#and i would much rather go to something that's set in stone rather than waste my chances on something that might not happen
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sataniquepanique · 7 months ago
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Sleight of Hand
Astarion x Tav (she/her used)
Summary: Tav is terrible at lock-picking, and Astarion is great with his hands.
A/N: Set around Act 3. Tav and Astarion are in a committed relationship and the party is thoroughly confused/disgusted.
“Shit—“
Astarion dug some dirt out from under his fingernail with the tip of a dagger. He sighed loudly, examining the crusted blood and muck circling each cuticle. The sooner they finished up here, the sooner he could scrub this mess off his body properly back at camp.
“—Fuck!”
His crimson eyes dragged upwards towards the sounds of frustration, watching with pure boredom as Tav continued to try and lock-pick the door to a run-down building in the southernmost part of the city. She’d been going at it for over 20 minutes, and as he had reminded her (more than once), time was not on their side in this situation. They needed to get in and get out, fast. Astarion internally groaned as Tav slid the pick into the keyhole for the 52nd time.
“Darling,” he said as pleasantly as possible, “please allow me. I’m exceptionally more skilled at this than you, and I can—“
“No!” She turned to give him a sidelong glare, “I’ve got this. Just…give me a moment, it’s almost there.”
He clicked his tongue. From beside him, Shadowheart sighed, slumping against the sun-warmed stone wall. Gale, ever the eager helper, hunched over a crouching Tav, muttering encouragements at her (frankly pathetic) attempts. Astarion’s upper lip began to curl into a snarl as Gale shifted closer towards her ear, whispering something that caused her to grin. Noises coming from the street above triggered them all to startle, the sound of clanking metal signifying an incoming approach of the Steel Watch. Astarion didn’t waste any time, crouching behind Tav and encircling her with his arms, placing both hands atop hers.
“As truly remarkable as you are—“ he began to move their hands in unison, guiding the lock-pick tools into the keyhole, “—sleight of hand is not one of your strengths my love.” A few more strokes of his fingers over hers, pressing the pick downwards while the other pried to the right, and they both felt the lock click. 
It had taken mere seconds.
Tav’s voice was tight as she pulled her hands away, “It’s not my fault your—“
“—hands are more dexterous than yours?” Astarion purred in her ear, pocketing both tools into his jacket. 
“I was going to say more used to being a degenerate, but whatever makes you feel better.”
He laughed softly as to not give away their location, the sound of the approaching guards growing louder. “Oh my darling,” he reached around to open the door, caging her between himself and the wooden frame, “Keep it up and I’ll show you how much of a degenerate I can be, hands and all.” 
She felt her entire body flush as Astarion brushed past, deft fingers dragging across her hip. Shadowheart followed quickly behind him, pausing before the doorway beside a frozen Tav.
“A friendly reminder that the Elfsong isn’t very conducive when it comes to…private matters. So do be sure to keep quiet later on, some of us would like to get some sleep.”
For a brief moment, Tav considered just throwing herself to the mercy of the Steel Watch rather than deal with this embarrassment, but Gale quickly grabbed her arm and dragged her into the building without another word.  
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n3xii · 1 year ago
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Your next significant relationship
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This reading explores the essence, personality and dynamic of your next significant relationship! Please remember that this reading is not set in stone, if you dont like the energy of your next person then thats ok! You dont have to date or be with someone you dont like. See this as a "heads up" Close your eyes and allow your intution to guide you to your pile, as always, take what resonated and maybe choose a different reader if nothing connects
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Pile one
Who is your next person?- hierophant, 8 of cups, the magican, "makita" [observe, perceive, scrutinize]
Your next person is someone who is on the path to healing, exploring the darker emotions, and learning about the absloute depth of their soul. I feel this person has gone through experiences and inner tribulations that triggered then to go inwards and find their depth and the source of who they are. I feel that the traumas and wounds they have experienced acted as an "initation" to exploring their inner self. Their energy is showing up as soneone who is on that path to learn who they are. This person holds alot of power in their essence because they are very reserved and mysterious, thry go inwards to learn about themselves instead of outwards, and because of this their withdrawn energy radiates a strong magnetic pull that has the capacity to repel and attract the people aligned with them. I also see that this person is extremely perceptive, self aware, and critical of themselves and others. They are very aware of the way their mind works and aware of what their triggers are. They also choose to observe rather than react which is why they're so powerful, their ability to withdraw from reacting immediately displays their discipline, self control, and maturity. I also feel an energy of this person being extremely resourceful as well, they know how to transmute negativity into something that benefits them in the long run. Their emphasis on their will, ability to manifest and take control over their life is showing up here. During this reading my tumblr app and headphones would connect and disconnect, almost "resetting" so I feel this person has done a "reset" on their life. They use their ability to connect and disconnect from others to transform and go inwards. I think in the past they were somone they did not like because they lacked the qualities they have now, and now they are awakened to their full potiental, and taken control over their life
Their dynamic with you- knight of wands, 9 of wands
Very firey, active dynamic. This person is action oriented and I also feel they don't like to waste time. They are passionate, vibrant and lustfulm They know what they want and they will get it, your relationship will never be founded off of flighty ifs and maybes because it's based off of pure passion and action. I feel like you guys will have a dynamic that can butt heads or overlapp chostically at times only because things are so go go go, I also see perseverance showing up in your dynamic. I think there will be instances of pushing through and staying strong with each other and these moments of struggle will elevate the reltionship to the next level.
Pile two
Who are they- the devil, page of wands, zenith [formulate, strategy, devise] the emperor reversed
I feel like this person is still in the process of refining their energy, they have many aspirations and ideas about what they want to do in their life but they're still controlled by their flimsy, whimsical nature. They sont take things as seriously as they should. It's hard for them to take charge over their aspirations without them moving onto the next thing that excites them. I feel like their still in the stage of formulating themselves and their life, but at the same time they get stuck in that stage of planning- perhaps stuck in their comfort zone and afraid to move out of it. They are very much in the brainstorming phase, brainstorning what they want their life to be, what they want themselves to be like, and they haven't made any offical, mature steps in the direction of exploring those goals. This person is showing up as unreliable, immature, inspired, but I don't think their intentions are negative, I just think they are ruled by their flimsy nature at the moment and that bleeds over into different areas of life. It's not that they lack passion, it's that they lack the commitment to turn that passion into something matieral.
Their dynamic with you- six of wands reversed, queen of pentacles
I'm getting the impression that in this relationship you will be the more accomplished, stable one and I don't think they like that. It's almost an energy of them feeling eclipsed by you, but at the same time I'm seeing you being the grounded, nurturing one in this relationship meaning they rely on you. DO NOT BE A MOTHER TO YOUR PARTNER. You are not there to be their mother, don't enable their behavior in the dynamic created between you and them. I also feel this person will have the need to try and impress you or act from a state of impressing their own ego in this dynamic, simply because they are insecure and want validation for where they are in life.
Pile three
Who are they- 7 of cups, 10 of wands, tower reversed
This person's energy is showing up as a ticking time bomb, they are very overhwlened in life, overburdened and for sone of you, this person is presented with alot of options romantically. The reason i say that is because the deck I'm using displays the 7 of cups as a person pondering fish in the water, so litterally this person has many "fish in the sea" that they can choose from, (or perhaps has been with many people and relationships and carries burdens from that) but in general, this is an energy of someone who has many options and paths that they can go down but feel very weighed down by it. I also feel like this person represses emotions instead of allowing then to be released in healthy ways. That's why their energy is showing up as a ticking time bomb, they carry so much weight instead of asking for help or releasing what's not meant for them. They struggle to make choices without overthinking them, I think this person has taken on too much, but I do see that they are strong willed to a fault. They are resolute and determined, they don't like to give up just because something gets hard for them. They feel if they asked for help they would be weak or "replacing" themselves, in a way, their refusal to back down is their way of securing their worth in the world.
Their dynamic with you- the fool
Unique, expressive and trusting. I think this relationship will be based on taking chances and trusting one another, being vulnerable and allowing yourself be bare to one another. I think of "trust falls" when I think of this connection This relationship dynamic will also be unique and out of the box for you, I think it will be hard to place your dynamic into one label or style of attachment as it's independent and different from anything youve experienced. I think you both will allow your connection to take on its own identity without trying to understand or box it into a label
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yuseirra · 4 months ago
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Commentary on Ai and Kamiki's character
I just can't shut up about them, can I? Since the new chapter will be dropping in just a few days from now (and I personally think there will be more reveals) this is probably going to be my last chance to discuss about them before things get clarified and set in stone once and for all (since we NEED to learn about just what HAS been going on about Ai's bf and his motives!! It's going to be shown to us in this final arc, right)
Here's how I feel about Ai/Kamiki as a character so far from all the things I've seen about them. Let's see how much of it will stand by the end of this manga(and/or the upcoming chapters)
I think they're well-written/would be well-written. I like how Ai's written for one thing, and Kamiki's past made a lot of sense to me, I think it can add on to something really interesting. I thought I got where it's going to get at.. that's why I've been drawing them so much since the latest chapter... hope I will be able to retain this interest and passion because having something to be excited and inspired about is a wonderful thing!
The following post was originally written in a different language and translated in bulk by ChatGPT! Thanks, ChatGPT..; you're a lifesaver
I wasn't meaning to translate these posts at first so that's why they weren't written in English but I feel it'd be such a waste to leave these.. I'd love to share it with everyone! 'v')9
There might be various changes when the next episode comes out... so if it's going to be uploaded, it seems right to do it now.
I'm writing a lot, like light writing (when I focus on something, I think about it a lot), and it might decrease or, depending on the situation, increase when the next episode comes out. There's nothing revealed yet, so I end up thinking a lot.
I think Ai is really a strong person. To survive in the entertainment industry, there must be so many things to think about. When I see that character, I think about those things. Although she has a soft side, she fundamentally seems like a character who lives really hard. Thinking about it, she was young herself, yet she protected her boyfriend and helped him escape from his abuser. She endured quite firmly under tremendous stress.
She's the type to bear everything alone... There are many things she endures, and in that situation, she worked hard to reach the top, and she wanted to be a good mother to her children. The most heartbreaking thing for me in this character's dialogue was when she said in her dying breath, "I wasn't a very good mother, but I still think it was good that I gave birth." That was so sad to me. I thought that was the saddest part. She had many thoughts. I noticed she thought she had to earn a lot to provide good education and conditions for her children. Middle school kids aren't necessarily shallow in thought, and while there's a range between people, I felt they were still serious and mature considering their age.
For a character like her, if she were in front of me, I would want to say that she's amazing and went through a lot of hardship. Before pointing out what she did wrong or lacked, I'd like to acknowledge that she lived with a lot of effort and loved those around her. Ai's efforts were not just for herself, but she had a rather humble character, and it seemed her motivation to strive was significantly for the happiness of those around her. Like when she wasn't sure if a dome concert was such a big deal but then thought it must be good since it was the president couple's dream, and she smiled along with them. For this character, what's important is resolving the curiosity about the lack in her heart, and achievements as an idol seemed secondary. That's why her saying she wanted to live with Kamiki and raise children together struck me, because for Ai, being an idol felt more like a means than an end. That doesn't mean she didn't try hard; she seemed like a responsible person who strives to meet expectations in her work.
Ai is a character who, through hard work, perseverance, and talent, eventually gets what she wants. Ai has a great curiosity and desire for areas she doesn't know well. She knows what she doesn't know but has the tenacity to not give up until the end. I think that's a strong aspect of her.
As for Kamiki, since it's unclear what his plans are at the current point in time (although I have a guess), if I were to describe the impression of him until just before he separated from Ai,
He's simply pitiful. He self-deprecatingly said that his relationship with Ai was one where he was unilaterally dependent on her. While he might have depended on her a lot, it seems Kamiki had to endure alone until the point they met. He grew up in such a broken situation that I don't even want to deeply think about what it must have been like... From what we see, it seems he wasn't just harmed by one person. Ai had President Ichigo at least worrying about her, and people to take care of her children when they were born, but Kamiki didn't seem to have a proper guardian at all. His exceptional looks might have made his situation even worse. He was just left alone in the world, and it wasn't just being alone, he had to endure all the malice and exploitation by himself.
You know how some adults appear in the movie arc, like Kaburagi and Kindaichi? This shows that the adults failed to protect the kids. The adults might have been busy with their own lives, but I don't think they can be entirely absolved of responsibility for the kids being in such situations.
