in front of her, gently stroking Morgana’s cheek with the wetted cloth.

“Why are you doing this?” Morgana all but hissed at Gwen, afraid and confused all at once. Was this some kind of game to her?

Gwen slightly recoiled at her tone, she could tell, and the cloth hung limply in her hand. “Because I care about you, Morgana. I would never want to see you executed let alone suffer from any injury, however small. I don’t believe all sorcerers are evil. I can’t believe it. How could I, when one so compassionate and pure of heart sits before me?”

Blinking her eyes, once, twice, Morgana could not deny that the words had indeed come out of Gwen’s mouth and that they were offered genuinely.

“How...how can you think that way? When all Camelot has taught us is that magic is evil along with those that have it?” She queried. There should be no reason in God’s name to question Gwen’s clemency and yet she had to know if she knew nothing else.

“Morgana, I helped you send Mordred away. I was almost executed for being accused of sorcery only last year. And my own father was executed wrongly for supposedly harbouring a sorcerer. What we’ve been taught...I cannot believe it to be completely true. No one group of people can be entirely evil. And they do not deserve to be persecuted as they are by this kingdom. I would shudder to think that the King would hold any ill will towards you for anything, he cares for you so much, but I cannot say I know him as well as you do. You are the kindest, most beautiful soul I have ever known. You wouldn’t harm me or anyone else with your magic. I swear I shall tell no one of your secret.”

The tears spilled from her eyes before Morgana could stop them. Nor could she resist wrapping her arms around her friend, sobbing with relief into the crook of her neck.

“Oh Gwen, I was so frightened! It’s only been a few months, but they’ve been the worst of my life, hiding this side of myself from everyone. I feared retribution from anyone who learned of my magic, but you…,’ Morgana paused to withdraw herself from the warmth of her friend. She needed to look her in the eyes. ‘You have my eternal gratitude for your acceptance. I don’t know how to repay you.”

“I don’t want you to pay me anything. I want you to be happy. If you are, I consider that my eternal reward,” her friend replied easily, dropping the cloth shortly after.

It was, to her own amazement, that Morgana could smile freely after that pronouncement. “This wasn’t exactly how I imagined this night would go.”

Gwen, bless her, actually giggled slightly. “I wouldn’t think so, no. But you didn’t come here to tell me about your magic, right? That seemed like an accident.”

“No, I didn’t.”

A silence fell between them as they seemingly both remembered what preceded the window shattering. In a way, what had caused it to shatter in the first place, revealing Morgana’s magic.

“Gwen...I can understand if I have one too many vices to forgive. It’s alright. Forget I even said anything, I can—”

Morgana was swiftly cut off by Gwen placing her index finger on top of Morgana’s parted lips. Gently, and ever so slowly that an age must have passed, Gwen pressed a simple but tender kiss to Morgana’s forehead.

“You’ve a beautiful mind, M’Lady,” Gwen whispered, lips just a fraction above Morgana’s forehead. It made her shiver and inadvertently withdraw from Gwen slightly. “I wonder though how you talk yourself in such circles, when the truth is so clear.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve lost all ability to think now that you’ve done that Gwen, you’ll have to tell me what truth you’re talking about.”

The smile that graced Gwen’s face at that moment was truly a sight to behold. No artist could capture that beam that tugged upwards on the corners of her lips, that effortlessly let in a rush of happiness into Morgana’s chest.

“I thought I’d been so obvious,” her friend admitted, seeming unbelieving that she hadn’t been. She pulled a few inches away and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she did so. “That’s why I was trying to stay away from you these last few days, though they’ve left me restless. I thought you would find me out.”

“Gwen, I don’t understand. Find out what?”

“I am in love with no man,” Gwen stopped herself, drawing a long breath before she continued. Her hands shook in her lap, and her voice began to be imbued with a quality of unrestrained fondness as she spoke. “I love a lady, so very fair. She has hair as dark as a raven, that flows in long waves down her back. I have brushed it many a time when she has allowed me to. She has perfect rosy lips and exquisite emerald eyes that I’ve recently learned sometimes turn to an amazing golden without her even trying. Once, I thought I might tell her how I felt when I picked some flowers for her, but I was too afraid then. I cannot be now. I am in love with the fairest lady in all the land, and she sits before me. I can only be so glad that she returns my affections, more than I ever could have hoped.”

