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mrpenguinpants · 3 years ago

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Spider’s Thread [Reverse AU]

Possessive Red Xiao x Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Commissioned for: @profoundwitchsalad

Art Credit: @ruoyeahs

Warning: Unhealthy relationships.

Prompt:

“You’ve ruined my life because I have a warped idea of what love is and I can’t live without you. But now you’re trying to leave me and I won’t allow that. You left me alive. You have a duty to live for me and by me. I’m not letting you go.”

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Xiao Semi Series

[ Friendship ] [ Falling in Love ] [ Cuddles ] [ Protective ] [ Affection ] [ Jealously ] [ Opposites Attract ] [ String Of Fate (Soulmate) ] [ Fainting ]

Link to original posts: [Red! Xiao.] [Reverse AU]

[Masterlist]

Alatus was once told a story by his Master. A sinner who falls into hell is rewarded for his only good deed, choosing not to kill a spider. As his reward, a thread is lowered down for him to climb out of Hell. In the end, the sinner remains in Hell because he kicks aside others and the thread breaks. Alatus doesn't remember why his Master told him this story but he still empathizes with the sinner. He would have done the same or asked for this 'saviour' to extend their hand down instead. That way he could pull them down.

"Xiao? Are you okay?"

He slowly opens his jade eyes to see you hunch over, peering down above him, eyebrows furrowed together in concern as you reach down and softly tap his temple. He allows you to take a moment to do whatever you want with his face before he reaches up to grasp at your wrist gently, holding back on his want to rub circles into your skin. His reminiscing can wait for now.

"What is it?" he asks curtly, sitting up and resting his elbow on his raised knee. You pout at his curt tone but shrug it off as you take a seat next to him and lean your shoulder against his. You dig into your bag and pull out slips of commission papers and hand it over to him to read through what needed to be done today. A few Hilichurl camps needed to be taken care of, sabotaging a slime balloon, all tasks that seem mundane to someone who fought in a war. As he's preoccupied, you take a moment to look at Xiao's face. He's just the slightest bit unnerved whenever you do this because you always seem to know what's bothering someone.

"Were you dreaming of her again?" you ask quietly. The silence is a good enough answer but you nod understandingly. You never knew his Master personally but you did fight a long strenuous battle against her. From one look you could tell she was a manipulative and cruel woman. While it may not be very kind to say, you were glad that with her passing, Xiao would be free from her physically. But mentally...there were still some things to work out. But Xiao was a very reclusive person, especially with his emotions, so pushing him any further would only make him irritated and closed off.

"Venti and Zhongli are joining our party for a bit if that’s alright. They'll help out a lot with our commissions and travelling. I like Liyue a lot but climbing mountains stresses my shoulders out," you laugh as you change the subject to something less depressing. Standing up as you dust your clothes off before turning to Xiao and holding your hand out for him to take. He stares at it hard for a few moments before huffing and reaching over to clasp your hands together.

It has been so frustratingly peaceful since the war ended. He's not used to it and he can still feel the lick of cutting winds and the heavy pressure of rocks against his body when he sees the bard and funeral parlor consultant just on the horizon. If it were up to him, he wouldn't play nice with these two Archons but they're important to you so he bites his tongue until he tastes blood. He knows the Archons do the same. As soon as the two of them spot you both, Venti is already rushing and tackling you to the ground in his excitement.

"Traveler! I haven't seen you in ages. You need to come and visit Mondstadt more," Venti cried into your shoulder as you awkwardly patted him on his back. Always with the dramatics but you cared about Venti all the same. Xiao scoffed before flicking his jade eyes to meet gold as Zhongli stared down at him cautiously. Since the war ended, everyone seemed to have this warped idea that Alatus had some vendetta against the Gods and Celestia but he was fighting because he was told to.

"Xiao. It's good to see you again," Zhongli said to him. Xiao just nodded in acknowledgement. Even with this new mortal form, Morax never bothered to change his eyes. His gaze alone held the weight of the mountains he had thrown. If Xiao hadn’t been under one of them before, he might have crumbled under the pressure.

"Alright alright, Venti. I promise I'll drop by sometime this month but we still have commissions to do!" you laugh as you haul the bard onto his feet and swat his cape down from the speckles of dirt. He grins cheekily at you, linking pinkies with you to seal your promise, before suddenly lighting up as if he just remembered something.

"Actually! Before we start anything, I need to speak to Mr. Zhongli and Xiao. Super important archon things, you know?" Venti nodded to himself as the two mentioned people stared at him with varying levels of confusion. But Venti just waved their worries off and linked his arms with both men as he dragged them off to a more secluded corner with a surprising amount of strength, “We’ll be right back!”

"Do what you need to do but don't take too long," you called after the trio as you trailed off to the side, messing with your bag of commission papers and gear. Xiao hated that. He knows that these two Archons are your...friends.. but shouldn't you be a bit more cautious? Just because they have mortal forms doesn’t make them human, it doesn’t make him human either.

"Hey, there's no need to look so scary. There really is something important I wanted to talk to the two of you about," Venti speaks up as soon as you're out of earshot. It still gives Xiao whiplash whenever he drops the persona and switches back to Barbatos. "Since Morax is the only Archon I trust with this information and, while I don't trust you one bit, you're the one that's with her all the time you should also know. She's ascending to Celestia."

Barbatos gauges both of their reactions. Morax seems visibly surprised, his eyes slightly widened a fraction, while Xiao has no idea what that means. His Master didn’t exactly give him a history lesson on Celestia or Archons, just pointed to who was his enemy and dealt punishments when he failed.

"And what the hell does that mean?" Xiao asks as he crosses his arms. Venti appears for a second as the bard pouts before continuing.

"It's like I said. A mortal who performs great, heroic feats can ascend to Celestia and achieve godhood. Where they will watch over their people from above. I've only seen this once before so it took me a while to recognize the signs. But 1000 years ago, I helped a woman named Vennessa with her ascension and with the traveler's recent actions with winning the war. Well, you don't need me to explain the rest," Barbatos finishes. Zhongli simply hums as he cups his chin and absorbs what's just been heard. He doesn’t seem troubled by the news at all.

"Have you told her about this?" Zhongli questions as he looks towards the direction that you left. Venti shakes his head. “That would mean that she would vanish from this world."

“I know she loves this world. Whether she wishes to ascend or not isn’t my choice but I want her to continue her travels with that beloved smile on her face. But if she does choose to ascend, she will need our help," Venti stares at the two of them in a mix of pride, sadness, and determination. "Can I count on you two for your help?"

It's a complete white noise in Xiao's ears as his surroundings fade out. He thinks he can see Zhongli nod to Venti wishes, the ever calm smile on his face to match the cheery grin on Venti’s. What, now you want to become a God? Leave this world behind? That’s not funny. You made him give up everything. While in your eyes, your blinded hero syndrome, you think you've liberated him from a soulless conquest but he still has nothing. You still took everything away from him and your only compensation was to have him by your side until he left himself. But now you want to leave without a warning? That’s not fair. You don’t get to take back what you owe. He won't allow you to leave him behind.

“Did something happen? Did Venti say something unnecessary again?” you ask out of the blue. Zhongli and Venti had returned to their respective regions once your commissions were all finished. Since the three of them disappeared to talk Archon business, Xiao had seemed even more tense and aloof than usual. As if he was out of it? You knew that everyone was still suspicious of Xiao and they were angsty to leave you alone with him, but you knew Xiao would never do anything to hurt you. When he doesn't answer, you slowly reach over and you subtly nudge his head up onto your lap and look at him curiously. Before reaching down and cupping his cheek. He leans into your touch before turning his face into your palm and leaving a soft kiss. It makes you giggle at the ticklish feeling as you look at him so softly. It annoys him.

"You were never connected to the war and yet you fought against us anyways. Even when I killed so many people, why did you choose to spare me?" he asked as you blinked at him before giving it some serious thought. He went on a rampage and almost destroyed the world. It was fun. He doesn't have any regrets at all because he hated humanity. His own Master was human after all. But then you appeared and stopped him. A random outsider that wanted to play the hero. He thought it was cute. Perhaps he had underestimated the lengths someone would go to to save the world they loved but when he fell defeated at your feet. He said that this wouldn't change a single thing. He would still scorn humanity and what they did to him. He was so sure he would die there but you chose to extend your hand down to him instead despite what your companions felt. Even when the war ended and he had nowhere else to go, you offered him to travel with you. Nothing changed about his mentality, every person that chose to talk to him was quickly scared away with piercing eyes. Every conversation started would end in silence. Every touch would be met by the tip of his spear. But you would link your hands together with his and smile brightly, and he would always end up forgetting his trauma for a moment. You’ve... become precious to him.

"I love this world and everyone in it. You are a part of that world even if you tried to destroy it. It...didn't seem fair to leave you behind when you've suffered just as much," you finish but it only seemed to spark a wave of deep anger inside of Xiao. He quickly lurched up, almost knocking your forehead with his, before grabbing the scruff of your shirt collar and yanking you forward.

"Cut it out with that "love of everything" crap. It's revolting. So you're saying the people I killed weren't worth avenging? Do you think I'm so weak that I need protection? It's one thing to try and please everyone but at least have some awareness would you?" he snarled as he pushed you to the ground. He knew he was being harsh on you and you had every right to walk out and abandon him but you didn't. Of course, you wouldn't. You needed him as much as he needed you. You just reached over and tenderly reached your hand and placed it next to his. Damn it, why is he always the one stuck worrying about you.

"Then you want to protect me, right? Then don't break your promise. You left me alive which means you have a duty to live for me," he takes your hand in his and squeezes hard. Digging his nails into your own until crescents appear and tiny specks of blood appear so you know he's serious. He doesn't care how you interpret his words, just so long as you never leave him.

"Don't die on me, Hero."

It's been a few hours since the conversation so it's pitch black outside but Xiao was never one to sleep. Even if he could, his mind is too loud to fall asleep too. He's startled when you melt against him fully asleep. Honey smooth as you curl up to his warmth and cling to him like moss to a rock. He can feel his cheeks start to flush as his heart begins to pound against his chest. He can't breathe as his world is filtered through each beat that drums against his ears. He's not sure if there's actually something wrong with him or if it's just been a while since someone got so close and his instincts haven't left.

He's just realized it. He's feeling pain. The feeling in his chest is black but he can't claw it away. It's strange in a way that he can't explain it, that he's never felt before, that he's never felt the need to experience. His life had been warped by battle and a constant push to submit to his Master. They are all things he knows but the gentle words that come from your mouth, the bright eyes that hold the world, the horrible ice-hot feeling inside of him is so foreign yet too easy. He doesn't like it.

It makes him feel...clean in a way. Enlightened perhaps? His Master is long gone and it's like you said. He's free now. Free to make his own decisions and live his life how he wants to. He carefully turns over so as to not startle you away as he really looks at you. You look so peaceful in his arms, eyelids shut without worry, face slack without nightmares, breathing so softly against him. If you weren't so close to him that he couldn't feel the rise of your chest, he wonders if he would think you were dead. He stares at the lock of hair swaying back and forth with each breath like a starved man. The strange feeling doesn't stop. He hates it. It's everything that goes against him and what he knows and everything he should want. He's supposed to be the villain in your story, he should kill you right now-

"Xiao..." he hears you mumble beside him as you lean further into his arm. Damn it. How low is he going to go?

“What are you thinking about now? You just need to think about me. Don’t think about anything else...but me” Xiao sighs before he wraps his arms around you and pulls you into him until you're snug against his chest. Close to him, where he can touch you, where you belong. Not with Morax or Barbatos. Not with humans but beside him. He closes his eyes and nuzzles his head into your hair and he stares off into the distance. The feeling never leaves him for the remainder of the night.

"Ah! There you are. I was running around crazy looking for you," he turns his hair to see your flushed form pulling yourself up onto the mountain cliff, "When I woke up I couldn’t find you anywhere! You gave me a scare there."

He hates you. He hates you.

Words of his previous master ring in his ears, almost as if her very soul is wrapping around him as she whispers in his ear how weak he is. Ones with power that refuse to take what they want because they rather live in the comfort of nothing. Be greedier, take what belongs to you.

"Xiao?" you say as his piercing eyes stare directly through you. His Master always told him that she loved him. Even if he hated her he still clung to that false love. Of being wanted. Isn't love for a single person vile? Would feeling such emotions for one person instead of "everyone" bring you down to reality? It's not fair that you've crawled your way into his heart while you walk along in bliss. Now that he thinks about it. It was so simple. He just needs to monopolize your thoughts and love. This time it won't be as friends.

"I love you."

He'll pull you down to where he is. You extended your hand down to hell so it's your fault. He'll drag you down kicking and screaming if he has to. You left him alive. You have to live for him and by him. He's not letting go.

Reblogged for extra notes

[taglist] <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@hanniejji@duxastaroth @unionwitch @musekala @sunnshiii @stanzastic @akaasea @xoneaboveallx @adoring-ghost @asheseiler @sakari-shi @dilucsz @dai-tsukki-desu @thicmitten @upsetpotatoo @htnicayh @genshins1mpact @morthecreator @aanne2601 @aklxojjk @fulltimeventisimp @mitsyua@laic2299 @diesekimo @duhsies @creatorofstars @zalladane @itchichan @sweeti-pie @curiouslilbeast @momos-peaches @adeptitao @youaskedfurret @snowy224 @mayumintsu @tigerpriestess @yuu-yuukurotsuki @legionqueensav @eva-0403 @blanktide @pancakiee @castinluckgamer @dazqily @jaybobistired

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gkingoffez · 4 years ago

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2020 RvB Valentines Exchange uwu

@rvbgiftexchange

My partner was MentalMaterial but I think they’ve changed their name to @linklebard ?

Anyway, here’s ur Tuckington mutual pining bed sharing as requested. Enjoy!

Words: 1833

Pairing: Tuckington

~~~

Tucker was fucked. He had to be- fucked in the head or the heart or the mostly healed stab wound in his side from that fucker Felix. Something had to be wrong, despite the fortified walls of Armonia around him, the Chorus truce, the energy sword in his bag and especially the ex-Freelancer standing beside him in the confined corridor who he hadn’t expected to be there.

“I’m sorry, sirs!” squeaked the young woman in front of them, a civilian wearing a military lanyard, pulling at her frazzled hair with one hand and frantically scrolling on her data-pad with the other. “There must have been a glitch in the program- you should have been assigned your own private rooms. I’m so sorry, our equipment is so outdated and it does stuff like this sometimes-”

“Please stop apologising, it’s not your fault,” Wash insisted gently. “We understand that this was just a mistake, but we’re tired and just want to go to bed?”

“Are you sure there’s no more spare rooms on this floor? A secret penthouse with a jacuzzi maybe? I’ll take it if there is.” asked Tucker.

The woman shook her head, frowning and tapping away. “I’m sor- I mean, no, not here, in fact there’s nothing else on this floor. “This hotel was only converted into officer accommodation a few days ago, and Locus was confirmed to have stayed here while in the city,” she explained.

“There are empty rooms further along that way, but we haven’t had time to do the same level of security sweeps on them.”

The woman gestured at the plain black door behind her, completely identical to the myriad of other ones lining the narrow corridor.

“This room does have a queen bed, sirs. The easiest solution might be that you can share it for the night and one of you can move tomorrow? I know it’s not ideal, but it’s better than a possible security risk.”

“What?” spluttered Tucker. “Why aren’t there enough rooms? And What happened to all of us getting private-?”

“Thank you, that’ll do us fine for tonight,” interjected Wash loudly, glaring at him. “We don’t want to cause too much fuss this late in the evening, and definitely don’t want to stay somewhere that’s not secure. Don’t you agree, Captain Tucker.”

Tucker gaped, words escaping him under Wash’s gaze.

He was fucked. Because once the adrenaline had worn off discovering a manufactured civil war, transmitting that info globally, being betrayed and stabbed by Felix, confronting Hargrove and whatever else happened in the less than a week since he’d snuck off the New Republic base, Tucker suddenly had time and space for… thoughts.

Thoughts like how much he’d truly missed the man standing beside him.

Wash, who’d been a hardass in the canyon like he was being fucking paid for it, who’d kept them all fed and alive and together, and then he’d gone and done the heroic sacrifice play, like an idiot, and suddenly he was gone. It felt like all Tucker had thought about for the last several months was whether Wash was okay, whether he was in pain or alone or dead. At points he’d almost wished they’d swapped places, that he was taking the (in hindsight, non-existent) punishment from the Federal Army, and Wash was the one training the Lieutenants.

Then out of the blue, Wash was back. Wash was fine. Everyone was fine, and like a circle, the whirlwind of betrayal, civil war, stabbing yada-yada unfolded. Tucker had only just caught his breath again and was looking forward to actually relaxing for once, only to end up in this corridor, standing awkwardly in front of a room they’d both been assigned to.

Wash was staring pointedly at him with those stupid clear blue eyes that made Tucker’s heart jump, and it was clear something must have been wrong, because that wasn’t right. It was physical and mental exhaustion, not love. He wasn’t some hormonal teenager, he was a grown man who wanted to go to fucking bed and not have to deal with his fucking feelings.

“Yeah, whatever, let’s just go then,” Tucker said offhandedly, adjusting his sack over his shoulder and stomping into the room without another word.

It was small but glamourous compared to normal military quarters- the hiss of the sliding door muffled against thick looking carpet, one door presumably leading to a bathroom, a single kitchen cabinet with a sink and a lowboy with a television mounted to the wall above it.

The bed took up the bulk of the space in the far end of the room. Behind it hung thick mustard coloured curtains, although Tucker knew even without having to move them that they’d been covered barred with a bullet proof covering as part of the security sweep. What was the point of being a heroes of Chorus, after all, if a well-placed sniper could take them out through a hotel window?

“Home sweet home, I guess,” Tucker shrugged, ignoring his jumping heart as he unceremoniously dumped his stuff on the ground near the kitchen space.

“Thank you for stopping to help us. We’ll be fine.” Wash was saying as he backed into the room. “Good night.”

“Good night sirs!” the woman said, “And again, I’m so-!”

The door hissed shut, Wash’s hand on the button.

“What the fuck, dude,” cried Tucker, rounding on him. “You didn’t have to immediately say yes. I could have pawned Caboose onto someone else and taken his room or something.”

“Oh don’t bother Caboose, he’s probably already asleep and you’ll never wake him. It’s late. All we need is a bed and everything will be else sorted in the morning. One night in the same bed won’t kill us.”

Wash crossed the room and carefully deposited his own knapsack on the lowboy.

“Besides, I wanted us to stay together a little bit longer. To be safe, you know,” he added quietly, glancing Tucker’s way.

Now, of course, Tucker’s eyes had also joined the ‘fucked party’. Was it a trick of the LED lights, or was that a blush on Wash’s cheeks? There was no way to double check, as Wash quickly turned his back on him.

Tucker crossed his arms haughtily, huffing and shaking his head to reset it.“Whatever. I’ll take the right side.”

“Fine by me,” replied Wash, unzipping his bag and rustling around in it, still turned away. “I’m going to change in the bathroom. Oh, and Tucker?”

“Yes?”

“I swear to god if you sleep naked, I’m going to suffocate you with a pillow.”

“Not if I suffocate you first, asshole.”

Maybe ten minutes of bathroom time, brushing teeth and other general night activities later (Tucker was fully clothed in loose borrowed sweats), they were both lying in bed back to back in the queen bed.

“Well,” said Wash. “Good night.”

“Yeah, night.”

As soon as the light turned off, Tucker’s brain switched on like a fucking Christmas tree.

He was not in love with Wash. Love was for girls and people who hadn’t spent literal years on the shittiest military posting ever, then got knocked up, then spent years in the desert, then got dragged on a mission to kill the Freelancer Director, then crashed landed on a planet- well, anyone would get the point. Sure, he acted like a stud and a lady’s man, but truthfully, it had been a long, long time since he’d really loved anyone like that.

Wash had been a fucking Freelancer. Caboose and the Reds talked about him like he was the most capable, badass guy around (barring the time he’d apparently gone evil and shot Donut, of course). Not to mention, he was kinda hot. Sandy hair with streaks of grey, blue eyes, even the criss-cross of scars across his pale skin did things for Tucker. Like he was this put-together, experienced and handsome man next to Tucker’s immaturity and recklessness.

The sheets were feeling too tight and stuffy for his brain, and the slow pattern of Wash’s breathing next to him was not helping. He flipped over onto his back, pulling and rearranging them, staring up at the shadowed ceiling.

“Hey Wash, you asleep yet?” he asked quietly

There was a beat.

“If I was, how would you expect me to answer that?” came the annoyed reply

“I dunno. Snoring?”

Wash snorted. “Just go to sleep, Tucker.”

They were in the same bed. They were in the same bed. Wash was inches away, the kind of distance where Tucker could touch him and then easily brush it off as an accident of movement. Wash’s hand was right there, he’d only need to reach- but no. He couldn’t do that, it wasn’t right.

When Caboose first suggested putting the ex-Freelancer in Church’s empty armour, it hadn’t really mattered to Tucker that much. He was just a guy who’d been an asshole but switched sides in time to help them take out the Meta, may as help him not go back to jail after all. Months in the crash had changed that, and all that time of training and bickering and surviving together had made them friends. He’d bitched and bitched and then watchedWash sacrifice himself as a rockfall separated them had been devastating, throwing into perspective just how goddamn much he cared about all of them despite the fact that they were a bunch of Red and Blue idiots.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder or however the shit went. And Tucker had spent months wishing Wash was ok, wishing he was there, wishing a lot of things.

Maybe he had fallen in love with the man in that time. Maybe it wasn’t as fucked up as he was making it out to be, he’d always been pretty dramatic, after all. Dudes fell in love with dudes all the time, especially when they’d been through a lot together.

Oh for fuck’s sake, none of this matters! There’s no way in hell that he likes me too. Just go to sleep, idiot.

Tomorrow, Tucker could wake up and blame it all on stress, exhaustion and the computer system that had fucked up room assignments. For that moment, however, he felt himself drift off, eyelids heavy and breath evening out.

They had work to do tomorrow rebuilding Chorus and tracking down mercenaries, and the more sleep he got, the better.

The last thing he registered that night was the vibration and rustling sound of Wash twisting in place. However, he must have dreamed about the gentle, tender touch he felt on his face as he was just on the precipice of sleep.

That couldn’t be right.