Anyway, in that situation, Ai appeared to Kamiki, and I think Kamiki couldn't help but love Ai, who understood, accepted, and loved him more than anyone else. Ai also saved him. The fact that he sought help from someone only a year older than himself shows how vulnerable he was. It's just so heartbreaking. He must have liked Ai a lot... Fortunately, they connected emotionally, and Ai also liked him and wanted to help him. But Ai was powerless. Until just before she had her children, I think Ai tried her best in her own way. When Kamiki came to her, completely broken and crying, she took him in because she wanted to help him somehow.
But it’s sad that Ai couldn't even rely on her boyfriend... This really needs to be shown from Ai’s perspective too. She became Kamiki's emotional support, but it seems Kamiki couldn't do the same for her. However, I think Ai’s defensive nature also played a part... She absolutely didn't want to show weakness. She was a perfectionist. The others also played a part in this, as shown in the song IDOL. she was pressured by those around her to not forgive herself for not being perfect, so she couldn't let herself crumble or break down.
Still, Ai must have really liked her boyfriend. From the content of the video, it seems she was more worried about him getting better rather than feeling it was hard to help him. If she left a request to her children because she couldn't do it alone, that means she truly loved him. Asking her children for a personal favor about her boyfriend (even though he is biologically their father) shows that she was deeply concerned. (There’s a reason she left the request to her grown children; asking when they were young wouldn't have been fair, and adults are supposed to help children, not the other way around. For Ai, anything related to Kamiki was a lingering concern.)
I've drawn this couple a lot recently, not only because of Fatal being.. really obvious to me?? that it should be Kamiki's feelings and that it clicked and let EVERYTHING make sense but also because it’s confirmed that Ai loved Kamiki a lot too. Considering this, I think the storyline is not fully revealed yet. Kamiki is someone Ai desperately wanted to help, borrowing the strength of the protagonists, even. This is revealed not at the beginning but at the very end, indicating his significance. That must mean there are some things that we'll be able to find redeemable about him. Or at least, he must be a character who evokes a lot of sympathy.
Looking at this narrative, if Kamiki is willing to do anything for Ai, it makes a lot of sense. I was holding off on judging the depth of Ai's feelings until that video scene (you see how careful I'm about it in the analysis I've made about Ai), but it’s been clear that he was truly happy with her on his end. When I saw the lyrics for Fatal, I immediately knew it was from his perspective... it’s clear he has deep feelings about her. The emotions in the song matched, so I looked into the song's content, and it was quite unsettling, giving me the strong impression that he took a wrong path. His character was exactly as I thought, so I wasn’t surprised. He suits well with Ai. Isn't the younger version of him, really soft?? Ai isn’t the type to be dragged around. If she had a boyfriend who's younger than she was, she would have acted like a big sister. If he had been older, it might have had a different sort of dynamic, but at their first meeting, he was even smaller than Ai, so instead of her being swayed, I figured he'd have been the one drawn to her. Seeing Ai hide who the father of her children was, yet genuinely loving them purely, suggests that she wanted to protect him. Their relationship must have been good. The calls felt like Ai had the upper hand. However, you can't predict when someone will snap, so until his appearance, it was all speculation. But everything turned out as expected, along with the emotions they had regarding each other.
I don't know the current state of this character, but it feels like something significant has happened. Because of that, there's been a drastic change about him, but it's clear that this character really loves Ai. I keep mentioning it, but from the character's perspective, it couldn't have been any other way. So, I thought, "Wow... the writing was well done." The key point is how far Kamiki can go with such deep feelings and how it might become distorted, deviate, or turn into a mix of love and hate, depending on how it's handled.
At least, as the lyrics suggest, he loves her to the extent that he would do anything he can. I believe that has been made clear, so I think the development will inevitably go that way.
His past is just so miserable that I want to hug him and tell him he suffered a lot. Both him and Ai. And I want to arrange for them to be protected by adults who can give them lots of love and care in a clean, good environment. It’s no wonder Kamiki felt like there was no one in the world but him and Ai, which is such a sad situation... But there must be lonely kids like them out there. I hope those kids can receive the love they deserve.
I was actually a bit interested in the area of social welfare. However, it’s a very tough path, so I didn't dive so deep into it... While reading the manga, my thoughts wandered in that direction because the characters were in such vulnerable states. This sort of situation isn't 100% fiction.
I once did volunteer work in education, and honestly, the kids who have gone through tough times are much more mature and resilient than I am... They know things I don’t, and I believe that. But they are still young. It’s not about underestimating or dismissing them; at that age, they shouldn't be experiencing such things... It's an age when they should be receiving love.
In my opinion, the likelihood of major character inconsistencies or setting errors with the protagonist’s parents is quite low. The scenes they get are significant but short, so the characters are likely to come out as initially planned. And honestly, how cunning or wicked can two middle school kids be? This isn’t pure fantasy; the manga heavily borrows from reality. So, I liked how their past was revealed in this manner. The key is how things will unfold next, and it’s hard to predict completely.
When I first heard the song IDOL, I immediately thought, "Oh, this character is really struggling." (I mention this a lot but) I can't claim to understand everything since I haven't led such a turbulent life, but I still felt sorry for them. If I were in that character's position, I don't know if I could have lived as earnestly... However, when considering why the character made such choices, I can sense that it seems to come from their own efforts and concerns. Many situations arose consecutively, and I think Ai, as a character, tried her best within them.
And Kamiki is really something else. When he was breaking up with Ai, I didn’t mention much about what he heard, but Ai is really sharp. Even if she didn’t know what the consequences would be later, she said exactly what she needed to achieve her desired result (Kamiki leaving her). It wasn’t cursing, but the words were very cruel. I predicted that he wouldn’t be able to hold onto Ai when they broke up, even before the episode was revealed... LOL. But he ended up hearing such devastating words that he couldn't say anything back and was just left dumbfounded. Those words must have really hurt. I even felt emotionally wounded along with him! Ai is truly remarkable... When you watch the video, you can see that she really loved him, but to be able to say such things to someone she cared about... I don’t think I could do that because it would break my heart. As I mentioned when analyzing Ai, she just did what she thought was the best. She didn’t like herself very much, so it was more important to protect him from the burden of being with her than worrying about him hating her.
Kamiki, on the other hand, talked about those words to his son, saying, "Ai left me because she found out what I did, and it was natural and unavoidable." He has no anger. His self-esteem is very low, and he feels very sad. Although he mentioned that Ai had selfish and cruel sides, the first thing he feels is self-loathing... He believes it was natural to be abandoned, and he thinks he has never been loved by anyone. There’s a scene where he is walking hand-in-hand with Ai, looking so happy, and it’s described as if just being with her made him feel like he could overcome anything. But he accepts that she thought of him that way, which is so pitiful, isn’t it?
Would a character in such a state try to harm Ai? I don’t think so. If he were going to be angry, it would have been then. But I think both Ai and Kamiki knew that he wouldn’t retaliate even after hearing such words. This shows their personalities very well. When Ai said they should break up, he's able to suggest that they get married, this character... has no pride when it comes to Ai... It’s pitiful. He must have been like that in the payphone call too. It’s obvious that he wanted to meet again, saying he “clung on.” People say clinging isn’t attractive, but it seems he did so timidly. He probably couldn’t even speak firmly, and when Ai said no, he was likely left speechless again.
What happened to make him like how he is now? (But if you look at his lines, it doesn’t seem like he changed that much. He still says, "Because of me, because of me," in front of that dying actor. He blames himself for what's happened, and I wonder how it happened) I think this character needs to see a psychiatrist. He seems extremely depressed. It’s not a fair comparison, but his self-destructive behavior feels even worse than Aqua’s, and it’s understandable... Aqua still has people who love him, but this person!! He really has no one!!
Seeing the video of Ai and being so shocked... yeah, it's totally a natural reaction for him. He really didn't realize that Ai loved him in the SLIGHTEST. But if we consider whether it was Kamiki's fault that he didn't know, I don't think it was. Aqua showed the video as part of his revenge, but although Kamiki's heart must have been torn and he felt like dying... did he really do something deserving of revenge? I say that’s actually questionable. If he had killed Ai, then "revenge" would make sense, but it seems like he contributed less to her death than what he even told Aqua. Now that he knows he was loved all along, it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction comes out. Sigh.. so they had mutual feelings towards each other, so it's good, right? Their lives have been so unfortunate. Depending on what Kamiki did in the middle, it might determine whether he deserves such harsh words, but for now, that's my impression.
These two characters seem to be well-written (from a constructed perspective). Ai is really well-written, and Kamiki seems that way too. The chance for them to be happy together disappeared with Ai's death... who knows what will happen next...
Songs like "Mephisto" or "Fatal" really seem fitting. That's why I think those songs are related to Kamiki... the lyrics are so intriguing, so there must be something there.
I hope it all ends well.
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allkordelia · 11 months ago
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Keep Me Near Your Heart XII
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"Do it again! Do it again." I ask giddy watching Enith with a wide smile.
She gives me a look before shaking her head with a small smile, I sat criss cross across from her on the bed as she sat with her legs dangling off the bed. She moves her hands slowly, I turn my eyes to the object she had laid on the bed between us. A shell. A coin. And a red onyx stone. I watch with a small smile as each one slowly floats off the bed, I glance at enith as she focus on the objects in front of her. I look back at the object as they start to slowly dance as the spin in a circle.
When Enith came to my chamber with a conflicted look on her face, I thought the worst, I was worried and I didn't waste time asking her what was the matter. The last thing I thought she ever tell me was that she was a witch, well a red priestess apparently, I never heard of anyone like that before. When she first revealed her powers I was shock, and a little bit afraid, until the shock and fear finally wash over and I was elated. I always knew she was different, I just didn't know how didn't she truely was.
Enith let out a exhaust sigh as the objects dropped back to the bed, like before.
"I'm sorry," She said rubbing her temple with her figners, "I haven't use my abilities for so long, I forget how much it takes out of me." She explains.
"How old was you when you discovered your...abilities?" I asked curious.
"Since I was nine," she drop her hand to her lap, "I found out when I accidentally set my papa's barn on fire." She chuckle softly making me smile.
"You say your not a witch but a red priestess, what is that?"
"Well, I'm not a red priestess, yet. The red priestess are loyal servants to R'hllor, the lord of light, he is where we get our power from. Once I go back home to finish my studies, I, too, will be one. "
I frown.
"When must you go back?" Enith shrugs her shoulders.
"My sisters have yet to say, but do not fret, I was close to finishing back at Maegonsæte. If they ever call me home, i will be back no more than a month later." I nod my head slowly at her words, feeling a bit grateful.
"Well, let's hope soon, I would rather you do it now than later." I smirk slolwy creep onto my lips, "Maybe, once you come back, you can turn aemond and alicent into slimy toads."
"Mmm, I don't think I can turn someone into something they already are." We share a look before erupting into chuckles.
Enith got off the bed to move around the room to pick scattered clothes off the floor, I watch her as I lean against the headboard.
"I am happy that you finally told me, it means you trust me and that means a lot." Enith turns around with arm full before putting on the table in front of her to fold, she gave eyeroll as she start folding.
"I trusted you long before thus," she looks up at me.
"I know I just wanted to hear you said it," Enith snort looking away with a shake of her head as a smile grace her lips faintly, "I love that we could do this," I state making her glance up feom the task at hand to watch me, "That we trust each other so much to keep each other secrets, I'm happy that I talked aemond out of dismissing you." I smile blissfully, relaxing with a peace of mind.
It felt like a while since I had that, my life was alright, I didn't feel as stress or depressed like all those moons ago. I wouldn't say things gotten better with Aemond and I, maybe more civil I dare say, but I keep a firm line between us, we can be friends and we can fuck but we will never be romantically involved. And of course, in one ear and out the other, I think since River's departure, aemond had been spending even more time with me. I think this the first time in a while since he haven't been here, bothering me.
"As am I." Enith sighs, I blink twice putting focus on my friend as I tense Enith's anxiousness, "But, there is another reason I told you, what I am." I furrow my brows as she looks up at me.
Enith put the last folded clothing to the side before walking around the table, I move my arms to cross over my chest as I wait for her to explain herself. She stopped at the bottom of my bed with a nervous glint in her eye, I bite the inside of my cheek worried.
"What do you mean?" I finally ask, enith sigh again fidgeting with her fingers.
"I have...seen something." She said low with a dip chin.
"If it's about Aemond and Alys--" I started, but stopped when she looked up at me and shook her head.
"No, nothing about them, it's about you and aemond." I furrowed my brows, I moving to get off the bed.
"Okay," I draw out, "What about me and aemond." I asked, looking at Enith as she watch me warily before I stood in front of her, she played with a ring on her pinky for a moment before she begin to speak.
"I am so sorry that you have to found out this way, but maybe it is good that you found out like this rather than it creep up on you--"
"Enith, your rambling," I step close grabbing her hands stopping her from fidgeting with the fingers, "Please, whatever it is, just tell me."
