#and not only that but I decided this WIP needs a sister prologue

[fluffykitteninabox]

I'm doing it again btw

I started a new WIP

someone should smack me fr

[cowperviolet]

WIP: To Topple a Throne - Excerpt (Prologue)

Because who needs writing chronologically, after all.

TW: emotional abuse, non-graphic mentions of marital rape.

"Thank you very much for giving me refuge, mother," Sidonie de Favriel said meekly, lowering the cup of hot chocolate. Truth be told, the indolent sweetness of the drink has never quite appealed to her; however, she knew that only busy men of commerce and their vulgar wives drank coffee, and she was taught better than to emulate them.

"It is a very mortifying situation for sure," her mother Vivienne, who had indeed been the one that taught her, said in response. "I had not expected that from your husband."

"I did write to you. I warned you there had been talks of a divorce. I have overheard some conversations between my in-laws."

She still said in-laws, even though she was not likely to see either person again. Habits died hard in her blood. 

"Ah, but who could believe such a thing?" Vivienne de Favriel waved dismissively. "I had been absolutely sure they were merely grumbling. After all, de Bellecs are a family of good lineage, and a divorce is quite a scandal. Not to mention it's hard to procure."

"Not if you have a good lineage," Sidonie muttered, feeling rebellious today. "And a wealth to go with it besides."

"Don't be crass, Sidonie."

"Forgive me, mama."

"You are forgiven," the older lady inclined her radiant, golden head with decades-trained grace. "By gods, but your sister will never cease marring our existence, it seems."

Sidonie did not care for the phrasing - her mother made it sound, no doubt unintentionally, as though she would have dearly wished Audrine dead, or at least unborn. However, she was not a fool enough to contradict her mother openly. Besides, she was herself quite cross with her sister. 

Disgrace after disgrace, until even Sidonie's own husband drew the line and decided to retreat from this particular field of battle rather than be associated with the family any longer.

"What am I to do now?" She asked instead. She looked at her mother in earnest expectation. Her elegant, poised mother has always known what to do, and has never hesitated to state her opinion. 

Nor did she hesitate now.

"You will be able to stay with us for two weeks or so, of course. We are not going to take our own daughter out of the door."

"Two weeks only? But what will happen after?" Sidonie felt confused. Her head spun lightly, as though in a dream.

"The hunting season will happen, of course. Everyone is going to arrive to shoot pheasants and grouse." By everyone, Vivienne de Favriel meant, of course, everyone who was anyone in the southern provinces. "The house parties are going to be as much of a nightmare to organize as they have always been, and I am sure you understand why we cannot have a walking scandal under our roof when they arrive."

"I am not a walking scandal." Sidonie did not exclaim this pronouncement - if there had ever been in her a habit of exclaiming, it had been trained out of her thoroughly. However, she put her cup down on the table in a very pointed, if quiet, gesture, and felt proud of that. 

"Are you not? It is not every day that a scion of a noble house goes through all the obstacles to obtain a full divorce from his wife."

"It was because of Audrine. You know it was because of Audrine."

"It could not have been only because of Audrine. A wife who has enough womanly wisdom to keep her husband's interest never has to worry about such things, even if her sister is a jailbird." The last words were muttered under her breath. 

"Simon was merely an heir in waiting," Sidonie pointed out. "His father is the one who holds all the purse strings."

"Nonetheless, your husband could have found a way to keep you if he had truly wanted it. Three years of marriage, not a single child. Did he do his duty by you?"

Sidonie's cheeks were burning now, and not because of the chocolate. 

"Yes," she murmured, lowering her eyes.

"Did you do your duty by him?"

Silence.

"Sidonie. Look at me when I am asking you a question."

"I did what I had to when I had to." The younger woman admitted with reluctance. "I have not been particularly enthusiastic."

"Gods, why did they give me such a fool of a daughter? Have you never heard of feigning interest?"

"But one needs to feel something, I suppose. Some... inclination, if not desire. I could not feign something out of - utter nothingness."

"Other wives do. Most wives do. I did. Helge the All-Mother knows I did. Are you special? Are you a goddess walking the earth that you need such particular conditions?"

"No, but..."

"We have over-codded you, Sidonie. We clearly have, and this is the result." The exquisite Viscountess de Favriel waved her hand, as though making her verdict final. "But there is no way to change the past. Has he pledged any support to you?"

"No. As I have said, they have pushed for a full divorce, and obtained it."

"I see. We will help you, of course. I am sure I will be able to coax your father into giving you a good sum to support you at first, though he is likely to be in a stormy mood."

"At first?" Sidonie tried not to think of the methods her mother was going to use for that coaxing, given her confession a minute ago. "So, we are not talking about, say, an allowance?"

"Of course not. We have already expended truly majestic sums on bringing you up properly, not to mention on bringing you own brilliantly. Do you think your debut was cheap?"

"No, mother. I thought no such thing."

"You cannot expect us to take up this burden for the rest of our lives. Your father has expenses, you know. Obligations. His circle expects largesse, and his tenants expect charity."

"I understand." The dizzying sensation became ever stronger, the pastel-hued drawing room now fuzzy in the corners of her eyes. "What do you propose I do, then?"

"You are a beautiful and accomplished young lady. Well, you are three-and-twenty, of course, but that is still quite young. Once you go- somewhere, once the scandal dies down, I am sure there will be suitors willing to take a look at you, even if they won't be as illustrious as Simon de Bellec."

Sidonie stared at her mother, wondering for the first time if there was everything quite right with her gilded head; if all these decades in her highborn husband's tapestried castle have not caused something to shift in her brain. Perhaps, something did move there, crumbling quietly, making the great lady believe in her family's breezy invincibility in the world. 

There would be no genteel suitors for a divorcee. She won't even be allowed at court. Oh, there could be interested men aplenty, if she really were lovely and had good manners. Only marriage was going to be the last thing these men would be interested in.

However, she did not say any of this to her mother. She could not say any of this to her mother, even if her tongue obeyed her. She still needed those few weeks of grace, after all; she still needed that bulk sum of money for the first while.

To set herself up well.

The words left a queasy feeling in Sidonie's mouth, for all that she had not said them openly. There should have been shame and horror, and she knew, deep down, that there would be, eventually, once that first numbing shock that always allowed her to deal with crises released its grip upon her. 

But, for now, she lowered her eyes, wishing she had not relinquished her cup for the sake of a gesture, and murmured:

"Of course, mother. My going away somewhere would be for the best.”

[keanureevesisbae]

eunoia - prologue

Summary: Sam is trying to adjust to a life post-Steve Rogers.

Sam Wilson x Quinn (Asian ofc)

Warnings: Some spoilers for Civil War, Inifinity War, Endgame and TFATWS

Wordcount: 2.2k

A/N: Did I just abandon my other wips to work on this one? Maybe. This story follows around 50% of TFATWS storyline, but it’s not identical. I honestly don’t know whether or not people are gonna like it, but if you do, please let me know 🥺Our boy Sam deserves all the fics 🥰

Masterlist // eunoia masterlist // 

Not a day goes by that Sam doesn’t think about Quinn. It was at the Joint Terrorist Centre’s headquarters in Berlin when he first saw her on security camera’s. While Bucky was being interviewed, a different set of cameras showed another interrogation room. It was nearly identical to Bucky’s room, though the difference was that there a woman was strapped in a similar containment cell. They had found her earlier that day and according to some intel she was part of another Hydra program, though there was not much known about her yet.

With the reactivated Winter Soldier Program, Sam tried to capture Zemo, before the fugitive disappeared into the crowd. Together with Steve, they took Bucky into an abandoned building. While Bucky slowly regained consciousness and both Steve and Sam being distracted, no one noticed someone sneaking up behind them.

In a twinkling of an eye, both Steve and Sam were tied up with one rope, despite the two of them being on opposite sides of the room. With a certain focus, the petite woman marched up to Bucky, ready to do whatever was her task. As her fingers wrapped around his neck, tips digging in his neck, Bucky seemed to recognize her. A soft ‘hey’ from the Winter Soldier was enough to snap her out of it.

The rope stopped cutting into Sam’s skin, as the woman looked around her. She dropped the rope and she ran her hands through her long black locks. There was something about her that intrigued him. Her eyes darted from one side to the other, before they landed on him.

Sam didn’t know her that long, but he could see that there were a lot of undisclosed feelings. She was confused, maybe even a bit scared.

She introduced herself as Quinn, though adding the fact that she had no idea what her  real name was and Quinn seemed fitting.

Just like Bucky, Quinn was also a target of Zero’s spree. She remembers Zemo breaking her out of the secret and deserted Hydra facility back in Munich, where she was put into cryogenic stasis. Zemo released her into the world, only for her to be caught within a few hours. She had no idea if that was Zemo’s intention, her getting caught that soon.

‘Just a few hours ago,’ Quinn explained, ‘there was this guy with black hair, questionable facial hair, who told me to catch a guy. It was a picture of you.’ She gestured towards Bucky, who tilted his head as his gaze softened.

‘You remember me?’ Bucky asked her.

She shrugs. ‘I don’t know,’ she whimpers. ‘I didn’t when he showed me the picture, but… There is something I sort of remember of you. You walked into the room, dressed in all black, looking visibly exhausted. You were in this other cell and looked at me and told me that it was all gonna be okay.’ Quinn let out a soft—yet meaningless—chuckle. ‘That’s not quite working out.’

Without any more painful questions, Steve suggested she came along and Sam and her actually fought alongside the rest on the airport, making sure Bucky and Steve were on that flight and just like the rest who stayed behind, they were imprisoned in the Raft.

Sam watched her, day in, day out. She was yet again strapped inside a containment cell within her cell, another counter measurement to make sure she was unable to escape. Sam saw how she kicked an entire van to the side on the airport, without breaking a sweat. It made him question whether or not she was just cooperating or if the restraints were really working.

Her petite frame was perfect for her to blend in the crowd, in contrast to Bucky, however strength wise, they were around the same level.

Speed wise, it was Quinn who had the upper hand there.

She simply sat in the cell, staring ahead of her. Sam wondered what happened inside her head, but when they made eye contact, all he could see was sadness and hopelessness.

At night, when the lights were dim and everyone was asleep, he told her that it was all gonna be okay.

‘How do you know?’

‘I just do,’ he said.

For the first time, she smiled at him. ‘And I just have to trust you on that one?’

‘It’s the wisest thing to do. Besides, what have you got to lose?’

After Steve freed them from the Raft, he did not know what to expect from her. Deep down, Sam kinda hoped she would join him. On the airport, it was obvious how well they worked together, but just like Clint, Scott and Wanda, she decided to live her own life.

And just like that, she disappeared.

Sam never thought he’d see her again, but when they all met in the New Avengers Facility, when they learned about Thanos’ plan to capture all the Infinity Stones, she walked in as if she never left. She stayed close to either him or Steve, not once speaking up about what she did in the meantime and Sam never felt like he could ask.

When they landed in Wakanda, Quinn took him aside and asked: ‘You got my back?’

He smiled at her, realizing that his efforts in gaining her trust back at the Raft and the Facility had helped. ‘Always,’ he promised.

But he didn’t keep his promise. He didn’t have her back like he promised.

Quinn was the last person Sam saw, before he disintegrated into ashes, together with half of the world population. Her hand on his cheek, as her eyes darted from side to side, slightly confused of what was happening, but also realizing that he couldn’t have her back anymore.

While Sam was aware that she was right there on the battlefield after they were all brought back, the first time he saw her was on Tony’s funeral. After Steve told him, Banner, Bucky and Quinn he was going to return the Infinity Stones and Mjølnir—looking back on it—it was obvious she knew what Steve decided to do. Sam can still hear the words that left her lips then: ‘Are you sure you want that to be your future?’

Sam did not know what it meant then, but he sure does now. After he received the shield minutes later of a much older Steve, Quinn did what she always does: disappear.

He never knew where she went, what she was doing and while he respects her decision, he still thinks about her. Every single day. His hope of seeing her again, hasn’t faded away and sometimes it frustrates him. He barely knew her, why is he so hung up on her then?

Sam lets out a sigh, as he drives his truck over the roads to his destination. It has been a rough couple of weeks. He is working closely together with the United States Air Force and after a few missions, he made his decision whether or not to give up the shield.