~~~

A snapshot of the future- tangled limbs in a queen bed, dark on pale and scattered scars. A data-pad hanging limply in a man’s hand, the other gazing at him with an adoring expression. The first glances at the rapture in his lover’s face, and snorts.

“You’re fucked,” he says, jokingly.

“No, you fucked me,” replies Tucker. They laugh.

~~~

Ya’ll let me tell you about the absolute stress rollercoaster I’ve had these past few months. So first up, I completely forgot I’d signed up for this exchange, and was surprised when I got the message. Then I proceeded to have a family death, my birthday and the stress of having to search for a new place to live and start packing up my stuff, all while working my shitty full time job and being exhausted from it.

So to my exchange partner, I’m sorry for not reaching out at all, but my anxiety levels are pretty high these days. This was written pretty quickly, at the last minute and after not writing for probably a year, but I hope you enjoy.

I might have another editing run through it before posting elsewhere but it’s done somewhat on time so I’m happy (Valentine’s was actually yesterday for me and I have to leave for work in like five minutes.)

Anyway, happy love and bed sharing and mutual pining guys. Love ya.

#red vs blue #tuckington #bed sharing #red vs blue fanfiction #G writes #rvbgiftexchange

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spidersmiceandeverythingnice · 4 years ago

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OISIN - 4* CASTER - PROFILE

Under the read more!

Summon: “My name is Oisin. I am a poet – and now, I am your Caster-class Servant. Though our time together won’t last forever, I’m glad to meet you, Master."

Initial Information:

A beautiful poet, blessed with eternal youth and wisdom. Though he is a great knight, he is most famous for his silver tongue, which has preserved the legends of many heroes in what is now called the "Fenian" or "Ossianic" Cycle of Irish mythology.

Passive Skills

Territory Creation A

Item Construction C

Divinity C

Active Skills

Heroic Legacy A – Increase defense for three turns and clear own debuffs, increase attack and star generation for all allies for three turns.

Blessings of Youth A – Apply invincibility for 3 turns, apply Arts, Quick, and Buster up for 3 turns. Costs 9 critical stars.

Storyteller B – Drain all enemy NP charge, increase own NP charge, increase party NP gain for 3 turns.

NOBLE PHANTSAM: Dord Fianna – the War Cry to Defend Humanity (QUICK)

Area of effect Noble Phantasm that deals damage to all enemies, special bonus damage to any Threat to Humanity trait enemies. Applies defense down, critical strength down, and slight chance to inflict Terror status to all enemies. Applies attack up, critical strength up, and NP damage up to all allies for 3 turns.

Lines - Room

Idle: “Master, are you doing anything right now? If you’re bored, I can show you the song I’m working on now. No? You’d rather go outside? Well, that’s alright, too. I’ll tag along.”

Master-Servant Relationship: “I’m used to working, living, and fighting alongside others, so this situation is fine for me. Honestly, it brings back pleasant memories.”

Opinion of Master: “I could write a thousand songs about your adventures. I really do consider it to be a privilege to fight at your side!”

Scheherazade: “I think she and I could have a lot in common. And so beautiful too… hey, don’t look at me like that. I’m happily married, you know!”

Author Servants: “There are a lot of very talented people here. I consider myself a formidable opponent, but I think I’ll work a little harder, regardless of that. [laugh]”

Saints: “It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just that I can’t really understand them. I have my reasons, but that may be the one story I’m not interested in telling.”

Irish Servants: “There are so many famous heroes here from ages past. Of course, I already know the tales by heart but I wonder if there would be any differences in the first-hand accounts…”

Diarmuid: “Diarmuid! It’s been too long since I’ve seen your face! Master, this is the only person in the world who is smarter than my father. He always used to beat us at chess, and that’s just the start of it. I’m sure you already know. What? Oh, don’t be modest! And here – look! I brought you some letters from your relatives. They say you hardly ever visit anymore and – hey, where are you going?!”

Fionn: “Ahh… It’s good to see him in his prime like this. He seems to be very at ease here. Seeing that he’s able to smile and relax like this… honestly, he looks just as Mother always described him. Ah, wait a moment. Please don’t ever tell him I said that.”

Lines – Battle

DECK: QQ/AA/B

Start 1: “Just because I am an artist doesn’t mean that I can’t do battle when I need to.”

Start 2: “That look on your face… I have to wonder if you’re not taking me seriously. Well, it can’t be helped. Best of luck to you!”

Skill 1: “This is the blessing I was given.”

Skill 2: “Hmm… still a bit out of tune.”

Skill 3: “With the strength of my own limbs.”

Skill 4: “With actions that will match my speech.”

Attack: [IDK SOME NOISE]

Extra Attack 1: “With purity in our hearts!”

Extra Attack 2: “You won’t underestimate me a second time!”

Noble Phantasm Activation: “If the time has come to defend humanity – then I will serve with all the power I have.”

Noble Phantasm 1: “For the things we have forgotten, and for all that we have to gain – there is something that I, too, must protect. I swear that I shall defeat all evil in the world. With the purity of our hearts – Dord Fianna!”

Noble Phantasm 2: “This is a story of those who stood should to shoulder to defend humanity's destiny, from all that would covet and destroy it. No matter when, or where, we will always rise to meet this challenge. This is our sacred duty – Dord Fianna."

Noble Phantasm 3: “This hunting horn is not for making music – if you’re skittish, you might want to cover your ears. Listen – to our sacred battle cry!”

Injured 1: “Rude!”

Injured 2: “At least make sure to avoid my face!”

Incapacitated 1: “It seems that… once again… I can’t stay beside you until the end… I’m… sorry…”

Incapacitated 2: “It’s always like this, huh… Strange… this time, it doesn’t hurt…”

Victory 1: “I told you from the start. Before I am an artist, I am also a knight!”

Victory 2: “You know, I think I could make a song about this victory. Someone give me a tune! Hey… wait a minute… why are you all walking away?”

Bond 1: “You know, Master, I spent a long time out of human society. So, I need you to tell me to my face if I ever say something strange. Seriously. I’m not joking. I really don’t know what people talk about these days. I’m counting on your guidance.”

Profile 1: Oisin, the son of the legendary hero Fionn MacCumhail. Because his father had already eaten the Fish of All Knowledge, he was gifted from birth with wisdom and a quick wit. His name literally means "little deer" or "fawn."

Bond 2: “What was it like, growing up with such a famous father? Well, that’s a difficult question. Father has always been good to me. I’ve always felt that the Fianna were my family. Even the most loving and tight knit families sometimes fight… and even so… hm. I wonder… …Um, sorry. [slightly nervous laugh] What was I saying again?”

Profile 2: The story of Oisin's birth is a tragedy. His mother, Sadhbh, was Fionn's second wife. Though they were madly in love, his mother had another suitor, who was a cruel and wicked mage. One day, when Fionn was out hunting, the mage lured the pregnant Sadhbh out of their home by impersonating her husband, and transformed her into a deer before loosing her in the forest.

When Fionn returned to their home and found it empty, he immediately marshaled his knights and began to search for them, leaving no stone under-turned.

Eventually, the toddler Oisin was recovered - but his mother was never seen again.

Bond 3: “Yes, yes. My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. Every man says that about his wife, but in my case, it’s actually true! She’s a wonderful, wonderful woman, and her family always treated me so kindly. I simply lost track of time, that’s all. Yes, I always meant to go back and visit, but the opportunity always… Eh? I trailed off again? I’m not sure why I keep getting lost in thought. Anyway, let’s talk about something else.”

Profile 3: Fionn was never the same after Sadhbh's disappearance. Plunged into a deep mourning, it was said that his entire personality shifted, until he was nearly a shadow of his former, magnanimous self. It was Oisin who volunteered to seek a new bride for his father, perhaps desperate to see his father smile again. It was these events that eventually lead to the Pursuit, another tale that is narrated in the Fenian Cycle.

Bond 4: “Was it hard? Yes, I suppose it was. All the places that I had loved, and all the people I had loved were gone. Even my own father. Even my first son. And then, I was even stupid enough to fall off my horse. Hah. Sorry, Master, I’ll go now. No, no. It’s alright. It’s just that I would never want you to see me like that. That’s all.”

Profile 4: Like the other Knights of Fianna, Oisin lived a long life full of adventures too numerous to recount in full. He married a fairy woman and went to live in Tir na Nog, the land of eternal youth. Eventually, he decided to return to the mortal world to visit his family. His wife gifted him a magical horse, and told him that he would not be able to dismount, or the blessings of eternal youth that he had been granted would disappear.

When Oisin emerged from the Land of Youth, he discovered that 300 years had passed, and the Fianna had all but completely disappeared.

Bond 5: “I will make sure that they remember you. I’ll fight beside you until the end – and then, I’ll make sure that the world remembers you. Really, it’s the least that I can do. But let’s not talk about depressing things. For some reason, I’ve been wanting to write a love song lately. What do you think? ‘Too early…’ It’s never too early for beautiful music! [laughing] Really, you ought to enjoy life a little more, Master.”

Profile 5: DORD FIANNA - The War Cry to Defend Humanity. A war cry to strike fear in the hearts of humanity's enemies, a power that can wake sleeping kings.

This Noble Phantasm would not normally belong to Oisin. It is said, in Ireland, that their great hero Fionn is not dead, but slumbers beneath a mountain, surrounded by his loyal knights, and that the one who blows upon his hunting horn will rise him from his sleep. When he rises, he will resume his duties, to protect humanity.

But the stories of the Fianna exist in the modern age because, after emerging from Tir na Nog, Oisin wrote them all down. Using his talents for word and song, he told the tales of valor and heroism and adventure, the stories of his friends and family to anyone who would listen. After an accident caused him to fall from the horse that should have carried him back to his beloved wife, Oisin lay dying, feeling each of those 300 years seep back into him, even as he desperately tried to finish the story he was telling.

So in this form, the Dord Fianna is not a war cry, but more like a song.

Bonus Profile, Post Interlude: In one version of the story of Oisin, he encounters a certain saint while traveling around Ireland. The saint listens to the knight's tales, but even so, because Oisin is still a pagan and an immortal himself, he and the saint don't get along very well and part on bad terms. Even though Oisin claims that it wasn't like that, and even so, he never holds grudges, he still can't help but make a face whenever the saint's name comes up in conversation.

#fate grand order #fgo #servant oc #fate servant #fgo oc #servant profile #lemme know what yall think about my Boy

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langernameohnebedeutung · 4 years ago

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I’m probably parrotting to the wrong choir here, but at least part of the truth about liking villains vs. condemning villains is...I don’t consume villain content in order to find healthy coping strategies and genuine life advice. I don’t look for healthy coping strategies in sci-fi films and fantasy books or on ao3 in the first place, because 99% of all that input is not produced by people that a) intent or b) are qualified to give meaningful life advice.

Sometimes things we read or watch can be detrimental to our mental health or can make us happier or mean a lot to us. And that is also why it is important to tag, warn, and summarise content: So that people can avoid things that are bad for them and find things that comfort them. But what popular fiction never is, is a clear, intentional, professional, and universal guide.

We already talked about how even the most horrible people will read novels where they resemble the bad guys and identify with the good guys instead rather than reflecting their own behaviour. That is, because narratives need stakes. The hero needs to be David, not Goliath. And we too see ourselves as Goliath, in our lives. Because there are always things that are bigger than us. And because we know that David will win.

But sometimes...sometimes it is quite nice to feel like the giant. Especially when we’re used to feeling small.

Sure “I like this villain because villains get to do things we want to but can’t” might seem like a tiny brained answer, but if you expand a little, there is truth to it: Sometimes I want to see someone go bloody ape-shit in response to trauma, injustice, being underestimated or forgotten. Sometimes I want to see someone just care about themselves and burn the whole place down and look fabulous doing it, because I know, that in real-life, very often it is sympathy and empathy holding me back for even insisting on minor and very rational things, simply because I don’t want to be a burden on others and because I prioritise other people very highly. There is catharsis in that; in seeing someone getting it out of their system in the most violent way possible just like there is catharsis in going for a run or punching the hell out of a punching bag when you’re frustrated even though you would never chase down and beat up a person.

Because even when see characters standing up for themselves - think of the infamous internet rage over Captain Marvel stealing that bike from the dude that harassed her – their actions are usually centred around punishing the culprit, not the emotions of the party that was wronged. But people got angry. Not because she stole a car, or because she stole it from a men even – but because her acting in response to sexual harassment connected the scene with deep roots of social context and political opinions and expectations.

And, despite hundreds, maybe thousands of films in existence where a white male protagonist steals a car or bike or anything else to save the day, she is read as a villain here simply for doing the rational thing. Much less could she have killed him and burnt down his house, because she is a hero and it doesn’t serve the plot and that would not be the thing a hero does.

A villain burning the whole joint down because someone looked at them funny is acting selfishly, self-centred. But what are you going to do, call them a villain? Duh. Complain about how what they’re doing is wrong? Well, yes.

The lane of their actions is not narrowed by the actions of the culprit on the one side (heroes have to react appropriately and proportionally) and the expectations of the good-guy on the other (they have to act in accordance with forwarding the plot). Which means putting up with an asshole sidekick or apologising if they undergo character development that makes them a ‘better’ person and requires them to forgive someone). You might have your odd Logan who will throw a punch when he’s pissed – but here we already venture into the territory of an anti-hero.

And personally, our anger, our disappointment, all that will always be much more contained than any fictional space - by our financial situation, the people we depend on, our job, our studies, or family, our social circle. We live in a web of social expectations that we depend on every moment of our life.

Fiction itself also exists in a web of social context: What influence does it have on the audience? Will it sell? What implications does it have? How does it present its characters? Who is the author and what do they stand for? - but the fictional space, aka the world constructed in a novel, is wholly separate:

If I write a novel where I state that every Canadian person likes the colour blue and wears funny hats, then this is true in the universe of that novel, no matter what any Canadian reader might feel about it. This means two things:

1. As writers, producers, and even as producers of fan-content, we have to be critical about what we put into the world, because by creating a fictional space, we create characters who cannot stand up against the things we say about them or make them do. Just like the superheroine in the skimpy outfit who gets her powers through the sun shining down on her nipples cannot have an authentic discussion about her body. And when young girls read our comic and see that all the male heroes are clothed and the heroine isn’t, then we are the one that came up with the sunshine-nipples.

2. Our very own, personal interpretation of the novel – even our own - and the way we relate to it is our own. The feelings we project on the characters are individual, personal, and shaped by us.

And yes, villains usually see their comeuppance. And the thing is, many people argue here: “Well, it’s okay if the villain does x, as long as they’re punished for it.” But...that’s a difficult subject. A piece of fiction can condemn the actions of the villain without seeing them lose – the challenge to the writer is to still form a satisfying narrative, because the villain winning is the ‘likely’-seeming thing that every narrative subverts when the hero levels up and returns with her new friends to kick the villain’s ass. But even if you sympathise with the villain, seeing them win would still be an unsatisfying narrative, most of the time.

Because the whole point of an actual evil villain - and sympathising with an actual villain - is that what they’re doing is unjust. Malicious. Selfish. And projecting your desire to strike back or stand up on a villain and seeking catharsis through seeing them go wild and tear down the city needs the pushback. For them burning down the house to be satisfying, you need to see the house burn. For them to blow up the house of parliament to be satisfying – you must see the explosion.

And watching them lose provides the ultimate, necessary gravitas. Watching Team Rocket fly off with Pikachu and live happily ever after on Team Rocket money would not be satisfying. Watching our super-villain burn the world to a crisp with their death-laser would not be satisfying if they just end up getting their rocket and flying off while drinking space-mojitos.

Whether they end up being redeemed or not: The initial moment that someone fights back and defeats them at the height of their immorality and prevents the suffering of innocents is the moment that their willingness and readiness to commit violence is put to the test.

We know the hero goes through a journey of their own - one that requires sacrifice and steels their commitment until they are ready to take on the villain. And knowing that someone is willing to make sacrifices to be able to take the villain down is the ultimate acknowledgement of the transgressive act the villain committed. Without it, it would be empty. Like watching someone punch the air.

But the truth is also that when you recreate the fictional space in another, secondary space – fanfiction, fan content, fanart – you decide what to focus on. Like, we all enjoy hurt/comfort stories, but they have a different intention than something focussed on action or the growth of the hero – because that requires for us to see the villain go down. The focus is no longer the transgressive acts of the villain – but to lay bare the pain that caused them. It is no longer about beating them down for the sake of justice.

Like, when I make a post about Frankenstein’s monster living happily ever after and people tell me that hey, the monster killed a lot of people - then we have a different premise. Because me not adding a line about the evil things the monster did to my post was based on the premise that you knew that random tumblr user langernameohnebedeutung does not condone the crime of murder because she posts about a 200-year-old book. And the #fact that my point doesn’t construct an ending where the monster stands in front of a judge and is sentenced to a certain time in jail or punished by a more heroic person is because I have daddy issues and seeing a giant creature go on a rampage through Europe to get back at its asshole Dad in a way I never could makes me quite happy the novel focussing on its acts of violence already did this and my post clearly had a different intention.

#long post #fandom

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bellamygateoldblog · 4 years ago

Note

i will never be over the way this show has continuously tried to frame bellamy and clarke as heroes and good people, or the way the fandom has almost completely embraced and supported that narrative

the amount of times i’ve read “[clarke] saved everyone’s ungrateful asses” makes me seriously consider turning evil. like aren’t y’all bored? don’t you have a different sentence you would like to say for a change?

i want to talk about this but i probably don’t remember a lot of the details of this show so if im forgetting something or get something wrong i apologise, but i never have any desire to rewatch past s2.

clarke isn't even the hero of her own side, she took power of them using the military force of the grounders, someone else’s people, she’s forced them into alliances without their knowledge that weren’t in their best interest (while she literally had no idea what they were even going through because she’d abandoned them after upsetting their entire political structure, and this leader she’s bowing to is responsible for the slaughter of their children, has broken an alliance previously with them, has hung the threat of genocide over their heads, and who isn’t even wanted in power by her own people- dragging skaikru into that conflict, too), she’s sacrificed them and what’s best for them in order to cater to/concentrate on the grounders newest demands or pursue her own personal mission, she’s lied to and patronised them, she’s abandoned them and surrendered them to die while they were under her protection and responsibility, and in Book 2 (and these aren’t her people but in canon she’s their leader anyway apparently despite trying to blow them all up a few days before...) she’s abandoned them again, and is speaking for them without consent or any connection to what’s happening with them again,.........her inner circle/her ‘friends’ have to be extremely careful to remain important to her or on her team or they’ll be sacrificed, harmed or become acceptable losses to whatever her newest goal is too (but hey at least she says she cares about them) all while acting very ‘woe is me’ about the whole crushing weight of responsibility she shouldn’t have.

but she’s the hero, she’s beloved, she’s special, she has relationships that were never built, she and only she saved everyone again and has all the lines telling us so no matter how dishonest those statements are.

like this is where i personally see what you said in your ask most: when it concerns clarke.

bellamy on the other hand...i don’t place him at all on the same level as clarke when it comes to this. clarke has privilege that bellamy just never had as a character. and i think that does probably play into why i like him.