Enith purse her lips as she swallow, after a second she let out a soft sigh and squeeze my hands.
"I sense it days ago, your aura was pure white as if you were glowing..." she looks up at me, "It wasn't until the night of the feast did I fully sense it...him..." I follow her gaze as it landed on my stomach, "A vision of a boy, it was hard to see him at first but I knew it was a boy, I could make out  his small form from afar. When he finally faced me. His skin was sun kissed like yours and his features was soft. He looks so much like you, princess."
My hands slipped from enith's grasp, I step back not looking at her. I didn't know what to say, I turn my back to her, my hand going to my stomach.
"Can you tell me how long I am?" I ask, my hand turning to clench at my stomach.
"I-I think but it is hard to say--"
"Just tell me, please. " I beg feeling my eyes start to burn.
"Two, maybe three months."
I covered my eyes with my other hand as I dug my nails into my stomach, I shook my head thinking and thinking before letting out a sob.
"...princess."
I shook my head hearing Enith come up behind me, I felt her hand on my back making me move away.
"Please, don't touch me, right now I can't..." I move back to my bed to sit, I lean forward with my head in my hands, "This can't be happening, it can't."
It was too soon, It felt like it was too soon I only lost visenya eight moons ago, but it still felt like some sort of betrayal to her. I made a deal with Aemond that once winter end we could try again, at the time it was a good enough plan, I didn't have to worry about his insufferable mother hounding me not with Aemond keeping her away and I didn't have to feel pressure about producing a heir. What I didn't plan was Ser Krey.
"I am sorry, jaenara. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut," I sniff hearing Enith walk near me again, "I should have never open my mouth, oh please, my lady, please do not cry I can not bare to see you this way." I sniff again, lifting my head a bit to wipe my nose on the sleeve of my robe.
"I-It is not you, Enith. It is me...and my stupidity."
"Nonesense, your highness. Do not speak about yourself in such a way--" I shook my head angrily and look up at her.
"No, you don't understand." I said making her look at me with confuse look," I do not know who the father is."
Enith's bemused expression twisted into a look of shock, I look away from her putting my head back in my hands.
"Jaenara--"
"I can't have this child, not when I know how Alicent is, she will find out, and when she does she will use all her power to convince Aemond to get rid of him. To send him to the wall." I look at Enith again, "We can't let that happen."
"We won't, m'lady. Your son will be save." I nod my head.
"Yes, I know." I stood up before making eye contact with Enith, "Because you will take him away, far away from here," A look of panic passed through Enith's face," Once he is born, you will take him to my aunt and have him raise there at Dragonstone."
"Princess, I can't."
"Yes, you can. Your the only person who can." Enith stare at me speechless, she teeter away from me, "Enith, I know this is a lot to ask of you." Enith snort catching me off guard for a second.
"You think." She looks back at me, "Jaenara, I can't just take your child and give it to Rhaelle, that would be kidnapping and I could be put to death."
"That is only if you get caught, which I know you won't not with your abilities." Enith sigh with a shake of her head.
"Still, jaenara, don't you think this is all a bit rash."
"No, if my son is taken from me, he will no doubt be given to the Night's Watch. Aemond will not claim him as his own, his pride will not let him." I make my way to Enith, I hold my hands out for her waiting a moment before she place her hands in mine, "I am alone here. All I have is you and ser krey, I need you to promise me that you do this." Enith swallow glancing away.
"It must be another way we can--"
"It isn't. Aemond will send my child away if there's one little detail of him that he isn't his, and I will be back locked away from the world again." Enith looks back at me with a look in her eye.
"Can you truely say for certain that Aemond will take your child away," I furrow my brows taken back, "He claims that he loves you, now with River's gone, his attention is back to you and from what I heard. It seems river isn't the object of his affection anymore," I scoff at her.
"That may be true, but she like come back, she always do and when she does I will be cast aside once again--"
"But, you don't have to be, my lady." I purse my lips staring at her curious, "You been treated so badly for so long that you forget that you have power within these walls, Alicent may have spies but the knights serve only one house. Yours." I look away from her, "Let's say you are right that his affection for you dies and goes back to Rivers if she returns, but do you know how Rivers control Aemond?" I look back at her with narrow eyes.
"How."
"She used his love for her to get what she wanted, but ever since visenya's death, it seems he have fallen out of love for the whore." I chew my lips in thought.
"So, all I must do is sleep with him to control him?" Enith shook her head.
"No, that was River's mistake, whores believe fucking is the only way into a man's heart. You must show him your own heart for him to be smitten to you." I let go of her hands at what she was himting at.
"You want me to pretend to love him, so i can control him." Enith gives me a look.
"That is the only way to assure your son stays with you, his love for you could blind him from your son's misplace feature and even claim him as his own." I shook my head slightly in thought.
What she was saying sounded like a sound proof plan, but it sounded too good to be true. I have learn by now things aren't as easy as it seems, and what if it backfires in my face.
"Enith, I don't think I can--" Her hands went to my arms, I look at her as she gives me a reassuring look.
"Do you trust me?" She ask, i look at her mildly taken back before nodding.
"With my whole heart." Enith smiled at me before placing her hands on my cheek.
"Then, trust me when I say thus, aemond loves you and if you show him a little flicker of it, he will be devoted to you and only you. Your doing this for your son, jaenara." I lick my lips before nodding.
Enith's squeeze my arm before letting go, she moves away from me and collected the folded clothes and her hands before facing me again.
"I have to go clean these, I'll be back later, okay?" I nod stepping back and going to my bed.
As enith walks towards the door, I get under my covers resting my hand over my stomach.
"Jaenara." I glance at her, "You must remember that you have the blood of the dragon in you, do not make them think you don't. That bastad whore has nothing on you, princess." A small smile creep up to my lips making give a curt nod.
"Thank you, Enith." The handmaid bow her head. 
"Of course, m'lady."
I watch her turn and leave, I sigh turn to lay on my back, my hand rubbing up and down my stomach in thought. Who do I tell first, my husband or my lover, should I even tell ser krey that i am possibly carrying his child, what if he wants to be part of his life? I can't have ser krey and aemond fighting for my affection and that of my child without fearing them kill each other over me.
I sigh out a exasperated sigh.
"What an dauting situation we are in, little one." I whispered.
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miitgaanar · 2 months ago
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Whumptober prompt!
No. 5: SUNBURN
Healing Salve | Heatstroke | “If my pain will stretch that far.” (Lottery Winners, Burning House)
This is for me and @editoress and that is all.
**********
“You’re hurt.”
A gruff, familiar voice stopped her dead in her tracks. She cursed softly.  She didn’t have time for this.
“I’m fine,” she bit out and moved to continue on her way up to the cliffs above Malleolus’ villa.  She had to get there before Ulpius jumped.  She had to save someone today.  Already she had failed Iulia, and Fabia lay crushed beneath the stone pillars of a collapsed temple.  Again.  She couldn’t handle another failure, another wasted attempt to set things right.  She couldn’t handle another death.
She felt a hand grab for her forearm, ripping a pained yelp from her lips.
“Apologies,” Horatius said, quickly releasing her, though his eyes remained fixed on the fresh burns marring her skin.  She gently cradled the arm against her torso.  He frowned.  “You must go see Lucretia.  A burn that severe will only fester.”
Nausea gripped at her gut.  If she had to see Iulia’s lifeless body one more time, she might very well cast herself into the chasm. 
“No—!” she snapped, and Horatius flinched slightly at the outburst.  A familiar guilt clawed at her chest.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to—I just have something I need to do.”
She tried to leave again, only to have Horatius block the way.  She stared up at the sky—what she could see of it, at least. The sun had yet to crest the top of the cliffs that trapped them all in this hell.  She still had time—but just barely.
“Please—” she tried again.  Horatius stood firm.
“I’ve seen men live through fearsome, bloody battles, surviving blade and spear and arrow, only to be felled by a fever caused by an untreated wound.”  His gaze softened ever so slightly, the severity of his words giving way to something gentler.  “We’ve lost enough people in this little community.  To lose another—a newcomer, at that—would be a blow that we’d never recover from.”
Her heart splintered at the earnest entreaty, undoubtedly borne of Sentilla’s disappearance.  It weighed heavier on him than she had realized.  But still the sun rose higher, and Ulpius’ demise drew ever nearer.
“You don’t understand, Horatius, I—” She froze, realizing her mistake too late as he stared at her, his eyes wide.
“How do you know my name?” he asked, uncharacteristically bewildered.  He stared at her openly, his brow furrowed.  “Have we met before?”
She winced, his scrutiny nigh unbearable.  “Galerius,” she quickly said.  “He said there was a legionary by the name of Horatius in town.  I just assumed…”
She trailed off, holding her breath—though there was no need.  Horatius immediately relaxed, a look of vague irritation written into the lines of his face.
“Galerius,” Horatius muttered, a note of vexation in his voice, though that was all he said on the matter.  He looked her over with the calculating eye of a soldier, a sigh escaping him as he appeared to come to a decision.  His hand drifted to a small pouch hanging off his belt.  “If you won’t go to Lucretia, at least take this.”
He held out a small object, smaller than even the palm of her own hand.  Tentatively, she reached out to take it with her good hand, studying it closely.  It appeared to be a clay jar of some kind, the cover sitting loosely atop it.  It felt frighteningly fragile in her rather clumsy hands.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “What is it?”
“My girl—she never did trust the gods with my life.”  A soft, fond chuckle escaped him.  “She gifted me that bit of salve the last time I saw her.  Couldn’t bring myself to tell her that it wouldn’t amount to much if I were to be gutted by a barbarian’s spear.”
“I can’t take this,” she immediately said, but Horatius held up his hands, taking a half a step back from her.
“She’d want it to be put to good use,” he said, a small smile pulling at his lips.  “Not collecting dust in a forgotten pouch on my belt.”
She wanted to argue that it had clearly been far from forgotten, not with how fast he reached for it, but the sun continued to climb, and the minutes continued to slip through her fingers.
“Thank you,” she said simply, gently tucking the jar into the front pocket of her pants as she sidestepped the legionary.  “I gotta go, Horatius.  I’ll see you around, okay?”
She didn’t wait for a response as she took off at a run, her arm throbbing in time with the pounding of her heart.
-----------
"THE MANY SHALL SUFFER FOR THE SINS OF THE ONE."
That terrible, booming voice echoed throughout the small city, signaling the end of yet another failed loop.  Her heart sank as the sky darkened, though she was quickly jolted out of her anguish when the golden statue next to her came to life.
And so she ran.
What had it been this time?  Had it been something she’d done?  Something she hadn’t done?  What had she missed?
Goddamn it.  Goddamn it all.
Tears welled in her eyes as she ran up the stone steps leading to the shrine of Proserpina, all the while ducking golden arrows shot by ghastly golden statues.  The temptation to simply stop, to allow one of those cursed arrows to hit home, was stronger than she wanted to admit.
But she climbed those last few steps to the shrine, leaping over Sentius’ skeletal remains at the entrance as she dove for the portal he had summoned.  Again.
And so she fell through time and space.
Again.
-----------
The shrine was just as she had left it: pristine marble floors and stone pillars, all gleaming in the early morning light.  The sun shone brightly as it rose somewhere beyond the cliffs that encased them within this forgotten little city, casting long shadows along the ground and high, rocky walls.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to stumble down the shrine’s steps, spurning the ever cheerful Galerius and his usual greeting.
She tried to ignore the hurt that flickered across his face as she dismissed him, as much as it pained her to do so.  But she had work to do.  She had people to save.  She had a curse to break.
Her arm continued to throb as she descended the stone steps. She gently prodded at the reddened skin, hissing as it smarted at her touch. If only she’d been more careful.  If only she hadn’t fallen upon that lit brazier.
If only.
If only.
She looked up to see Horatius standing guard outside the magistrate’s villa.  His usual spot at this time on this day.  She could feel the outline of the jar he had given her in her pocket, the delicate little thing somehow having survived a leap through time. A terrible melancholy fell over her as she caressed its rough surface. He had given her something so very precious to him, something that had been gifted to him by someone he clearly loved very much.  Someone he might never see again.
And he didn’t even know that he had.  Not anymore.
His gaze flickered toward her, and, unable to stop herself, offered him a small wave and a smile.  He nodded briefly in acknowledgement, but paused, his eyes fixed on her.
“You’re hurt,” he said, not unkindly.
She froze midstep, staring at him.  His dark eyes were soft, his brow furrowed in concern beneath his helmet.
And then her heart shattered, and she couldn’t help but burst into tears.