Without Steve, the shield is nothing.

He desperately needs a break from all of this and there is no place like Delacroix Louisiana to wind down from the hectic of an after Blip world. He had been there two times, but both times ended abruptly as the Air Force needed him.

Now, he has the time. All the time in the world to relax and forget about an Avenger like life.

Sam parks his car on the dock and his nephews AJ and Cass are the first to notice him. ‘Uncle Sam, uncle Sam,’ they exclaim.

‘Ah, there you two are,’ he says, hugging the two boys tightly.

‘How long are you gonna stay this time?’ Cass asks.

‘Awhile,’ is the answer he is giving his nephews, but that is mostly because he wants to keep them in suspense a little.

AJ scoffs. ‘That’s not an answer.’

‘Okay, okay, gotta give you that,’ he chuckles. ‘How about: at least two weeks?’

The two boys high five each other. His sister Sarah loudly places a crate on the ground. ‘Finally,’ she says, ‘took you long enough.’

‘Nice to see you too,’ he retorts with a smile, before giving her a hug. ‘Missed you.’

‘Of course you did,’ she says. ‘We missed you too, just like almost everyone here. Almost got me thinking that you’re the favorite Wilson sibling.’

‘That’s because I am.’ He carries the crate to where Sarah wants it and he smiles when his eyes land on the family boat. ‘She sure is a beauty.’

‘A broken beauty,’ Sarah says, ‘that is costing me a fortune.’ She places her hands on her hips as she says: ‘With both the house and the boat needing some fixing up, every penny I got to spare is going to the house.’

‘Is this about you wanting to sell it again?’

‘Yes, since I’m not willing to sell a working organ on the black market in order to afford its repairs.’

‘I told you I would fix it,’ Sam says.

Sarah rolls her eyes. ‘Yeah, you told me that months ago, but the boat still isn’t working. You know the situation, Sam, the thing’s gotta go.’

‘Sarah, you’re kidding. We grew up on this thing.’

She scoffs. ‘Yeah, I know, I was there. It’s just that I cannot afford it anymore.’

Sam sure loves his sister, but there are moments where he—just like back in the days—he’d want to put her behind the wallpaper, making her shut up. It’s always this doom thinking. Everything or nothing at all, there is no in between. ‘You know I can help with this.’

‘Yeah, big help you’ve been.’

Sam clenches his jaw. ‘Well, I’m sorry I was taken away by the blip.’

‘It’s not about you being gone for the blip,’ Sarah says. ‘It’s about the fact that there is too much for me to do here. I need to keep the house, so it’s either keeping the boat or the business and since the business is my income, it’s only logical that the boat has got to go.’

Great, he has been back for a few minutes and he is already having this conversation with his sister. ‘I’ve got this, Sarah, I promise.’

She doesn’t believe him, he can see it in her eyes, but decides to drop the matter. Maybe she realizes too that this is no conversation for them to have after he got back for only a few minutes.

The two of them step back on the dock, where his nephews are stretching out their necks, almost like they are searching for something. ‘Whatcha looking at?’ Sam asks. ‘See a pretty lady?’

‘Is that,’ Cass starts, only for AJ to exclaim: ‘Auntie Quinn!’

The two boys drop their stuff and rush over the dock to the woman Sam never thought he’d see again, let alone right here. Quinn holds out her arms and despite the boys being nearly the same height as her, she still manages to catch them both as they jump in her arms. They must’ve known about her enhanced strength, Sam thinks to himself, otherwise they wouldn’t have jumped right in her arms.

But that raises another question: how could they’ve known?

‘Auntie Quinn?’ he asks Sarah.

Sarah nods. ‘Auntie Quinn,’ she confirms.

She’s gonna leave it at that? ‘Care to explain?’

‘I think it was two weeks after you were blipped away. It was chaos here, like literal chaos. People were missing, I hadn’t heard anything from you. She walked up the dock and offered her help. I thought for at least a month she was an angel send from the heavens. She told me she saw you right before you were blipped away and that she went to your place back in DC. She found out about us and decided to see how it all went down here. Thankfully she did, because I desperately needed her help. She assisted with the business, helped raising the boys.’

To say he is confused, would be an understatement. ‘She stayed here?’ he asks. ‘During the entire blip?’

‘Oh yeah,’ Sarah says, holding up her hand to Quinn. ‘I think all in all, she stayed here for four years. Sometimes she went away for a few weeks, but she always returned. Near the end, she called me and told me that Steve needed her. It’s actually the first time I’ve seen her in a while.’

Sam can’t stop looking at the big smiles and chuckles being exchanged between AJ, Cass and Quinn. She hugs his nephews tightly and even from a distance he can tell she is scolding them for growing taller.

‘I think that without her,’ Sarah continues, ‘I barely would’ve made it. She was slightly clueless though. Had issues with the simplest tasks, like cooking and day to day stuff, but she’s a fast learner.’

It shouldn’t warm his heart like it does, but Sam can’t help but smile as he realizes that Quinn went on the look out to care for his family.

‘She told me she had no memories of growing up. Poor thing,’ Sarah says, shaking her head as she as well looks at the trio. ‘She tried so hard to remember, but in all those years she spend here, no luck. I wonder if she does now.’

She doesn’t. Sam doesn’t need to ask her, because he simply knows.

Quinn still doesn’t remember her past.

[willowdove]

Eyes Like Fire: A Soulmate AU

A couple months passed by.  The green in Katara’s eyes started to morph into a rich yellow-gold.  Kya found herself lost in them as she bounced Katara in her lap.  Perhaps it was temporary.  Maybe they would shift again, into a brown, maybe.  Brown eyes, at least, were potential allies.  Golden eyes, though- golden eyes were dangerous. 

Since there’s been some interest in this I’ve decided to post an update.  My work pace is slower than a snail- BUT I haven’t abandoned this WIP by any means.  This is not all of the work I have so far (please note that there are chapters in between that are missing) but it is what I’m happy with.  I’ve included the first couple chapters again because they’ve been slightly reworked.  Hopefully it’s not too much to put it all in one place here.

PROLOGUE

“Her eyes are darkening,” said Kya, watching her two children play nearby.  The eldest, Sokka, rolled a ball towards his sister Katara.  She scooted excitedly to grab it in her chubby little fist, then spastically hurled it at the ground between them.  She giggled with delight when this made Sokka toddle after it.

Kya’s husband Hakoda squeezed her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead.  “Sokka’s eyes changed about this time too,” he remarked.  When Sokka was born, he had possessed the crystal blue eyes of any Water Tribesmen.  But before he was a year old, they had lightened to a pale green.  Hakoda claimed this meant Sokka was destined to be an adventurer.  He would have to leave home if he wanted to find the person those eyes belonged to. 

Katara’s eyes were changing too, but they weren’t getting paler.  Green was blazing up from underneath the blue, vibrant and consuming.  Green definitely would point to an Earth Kingdom origin.  “Maybe they’ll go on their adventure together,” Kya suggested.  

Hakoda chuckled.  “They certainly do seem to get along,” he said.

***

A couple months passed by.  The green in Katara’s eyes started to morph into a rich yellow-gold.  Kya found herself lost in them as she bounced Katara in her lap.  Perhaps it was temporary.  Maybe they would shift again, into a brown, maybe.  Brown eyes, at least, were potential allies.  Golden eyes, though- golden eyes were dangerous.   

She must have been staring a little too intently, because Sokka seemed to pick up on her concern.  “Katara eyes pretty,” he declared.  He clambered up Kya’s knee to sit with his sister and hugged her tightly.  Katara popped her thumb out of her mouth to hug him back, babbling happily.  

Kya forced herself to smile, kissing them both on the head.  “Yes,” she agreed.  He was right, they were pretty.  But that didn’t stop a dark ache from tugging deep at the center of her being.

***

Kya was preparing sea prune stew for the family when her daughter asked the question.  “Mommy, why does everybody look at me funny?” she said. The spoon in Kya’s hand clattered into the pot as she quickly turned.

“Who said people were looking at you funny?” she demanded, bristling.

Katara seemed to shrink in the fur lining of her dress collar.  She looked down at her feet, mumbling, “Nobody said.  I just see them do it.  You look at me funny too, sometimes.”

The air went out of Kya and guilt pricked at her like a barb.  She knelt slowly, taking her daughter’s face in her hands.  Katara resisted the gentle tug at first, but quickly gave in and met her mother’s gaze with wide, golden eyes.  A stranger’s eyes.  “I’m sorry, baby.  We’re just… worried about you.”

“Is something wrong with me?” Katara asked, tears welling up on her thick lashes.

“Oh, sweetie, no,” she shushed, giving Katara a tight hug before holding her out by the shoulders.  She struggled to put together the words she needed. “…Has anyone told you what a soulmate is?”

Katara sniffled loudly, but managed to contain her tears.  “Gran-Gran said it was someone special who will love me forever and ever.”

A thankful smile quirked at the corners of Kya’s mouth as she nodded.  “Do you know that until you kiss your soulmate, you’ll have each other’s eyes?”

Katara’s brows furrowed in confusion for a second before she gave a little shriek, pressing her fingers into the top of her cheeks just under her lower eyelids.  “These aren’t my eyes?” she asked, horrified.

Kya had to laugh a little at the unexpected outburst.  “No, those are your soulmate’s eyes,” she reiterated.

“Why?!” Katara demanded.

“Well, it’s to help us to find each other, I expect,” she explained.

Katara considered that for a long moment.  She walked over to her mother’s bed furs and pulled out the mirror.  Her fingertips brushed lightly over the metal as she peered studiously at her reflection.  “My soulmate… isn’t from here, is he?”

“No,” Kya answered softly.

“Are people worried I will have to go really far away?” she asked.

Kya followed and kissed her daughter’s forehead fiercely, trying to blink away the tears that were welling in her own eyes before Katara could see them.  “They’re worried… you’ll have to go to the Fire Nation,” she replied.

“Oh,” Katara said, “Well, I won’t then.  I’ll just tell everybody I’m not gonna go.”

The ache in Kya’s chest was so great that she could barely breathe.  “Ok, baby,” she agreed, “I’ll try not to worry so much anymore.”

***

CHAPTER 1: THE SOUTH POLE

When the black snow began to fall, Katara felt her heart seize. The last time she had seen such snow fall was the first day Katara ever saw eyes like hers. It was also the last day she ever saw her mother.

 She ran to the middle of the village, to stand with her brother. He was the only man left in the tribe, and she was the only waterbender. They were only two, and untrained, but it didn’t matter. They were all that stood between their people and the enemy.

 The Fire Nation steamer that had carved through the icy harbor to their port was small compared to others that had come before, and alone. Still, it was formidable looming over the tattered remains of their village. Its stern detached with a metallic hiss, then slowly lowered to form a ramp. Sokka tensed beside her, his club raised.  A figure in red metal plate began to descend the ramp.

 Sokka gave a yell and charged forward as Katara started to gather water into her palms, but inexplicably he stopped midway up the ramp, casting a look of fear and confusion over his shoulder towards her. The armored stranger stopped in front of Sokka. Both boys were about matched in height, but the stranger’s position on the ramp allowed him tower over her brother. Sokka pressed his club into the center of the boy’s chest, muttering a low warning. The stranger growled something in return and pushed past him roughly, nearly knocking Sokka off the side of the ramp in the process.

 Once he got closer, Katara had to stifle a gasp.

 His eyes were as blue as the heart of a glacier. Water Tribe blue.

 She stumbled backward, reeling, reflexively bringing her hand up to shield her own eyes. He hadn’t looked at her directly yet. He hadn’t seen.

 “Where is the Avatar?” the stranger demanded. The villagers in the square shifted uneasily. Many of them were casting worried glances between him and Katara. She pulled the hood of her parka close to the side of her face.

 The stranger reached into the small gathered crowd to grasp her Gran-Gran’s wrist. “They’d be about this age-“ he started to say. Panic and fury spiked hot in the pit of Katara’s stomach, and she forgot herself. The ice beneath the stranger’s feet lurched upward like a living thing; twin maws swallowed his feet whole.

 He looked at her then. Her hood had fallen away and a few strands of hair had come loose from her hair loops. She was panting with exertion, the air in front of her fogging like smoke from a dragon’s mouth. Their gazes locked, and her eyes were like fire.