him being a hero to the delinquents/the 48 is completely believable to me. he was the original leader, he got them through a tough time, he chose to put himself on the line for them, and he’s the one who stayed. i also think it’s reasonable that fandom might romanticise him this way because he is one who has been shown to value the one life as well as the many of his people, a guy doing his best and making big mistakes along the way, a mixed complex bag of good and bad, i find him very likable and i love the toxic/pained/vulnerable ones lol but more than anything i find him to be one of the more interesting/entertaining characters on the show (Book 1).

we also see him torment himself with his own mistakes instead of just having other people do it for him/remind him like we see happen with clarke- and we all know fandom loves equating that with a “redemption arc” and as much as i personally dislike seeing pity parties i do like self-awareness and responsibility in characters that goes beyond a 3-second-long puppy dog look or straight dismissal of someone else’s pain, and for the most part bellamy’s expressions of this don’t come across as demanding sympathy from others but from genuine self-loathing and an honesty to himself, internalising the effects of his actions/childhood.

i know i personally prefer The Flawed Protector over The Tortured Saviour nobody asked for (same white male hypocritical moral hero in a woman’s body).

i don’t believe in assigning “hero” to any of them though like that’s the whole entire point of the show lol “there are no good guys.” and i also think a major chunk of fandom/shippers have warped bellamy’s character so much that it isn’t even him anymore, so this man they’re celebrating as a hero/good person isn’t even bellamy sometimes.

all of the genuinely “good” and kind people are dead.

i don't think i'd say bellamy was ever framed as a hero. like he was just never important enough to be, he’s just not put into those positions (despite being the male lead), clarke is. as the protagonist ig. bellamy...he’s the protector/knight of the heroes, but not the actual hero himself (applies to octavia too i think, where she acts and he reacts).

like take mount weather, clarke becomes empowered by her “wanheda” status, bellamy’s (and monty’s) part in that is lost...clarke is “bearing it so they don’t have to” (rme) which simultaneously strips the other boys from claiming the ‘victory’ of saving the 48 while still leaving them with the guilt, like it suits how i see clarke perfectly that she’s the only one to refer to the genocide (and shutting down the CoL, i realised) as “i” while monty and bellamy say “we” and it was clarke’s actions that got them to that point in the first place, but this is one of those times she’s clearly The Protagonist. if that makes sense lol.

bellamy is on the opposite side to clarke in s3 and s7 and he needs to be moved to her side in order to be on the ‘right’ one. now i don’t agree with that one bit mind you (when it comes to s3, idc about s7 lol) and i didnt see it that way but imo that’s how the show wrote it, to the point he was either demonized endlessly by fandom or woobified in a way that denied him his own agency. during s5 i don’t i think anyone was framed in a good light. i can see this applying in s6, though- where he was his absolute worst self yet, betraying his own development, failing at every point to “do better” despite claiming it, but still was given that reasurring line that they did better and saved people and was in that “heroic” position i guess? but is that because he was back to being clarke’s “good little knight” tho? (but do we claim s6??? do we really??? do we claim it ladies???)

s6 was 100% dedicated to making clarke look good/like a 'good' or sympathetic person. the bodysnatching plot (and the s6 sheidheda plot because if it was supposed to be about bellamy and address his s5 actions he would’ve been present to experience/observe those consiquences himself but he wasn’t lmaoooo. instead it was to tell the audience ‘actually clarke was right last season and here’s another reason to feel bad for her and how those ungrateful bitches were treating her’) has no other purpose for existing. clarke's character has consistently been elevated at the expense of everyone else's. but im not sure the writing did a very good job convincing me she was a good person if it was trying to do that LMAO like my interpretation of her is so fitted to canon, and no amount of throwaway lines telling me how good she is did anything to change what i saw yk? and in s6, combined with being patronised by the writers, i found her to be at some of her most obnoxious.

i don’t agree with placing bellamy and clarke in the same boat tbh. like they just come from completely different places and come across differently, especially in the way they interact with other characters.

in my experience this fandom (on tumblr) is extremely skewed in favour of clarke, like ive never seen a fandom so obsessed with their protagonist. there’s A LOT of clarke stans who stan her for being one of those “deserves better :(” characters, selfless and heroic, and support that view that she’s the superior character, entitled to other character’s devotion, love and validation yet doesn’t have to reciprocate any of it. the CL/BC ship war was just a bunch of people fighting over clarke, who deserves her more, which character is more toxic to her, which other character would 100% be her bff supportive of that relationship, treating her as a passive whose actions don’t take affect. im not sure how much i blame the writing for that because if so many of us are capable of recieving her character in this way then...why aren’t so many other people? how is there such a massive disconnect between the ways we see her?

and imo a lot of the bellamy love in this fandom comes from shipping him with clarke too rather than being because of who he actually is.

#the 100

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 4 years ago

Text

Ten Sides (Part 13)

He brings her to a halt. “Then let’s do it.”

“Do what?”

“Walk back to the past.”

She tenses, she thinks that she already knows what is coming. “Avatar, I don’t want to try your silly pacifist monk, guru method.”

“First of all, it’s not silly, it’s a very complex and deeply spiritual process that involves a lot of inward thinking, self-reflection and bravery.” He ignores her stifled laugh and continues, “Second of all that’s not what I was going to suggest. Third of all, I’m glad that you’re feeling better.”

“Who says that I’m feeling better?”

“You’re laughing and you don’t look like a kicked rabaroo anymore.”

A small pout betrays her.

“Okay, well you sort of do right now but…” his eyes widen. “Hey! You’re trying to distract me.”

“I am not.”

“Azula, we don’t have to do any ‘silly pacifist monk’ stuff. I just want you to talk to me. No spirit vines, no altered emotions. I want to hear the real you talk about your past.”

She is certain that his mind is still stuck on a single comment. On two simple words. “What of it?”

“When was the last time you were happy?” He asks. “Were you ever happy?”

The question is as perplexing and heavy as it had been the first time he’d posed it and this time she doesn’t have a shot of manufactured serenity to help her through it. She finds herself a tree to prop herself up against. “Why are you so desperate to know?”

.oOo.

Aang sighs to himself. Wherever he thinks that he is making ground with her, she goes and proves otherwise. He supposes that he has brought this level of guardedness upon himself. Even so, he wishes that she would throw him some sort of a chance.

“Because I have to start somewhere with you and I don’t know where to…”

He catches her leaning more heavily against the tree. “Why do you want to get into my head so badly?”

“I don’t want to get into your head, I did enough of that. I told you that I want to help you.”

“Why?” She asks. “You haven’t given me a why. What is your motive?”

“I have no--”

“Everyone has a motive, Avatar? Sangyul certainly had one. So what’s yours?”

“I just...I like helping people. That’s what I do. It’s what I’m supposed to do.” He tries not to dwell on it so much. Tries not to dwell upon it at all but her spirit energy is so potantly distraught. So laced with hurt and so tangled with mistrust.

“So I’m a project.”

“You’re a person.” He tries. “You have feelings.”

“And you’ve learned to navigate them very well.”

He grits his teeth. “Will you stop bringing that up! I could be reminding you of that time when you shot me with lightning. When you killed me!”

“I did what I had to do.” She mutters. “And I’d do it again.” She crosses her arms and averts her gaze. He wishes that it didn’t remind him so much of that more timid version of her. He rubs his face, reminding himself that, that version of her had always been there. Had always been a part of her even if he hadn’t gotten to see it.

“Maybe you would. But would you want to?” He asks. “We all had to do things during the war, Azula.”

The princess heaves herself away from the tree and strides away from him with no direction but a sense of purpose. He scrambles after her. “Azula! We’re not done talking!” Apparently she is. He clenches his fists.He shouldn’t have brought up the lightning thing.

“I got you out of there! I didn’t have to.” But he did. He absolutely did have to get her away from that facility.”

Her determined strides come to a very abrupt halt. His stomach sinks. “So that’s it. I’m in your debt now? It must be empowering to have a princess in your debt.” She comments. “I suppose I should have expected you to swap one means of control for another. That’s what I would have done.”

“I didn’t bring that up to blackmail you, I was hoping that you’d realize that you can trust me.” And yet he’d picked the most patronizing phrasing. He knows that she is aware of this. “I also said it because I’m frustrated.”

“If I frustrate you then maybe you should leave me to my own devices.”

“I don’t want to do that.” He shakes his head. “You frustrated me because you won’t let me help you. Sometimes it seems like you want my help and then you just...close up.”

Azula grits her teeth and works a muscle in her jaw.

“You haven’t decided if you want my help, have you?” He thinks of telling her to come find him when she decides. He almost does. But, Raava, if that wouldn’t stir up an impulse decision. He wishes that he didn’t have to be so delicate with her.

.oOo.

Azula’s stomach is tying itself in knots. Why can’t she just decide what she wants? She thinks that they have damaged her beyond repair. Not that she hadn’t been heavily guarded prior to their invasion.

The incessant itch for release is still ever present and this time she can’t seem to push it back to the inner recesses of her mind. Agni, she thought that it would go away if she didn’t poke or prod at it.

But the truth is, she wants to talk. She needs to talk. She can’t talk. Not while she is in such a prone state.

“If you do want my help I promise that it won’t be like any of the institutions. I’ll listen to you and you can say as much or as little as you want.”

“What did you do in the war?” She asks. “That you didn’t want to do?”

She thinks that she sees relief in his eyes. “I did a lot of things. In the Avatar state--I can’t quite be sure--but I think that I killed people. I’m almost sure that I did because Katara gets really quiet when I ask.” He pauses. “So I guess that I have no right to call you out on killing me.”

Azula shifts awkwardly. “At least some resentment is due.”

“I could have killed you and Zuko. I didn’t have control over the Avatar state.”

“You would have done what you had to do.” She shrugs.

“I still don’t feel good about it.”

“Yeah…”

“You don’t have to be proud of everything you did either.”

She hesitates. “But I am.” And she will stick firm--as firmly as she possibly can--to that. “I was fighting for my Nation.” And for her father. “And I am perfectly okay with that. If we would have won the war I would have been…”

“The hero and I would have been the bad guy?”

She nods. “Correct.”

“I guess that’s the weird thing about war. Everyone thinks that they’re doing the heroic thing but it usually turns out that we’re all the bad guys.” He pauses. “Or maybe most of us are good guys and one or two villains called the shots.”

“Indulge me, Avatar. What good do you think I’ve done?” When he says nothing she asks. “What makes you think that I’m not one of the two villains?”

“Well...uh…” He nervously rubs the back of his head. “Zuko mentioned that you both really wanted to be in your father’s good graces. I don’t exactly have any affection for your dad but he’s still your dad.”

“What’s your point?” She hisses.

“My point is that you loved him, right?”

Azula bites the inside of her lip. She nods, though it is much more complicated than that.

“And love is a good thing.” He smiles softly. “I think that you also loved your nation, right?”

“Very much.” She replies. “We may have lost but we’re still the greatest nation.” She holds her fist to her chest and her chin high.

He laughs.

“Why do you laugh when I am not being funny but refuse to laugh when I make a joke?”

It takes him a moment but he seems to understand, “I was really tired when you mimicked Zuko. I’m laughing at this because, I don’t know, I think that it’s kind of...endearing that you’re so passionate about your culture.” He adds, “that’s not a bad thing either.”

“Your point?”

“That you’re not a bad person. I just think that you’ve been channeling your energy and passion into the wrong thing.” He pauses. “Or, actually, that you’ve been putting you passion into some good things but using approaching it the wrong way.”

Misguided. She cringes at the unspoken truth.

“Whatever the reasoning, I can’t fix it.”

“Yes you can.” He reaches out and touches her bicep. She isn’t sure why, but she lets him. There is something reassuring in the gesture. Something comforting. Her tummy tickles. “There’s still a lot left to do to bridge the nations together. You can be a part of that. This time you can help spread Fire Nation culture, but for real.”

“For real…”

“I think that we both know that your father wasn’t trying to spread the Fire Nation’s glory. He was trying to expand his power.”

She supposes that he wouldn’t have left her behind if he didn’t think that she would get in the way of it. She and her cracking psyche and her weakness and…

“I know that you don’t like talking about your father so we can try a new subject.”

“That would be ideal.”

“You’re not evil, Azula. That’s what you need to know.” He pauses. “And for the record, I don’t think that you’re unlovable either.”

She crinkles her brows. “You don’t?”

“I don’t.”

Her stomach flops again.

“I think that, once you start opening up, people will like you a lot. I have a feeling that there’s more to you than war tactics and politics.”

She isn’t sure that she agrees. “I haven’t exactly had time to explore hobbies outside of that.”

“Great, then there are a lot of opportunities for you to try new things. Do you know how memorable first times are?”

“I assure you that seeing my first hallucination was an unforgettable moment.”

“And so was going to that beach party with Zuko. Yeah, he told me all about that.” Aang chuckles. “He mentioned that it was the first time in a long time that you guys bonded.”

Azula almost smiles.

“What I’m trying to say is that you have a chance. I just really hope that you’ll take it.”

“I can try.” But Agni is it such a fight and she hasn’t won many of those in a while.

“You tend to succeed at things you try.” He points out.

“I used to, yes.”

“You still do!” He insists. “Look how quickly you’re getting back to firebending. Do you know how long that usually takes people?”

“I suppose that I am much better than most people at firebending.” Once upon a time, she’d wager that she was better than everyone. “It’s coming along quicker than I expected.” She holds out her hand and gazes at that admirably large orange flame. “I miss having blue fire.”

“You won’t for long.” Aang promises. “Once you start feeling like yourself again.”

And how lovely would that be. To truly feel as empowered and bold as she had before. She thinks that, for the first time in so long, she has at least some semblance of control. That she has at least a small sense of herself. Of the old her.

“Can you answer one more question?”

“Depends. What is it?”

“Was that so bad, talking about what’s bothering you?”

“It was quite painful, yes.” She replies. Painful and humiliating. She feels ridiculous, really. Ridiculous but...lighter. She thinks that the itch has finally eased. “We will do this again.”

.oOo.

Aang bites back a chuckle. He hadn’t anticipated her talking so much. But he supposes that once the floodgates are open, they are hard to shut. Even still, he thinks that he has only scratched the surface. Though it is a start. A real start. And a start born of free will.

Her aura has brightened some. Enough for it to be of note. Splashes of red penetrate the greys and flecks of orange begin to drive out the browns.

“So where do we go now?” He asks.

“I think that I should go home.” She lazily and absently coils what’s left of her bangs around her finger. “We ought to let Zuzu know that I haven’t killed you. And besides, it will be much easier to find and eliminate Sangyul if I have more resources to expend.”

“Alright we’ll go to the palace.” His heart gives a hopeful little flutter. She is starting to sound like herself again.

#Avatar #Azula #Aang #Azulaang #Fanfiction

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vore-scientist · 5 years ago

Text

Hey Little SongBird

[Sfw safe soft M/m GT vore]

A Tale of the Mystic Woods

Premise: A bard is in desperate need of a story. Can he sing his way out of being eaten by the evil giant wizard known as Yonah HaEsh? Well. No. But perhaps he can sing his way out of the wizard’s stomach? A fun little adventure for sure.

Story is First Person (The Bard’s) POV. He’s a expressive narrator.

Warnings: big Fear.play during the vore scene! This is a thief style story. Yonah, if you don’t know, is very convincing when he says he kills people. And because he has no quick and easy safety spell, his treats sometimes end up a little bit well, not di.ges/-ted but slight skin irritation happens from time to time. Yes some pain, but no permanent harm! Yonah’s very practiced at making sure they are A-OK!

Ok onto the story!

---

I hate the stereotype of bards being horny tricksters who use their voices to seduce people into infidelity. Any such stories are complete poppycock and base slander. Bards are more than pretty faces and lovely voices. We are first and foremost story tellers, entertainers! Actors and chroniclers! Often risking life and limb to get you the stories you love so much. Those fancy sword moves and fight dances you see on stage aren’t just for show.

But still. Going into the Mystic Woods in search of my next story was not a great idea. Solo-ing an adventure into such a dangerous realm was asking for death, with no one around who could tell of it. And yet, I had run out of new material and was desperate. Why didn’t I just purchase rights from another bard through the guild, you might ask? Clever, very clever, but that’s what low rankers do. The Apprentices, the Journeyers. Not Masters such as I.

At least, not ones who are blacklisted from the guild for not properly crediting a story. How was I to know it wasn’t public domain! It seemed pretty generic to me.

Another problem with being blacklisted? No one wants to adventure with you. Not anyone high ranking enough to help me anyways.

Regardless, to earn back my place in the guild I needed a new story, an impressive story. So I gathered my supplies and took the first teleport to the City of Luster, closest city in the Kingdom of Orr to the Mystic Woods. Sure, other cities exist at its borders, but Luster is the only one with a direct path into the Woods. A path that is safe, to a point.

It’s also a great place to get a few last minute supplies. For example, a small ukulele. My previous instrument, my precious goldenrod Oud, was repossessed by the guild. I needed something cheap and lightweight. And also I was banned from purchasing from most craftsfolk because, and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing this, I'm Blacklisted.

Luster is so large that I was able to find the ukulele in a pawn shop. I wasn’t after a ukulele, that’s just what was there.

Right! I was ready to go.

Whistling the first ever song I wrote, and tuning my new old ukulele, I set off down the road.

And Into the Woods.

---

Maybe I should lower my standards? Surely the guild won't be too hard on me?

Or perhaps it would just take more than a day and night in the woods to find a story.

The first day I found some gnomes preparing for a small feast of the half-moon glory. I was confident that something would happen at the party. Something had to go wrong, and maybe a hero—maybe I—would save the day! Or night, as it would be night. No such luck—it was a very nice celebration, absolutely no issues. Wasted a day!!

Not that I’m on a time limit.

The gnomes were so nice, and they made the most delightful floral scented cakes. They enjoyed my songs and tales about heroic gnomes and I left their camp with a flower crown and a sack of cakes.

I felt like today I would find a story!

Nope.

In this forest of wonder and magic and monsters and secrets, I ran into nothing. I even played music to attract trouble but Nooooooooo, guess even the beasts of the woods knew I was blacklisted!

It was late afternoon when I found some interesting deer tracks and decided to follow.

Bards aren’t known for our stealth but I’m going to tell you a secret. What’s the guild gonna do! Blacklist me?

Anyways the secret is: certain Bards learn to play notes and pitches that cancel out our footsteps and create silence.

I followed the prints to find a small herd of very interesting deer!

They had really interesting patterns, each one slightly different but only if you looked closely. That meant I needed a closer look.

So focused on the deer I didn’t watch my feet and I tripped. The deer ran off.

“HEY!” a shrill voice called from somewhere in the trees, “What did you do that for?”

No idea who was yelling at me but I was taking no chances, and like the deer I bolted. But not fast enough, not nimble enough.

An arrow shot by my leg and stuck in the ground. I stopped. And stood perfectly still.

“Idiot.” the voice was now right behind me!

I turned. And looked down. It was an elf! With plum purple skin and dark green hair.

And they were laughing.

Then another elf fell from the trees to land silently next to the first. This one had dark green skin and straw yellow hair. Their long ears were standing straight up reaching higher than my eyes.

They were laughing too.

“What’s so funny?”

“You responded to ‘idiot’!” Said the purple one.

Ugh. Elves!!

Then they got suddenly more serious.

“Can’t believe it! We’ve been hunting those deer before the sun even rose and you happened to trip when we got them in our sights!”

“I’m... sorry?”

The second elf elbowed the first, “He couldn’t have known we were there, Damian! Not his fault!” She spoke in elvish but I’m fluent.

The first elf, Damian, looked up and half groaned half sighed, “and I suppose, Bridget, that I should apologize to the human for almost shooting him?”

I don’t know why I spoke up but I did.

“It was an impressive warning shot!”

Damian’s ears stood up again then folded back and a little red flush appeared on the purple cheeks. As did on Bridget’s but for a different reason.

“Yes. Warning shot,” they said.

This time I managed to keep my mouth shut. Not a smart idea to quip about an elf’s hunting prowess. I still wasn’t happy to learn they were trying to shoot me!

“You’re an adventurer?” Asked Bridget. “What’s your name?

“A bard!” I said. “I’m, um, Ophir!”

“Need a place to stay tonight, Ophir?”

The shadows were lengthening, I hadn’t noticed. And then my stomach growled.

“I sure do. But are you sure? I mean I did scare the deer-“