Such a feeling of euphoria blossomed in Morgana at Gwen’s declaration that she could contain herself no longer. Her friend’s kiss had meant everything Morgana had wanted it to mean. Closing the distance between them, Morgana clasped her hand at the base of Gwen’s neck as she found Gwen’s eager lips to receive her own. The feeling...was more than anything Morgana had ever known before. The rush of warmth that flew to her cheeks, her mouth and the fluttering in her stomach couldn’t be helped, but Gwen’s soft caress left Morgana in absolute ecstasy, sighing into the other girl’s mouth for more, more, more. The glow of the moonlight shone brightly on their faces as they met each other again and again in their clandestine embrace.

[tyrannysaurusfloof]

Masterlist (Non Youtube/Star Wars Works)

Since I’ve only recently decided to post my fanfiction here as well, I figured posting one long masterlist of them was better than an individual post for each one /o/

Links and summaries under the cut due to length |D

Tolkien Verse

- TOLKIEN SENTENCE PROMPTS: A series of multi-chapter, oneshot based sentence prompts covering a variety of Tolkien characters and pairings. Ongoing.

- HIS FATHER’S SON: Post BOFA Everyone Lives AU. After surviving and recovering from his wounds at the Battle of Five Armies Thorin is crowned rightful King under the Mountain with Fili and Kili at his side. Dis arrives from Ered Luin and the family are finally reunited in their true home again. However, a family secret kept hidden for over 80 years is soon revealed and the lives of the heirs of Durin are changed forever. Complete

- TO HEAL A SICKNESS: Fili is sick and nothing seems to be curing him. At only 50 no one is convinced he will survive. Kili makes the decision to leave Ered Luin, despite Fili’s condition, to find a cure for him in the wide world of Middle Earth. He is determined to do this because if there is one thing he cannot afford to lose from his life, it’s his best friend and brother. Complete.

- DANCES WITH ELVES: Glorfindel is extremely excited about the arrival of the dwarves and yet also seems to be excited about the prospect of dancing with Erestor a midnight gathering he has organised for some reason. Kili is bored because Thorin is gone and he wants to explore so Fili makes up a reason for him to. They stumble over the little midnight dancing session of the elves and decide to join in, but only if it could be done dwarven style. Cue some fun between the heirs of Durin and Glorfindel. Complete.

- BATTLES FOUGHT BEFORE: AU where Legolas fought the Battle of Five Armies alongside Thranduil and did not go off to Gundabad. Legolas reflects on the death and destruction during the Battle of Five Armies on the eve of the Battle of Helms Deep and wonders how he had ended up in the same position again. Complete.

- BONDING: Aragorn worries about the lives of the people of Rohan but Legolas can see that his worry goes down deeper than that and he challenges him about it. The two friends discuss Aragorn’s choices and what they might mean. Eowyn’s stew features. Complete.

- ELROND’S SUSPICIONS: Elrond suddenly realises that since the elves of Greenwood (Mirkwood) have such strong magic that when he has had dealings with Thranduil in the past, after Legolas had passed his majority, it could have actually been his young son in disguise of an illusion. Thranduil and Legolas are approaching Rivendell so Elrond decides to investigate and see if he can find out if his suspicions are true. Complete.

Dragon Age

- Advice From a Ghost: Fergus and Gilmore don't exactly see eye to eye over marriage, but they don't have to worry because they both have someone looking out for them that gives the best advice. AKA Fergus and Gilmore hallucinate about their dead brother/friend after an argument. Complete

- To Be By Your Side I Would Willing Storm the Gates of the Black City: a collection for zevwarden week on tumblr /o/

- A Teryn and His Knight:  Fergus Cousland has a problem. And that problem has a name - Ser Gilmore. There's only one resolution.