 The stranger’s brow furrowed. He had since dropped Gran-Gran’s wrist, and he brought the now free hand to his good cheek, as if he could feel the color of his eyes through the pads of his fingers. His other cheek was marred, a thick red scar beginning there, traveling over his left eye and ending just above where an eyebrow should have been. As she studied him, steam started to issue from the ice encasing his feet and rivulets ran down the sides as it melted.

 “Who are you?” Katara asked.

 The stranger frowned harder, his gaze dropping to the snow between them. His jaw ticked, but as it did, something in his demeanor seemed to fall away. When he looked back up at her, it was with such unguarded, raw hope that it took her aback.

 “I’m Prince Zuko,” he answered, finally. “Will you help me find the Avatar?”

 She was so startled by his vulnerability that she almost let it sway her.  A part of her was drawn into the depths of his too familiar blue eyes. But he was Fire Nation, and she was Water Tribe.

 So she said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Nobody’s seen the Avatar in over 100 years.”

 It was as the surface of his open soul froze over, suddenly, so that it hissed and popped and cracked. His face twisted into hard, angry lines, and fire burst from his clenched fists.

 “I know you’re hiding him. I saw the light!” he insisted.

 Katara took a wary step back, reaching for the snow on the ground and trying to pull it into her grasp. It shifted, turning to slush, but it did not flow up to meet her. She tried desperately not to let her panic show. More Fire Nation soldiers were descending the ramp, hands ablaze and ready. There were too many. She had shared a grim look with Sokka, who reached behind his back for his boomerang.

 And from out of nowhere, a powerful gust of wind guttered out all the flames. The Airbender had returned, and he landed himself protectively in front of her.

 The stranger- Zuko’s fighting stance faltered. “You’re the airbender?  You’re the Avatar?” he asked with disbelief.  “But you’re just a child!”

 Aang tilted his head to the side.  “Well, you’re just a teenager,” he pointed out. 

Zuko shook his head once, and then with a surging roar punched a fireball at Aang.  Aang spun his staff to disperse it.  The prince let loose a couple more fireballs, one high and one low, before launching into a torrent of blows.  Aang was able to dodge and deflect all of them, but Zuko’s soldiers started to draw in from his sides, and the villagers behind him started to press together in fear.

“Wait!” Aang said.  Zuko paused midform, his arms still flexed and ready.  Aang held his glider out to his side, his hands up in a gesture of surrender.  “If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?”  Aang asked.

Zuko looked over the villagers again as if he had forgotten they were there.  Straightening, he nodded.  

“Aang, no!  Don’t do this!”  Katara cried, rushing forward.  Zuko gestured wordlessly to his men with a jerk of his chin.  The soldiers encircled the Avatar, taking away his staff and roughly grabbing him to restrain him.  Zuko stepped around them in order to block Katara’s path to the boy.

“You can come with him,” he offered, almost quietly.  With me, he implied, unspoken.  His too blue eyes pierced into her, confusing her, beckoning her.  She had a kinship with those eyes.  They looked like… they looked like her mother’s.

��You should leave him here,” she countered.  A blaze of indignation was starting in her chest and clawing its way up her throat.  

“I’ll be okay, Katara,” Aang assured her.  The soldiers started dragging him up the ramp to the ship. “Take care of Appa for me while I’m gone!” 

Zuko held Katara’s eyes for another moment before he ripped himself away.  Her heart guttered with an inexplicable feeling of loss.  “Head a course for the Fire Nation,” Zuko called to his helmsman, “I’m going home.”

***

After Zuko finished doing the rounds to make sure his ship was in order, he retreated into his private cabin.  After three years of hard, fruitless searching, they were finally underway towards his true destination.  He was supposed to be feeling triumphant.  He was supposed to be feeling relief.  He had accomplished an impossible task after all.

But he didn’t feel that way.  Nervousness eddied around him like the tide washing over a rocky shore.  He felt unbalanced.  How would his father react when he brought the Avatar home?  What if something went wrong along the way?  What would be the young boy’s fate once he was taken from Zuko’s hands?

That last thought disturbed him most of all.  He leapt from his seat on the bed and began pacing, trying to force his mind to quiet.  Instinctively he reached out to the torches along his wall, connecting their energy to his breath.  In, and out.  Ebb, and flow.  Rise, and fall.

Panic crashed over him when he heard one of his soldiers call out, “The Avatar has escaped!”

Zuko began to rush for the door when he spotted the boy’s staff sitting in the corner of his room; he’d had that delivered to his quarters for safe-keeping.  The boy had used to fly into their first encounter.  There was a good chance he would come back for it, if not out of nostalgia, then out of necessity.  Zuko could use it as bait.  He hid himself behind the door and waited.

The Avatar child flew into the room without even looking.  It should have been easy to trap him; Zuko immediately shut the door after him.  But somehow the young boy had deflected all his attacks and wrapped him in a tapestry.  Zuko had to chase him up through the control room to the main deck, and only just barely managed to catch him by the ankle before he flew off.  He moved to pin his opponent, with a fiery hand raised in warning, but he was interrupted by a loud, guttural lowing.

Zuko and the Avatar both looked up.  “What is that?” Zuko asked in shock.

“Appa!” the Avatar cheered.  Two of the Water Tribesman were mounted on a giant, floating, furry… thing.  One was the boy who tried to rush him.  The other was his water-bender girl.

But Zuko wasn’t one to lose focus for very long.  The Avatar had shimmied his ankle out of Zuko’s hold and was moving to get up.  Zuko kept the newcomers in his peripheral as he blasted incapacitating shots at the Avatar.  The boy was able to deflect most of them, but the force of the last one sent the Avatar tumbling over the edge of the ship.  He hit his head on the way down.

The Water Tribe girl screamed.  Adrenaline surged in Zuko, who immediately began shucking off his armor in preparation to dive in after the boy.  He had tossed his shoulder guard aside and was reaching for the clasp on his breast-plate when a strange white glow came from the water.

A raging waterspout surged forth to tower over the ship, the Avatar at its top.  His narrowed eyes and tattoos were glowing with white light, and his face was crossed with a severe frown.  He was different than he had been before.  More powerful.  Angry.  The icy cold spray from the waterspout bit into Zuko’s skin.  He took a step back.

With a wide circle of his arms the Avatar flowed down to the deck, bringing the water with him in a great protective sphere.  Gathering his determination, Zuko made to advance, but a torrent of water was sent blasting into his chest and he was thrust backwards. His back hit the rail and suddenly he himself was spinning towards the Arctic water below.  

His outstretched hand banged against a protruding metal bar.  The service ladder.  He forced himself not to flinch away so he could catch the next one down.  Pain exploded in his shoulder as his fall was yanked to a stop, but he managed to haul himself into the curve of the ship, planting his feet on the ladder.  

On the deck he heard the water slosh to the ground and a soft thud.  The Water Tribesman jumped aboard, calling out to the Avatar in concern.  Zuko gritted his teeth and climbed.  

His waterbender appeared at the rail above him just before he was able to pull himself over.  He thought he saw relief flash in her eyes, but that emotion was quickly followed with concern and fear.

If it was anyone else he would have yelled at her to move.  Instead he simply requested, quietly, “Get out of my way.”

Her eyebrows creased.  “No,” she said.  They looked at each other.  Zuko reached across the rail and shoved her to the side.

She stumbled and he hauled himself onto the deck of the ship, now slick with ice from the Avatar’s water attacks.  Zuko turned to face the direction where he’d heard the Avatar fall.  The Water Tribesman was helping him fend off attacks from Zuko’s soldiers.  

“No!” his water bender repeated, planting her feet.  She siphoned ice from the deck to form globules of water that she suspended from her hands. 

Zuko growled at her in frustration. “This isn’t your fight, peasant!” he snapped, gesticulating.  Why did she keep trying to stop him?  “Get out of my way!”

She scoffed with clear distaste, saying, “My name is Katara!”

He found himself committing that to memory.  Katara.  Katara.

The Avatar and the Water Tribesman were able to retreat onto the giant fluffy monster.  They flew around the nose of the ship to Zuko’s side of the deck.  The Water Tribesman reached out his arm to scoop the water bender into the saddle.  

There was an odd look of regret on her face as she swung out of his reach.  

The fluffy thing was getting away fast.  “Shoot them down!” Zuko ordered frantically.  His soldiers coordinated together to launch a huge fireball after the fluffy beast.  As it arced through the air Zuko’s heart went into his mouth.  It needed to hit them.  But it couldn’t hit them.  He didn’t want to hurt them, not really, he-

At the last second the Avatar gusted it off trajectory, right into a cliff above the port-side bow.  Zuko barely has time to jump back out of the way before snow and ice came crashing down in an avalanche onto the deck.  

***

CHAPTER 2: KYOSHI ISLAND

Something compelled Zuko to look over the rock.

Katara hoped faintly that it hadn’t been the force of her eyes on him.  She and Aang had been smashed against the shore by the Unagi’s wake, beneath a large outcropping of rock.  Unfortunately the prince’s ship had landed just to the other side.  And he was headed this way, flanked by more komodo-rhino riders.

“Katara!” Zuko called.  Lightning shocked through her stomach at hearing him say her name.  She tamped it down, frantically shaking Aang’s shoulder to rouse him from unconsciousness.  The boy gave no sign of waking.  His head lolled to the side.   Katara‘s gaze flicked around with growing panic, finding only sand and rock and surf, before lighting back on Aang.  She started digging through his pockets.

“Surrender the Avatar!” Zuko demanded, his rhino just stepping around the rock.  The sun glinted off the tips of his metal helmet as his soldiers filled in around him.  Cloth, cold metal discs, slippery round marbles, fluffy lint... Katara‘s fingers closed over something smooth and wooden.  “Step away from him!” Zuko demanded again.

Katara gathered Aang’s unconscious body up in her arms, awkwardly heaving his arm over her left shoulder so that she could balance his head against her cheek. With her right hand, she brought the bison whistle to her lips, and she started backing up into the sea.

Zuko let out a sharp breath.  He tapped his heel into the side of his Komodo-rhino and it trotted dutifully into the rocky surf, its great feet kicking up big arcs of water.  “Get back!” Zuko insisted, “You have nowhere to run!”

The rocks were uneven underfoot, but Katara refused to turn around.  She strained her senses to map the terrain behind her, where the water flowed and caught and eddied.  She took another careful step backwards, and another, wincing as her ankle turned just the slightest bit.  The water was up to her knees now.

The other rhino riders hovered uncertainly at the edge of the beach.  One called, “Permission to engage, Prince Zuko?”

The prince’s eyes were locked with Katara’s.  “No! Stay back!” he said quickly.  Then, his right hand opening to produce a small font of flame, he added, “Hold your position.  I’ll capture the Avatar myself.”

Katara stumbled backwards further over the slippery rocks.  The water was lapping at her waist.  ”Not today you won’t!” she denied hotly.  

“You can’t swim with him like that.  Surrender,” Zuko pressed, advancing.

The adrenaline burning her veins was drying out her mouth.  She was out of options.  She was cornered.  She was going to do something incredibly, phenomanally stupid.  “I don’t need to swim,” she said, half as affirmation, half as prayer.  She tucked her knees, sinking her and Aang both in up to their necks, and pushed.

To her hysterical relief and dread the water flung itself away from her outstretched hand in a forceful jet, just as it had earlier, propelling them backwards towards the center of the lake.  Zuko swore, calling for his men to fetch the boats.  He dismounted and started shucking his armor.

She stretched and stretched her senses, deep into the water until the reaching wisps of her concentration felt taught enough to snap.  Fish wriggled thinly through the net she had cast, and seaweed brushed against it in a whisper. The Unagi was so deep it was almost out of her reach, undulating far below them in the water column, a vast yet smooth obstruction to its flow.  Katara sensed it’s head turn to track their movement.  It’s great muscled coils tightened beneath it in preparation to launch upwards.  The edges of a scream started licking up the inside of her throat.  She was going to have to dodge, somehow.  At the shore, Zuko was running into the surf.  He stumbled.  And suddenly, inexplicably, the Unagi’s great head turned towards him instead.  