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dgrailwar · 7 months ago
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Round Δ, Day 1 - ALL TEAMS
Wonderful work on the quiz, Masters! If we had more time I'd test your thaumaturgical knowledge, but I'd rather not waste any further time.
Okay… let me try this again.
Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. The ancestor is my great master ■■■■■■■■.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall, let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill. Repeat five times but when each is filled destroy it. Then, set.
Heed my words, my will creates your body, and your swords creates their destiny. If you heed the Grail Call and obey my will and reason then answer me!
I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all Evil in the world.
Seventh Heaven clad in the Great Words of Power.
From the Binding Circle vow… Guardians of the Scales…!
Seven forms made themselves manifest...
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The Extra Class of Boundless Madness, the True Foreigner.
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The Extra Class of Sinless Fate, Funny Vamp.
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The Extra Class of Nameless Shadow, Faker.
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The Extra Class of Scorching Power, Launcher.
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The Extra Class of Impenetrable Defense, Shielder.
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The Extra Class of Azure Freedom, Traveler.
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The Extra Class of Infernal Judgement, Gatekeeper.
The world had not been set to a proper point. Instead, it was crumbling ruins in front of a crimson sky. Deadly, primordial, and unsettling in turn. The Servants crackled with magical power, drawing upon the ether in the air itself, relishing in being born again.
The Overseer, in a moment of confusion, swiftly realized that something had went wrong.
...Oh. This is not right at all. Those are from… hrm. Well, Masters. Do not panic. I shall swiftly--
The first Servant spoke, the Foreigner, clearly excited to be summoned.
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"Oh, so you're the Masters? Nice to meet you, you can call me 'Yuyu'! Mm? Gunner isn't here? Where'd he go?"
I should probably reset the world again. It'll just take a moment. I'll go prepare another quiz--
The Gatekeeper, hand on her blade, removed a sliver from it from the sheath. It was enough to make the room run cold with the chill of the underworld, before she spoke.
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"Hold. You and the ancient ones would use us as both potential foes and tests, correct? I don't have much issue with the idea, but I haven't had a chance to sharpen my sword against equals."
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"I agree with the missy. I've been meanin' to put this spear to use. You said you need some time to make sure everything is set, right? So what's the harm? Run the numbers or whatever as we spar?"
The Launcher, smiling, drew his own spear in agreement.
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"A spar... to the death, then. We can act as a 'stress test' for the system."
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"Oh my, are you sure you want to go for that, Launcher? I'm pretty quick on my feet."
The witch commented, her eyes already expressing that she was beginning to form intense calculations within her head.
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"Ah, I'm not expectin' much support, considering these Masters killed me without much hesitation, but I'm not saying no to the thrill of the fight."
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"How odd. In a way that I can't place, I find myself finding them familiar… have we met?"
…Oh, fine.
I'll let this happen, but only for a short while. Then, you all return to 'her', and I put everything back in place. CORRECTLY, this time. I suppose this would be a bit more exciting than another quiz… though I did work rather hard on it for having to push it out so quickly…
We'll consider this an 'extra round'! Masters, prepare yourselves!
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freckle-face-ace · 7 months ago
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Portgas D Ace X CisFem Reader **NSFW **
11
Your eyes fluttered open in the freezing room. Two warm bodies sandwiched you in. The smaller curled up against your abdomen spooned in by your upper thighs. The larger pressed to your back, arms twisted around your waist face buried in your nape. Despite their closeness, a shiver rolled up your spine. The house from what you could tell was dark, but that of a cloudy day rather than the middle of the night. How many hours had you slept? Your gaze trailed over the Christmas tree, its festive twinkle now mute. The power had gone out along with the fire.
Ace grumbled against your exposed skin arms stretching out and coiling back around you.
"So cold." He whined hooking his leg over your hip in an attempt to get even closer.
"The fire is out." You murmured resettling. 
"The furnace?" He questioned.
"Pilot light must've gone out."
It was silent for a few minutes before Ace shifted giving the stone fireplace a pointed look. Goosebumps flashed across your extremities as the blanket was jerked away and your main source of heat disappeared. Ace shivered approaching the stack of logs in the basket near the hearth. Poking last night's ashes away he set fresh logs down, this time pausing the place a starter log in the middle. He didn't plan on wasting time growing a fire like yesterday. 
You checked your phone that had been stashed under your pillow. It was almost 2 PM and finally Christmas Eve. Thatch had texted a few times checking each message a tad more stressed than the last. You replied quickly that all was well excusing your delayed response to sleep.
Natures calling urged you from your spot on the floor. Once you gained the nerve you stood turning to glance at the window that normally gave you a full view of the woods behind the house. Snow had piled almost halfway up and appeared to be still steadily falling.
After relieving yourself you stalked into your room to put another layer of clothes on. Meanwhile Ace had a fire started and was in the utility closet trying to light the pilot. He watched mesmerized as the tiny flame quickly devoured the matchstick all the way to his fingertips.
"Ah shit." He hissed stifling the light. 
"You aren't fireproof anymore." You commented rounding the corner with Kuma on your heels.
"I know." He huffed.
"Let me see." You softly took his right hand to inspect the reddened skin on his thumb and index finger, "Looks like you'll pull through." You pressed your lips to the barely injured digits.
"Thanks." He breathed watching you tug your boots on, "Where are you going?"
"Kuma has to go. Don't worry he's quick in this weather I won't even leave the porch." You opened the door letting a frigid breeze whip through the entry.
In the evening you cuddled up to Ace, your tablet propped up in your lap watching a movie you had saved. He distractedly let his right hand roam up and down your back. You hummed at the comforting warmth he provided sparing a quick glance at his freckled face. Glaring intensely at the small screen you cradled, he gnawed the inside of his bottom lip.
"Something the matter?" His eyes snapped up to yours at the sound of your voice.
He shook his head, "It's Christmas, right?"
"That eager for your gift?" you chuckled, "Keep in mind we agreed on making something."
He wasn't just excited for whatever you had made, he was incredibly nervous over what you would think of his gift to you.
"I'm sure I'll love what you've made. Even if I don't I'll pretend I did." he smiled earning a nudge of your elbow.
"It isn't quite midnight, but we can exchange gifts if you'd like."
Ace hopped up offering you his hand. Separating to your respective rooms you both gathered your gifts.
Entering the living room after you Ace placed a red, green and white striped knotted rope in front of Kuma and plopped down next to you again.
"Ok, it isn't much," You handed him the small silver wrapped box.
"Stop trying to downplay your effort." He traded his small gift for the medium sized red and gold wrapped box he'd had stashed in his room.
A tingling heat invaded your cheeks as he eagerly tore the paper and removed the box's lid. His short sharp intake of breath set your nerves on end as he pulled the small strand of beads out cupping them gently in his palm.
"It's just like them." He murmured fondly.
You released the breath you'd been holding thankful it wasn't a bad choice.
"I wanted to make a necklace," you reached over the help clasp the bracelet around his left wrist, "But I couldn't find beads here that would work."
"Seriously this is perfect." His smile reached his eyes.
"We'll go get your birthday gift once the roads are cleared," you chuckled, "so you have a phone while I'm on my trip."
He had forgotten about your summit meeting on the first of the year. The fact you insisted on driving to Boston bothered him even if it was just under two hours away. You did it every year, Ace wasn't going to change that.
"Go ahead and open yours." He nudged you.
You deftly tugged at the taped edges of the wrapping paper revealing a white box. Ace was practically vibrating with pride next to you. Gaze darting back to his smiling face and down again, you slipped the lid off. A brown leather-bound portfolio sat neatly nestled into green and gold striped tissue paper.
"A photo album?" You questioned tracing a finger over the stitching along the borders of the book.
"Look." He urged.
You swallowed gently gliding your finger between the cover and the first page, slowly flipping it open. Page after page of worn yellowing index cards sat before you. Each page had two cards perfectly encased in plastic laminate. Ingredients, measurements, and instructions elegantly decorated each. It had been such a long time since you'd seen your grandmother's handwriting, here it was laid out before you faultlessly preserved for all time.
The warmth of Ace's fingers caressed your cheeks pushing away tears you hadn't realized were there.
"I hope I didn't upset you," his tone was low and concerned, "I found the recipe box in the cabinet and thought you might want to keep them safe."
"No no, it's perfect." You breathed, "But didn't we agree to be cheap and make something?"
"I kind of made it. I arranged the cards and the lady at Staples helped laminate and bind the book." he smiled dropping his hands down to remove it, "There's a little stand under here so you can set it on the counter."
You reached up cupping his face and leaned in for a kiss. Lingering for a few seconds he finally registered and began to kiss back eagerly moving his hand into your hair just behind your left ear. You parted gazing at each other lustfully, noses touching, small pants mingling.
"I'll have to give you gifts more often." Ace chuckled wiggling his brows.
                                                                                          _______________
The beads of his bracelet rustled, softly clinking against one another as he combed his fingers through your hair between heated kisses. Your hands traversed his bare chest, exploring the dips and curves of his muscles and reverently caressing the scarred circle that tied him to you.
A low pleased rumble vibrated beneath your digits. Your hips pressed firmly together as you unhurriedly rocked into each other sending shudders of pleasure through both of you. He'd initially not been pleased with the sensory deprivation caused by the prophylactic, but now completely sheathed in your confined warmth it was no longer a thought.
This was not something he'd experienced. Sex was something for release a necessity he only took part in a few times. There was no true desire, no passion, no want to make it last as long as humanly possible.
His rubies trailed over the beautiful creature beneath him - you; neck arched back, swollen lips lightly parted releasing ragged pants. In a moment of rapture, he pulled back and thrust into you, a quick sharp movement eliciting a flustered call of his name.
Ace's resolve nearly crumbled wanting to hear more of that sound.
"Ace." You echoed melodically pushing him closer to the edge ultimately dragging you to your precipice with his quickened pace.
Crescent dimples littered your hips where his grip slipped and readjusted. Long slow thrusts became quick uneven pumps drawing out more lustful sounds. Ace relished in the pure bliss your voice propagated and lost himself in a fit of shudders with one final airy call of his name.
After a few moments of silence snuggled into the raven's embrace, you suddenly shifted to face him.
"What's wrong?" he yawned.
"What time is it?"
Ace shifted reaching back blindly with one arm to retrieve his new phone from the nightstand, "12:26."
"Shit." you frowned, "I wanted to tell you happy birthday at midnight."
Uncontrollable chuckles rumbled from the freckled male as he squeezed you between his arms.
"I think I got my happy birthday." He kissed your nose.
_____________________
"Please call me when you get there." Ace tugged your suitcase out to the car while you opened the passenger side door and folded the seat.
"I promise." You smiled taking the suitcase and cramming it into the back seat, "You won't even notice I'm gone."
"Oh, I definitely will." He chuckled reeling you into his chest.
"Three days and I'll be right back." You stood on your toes to kiss his lips.
After your prolonged goodbye in the driveway, you set off for Boston.
Ace sat on the bed you'd shared most of the day with Kuma curled into his side restlessly tossing his phone in his hands. One hour turned into two, turned into three turned into five with no word from you. He restrained himself to six calls, each going straight to your voicemail.
Raking an anxious hand over his scalp he sighed and put his phone to his ear.
"Thatch, I think something happened to F/N."
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magnuficent76 · 1 year ago
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🖊
Holy shit you on the inbox....... This is so awesome hello.
UHM um this is my oc her name is Melaine. She is a Normal Girl who is a Bug also
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A doctor by profession, a biologist by heart, and a mutant through experimentation. Melaine T. Curatella was a renowed name in medicine, a part of one of the most famous families in the interplanetary system, until some horrid event lead her far outside the bounds of sanity... and now, who knows what she's after, using mutagenics and science horrifically in some far off planet? There's only speculation to be done.
Originally from Promethea, came to Pandora with a mission to help everyone who needed medical assistance, eventually ended up setting up her own hospital for the same purpose (free healthcare W). She is surprisingly rarely ever attacked simply because she is nice to people and as it turns out, even the worst of mercenaries would rather not die because of an unaddressed broken bone. Do not mistake this kindness for tolerance however, because she's more than capable enough to defend herself should a threat arise (Trust me scalpel stabs are Way Worse than regular stabs). Extremely competent in what she does to a scary degree, often being called "the Angel of the Wastes" for it. She could probably rearrange someone's entire skeleton if she was up to it. Deep down she has a lot of pent upanger because of how everything in this planet just is so exploited, so ignored, how everyone is clearly struggling but can't do anything about it because of the ideals that are perpetuated. She hates hates hates hates it so bad and she WANTS to do something too but, where is she even supposed to start right ? Well, "not letting everyone die constantly because of turf wars and meaningless violence" is probably a start.