Damian shouldered their bow and nodded, “It wouldn’t be very elven to leave a stranger in the woods.”

Even not hunting they moved so silently I couldn’t take my eyes off them as I followed them to their village. We stopped by the temple, as it is the respectful thing to do when entering the village. It was set up for fall, done up in browns and oranges and paper chains. On the altar was a single brown leaf. The first one seen by a member of the village.

I’m not elvish but I still prayed to Autumn for my hometown to have a bountiful harvest.

I sat on the floor in the common dining hall as my new… friends, sat on stools made of tree stumps. They may not have caught any deer but there was some sort of roasted meat concoction wrapped in sugary leaves, crystallized to give it crunch, making a sweet and savory combination I’d never experienced before. The same sugar crispy leaves were used to scoop a sort of nut and vegetable curry. Delightful! I could write a song just about the food.

I of course told them why I was in the woods, since they were curious.

And they told everyone how I tripped and fell, exaggerating it greatly. All the elves laughed but knowing elves I was better off. They enjoyed slapstick comedy. The fact that I was able to laugh at myself seemed to gain me favor.

One elf, with lighter green skin and dark brown hair laughed like the rest and yet, their eyes were deep in thought. They were a strange one, I think. Even by elf standards they had a strange name.

Jacuzzi? Who names themselves Jacuzzi?

Then they spoke.

“So, Ophir, you need a story?” They asked. I nodded.

“I think I can help you,” they said, “at the very least point you in the right direction.”

At their words a lot of the company got quiet.

“If you’re that desperate, there’s,” they paused, as if they were still considering whether or not to tell me. “A wizard. If you encounter him, you’re sure to get a proper story.”

I couldn’t think why this made the elf act so strange, plenty of mages made it their job to participate in tales. Though, with wizards they were usually evil, if not a member of an adventuring party. Nonetheless! A story about a wizard sounded fantastic.

“Where does-“ I stopped myself from finishing that stupid sentence. Nowhere in the Mystic Woods stayed put so asking for directions was complete folly.

“What’s the best way to, uh, find him?”

Jacuzzi shrugged “The birds have the most up to date information. But you’ll know it’s his place when you find the tower in the garden.”

Lots of wizards had towers, few had gardens. That was more of a witch thing.

“He’ll be there? Tonight?”

“Probably, he can't- well he’ll be there. If not tonight then by the morning. Don’t mess with his things.”

Sound advice.

“Hold on tonight?” Damian re-entered the conversation. “Are you mad? Traveling the forest at night is dangerous! Especially alone.”

“So? I’m trying to get into trouble. Doesn’t make a difference if I find it at the tower or on my way.”

My confidence wasn’t entirely fake. I had a good meal, I wasn’t tired. I could knock this out by morning!

“Thank you, for everything.”

I swear I heard giggling as I departed. If these elves were pulling one over on me well! I don’t know what I would do but I’ll think of something. I had a wizard to find.

It wasn’t long before I realized why I should have waited for morning.

No! Birds!

From whom could I ask directions? A rodent? They were never as helpful. The sun was about to set. It was only early autumn, the days were still a decent length, but it would be dark real soon. No birds, no people.

Wait. I spoke too soon. There were footsteps. It was a slim chance but maybe they could help me.

“Young man, what are you doing? Don’t you know it’s dangerous to be out at night alone?”

The voice had a deep and soft quality that wasn’t human. But they were speaking Orrian. Really folks, dont meet strangers in the forest that you can’t see. They’re usually evil witches or sorcerers or cyclops ogres. Yeah, one-eyed ogres are skilled talkers, luring people to them. It was only after I answered I realized this could be an ogre.

“Aren’t you out alone too?”

“Why yes-” the voice was closer and then I saw them.

Thankfully it wasn’t and ogre. But it was a witch, and a dwarf one. Uncommon. Probably not evil. It did explain why they were confidently out at night. Dwarves had pretty amazing night vision. They had the traditional black robe and hat, and a cat sat down beside them. It was a really large cat, which was amusing next to the short witch. Their long braided beard was decorated with trinkets, which was a quaint look I must admit.

“But I live here.”

I stood up straight, which I guess was a bit rude.

“How do you know I don’t?” I stammered, “I could!”

The dwarf stroked their beard, “I guess it’s possible, do you?”

I sighed and slouched, “No…”

“But I am looking for trouble.” I explained my story and the dwarf listened, smiling kindly.

“So the elves told me I would be guaranteed a story if I found this wizard who has a tower and a garden-”

The witch’s eyebrows raised.

“- you know this wizard?”

The cat mrowed loudly, his tail swishing on the forest floor a bit faster.

“I do indeed,” there was an extreme fondness in their voice.

“And you know where he is?”

The witch laughed, “I’d say this was coincidence, but in these parts there are too many of those to be truly coincidental. I do in fact know the current location, and it’s close by.”

“Really!” I almost danced with excitement.

Unlike the elves the dwarf had no hesitations. They pointed me in the right direction, and informed me of a few roadblocks and landmarks.

“If you hurry you should be just in time for dessert,” they said, waving as I wasted no more time in heading off.

“Thanks so much!” I turned on my lantern and my back on the witch.

Oh if I had only thought about the implications of their last words to me.

Hilarious. In hindsight.

Nevermind that now, I’m sure you’re already laughing. Hahaha.

Finding the tower was easy with the witch’s directions. They’d even told me the thorns were fake and the vines safe to climb up. That should have raised red flags, or some color, but I was so focused on achieving my goal.

Now, we bards aren’t really known for our… physical abilities beyond dance. We can fight sure, but a fifty-foot climb is gonna leave most bards gasping for breath. I'm proud to say I was merely on the cusp of wheezing, though I was having difficulty standing.

I needed to rest. So I lay on the windowsill.

Which I failed to notice stretched so that I could more than easily lie down. The cool night air and stone felt so nice. I looked into the tower.

And my heart stopped.

I’d gotten a brief glimpse before nearly passing out, but it was different now.

Exactly the same.

But.

Bigger.

You might know, my readers, that wizards are all human. All of them. Non-humans aren’t allowed to attend the academy. I’m sure those like I, being a quarter fairy, might be let in, but... This- this giant sized workshop didn’t make any sense. A giant could not be a wizard no way. Why would the elves say this was a wizard’s tower? Did they not understand the difference between wizard, witch, and sorcerer?

But the dwarf witch, they had to know! They had not corrected me. Plus, the workshop did have a very wizard feel to it.

What was going on here?

I needed a moment to process so I rolled over to look outside. Looking inside made my head hurt.

But a Giant Wizard. If that were real, what a story! If it were fake, then well, a giant mage is still exciting. I looked once more into the room. Three desks, one for material prepping and alchemy, one that looked like the main workbench, and one… like a spare workbench? It was not very organized compared to the other. And shelves full of things I could not identify.

And on the floor, an open trap door with stairs leading down. Down to where the wizard must be.

I was thankful I had noticed the shift in scale, or I surely would have fallen 15 feet onto the floor. Instead I got out my grappling hook and rope and rappelled down. With a flick, the hook dislodged. This place was large, I would need it again.

I could have spent hours in this room, just taking in the immense magical collection, but that wasn’t why I was there. And I heard noises from down the stairs. Water? Clinking metal? I took each stair one at a time, slowly making my way deeper into the tower.

Either the kitchen just happened to be one floor down or this stairwell was enchanted to take you to the floor you were thinking about. For just as I reached the landing I saw the massive doorframe that led into what was clearly a kitchen and small dining room. Small for the giant, who was at the sink washing pots, pans, and other things.

He certainly looked like a wizard! A tall wide brimmed hat with a curling point, and robes that matched the garish colors and patterns. He had a neatly trimmed goatee and mutton chops, and long curly black hair tied behind his back. On his handsomely large nose rested thick square spectacles. Not only was he tall, he was just plain large.

I know I talked about the false stereotypes of bards, but we weren't the only profession with them. People tended to think of Wizards as more delicate, as they spent all their time studying, never going out, forgetting meals. But this, man, for he looked more human than giant except for being over 20ft tall, well the only word for it was burly.

I’d never imagined a wizard who, if you removed his wizard robes, put him in a flannel shirt and handed him an axe would be a picture perfect lumberjack. Now such a wizard was right before my very eyes.

Suddenly I was not so confident. I should have lost my nerve back at the window, when I saw the scale of the workshop. But it just didn’t hit me until I saw the giant. I’ve seen giants before, they are actually larger than this person, that made him seem more dangerous.

Oh.

Oh no.

This wasn’t just any wizard, or any giant.

This one was evil.

Maybe I could just leave! Yeah. I would just get the fuck out of here. I was not prepared to handle an evil giant wizard.

I made my decision a bit too late. The giant stopped cleaning a plate to look up and sniff the air.

Shit.

It was futile to run, but it was my only option. I didn’t even make it up two stairs before the giant roared with delight.

“FEE FI FO FUM!”

No no no! Not that!

“I SMELL THE BLOOD OF THE HUMAN KIND!”

Well technically I was quarter fairy but-

“IT MATTERS NOT THE THINGS YOU STOLE, I’LL CAPTURE YOU AND SWALLOW YOU WHOLE.”

Yeah… I should not have come here. Evil giants tend to eat people. I’d had a small hope that this smaller giant, who was very likely a proper wizard, wouldn’t.

He made it to the stairwell in a few seconds and scooped me up in one hand, holding me up to his face.

“How convenient,” he smiled, revealing very giant-like fangs. His breath was horrible. “I was just thinking I needed some dessert.”

I cursed the witch from earlier. They knew! They knew he would want to eat me! But the witch wasn’t here, wasn’t my problem right now.

“Please! Mister Wizard, I did not steal anything, I am no thief! I’m a bard!”

The giant raised his eyebrows, but did not set me down, instead he turned and walked down the stairs.

“A bard?” he asked, “what’s your name?”

“Ophir Shel Peh!” I said.

The giant tapped his chin. “Hm. Yes I would say you probably are a bard! I don’t get many of those.”

The room he entered was some sort of living room. But I didn’t really have the capacity to take in any details other than the chair that he sat down in.

“I wonder if bards taste any different from thieves!” he said with excitement that made my heart drop to my feet.

“Please, please don’t eat me!” I begged. “I just wanted a story!”

“Hm,”he placed me on the coffee table but did not let me go. Instead he started removing my gear, everything except my clothing. Things were going from bad to worse. “What do you mean?”

I didn’t have much hope of surviving but he wasn’t eating me just yet, and he was clearly open to conversing.

“Well! Either I would tell the tale of my adventure here, or, you could give me a tale, perhaps in exchange for something?”

The giant laughed, “you came here on your own to challenge me? So you could tell your tale?”

I nodded.

“Very foolish,” he growled, “But I could tell you a story.”

“Really?!”

“Not that you would ever get to tell it.” he continued, “since I’m going to eat you.”

He sounded like he’d really made up his mind about that. But the longer he talked the more time I had to think of a way out of this. I didn’t want to point out that him eating me defeated the purpose of him telling me a story in the first place.

“It’s a good one too. Surely you were surprised to find me a half-giant and wizard.”

I nodded again, a bit more dumbfounded. Half giant explained a lot already.

“But if I tell you how I ended up here, you must promise not to tell it until his mystical majesty is dead. Or I am.”

What?

“Are you dying?”

The giant looked wistful. “No. But I’m a villain. I could die any day. The next person who comes into my tower could be the one who kills me.”

“And you’ll finally get what's coming to you I guess,” I said. “Like I’ll even be able to tell it since I’ll be one of your victims.”

The giant laughed, “oh yes, of course. Cause I’m going to eat you! Like I have many others before.”

Great. I shouldn’t have said anything.

He scooped me up again and placed me on the armrest. Then he let me go. But i didn’t dare try to run.

“I guess I could start at the beginning, when I decided to become a wizard.” he mused, “The life story of Yonah HaEsh.”

He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling, and then down at me.

“How foolish I was. I mean obviously I succeeded but it was still foolish.”

You know how I said I would spend the time while he rambled to think of a way out of this? Well his story was certainly long enough. Gods, wizards don’t leave out details! They have no concept of narrative flow!

And yet. It was riveting. His human father was a fire witch and that got him interested in magic. So he disguised himself as human to attend school. He was found out eventually, expelled and arrested for infiltrating the kingdom as a dangerous magical monster. He was almost executed before he was offered a job here in the tower! And amazingly, the Grand Master of the school had taken pity on him and allowed him to continue his studies here and graduate, earning the right to call himself a wizard.

The point is I forgot about escaping. Until he started to wrap up his story.

“Never intended to become evil. But it suits me!” He said brightly.

That brought me back to reality. Evil. Giant!

I was in his hand again, not so tightly this time but still secure. Face to face. He was smiling again and chuckling.

“Especially since it means I get to eat people!”

“You're so surprised you’re evil but I’m not!”

I think he knew I was stalling more but didn’t care.

“How so?”

“You spent years among smallfolk! You have smallfolk friends! And you’re perfectly fine eating us?”

He snorted “it was smallfolk that expelled me from school, that nearly executed me for trying to learn magic! And for trapping me here, in my tower. Make no mistake, this gilded cage is still a cage.”

There really was no going back.

“Now your time's up, and I’m hungry.”

I still screamed! Who wouldn’t! I was sure he was going to have to bite me in half to eat me even if his earlier proclamation was to swallow me whole.

I barely fit in his mouth, ribs pressed into his lower teeth and it hurt! His saliva soaked me through so quickly I could only imagine how good I tasted. I tried to brace myself on his teeth but my hands slipped between the jaws. Even more distressing he was definitely enjoying my struggles and flavor.

Then I was upside down! And even in the tight space I slipped towards his throat. I put my hands forward to try and stop but it was so slick they slid down into his throat, along with my shoulders, as he swallowed.

The air was crushed out of my lungs and I dared not scream. It was hard, as I knew where I was headed, and I was surrounded by hot rubbery flesh that shoved at me, eager to get me to my destination.

A massive throbbing against my face told me I was passing by his heart. It was at this point he took another swallow and my feet slipped into his throat, my hands… they touched air. Thick. Hot air.

And then so did my face and I made the mistake of gasping for breath. As the air smelled of vomit, and I remembered the wizard was cleaning up from dinner when I arrived. I was smelling the remains of that meal. Oh gods if he had eaten me right away I would have been sitting in food! It was a small bit of reprise, I guess. That the giant decided to talk for a couple of hours.

My feet were still in the esophagus when my face pressed against the opposite wall of the stomach. It was slimy like I couldn’t believe! I pulled my feet free and oriented myself so that I was sitting upright.

This must be what it feels like to be kidnapped in a sack. A sack that was going to be dunked in acid.

“You awake in there?” said a deep rumbling voice from above, and I felt a sharp nudge. Great. He wasn’t done with me, and I failed a bit in protest. “Ha! That’s better, I go through all the trouble of swallowing you down, the least you can do is struggle and scream a bit.”

“If I do that, I’ll run out of air quicker!” I squawked. Though I suspected I would start crying soon enough. Either just out of despair or because of the pain.

I wasn’t feeling anything yet except for slime and heat, so it wasn’t likely to be a quick death. Depending on how long it took for digestion to work on a whole human, I might run out of air and pass out first. That would be nice, less painful. Unconscious I would feel nothing. I would much prefer that- oh.

“Mr Wizard,” In that moment I’d forgotten his name, thought I wouldn’t need it if I was going to die.

Another jab at my side. “Yes, my tasty little bard?”

“Can I make a final request?”

The entire chamber squished and bounced a bit, and I imagined the giant heaving a sigh and sitting back in his chair.

“That depends on the request.”

“I- I want to sing one last song. But I need my ukulele, can you-” I kind of shuddered, but it wasn’t like an heirloom or something, “swallow it for me?”

There was a long pause, or it felt long because my timeline was now so short.

“I'm not a fan of eating objects,” he said, then heaved another sigh, “but I suppose I can do that.”

I felt him lean over and then heard a sickening gulp. If I was going to die I was going to die singing with an instrument in my arms!

I plucked a few cords and shook out as much of the drool as I could.

“Your voice isn’t magical is it?” Asked the giant as I tuned the ukulele.

I smiled “No, it is. I’ve got some Fey ancestry. Never really tested its power. Mostly I’ve played monsters to sleep. Or made a crowd cry with an opening line. People tell me that when I weave a tale it’s as if they were there first hand. Not so useful when you’re already eaten.”

Unless he’s so moved by my song that he takes pity. But I didn’t say that out loud.

“Well, just make it a nice song. I’ve got sensitive ears.”

Ok… I had a momentary thought of singing so loudly and so sharply that his ears bled. But then I realized he was making a threat. He could make my death much much worse. My original song was fine.

I strummed the ukulele, it sounded so odd in the stomach. And maybe it couldn’t penetrate out so well. I used a little magic to boost it. I don’t always use magic, except for my naturally magical voice, but I figured…

This would be my last performance. And it would be for my murderer. Still, I was compelled to make it a good one.

I’d already made it through the first instrumental bars, and I took a breath of the rancid air.

In the quiet mystic morning When the sun’s just graced the land O’er the horizon, lies a story And it begs to take my hand

Now that summer’s ceased its gleaming And the harvest’s past its prime In adventure i've found meaning But I’ll be homeward bound in time

Bind me not, to the pasture Chain me not to the town Set me free to find my calling And I’ll return to you somehow

As the first instrumental break started I turned my attention to the giant’s response. It was hard to evaluate from inside of him. As far as I could tell, I wasn’t hitting my mark.

If you find it’s me you're missing And you’re hoping I’ll return To your thoughts I’ll soon be listing On the road I’ll stop and turn

It was starting to hurt a bit now, I hadn't noticed it at first since when I perform I tend to feel all floaty and numb, but now pain penetrated my fog. I directed it into my voice and I cried out.

For the wind has set me racing As my journey now begins To leave the path I’ll be retracing When I’m homeward bound again

Bind me not, to the pasture Chain me not to the town Set me free to find my calling And I’ll return to you somehow

The second, and last, instrumental break. Did I feel shaking around me? Was this working? Breathing was becoming harder, my skin stung. My shoulders, elbows, and knees ached too, this was a horrible position. The fluid level was rising. But I didn’t stop. I would finish this song.

I was practically sobbing at this point but my song rang out.

In the quiet Mystic morning When the moon has gone to bed When adventure’s lost its meaning…

I’ll be homeward bound

Again

With the last few notes from my mouth, I gripped the ukulele so hard it almost cracked.

Then the chamber jerked. I heard heavy breaths. Again. Was that a sniff?

Was he crying? Please. Gods of music.

“Dammit,” he hissed and sniffed again, “Fine. I’m letting you go. Stupid bard.”

My brain was so frozen with elation I couldn’t actually believe it until it was happening. Not until I was physically forced back up the way I’d come. I slid out of the giant’s mouth and into shallow warm water. I took deep breaths of the clean air. And Yonah continued to retch as I got my bearings.

We were back in the kitchen, I was in the sink! Wait where was- The giant let out a horrible sound like a cat with a hairball and with a plop, my ukulele joined me in the bath.

Now Yonah looked at me, eyes red and puffy, some tear streaks down his face. Though he had just violently thrown up.

“Congratulations, Ophir the bard,” he spat, but he was grinning, “You have your story.”

I- I blinked in astonishment. He was right. I’d trekked through the woods, hung out with gnomes, got led to my near doom by elves and a witch, and sang so sorrowfully I made the evil man-eating giant cry and let me go.

“Th-thank you-” I said, and I let him help me out of the sink and onto a towel to dry.

“I should be thanking you!” he said. “Dessert and entertainment all in one!”

The fact that he still thought of me as food wasn’t reassuring but I didn’t think he was going to eat me again. In fact, Yonah’s entire demeanor had changed, he wasn’t so harsh looking, his voice was softer.

“Would you like some tea? That helps after a near-death experience.”

He didn’t wait for my response but went to get the tea leaves and pot.

“Hold on!” I said, but he didn’t stop making tea. “Did you even intend on killing me?”

He smiled as he put the pot on the stove and lit it with a snap of his fingers and a flash in his eyes.

“No, not really, you’re not a thief.” Yonah laughed at some joke that only he got.

“So why-” I mean he could have gotten me to sing before swallowing me whole.

“Your fairy blood.” I looked confused, “I could smell it on you, sweet and magical. I wasn't going to pass up such a special treat.”

If there was a god who could erase horrifying knowledge from the mind I would have prayed to them.

“Then- did my song do anything?” I choked like I was back in his stomach, unable to breathe.

It was clear he saw the distress in my face, that I was not as good a bard as I thought I was.

“My tears were real, little bard. I didn’t expect to be moved so much. Even if I had meant to kill you... you might have convinced me otherwise.”