- Milk Adventures:  Fenris wants milk. Hawke has no idea where to buy it. Shenanigans ensue.

- Ferelden Flowers:  Carver wants to give flowers. He has no idea what he's doing really.

Fire Emblem Kakusei/Fire Emblem Awakening Verse

- THE THIEF AND THE PRIEST: Libra is a priest of Naga and keeps to himself as well as he can. He looks after everyone that he can, but he doesn’t get too close to people. That doesn’t stop people trying to get close to him. He looks feminine and people assume he’s a woman and try to come onto him. This starts to change when he meets Gaius. Gaius is a thief from all over the place and he just happens to be in the right place at the right time to save Libra from his not so welcome admirers. That is the start of a strange relationship between them, something neither of them really regret. Complete.

- MATERIALISTIC POSSESSIONS: Four times Virion presented Libra with elaborate presents. Four times Libra couldn’t refuse. Complete.

CSI: Miami Verse

- FALLEN FROM HEAVEN: AU where Ryan Wolfe is not all he seems. Eric Delko finds many strange things start happening involving Ryan after he meets the strange man Ryan calls dad and he becomes determined to find out exactly what the reason behind all this is. Ryan however tries his best to keep Eric in the dark but when their emotions get mixed up in Eric’s search it makes it a lot more complicated. Horatio seems to know more than he’s letting on. Complete.

- PARENTAL ADVISORY: Alternate Universe. When Horatio and the team are called out to a homicide they find Ryan Wolfe, an eighteen year old boy who has been locked up for his entire life by his paranoid - and now dead - parents. As Horatio unravels the story surrounding Ryan and the death of his parents he faces a revelation unique and disturbing. Complete.

[K] Project Verse

- [K] PROJECT MURDER SERIES: A three part series revolving around Sarumi and Mikorei. The main story is a multi-chapter fic focusing on “Munakata Reisi is sure Suoh Mikoto is living on inside his head and he doesn’t quite know what to do.”

Yu-Gi-Oh Verse

- I SHALL RECOUNT TO YOU (RE-WRITE): It’s been twelve years since the fateful duel that sent Atem to the afterlife and led Yuugi to a life alone. Life carried on as normal, until a dream leads Malik to the discovery that Atem wants to return to the modern world. Cracking the mystery and bringing the Pharaoh back, Malik, Yuugi and friends, end up with a bit of a mess on their hands caused by the ancient ritual that was used. Features a lot of ships. Ongoing.

Dramatical Murder (Dmmd) Verse

- INTERESTING EXPERIMENT: (A look at what Aoba’s Dmmd Virus/Trip bad end and Re:Connect Virus/Trip route would have been like had it been Mizuki and not Aoba.) Virus and Trip have never heard of anyone recovering from having their mind completely broken by Scrap before, especially someone who was controlled by Morphine. And yet right before their eyes it was happening and they knew in that moment they would get more excitement from Mizuki than they could from Aoba. Complete.

Tales of Vesperia Verse

- WHIRRING HEART: Yuri notices that something is bothering Raven the night before Brave Vesperia are due to go to the Tower of Tarqaron. Concerned with the timing Yuri goes to talk to Raven and finds out the old man is not as confident as it seems. Yuri offers some comfort almost without realising it. Complete.

[pokemagines]

takumi, gaius, henry, robin, & soren + summoner using their confession lines

anon asked: “I absolutely love this blog I'm so glad I found it!!! If at all possible can I have a summoner that has played the games using a characters confession line against them? Like with Takumi, Gaius, Henry, and any others that you like? Oh and what if the summoner creates ones for the characters who don’t have one like Grima/Robin, Alphonse, Corrin, Ect.”

a/n: y’all i am So Tired.... work is really Like That huh? OH and i got a kitten too recently!! we names her loki bc she’s v mischievous lmao --mod touko

also: i was rereading takumi’s confession line for this and i SCREAMED the japanese version he literally calls u sister i’m!!!! that is NOT okay sdkjhgfkfgjls

takumi: 

you’ve known about his crush on you for the longest time, as it’s not really subtle. he always gets flustered whenever you get near him, yelling something about you distracting him in order to try and get you to not be so close to him. (it’s embarrassing to him for you to see him all flustered).