Gets really passionate about everything really fast. Once she decides she likes or supports something, it would take hell freezing over to make her change her mind. This stubborness and resilience is what allows her to keep moving even throughout the most awful of situations, even in the face of the worst of adversity, she will come out on top covered in blood and permanently changed but she will stand by her extremely strict set of morals or so fucking help me. Melaine has a bad tendency to overlook special case scenarios because of this as well because she really dislikes the idea of being wrong about anything, which is how she feels after you tell her that things aren't just forever set in stone. Probabilities and other such interference don't matter to her, because only one version of every situation exists in her mind. This severely limits her ability to navigate new situations because she doesn't have the proper equipment to understand them, and it frustrates her beyond belief, so she does anything and everything to classify it as something she's already familiar with. Nothing else matters but my understanding of it, my classification, my experience, MY method. This woman would rather spend 5 years on the same argument than admit she maybe miscalculated. Totally not taking after her mom <3
After everything goes down in the story, she has to escape everything and ends up crashing back on her home planet, which is ironic for her giving she said she'd never go back under any circumstances, but I think the circumstance of "My husband is possibly dead and a company wants to take me + our 2 young kids out too just for being associated with him" is kind of a special case. This does not make her feel hopeless as much as it just makes her ANGRY. Injustice runs loose everywhere, with the worst people you've ever seen having most of the power and thus perpetuating it, while you're just getting kicked down over and over after climbing the ladder. It's humiliating, it's awful, and it makes her so fucking mad. This kickstarts her descent into madness and obsession after the concept of justice, something she herself has to do, because clearly nobody else knows how to. No one else knows justice how she does, and therefore, she must be the one to instill it.
Has been fascinated by insects and other arthropods ever since she begun to talk. Most namely, the Praying Mantis. If left to her own devices she would infodump about bugs for days at a time. Their exoskeletons and surprisingly tough claws and their big stupid eyes just captivate her, to a point where almost everything she owns has a mantis pin. This fixation takes a weirder turn later in the story as she attempts to BECOME a mutant version of one, often using several chemicals and other substances on herself to achieve what she considers "the perfect predator form". She's very normal about it and she would never perform any particularly unethical experiments to achieve such a goal. She is not doing it for any nefarious reasons (like say, especialized murder) and would never awaken cannibalistic urges within herself after all that. Don't worry about it !👍
Lookit her <3
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Despite it all, she loves a lot. She is enamored by the beauty of life and understanding it is only her goal because of how much she appreciates every little detail of it as well. She loves helping people and she loves her husband and she just wants to keep loving things but unfortunately the world wants to make her Insane Constantly.
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kinkscholar · 1 year ago
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Taking His Fill
minors dni please!
service top!amab!reader x power bottom!vamp!vil schoenheit | ft. monster fucking (he's a vampire), stuffing
~3.6k
If you were completely honest with yourself, you weren't sure what led you to the borders of the Land of Pyroxene, or what made you cross them. (Perhaps the better question would be how did you end up there, but the thought didn't cross your mind.)
It was an eerie location, the soil beneath your shoes firm and the air cold enough to make the tip of your nose numb. While it wasn't vacant by any means — as seen by the smoke emitting from many chimneys, there was something about the atmosphere that filled you with the building tension that something was going to happen at any given moment.
By the time you entered what actually seemed like a town — the cobble path covering the ground and lights everywhere — the sun had set, making way for the moon to beam down upon the countless buildings. The town was quiet and everything seemed to blend in together. Your blind venture came with dire consequences. You had next to nothing on your person, little to no knowledge on just what was happening, and most importantly you were lost. The lack of people roaming the very clearly lit town square filled you with frustration. Rather than scream or potentially knock on the house of a resident, you seated yourself upon a wooden bench that looked over a row of stone buildings all separated by dark and seemingly empty alleyways.
Taking the opportunity to collect your thoughts, you buried your face within your hands, becoming dull to the world around you. Making it impossible for you to take note of the figure who emerged from the shadows. Even the clicking of the mysterious figure's heels against the cobble that only grew closer fell upon deaf ears. The being stopped before you, a long, pregnant pause as they merely watched your feeble attempts to calm yourself down. Eventually they grew impatient, this was clearly about to be some waste of time. As the person cleared their throat — you became painfully aware of your situation once more. Panic consumed you, sitting upright and your hands lowering to look at the person who interrupted your little moment.
Great Seven did you look. Was this even real? The person before you — the man was absolutely flawless. His blonde and purple ombré hair slicked back, black painted lips and and those fierce lavender eyes backed up with eyeshadow. his face was structured perfectly, like he'd been a greek statue turned to flesh and blood. Objectively handsome despite the icy gaze that bore into your soul.
"Are you going to continue gawking, or will I have the opportunity to introduce myself?" Even his voice was a gift from the divine. Though now you knew to close your mouth that had remained agape as you had stared at the man before you.
"You may continue." Clearing your throat, you spoke barely above a whisper as you felt your ears burn hot from embarrassment.
"Good." The blonde man seemed somewhat satisfied with your compliance, stepping closer to your seated form. "You're new, I can tell by looking at you. My name is Vil Schoenheit." This was the opposite of welcoming, yet you paid little mind. Someone so handsome took the time to come from — somewhere — to talk to you about something.
"Oh, yes.." You began after introducing yourself. You squirmed beneath his gaze, adjusting your posture and staring back into those eyes. "I'd just arrived not too long ago."
"A foolish time to arrive, no?" Vil was quick to scold you, but you remained confused.
"I'm sorry?" You didn't have much to say, in fact you were dumbfounded by this entire ordeal.
"Don't you know how dangerous Pyroxene is at night?" With the click of his tongue his eyes rolled, he was upset about something. "Yet here you are, roaming all alone. You should be grateful I stopped to help you at all." Help? Just what in the world was he on about?
"I see — Thank you..?" Your eyes wandered to your surroundings. Dangerous? You've really put yourself in a pickle now.
"Do not thank me yet. Come." His tone was demanding of you, your unyielding devotion — to blindly follow. So you did, you didn't have much of a choice, did you? Vil had turned his back to you, cape flowing as he began to walk, heels clicking against the floor with each step. You followed obediently, under the impression he was going to take you someplace to get directions, or a tavern — yet you ventured off the cobbled path with him. You could see little other than the glimmer of the gold accented his luxurious attire. Inevitably you stood before a large home. Of course it was a manor. This man was flawlessly handsome and stupid rich. You've scored — to some degree — but what brought him to take you out to his own home? Said thought plagued your mind as you were guided within the large home, and to a room you quickly realized was a dining room.
It was a strange one at that, a freakishly long table and enough chairs to seat a small army. At each end was a large, throne-like chair, velvet, red with a polished dark oak. Even the interior was breathtaking. You felt no bigger than a mouse as you turned to the man who'd so generously decided to host you. Despite how insignificant and pathetic you felt, Vil pulled one of the end chairs out, gesturing an open palm to the vacant seat. "Sit." And so you did, looking at him as you eased into the comfortable cushion.
"So what's going on?" You finally gathered the brains to question your situation which was most definitely too late. It was obvious in the way those eyes seemed to watch you with an intent you hadn't noticed before. Your mouth felt dry as he approached you at a slow pace, as if you were a cornered prey stuck beneath the looming shadow of a predator mere moments away from striking.
"The reward owed to me for helping you.. You will give it to me, yes?" He questioned, gloved fingers traced your jawline, moving slowly around your chair — circling you. As if to remind you of how helpless you were. Vil wasn't lying about the dangers at night, for the dangers were him.
Your breath hitched as your body tensed, a blush rising to your cheeks. "What type of reward do you seek?" The words slipped out softly, fearful as to what he would respond with.
"You." Oh, Great Seven. You were in for it now. All colors rose to not only your face, but immediately shot to your dick. He wanted you. This rich, handsome man wanted you.
You'd consider yourself nothing more than average, yet here you were — being circled by probably the sexist guy you've ever seen in your life and he wants you as a reward for housing you. "Okay." You spoke in such an awkward way, yet he only seemed to take such a confirmation with glee.
Vil circled one last time, standing before your chair in the gap between it and the table. His cold and almost expressionless face twisted into a tiny smile as the glint of his eyes only grew more dangerous. Was this the right choice? Panic consumed hijacked your brainwaves as your hands gripped the armrests til your knuckles turned pale. Vil only advanced upon you, his smile growing enough to make his fangs visible. Wait — fangs? This just only pieced together some parts of this messed up story, but now he was a monster in all of this, leaving you with more questions than ever.
You could barely breathe as the blonde brought himself to sit on your lap, straddling you. You were certain he could feel the bulge in your pants pressing against his crotch, yet not a single word was spoken of it. "Show me your neck." Vil was commanding, the captain of the ship in your mind. You had no right to deny him anything. Shakily, you pulled your collar down at your shoulder. The space was quickly taken over by Vil's head near the nape of your neck, the cool air of his breath blowing against the skin.
"Calm down, if you survive you won't have anything to fear any longer." How reassuring, he was great at this — wasn't he? You exhaled and closed your eyes, a verbal response would only drag this nightmare on longer. The tension that filled the air was pierced, literally in this sense, his fangs sunk into your flesh as you immediately felt blood being sucked from your body.
There was an overgrown, sexy leech feeding off of you. No fear or panic remained any longer despite the pain that burned throughout your body. Infact, you moaned softly as your hands moved to grasp his ass. Plush beneath your fingers as you gave them a squeeze — eliciting a groan from the vampire against your neck. The experience was near euphoric, your grip upon his form even tighter as you rubbed your clothed cock against him, lust clouding your mind like you were nothing more than an animal in heat. As the warmth slowly left your body you felt the urge to be inside him grow.
Vil fed and fed. You'd heard stories about how vampires sucked their victims til the point of appearing like a raisin — which you were certain was an exaggeration, not to mention Vil confirming you had a chance of survival. At least you won't look like that if you were going to live. Yet this was strange to you, wouldn't he be full by now? It had been some time, you mindlessly grinding against him as you held his ass. Surely your slowly drifting consciousness would say a thing or two — indicate he'd had enough of your blood. Was this yet another lie? Then you noticed it.
His attire was fashioned to fit perfectly to his form despite the many layers covering it, so the growing strain in his midsection spoke a million words. Vil was taking his fill alright. You weren't even mad or worried anymore, only watching as each minute that passed only seemed to bring more of a bulge to his middle. You were growing more aroused by the second by just watching this. What you were sure was a perfect form was rounding out right before you. Your mind took greatly to this information, hands quickly making work to undo the sash wrapped around his waist.
There was no doubt about it now, your half lidded eyes bearing witness to the very noticeable bump buried beneath the clothes, freed from the sash and pressing further strain to his vest. His coat having shifted to either side of his form, unable to remain closed due to the lack of sash and with just how stuffed he'd become.
You'd wished to feel greatly, to roam his body with your hands — but you felt so tired and likely your life fading as Vil had finally moved away from your neck, observing your weakened state. He didn't seem happy about how easily you'd accepted your fate. A scowl plastered on his face as he brought a gloved hand to your cheek, pinching it as some senses returned to you. "H—Huh..?" Your word choice was poor, but at least you were conscious.
"Come now, did you think I would let you off the hook that easily, human?" Vil chastised you, the hand shifting from your cheek to beneath your chin — tilting your head up to look into his eyes. "Not only am I still hungry because of you, but you've done something not one human has done before." He seemed almost amused to admit that last part, his free hand gripping one of your own and placing it against his midsection. What little blood was in your body rushed to your cheeks as they felt hot. Even through his clothes you could feel how soft the flesh was to the touch, his stomach tight from the amount of blood stored within.
"I take utmost care in my beauty, yet here you are, filling me far past the limit..." Vil's tone sounded almost like honey, only fueling your arousal further. "Unfortunately for you, I am still hungry. Your punishment will be to fill me." He spoke as if it were fact, your eyes widening slightly as you understood what he meant.
It seems a lack of fear after his feed was more so the mutual desire for you to fill him up further with your cum. Vil had removed himself from your lap, he began to remove his clothes before you before sitting on the dining table. He looked better than you imagined, toned form from head to toe, now sporting a bloated stomach. The way his hard cock pressed against the underside of his belly made you dizzy from how hard you were at the sight.
Some part of you wished you had far more blood in your body, enough to watch him push himself more and more. The fact your blood did this to him made you proud. So proud that your mind didn't register the vial filled with a liquid being held right in front of your face. "Hurry now, or I may reconsider your punishment." Your mind was lagging behind terribly.
"Right— sorry." You grasped the vial slowly, examining it for a moment. Thankfully, you knew this was lube without him needing him to scold you further despite your state being his fault. Popping the lid off, you poured some out onto your fingers, watching as Vil spread his legs before you and leaned back to expose his pretty hole.