A bellowing roar signaled the arrival of Appa.  He landed in the water with a huge splash, and Katara heaved Aang onto the bison’s leg so she could clamber up into the saddle.  Sensing urgency, Appa flicked his tail to launch himself from the water as soon as both passengers were aboard, still balancing Aang on his leg.  As they climbed, Katata reached down to pull Aang up the rest of the way.

“Back to the village Appa!” she urged the bison, “We have to go get Sokka!”

***

Zuko roared in frustration, slapping the water as the Avatar was carried away on his bison. He had been so close!  If his soulmate hadn’t insisted on getting in the way...

It was just his luck.  A Water Tribe girl, of course.  A stubborn, meddlesome, distracting girl for a weak, honorless, useless prince.  Was it too much to ask that she was at least a supporter of the Fire Nation?  Zuko had always assumed it would be someone from the colonies- with Water Tribe heritage surely, but a Fire Nation citizen nonetheless.  Someone loyal, and helpful, and kind...

Well, it didn’t do to dwell on that now.

“Riders!”  he called.  They snapped to attention.  “You’re letting him get away!  Follow that bison!”

Zuko hobbled to shore, blood trailing from a cut in his heel that he had sustained on the uneven rocks below the water.  Ignoring how each step ground more sand into his wound, he and threw his armor into a carry sack on his own mount before climbing on, figuring he wouldn’t bother with putting it on again.  It would take too long, and besides, it kept getting in the way.  

When the riders reached the village, they were met with a wall of female warriors, dressed proudly in green armored dress.  

“Halt!” called the one in the center. Her pale amber eyes glinted with mistrust.  “Foreign combatants are not permitted on Kyoshi soil.  This is neutral ground!” 

“I demand to be let through!” Zuko responded with fury.  Taking a breath, he ground out, “You are in defiance of the Fire Nation.”

The warriors took a ready stance, their golden fans sharp and gleaming in the sunlight.  Their leader continued, “We do not want to violate our peace with the Fire Nation.  Dismount and remove your helms, and I will take you to our governor for negotiations.”

Zuko’s scowl deepened.  “We don’t have time to talk.  You’re in my way.  Bring me the Avatar before his bison leaves, or I’ll go through you.”

“The Avatar is our guest,” the warrior hissed.

“Then you’re on his side!” Zuko replied, ordering, “Riders, engage!  Break the line!”

Fire surged forth, and the warriors burst into motion.  More seemed to pour in from above and the sides, dashing up the long torsos of the rhinos and vaulting over them to strike at their riders.  The leader zeroed in on Zuko, slashing at his legs in the saddle.  Zuko yanked the reigns to the side, his rhino dodging beneath him as he punched retaliatory fire at his attacker.  She followed, making a dash at the komodo-rhino’s side.  Zuko angled his foot so he could flick flames from the toe of his boot, unbalancing her approach, and in the same motion dug in his heel to urge the komodo rhino forward.  It surged beneath him.  But even as he streaked past the Kyoshi guards, a sky bison rose into the air.  

He had lost.

***

CHAPTER: THE NORTH POLE

“Are we there yet?” Sokka complained loudly, shaking Katara out of her reverie. They had not seen the Fire Nation Prince for several weeks now. The memory of his face was haunting her. The dark, severe eyebrow, the gaunt, angular cheekbones, the red, leathery scar, and the too blue eyes. She wondered if he was searching the sky for them right now. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought, though whether it was a pleasant or unnerved shiver it was hard to say.

 “We’re getting close!” Aang replied cheerily to her brother. “We should be able to see the walls soon.”

Suddenly, they were jolted off balance as Appa careened to the right.  Then Katara saw a battering ram of ice launch towards them from the sea on her side.

“Incoming!” she screamed, scrambling back to her spot so she could grab tightly onto the saddle.  

Bombarded with icy projectiles,  Appa was gradually forced lower and lower until he was snagged by the foot and slammed into the water.  The wave that formed from his hapless impact was frozen around his body, encasing him in place.  He roared in frustration, the sound reverberating through Katara’s body, and thrashed against his imprisonment.  Ships appeared around the icebergs on all sides, carrying waterbenders that hurriedly refreshed the cracks in the ice that Appa was making.

“I thought they’d be friendlier,” Aang said before hailing them.  “Hey!  We’re here to find a waterbending teacher!”

 One of the boats approached closer, headed by a severe old man with a thin mustache and pointed goatee. “Show yourselves, intruders!” he demanded.

Katara and Sokka stood up in the saddle by Aang, raising their arms.

 “It’s just me and my sister, Katara,” Sokka said slowly.  “We’re with Aang.”

 He looked searchingly past them for a moment before accepting that they were the only ones on the flying bison.  “I see.  I assume not all of you require a teacher?” the old man asked.  He looked dubiously at Aang, taking in his pale skin, grey eyes, and bright autumnal attire.

 “Well…” Aang began, trailing off as Sokka cleared his throat.

 “Aang is the Avatar.  My sister is the last remaining waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe.  I am not a bender- I came to protect them on their journey.”

 The other benders on the boat behind him exchanged an incredulous glance, but the old man appeared unruffled.  “And you are?”

 “Sokka, son of Hakoda.”

 At this he did seem surprised, his eyebrows raising just a fraction of an inch.   “The Avatar AND the Chief’s children.  Of course.  You can verify this?”

 The question silenced Sokka, who looked at once alarmed and perplexed.  Katara reached tentatively for her necklace.  Aang shrugged, then jumped off of Appa’s back towards the man-made ice sheet that extended a couple feet all around his bison.  In the span of an instant the old man dropped low, and as he came up, an ice spear flew forward from the water in the direction of his thrusting arm.  Wide-eyed, Aang produced a gust of air to propel himself backward.  The ice spear stopped just short of where he would have landed.  

 “I was only getting down to show you my airbending,”  Aang protested, clearly a little shaken.

 The old man retracted the ice spear, straightening.  “We don’t have many… pleasant visits here.  I have to assume that you’re attacking when you move that suddenly.  Next time, give some warning.  In any case…” he signaled to his crew members and to the boats around him.   “Chief Arnook will want to deal with this matter personally.  I will escort you."  He brought his arms together in front of his face, hands clenched into fists above his head and, exhaling, released them so his palms were open towards the ground in front of his hips.  With that release, the ice around Appa melted and crashed back into the sea.

 Katara tried to file away how he moved, and watched enraptured by the easy way the waterbenders propelled their craft through the sea.  The bending that had been displayed to apprehend them was more powerful than she had ever dreamed it could be.  Once they reached the city she would finally be able to find a teacher. She eagerly searched the horizon for a sign of the gate.  When it finally appeared out of the maze of ice, it took her breath away.

 The structure was absolutely immense, carved into a towering glacier at least 500 feet high.  Even with the aid of master waterbenders, the construction of this glittering behemoth must have been a massive undertaking.  And everything in the city beyond those gates had to be cut from the heart of the glacier itself.  Beholding it filled Katara at once filled with profound awe and profound loss.  THIS was what it meant to be Water Tribe. 

 They were waterbended into the city through a series of several draining lock chambers which emptied into a series of canals.  Inside was a glittering expanse of buildings that stretched so far it took Katara’s breath away all over again.  She watched with wonder as Appa floated them down current.  

 ***

Sokka had studied scrolls on the history and architecture of both the Southern and Northern Water Tribes, so he had had a fairly good idea what to expect when they passed through the gates.  Still, seeing the grandiose, glistening city in person was moving.  He had to admire the sheer craftsmanship of it all, particularly in the detail work.  It was while he was considering ways to replicate the building of a small tower they had passed that he saw her.

 The most beautiful girl that he had ever seen was riding in the back of a small rowboat, being guided along the canals by the smooth motions of a waterbender.  She had a rounded face and full lips which were quirked into a serene smile.  Her shockingly white hair was coiled in sections, one high atop her head and two in plaits that hung almost to her waist.  There was a regal bearing about her- her back was straight, her shoulders squared, her chin held high.  The most entrancing thing about her, though, was her wide, black eyes.

 Sokka had to shake himself out of a daze as they were finally brought before Chief Arnook.   

 The throne room was just as vast and dazzling as everything else in the city.  At its center sat the Chief upon a stark white, tall, crystalline throne draped in blue furs.  The Chief had a wide, open face and a strong square jaw.  His posture was entirely neutral as they were herded before him, his gaze appraising.  “I hear we have distinguished visitors,” he said by way of greeting, “The Avatar.  Sokka and Katara, children of Chief Hakoda.”

 “Uh, yes, that would be us-” Sokka confirmed as Aang zipped forward, holding out his hand enthusiastically for Chief Arnook to shake.

 “My name’s Aang.  Super nice to meet you.  Do you think you could help us find a water bending teacher?”

 The Chief seemed a little taken aback by Aang’s brashness, but he took his hand nonetheless, a smile stretching across his face.  “Indeed.  I will be happy to arrange adequate accommodations and tutelage for your group.  In fact, Pakku,” he addressed their escort, “As you are our best instructor, I will charge you with the Avatar’s instruction.”

 “Yes, Chief,” he replied.

 “Katara, you will report to Yugoda in the morning.  She will be notified that she has an honored guest joining her female class.”

[targaryenimagines]

Masterlist

Daenerys Targaryen:

"Honor Be Damned"- The only thing you’ll ever need is your Khaleesi. 

"Always"- You know that no matter what you could always count on her to be there for you. 

"Mine"- You should know by now to never tease the dragon. (For @kaliforniacoastalteens)

"Stay With Me"- The pain you felt physically was matched by what she felt emotionally.

"Aōha Zaldrīzes"- You were there for her even when she didn't even know.

"Together As One"- The trust you had in one another was unending. As was your love.

"Because, I Love You"- Everything you do was for her. Even if it meant that you could no longer be with her.

"Why Did You Have To Go?"- Her love never wavered or faltered, and neither did her grief. (Continuation of Because, I Love You.)

"Forevermore"- Your love for her is eternal. (Continuation of Why Did You Have To Go?)

"Unbreakable"- You would always stand united, even when all the odds were against you.

"Fallen Emerald"- You are on Rhaegal when he's shot down.

"Dying Light"- You are on Viserion when he is killed.

"Living Darkness"- Continuation of "Dying Light", but through Daenerys's point of view.

"Burning Ember"- Continuation of "Dying Light" and "Living Darkness", a happy ending is in order for our dear Khaleesi.

"Blackened Heart"- The descent into madness is a fickle thing.

"May We Meet Again"- You know what was going to happen. You know that with absolute certainty, but at least you get to look into the eyes of your angel for one last time. (Continuation of Blackened Heart)

"Awakened"- You had always been warned to never wake the dragon, but you had no choice. You would never let harm befall your sister. (for @starkbelova)

"I Have Nothing"- You had nothing without her, and the pain was becoming too much to handle.

“Fractured”: You have known for some time that Westeros was in dire need of help. You just didn’t know how soon that need for help would arrive. Or how catastrophic the circumstances would be to cause it. (Prologue//1)

“Reign”- Daenerys decides to go against her advisers wishes and seek help from a recluse and dangerous island. Never knowing that her true love and true destiny awaited on its sandy shores. (Dany’s side)

“’Tis the Season”-  You wanted to make today as special as you could for her. Especially knowing how hard this time of year was for her. (Modern AU)

“Tempering the Storm”- The dragon does not appreciate it when the wolf moves into her territory and tries to take what’s hers. 

“Just Wait”- You’re injured during the Battle of Winterfell.

“Northern Lights”- You don’t want to be insecure of Jon Snow, but Daenerys’s attention being focused on the Iron Throne doesn’t help.

“Mother of Dragons (WIP)”- The story of ASoIF through Drogon’s POV. The story of how his mother, his savior, fell in love and became the Khaleesi. 

“My Khaleesi”- A master post for the continued series for My Khaleesi.