so, you decide to confess to him first, but, not knowing what to say, you decide to tease him a bit and use words you know he’s said to corrin in another lifetime. you grab both his hands, making him look you in the eyes while you say it.    + “if you were aiming for my heart, you’ve struck true... this was meant to be...”

takumi is quiet for a moment, before laughing. you’re confused, wondering if this is him rejecting you (even though you were sure he liked you... could you have been wrong?)     + “i’m sorry but that was kind of cheesy!” he says inbetween laughs, “is this how people confess in your world?” you just kind of... blank out and don’t have the heart to tell him that that is in fact his own line.       “you’re such a jerk takumi!” you jest, lightly punching him in the ribs. he ruffles your your hair, smirking down at you.      “yeah, but i’m your jerk.”      “oh c’mon that was worse than y- i mean, my line!”

gaius:

gaius aka “i have the cheesiest confession line ever” took a while to warm up to you (he’s very skeptical about forging bonds with people). he’s not the best in battle, but he is good at sneaking behind enemy lines and collecting intel for you, which is how the two of you became close. he even gave you a nickname -- “honey” because of your love of the sweet candies he makes. (it’s been misinterpreted by people many times).

one day, the two of you are talking about the worst romantic experiences you’ve ever had -- gaius’s was where he once thought frederick was into him because he wouldn’t stop following him around and staring at him, turns out the knight just thought he was going to break into the royal treasury.     + “well, once this guy confessed his love to me by saying “baby you’re a river of chocolate in an ocean of cream... i’m going to steal your heart on a daily basis.”      “...what’s wrong with that? it’s kind of sweet, i guess?”      “gaius what the heck that’s literally the cheesiest line in the entire world... seriously, you couldn’t have thought up anything... sweeter than that?”      “wait, what do you mean by “you”... did i say that when i was drunk or something???”

after you let that slip and explain to gaius that fire emblem is a game in your world he promises to write you up something 100x better than game gaius could ever think of. you highly doubt it. 

henry:

henry seems to have taken a liking to you as you both quickly bonded over the sharing of very fatalistic humor (which some of the other heroes found very odd but they were too afraid of henry to point it out). the two of you had a mutual crush on each other, and you thought of no better way to confess than using his own words -- plus, it’d be funny to see his reaction.

you have the perfect opportunity when you see henry outside by himself, talking to a group of ravens. the raven stare menacingly at you as you get closer to the white-haired boy, but you don’t feel unnerved until he actual stands up and smiles at you, then you know what you have to do.    + “henry... i’ve been meaning to tell you something all day.” you nervously shift your weight from left to right. taking a deep breath, you swallow your pride and grab his hands, forcing yourself to look into his deep brown eyes. “i’ll love you with every ounce of my blood until i die...” silence. then you hear henry make a tut noise.       “aw rats! i was going to say that exact thing to you!” you see him pout, but you doubt he means it. “are you a psychic or something? c’mon tell me! if we’re gonna be together til death do us part, i’ve gotta know all your secrets... even the gross ones!”       “yes henry. i can read your mind. everyone in my world has a superpower, you know.” you joke, knowing he’ll take the bait.      “no way!! that is so cool! alright can you read my mind now?”      “you’re thinking that if you could have a superpower it would be necromancy, am i right?” he looks at you in awe.      “no way! no way! ooh, can we go read other people’s minds now! we can find out all their dark secrets... you’re really something special, babe!”

robin:

robin always offered to help you out with tactics. even when she was first summoned, she’d be by your side, helping you draw up routes and giving you advice on how to win the battle while also keeping everyone alive. 