You shuffled closer to him as you plunged two wet fingers into him. A soft moan escaped Vil as he shifted himself closer. Your fingers roamed his hole as you stretched and prepared him. The sight of Vil alone was enough to drive you mad, but the urge to fuck him made it hard to focus on anything else. He was already bothered from your fingers alone, you couldn't wait any longer to see what your cock would do to him.
After another strained moment or two of soft, barely audible noises as you scissored him had passed before you decided enough was enough. You withdrew your fingers, Vil gasping at the sudden movement as his eyebrows furrowed — watching you. You quickly removed your pants, letting them fall to your ankles, boxers following shortly after. Your dick was hard as a rock, pre leaking down your shaft as you placed your hands on either side of Vil on the table. Snaking your hands to his thighs and looking into his eyes. "Please, Vil. Please let me fuck you." Your desperate tone to be inside of him made the vampire raise an eyebrow slightly, his icy demeanor faltering.
"You may, but only enter me for now." You didn't need to be told twice. You poured the rest of the vial onto your hand and rubbed your cock until it was nice and wet. Not wasting a second you lined yourself up with his hole and pushed yourself in entirely. Vil let out the loudest noise yet, tightening around you as his hands held onto the table. You watched him with intent, waiting for permission for anything else. Every urge in your mind screaming at you to rail him until the sun rose the following day. You admired the sight before you, a handsome vampire filled with your blood. There was no doubt he was sexy without the roundness in his middle, but something about it drove you insane.
Your hands moved to his swollen belly, feeling it far better now with him nude. Vil seemed more undone than you anticipated for someone of his mannerisms. Strands of his hair had fallen on his face, his eyes half lidded as his gaze met your own. His lust was as heavy as your own. Out of curiosity you squeezed his middle. "aah—" The blonde was taken aback by the action, a hand placed above yours now. "You are a terribly greedy human.." He observed you before averting his eyes. "Move. Now."
Finally, it took him long enough, your hips jerked forward before you began to pound in and out of him. Your moans were harmonious with his own as they echoed through the large hall you've both decided was the place to fuck him. And fuck him you did.
"Vil— Vil—" His name came out of your mouth over and over as you plowed into him. Your name escaped his own, albeit he almost sounded shy. This only drove you closer to him. Having pulled him closer, practically placing yourself on the table with him as well. You grasped his waist with both hands, planting a kiss on his lips — not caring over smearing his painted lips. As his mouth opened you ravaged it with your tongue. His cold, vampiric form was in contrast to your human warmth, a perfect match was the two of you as your bodies collided with one another over and over again. You pulled your face back to admire your work after you finished attacking his face.
It wasn't long before how close you were was evident, as was his own. His broken moans ringing out as you groaned softly, nails digging into his soft waist. "Vil, I-I'm close– I'm close—!" Your voice cracked with a gasp. Despite all of the work you've done on him, he seemed so tight beneath you.
"Cum." Vil managed to muster through it all. "Fill me—" You came quickly, seeing white as you released your cum into his body, knees almost buckling beneath you as you orgasmed with him. He came only seconds after, seed covering his stuffed stomach and your own.
Your mind was blank as you slowly pulled yourself out of him, panting softly. It was basically the fact one round wouldn't do much in the idea of filling him further. But the two of you were already done for the night by the look on his face and how much the world was spinning around you. "Clean, will you?" The vampire's words were more of a demand than anything, he watched you expectantly. You leaned down and used your tongue to clean his form, not breaking eye contact with him for a single second. You wished to please him and witness the pleasure he felt, greed was only natural after all.
As you finished working your tongue you planted a kiss upon his middle before standing back up and smiling at him. Vil couldn't help but be charmed by you, though a confession of that would be akin to an execution. A soft smile appeared on his face as he shook his head. "You take punishment well, do you? Try not to misbehave or it will get worse." You were no fool, you knew well enough that this was an invite to stay with him at his manor. For how long? Who knows. You were going to take this opportunity though.
"No promises." You joked with him. The cold facade he carried had melted for the time being. It was reassuring to see, knowing you won't be dying any time soon at least. "Let's get you to bed." Confidence filled your tone, though there was no chance in hell you would be making it three feet without falling or running into something in your state.
Vil covered his mouth and laughed softly, shaking his head. "Oh hush." In a true display of his magical capabilities he snapped his fingers, as he stood, a purple silk robe masking his formerly nude body. "You will not be doing anything, schatz." Waving his hand idly, he picked you up as if you were light as a feather. "You are fortunate to have met me of all people. There are others in the night who may not be so kind to you."
Even in your state you wouldn't consider it kindness, he was demanding and he spoke to you like he were royalty — you couldn't exactly say no to someone like that. Rather than speak you rested your head on him, painfully aware of his belly pressing against you. Praying that he wouldn't notice the fact you were growing aroused again.
The vampire took you to what you could only assume was his personal room, laying you in probably the softest bed you've ever felt in your life. Vil joined you after setting you down, allowing you to wrap your arms around him and spoon him.
"One day, could I fill you further than this?" Your thoughtless question made Vil sit up and crane his head to look at you. A scowl was plastered on his face as he shot you a glare. You didn't care though, the moon light against his face made it worth it.
Evidently, the smile you gave him made him back down, scoffing as he laid down again. "Ignoring your current arousal at this moment... I will consider it. Rest. I must have my beauty sleep."
You didn't need to be told twice, you buried your face into the back of his neck and held his middle as you savored the moment, hoping to do it again.
As you drifted off to sleep, you couldn't help but thank fate for giving you such an experience.
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axratsffxivwrite · 2 months ago
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FFXIV Write Day 13 - Butte
Some days, the life of an adventurer was filled with camaraderie and excitement.
On others, it could be a lonely time, with nothing but the stars to keep one company.
Kin set his tent just inside the mouth of a cliffside cave, overlooking the jagged terrain of cliffs and buttes that made up the Fringes of Gyr Abania. It had taken no small amount of effort to guide his Ala Mhigan warbird up the jagged stones to their shelter for the night, but Exodus had happily taken to nesting within the shelter of the cave.
That was good, Kin thought. That meant Exodus hadn't detected any predators living in here.
He pitched his own tent, weighing the ropes down with stones rather than waste his time attempting to stake them into the hard stone.
At least he could enjoy some peace and quiet out here. No more brutal training regimes, no more of his grandfather's unpredictable mood swings, no more chores. Just him, his bird, and the whole wide world to explore.
He slid his fingers under the bandana he wore around his neck, seeking out the hidden soul crystal suspended there by leather cordage. Unlike his father's people, the adventurers of Eorzea asked nothing of him. They pointed him in a direction, offered quests that suited his talents, but they demanded nothing. In many ways, the guildhalls reminded him more of the hunt clan to which he was born than anything else.
It felt right. He had the freedom to do as he would, but the opportunity to go where he was needed. Wanted, even.
Strange, that. To be wanted.
The only problem thus far, he noted, was his solitary nature. Some quests were simply too much for a lone Viera, and while the guild was more than happy to pair him with temporary companions as needed… it left a sour taste in his mouth.
It could be lonely, sure… but he found he rather enjoyed his solitude.
Or perhaps he simply enjoyed the lack of expectation. Expectations so often led to disappointment, after all, and what was he if not a great big disappointment to so many people?
Kin plopped down on the ground next to Exodus's nest, letting out a tired sigh.
"…at least I have you."
Exodus let out a soft kweh! of acknowledgement, nudging Kin's shoulder with his beak. Despite himself, Kin smiled.
"Love you, too." He reached back a hand to scratch behind Exodus's head, ignoring the dull ache that still lingered in his left shoulder. "Tomorrow, I think… we return to Gridania. I want to talk to some of these hearers and see how similar their tales are to the ones other Viera tell about our Wood."
He glanced over his shoulder to Exodus. "What do you say?"
Exodus whistled happily.
"I'm glad you approve." He chuckled. "Then… I don't know. Ul'dah? I think Fidan, Nylas, and Daneks are still there. They'd like you. They used to argue over who got to feed the clan birds."
Exodus warbled lowly.
"…we should find work somewhere along the way, too. It wouldn't do to let you starve simply because I ran out of coin. Maybe there will be something for us at the guild."
Exodus laid his head down on Kin's knee and let out a heavy sigh. Kin chuckled.
"Right, right… it's late. We can worry about this tomorrow."
After offering Exodus the requisite neck scritches, Kin extracted himself from the chocobo's cuddles and retired to his tent.
It was a lonely path, but one day at a time, he told himself. Surely this would get easier if he just took it one day at a time…
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amemoryofwot · 8 months ago
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Ok final TSR wrap up and thoughts moving into S3 below
Whatta book damn. RJ is genuinely funny to me and there’s a lot of like, physical and situational comedy that I hope carries through to S3 (Nynaeve throwing the collar at Moghedien, Elayne and her 2x4, nobody knowing what the hell anyone is ever doing). He’s also so good at just like, desperate crushing character moments, like the AoL Aiel, Aram taking the sword, the final Battle of Two Rivers.
Even more so than Rand this is really Perrin’s book. He has the most complete storyline, which is great for S3 but a challenge moving forward as he is literally not in TFoH, and doesn’t do much until Dumai’s Wells. He also fights a lot of Trollocs, like a lot. Every second chapter someone is fighting Trollocs. For timing purposes the show could easily cut it down to Perrin’s failed ambush, and the final battle. That would still get him to the Tuatha’an and the Whitecloaks while cutting out two or three skirmishes. Whether CGI or practical i’m sure the Trollocs would be expensive and they already got dragged for 1x08’s PS2 Trollocs, so i’d personally rather have them less but better quality. I could see him and Faile having a whirlwind “omg what did we just do” kind of wedding in face of all the Trollocs and not expecting to live, but I can also see that being pushed. I think this will be the bulk of the S3 time.
Rand’s storyline could really be two eps, there’s actually not a lot there once we get rid of the Stone (for now). One for Cold Rocks Hold leading to Rhuidean, and then one for the journey to Alcair Dal. Of course he’s gonna have more to do like argue with Moiraine about prophecy, and hopefully everyone will get some bonding time in Falme, but he’s mostly travelling which the show doesnt really focus on with their wild back and forth, and he also gets attacked by a lot of Trollocs. Lan also has nothing to do this book so sword and toxic masculinity lessons being pushed to S3 will smooth that out at least.
Egwene kind of has nothing to do this book so S3 will surely be her Dreaming, although I wonder in what capacity. Verin, Siuan, or the Wise Ones or even Aviendha could really be intro points. I also don’t believe she would pass by the Dominion Band two or three times without realizing what it is, so her intro Dreaming sequence is largely filler except for meeting Amys. Nynaeve has a line about Egwene waking up screaming from nightmares so i think she of all people would recognize it. She also has a few moments with Moiraine so Moiraine’s story will probably be focused on Egwene and Rand versus her own S2 storyline.
Much of Tanchico is through Elayne’s perspective, which pulls her into our main group. Nynaeve takes a slight backseat in PoV to balance it out. There will be a lot going on between Thom, Min, Liandrin, Moggy, and possibly Mat, (Egeanin?) but I think it will also be the smoothest to adapt as everybody has something to do already, instead of having to make stuff up to keep them moving together.
The leftover bit is the coup. Min not being there to rescue Siuan doesnt really matter except that someone will have to take her spot, as i dont think Siuan can do it herself. Gawyn seems a good choice to set up his inner conflict/indecision. The Blues could also just sweep them out on their way to Salidar. Siuan does spend a LONG time looking for Salidar, and as much as i love a good depression roadtrip this would cut time AND spare us Gareth if they could just go right there. Especially if LoC plotlines are coming in S4 we dont have time to wander the countryside and burn down a barn.
Anyways my inexperienced opinion is its actually not that much to get through, if you imagine one intro episode, 2 for each Two Rivers, the Waste, and Tanchico storylines, and maybe even one Andor/Tower focused. Two Rivers will wrap up in ep 7, and the rest in ep 8. I’m imagining the coup and Couladin will be the big season cliffhangers.
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hero-of-the-wolf · 4 months ago
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Chapter 2: A Land in Ruins
Despite the boy, that other Link, there wasn’t a soul to be found in the ruins of Castletown. Well, any living souls, anyways. Link glumly kicked at a rock. He’d found remains here, too. He tried not to think too hard about who they once were.
What was that kid doing here, anyways? Everyone else had the good sense to stay away. And why was he so nervous? Was he hiding something? He….
Link froze mid-stride, staring at the remains of a house that he could never forget. He exhaled slowly and strode towards it.