“A Dragon’s Promise”- You know that you weren’t supposed to be there, but the promise rang through your ears like a siren song. You had to stay and help, no matter the consequence. (1//)

"Childhood Friends (HC)"- The Reader is childhood friends with Daenerys and is her loyal guard. Standing beside her through it all. (Jealous Dany)

“Daenerys Proposes to Reader (HC)”

“Reader and Daenerys Secret Relationship (HC)”

“First Kiss (HC)”

“Yandere Daenerys (HC)”

"SFW Alphabet"

Rhaegar Targaryen:

"Shattered"- The rumors whispered through silent halls were like a war drum against your ears. With each beat you could feel your heart break that much more. (for @disneyprincessbuffyannesummers)

"Never Enough"- It was only a matter of time before this happened. You just weren't expecting it to hurt this bad.

Viserys Targaryen:

"Awakened"- You had always been warned to never wake the dragon, but you had no choice. You would never let harm befall your sister. (for @starkbelova)

“SFW Alphabet”

Aegon Targaryen I:

"Falling In Love With A Servant (HC)"- Reader works at the palace as a servant and worms her way into the heart of not only Aegon, but Balerion.

Rhaenys Targaryen:

None

Visenya Targaryen:

“Visenya Falls In Love With Healer Reader (HC)”

Emilia Clarke:

"I'll Be Here"- Nothing would ever change the fact that you would stay beside her. Through anything, you would always be by her side.

"The Queen We Chose"- She would always be the queen you chose.

Special Event (All Characters):

“Bronn x Lannister!Reader (HC)”

Dialogue Prompts:

1//2//3//4//5//6//7

[mercuriallily]

WIP: Where the Wind Cries, Chapter 6

Word count: 2,005

WIP page: x

Prologue   Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3   Chapter 4   Chapter 5

* * *

Friday, 6 December 2019, 7:20PM

“Ash! We were just talking about you.”

Ashleigh jumped slightly as she entered the rec room, startled by Logan’s loud and eager greeting. It was something she’d come to expect, but it did still catch her off-guard sometimes.

The rec room was a little smaller than the library, though it was by no means a tiny room. A large window on the far wall looked out to the guest cabins. Next to the window stood a tall bookcase filled with board games. Two long tables were placed roughly a metre apart in the centre of the room. Logan, Tanya Hutsul, and a girl Ashleigh didn’t recognise sat at the closer table. Alex Hutsul was at the other table, writing in a notebook.

“What were you saying about me?” Ashleigh asked as she took a seat next to Logan.

“Nothing bad, don’t worry,” Logan said with a laugh.

“We were trying to give Ali here an idea of who you are.” Tanya gestured to the girl sitting next to her.

“Nice to meet you!” the girl said in a cheerful voice. She wore a purple hijab and spoke with a slight accent that Ashleigh couldn’t quite place. “I’m Ali. Well, my name’s actually Aliya, but I think Ali sounds cooler. Call me whichever you prefer.”

“Ali and I met at UBC Vancouver,” Tanya said. “We were the only two girls in first-year civil engineering, so obviously we bonded.”

“I moved here from Toronto a few years ago, but I was born in Kazakhstan,” Ali explained. “The rest of my family’s back in Almaty. I miss them, sure, but with them not being here, I can date Tanya in peace.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Ashleigh said. “I really like your hijab.”

Ali grinned. “Thank you so much!”

“So Ash,” Logan said, “Jamie came by a while ago asking for you. Did he ever find you?”

Ashleigh nodded. “He did. Just a few minutes ago, actually.”

“Did he mention the surprise?”

“What surprise?”

Logan shrugged. “I dunno. He said there was gonna be a surprise. Two surprises, actually. One of them involves you.”

“Me...?” Ashleigh recalled her conversation with Jamie. The séance. Of course.

“Yep. Do you know what that’s about?”

Shaking her head, Ashleigh simply said, “No.” It was better to keep the séance a secret, no matter how stupid the idea was.

“But can’t you see the future or something?” Ali asked. “That’s what Tanya and Logan were saying.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Yeah, we may have mentioned your...psychicness,” Logan said. “Just briefly, though. We didn’t go into a whole lot of detail.”

“I want to know more! Can you really see the future?” Ali was very enthusiastic. “Can you tell me my fortune?”

“It...doesn’t work like that,” Ashleigh said slowly. It wasn’t something she enjoyed talking about, mostly because she didn’t know how to describe it in a way that made sense. But it was worth a shot. “I can see the future, yes, but in a...broad sense. I don’t get to pick and choose what I see. It sort of just...comes to me. And it’s not always super specific. Like, I can’t tell your fortune. I can’t see one person’s future. The premonitions I get usually impact a group of people. But if certain steps are taken, the event won’t happen.”

“Ooh, neat.” Her eyes wide with curiosity, Ali appeared to be enthralled with Ashleigh’s explanation. “Can you give me an example?”

“An example...?” Ashleigh thought for a moment, then said, “Let’s say that I predict an avalanche will occur on a mountain where people are skiing. I can see that there will be several injuries, maybe even some deaths. I tell the managers of the ski lodge to shut down the slope, to make sure no one’s there. They listen to me. Then the avalanche comes... But because there’s no one there, no one gets hurt. Because I was able to warn them ahead of time.”

“Whoa. Has that ever happened?”

“The avalanche? No. But there have been times where I warned people against doing something, and they didn’t listen.”

“Like the ski trip,” Tanya said softly.

Ashleigh nodded. “Like the ski trip.”

“Ski trip?” Ali looked from Ashleigh to Tanya, then back at Ashleigh. “What ski trip?”

“Tanya’s never told you?” Logan asked.

“No, not at all.”

“It’s not something we like talking about,” Alex said from the other table. “It brings back bad memories.”

“Bad memories of what?” Ali’s tone was a mixture of insistence, eagerness, and frustration. Clearly, she wanted to know more.

Tanya took a deep breath. Then she said, “Remember when I told you that our sister died?”

Ali nodded slowly. “Uh-huh. You and Alex aren’t really twins, you’re part of triplets.”

“Exactly. Natasha was the oldest of the three of us. We were close, obviously. I mean, come on, triplets aren’t all that common. We did almost everything together. Including going on our senior year ski trip.”

“Tanya, stop.” Alex shut his notebook and turned to face the other table. He looked a little wound-up, but his voice was relatively steady. “I know it’s been five years, and I know we’re here for a memorial, but it’s not really something I want to be talking about right now. At the very least...leave Natasha out of it.”

“She’s our sister, Alex.”

“I know that! But...” With an irritated sigh, Alex stood up and grabbed his notebook and jacket. “Whatever. Talk about it all you want. I’m going outside.” He walked past the group to leave the rec room. Surprisingly, instead of slamming the door behind him, he shut it gently.

Tanya groaned and leaned back in her chair. “Sorry about him, guys. It’s still a touchy subject.”

“It is for all of us. I don’t blame him,” Logan said.

“I’m sorry,” Ali said quietly. “I didn’t mean to...mess things up.”

Tanya patted Ali’s hand. “It’s okay. We can still tell you about it if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.”

“You know, I don’t think we’ve talked about it since then,” Logan said. “Not as a group, anyway. You think we’ll talk about it during dinner?”

“Maybe.” Ashleigh was about to mention the séance, but remembered that she’d elected to keep quiet about it when she was asked about the surprise. So instead she said, “I wonder why I was even invited in the first place. I didn’t go on the trip. I just predicted what would happen. I didn’t think anyone would want me here.”

“So what exactly happened during the trip?” Ali asked.

“Well...” Logan glanced at Ashleigh and Tanya. “Every year, our school had a ski trip for the Grade Twelve students. It was always on this mountain. Jamie’s family owns the lodge, and they donate a lot of money to the school, so there you go. But the mountain’s known for...unpleasant things. Legend says it’s haunted.”

“You remember that road we passed on the way up?” Tanya said to Ali. “It leads up to the old asylum. It’s been closed since, like, the 80s, but the building’s still there. It’s really creepy.”

“Yeah. And hikers get hurt or lost up here all the time. Anyway, nothing bad had ever happened during the annual ski trip, so the school kept approving it. And then... Well...”

“About half of the kids in our grade decided to go on the trip,” Ashleigh said, picking up where Logan left off. “The ones who stayed home either didn’t have ski equipment or just didn’t feel like going. I stayed home too, but for a...different reason.” She began to pick at her nails as she continued. “That afternoon, I got a really bad feeling--well, not a feeling, more like a...premonition--that something bad was going to happen. To be more specific...I predicted that the bus would crash on the way up the mountain.”

Logan, Tanya, and Ali were absolutely silent as Ashleigh spoke. They were completely focused on her words.

“I tried to warn everyone--teachers, students, anyone who would listen. I needed to get them to understand that they were in danger. But...no one really listened or believed me. Well, Lo and Daniel and a couple others did, but...they still decided to go. So there was nothing I could do.” Ashleigh closed her eyes and shook her head.

“There were fifty-four of us on the trip,” Logan said. “Forty-eight students, six teachers. And...twenty-eight people died. Most of them on the scene, and a few others in the hospital. Those of us who survived had all kinds of injuries. I ended up breaking my arm and getting a concussion.”

“I broke my leg,” Tanya said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Alex just dislocated his shoulder, but we both got concussions. And Natasha...” She took a shaky breath. “When the bus crashed, it landed on its left side and skidded on the ice. Natasha was sitting by the window. She... There was so much blood. I couldn’t get to her. I must’ve passed out soon after, because next thing I knew, I was in a hospital bed. My mother was crying beside me. Apparently Natasha had suffered major head trauma, and she was in a coma... She died two days later. She... She never woke up.” The last word was hardly audible as Tanya broke into tears. She rested her head on Ali’s shoulder and cried.

Ashleigh looked down, trying to hold back tears of her own. This was the first time she’d heard of the exact circumstances of Natasha’s death. It was worse than she’d thought. I could’ve prevented this. I should have made them all listen to me. It’s my fault. It’s my fault people are dead. Lives were ruined. My fault. It’s all--

Logan’s voice broke the silence. “Jamie didn’t go with us. That afternoon, while the rest of us were getting on the bus, he was in his dad’s car on the way up to the lodge. But he acted like he’d been with us. At the memorial, he said things like ‘when we were on the bus’ and ‘my fellow crash survivors’... Even now, he’s still kind of like that.”

“...Wow.” Ali shook her head in disbelief as she softly stroked Tanya’s hair. “That’s horrible. I can’t believe something like that happened. I’m sorry.”

“Well...” Logan let out a long sigh. “We’re here now. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

“Yeah, but still...”

“Oh, my God!” Tanya shrieked all of a sudden. She sat upright and pointed to the window. “What the hell was that?!”

“What? What happened?” Logan looked toward the window, then shrugged. “I don’t see anything.”

“It was a--a--a thing! A thing!” Trembling, Tanya kept her finger held out in the direction of the window. Her voice was high-pitched and agitated. “I know it’s dark out, but I saw something!”

“Maybe it was just a tree blowing in the wind,” Ali suggested.

“I--No... Oh, maybe you’re right,” Tanya said, lowering her hand. “I think I’m just a little jumpy. It’s weird being back here after so many years.”

After a moment, Logan stood up. “I’m hungry. Anybody want a snack or something? I’m gonna go to the kitchen and see what’s there.”

“I’ll come with you,” Ashleigh said as she stood up as well.

“Awesome! It’ll be like a little adventure or--”

Before Logan could finish speaking, a crash sounded from outside, and the lights went out. The room plunged into darkness.

[jungiegukie]

Little Death. // Chapter I

PAIRINGS: Jeon Jungkook x Reader. Min Yoongi x Jung Hoseok. Kim Seokjin x Cass. Kim Taehyung x Reader, Kim Namjoon x Reader. Bestfrien!Jin

GENRE: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Fiction.

RATING: +16

WARNINGS: swearing, mentions of sex, moron!Jungkook.

WORD COUNT: 2.770

A/N: Hey y’all! I’m sorry if there are any gramatical mistakes. English’s not my first language, but I swear I’ll fix them. I just really did want to upload this chapter so I’ll leave it here meawhile I fix the mistakes. A masterlist will be coming soon and remeber request are open if you guys want to ask for any specific genre, member or anything. 

CHAPTERS:

Prologue.

—————————————————————————————-

“No. End of the discussion.” Seokjin said while unwraping his arm from Cass’ shoulders, getting up and walking towards the kitchen. I mouthed an excuse me and followed my friend. 

“Jin, wait.” I wisper-shouted while he kept walking and did not care if i had anything to say.