it didn’t take long for you to fall for her, hard. she was the full package: smart, sassy, gorgeous beyond belief... everything about her drew you in more, until one day you couldn’t take bottling up your feelings anymore, and you decide to tell her.     + “ah! summoner, just the girl/guy i wanted to see! i was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with me? there’s this really pretty grove of flowers i saw outside and i was wondering if you wanted to see them with me?” she’s not wearing her thick tactician cloak and you can see just how beautiful she really is, dark skin, freckles littered all over her shoulders... she’s breathtaking. you feel your head start to spin. “...if you don’t want to do that we could always--”      “no! i-i’d love too! i just have to tell you something first...” she nods, insisting for you to go on, and you take a deep breath: “hm... it seems i’ve found myself in a situation where i must admit defeat. very well, my heart is yours.” robin flushes a bit at your odd confession, before laughing quietly to herself.      “i’m sorry, for a moment there i thought you were another version of me!” she puts a hand on your shoulder, “not the way i saw this going, but it was cute!” she leans up and pecks you on the cheek. “so, you want to get some lunch with me, dear?” the way she says the word makes you melt, and you can only answer with a quiet.      “mhm.”

soren: 

soren and you have a rivalry of sorts, that started from the moment alfonse chose your plan over his. he sees you as a much inferior tactician, as he’s been studying his whole life and you’ve been studying for... well, as long as you’ve been in askr. he sees you as a hack running off luck.

it’s not until he goes to return a book late at night and sees you studying, eyes bloodshot and hardly able to stay awake that he realizes how hard you’re trying. he swallows his pride and sits down, asking about how you manage to come up with strategies despite having little to no knowledge on how the battlefield works. you perk up (as best as you can) and tell him how you come up with your strategies. he listens, and finds you not as insufferable as he once thought... maybe...

you know he has feelings for you. it’s evident how he sticks by your side, despite saying biting words towards you at times, he slowly but surely starts opening up to you. even ike (dense as he can be) seems to take notice, and teases his strategist about it.

of course, you know he won’t be the first one to confess because of how much of a tsundere he can be, so you take it into your own hands to tell him how you feel.    + “if you’ve come to pester me again, i’m busy.” he says curtly, but still moves over to where there was enough room for you to sit down. soren doesn’t look at you, but you can see a slight blush creep up on his cheeks.       “riiiiiight. so i’m guessing these week-old maps are keeping you busy? wait, is that a drawing of me in the corner?” he flusters immediately, ripping up the maps into little pieces. you chuckle, and he hisses, glaring at you as if to dare you to mention it again. you sit beside him on his work bench. “i came for a much different reason, i have to tell you how i feel--”      “why should i care about your feelings?      “because i like you. a lot.”      “just as you have to like everyone in the army. if that is all you can go now.” you would never have feelings for him, right?      “no, gods soren... do you want me to put it in words you can understand?” you put on your best impression of soren’s voice. “how did you do it? you’ve somehow... sorry, i should try and be nice since i-- i like you, okay? don’t make me say it again.” you giggle, “that’s how i think you would confess to someone, anyways.” you look at soren who’s completely flushed. he’s never had someone who liked him romantically before, heck, he’s only had one friend his whole life! what was he supposed to say?      “i guess the feeling is mutual.” he pouts, composing himself, “but that impression of me was gods-awful.”      “now that we’re dating, get used to hearing bad impressions alllllll day.” you link your pinky in his, and wink at him.      “now wait a minute!”

[starcunning]

Day Sixteen, Heroes and Villains

An AU in which your OTP has super powers. Are they a hero/sidekick duo? Are they archenemies? Are they both villains? From the 30-Day OTP Challenge.

So ... they’re basically already superpowered vigilantes in the main universe (or at least Shasi is superpowered). There’s another AU prompt that’s redundant (what if they had magic? i hate to tell you this, but magic is already in the setting), so you’re getting two glimpses into a timeline where the Warrior of Light becomes someone else.

Shasi sas Intemperatus. (She might be a villain, too.)

“Do you believe in Eorzea?”

It was the sort of question that demanded a ready answer, asked of X’shasi by the sort of man who would brook no less. As the lights of the Praetorium played over her face and his mask, the silence hung between them.