The teapot whistled and he went to take care of it. I sat down. I was so lucky. Had the elves known he would spare me? Was that why they were laughing? This was some convoluted prank? And the witch, how were they in on it? Not that it mattered, their reasons and motivations weren’t important for my story.

Then I remembered, “Your story!” I said, rather loudly.

He stopped what he was doing, which was carefully using magic to pour a cup for me. “Yes?”

“I'm not dead! I can tell your story!” I stood back up, one hand on my hip the other pointing, “That’s why you let me go isn’t it.”

“Sure,” he shrugged, “That definitely factored into it.”

Motherfucker! This also meant I wasn’t done with him. He was getting out a smaller place setting for me to sit at but I didn’t sit down, or drink the tea.

“I need- I need to write it all down!” I said, “I have a good memory, but I was under duress before. I need to hear it again. And write it down."

The wizard smiled again, showing his teeth, but this time it did not scare me.

“Then let’s take this upstairs, shall we?”

He held out his hand and without hesitation I sat on it. I was placed on his shoulder and he took me, and the tea, to the workshop.

Amazingly he had a few blank notebooks that were human sized, and human sized pens. Nice ones too. And a human sized desk? The set up was perfect.

“Since I have until either you or the king dies, I can do proper research. I’ll need names and places and dates! And your parents, if you know how they met, that would make a great prologue!”

We worked well into the night. My cup of tea got cold.

[FIN] if you liked PLEASE REBLOG!

REBLOGS HELP SPREAD MY WORK! I also love knowing that people read my stories! My askbox and DMs are OPEN!!! let me know!!!

[Thanks for reading! please reblog! Or message me telling me what you think! I crave feedback! For more mystic woods go to vore-scientist.tumblr.com/tagged/mystic+woods+story or search ‘mystic woods story’]

FOR REFERENCE, HERE’S HOW THE SONG SOUNDS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VooU55wzSEc

#safe vore #soft vore #sfw vore #g/t vore #nonfatal vore #extreme cuddling #PLASE REBLOG

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ficsandcatsandficsandcats · 5 years ago

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Hey, I was wondering if I could request a fic where Yennefer and Ciri decide to have a girls night with the reader after they notice the readers been a little down when she's been travelling with the gang. perhaps there's a few soft moments where the readers is irritated because she doesn't have any powers like the others do, and so the band groups togther and teaches her a few things and reassure her they're just as important as anyone else. plus bonus Geralt and Jaskier supporting the reader?

Fandom: The Witcher Pairing: Platonic!Yennefer x Reader Word Count: 1,324 Rating: G Taglist: @heroics-and-heartbreak @whatevermonkey @mycat-is-mylove @mynamesoundslikesherlock @kemmastan @magic-multicolored-miracle @writingstudent @mlleecrivaine @coffee-and-stories @amirahiddleston @ultracolorfulnerdcollection @astouract @your-not-invisible-to-me @daydreamer-in-training @morelikebyesexual a/n: Yesss supportive female friendships, you love to see it

“Did they say where they’d be going?” you asked, glancing out of the window nervously. Geralt and Jaskier had gone to ‘do things’ a few hours ago and it was getting dark. Ciri glanced at Yennefer from her seat on the floor where she was dutifully mashing berries as Yennefer had instructed but the sorceress looked unconcerned.

“You know Geralt and Jaskier,” she said simply, “They’re off doing something.”

“Yes but what? It’s getting dark, should we be worried?” you asked, turning to face the two women again. Ciri again glanced at Yennefer, this time giving her a pointed look and Yennefer sighed and put down the tincture she’d been working on.

“Alright, they won’t be back tonight. I sent them away,” Yennefer answered.

“Why? Did Geralt do something?”

“No, because we wanted some time alone with you,” the mage replied. You looked between her and Ciri who nodded with a bright smile but something still felt strange.

“Why? I mean, I’m happy about it, but why?”

“Y/N, we’ve noticed something’s wrong and we want to figure out what it is,” Ciri answered plainly before Yennefer could reply. She’d grown tired of the whispering and the hedging, determined that the best plan of action was just to face it head on. You blinked a bit in surprise and Yennefer could see you retreat within yourself.

“Oh no, I’m fine!” you said in a fake bright voice. Both women gave you disbelieving looks and after a few minutes you crumbled beneath them. “Alright, fine, there has been something on my mind…”

Yennefer patted the space between her and Ciri, moving the bowl of clay she’d gathered. They were developing masks to put on their faces that Yennefer said would help clean their pores and brighten their skin but Ciri only cared about the part where she got to practice foraging and you were happy for the distraction. You took the space between them and sighed.

“It’s just… I don’t really know how I fit in,” you said.

“What do you mean?” Ciri asked.

“Well you I understand. Even if you weren’t Geralt’s Child Surprise you’re clever and brave and you’ve taken to training so easily. And Yennefer, you’re a mage and an amazing one at that. Geralt is a witcher, and even Jaskier provides a service procuring coin and helping people be less afraid of Geralt and keeping our spirits up in general. But then there’s me. And I just… go along with you all,” you replied, eyes downcast to your lap where your fingers fiddled with some mint leaves, crushing them and releasing their cool, soothing scent. Yennefer gently stroked your hair away from your face.

“Is this because of the mine?” she asked gently. Your shoulders slumped a little in remembrance of the incident that had nearly cost you your life, and then in the process of saving you nearly cost Ciri hers.

“What about the mine?” Ciri asked, oblivious to the way you’d been tormenting yourself over putting her in danger, intentional or not.

“You could have died, Ciri, and I couldn’t even do anything to help save you in return for saving me,” you replied. Ciri’s head cocked to the side in confusion and you could see she wanted to argue the point but decided against it, instead clasping one berry-stained hand over yours.

“I’ve almost gotten Geralt killed loads of times,” she replied with a casual shrug, “Sometimes that happens. Or nearly happens. But you didn’t die! And neither did!”

“But what help was I? I can heal but what’s that compared to preventing the need to heal in the first place!” you protested.

“It means a great deal, Y/N,” Yennefer insisted. You opened your mouth to reply but there was a sudden booming knock at the door that made you all jump.

“Are you decent?” a brusque voice asked. Yennefer’s eyes narrowed into a fierce squint and she quickly stood and pulled the door open a crack, fixing Geralt with a stern expression.

“I told you we were having a girls night,” she hissed. He gently nudged her out of the way and continued walking in, Jaskier following closely behind and deftly avoiding the angry mage who slammed the door behind them.

“You’d better have a good reason for crashing our party,” Yennefer said, hands propped on her hips in a way that reminded you of Jaskier and nearly made you giggle.

“Good gods what is that? Are you making potions or something?” Jaskier asked, peering over the various bowls on the ground around you.

“Yes,” Ciri answered flippantly, “A potion to make men disappear. Would you like to try?”

He stuck his tongue out at her and this time you did giggle which seemed to remind Jaskier what they were there to do.

“Ah! Yes! Y/N! I had a theory! Well, Geralt had the start of it and then I fleshed it out. In any case we’ve been thinking about why you’ve been so sad lately – don’t deny it, you have been – and we thought it might be because you’re feeling a little taken for granted,” Jaskier explained.

“Well, actually it’s more that I feel like I’m going to be a liability,” you admitted.

“Told you,” Geralt murmured. Your eyes went to him and he saw a pang of hurt in them, “That you felt that way. Not that you are one. I’ve grown accustomed to having you around.”

“Well calm down Geralt you may overwhelm her with that thrilling declaration of affection,” Jaskier said sarcastically.

“What does any of this have to do with you being here?” Yennefer demanded.

“I wanted to give her this,” Geralt answered, and pulled from beneath his cloak a beautiful bow and quiver of arrows. It was a full-sized bow but not as heavy as you expected as you took it from him, standing up to hold them to the candlelight.

“They’re beautiful,” you breathed, “But I can’t shoot, I’ve never learned.”

“That’s the second part of the gift!” Jaskier said, jumping up to stand by you, “We can teach you how! And then the next time things turn sour you don’t have to fight but you’ll know you can. But, Y/N, please don’t start trying to be a hero, alright? We have Geralt and Ciri and Yennefer for that, I need – we need you to try and keep yourself safe first.”

He said this with uncharacteristic solemnity and you felt the others looking at you in the same way. You were struck by how deeply they cared for you, not only your physical safety but your emotional well-being too. Few travelling parties would have noticed, let alone cared, about one of their member seeming upset. Far fewer would have acted on it to try and figure it out or make it better.

“Thank you,” you said, your voice thick with happy, unshed tears. Jaskier pulled you into a hug that Ciri quickly joined.

“What? No group hug?” Jaskier called over to Geralt and Yennefer.

“I’ll get my hugs at girl’s night. Which it will be again. Now,” Yennefer said with a pointed expression. Jaskier considered arguing but his main goal had been to make you smile and when he looked back at you though there were some tears your eyes were shining brightly and you looked happier than he’d seen you in some time.

“I’m leaving because I want to, not because I’m scared of you,” he sniffed at Yennefer. She rolled her eyes and Geralt nodded towards the door.

“You should be,” Geralt muttered into Jaskier’s ear as they passed and when the door shut behind them all three of you laughed.

“Alright,” you said, heart much lighter than it had been in a while, “What do we do with this stuff?”

“You sit still and let Ciri and me work,” Yennefer demanded, and for once you didn’t fight her, secure in your place in the group and their hearts.

#miyakokurono #Platonic!Yennefer x Reader #reader request #The Witcher #drabbles

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yfere · 6 years ago

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M9 Signature Combat Moves (and what they say about them)

AKA, I nerd out over battle strategies and patterns.

Fjord: Fjord is lovely and my favorite person to watch in battle, because his main combat strategy is, get out of dodge, then distract the enemy away from your friends, then get out of dodge, get your friends out of dodge, shove a healing potion down your unconscious friend’s throat while you’re getting them out of dodge. He’s all for the guerilla warfare, and is understandably upset whenever someone implies that it’s not super noble and heroic looking, because it works, right? Keeps him and everyone alive. So among his signature moves are:

Thunderstep. Which he uses to a) bampf himself and his friends (but mostly his friends) out of harms’ way or b) bampf some help to his friends. And by friends we mostly mean “Caleb” because this poor man needs everyone he can looking after him so he isn’t ground into meat paste in .02 seconds. Routinely holds the spell while Bad Shit Is Happening so that he can use it at the exact right moment.

Major Image. For those times you really want the enemy to be looking the other direction while you get out of dodge, or, to encourage them to massacre the group that is not you (an effective distraction!)

Misty Step. Getting some distance, like a hero.

Summon Greater Demon. For chewing spellcasters he doesn’t like to bits, but mostly for absorbing damage from all the mooks that might otherwise be targeting his squishy friends.

Beau: Beau is also lovely, so lovely that she takes precisely the opposite approach to Fjord in battle. The nature of what she does means she is in the enemy’s face. Grappled in every other fight (3/4 of fights?) and on the main? Thinks escaping from the grapple is a fuckin’ waste of time. She’s right where she wants to be, punching your lights out, and learning how better to destroy you all the while. And sure, it might be dangerous, especially when the creature holding your limp unconscious body splashes acid whenever it’s damaged, but hey. The logical upgrade to punching ghosts is to be a punching ghost. So for this violent, curious bean, you have:

Sentinel. I’m sorry, did you forget who you were fighting? You’re fighting Beau. You’re not fighting anyone else. And she is going to stay in your face, whether you like it or not.

Step of the Wind. Used less often for running away from things than running towards things, like things she wants to punch. But also for running towards other goals--like the Plank King who can put an end to the fighting on the docks, like her friend who is burning in lava and needs to be rescued. The reason she has so much movement, you see, is so she can drag your sorry ass out of trouble.

Stun. And that’s why she’s not leaving your space. The power that gets all of the worst creatures completely destroyed. Bye bye giants, bye bye Lorenzo, bye bye Krynn warrior--no, fuck! Well, whoever was responsible for offing the spellcaster is responsible for that, not Beau.

Extract Aspects. Wherein her punches and curious nature help her friends fight more effectively. Hey--hey CALEB! They’re not super wise! Wait--is Caleb down again? Fuck! JESTER! They’re not super wise!

Caleb: The easiest way to describe Caleb is to say that he has two battle modes. By and large, he is the nice and helpful support caster, making his friends more powerful and his foes a lot weaker while he ducks as much as he can out of the line of fire. But there’s another side to Caleb....when things truly go to hell, he brings hellfire raining down upon you, giving no fucks about anything but death. Leaves scores of incinerated bodies in his wake. Makes Fjord do a happy jig. So for him, you have:

Haste. Along with expeditious retreat, this is the spell that leads the whole party to just take it as gospel that Caleb is “as fast as balls.” In general, Caleb casts Haste on people less as a kind of strategy and more to display in his kooky way his love or favoritism or Desire for Friendship. Wants to get on Beau’s good side after telling her his secrets? She gets all the hastes. Feels guilty about leaving Nott to nearly get mauled to death by a dragon? She gets Haste. Needs to demonstrate to a stressed-out Fjord that he supports him in these trying times? Haste. And even if it’s not combat, we should never forget Hasted chopsticks to show love and friendship for Jester. Caleb....maybe you should use your words instead of your spell components, yeah?

Slow. Fuck you, you are not attacking his friends. Bye bye multiattack, bye bye, crazy AC. He’s so keen on saving his friends that he never even manages to wait for Caduceus to make landing the spell easier for him. It’s like a debuffing race between those two.

Fireball. From Caleb, fireball is a death sentence. You have the fleeing giant, but also...........all those pirates. All those gnolls. When Caleb casts Fireball, chances are it’s when he’s passed the point of caring about his own well-being and is only interested in fucking up other people. Downed with a crossbow bolt and just barely revived by Fjord, his only thought is to stumble forward, bleeding profusely, and finish what he started--make everything blow up.

Counterspell/Wall of Fire. So far, used in tandem, and to accomplish the same purpose--to put a big middle finger up at other spellcasters. His goal is to block their line of sight to his important people, bonus points if he can also light some people on fire, and if you even think about fucking with his spell he will smack whatever you try to the ground. Even half dead from exhaustion, he’s just better than you, and he’ll let you know it.

Nott: Like Fjord, she is all about guerilla tactics, about distracting and attacking, and hiding to attack again. She really likes attacking, and has the kill count to prove it. Also like Fjord, Nott is invested in the purchase and dispersal of healing potions--to the point where she annoyed him by buying the potions he requested (so that he could give them to people in trouble) only to keep them herself (so that she could give them to people in trouble). But unlike Fjord, she utilizes the running strategy not to get herself or others to safety necessarily, but rather as another form of distraction, to draw attention to herself and away from the others. For her, you have:

Phantasmal Force. The spell most likely to make her turn up her nose at Fjord and say, “but do you need me to make the illusion even more realistic?” She takes a great deal of pride and joy in it. Absolutely wonderful--a spell to distract in creative ways, to control other people to “thinking things that aren’t real,” the targets justify the illusion, and it deals damage! While Nott uses it for distraction, she also employs it for more creative purposes, like making Avantika relax and change priorities by thinking her journal was recovered.

Bonus Action Disengage. Or more strikingly, not disengaging. Nott will run like hell, and she will take the hit so that the people she loves won’t.

Bonus Action Hide. When the going gets tough, crawl behind something and wait it out, or wait for a good shot. Sometimes works brilliantly--other times what you’re hiding in is a burning building or beneath a bridge actively being collapsed on top of you. The moral of the story Nott takes from this is, running is probably better. At which point you do what you’re more used to--dashing.

Fury of the Small. "That’s my secret. I’m always small.” There’s an interesting commentary to this being a goblin racial trait, because in Nott’s case it probably isn’t fury at things bigger than her so much as fury at being made a goblin, a fury that only grows more potent with time, and more deadly.

Jester: Imagination that kills you, with humor and cuteness! You have to wonder if the pink bits on her dress are floral designs or blood splatters. This woman is a terror, and a person who loves to enter the fray--to the point of picking bar fights with her friends for the thrill of it! You might think, “oh, the cleric wants to get in my face to hurt me, I’ll just make her suffer” but the truth is, the one suffering is going to be you.

Spiritual Weapon. As Iconic a weapon as Fjord’s falchion, and used a lot more frequently. Bludgeons people until they’re nothing more than bloodstains on the ground. Other clerics wish they were as good. Especially Shakaste. Poor Shakaste.

Invoke Duplicity. There to help her friends whenever Jester can’t--or shouldn’t--get somewhere herself. Will fight furniture when Jester needs to look around for a way to help Fjord. Will walk over lava to harm a giant as a distraction. Will, sometimes, be sent over to heal someone who needs it. The beauty of it is that, besides distracting and protecting, it allows her to be wherever she is most needed for a spell.

Inflict Wounds. Jester likes one thing above all, and it is to fuck people up. She’ll do it through her duplicate or she’ll do it herself, but one way or the other she’s going to wind her hands around you and make you bleed through your eyeballs. She’ll cast it on hydras. She’ll cast it on dragons. She’ll cast it on fire giants. She’ll cast it on her best friend who thought that this was a friendly brawl. And it is. Jester is nearly always friendly when she’s destroying you.

Hellish Rebuke. Unless she’s not being friendly. Once upon a time, she had a quip for when she was attacked. Now she will scream and cry out, and just the sound of it will send icy pain to whoever dared to hurt her.

Caduceus: Of everyone in the M9, the most averse to close combat, or more broadly to making a target of himself, ever. Is surprised and upset whenever creatures get close to him, or get it into their heads to attack him. He’s the support. You shouldn’t even notice he’s there. Here are some bugs--how about you attack those? What do you mean he has to get close to do touch-based healing--nope, nope, healing word it is, and only after people are unconscious to maximize its usefulness.

Hidden Step. He really doesn’t want you to notice that he’s here. If he doesn’t do this, he might try literally sinking into the ground to avoid you.

Bane. The quintessential Caduceus spell. Aptly named for how miserable it makes all his enemies. Works beautifully both for protecting those who are close to the enemy, and gels very nicely with Jester fucking shit up and Fjord distracting the enemy and whatever the hell Caleb is planning to do if....if they fucking wait for him to cast it..............

Sentinel at Death’s Door. He really doesn’t want his friends to die. It’s expensive. And there’s a certain impatient ass of a wizard who just might have died instantly if he hadn’t been hovering around him at the time. Sigh.

Path to the Grave. Caduceus is not one to get his hands dirty. Well, dirt is fine, but not so much the living blood of his foes. No, he likes to deal his damage by proxy, through his bug swarm but especially through Yasha. She already deals so much damage, and isn’t it beautiful to watch her deal twice as much of it? Bonus points if it makes Yasha look like the big scary target, and not him.

Yasha: As always, Yasha is a hard one for me, because I want to distinguish Travis-Yasha from Ashley-Yasha, but the fact of it is I haven’t seen much of Ashley-Yasha for a while. So it’s hard. But there’s one thing in particular that has stood out to me about Yasha and the way she works, and that is

Rage. Or rather, her hesitation to rage. She’s a fighting machine who isn’t happy being a fighting machine, and there are so many times she chooses not to fly into a rage and start hitting things when she thinks being calm and talking things out is an option. She asks the lightning-creature a question, asks if it was sent from the Stormlord. “Yeah...he’s going to attack you,” Matt says. But that’s the important thing--she didn’t instigate. Ever. She didn’t get angry first. She waits, and tries everything other than the killing, until she’s provoked past the point of reason. You could even argue this as a story justification for her low initiative rolls--she just doesn’t want to get angry and attack. Not unless she has to.

#critical role #cr spoilers #meta #fjord #beauregard #caleb widogast #nott the brave #jester lavorre #caduceus clay #yasha nydoorin #I also want to do a non-combat post

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dear-selena · 5 years ago

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Crushing Circumstances (Peter Parker x Reader) One-Shot

Peter Parker x Reader

Summary: You have a huge crush on Spider-Man. Peter Parker has a huge crush on you. When you admit that you’d put yourself in danger to see your favorite hero, Peter doesn’t handle that information well.

For @autumnlyholland‘s 400 Follower Writing Challenge

Prompt: “You aren’t who I thought you were.”

Warnings: A little angst, mentions of hurting yourself, fluff at end

A/N: Hello! So I wanted to support my friend Jazzy (CONGRATS ON 400 FOLLOWERS), and write this story as part of her #jazzy400writingchallenge. I might have gotten a little carried away with the prompt, and I might not have made it as angsty as I could have, but I like what I came up with, so I hope you enjoy!

I’ll admit that I’ve had some writers block for Sketchbook, but I can assure you I haven’t forgotten about that story! Hopefully, writing some other stories for a bit will help remotivate me to finish that story XD.