“You can’t be actually thinking about going after him, right?” He stoped walking and opened up the fridge while speaking. I did not say a word… Was I actually thinking that? I don’t even know myself. “You can’t be that stupid Y/N. Look, I love you and you’re my friend and all that crap but come on. Open up your eyes.”

“What? No. Jin, I’m totally not.” He looked at me with that judging look he always has when he’s mad at me or when he does not believe a word of what I’m saying. 

“Of course you are. That confirms all of my theories.” 

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re in love with the douchbag, Y/N. Admit it.” Whoa. Hell to the no. What is he talking about?

“You’re drunk Seokjin.” I said while pouring myself a cup of water. I am deffinitely NOT in love with Jeon Jungkook. “I could never like that asshole. I mean he’s hot and all but love him? Never.” He gave me that same look again and laughed at my face.

“Y/N, listen. I won’t judge you, but I’m telling you this once and only once. He is not good for you, he’s a player and you’re not a girl who deserves to be played. So forget about him and date… I don’t know… Namjoon? He seems like a cool guy.” 

“He’s my stepsister’s cousin, Jin.” He looked over to me with a mean look while I was laughing at him. 

“Well, but he’s not your blood… Whatever, you’re missing the point here. The thing is: you can’t date Jeon Jung… Kook, wazzup!” he raised his hand and welcomed him in, his facial expression changing since the minute he saw him.

“ Hey Jin, Y/N, what were you guys talking about?” He said while walking towards us.

“Nothing, I was actually saying goodbye. I’m leaving.” I was determined to exit the room when he talked.

“Really? I’m leaving too. Want a walk home?” he said while waking and standing right next to my friend, making it really hard to avoid him. “Hello?” I felt his hand reach my shoulder and at the moment it touched it, I shoved it of.

“It’s not necessary JK. I was about to offer her the same thing. Y/N, let’s get going.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and started walking “Thanks anyway.” He shouted at him while getting close to my ear and wispering: “If Cassidy gets mad at us, you’re gonna be responsible of explaining this shit.” I looked at him and nodded.

“That’s why you’re my best one. Thank you.” We got out of the party and started walking towards my house. We did not speak a word in the whole walk home. Jin was up to something, I know him… He was either keeping something from me or wanting to tell me something and did not know how to do it… “Spill it Jin. I know you’re hiding something.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He said looking and walking forward as I stopped. “Y/N, really I’m not keeping anything.”

“You just gave me a talk about how hiddeous of a man Jeon Jungkook is, told me to date my sister’s cousin, decided to leave your possible future girlfriend’s house just because you did not want me to walk home with him… You’re deffinitely not telling me something.”

“I’m not… I just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all.” He did not stop “Come on you rat, don’t stop walking. It’s getting cold out here.” He said turning back and grabbing my arm, forcing me to walk. I shoved his hand and stoped again.

“I know, you want to keep me safe or whatever. But really, there’s actually nothing to keep me safe from because I don’t even want to be with him. So chill out Jinnie. Really.” Is that really so? I mean, I know for a fact that I don’t like that guy, I actually despise him… But he’s got something that really drives me crazy and that makes my floor stumble when I see him. 

“Alright… but really Bun, you should try that dating thing. I know quite a lot of guys that would like to go out with you. And I know someone who you would really like to go out with… his name starts with a T and ends with aehyung.” There’s no fucking way.

“Shut up! Kim Taehyung? THE Kim Taehyung wants to go out with me?” 

Kim Taehyung… Not the typicall joghead, actually the total opposite. He was the smartypants soon to be the next president of the fucking country, yet popular model looking kid that all the girls where dying for. Including myself. I’ve known and had a crush on him since we were kids. I actually dated him on first year from primary school, we were named king and queen of the class and decided to “date” because the kingdom could not be handeled withought us being married. I can say I was his very first girlfriend ever. What an honour.

“Yeah, the Kim Taehyung wants to get to know you. Weird… I would actually want to forget about you existance but he wants to meet you. Believe me, I’m as astonished as you.” His shoulders went up and down in a quick motion while putting a weird look on his face.

“Is that so? You know you love me Kim Seokjin, so stop being an asshole. I know that after your mom, I’m the second most important woman in your life. Plus; i’m an amazing human being if I’m being honest.” 

“Yeah whatever.” Point for Y/N: i’m the second most important girl in Kim Seokjins huge heart. “Here we are. Now, get inside before you catch a cold. You don’t want to meet Kim Taehyung with a cold and boggers hanging down your nose, right?” His arms wrapped me in a warming hug “Sleep over what we spoke today, Y/M. Really, Jungkook’s not worth it.”

“Yeah, Dad. Whatever you say.” I said while hugging him back. “Thanks for the walk home. I’ll talk to Cass first thing in the morning and explain why you left with me, if you want me to.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it myself. Goodnight Bunny.” He started walking backwards, both his hands in his front pockets. “I’ll see you around.” 

“See ya, Bleachedhead. Love you!” I shouted at him while running inside my apartment complex and hearing a subtle Fuck you coming from my best friend’s mouth.

———-

Sunday morning and I woke up to the sun rays burning my face like any other day in my life. I keep reminding myself to shut the courtains down every night before going to sleep, I don’t know why I still don’t do it. 

Ten minutes passed and I gave up trying to go back to sleep, so I stood up and walked out the room directly to my kitchen. I was determined to bake some pancakes and treat myself with a huge unhealthy, high in calories breakfast, so I went up to the fridge and sighed in disappointment at the moment I opened it and saw nothing else than a banana and milk; “Great. There goes my breakfast.” Angry and Hungry Y/N was definitely not a good combo, so maybe going out and having some breakfast at the coffee shop right around the corner was not a bad idea. 

I went to the bathroom and took a long and needed shower. Got out and put on a white T-shirt with some short shorts and sandals, brushed my teeth and hair and grabed my keys and wallet to go out. 

When I got out of the apartment i took the 10 minute walk to the Coffee shop and as i was getting there Seokjin called me and asked if he could join me in my wonderful yet expensive breakfast that would get me in bankrupt for the rest of the month. Of course, I said yes. If I was getting in bankrupt maybe it was better if I was not doing it by myself. I sat on a table right next to the window so I could admire the view of Seoul at ten in the morning on a sunday. I ordered some pancakes withought wipped cream and lots of syrup with a chai latte and a mango juice while I waited for my friend. Ten more minutes went by and Jin appeared on the front door rushing his way over my table.

“You won’t belive what had just happened.”

“Good morning you too asshead. I’m Fine, thanks for asking.”

“Yeah, Yeah. Whatever.” He said while sitting in front of me and placing his hands desperately on the table, “You won’t believe what had just happened Y/N.”

“What?”

“Yoongi’s in town and he did not even tell us he was coming home.”

Yoongi is like the third Mosketeere of our two people group. It used to be us against the world when we were at high school. All of this until he met Hoseok, his now 2 year boyfriend. No hate to Hoseok thought, he’s a really amazing guy and makes Yoongi super happy. But since they both got together Yoongi disapeared and not once talked to us or tried to contact us after getting to college. We heard that he was back in his hometown Daegu, but we never heard it from him directly.

“How do you know?”

“Cass has a friend whose cousin is Hoseok. Aparently they’re moving back to Seoul since they transfered Hobi to a med school here and Yoongi asked for a transfer too… I’m kind of sad, not gonna lie Bun. If i was going to know this, I at least hoped Yoongi told us.” 

“Good for him.”

“Y/N… We should talk to him, ask him to meet us?”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

“Y/N…”

“No, Jin. He dumped our asses. I’m not blaming Hoseok, at all. But if Yoongi wants to see us, he is going to ask us to meet him. Not the other way around.”

“Alright…”

“Now, order something. I don’t want you to steal my breakfast.” I said while the waitress placed my order in front of me. The girl was clearly drooling over my friend while she was taking Seokjin’s order and he did not notice at all, or at least that’s what it looked like. When the waitress left I looked over at him; “She was dying to get your number and you did not even notice.”

“Oh, Bun, I did notice. The thing is that I have a girlfriend now so… I’m starting to ignore the fact that girls are going to be like that when I’m around.”

Girlfriend?! Oh he’s dead. He asked Cassidy out, finally, and tells me the news like this?! “You’re an asshole and I hate you. I set you up with Cass and THIS is how I find out you guys are dating?”

“You can’t hate me.”

“Of course I can. And I do.”

“Whatever makes you sleep at night, Y/N.”

I kept eating my breakfast and spent the rest of the morning and evening with Jin. 

He helped me grocery shopping and then dropped me off at my place by five in the afternoon. He said he had some stuff to get done at Cass’ and that he’ll see me tomorrow at school.

I walked down the hall of the complex to get to my door, just when I was about to get there I saw a figure standing right next to my door. As i got closer I finally realized who he was. I would recognize that figure anywere. “What are you doing here, Jungkook?”

He looked at me and smirked; “Hey there, Bun.”

———-

I opened the door quickly and tried to close it before he could get inside. Too bad that he already had his foot in the door to prevent that for happening.

“Let me close my door.” I said angrily withought looking at him. Jungkook, of course wasn’t going to do what I wanted, so he just shook his head and humed. “Jungkook, I’m serious. Let me close the door.” I pushed the door with all the strenght I had, but he already had one arm pushing from the other side of the door.

“What in that pretty head of yours makes you believe that I’ll let you shut the door on my face.” 

“Two reasons, first, as you said: i want to shut the door, my door to my apartment on my apartament complex, I think I have the right to close it if I want to. Second and the most important reason: we, as me Y/N and you Jungkook have absolutely nothing to talk about. So if you excuse me…” I tried to move his foot and arm from my door. I failed, of course. Jeon Jungkook did not have that body by sitting in front of the TV and doing nothing. No. He excercised and had a lot of strenght, and by a lot I mean a whole lot of strength. Not that I’m complainig, his body was made by the God’s but I really needed to close that door and not, under any circunstance, let him in my apartment. “Agh, please Jungkook! What do you even want!”

“Jeez, chill babe.” He said raising his hands, “I’m here for a ver specific reason; I want you to design my next tattoo.”

He what?! 

“You want me to do what? I’m sorry, I think I missheard.” I opened the door to get a better look at him and blinked… multiple times.

“You didn’t. You’re an art student. You draw things, and I know for a fact that you’re a talented girl, in anyway possible, if you get what I mean.” He winked at me as I sighed while rolling my eyes and tried to close the door again. Just when I thought he was actually being serious.

“No, Y/N wait. I’m serious.” He pushed the door back open while laughing. “I really want you to design my next tattoo.”

“And why should I do that? Your tattoo artist could desing your tattoo, you know? He’s an artist too… a tattoo artist? He desing’s and makes tattoos…”

“Don’t be a smartypants with me. I just… I’ll pay you.”

“Now we’re talking.” Was I really considering this? I mean, it’s easy money and this is what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life. But this is Jeon Jungkook we’re talking about. The dumbass and moron that would not let me live in peace. “How much?”

“It depends, but it will be a good price. I promise.”

I can’t believe I’m actually doing it… “If we’re doing this tattoo thing, it’s not going to be in my apartment.” He was about to speak up when I added “And it’s not going to be in your apartment either.” He lowered his shoulders.

“Then where do you wanna do this, Bun.” 

“We’re going to the art studio I rented for my practice.” He smirked, I really don’t wanna know what got through his mind. “That I share with two other art students from my class, so yeah. We won't be alone.” 

“Are they girls? Because if they are, I have no problem if they join us.” I looked at him with an annoyed face “In the creating process, Y/N. God, you’re nasty.” How could someone be so annoying? Was he this way on purpose or he was just a natural ass? This man was driving me crazy already and we haven't even started with this 'proyect'. “Alright, alright. You shouldn’t be that serious Y/N. Life is beautiful. Smile more, you look pretty when you smile.” I could feel my cheeks burn, I just hope it was not noticible though. That would be embarrasing.

“Alright. Deal, I’ll desing it for you.”

“Yes” He threw a fist up to the air.

“I go to the studio on monday’s and wednesday’s the whole day and the rest of the days depends on the test I have during the week. Just text me if you want to meet or whatever and I’ll see when I’m free. Do you have any idea of what you want?”

“Nope. I plan on creating it in the moment.”