Was there a united Eorzea left to believe in? Would it long survive this operation? Ul’dah was in upheaval—and it was not merely the Sultana who had been lost to treachery in the Fragrant Chamber. The Syndicate had bullied its way into the war preparations and Teledji Adeledji’s hired killer had dispatched with the young monarch and her strong right arm.

And the Scions—what Scions were not lost in the attack on the Waking Sands or yet in the grip of the foe. That she had killed Adeledji and his assassins was cold comfort for the loss of her allies.

Raubahn’s successor, Eline Roaille, had been adamant that despite these setbacks—despite the aetherial readings on the Rhotano; despite a sickness in the Shroud the Hearers refused to intervene and curb—the Alliance must come together and act.

So she had acted, more alone than ever, and when the moment had come that Gaius van Baelsar asked her to speak, X’shasi Kilntreader found she had little to say.

“Yes,” she said, because it was what was expected of her. “If that were true, you would not have taken this long to say so,” the Black Wolf laughed. “I believe in it enough to fight for it,” X’shasi told him, the heel of her hand resting against the pommel of her blade. “Eorzea’s unity is forged of falsehoods, and its city-states built on deceit. To believe in Eorzea is to believe in nothing,” he said, his tone a lofty scolding. “To die for Eorzea is to die for nothing.” “But to kill—” “And to kill for it is to kill for nothing, too, girl,” the legatus said. “Pay attention.” He advanced, unhurried, his gunblade still at his back. “What happens when you kill me?” Gaius van Baelsar asked her. “I descend to the heart of this wretched place and I destroy your weapon. I dispatch Lahabrea,” X’shasi told him, setting her teeth. “And then what?” Gaius asked her. “And then you return the conquering hero, no doubt. Perhaps your homeland awaits your coming, every roadway lined with parades. But when they have tired of feasting at your victory table, what happens?” She looked at him with eyes as blue as ceruleum flames, and said nothing. “Ul’dah returns to its internal warring, no doubt,” Gaius said. “The vipers crawl over one another to the throne and whichever one wins floods the streets with poison. Perhaps the Admiral can strike a treaty with the sahagin before they succeed in summoning their eikon, but she will break her word in time. The Elder Seedseer watches her nation rot because her gods will not give her leave to act, and she is not strong enough to defy them. Are you?” “Am I what?” X’shasi asked, bewildered. “Are you strong enough to defy your masters? Nothing else will save Eorzea now,” he told her.

“Do you think yourself the answer to all of Eorzea’s ills?’ X’shasi demanded to know. “I was the answer to Ala Mhigo’s,” he said, laughing. “Better to peddle order and stability than madness and deceit.” “You would be hard-pressed to find a willing buyer in Eorzea after the destruction the Empire wrought at Carteneau,” X’shasi told him. Her knuckles were white around the grip of her blade. “I sought to spare Eorzea from the depredations of the White Raven,” van Baelsar told her. “She would have razed this place for spite’s sake. This realm deserved a better class of conqueror. But you are right; to bring Eorzea under my heel carries too dear a cost to bear.” “But you have not drawn on me,” X’shasi said, “so you yet carry some hope.” “The very same hope that all Eorzea rallies behind.” “Surely not,” X’shasi protested. “They would follow you. And you would lead them far better than they have managed.”

That had the ring of truth to it, she realized, watching that pallid mask. The lights of the Praetorium no longer swept over him—the lift had rumbled to a stop long before, she realized. The air around them was still, and thick with aether, dripping with it, like blood, like pitch; in the silence she could hear the whispers and the distant screams of the beleaguered dead. She could feel in this place a pulsing haze, and felt the lights grow dim; the aether rippled, and—

“Lahabrea,” she breathed. She felt the oppressive weight of the darkness, the quickening of long-dead magics. “The Ultima Weapon ...” “What of it?” Gaius van Baelsar asked her. When X’shasi answered, she knew not where the words came from; heard and felt and thought, and spoken, though foreign to her tongue. “It is not what the Dark Minion has told you,” she warned; “it is more. The destruction it wreaks makes this star tremble, from seventh hell to highest heaven.” “What?!” Gaius demanded. “I don’t know,” X’shasi muttered. “But we have to stop it.” “A truce, then,” the legatus said. “For now.”