He had to shoulder the door open to step inside. The roof had caved in, leaving rubble strewn all over inside, but other than that the main room was mostly intact. Link looked without seeing, picking through the remains, unsure what he was searching for. Then something caught his eye.
He knelt down to pick up a scrappy little doll.
His sister’s.
Without a word he tucked it into his bag, too.
He didn’t linger long after that, leaving the ruins behind and making his way towards the castle. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting exactly, considering the state everything else was in, but nothing could have prepared him for what he found.
Castletown lay in ruins, but the castle… the castle was just gone.
Only the fragmented outline of the foundation was left of the once great building. This couldn’t have been the work of neglect and the slow reclamation of nature. It had been intentional.
The work of Ganon, perhaps?
Link breathed in deeply, held it a moment, and let it out in a great rush. Whatever this Ganon was, Link swore that he wouldn’t let it get away with this. If it was in his power, he’d put a stop to these horrid deeds and avenge his fallen land.
He took the time to straighten out a couple stones in a rather pathetic attempt at a memorial before finally moving on. He’d already wasted too much time.
Zelda couldn't be at the castle, and there was no one there that could aid in his quest. There was no more reason to stay. So he set up camp in the forest nearby, his thoughts weighing heavy on his mind.
He wished his princess was here with him. She would know what to do. She would know what had happened to them. Link felt completely out of his depth here, all alone.
Where could she be? She never would have just left like this. Something must have happened to her. This must have been the work of Ganon, too.
No, that other Link had said that Ganon had destroyed Hyrule ages ago. Whatever it was, it couldn’t still be around now.
Could it?
He suddenly stiffened, hand instinctively reaching out to grasp the hilt of his sword. “I know you’re there.”
A beat.
“Alright, alright, you got me.” The other Link stepped out of the shadows, sheepishly approaching the other man, his hands shoved into his pockets.
Link let go of his sword and leaned back to eye him suspiciously. “You’re following me?”
“Well… yeah.” He shrugged awkwardly. “You looked upset earlier. And you seem… different, somehow? Like you’re not supposed to be here?”
“Yeah. You could say that.”
“So… what’s your story?” The kid slowly sat down across from him, still taut and ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. Link distantly wondered why he seemed so jumpy. “Why are you… here?”
“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” Link answered gruffly.
“... yeah alright, that’s fair.”
They stared at each other a moment, neither willing to talk, nor wanting to be the first to look away.
Finally Link sighed, breaking eye contact to reach into his bag and pull out Zelda’s book. He started to flip through it. Maybe there was something in here that could give him a hint on what he was supposed to be doing.
The other Link scooted closer, interest piqued. “What’s that?”
“It’s a book,” Link answered dryly. At the kid’s unamused look he continued on. “It belongs to my friend, Zelda.”
“Can I see it?”
Link hesitated.
It couldn’t hurt, right?
He held up the book for the boy to see. The kid’s eyes lit up, scanning over the page it was open to with an eager sort of hunger.
“What is it?”
“I… don’t know, really. She was always the one who was good at this sort of stuff.”
He pulled the book back to look over the page himself.
Agaricus inferenus
Sources agree that this particular agaricus must have had some sort of cultural importance in the past, though it has now fallen out of use. Uncommonly found within the cave systems around the fissure now known as Death Mountain. Mycologists have also concluded that it indeed has special properties, including potential fire resistance, but tests are still being conducted. Potentially edible.
“It’s uh… it’s a type of mushroom. It says it might have been important once, and it might be able to give you fire resistance, too. They’re found around Death Mountain apparently, though I’ve never seen one there.”
“Oh, really?” The other Link frowned thoughtfully. “Huh.”
He looked like he knew more than he was letting on. Link studied him, searching for the answers to at least *some* of the questions that were threatening to split his skull apart.
Nothing.
He decided on a different tactic.
“Huh?” He echoed carefully.
The other Link stared at him unknowingly. “What?”
“You seem like you might be familiar with this.”
“Oh?” He glanced down at the page again, his face betraying nothing. “Nope. Can’t say I have. Why do you ask?”
“... forget it.”
This kid was harder to pin down than a chuchu. It’d take more than a slip of the tongue to get him to speak.
Well, fine.
Link snapped the book closed and tucked it back into his bag. “It’s late. I’m turning in. You… you can do whatever you want, I guess.”
Link felt the stranger’s eyes on him as he turned away, setting out his bedroll and laying down. He ignored him, stubbornly keeping his eyes closed until finally, sleep took him.
Link.
The air around him was thick with smoke. He wrapped his arm around his face, lungs already burning, blinking hard through the tears blurring his vision.
Link!
Ahead of him stood Zelda.
He tried to call out to her, choking on ash, but his voice failed him. He stumbled after her as she fled, dizzy from the fumes. She was in danger here. He had to help her.
His foot caught on something and he hit the ground hard. He groaned, rolling over to see that strange cube from before.
The cube.
It must have been what caused this whole mess. But how?
Maybe that cube was their ticket back home.
He reached for it, but his fingers only grasped at nothing.
Huh?
Suddenly Zelda was standing in front of him again. She reached down and picked up the cube, then held out a hand to him with a smile.
He reached for it, but before he could grab hold of it a scream rang out, piercing his very heart.
He woke up with a gasp, shooting to his feet. By the fire the other Link startled, his hand grabbing for his sword. They stared at each other a moment, until the kid finally let go of his sword and held his hands up placatingly.
“You alright?”
Link blinked hard a few times before finally nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”
It was still dark. He had no idea how much time had passed. But he got the feeling that he wasn’t getting much more sleep anytime soon.
He’d known that scream….
“You, uhh… you can go to sleep, if you want to. I’ll take over watch.”
“Oh, no. It’s okay. I don’t mind staying up.”
Link sat down by the fire again and shot the kid a pointed look. “*One* of us might as well get some rest here.”
“... fine.”
He walked off with a huff, settling down a ways from the fire onto the ground and curling up. He held perfectly still, even as the minutes dragged on. Link wasn’t sure if he was really asleep or not, but at least he was resting.
That was certainly more than Link could say for himself.
He pulled out Zelda’s book again. There had to be answers in here. Some clue to lead him in the right direction.
The last few pages had once been blank, but Zelda had been steadily filling them out with her own notes.
Today Link and I found a cavern halfway up Death Mountain. It was partially collapsed, but with some quick thinking we were able to create an opening stable enough to get in. Inside was some sort of old weapons cache. I’ve never even seen some of these types of weapons before! Link was unfamiliar with them as well. Perhaps the Gorons would know more? Nothing is really usable anymore, nature has certainly taken it’s toll here, but the knowledge we could relearn is so exciting! I can’t wait to learn more!
Link’s nearly finished with his training now. Soon he’ll be an official knight of Hyrule! I’m so proud of him. I’ve always—
Link tore his gaze away, snapping the book back shut once again. It wasn’t his place to read this. It was personal.
The other Link shifted, sitting up and gazing at him curiously. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to.
Link hated to admit it, but he needed help. And as suspicious as this kid seemed, he was his best chance at finding Zelda before anything more could happen to her.
He sighed.
“I'm looking for my friend.”
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whumpbby · 2 years ago
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A story idea for DMC.
Post assholes' return from Hell.
The brothers and Nero are on the same job -as it turned out, a big tree of blood fucked up the borders between Hell and Above, and also stirred up some of the Hell's hierarchy. There's always war in Hell, but now some of the stronger devils realised they can enter human world and get some food.
Thanks Vergil.
The current problem is a large gate placed rather inconveniently in a residential area, so all three Spardas + Lady and Trish have to join forces to dispatch it fast. Dante could do it by himself if pressed, but the name of the game is damage control, so it's a team-up time.
None of them is actually good at working in a team, so it's a bit of a clusterfuck and a bit of working it out as we go. Not made any easier by the fact Dante and Vergil are always game to steal each others kills and get in each others way for the purpose of being a dick.
Nero is "am I the only one caring about keeping these people safe or...?"
Lady "I'm here for a paycheck and these two are happy to show off, so yeah."
Trish is "It's been a slow week."
:read more:
Nero sighs. The gate keep spewing devil after a devil, some of them actually strong enough to cause probl ms and there's already some buildings that are in shambles. He wants it done fast, because the evacuation is still ongoing and people are still around.
He still has nightmares about Redgrave. If they'd just managed to close the Gate, it would be easy to deal with the stragglers.
At some point, he notices it, the obelist covered in runes that keeps the Gate open. If he can destroy it...
At the same time, Vergil is already there - he'd noticed the obelisc and worked out its mechanism. A bit more complex than the usual fare - without a magic circle from the human world, this one was set up from Hell. A small crack in the barrier was detected and a devil witch pushed a sygil through to the Human world as a foothold Key. So there are two obeliscs - one in each side, connected by energy stream that keeps the Gate open. Ingenious, if annoying. He'd like to study the Key on their side - should be easy to find a counter-spell that will circumvent the prolonged battle.
The Key needs to be preserved then, and the easiest way is to simply sever the connection. The Gate will close, they will mop up the devils remaining and he will take the obelisc home to study.
Vergil, being himself, doesn't seem it necessary to inform others about his plan. Dante will ficmgure it our and the rest is far enough that getting their attention would be a waste of time. He works out the best place to interrupt the stream and throws Yamato, point-first across the battlefield, intending to call it to hand once the job is done.
What happens then is a blur.
Nero, tied of wasting time, engages the trigger for a speed boost with the intention to carve the stone in half with the Red Queen. So focused on the task that the incoming danger registers too late - Yamato was his for while, his instincts didn't consider it a threat, didn't warn him in time - only when the blade tears through his side and pins him to the stone does he realise something's wrong... But then the world folds into itself before he can react
What returns to Vergil's hand (it was only a blink, only a flash, the rune was cut and destroyed in less than a second) is not Yamato. It's a snarling, snapping beast, his son in full trigger, roaring in rage before going for Vergil's throat. Behind, the Gate folds into itself and Yamato is nowhere to be seen.
That is a problem.
Not as much of a problem as Nero's human side finding itself on the other side of the closed Gate, thin and weak, and barely 16. A child with a single hand and a blade as tall as he is in the remaining one, sorrounded by devils and desolate landscape of Hell.
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the-canine-king · 1 year ago
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Okay I was gonna post this review of The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins somewhere else but I chickened out so I'm just posting my thoughts here lol
Overall, 5/10 (Average) and idk if I'd recommend or not recommend it from the writing so far (45 chapters)
Honestly, the first few chapters made my expectations go way too high. It's definitely an interesting premise with interesting twists but the further the story goes the more I feel like the author is trying to desperately grasp on to something to make the reader stick around.
It wastes no time diving deep into the mystery and it does an excellent job of having a strong hook in the opening.
However, it has little to no time for the reader to actually CARE about the characters and as the plot progresses, it's hard to care any more after what has been revealed. It's slowly turning into repetitive scenes with dialogue, conflict, and "solutions" too similar to each other. "The Truth" feels a lot more intriguing than the actual characters and their journey towards the end at this point. Sure, the situations the characters are put in are pretty dark and you turn sympathetic, but it's turning more into a drag if the author doesn't take the time to set things in stone and have our characters develop or show that they're worth caring about to see them develop. Every chapter has some sort of crying scene, some dark implications, some argument, etc. and it's getting unfortunately repetitive.
Almost every chapter has a Plot Twist. And if not, every second chapter. This manga depends so much on keeping its readers to the Plot Twists rather than actual development of the story AND its characters. It worked for me for ~30 chapters, then it quickly turned into a bore.  Everytime some sort of clue happens, plot twist. Every "conclusion" of a part, the story says "wait but actually–!!" Any sort of progress in the story, it gives you another thing to deal with and balance on your plate. It's getting tiring. It almost feels like the author doesn't want to commit to anything that would give the story a ledge to hold on to. You can argue that every manga that has been published depends on leaving the reader with a plot twist or cliff hanger. However, this story has so much new information given to you that there's absolutely no satisfying conclusion of plot points resulting in lame, lackluster scenes that don't amp it up more and more. 
There is little to no progress into actually solving anything about the mystery. I mean, there IS some progression but it feels so small that the plot just keeps going back to square one where "not everything is what it seems". Instead of learning new information, the story throws a curveball at you and you're back to the feeling of chapter one where you're wondering what the hell is going on. The sister knows something, no actually the grandpa knows something, no actually the grandma knows something, no actually… etc. etc. Yes, it's a mystery and mysteries are meant to misdirect you, but the story absolutely refuses to let the pieces build up into the end where everything can be "solved". Instead of giving you pieces to work with, the story yanks it away with yet another "what you thought was happening is actually wrong".