“Alright. Great. Now that that’s settled, I would really like to get my stuff done. So please, if you could just…”

“I’ll take my leave now, Bun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, whatever… Bye Kook.” I was about to close the door when I realized the way he’s been calling me since he got here: “And don’t call me Bun.”

“What did you say Bun? Sorry, I can’t hear you.” He said while walking and covering his ears with both of his hands.

“Asshole.” 

“I heard that… Bun!”

Closing the door behind me I pressed my back against it. I know exactly what I’m getting myself into… I just hope i don’t regret it later.

@jungiegukie

[andrethegiant3001]

You’ve Gotta be (Psych)idding Me (WIP)

Prologue: Only Time will Tell

The future is a funny thing. Everyone spends so much time trying to prepare for it, control it, understand it, predict it. But the only thing that truly knows the future is the future itself. It’s the runner at the head of the race, always two steps ahead.

Lizzie Bennet likes to think that she’s one of the few people that can interpret the vague and elusive nature of time. She knows that time is a circle, not a line, spinning around and around until it settles on a narrative it likes, a narrative that the people within it spiral into. She understands that the future and past are fragile and tangible things, breaking and bending to the whims of those around it. She remembers that the future is a promise, not a guarantee. Promises can be broken.

And yet, with all her otherworldly knowledge, idiots like the one standing in front of her still feel the need to doubt her.

“No offense, but psychic powers are usually… a farce.”

No offense, but you look like you belong in a shitty version of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’.

The teenage girl standing next to him shoots him a wary look, momentarily pulled away from the homemade essences she had been drawn to originally. Lizzie bites her tongue and gives the stranger a cursory once over. He’s wearing slacks and an Oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing strong, tan forearms. She doesn’t need to be a psychic to guess that he’s an asshole.

He’s also really hot.

(She’s really unimpressed with the lack of correlation between physical attractiveness and positive personality traits. The world isn’t a fair place.)

“You realize that you basically just said ‘no offense, but I think you’re scamming people out of their money’? How exactly am I supposed to not be offended by that?”

The girl sighs in exasperation, “Can’t we do one thing without you pissing off a random stranger?”

Lizzie feels an odd surge of affection for the girl that she hadn’t previously expected. Then again, she had sensed a positive aura when the two walked in, she just hadn’t been sure which one of them was emitting it. Now she’s definitely sure that it isn’t coming from him.

“Stay out of this Georgy,” the guy snaps before turning back on Lizzie. “Look, I’m trying to be polite. I just don’t believe in what you do.”

“A murderer in a nice suit is still a murderer.”

“That’s a terrible analogy.”

Lizzie scoffs, “Whatever, the point stands. Just ‘cause you dress your bigotry in a bow doesn’t make it okay.”

“It’s hardly bigotry when most psychics actually scam people out of their money. That’s called statistics.”

“So you’re telling me that statistics give you the right to come into my store and insult my career choice?”

“First off, career is a bit of a strong word-”

“Do you get off on being condescending?”

“Secondly, statistics give me a right to be wary of people trying to take advantage of me.”

“I’m pretty sure profiling works off of the same logic.”

“You’re kidding,” he says blankly, “the difference is people can’t choose their skin colour. You can choose your job.”

“I didn’t choose to be a psychic.”

“Oh, so we’re going off of the assumption that you actually have spooky psychic powers? Hang on, let me recalculate my line of argumentation.”

“Fuck you,” Lizzie says with a saccharine smile. Then she swivels to face the girl, “Can I help you.”

Her face lightens up a little in response, but before she can respond, the guy butts in again, “I get it. Now that you’ve realized you’re not going to get any money out of me, you’re turning to my kid sister. Real ethical.”

She’s going to wring him with her bare hands.

(Un)fortunately, his sister decides to step in before Lizzie murders him. “Please Will, I’m not a kid,” she says breezily, “could you try not being a dick for once in your life?”

He scowls, “Don’t swear.”

“It’s not swearing if I’m referring to you by your middle name,” she flashes him a wicked smile and turns to Lizzie, “I’m actually interested in a tarot reading.”

“Sure-”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You’re no fun,” she pouts, “I’ll even pay for it myself.”

He laughs, “It’s not paying for yourself if you get your allowance from me. Besides, it’s not about that. It’s about the principle.”

“The principle being sticking to your guns when you’re being an ignorant dipshit?” Lizzie raises an eyebrow. “You’re a stellar role model.”

“No,” he rolls his eyes and speaks slowly, like she’s a child, “the principle is that I don’t give money to scammers with shit customer service.”

Lizzie feels her temper rising, but purses her lips and makes sure her voice is level in order to keep her cool, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“You’re kicking me out,” it’s a question, but it comes out as a statement.

Instead of answering, she turns to the girl (Georgy?) and smiles warmly, “I can do a tarot reading now or some other time as long as he’s out of my general vicinity.”

At that, the guy laughs sardonically and brushes past her to stalk towards the door. But when his arm skims hers, something weird happens. A sensation spreads through her entire body, like she’s suddenly been set on fire. Her mind flashes, an image of hands on skin, tugging at her waist, teeth nipping at her lips, dragging a heady moan out of her mouth. The scene changes to Georgy laughing loudly as she jumps into a pool, her cannonball formation spraying Lizzie with water before Georgy reaches up to pull her in too.

But she doesn’t only see her two customers. She feels Jane across town, putting the finishing touches on a wedding cake she was commissioned to make. Her eyes flash to her mother’s house, where the woman stands in the center of the room, performing a ritual for onlookers all around. Then she catches a glimpse of the people walking on the sidewalk in front of her shop, the acute feeling of… irritation taking over her body as she looks from them to her sister back in the shop, still talking to that woman who seems intent on exploiting her-

Lizzie snaps out of it, her eyes flying open to the girl standing in front of her.

What the fuck just happened?

She blinks slowly and looks around the room before looking back to Georgy, trying to gauge if she’s disoriented in any way by what just happened. The girl looks fine though, a little put off by the immature behaviour of her brother, but otherwise completely tethered to reality.

Lizzie shouldn't have expected anything different. Others never see.

Georgy is grimacing when she looks over at her, “I’m sorry about him, he’s just…” she trails off and looks over to where he’s waiting for her by the door, “the worst.”

That brings Lizzie back to the present and she laughs lightly, “That’s an understatement.” If anything, the pained look on Georgy’s face grows stronger at the comment, like she wants the ground to swallow her whole.

Lizzie can sympathize. She’s had quite a few I-wish-the-ground-would-swallow-me moments.

“He’s actually not as bad as he seems,” she starts, but quickly realizes by the look on Lizzie’s face that there’s really no use in defending him. “Anyway, I’ll stop by sometime for a tarot reading. Without him.”

Lizzie nods approvingly before relenting a little, “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to skeptics.”

She thinks of her mother, faux psychic extraordinaire.

She almost doesn’t blame him for his doubts. Almost.

She huffs out another sigh, “Sure, but he has this nasty habit of thinking that the world actually cares about his shitty opinions,” Lizzie laughs out loud at that, surprising even herself. Georgy gives her an award winning smile before turning towards the door. Lizzie takes the hint and heads back to the counter, arranging a set of lighters with cheesy inspirational quotes twisted around to make puns. She tries really hard to distract herself and not look back at the guy or think about the guy or analyse what the guy’s touch did to her.

She just doesn’t understand how someone like him could bring on such a strong connection to the spiritual world.

She’s just finished adjusting a lighter that says ‘you’re a-MAZE-ing’ with a little design of a maze in the background when she hears it.

“You’re not coming back to this crap shack.”

She looks over to the door where Georgy catches her eye and gives a little wave before saying, “Like you could stop me.”

Lizzie simultaneously feels the need to either laugh out loud or punch something as hard as she possibly can.

You can read the rest of this story on my fanfiction.net account linked here: You’ve Gotta be (Psych)idding Me

[tentoriwrites]

SLBP Masterpost 2.0

Requests are always open unless posted otherwise! You can request a drabble from this list or this list. Please copy the prompt or tell me long or short list! I am always open to anonymous requests or requests by DM.

Please report any missing or broken links! Thanks for reading!

The Top Ten

Misfortune (Medium) - Yasumasa’s indiscretions net him the punishment of escorting the cook to Kyoto and staying there indefinitely.

Lean On (Medium)- Shingen has to comfort his poor MC the only way he knows how.

80s Romcom (Short) – Yukimura uses 80s romcoms to try to save his relationship.

Tough Love (Short/Series) - MC Has to beat Yukimura into submission when he gets sick.

Defiled Goddess (Long/NSFW) - When Kotarou’s hijinks cause his lover to be targeted, a night alone brings them closer than a simple kiss ever could.

Shigemura/Yukizane (Short) - Hijinks ensue when Yukimura and Shigezane go drinking together.

The Beautifully Unbroken (Long/Series/NSFW/Tadakatsu/MC) - Part one of a series exploring the relationship between Tadakatsu and his MC. Things get complicated later in the series.

Bound Together (Long/Series/NSFW/Tadakatsu/MC/Ieyasu) - Part two of the Beautifully Unbroken series. 

A Reason to Speak (Medium/NSFW/Hotaru) - My first fanfic in like 6 years and it shows. Not sure why this is so popular. *dies a little inside*

Set Free: Saizo (Short/Series/Spoilers) - First in a series inspired by a pair of songs.

Complete list of works below the cut!

Nobunaga

The Last Goodbye – Long inspired by Nobunaga’s Act 2 Divine Ending.  

Mitsuhide

The Cat Sage (Short) - Mitsuhide teaches Yukimura how to attract cats. 

Yukimura

80s Romcom (Short) – Yukimura uses 80s romcoms to try to save his relationship. 

Tough Love (Short/Series) - MC Has to beat Yukimura into submission when he gets sick. 

Tender Care (Short/Series) – Yukimura returns the favor when MC gets sick. 

Saizo

Drabbles: 20      49 and 147      39 

When it’s complicated, Let me Go (Medium) - Saizo and MC have a fight and MC leaves Ueda and return to Kyoto. Yukimura decides if Saizo won’t marry her, he will and Saizo is more than willing to let it happen. But Kiyohiro has other ideas… 

Bright-Eyed Demons (Medium/Angst or TW) -  Saizo deals with his personal demons when a well laid trap gives him a way out of his torment. Will he take it, or will he find the strength to face his bright-eyed demons another day?

Masamune

Drabbles: 112 and 15 

Loyal Fate - A trap leads to an ambush that gets Masamune captured. He is then forced to watch torture sessions hoping he’ll break and give up the clan. 

Kojuro

Drabbles: 190      116      109      110 

Hideyoshi

Someone Request something for poor Hideyoshi!

Toshiie/Inuchiyo

Drabbles: 190      194      Multiple Numbers      

Numb in the End (Misc.) - Song lyrics from Linkin Park tell the tale of Toshiie 

Ieyasu

Drabbles: 180 and 188      55      165      4      295 and 318      Dishes     33     46 and 47     Follower Prize     Follower Prize 2

The Hands that Need You (Short/Songfic) - An Anberlin songfic inspired by Ieyasu’s Cherished in Love event story

Mitsunari

Drabbles: 165      Multiple Numbers 

Between the Lines - After a particularly bad day and one too many barbs, Mitsunari finds himself on her doorstep in the rain 

Kenshin

Drabbles: 73      214 

Dear Curvy Girl Anon (Drabble) – A short piece for all you curvy girls that can’t relate to the MCs in the CGs. Kenshin has a little something to say to you! ^_~   

Sleepwalker (WIP) - Kenshin Angst! Kenshin meets Kanestugu’s sister in the future and has to come to terms with what happened between them in the past *I will work on this when I want to bawl my eyes out*

Shingen

Lean On - Shingen has to comfort his poor MC the only way he knows how. 

Shigezane

Drabbles: Multiple Numbers      15 and 362      13      115      229      37      113      31 and 99     Follower Prize

A Day Without Rain (Medium/Series) - Part one of my fic for gobigforshigz2k17 celebration. Shigezane volunteers to take MC to a shrine and things go awry. 

By the Light of Fireflies (Medium/Series) - Shigezane and MC are in for more than one surprise as their trip to a shrine continues. Choose your own ending, do you like things sweet or spicy? 