They emerged together onto the platform that housed the Ultima Weapon. Its black carapace was aglow already in deepest crimson and brilliant azure, creating a sickly violet light that barely cut through the shadows gathering in the chamber. Lahabrea saw them coming and only laughed, a cruel sound from a friend’s throat. “Behold the Heart of Sabik,” he said, “the core of your Ultima Weapon.” His sneering tone laid bare his contempt for his erstwhile ally. “Behold a fraction of the one true god’s power!” “Lahabrea,” the Black Wolf growled back. “Your faith has blinded you.” “And have you come to grant me clarity?” “No,” X’shasi said, drawing her blade and beginning to channel her aether along its length. “The only thing I intend to grant you is death.” That made him laugh, raucous and mocking. “Kill me and you kill him,” Lahabrea told her.

His mockery was cut short by the crack of a rifle’s report at Shasi’s shoulder. She glanced aside to see that Gaius van Baelsar had drawn his weapon at last. Lahabrea stumbled forward a step and rose, undeterred, and the legatus charged him to engage with a stroke of his blade. The Ascian caught it with the silver-shod claws of his gauntlets, shadows rising from where he stood in a writhing, flailing mass.

Watching the pair tangle, X’shasi swung back her blade and brought forth her focus to spew a gout of flame, letting the gust of hot air dry her unshed tears. Blackness pooled on the platform, thick as tar, and Shasi had to step lively to keep it from grasping at her ankles. She could still hear the keening anguish at Ultima’s heart or perhaps at her own—or perhaps that was just the scream of cermite on steel as Lahabrea repulsed his attacker.

Skidding to a stop, Gaius lifted his gunblade, emptying the ceruleum reserves in a series of criss-cross strokes as he dashed toward the Ultima’s feet. They ignited in sequence, raking across the platform in a blaze of blue heat, leaving trails of flame behind. Shasi could have cursed him for abandoning her, but she watched him climbing the thing’s frame, calling for Nero tol Scaeva. The Paragon turned and lifted a hand, fell words tumbling from his lips, and Shasi sprinted forward to tackle him.

She heard the crack of bones as she took him to the ground, and when he rolled to his back, those dark eyes fixed upon her. Shasi had not the room to make use of her arts, so she simply hauled back and punched him, pummeling Lahabrea with blows as he cackled and writhed beneath her, struggling beneath her weight. He worked one hand free and raked her face with his claws. Her world went red with blood; it filled her nose and seeped between her lips until it was all she could taste. She spit it back at him in a glob of crimson, trying to get her hands around his neck.

Shasi pressed her thumbs against his throat, digging into those tattoos—Thancred’s tattoos—as though she could throttle him out, blinking blood from her eyes. His gurgling laughter still sounded in her ears, louder and louder as the room seemed to quiet. She looked away, unable to bear the sight any longer, and saw Ultima still and black, its limbs slack and inactive.

Whatever magic the Heart of Sabik held, then, it would not loose. At least there was that small mercy.

“Purge the tank,” Shasi called, rising to her feet, hauling Lahabrea up by the neck. “What?” Gaius asked. “The ceruleum tank! Purge the fuel!” she howled. A moment later, the fuel vented in a ripple of heat nearly invisible but for the blue at its edges. She let go of Lahabrea’s throat and kicked him in the chest instead. He stumbled backward, and X’shasi made herself watch as flesh blackened and hair crisped, flesh sloughing from bone until only darkness clung there.

And then, as it had done with the essence of the primals, Ultima’s heart drunk deep of the lingering essence of Lahabrea. A veil of rime spread over the black steel, evaporating in the last flames of ceruleum. There was a terrible stillness in the chamber then, Shasi’s last ally crumbling to ash.

Well, not her last. “So you do know the value of sacrifice,” Gaius van Baelsar said, emerging from the cockpit to regard her. She looked up at him, blood streaking her face. “Yes,” Shasi said. “I do.”