Words: 2764

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Sighing contently, you prop your elbow up and hold your head up as you watch yet another YouTube video of your favorite web-slinging hero.

Spider-Man was at it again yesterday, stopping a group of prison escapees that caused havoc in the city streets. While people in the video reacted rather terrified to the danger the prison rioters caused, you weren’t paying attention to them. Instead, your focus was on the handsomely fit superhero that wore an iconic red and blue suit.

Spider-Man was insanely heroic, how could you not have a crush on him?

Ever since an accident that happened two months prior, you’d been head-over-heels for the man in the mask. You were having a rather bad day, taking a walk in the city. While you were crossing a bridge, Some large drone-like device appeared out of nowhere, catching everyone within the vacinity’s attention. The drone machine started shooting up the bridge, causing parts of it to crumble. You tried to run away, fearing for your life, when the drone shot the concrete beneath your feet and you began to fall.

You were expecting to hit the water intensely, ultimately causing your death. However, you suddenly felt a strong pair of arms wrap around you, and you had looked up to see the one and only Spider-Man swinging you back to safety.

He had swung over to where the bridge ended. “(Y/)-uh, Miss! Are you okay?” He asked quite frantically. All you did was nod your head, caught in a daze and your heartbeat accelerating at his words. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Before you know it, Spider-Man was off, defeating the drone-like thing within a matter of ten minutes. Police came to the scene, and double checked to make sure no one got hurt. There was some talk of a Mastermind with octopus-like robotic tentacles being the guilty party for the strange attack.

You didn’t expect Spider-Man to return, but he did.

He double checked to make sure you were okay, and learned your name. He offered to web-sling you home, and you couldn’t help the blush that appeared on your face. He got you back home within 5 minutes, and dropped you off on your fire escape. As he left, you had two things on your mind. One, you had wanted to learn more about the man that saved your life, and two, you should have at least asked for his phone number or for some way to talk to him again.

So here you are, before first period, sitting at your desk, admiring your crush from afar. You knew the attacks from someone whose been dubbed Doc Oc are getting worse and worse, but you didn’t care. You didn’t care because it gave you more crime-fighting footage of your hero, of the man you wish would come back to your fire escape. You didn’t admit this to anyone, but you sometimes wished you’d find yourself in danger again so that Spider-Man can rescue you one more ti-.

“Oh my god, are you seriously watching Spider-Man videos this early in the morning?”

You snap out of your thoughts and turn to see your friend, MJ, plop into the desk next to you, raising her eyebrow.

You nod, blushing as your smile grew. “Girl, you know I can’t help it! He’s such a great guy.”

MJ scoffed. “(Y/N), you don’t even know a thing about him. He saved you one time.”

“Yes, and he’s had my heart ever since. I absolutely adore that man.” Hearts were practically coming out of your eyes.

At that moment, it felt like someone was watching you from across the room. Turning around, you saw another classmate and good acquaintance of yours, Peter Parker, quickly put his head behind a book he was holding. You couldn’t help but turn away utterly confused. This isn’t the first time you’ve noticed Peter acting weird towards you. In fact, for the past two months, you noticed his weird antics more and more. ‘Maybe he was just socially awkward’ you would say to yourself every time anything happened. But secretly, you kind of enjoyed the attention he gave you. He was a cutie after all, and so smart. Even though you weren’t close, he’d sometimes take the time to talk to you, asking if you were alright when you were having a rough day at school. He was a pretty great guy.

But he was no Spider-Man.

“Whatever (Y/N),” MJ said, bringing you back into the conversation. “Have fun with unrealistic expectations.”

You playfully roll your eyes as you focus back on the video. Even though you know MJ was right, you couldn’t help but daydream otherwise. Girls in highschool normally had crushes on the star athlete in school or even celebrities. But here you were, pining over someone that kept their identity a secret from the world.

You were okay with that.

-----------

“Dude!” Ned whispers to Peter, who was also across the room. “Stop staring. (Y/N)’s probably onto you now.”

Peter looked over at Ned from the safety of his book, sending him a look of disbelief. “I doubt it,” He said dejected. “She likes Spider-Man, not Peter. She probably thinks I’m just some creep.”

Ned could only nod in agreement. “Well, you kind of are acting like one.”

Pressing his lips together, Peter put his barricade of a book down and put his full attention onto his best friend. “I don’t know what to do Ned,” Peter admits, a blush appearing on his cheeks. “I really like her, and she likes me too. Just… not as Peter.” If Peter didn’t feel pathetic before, he really felt it now.

Ned rolled his eyes. “Just go up to (Y/N) and actually talk to her as Peter. Maybe ask her out?” He suggested.

Peter blinked, switching his attention from Ned back to you, who continues to watch the footage of him from yesterday with a smile on your face. Once again, Peter blushes as he feels butterflies erupt in his stomach just from looking at you. Peter was so thankful to save you two months ago when the bridge almost collapsed. He’s honestly thought of pursuing a relationship with you as Spider-Man, knowing that you were practically in love with his hero-self. But deep down, he knew he’d hate having to hide himself from you. He wanted you love him for him, not because he was your superhero crush.

Why was everything in his life so complicated?

Thinking about what Ned said, Peter slowly starts to nod his head. “Y-you’re right. I should try to talk to her more.”

Ned raises an eyebrow, utterly surprised. “Wow, Peter. I think this is the first time you’re taking my advice.”

Before Peter could answer, the teacher walks into the classroom and the bell rings, indicating the start of class. However, Peter didn’t focus at all. Instead, he was thinking of how to approach you and possibly ask you out. Maybe he could use the facade of his ‘Stark Internship’ to tell you that he knew Spider-Man and start a conversation with you that way. Whatever the case, he was both excited and nervous to try and pursue the girl he’s been crushing on for almost all of high school now.

---------

You and MJ make your way to the school’s cafeteria, your packed lunch in you hand and a book in hers.

“Oh, Ned and Peter are sitting with us today. Not sure why they asked for permission, but I’m just giving you the heads up.” MJ Informs you.

“Oh!” you couldn’t help but feel your heart leap at the thought of sitting with Peter. Sure, you’ve talked before, and he was good friends with MJ, but you don’t really know him well. Hopefully you don’t make a fool of yourself.

Meanwhile, Ned and Peter had just sat down at an empty table. Peter immediately begins to shake his leg, making the whole table shake.

“Whoa,” Ned says as he holds Peter’s leg down. “You’ll be okay. It’s just lunch.”

“I know, I’m just so anxious. I just decided to pursue (Y/N) like, 3 hours ago.” Peter admits.

Ned chuckles at his best friend’s nervousness. “You don’t need to ask her out right now. Just get to know her more.”

Before the two boys can share any more words with each other, they spot you and MJ walking in their direction. “Sup losers.” MJ greets plopping herself down across the two boys. You quickly sit down next to her. Immediately making eye contact with Peter.

“H-hi (Y/N),” Peter stutters out, a shy smile on his face. Was he always this adorable?

“Hey Peter,” You respond, sending him a small smile.

Lunch was pretty calm, MJ and Ned carrying most of the conversation, and you trying to chime in with some sort of input. Peter sat there, listening to everyone contently, and catching glimpses of you. He loved it when MJ made a joke and you laughed. Your laughter was like music to his ears.

However, things start to get chaotic when Ned mentions Spider-Man.

“Did you guys see the footage of Spider-Man fighting escaped prisoners?” Ned asks, with a sense of enthusiasm in his voice. Peter and you immediately look up.

“Oh no, don’t star-” MJ tries to say.

“yES! Of course I did!” You practically shout, bouncing out of your seat. “He’s amazing isn’t he?”

MJ simply face palms, feeling second-hand embarrassment. On the other hand, Ned was knowingly smirking, and Peter was turning beet red.

“Haha, yeah! I heard that Doc Oc aided in helping the prisoners escape.” Ned tried to continue the conversation with her.

“Really? Wow, Spider-Man is so brave to keep putting up with that guy,” You practically gush, putting your hands to your heart.

Ned quickly looks over at Peter, who was on the verge of passing out. “Yeah, really.”

Before you could stop yourself, you starts to ramble. “Spider-Man saved me a few months back. He’s so amazing. I want to see him again.”

Ned raises an eyebrow, trying so hard not to burst out laughing. “Really now?”

“Yes, I honestly I want him to save me again. I’d put myself in danger just to see my love again.”

This made the three others at the table look at you confused, Peter having more concern.

“W-what?” Ned asks kind of shocked.

“I just want to see him again,” You admit, blushing on the spot. “He was so sweet and I just felt such a genuine connection when he saved me. I regret not asking who he was. I just want to see him again. I’m willing to do anything to see him again, even risking my life just to have him rescue me again.”

“But (Y/N),” MJ butts him, trying to bring you back to reality. “He might not be there to rescue you this time.”

“I know,” You sigh. “But, I just want to see him again. I’d do anything for him. I love him, and there’s no one else I want to be with.”

You knew you were overexaggerating, but next thing you know, Peter quickly stands up and grabs his bag. “Gotta go,” He mumbles as he practically runs out of the cafeteria. You, Ned, and MJ were left looking in his direction. You’d never seen Peter so upset.

“W-was it something I said?” You quietly ask, suddenly feeling guilty for your behavior.

All Ned could do was shrug. “Honestly, I have no idea.”

----------

The rest of the school day felt off.

You didn't see Peter for the rest of the day, but you couldn’t help the guilt you felt after he stormed out at lunch. You couldn’t help but wonder if he was jealous of your feelings for Spider-Man. After all, he does act very shy around you, and you’ve caught him staring at your on numerous occasions. Maybe he likes you.

You hoped you didn’t just start an awkward love triangle.

That night, you were sitting at your desk in your bedroom, distracting yourself from the day by jamming to some music and trying to finish up homework for the night. You were getting into the rhythm of it, when you suddenly heard a knock at your window. Startled, you jump in your seat and look over. You gasp and practically die on the spot as you catch a glimpse of the red and blue suited man that you’ve wanted to see again for so long.

Spider-Man was on your fire escape.

Running over to your window and almost tripping on your bed in the process, you open up your window. “Sp-Spider-Man,” You breathe out, your insides instantly melting.

“Hey (Y/N),” He says, making your stomach do somersaults. “A-are you busy right now?”

You immediately shake your head. “Nope, not at all.”

Spider-Man nods. “Think I can steal you real quick? I want to talk to you.”

Your heart was ready to burst out your chest. “Y-yeah of course!”

Spider-Man extends his hand and helps you onto the fire escape. He tells you to hold on tight, and you willingly do as he shoots a web and sends the two of your flying into the air. You couldn’t help but sigh with contentment in his arms, feeling nice and warm and safe.

The two of you land on your building’s rooftop, a beautiful view of Queens leaving you in awe. Before you can admire it more, you remember that your crush had just whisked you away, and was still holding onto you.

Spider-Man cleared his throat and took a step away from you, much to your dismay. “S-so, I actually wanted to talk to you about something personal. Something to do with me.”

Your can feel your heart skip a beat at his words. “Sure, is everything okay?”

“Y-yeah. I just need to be honest with you.”

Your heart starts to race more. What does this mean?

“So, I actually know you outside of the ‘hero stuff’ I do,” He gestures to his suit. “And I know you like me, a lot.”

You stop breathing, eyes growing wide and mouth agape. “W-what?”

“And I know I shouldn’t be doing this because I can’t risk my identity being revealed, and I’d hate to disappoint you with the real me. But you were talking about putting yourself in danger earlier because of me, and I can’t- I can’t stand it knowing you’d hurt yourself for me. It’d kill me if you got yourself hurt, a-and I didn’t know how to react earlier because I’ve liked you for so long and-.”

“Wait,” You cut your web-slinging crush off mid sentence, putting the pieces of the puzzle together that he was practically handing you. “P-Peter? Peter Parker?”

Spider-Man stands there frozen for a moment, before sighing in defeat and going to rip off his mask. Suddenly, the nerdy boy from class was standing in front of you, hair sweaty and messy, face in utter terror, and body covered in the suit you’ve grown to admire. “H-hey (Y/N)...” He says with a nervous smile.

“You’re Spider-Man? And you like me?” You question.

Peter’s shoulders drop, ready to accept rejection. “Yeah, and I’m so sorry (Y/N). I’ve liked you for so long, and then I found out you love Spider-Man, and I didn’t think me as Peter had a chance. But the last thing I want to do is see you put yourself in danger. You shouldn’t do that. It’d kill me if you hurt yourself. Besides, it’s only me, some weird, awkward kid from school. I’m not someone worth risking your life fo-.”

Peter’s eyes widen as he suddenly feels your lips on his. Peter was shocked at first, wondering if he was dreaming or not. But then he felt your hands reach out to intertwine with his and he instantly melts into the kiss. He closes his eyes and starts kissing you back passionately, lips moving in sync with yours. After what felt like an eternity (which in reality was only a minute), you pull away for breath. Peter opens his eyes slowly to see you looking at him with a look of affection in your eyes.

“You aren’t who I thought you were,” You admit.

Peter simply chuckles. “I know.”

You kiss him again, loving the feeling of your favorite hero’s lips on yours, and having a strong desire to get to know him outside of his crime fighting life. “But I’m so glad it’s you, Peter. I’m so glad I like you.”

-----------

-Peter Parker Tag List-

@sweetcoffeeblandtea // @house-arya // @jovialpeanut // @bookstoreblossom // @jackiehollanderr

-Marvel Tag List-

@sammghgecko

-Permanent Tag List-

@mindset-jupiter // @romance-geek // @imcharishope // @fakindob // @cutiekoa // @wowursofunny // @cals-cigarette // @delicately-important-trash // @unlikelygalaxygiver

#peter parker fanfiction #peter parker #peter parker x reader #spiderman #spiderman fanfiction #marvel #mcu #jazzy400writingchallenge #dear-selena fanfiction

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crazyrandomfucker · 5 years ago

Text

Marichat May day 5: Dare

Summary:

What happens when a group of teenager superheroes visit regularely two civilians and become close friends to them with their superheroes' identities? The answer is heroic sleepovers with a chance of truth or dare.

Notes:

Here all of the characters are a bit aged-up to the point of being on their 20's. The identity reveal still hasn't happened but it's become a type of tradition to hang out with the Dupain-Cheng twins after patrolling. The fox miraculi and the turtle miraculi have already been established as permanent aditions to the heroe's team with the four superheroes: Salihafa (Nina), Carapace, Rena Rouge and Zorro Rojo (Alen). And there are also two new villains called Papilioniadae and Le Paon, who are Gabriel's sister-in-law Amy and his secretary Nathan, the former being Le Paon and the Later Papilionidae. The heroes believe that Papilionidae is the boss of Le Paon, but it's the opposite way.

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

After a disastrous series of events, the superheroes knew that they would loose sooner or later if they continued to do everything simply by themselves. Hawk Moth had gained the knowledge to repair one of the broken miraculous of the Peacock, assuring Mayura as a definitive addition to his forces. That would have forced the heroes to choose temporary superhero to help them on the fights and return the miraculi afterwards, but something worse happened. The other pair of lost Miraculi became activated and two new villiains decided to attack Paris under the names of Papilionidae and Le Paon. To make things even worse, the normal akuma andamok attacks turned into a new direction as the villains also fought against each other. Three sides were stablished: the heroes, who tried to manage fighting against crime and supervillains on a daily basis; the original villains, Hawk Moth and Mayura; and the newcomers villains, Le Paon and Papilionidae, who mainly focused on disrupting any attempts of Hawk Moth just to the go against the heroes to claim the miraculi.

Since the newer criminals were addad to the frame, the heroes battles became so intense that they were overwhelmed and could not slither away to recruit new heroes. After some serious discussion, they decided to add four more miraculi into the frame: the Fox miraculi, whose illusions could help to escape and recruit new heroes, having learnt from their past mistakes; and the Turtle miraculi, who could protect them for a while in case that things came to worst. Both heroes duo, the cats and the bugs, had quite the hard time to choose who would wield the miraculi, given that Hawk Moth and most likely Papilionidae knew the identities of the previous wielders. After long discussions, they decided to give the miraculi to their previous wielders and teach them to change their outfit in order to fool the villains.

It was decided that Chat Noir and Kitty Noire would give the miraculi of the Turtle to Nino and Nina Lahiffe while Ladybug and Lordbug would be giving the Fox miraculi to Alya and Alen Cesaire, explaining the current situation and then used their spare moments after patrol to completely train them. Just like that, the battles against Hawk Moth and Papilionidaee became easier to handle and the big amount of stress that the heroes had previously accumulated with the simultanious attacks of their enemies. And even if the villains had gained allies lika Lila Rossi or the Bourgeoise twins, the group of eight superheroes had much less difficulties dealing with them.

Once the newbie heroes were definitely stablished and use to their patrolling routines, Ladybug and Lordbug decided to show them their secret meeting place, the Kwami Cave, a teashop under the name of Xia and Ming Quiet Tea Shop that also hosted a mini bar of sorts for superheroes at the second floor, having a secret entrance for superheroes on the rooftop. It was fine for them to hang out there since the owners of the place were no other than the siblings of master Fu, so they knew everything about the kwamis and the miraculi and also supported from the shadows the heroes. After all, it was them who initially suggested taking the risk of incrementing the number of miraculous holders to turn the tides against Hawk Moth and Papilionidae.

On the other side, whenever the bugs weren't patroling, the meetings post-patrol at the Kwami Cave were a bit bland, but the cats had an idea. Why couldn't the newbies meet the other two people who secretly supported them too. They discussed the idea with Lordbug and Ladybug for a long time, but the bugs eventually gave in and explained the situation to the new superheroes, specially emphasizing to Rena Rouge and Zorro Rojo that they were not to interrogate either Marinette or Marin about Ladybug's and Lordbug's secret identity, also asking them to forgive the designers for keeping such a secret from them, but apparently the foxes could understand it.

And so, on a fated day, the cats, foxes and turtles went to the Dupain-Cheng rooftop. Chat and Kitty knocked on Marin's and Marinette's trapdoor and the twins came out, surprised to see all of them there. They spent the afternoon in Marin's bedroom talking and eating cookies, but there definitely was some major teasing towards the cats for apparently hanging out so much with civilians, specially to Chat Noir who mainly visited Marinette and not Marin. They left a couple of hours later, everyone happy after having so much fun, which led them to agree that it would be something that they wanted to repeat from time to time.

And so they did. In just a matter of months, the regular nightly visits to the Dupain-Cheng teenagers from the cats turned into visits from everyone. They loved to spend time like that, using her superheroes identities to interact with their own civilian friends, befriending them once more and generally enjoying spending time with them since they had been quite busy lately. Then the normal visits would sometimes turn into sleepovers at either Marin's or Marinette's room, playing games and watching films until the designers fell asleep. It was quite usual to make videogames competitions, but not even the faster reflexes given by the miraculous could help the heroes win against Marinette, who almost always won their competitions.

But then it came, the night where they really made a decent sleepover, asking for permission to Tom and Sabine to stay and everything. The cats were obviously ecstasic about the whole ordeal, since it wasn't a normal ocurrence that they had an sleepover. The turtles were quite hyped, because hanging with their superheroes friends was so rad, particulary when they got to hang out with Marinette and Marin too, even if it was a pity that Ladybug and Lordbug couldn't go as well in order to avoid that Marin or Marinette accidentally slipped their secret identities. And of course, the foxes were soooo smug about the sleepover, having already planned beforehand lots of tricks and games to play all night long, like seven minutes in heaven or never have I ever (thought they weren't drinking alcohol to avoid any... Possible incidents).

It all started pretty much as usual, they came after patrol and knocked on the trapdoors. Marin and Marinette let them in, but instead of staying on their rooms like usual, they went to greet Tom and Sabine and have dinner with them, helping to set the table and bringing the food to the table. After finishing their meal and sing their praises to Tom for his eggscelent foccacia and quiche, they had upstairs again to Marin's bedroom to begin their sleepovers. Marinette brings two trays filled with treats for the night while Marin prepares the sleeping bags for everyone. The heroes put on their pyjamas (over the suits of course) and lay on the floor in a somehow circle-like shape around the tray of baked goodies. And finally, the fun begins.

"So, has any of you planned something for tonight?" asks Marinette.

"We haven't, we'll go along with whatever you think it's fine" says Kitty Noire.

"I'm thinking of playing the usual sleepover games" says Salihafa. "Unless someone in here is too much of a chicken to go through a bit of embarrassement~".