Plot Twists always has some sort of huge impact but after Plot Twist #67 the impact is no longer there. I guess I'm getting really annoyed at how hopeless this all feels? Like it feels like it's never going to reach an actual satisfying conclusion or even clue to uncover the truth of what happened. Which, if that's the point of it (and it turns into some tragedy) then kudos to the author, but if not then it's really annoying. It's a mystery drama which I could've expected something like this, but it's agonizing to read something where the author constantly edges you with no "conclusion" of anything and gives you no clues but only Plot Twists. And if not a conclusion (due to it being a mystery of course) it shows little snowball effect of how everything is going downhill due to "the same" scenes being played over and over again.
It's surprising but not surprising that others mention confusion over the plot so far. It may be because of awkward panels/ weird text bubble placements. And at the speed of which information is being given to you, it's difficult to keep track of who is speaking and what they mean and might require some rereading of pages to grasp it. The art isn't bad, the semi chibi style is kind of charming while also being able to capture some darker tones and emotions despite the simplified art style. The detailing is nice when needed and some wide shots of the characters in different settings are great too. The only annoyance I have is the panel work and text placements. It's not prevalent in every chapter/ page, but a handful of them. Not a huge nitpick but something to note at least when you need to pay attention at almost every scene.
Basically, a strong opening and it's starting to slowly go downhill. I do want to continue reading just to see the ending at this point.
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animehouse-moe · 2 years ago
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Last Game Volume 1: Shoujo Love is War (Not Really)
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Last Game's first volume is definitely an interesting one. Originally a 3 chapter serialization for a story, it found a way into the hearts of readers that got it a full serialization totaling 11 volumes. So, it must be good if it managed that, right? I'll keep it short (like the rest of this review) and say, yes, it is good and fun, and for a few different reasons.
Also, forgive me for having no images to accompany this, but there's not a good English scanlation out there currently.
Starting it off, like I said Last Game was only meant to be 3 chapters, so the story structure from the get go is rather interesting. It doesn't waste time, that's for sure, as we skip from elementary school to high school, and all the way up into college, following the rich and suave Yanagi and the plain and quiet Kujou.
Yanagi was about as much of a snot-nosed and uppity brat as you'd expect from someone overflowing with money, but he doesn't show that side until Kujou shows up and one ups him in everything, sparking a one sided competition that's lasted over a decade.
While the competition was rather set in stone though, the personalities of these characters wasn't. Over the years that they've known each other, they change shapes and form gradually and emerge out the other side of this volume as largely different people than what they were when they came in.
Take Yanagi. He's rich, he's competitive, and endlessly annoyed about Kujou at the start. But slowly but surely he changes. He sees the other sides of Kujou, the pieces of her that show all the struggles and challenges that she's overcome. And in a way, it makes Yanagi jealous. The girl that's had nothing is better than the him that has everything. So he resolves to change that on his own, by being something to Kujou, and by resolving himself to improve on his own.
Or Kujou, who would never talk to someone before and was only focused on providing for her mother. She gets a cell phone, she eats out with Yanagi, she makes friends at college and learns to feel and act for herself, outside of the existing of her mother.
They're both really endearing stories that bring the pair closer via proximity and circumstance rather than some arbitrary meeting or single impactful moment, and allow both to open up to the other outside of the competition that Yanagi decided upon.
It's really simple in that sense, but it's just so well done that you can't help but admire it. It hits all the right notes and finds just the right ways to crack Kujou's exterior and to spur Yanagi on to wriggle his way into Kujou's heart.
And that's really all there is to the first volume. It's a prologue, it sets the stage for where we're going in the next 10 volumes, and it does a really great job at that, specifically because of its original plan for serialization. It was meant to only be 3 chapters, so Amano sensei had to bring value and substance within there without anything else to rely on, they couldn't use the past or future to contextualize this story, and I think that really made a difference when it comes to being a prologue. Simply because it was never approached as being a prologue.
Also, Seven Seas has added some of Amano sensei's one shots into this volume, which is a super cool piece to add considering we're not likely to get them otherwise. I'm really hopeful that they'll keep it up with each of the Last Game volume releases, which I'm really looking forward to!
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triscribeaucollection · 2 years ago
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Tajin’s POV
...because apparently I couldn’t stop at just one chapter...
---
He knew something was wrong a split second after Dan switched off his comm.
The Force rippled, like grass pushed down by an oncoming wind, and Tajin’s heart skipped a beat. He focused inwards, awareness searching along their master-padawan bond, and found his student caught in a moment of wary alarm. With good reason: something Dark stood before the boy, and Tajin found his feet moving of their own accord.
“Run-” black cloak hitting the ground, red lightsabers igniting- “Get away, Dan!”
Of course not. His student was nothing if not stubborn. Tajin could feel Dan ready himself for a fight, unwilling to flee. In anyone else, he might admire that dedication to standing fast before evil.
Anyone besides his too-young padawan.
Tajin took off at a run.
He’d been willing to split up - willing to trust that Dan would only scout the area, would call for assistance if he discovered a clue or something out of place. And the boy did so, checking in as soon as he came across the dead animal. But Tajin didn’t account for the Dark presence springing an ambush, rather than vanishing deeper into the mountains.
Echoes reached him, of rapid steps and clashing blades. They skittered and buzzed, overlaying the truly audible sound of approaching thunder. A few villagers waved as Tajin bounded around the outskirts of their home, but he couldn’t waste any time with a reply; a growing sense of danger darkness danger surged through the Force, centered firmly around his connection to Dan, his secondhand impressions of the old man with two screaming lightsabers-
 Too late
Tajin nearly tripped mid-step, shutting his eyes as he slid to a stop. Burning raced down the bond, the shock of it more jarring than anything else. Breathing deeply, Tajin took a moment to center himself, and kept moving.
He set aside the sharp flickers of Dan’s pain, sent back as much reassurance as he could: I’m coming. Stay alive, I’m coming to you. His padawan tried to respond, tried to send some sort of denial, but then another overwhelming burst of pain took Dan too far away for Tajin to reach.
And still the darkness lingered. Waiting.
---
The thunder continued, joined by a light rain as Tajin continued to climb. At one point he passed the three younglings who’d led Dan up into the mountains - they all gaped, startled by his rapid appearance and swift movement. Tajin only slowed for a moment to call for them to go home, then resumed his greater speed, following the dwindling light of his padawan’s presence.
Only injured, not killed. He’d only been injured, not killed.
Tajin did not let fear or panic rule his actions. He moved quickly, but mindful of each step, that he didn’t land upon a loose stone or treacherous patch of mud. He projected further reassurance at his student, whether Dan could consciously sense it or not. He slowed when he crossed the final ridge, and got a clear look at the stretch of valley below.
Short grass, bent low by the gathering moisture. A few scattered boulders, likely deposited by ancient glaciers. Two humanoid figures: one seated, one laying prone upon the ground.
At that point, Tajin took greater hold of his emotions, and breathed through them. The imprint of Dan’s distress coiled through the Force, entwined with smug satisfaction from the old man perched above him. Tajin couldn’t afford to let himself be distracted by either one.
If he lost the coming fight, it would mean death for both himself and his padawan.
“Better,” the Elder called, when Tajin stopped moving forward. “It’s been a long time since I came across an opponent so strong in the Force.”
Dan stirred when the darksider came down from his seat, casually stepping over the injured boy as one would a branch laying in their path. Tajin refused to let the indifferent gesture induce a reaction within himself.
The Elder drew forth his lightsabers, a wicked looking pair of weapons, and Tajin did the same, rain turning to steam as it hit the ignited plasma.
They both paused, studying one another.
And the Elder advanced.
A few brief, parried blows passed between them, the Force swirling with anticipation. Chuckling, the darksider grinned wide, showing off his yellowed teeth. “Yes, a worthy challenge! Oh, how I wish I had met you long ago, when I was much stronger!”
Tajin didn’t say a word. He resettled his lightsaber, and took a single step, then deliberately paused. Only when the Elder’s expression twitched with oh so slight annoyance did Tajin lunge. Their blades clashed; the Force shrieked. A grasp- a twist- and Tajin came away with one of the darksider’s weapons. He didn’t waste any time at that point, lightly tossing the saber up, and letting it come down atop his own. Two smoking halves dropped to the damp ground.
In the back of his mind, Tajin felt a brief flare of pride from Dan, but couldn’t afford to let it distract him. The Elder’s rage swelled, from a distant river to a surging wave, and sure enough-
The old man’s hand came up, twisting, channeling a Dark power Tajin had read of but never seen in person. He dodged the first blast of lightning, sweeping low as he closed in, and caught the second on his lightsaber. It tried to break free, reacting as if a living, furious thing, which only wanted to be unleashed and spread far and wide. Tajin grit his teeth, concentrating on holding the wild attack in place, preparing for the right moment to let it go-
 Now
Dan’s blue lightsaber flung through the air, propelled with the Force even as its owner remained sprawled in the grass. The Elder still managed to bat it away with his second weapon, but that moment of inattention was all Tajin needed.
He released the lightning with a hard shove, sending it over his shoulder, and dropped into a lunge to catch the Elder through his chest: a killing blow. The old man gaped, stunned by his swift defeat. Darkness rippled with impotent fury, but- it began to fade. Lightning dissipated. The Elder collapsed.
And so did Tajin’s padawan.
“Dan!” Injured, not dead- only injured, not dead- He dropped to his knees beside the boy, looking him over with both his eyes and the Force. The abrupt dimming of Dan’s presence hadn’t been death suddenly claiming him, but rather, exhaustion. Tajin got a moment to breathe through his relief, before something went click behind him.
A detonator.
Something big exploded in the distance. Tajin whipped around, heart hammering, expecting screams and death knells in the Force- but, no. Whatever blew up didn’t harm any villagers in the process. He turned to look again at the Elder, only to stare as the body crumbled into blocks of ash.
Dismayed, Tajin released a sharp breath.
He would deal with the darksider’s remains later - Dan needed help first.
Moving carefully, the Jedi pulled off his outer robe and draped it over his padawan, gently rolling Dan over while wrapping the sleeves around him. Dark burns marked where the Elder’s lightsaber had slashed; painful, but not lethal, Tajin sternly reminded himself. A calculated cruelty, injuring the student to draw forth the master.
Dan wasn’t nearly as small as he used to be, but Tajin could still pick him up and tuck the boy’s head against his shoulder. Once safely situated, he started the slow journey back down towards the village.
Even being cautious, the movement jostled Dan closer to consciousness, and at one point a small moan slipped free. “Easy,” Tajin murmured, readjusting his grip around the boy’s knees and shoulders. “Rest easy, padawan. I’ve got you. You’re going to be alright.”
Something seemed to get through, whether it was his words, his tone, or simply his presence in the Force. Dan sighed, relaxing further into Tajin’s hold, and didn’t make another sound as they continued onward.
---
Perhaps unsurprisingly, three small figures loitered at the bottom of the path. The instant they spotted the approaching Jedi, the younglings rushed forward, crying out. Dan twitched; Tajin swiftly shushed them. The last thing his padawan needed was to try and move before his injuries had been seen to.
The younglings stared with horror at Dan’s limp form, but one of them at least managed to collect herself enough to point out the local healer’s house. As soon as Tajin started walking, she and her friends darted off ahead of him. They reached the house far in advance, which he thanked them for, seeing as it meant the old woman met him at her door.
She tutted, pulling aside layers of cloth to get a better look at where the Elder’s lightsaber cut into Dan, charring skin and muscle alike. At least two organs had suffered damage as well, but Tajin could only be grateful the nature of their weapons meant his padawan hadn’t bled out in the time it took to reach him.
The healer guided him inside to a small examination room, patting the low table as she passed it by, heading for the cabinets that presumably held bacta, bandages, and whatever else was needed. Reluctant, Tajin nonetheless eased his padawan down, prepared to step back and let the healer do what she needed to-
Dan groaned. A small, soft sound, but it kept Tajin from moving away. Instead, he shifted closer to the boy’s head, and smoothed a hand over the loose tufts of dark hair. “Peace, padawan. We’ve reached the local healer’s home.” Another faint noise. Dan’s mind refused to relax. He wasn’t quite awake enough to open his eyes, let alone give voice to his question, but Tajin thought he could feel the shape of it through their bond-
 Ah
The boy’s hand turned over, palm up, fingers open in silent entreaty. Tajin didn’t hesitate to grasp them with his own - an equally silent promise, that he wasn’t going anywhere.
---
I made a brief post about it yesterday, but since y’all have read this far I’ll say again: I’ve got a Visions Discord server up and running now, open to any fandom member who’d like to join and ramble about favorite episodes or exchange ideas for more fan fic. If the link is expired, feel free to poke me directly for an invite!
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