"Is that so? We also planned on playing those" says Zorro Rojo with a very suspicious smug smile.

"After all, what's better than playing those kind of game in a sleepover?" ask Rena Rouge equally smugly.

"I don't like where this is going" says Marinette, perfectly knowing what Alya can do after six years of being best friends.

"Don't be such a party-pooper Princess, I'm sure this will be funnt" says Chat.

"Chat Noir, I'm sorry but I don't think anything can get funnier than seeing you in that Ladybug pyjama" says Salihafa snorting.

"Hey!" protests Chat Noir.

"Don't worry dude, I think it's awesome" says Carapace.

"I would personaly say that is awkward to see a guy with a pyjama based on the girl he was after for so much time" says Marin chuckling. "But hey, it's still respectable".

Rena and Zorro burst into laughs while Marinette giggles and Salihafa chokes on the macaron she was eating. "Damn Marin, are you flamethrower? Because you just roasted Chat like a boss" says Zorro.

"I think I can understand now why Chat Noir doesn't visits you that much" says Marinette rolling her eyes, while Chat is trying to articulate words to reply to Marin.

"I don't know, I'm pretty sure that it's because he prefers to see a pretty lady" says Rena with the face™.

"Well, I think Ladybug makes sure to avoid being here whenever anyone of you comes" says Marinette. "So I don't think there's any other pretty lady for him to visit".

"Says the young aspiring designers who left behind a club of fans on Lyceé and as my sources reveals, is being worshipped as a goddess on college" says Zorro Rojo as he gestures like he's checking something on a notebook.

"Wait what?"asks Marinette very surprised turning her head to the foxy-boy.

"Well, according to a contact of ours you do have some sort of followers and probably are the main focus of a new-founded religion about stunning designers" says Rena. "And by the way, Marin is considered the 'Top 1 boy I would want to date' by the ninety-eight percent of your college's girls and a fair bit of the boys".

"Such a pity that he already has a model as his girlfriend" says Kitty, I would have loved to snatch him and Marinette all for me" says Kitty Noire winking at the designer twins.

"How many times I've told you Kitty Noire, I'm not into polyamorous relations, specially if my brother is on the equation" says Marinette.

"Also, I'm claiming her for myself" says Rena squeezing Marinette. "So you can't have her you mangy cat".

"Excuse me? I think you are all forgetting something" says Marinette slightly amused.

"Yeah, you're all forgetting that she's my gaming rival!" says Chat Noir, finally recovering his sanity.

"Dude, they are fighting for a woman to marry her, you can still play videogames with her after their wedding" says Carapace.

"Oh, but I thought that Carapace and Rena Rouge were already a thing, same for Salihafa and Zorro Rojo" says Marin smirking. "That's what Lordbug told me at least".

"Traitor! How could he!" roars Zorro. "That was not very bro of him".

"While I do agree with you brother, I think were forgetting about something" says Rena. "We were going to play games, weren't we?"

"That we were Rena" says Salihafa smiling knowingly. "Should we beggin then?"

"But of course" says Kitty Noire. "Should we begin with a classic like truth or dare?"

"Oh girl, I like the way you think" says Rena Rouge.

"I'm sensing disaster" says Marin.

"Don't be so sour Marin, it's just going to be a fun game" says Chat.

"Yup, definitely, catastrophe is ensured" says Marin.

"Come on man, the pussycat should be Chat, not you" says Zorro and Marin rolls his eyes. "Come on you can even go first".

"As if that would make it better" says Marin. "Alright, I go first then".

"Don't be shy Sewwy-Boy" teases Salihafa.

"Then Salihafa, truth or dare?" asks Marin with a smile on his face.

"Dare, do your worst" says smugly Salihafa.

"Gladly" says Marin with a full-blown grin. "I dare you to sit on Zorro's lap while hugging him for five turns".

Salihafa and Zorro Rojo both turn Ladybug red and laughs burst among the teenagers. "Just remember that this is not your house guys, so don't get too touchy feely" teases Marinette.

"I'll get you two for this" says Salihafa mortified as she sits on top of Zorro and hugs him. "Rena, truth or dare".

"For now let's do a truth" says Rena.

"Then tell us, is it true that my brother is the one leading your kisses" asks Salihafa.

"That was a low blow sis" says Carapace.

"He sometimes does, but normally I'm the one kissing him senseless" says Rena Rouge.

"To the point of being distracted before patrol" adds Kitty Noire smirking.

"Kitty, sweety, truth or dare" says Rena Rouge glaring her.

"I'm going to say truth. Who knows what would you make me do" says Kitty.

"I think Rena is the type of person who makes worse truths than dares" comments Marinette.

"Relax, I'll start softly" says Rena smirking. "Tell us Kitty, is there some boy or some girls that you're in love with?"

"Totally, I'm dating with someone you know" says Kitty Noire smirking. "Such a pity I can reveal who I'm dating because of the secret identity".

"Very clever" says Rena squinting. "Very. Clever".

"Thank you ReRo" says Kitty. "Now, Marinette, truth or dare?"

"I get the feeling that I'm goig to be embarrassed either way, so dare" sighs Marinette.

"I'll be kind to you Princess. I dare you to give a butt slap the most beautiful of the room" says Kitty Noire.

"Beautiful? Not hadsome but beautiful, huh?" says Marinette pondering. She stands up and slaps Rena's and Kitty's butts very loudly. "This are the most beautifully slappable of the room".

"Damn girl, you do now how to butt slap" says Rena caressing her rear.

"It's not my fault you two have two slappy butts, is it" asks Marinette. "Actually I think Salihafa is the most beautiful, but I didn't quite want to interrupt her quality time with Zorro".

"Understandeable, the council declares this as valid" says Chat Noir.

"Silly cat" says Marinette rolling her eyes at the buffoon. "Anyways, Carapace, choose".

"Normally I would be glad you're the one daring or asking me a question, but I'm honestly quite afraid right now" says Carapace.

"Just choose already so we can turn the tides on her" complains Rena Rouge.

"Then I choose dare" says Carapace.

"Don't worry Shelly, I'm not going hard on you. For now" says Marinette winking. "I dare you to tickle Rena Rouge on... let's say her feet, something tells me she's the type of person to be ticklish there".

"Carapace, don't" says Rena. "I'm warning you. I'll punch you in the face".

"But babe, it's a dare" says Carapace sheepishly. "I have to do it".

"Carapace no. CARAPACE N-" tries to say Alya as she tries to back away, but Chat holds her while Carapace tickles her feet, making Rena burst into laughs until she begs for mercy breathless.

"Okay, I've done it now" declares Carapace. "Chat, truth or dare dude?"

"I'm all in for a dare from my bro" says Chat looking at Carapace on his eyes with his full model power.

"Bro" says Carapace looking at him.

"Just kiss already!" says Kitty chuckling.

"Bro, by the power of bromance, I dare yo to yeet a macaron to the fairiest of them all" says Carapace ignoring Kitty.

"You know that's how the war of Troya begun, right?" says Marin. "Especially since there are already taken girls".

"Oh my, thank you for worrying Marin, but I won't sway away from my Shelly for a leathery catboy" says Rena.

"Well, while I do admit that you are gorgeous Rena, you're not my type" says Chat as he picks up a macaron. "But I think the closest one to my type here should be our little Princess" says throwing her a macaron gently.

She grabs it mid air. "You flatter me Kit-Cat, but you won't get more treats because of this" says Marinette smiling at him.

"I was rather thinking on a certain mouse instead of pastries" says Chat winking at her.

"Say one word more and you're not getting any more croissants Chat" says Marinette.

"That sounds interesting" says Rena smirking.

"Want another tickle attack?" replies Marinette.

"Ah, yes. That's the Sassinette I love" says Kitty Noire.

"Anyway" says Chat holding his hands up to gather attention. "Zorro Rojo, care to chooseth thy fate of thee?"

"But of course Chat" answers Zorro getting a chievalry-like feeling of inspiration. "I choose truth, for I have no secrets to hide".

"What do Salihafa's lips taste like?" asks Rena.

"Dear Rena, I believe it was my turn" says Chat feigning offence. "I ask thee, Zorro, whom I will respect as a chevalier, what is your take on anime?"

"OP I love some of the animes my man has recommended to me, but I know nothing outside of those" says Zorro.

"I see your man is a man of culture then" says Chat Noir.

"That he is" affirms Zorro Rojo. "Then, tis mine turn, isn't it? Marin, truth or dare?"

"Truth, I ain't getting your revenge simply like that" says Marin.

"Then please illuminate us, is it true that you were onto someone before going out with mademoiselle Agreste? If yes, whom?" asks Zorro grinning.

"That's not something you could easily guess, and something only a bunch of people know, are you perhaps hinting that I know your civilian side?" asks Marin smirking.

"I have my ways to get information. After all, a good illusion can't be done without information" replies smugly Zorro.

"Fine. Yes, I did have a crush on someone" says Marin. "But since it's just a truth, and not two, I won't say the name".

"Sneaky, but fair, I'll accept it" says Zorro.

"Then it's my turn. Salihafa, you've been awfully quiet, so tell me, truth or dare?" asks Marin.

"Truth" says Salihafa glaring at Marin.

"Is it nice to be able to be so lovey dovey with your boyfriend?" asks Marin.

"It is very much thank you" says Salihafa with her face burried on Zorro's chest.

"It's good to be young" says Marinette smiling.

"Rena, avenge me" says Salihafa. "Truth or dare".

"Dare, to make it spicy before our revenge" says Rena.

"I dare you to pick two person for seven minutes in heaven and shove them in a closet" says Salihafa.

"With pleasure" says Rena as she stands up and picks up Marinette, carrying her bridestyle just to dump her onto Chat arms and then shove them inside Marin's bathroom.

"I didn't expect that, but I approve" says Kitty Noire.

"Oh don't worry, it's your turn sweety" says Rena Rouge. "You said you were dating someone right? What do you like about... Him? Her? Them?"

"Well, there are an awful lot of thinks I like about him. Like, for example, the adorable face he puts when he's concentrated, the way he can picture us both being a happy family in the future, his kindness" says Kitty staring at the universe. "And let's face it, that killer body he has is definitely a huge bonus. Like he seems fit at first, but whenever I grab his arm I can feel that he's ripped".

"Damn girl, I never knew you were like that" says Alya.

"Say whatever you want sweetie, but I'm just saying that he could crack nuts with his arm" says Kitty Noire smugly.

"I know someone else who can crack nuts with his arm" says Carapace looking at Marin.

"I'm not that fit Carapace" says Marin eye rolling.

"I'm not sure about it, should we check that?" asks Rena smirking.

"Oh for sure" says Salihafa. "We need to check that. Care to help us discern Kitty Noire?"

"My pleasure" says Kitty Noire as she jumps onto Marin, shoving him to the ground as she picks her arms.

"I think we need to get off his pyjama shirt for that" says Zorro Rojo as he somehow gets some markers out from thin air.

"I'll help with that" says Kitty grinning as he picks one of the markers. "Don't resist Prince Charming".

"I'm just gonna say that wouldn't do that" says Carapace.

"Don't worry Shelly, this is just for scientific purpouses" says Rena as Salihafa get's Marin's shirt up.

"Damn Marin, I didn't know you were this fit. You could grate cheese in here" says Salihafa.

"Oh, let me show you just how is the shape of his muscles" says Zorro drawing on Marin's torso, outlining his abs.

"And look at this strong arms, I'm sure you could even win against us in a wrestle match" says Rena Rouge inspecting his arms.

"He can" says Carapace. "That's why I said that I wouldn't do that".

"Wait, what?" asks Kitty just as Marin switfly gets out of her hold, quickly jumping to Zorro Rojo and locking him.

"Now it's my turn, isn't it?" asks Marin as he picks the marker and begins to draw on Zorro's face.

"What the funk just happened?!" asks Salihafa flipping.

"There's a reason why you don't mess with a designer son of a baker Salihafa" says Marin picking a rope from underneath his bed and quickly ties Salihafa and Zorro Rojo with it.

"Since when can you do that?!" asks Rena surprised.

"I carry a lot of heavy ingredients sacks and thanks to designing, I know a thing or two about laces, ropes and knots" says Marin cracking his knuckles. "Prepare for tickles Miss Pickles".

"It's scary how threatening souned that despite being so lame" says Kitty Noire.

"Marin Dupain-Cheg, do not dare to tickle me" says Rena seriously. "Babe! Do something!"

"I legitelly warned you all" points Carapace. "I know how damn strong he is, I saw him beating Chat in a wrestling competition. I also saw Marinette knocking Chat out of a roof throwing him a pillow from her balcony, so I ain't messing with them".

"Babe!" exclaims Rena Rouge indignant.

"Alright, alright. But I'm not getting on his bad side" says Carapace getting up. He pushes Kitty Noire towards Marin. "Shellter!"

The virtually impenetrable sphere surrounds Marin and Kitty Noire, preventing Marin to get Rena. "Carapace!" complains Kitty Noire.

"You were the one who wanted to have a feel of his muscles" says the hero shrugging. "Now, Marin, I'm taking you both to Marinette's bedroom. You do wahtever you have to do".

"You know I'm not going to do anything like hitting them or so, right?" says Marin. "I was simply going to tickle Al-Rena and then remove the treats for Kitty".

"You wouldn't?!" says astonished Kitty Noire.

"You bet I'm doing it as soon as we get out and I get something for Carapace's kwami to eat" says Marin.

"Thank you, I'll need lettuce. I'll be inside my sleeping bag" says Carapace and leaves them on Marinette's room.

"Now this is awkward" says Kitty Noire.

"Just this? Stripping me and holding me down wasn't awkward for you?" says Marin.

"That's that and this is this" replies Kitty Noire. "That was just a little prank".

"This is just a little prank from Carapace" points Marin.

"I'm not sure that this could be considered as a prank" says Kitty.

"Again, and stripping me was?" says Marin.

"Of course it was!" says Kitty Noire.

"Sometimes you remember me so much to my girlfriend Adrienne" says MArin. "You both are stubborn and have quite the wrong definition of prank".

"I'm sure that your girlfriend is as sorry as me for not having the same definition as you" says pettily Adrienne.

"Don't think so, because even if they aren't quite exactly pranks, I still love her effort" says Marin. "I love your effort too by the way, just try not to get me naked next time, alright?".

"Hey, Marin" says Kitty suddenly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, shoot".

"Who were you in love with before your girlfriend Adrienne? I don't remember ever hearing about that from you" says Kitty Noire.

"That's... That's because I never told you" says Marin blushing a bit.

"Why?"

"Because... It was an impossible love from the beginning. Someone who was out of my reach, just like Adrienne. But Adriennedid her best to reach to me and managed to make me fall for her".

"Someone as out of reach as a supermodel? Who is that girl?" asks Kitty.

"You. It was always you. I couldn't get you out of my head and my heart raced each time you came to have a chat after patrol" says Marin, turning around so Kitty couldn't see his face.

"M-Me?" asks cautiously Kitty Noire.

"Yeah, the girl who bravely fought against the first akumas without even flinching or wavering" says Marin.

"I'm so stupid" says Kitty laughing and sitting. "I loved you too Marin. I truly did. That's why I would always come. But I thought you wouldn't be interested on me and moved on".

"We're both pretty stupids, aren't we?" asks Marin smiling.

"Yeah, we are" agrees Kitty Noire.

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

"How many minutes do you thik that have passed?" asks Chat Noir.

"I don't know, my phone is outside" answers Marinette.

"It's getting pretty boring just to wait" complains Chat.

"Are you hitting on me Chat?" asks Marinette with a brow raised. "Or do you not know how this game works?"

"I'll be honest, I've never played" confesses Chat. "The 20 years old catboy has never been able to play such a thing, so I don't know the rules".

"The rules are that a couple enter a small space for seven minutes, so they can make out and stuff without anyone messing around" says bluntly Marinette and Chat goes red.

"Say what now, Princess?" asks Chat blushing.

"Yeah, they are playing match-maker. They most likely want us to make out and date or something" says calmly Marinette.

"How comes you're not phased by it then?!" asks Chat.

"You didn't made a move from the beginning, so I think I'm fairly safe" points Marinette. "Besides, it's not like you love me or something. You have a girlfirend if I'm not wrong".

"I had a grilfriend, we break up some time ag- Wait a minute, how comes you know I was dating someone?" asks Chat confused.

"Ladybug told me" answers Marinette quickly. Too quickly perhaps.

"I sometimes forget that you're her best friend and confident" says Chat.

"You're also her best and confident Chat, she trusts you more than you can imagine" says Marinette smiling.

"Thank you Princess" says Chat Noir also smiling. "It's refreshing to hear something like that".

"Chat..." begins Marinette, worried about Chat's and Kitty's momentarily comments from time to time. "Do you want me to pet you?"

"I'd never refuse an offer like that Princess" says Chat Noir as he rests his head on her lap.

"I'm here for you, you know?" says Marinette as she softly slithers her fingers thorugh his golden hair, caressing his head and scratching his favourite spots. "Everybody in her is here if you or Kitty have any problem".

"Don't mind it Princess, it's okay. I'm a tough cat" says Chat Noir winking at her as he boops her nose.

"That you are" says Marinette smiling.

----------

Epilogue:

Carapace couldn't believe his eyes when he found Kitty asleep on top of Marin, who was sleeping like a log and hadn't even got anything for Wayzz to eat. Luckily the kwami had opted for a matcha macaron instead. But the one who was mostly surprised was Rena when she opened the door of Marin's bathroom and found Chat being pet by Marinette. To make it worse, it made her crave for some petting too and had to share Marinette with Chat Noir for petting duty. But man, Marinette did know how to pet. On a side nte, Salihafa and Zorro slept stied to each other until Marin woke up and untied them the next morning (but only after carrying Kitty to her bed)

#marichatmay2020 #miraculous ladybug #miraculous au #miraculous fanfic #Twins!Au

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comicgeekscomicgeek · 6 years ago

Text

Their Hero Academia: Chapter 15

As always, raw and unedited until it gets added to AO3 and FF.net. This chapter also owes a great deal to my friend, Allie, who suggested some of the dialog in this chapter, as well as some of the details surrounding Kenta Sato’s mom that I had never planned for originally.

Chapters 0-12 can be found here.

Chapter 13 (unedited) is here

Chapter 14 (unedited) is here

Their Hero Academia – Chapter 15: Kenta Sato and the Pain of Memories and Moving On

Many years ago…

“Kenta,” Takuma asked, “can I ask a question?”

He looked up from his bowl of cereal. Ever since his Quirk came in, he hasn’t had to worry about getting cavities, so he can eat all the sugary cereal he wants. “Sure,” he said.

“Do you miss your mommy?”

Kenta looked down again. “All the time. But Daddy says she’s always watching me.”

“Oh,” Takuma said. His grin became what, in later years, Kenta would call his “Good Idea” face. “Do you think you could ask her not to watch for a little while? I don’t think she’s going to like my idea…”

“…I’ll ask her to watch Daddy for a little while.”

***

In spite of a somewhat eventful Monday through Thursday, Friday had passed without incident, and Kenta had left the school grounds early on Saturday morning to head to the apartment he shared with his dad. It wasn’t particularly far, as Dad has moved the two of them to it to be fairly close to U.A. when he had accepted the job running the cafeteria.

Kenta turned the key and stepped inside. “Dad? I’m home!”

No voice answered him, but he knew that sometimes, his dad got so focused working in the kitchen that he didn’t hear anything else. Kenta headed there, but found no sign of his dad. There was, however, a note on the counter.

Kenta,

Went out to pick up a few extra ingredients for tonight’s dinner and dessert. Left you some breakfast on the counter. Be back soon!

Love,

Dad

Oh, well, that was good. But speaking of food, his rumbling stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten breakfast before he’d left the dorms. On the counter was a bowl of nuts and bolts. It brought a grin to Kenta’s face. Dad may have occasionally groused about the eating habits he’d developed because of his Quirk (“A house full of food and the kid’s eating rocks!”), but he was indulgent enough to keep the kinds of things Kenta liked to eat on hand. He popped a few nuts into his mouth and chewed them up.

Maybe his wasn’t the flashiest or most impressive of Quirks, but he’d done good enough with it to get into the Heroics Course. Besides, it meant that a snack was always in arms’ reach.

He noticed that his dad’s cell phone was also sitting on the counter. He must have forgotten it when he left. It looked like a number of texts had come in since he’d left.

1) Koda: Please call me if you need me today, Sato.

2) Kirishima: Katsuki and I are thinking of you, bro!

3) Ojiro: Hope you’re doing all right. Toru and I are keeping you in our thoughts.

4) Sero: Hey, man. I’m sorry about Mina. She means well, but she can be kind of insensitive sometimes. Let us know if you need anything!

5) Midoria: I know you’re spending the day with Kenta, but just let us know if you want to get together sometime after that!

6) Iida: Please accept my deepest sympathies and know Mei and I are keeping you in our thoughts.

7) Habuko: I’ll see you there today. Be well.

8) Pink Trouble: Sato, I’m not sorry about what I said. But I am sorry about the timing of it. Call me. Please.

Kenta felt a little guilty reading his dad’s texts, but considering they were right there to be seen, it wasn’t much. But now we was curious. What exactly had Aunt Mina said? It looked like she and his dad were fighting? But what about? The other texts, at least, weren’t unexpected. There were probably more that had come in earlier in the day. Kenta had been lucky enough to get out of the dorms without running into anyone other than Takuma (who’d hugged him), Midoriya (who’d expressed sympathy) and Kirishima-Bakugo (who’d given him a polite nod that was the emotional equivalent of a long conversation for her). Not that he was deliberately trying to avoid his friends and classmates, just… today was rough.

The anniversary of the day his mom had died always was. It had been ten years now. And it still didn’t seem any easier.

***

Rikido Sato had first met Chizu Ito via a conspiracy. She had been a friend of Habuko Mongoose at Isamu Academy, and Mongoose had been the good friend of his father’s friend Tsuyu Asui. So when several of the girls of Isamu Academy had gotten together for a party with the girls of U.A., Aunt Tsu had asked his dad to provide the desserts. He’d meant to just drop the desserts off and go, but Aunt Tsu and Mongoose had both insisted he stay and meet some of the girls. They’d been incredibly insistent that he meet Chizu.

The two had hit it off and made plans for a date. One date turned into many, and many turned into marriage. Years later, Aunt Tsu would reveal she and Mongoose had conspired to get the two to meet, believing that they would hit it off. They had been very happy.

His mom had been a tall woman, taller even than his dad. Her Quirk had been a strong one, letting her absorb inorganic matter and using that to increase her mass and strength. But his memories of her were as a happy woman, with a glowing smile. He remembered her hands were soft, soothing as she held him after a nightmare, her touch gentle when she patched up his “ouchies.” He remembered his parents laughing in the kitchen, or snuggling on the couch, sneaking kisses when they thought he wasn’t looking.

After he’d been born, his parents had decided that while his mom would resume active Hero work, his dad would mostly step back from that. Lunch Rush was retiring, U.A. was looking for a new head chef to run the cafeteria, and both of them were a little bit worried about what might happen if both of them were active Heroes. While that didn’t seem to matter to the majority of their friends, no one dismissed their worries or thought less of him for taking a step back. He still went out on occasion when needed, or stepped in where he was available to act, but he devoted himself more to community outreach and the students of U.A. So Upsize had risen back in the rankings, eventually becoming the Number Twenty Hero, and Sugarman had happily dropped to the lower tiers.

They’d have a good life. They’d been a happy family.

He had been five when she’d died.

No, that wasn’t exactly right.

He had been seven when she’d been killed.

It had been bad times. A new League of Villains had tried to get off the ground, and the Pro-Hero community had been working nonstop to put them out of commission before anything serious could happen. They hadn’t been the nihilistic League of old, just a bunch of Villains who had found they were stronger together than apart, and willing to settle for smaller piece of a more guaranteed pie. But they had been a serious threat all the same. Their Quirks were powerful and many Pro-Heroes had been seriously injured fighting them.

It had come down to a big battle between the League and several Pro-Heroes, including Red Riot, Real Steel, and Chargebolt. Including Upsize.

To say the battle between the two groups had been brutal was an understatement. The villain known as Strongarm had nearly beaten Red Riot to death. Kirishima-Bakugo’s father was lucky to have survived his injuries, let alone have recovered from them enough to return to active Hero work. Uncle Denki still carried a few scars from that fight.

And his mom… His mom had fought a Villain called Hexsplode, who a Quirk which let her shoot beams from her eyes that made whatever it hit explode. In a terrible set of circumstances, she’d managed to use that power on a piece of rubble, just as his mom had absorbed it. It had exploded within her, badly injuring her. She had fought on, subduing the Villain before she could hurt anyone else in that fight. But her injuries had been too severe and she’d died before she could receive medical attention. They’d never even gotten the chance to say good-bye.

***

It was called Valhalla Cemetery and everyone buried in it was a Pro-Hero. Many had fallen in the line of duty, others of disease or natural causes. But all of them had used their Quirks in the cause of justice. Grand Torini was buried here, so was Native, and so were many others.

And so was his mom.

Kenta and his dad walked silently through the rows of headstones and memorials, occasionally pausing to pay respect to another Pro-Hero. There were so many graves and his mom was quite far back.

It wasn’t the fanciest headstone in the cemetery, but like everything there, it was well cared for. There were a few small tokens left on or around it, from people his mom had saved during her all too brief stint as a Pro-Hero. There was already someone standing in front of the headstone and Kenta quickly realized it was Aunt Habuko, instantly recognizable from her shock of red hair and snake-like head. According to his parents, he’d found her absolutely terrifying as a baby, but the only memories he had of her were happy ones. She was surprisingly funny when she wanted to be, and caring in spite of her harsh appearance.

Her tongue flicked out and she turned her head to watch the two of them. “Hello, Rikido, Kenta. I didn’t expect to beat you here.”

“My fault,” his dad said. “I had to go out and pick up a few things and was running behind.”

She nodded, accepting the explanation without criticism.

They stood and looked at the grave.

Chizu Sato

-Upsize-

5/19/XXXX – 4/8/XXXX

Beloved wife and mother, Hero

His dad laid a hand on the headstone and lowered his head. Kenta could see the tears in his eyes falling unashamedly. “I miss you, babe,” he said. “Every day. Thank you, for everything. Never did think a girl could fall for a big lug like me. You made every day amazing.

“You’d be so proud of Kenta. He got into U.A., just like me. He’s gonna make us both proud, I just know it. Though if you’re watching out for him, maybe tell him not to listen to Takuma so much, okay?”

In spite of himself, Kenta felt the smallest smile pull at his lips. But he found tears were falling from his own eyes too. He’d been so young when she’d died. Their home was filled with pictures of him and his mom and of all three of them. There were lots of videos they had shot over the years. And even one memorable episode of Cooking with Pro Heroes that had featured his mom and dad competing against other Pro Hero couples.

But sometimes, he found it harder and harder to remember her voice. His dad had gone an amazing job raising him, dealing with all the challenges that had arisen over the years. But all his friends still had their mothers, and he remembered how much it had hurt sometimes, to see them with their moms, knowing he didn’t have one anymore. He remembered…

***

“Daddy?” he’d asked, when his father had come to pick him up. He’d been staying with Uncle Koji and Aunt Ibara, playing with Akaya. It was earlier than expected, his dad should have still been at U.A. for the day. His dad’s eyes were red and puffy, like he’d been crying.

“Daddy, are you okay?” he’d asked. And where was his mom? Usually, they picked him up together.

His dad had bent down next to him, pulling him into a tight hug against his broad chest.

“Kenta…” he’d said, trailing off. “Kenta…”

His dad had taken a deep breath, and tried again. “Kenta… I’m… I’m so sorry. Your mommy’s not coming home.”

That hadn’t made much sense to him. “Is she working late? Does she gotta stop the bad guys?”

His father’s face had fallen, tears welling up in his eyes. “Kenta… Your mommy’s not coming home ever again. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

He hadn’t understood then, but he’d known how brave his dad was. To have seen him cry like that could only mean something was very wrong. He’d understand all too soon.

The days that followed had been full of people in their home. Uncle Koji, Aunt Mina and Uncle Sero, Aunt Habuko, former teachers from U.A. and Isamu Academy, family, and friends. They had all said how sorry they were. His friends had all said how sorry they were. But they had all been there with their moms and his was gone and never coming back. Really, the only one who had understood was Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo, whose father still lay in a hospital bed, fighting for every breath and clinging to life. They had drifted apart over the years, but in that moment, the two of them had been there for each other.

Oh, the adults had all said, what a hero she had been. The TV had all talked about what a hero she had been, how they were proud of the Hero who had laid down her life for them.

But nothing changed the fact that he was five years old and he was never going to see his mom again.

***

Kenta put his own hand on the grave.

“Mom… I know you’re watching over me. Thank you. Don’t know how I’d have done any of this without you. I hope I can make you proud. I just…

“I wish I’d gotten to know you more. I wish we’d had more time. I wanted you to see who I’ve become. I really hope you’re still watching out for me. I’m gonna need all the help I can get if I’m gonna be a hero like you.

“But, ah, I am getting to be pretty famous. On the internet, anyway. Takuka says we can make it pretty big…”

He wiped the tears from his eyes. “I just… I just wish… I wish you’d been here. There’s so much I wish we’d gotten to do together, so much I wish I’d gotten to show you.

“I… I miss you. So much. And I wish…

“I wish I could remember you better. And I’m worried I’m starting to forget you. Not… forget you, forget you. You’re my mom. I’ll always remember you. But I don’t know if I can remember your voice. Sometimes, in my memories, in my dreams, I can’t see your face… I don’t want to forget…”

He felt a strong arm wrap itself around him, his father pulling him close. No more words were needed as they stood there, letting their thoughts wander. Their loss still pulled at them. It always would. But they were strong for each other. And they always would be. That was what family meant.

***

As they ate their dinner (which he had helped prepare), Kenta did have to admit, there was something to be said for eating actual food instead of whatever happened to be within arms’ reach. Still… there was something nagging at the back of his mind.

“Dad,” he began, “why aren’t you talking to Aunt Mina?”

His dad frowned, swallowing the bite of food in his mouth. “What’re you talking about, Kenta?”

“You left your phone this morning,” Kenta said. “I saw the texts. I saw Uncle Hanta apologizing for her too. What’s going on?”

His dad looked distinctly uncomfortable. “It’s nothing. Just an argument between adults.”

Kenta definitely didn’t believe that. His dad was too soft-hearted to every fight with anyone for long. And Takuma’s mom got along with pretty much everyone, whether they wanted to or not.

“Dad, I’m not a kid. I’m fifteen. If something’s going on, you can tell me.”

His dad frowned again. “…your Aunt Mina thinks I should start dating. She’s been trying to fix me up for months.”

Kenta was glad he wasn’t drinking, because he probably would have done a spit take. “Oh.”

“You don’t have to worry,” his dad said quickly. “I’ve been telling her no. No one’s ever going to replace Chizu.”

Kenta looked down at his plate. In all honesty, this was a conversation he’d thought about having with his dad before. But he’d never been sure how to bring it up. He knew his dad was happy, but also that he had to be lonely. “I think you should let her.”

“…What?”

Kenta took a breath, to steady his nerves and thoughts. “I know you love Mom. And I know you miss her. I do too. And I know you’ve been living your life for me. And that’s great, it really is. I couldn’t have asked for a better dad than you.

“But I’m part way out of the house now, on my way to becoming a Pro-Hero. And you deserve a chance to have a life too. If you want to start dating, if you find someone who makes you happy, I’m not going to think you’re replacing Mom. You get to be happy too, Dad.”

“Kenta, I… I can’t. It’s been too long. Your mom…”

He shook his head. “I don’t remember much, but from everything you ever told me… Mom would want you to be happy, Dad. I want you to be happy. And it sounds like that’s all Aunt Mina wants.”

His dad wiped away a tear. “When did you get so smart? I’m lucky to have you.”

“I’m pretty lucky too, Dad.”

A long moment passed, in peaceful silence. Finally, Kenta spoke again. “You know, you didn’t seem to think I was so smart on Thursday. What were your exact words? “Wasting your Quirk on nonsense.’”

“I stand by those words,” he said. “But I’m also not going to stand in the way of your dreams. Just… find somewhere to do it other than my cafeteria, okay?”

Kenta laughed at that. “Yeah, okay, I’ll tell Takuma we need to find another place for our show.”

“I swear, that boy has gotten you in so much trouble…”

“Daaaad…”

And somehow, as it did, life went on.

#my hero academia #their hero academia #my writing #fan fic #fan fiction

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takaraphoenix · 6 years ago

Note

“It’s not fair that you’re hot and funny.” - “Look who’s talking…just kidding, your jokes suck.” ColdFlashWave

Advent Calendar: Day 9

Joe was reading the newspaper when Cecille joined him in the kitchen, kissing him softly on the cheek before going to get herself some breakfast. The house was unusually quiet. Wally having left had quieted it down some and currently, Barry wasn’t home either. Though Joe knew the silence won’t last for too long. Once the baby was born, this house would be the opposite of quiet. And as nervous as Joe was about a baby, he was also eager. He had been all alone when he had raised Iris and Barry, he had missed out on nearly all of Wally’s life. This child, he would get the chance to raise it with the woman he loved and this child would have the most amazing three older siblings possible who were going to help Joe and Cecille with the baby too.

“And Wells is really not coming?”, asked Joe with a frown as Cecille sat down.

“He’s celebrating with his daughter on their Earth”, replied Cecille with a smile. “I think it’s good for them, to reconnect some. There’s been too much distance between them lately.”

Joe grunted at that. As annoying as Harrison Wells could be at times, he knew what it was like to try and connect with his child. He smiled when Iris joined them in the kitchen.

“We meet up with the Wave Rider in an hour, they take us to Star City”, stated Iris. “Morning.”

“Good morning. And… Barry went on ahead, didn’t he?”, asked Joe.

“Couldn’t wait any longer”, chuckled Iris with a fond smile.

Joe sighed, though he had made his peace with this a while ago. His son was dating two criminals. But at least both Rory and Snart were working hard to redeem themselves. They had joined the Legends for Barry, to prove they were more than just criminals. They had saved history itself, or so Joe was told, and had helped them with the big alien and Nazi problems. They were… more complex than just black or white, criminal or hero. And as long as they made Barry happy, Joe was going to tolerate them. But the moment they hurt his son, they would long for Iron Heights.

/break\

Caitlin smiled as she, Cicso, Lisa, Ralph, Iris, Joe and Cecille boarded the Wave Rider. This ship would never cease to amaze her. A part of her really wanted to join, to learn more both about the technology and about history. But she knew Team Flash needed her more.

“Welcome aboard, Team Flash. Go and get comfortable, take-off is in five”, greeted Sara Lance.

“Lenny!”, exclaimed Lisa and simply pushed past the other Legends.

She jumped her brother and hugged him, while Cisco decidedly stayed a little behind. Having started to date Leonard’s sister was a little… frightening, on the front of Leonard Snart and his husband. He did not look forward to being threatened by the guns he built.

“Pipsqueak”, grunted Mick and rested a heavy hand on Cisco’s shoulder, squeezing in a downright painful way. “Never thought you actually had the guts to date a Snart.”

Cisco winced and tried to squirm out of it, while Zari handed out popcorn to Caitlin, Iris and Ralph with a bright smile. Apparently, she had really been looking forward to this show.

“Now, Cisco”, drawled Len as he approached them. “What do you prefer? Slowly freezing to death and being kept around as a nice trophy, or burning to death…?”

“Lenny!”, exclaimed Lisa frustrated. “Please stop threatening my boyfriend. Ba—arry.”

“Right. Yeah. Right here”, yelped Barry as he appeared right between Cisco and Len. “No hurting Cisco, Lenny. He’s good to Lisa, I promise. I’ve seen them together. They’re good together. Happy together. Please calm down so we can go to Felicity’s party.”

“Yes. I was promised food, not a murder”, agreed Nate awkwardly.

Mick’s smile just brightened as he squeezed Cisco’s shoulder a little harder.

Cisco winced, until Barry went to kiss Mick and distract him for long enough so Cisco could escape and bravely hide behind Caitlin and Lisa. The two women rolled their eyes as they looked at each other. Barry sighed and grabbed both of his boyfriends by their hands.

“How about we all go and take our seats now so we can leave?”, suggested Sara patiently.

/break\

The party was held in the bunker, nicely decorated in what looked like Christmas and Hanukkah had a baby and that baby threw up some glitter all around it. But it was nice, in its own over-the-top way, because it was cozy and oddly homey. At a large table, they had set out various foods so everyone could take and eat whatever they wanted. Cecille and Joe were talking to Diggle and Lyla, Cecille cooing at how adorable baby John was while Joe was trying to get some insight into the whole balancing saving the world and raising a toddler. Caitlin, Ray, Cisco and Felicity were drinking and talking science in one corner, while Sara and Quentin finally got to catch up on each other’s lives. Iris, Lisa, Zari and Amaya were talking in another corner of the room. Ralph seemed to get along rather good with Nate and, after some drinks were already in their systems, they went to join the girls, laughing loudly and over the top at something Zari had just said.

“It’s not fair that you’re hot and funny”, laughed Ralph with an over-exaggerated wink.

“Look who’s talking…just kidding, your jokes suck”, drawled Zari unimpressed.

“Oh, burn”, laughed Nate, clapping Ralph on the shoulder hard.

Oliver rolled his eyes as he walked past them. William was coming in handy as he was currently distracting Barry – being a huge Flash fan, meeting and talking to the actual Flash was absolutely incredible to the boy, obviously. A smile found its way onto Oliver’s face as he saw the bright-eyed expression his son was spotting when talking to Barry. Which meant Barry was too preoccupied with his biggest fan to hover around his boyfriends. Which meant Oliver would finally get a minute alone with Mick Rory and Leonard Snart. Something he had not gotten the chance to do the past two times they had met, due to an increasingly overwhelming number of either aliens or Nazis occupying them. Right now, there was no danger. Well, aside from Oliver Queen.

“Whiskey?”, offered Oliver as he found the two men sitting on an arm-chair.

Rory sat on it, with Snart being perched up on the armrest. The two men were watching Barry and William too, their eyes had been unusually soft when doing so. It was hard for Oliver to wrap his head around this. Two of Barry’s biggest villains, just turning into love-sick puppies for the hero who had arrested them before. But the evidence was rather clear.

“What’s the catch, Hood?”, grunted Mick wearily.

“I know you already got the shovel-talk from Barry’s father and his sister, but both Joe and Iris West have one thing I don’t”, started Oliver seriously, glaring down at them intimidatingly. “They have the moral high ground of not taking lives. If the two of you betray Barry and break his heart, your bodies will be found riddled with arrows.”

“And I respect that in a man”, assured Leonard with a smirk, holding up his glass. “The two of us were threatening Cisco just before we came over to Star City, you see. There’s nothing more important than family, is there? Younger siblings, they need to be protected.”

Oliver turned around some and faced the crowd. “They do. And Barry is not my blood, he is still… He is my brother in arms, the boy I tried to train. Sometimes, he is too naive and too forgiving and one day, that is going to break either his neck or his heart. And whatever it is, I will avenge him.”

“And I can respect that”, assured Leonard once more, sipping his whiskey. “We have no plans of ever hurting Barry. We love him. And I understand why you little heroes have a hard time wrapping your heads around that, but it’s still so. But if we ever end up breaking his heart, I think you people will first have to fight among yourselves to figure out who gets to avenge him.”

“Skirt from the parallel world dropped by too to threaten us”, grunted Mick and put his glass down. “We got used to being threatened about Scarlet by now.”

Oliver huffed. That seemed like a Kara thing to do. The blonde was rather protective of her friends too, a quality that Oliver cherished very much about her. Shaking his head, he emptied his drink.

“Hey, doll”, greeted Mick as he crouched down behind Barry. “Playing with yourself?”

Barry’s ears were dark-red as he glared at Mick and hit him with the Flash figure. “William wanted me to sign it for him. And if you can’t behave, you get to wait in the ship.”

Mick huffed out a laugh at that and wrapped his arms around Barry’s midsection. “You know if you want Captain Cold signed, he’s sitting right over there, kid.”

William perked up some at that and turned to look at Len. Without the parker and traditional villain get-up, it was hard to tell the relaxed man nursing a whiskey was the Captain Cold. Oliver stepped out of the way when his son ran up to Snart in excitement. That one, Ollie was a bit concerned about. Instead, he went to join Quentin and Sara. It was good seeing Quentin laugh like that again, so happy to have his daughter at his side again, to see her safe. Oliver smiled when William joined him, curious to hear some heroic stories from the captain of the Wave Rider. From the corner of his eyes did Oliver see how Snart all the while was joining Rory and Barry.

“You doing okay, doll?”, asked Mick lowly, kissing Barry just below the earlobe.

“Mh. Yeah. It’s… nice, having everyone together like this”, smiled Barry and leaned back against Mick. “Well… nearly everyone. I’ve seen Joe turn around multiple times now, checking if Wally came after all. And I know Ollie is missing his sister too.”

“Where is the junior archer?”, asked Leonard curiously, surveying the area. “It does seem that Team Robin Hood is smaller than I seem to recall…”

“Thea and Roy took off together and the rest of the team had… a bit of a fall-out”, shrugged Barry. “Or so Felicity said. They’re not exactly on speaking terms right now.”

“Mh, that sounds interesting”, observed Mick. “Was there fighting?”

Barry heaved a sigh and nudged Mick pointedly. “Anyway, yeah. Ollie doesn’t know where Thea is right now, much like Joe doesn’t know where Wally is…”

“Wally is right behind you, brother.”

Barry yelped and would have stumbled backward if not for Mick standing right behind him and having his arms around his waist. Both of them turned around a little to face a wildly grinning Wally. The next moment, Barry broke out of Mick’s hold to hug Wally, soon enough joined by a loudly squealing Iris and then also by Joe and Cecille.

“You know, those loud, affectionate people are essentially your in-laws”, pointed Lisa out.

“Can it, sis”, chided Leonard, one eyebrow raised. “We try not to think on that too much.”

He wrapped an affectionate arm around her shoulders. He hadn’t even realized just how much he missed her. He was glad the professor had figured out a way to communicate across time, so they could call not just Barry regularly, but also Lisa.

“They stole our speedster”, frowned Mick displeased, crossing his arms. “Buncha heroes they are.”

“You’re so—o in lo—ove”, teased Lisa with a giggle.

“Perhaps we’re just two old fools”, sighed Leonard and leaned against his husband. “Aren’t we?”

“Apparently”, grumbled Mick, tilting his head to kiss Leonard. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have fallen in love with an oversized puppy-dog set on saving the world.”

“Says the time-traveling hero”, snorted Lisa. “Pardon me, the time-traveling legend.”

Read this here on FFNet & here on AO3

#coldflashwave #leonard snart #barry allen #mick rory #the flash #arrowverse #fanfiction #phoe's tumblr drabbles #phoe's advent calendar project #anonymous #DC Comics

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