A Kiss in Wonderland (Short/Follower Prize) - A vacation in the mountains takes some unexpected turns in this Hallmark movie remake.

Kageie

Drabbles: 164      169      104 and 109      112 and 130      Follower Prize

Nobuyuki

Drabbles: 271 and 341      138     54 and 15     9 and 47     138     54 and 15     9 and 47     120 and 312     282 and 26

 Hotaru

Drabbles: 162      Date Fail      32      Follower Prize

A Reason to Speak (Medium/NSFW) - Fluffy Hotaru x MC Smut fic inspired by a piece by jane-runs-fast. 

Hotaru (Poem/Stick figure…) 

 Tadakatsu

Drabbles: 161 

Pantry Raiders (Medium/NSFW-ish/Crackfic) - MC learning how to go downtown with daikon instructional aid. Set in the same story as “The Beautifully Unbroken.” 

Bonding Brothers (Medium/Crackfic) - Tadakatsu ends up in Oshu after becoming betrothed to Lady Yoshihime. 

Management Experience (Medium/Modern AU) - Tadakatsu has a crush on his neighbor. A chance meeting affords him the opportunity to get her a job. As payment she invites him to dinner, which doesn’t turn out quite like either of them planned… 

 Oichi

Drabbles: 390 

 Yasumasa

 Misfortune (Medium) - Yasumasa’s indiscretions net him the punishment of escorting the cook to Kyoto and staying there indefinitely.

Second Sons (Medium/Follower Prize) -  When Yasumasa sees one of lord Ieyasu’s children struggling, he decides to give him a swift kick in the right direction.

Kotarou

Defiled Goddess (Long/NSFW) - When Kotarou’s hijinks cause his lover to be targeted, a night alone brings them closer than a simple kiss ever could.

Kiyohiro

Home (Medium) -  For Kiyohiro, home was a thing he could never have. At least, that’s what he thought.

Homeless (Medium) -  After Kiyohiro disappears, it quickly becomes apparent that something is going on. Things are not the same and it’s unclear if they ever will be again.

Toramatsu

A Reason to Touch (Medium/NSFW) -  When Hamamatsu’s cook has a bad day with Ieyasu, Toramatsu snaps. Convinced he’s blown his only chance he’s resigned himself to rejection. But will that really be how things end?

Yoshichi

Summer Sun and Autumn Leaves (Medium/Series) - First in a series about Yoshichi’s slow burn love story.

Winter Chill and Spring Blossoms (Medium/Series) - Second in a series about Yoshichi’s slow burn love story.

Summer Heat (Medium/Series) - Last installment of Yoshichi’s slow burn love story.

Luis

Take me to Church 1 (Medium/series/NSFW later) -  When Luis first arrived in Japan it became clear he was going to need to learn the language before he could take on his mission work. 

Take Me to Church 2 (Medium/series/NSFW) -  When Luis first arrived in Japan it became clear he was going to need to learn the language before he could take on his mission work.

Hanbei

Tactical Maneuvers (Medium/Series/NSFW later) -  Hanbei battles off a foreign invader who seeks to claim territory in his heart. But are his tactical maneuvers really for her stake or his own?

Tactical Maneuvers 2 (Medium/Series/NSFW) -  Hanbei battles off a foreign invader who seeks to claim territory in his heart. But are his tactical maneuvers really for her stake or his own?

Multiple Lords

Strong (Short/Songfic/Toshiie/Hideyoshi/Mitsuhide) - After both Toshiie and Hideoyshi confess their love, MC must find the strength to decide on her own terms who she really loves. Then, and only then, can she pull herself out of the middle. 

Valentine’s Day (Drabble/Shingen/Kenshin) 

The Dragon of Kai (Medium/Shingen/Kenshin) - My entry for the August 5, 2017 Shingen celebration. Little Mermaid AU featuring Kenshin x Shingen 

Shigemura/Yukizane (short) - Hijinks ensue when Yukimura and Shigezane go drinking together.

A Song of Light and Shadow (Song)

Saiyukkins 22 and 29

Cross Country Brotrip (medium) - Yukimura and Saizo go on a “Goofy Movie” style adventure across the country. 

Ranmaru’s Adventures in Babysitting (Medium) -  When Nobunaga orders Ranmaru to entertain Yahiko while everyone else is out, the duo embarks in shenanigans. Along the way they pick up an unlikely comrade.

Regrets in the Rain (WIP) - As Inuchiyo faces down Kenshin he has regrets about not knowing what happened to his childhood friend. Kenshin realizes who he is and has to decide to kill him or not.  *Will work on this ALSO WHEN I WANT TO BAWL MY EYES OUT!*

 Series

The Beautifully Unbroken

Tadakatsu and Mc navigate their relationship together and what it means when Ieyasu gets involved. Long chapters, NSFW.

One      Two      Three    Four(WIP)

 Set Free

A series of song inspired fics dealing with traumatic moments in the past. Short chapter, spoilers for Saizo and Masamune, non-canon scenario for Ieyasu.

Saizo     Masamune     Ieyasu

Time Scattered Blossoms

Modern AU where Yukimura and MC are childhood friend, but Yukimura refuses to date her because he knows there’s someone better out there for her. Medium chapters, spoilers.

One     Two     Three

War Crimes

Pseudo-headcanon for the development of Shingen and Kansuke’s relationship. Medium chapters.

One     Two(WIP)

Choose Your Own Adventure

Prologue Start     Prologue End

[hope-for-olicity]

Fabulous Olicity Fanfic Friday - April 6th, 2018

Happy Friday! So this is my attempt to both thank awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and offer my recommendations to anyone who is interested. Here are the fantastic fanfic stories I read this week! They are posted in the order I read them. *There is something weird going on on Tumblr where there are weird symbols and characters showing up in my posts. If you open this post on my blog it looks fine.

Untitled by @laurabelle2930 - Prompt I never thought I’d see you again.    https://laurabelle2930.tumblr.com/post/172403510091/prompt-i-never-thought-id-see-you-again

(if you must leave) leave as though fire burns under your feet by emilyszuko - When Oliver gets home from saying goodbye to Thea and Roy, his entire body feels drained, bones dreary and tired in a way that differs from any of the other times he’s slugged through the apartment to get to his and Felicity’s bedroom. The exhaustion isn't like it normally feels after nights out fighting assassins. It’s also different from a day spent bent over his desk as he struggles to come up with ways to save his city. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14144385

A Quiver Full of Drabbles multi-chapter WIP by Lady447 - A series of drabbles, all olicity with some interventions from other characters. Mostly fluff and some AU. https://archiveofourown.org/works/7669399/chapters/17466022

Annulled by HopeShannon3000 - Oliver tells Felicity about Nyssa annulling the marriage - Post 6x16 https://archiveofourown.org/works/14147556 Arrow 6x16: Felicitys POV by @mindramblingsfics - The reason it bothers Felicity so much when Nyssa calls Oliver husband. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14144772 Time for a Story multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. YOU NEED THIS STORY IN YOUR LIFE. http://archiveofourown.org/works/3912157/chapters/8757172 Eyes Wide Open by @smoakmonster - a post 6x16 Olicity fic https://archiveofourown.org/works/2588447/chapters/32608293 The Story of Tonight multi-chapter WIP by @arrow-crack - Set in the Revolutionary War. Felicity, a rich daughter of General Smoak meets a strangely charming soldier under her father's command, Oliver Queen. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14073570/chapters/32423250

A Dance With The Devil multi-chapter WIP by @it-was-a-red-heeler - A Season Five re-write http://archiveofourown.org/works/13792770/chapters/31707645

Another Chance at Love multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - It has been almost two years since Oliver lost his fiancee Detective McKenna Hall when she died in the line of duty. He closed his heart to love ever since, unable or unwilling to give love another chance. That changes when he meets Felicity Smoak at the annual gala of the Starling City Police Foundation. Is he ready to give love another chance, though? http://archiveofourown.org/works/13561101/chapters/31119801

Things Left Unsaid multi-chapter Completed by @nerdyandturdy - Felicity never believed in soulmates. She made the largest effort to ignore the mark on her right hip. That is until Oliver Queen came into her life. This is a story of the six times Felicity could have told Oliver about their mark, and the one time she finally does. https://archiveofourown.org/works/10831788/chapters/24040467

Sharing The Load by @wherethereissmoak - Felicity calls Nyssa out on her sister wife bluff. https://archiveofourown.org/works/10363836/chapters/32639814

You Used To Be My Friend But I Learned My Lesson multi-chapter WIP by @tdgal1 - Arrow skims over feels so this is my fix it fic for season 1-2. Lots of canon but it is an AU so events may be out of order. Tommy and Felicity friendship. This is my idea of how these characters felt during these scenes and how they may have acted differently. Not a great summary but read and let me know what you think. Exploring deeper feelings that the show won’t. This story just gets BETTER!!! http://archiveofourown.org/works/13507359/chapters/30978543

I Feel Love multi-chapter Completed by @mel-loves-all - A fateful meeting brings Felicity Smoak, an Empath, into the life of Oliver Queen.  AU eventual Olicity. https://archiveofourown.org/works/4678094/chapters/10677869

Things We Lost In The Fire by @sydneyhallers - What was supposed to be marital bliss is slowly crumbling in her hands. He just won’t listen to reason. Oliver and Felicity are taking a break when suddenly their marriage is not the only thing falling apart. They need each other more than ever when their enemies set their sights not only on them, but on William too. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14171523

Jokes On Them by @wrldtravler - Inspired by April Fool's Day, told from Theas point of view https://wrldtravler.tumblr.com/post/172499268144/jokes-on-them

Downsizing (Prologue) multi-chapter WIP by allimarie_xf - Felicity is moving into Olivers (her husband's) apartment and there's no way all her clothes and shoes will fit into his tiny closets. She's in for some tough choices and Oliver, as always, comes to her rescue. Prologue to a collection of sartorial-inspired reminiscences. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14177493

Curious Transformations multi-chapter WIP by CharlotteCordelier - From the Department of I-didn't-think-this-all-the-way-through, a season 2 AU. Felicity comes to in a train station, missing some time. And that's only the beginning of the weirdness. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14161659/chapters/32641764

Tempest multi-chapter WIP by @so-caffeinated and @dust2dust34 - Three years ago, tragedy struck Julianna Queen’s life. Now, she wears a mask and fights at her father’s side, looking for closure and justice as she tries to find a path to move forward with her life while holding on to her past. But that may a bit more complicated than she thinks… http://archiveofourown.org/works/13309731/chapters/30461850

Happy Birthday Oliver by mar_dlr - Felicity and the team help Oliver celebrate his birthday. https://archiveofourown.org/works/10825797

Just A Small Town Girl multi-chapter Complete by Emilyymay_x - Oliver Queen is forced by his mother to go and live in the small town of Bettenkirk - his father's hometown - for a month after several misdemeanors on his part and as a change of scenery. Can he survive in a place which has a population of just over 2,000, and where everyone knows everyone? Or will Oliver give in before he gives the town a chance - before he gives the charming Felicity Smoak, a local, a chance? https://archiveofourown.org/works/8485399/chapters/19445209

The Better Wedding by @callistawolf - How the Olicity wedding could have happened. (Should have IMO, yeah still not over it but this fic helps) https://callistawolf.tumblr.com/post/172530828382/fic-the-better-wedding-olicity-rated-g

Periods, Timelines and Exclamation Points multi-chapter WIP by Izzyface - Felicity Smoak has a PLAN for her life. At 25, she is the youngest Director of IT in the history of Queen Consolidated and on track to be the next VP of Technology for the Fortune 250 company. But that is before everything in her life starts to go haywire. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14062422/chapters/32395548

Above All Else multi-chapter WIP by shesimperfect_butshetries - A different take on episode 6x14: Rene shoots but Oliver jumps in front of Felicity. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14101470/chapters/32490537

Redemption multi-chapter WIP by @vaelisamaza Oliver returns for being with the League after five - this story gets better and better - you should be reading this! http://archiveofourown.org/works/9107518/chapters/22278866

Real Love (Is Never a Waste of Time) multi-chapter by @callistawolf - Oliver and Felicity are CEOs who are more partners than they are rivals, but they still bicker whenever they meet up. Constantly pestered by their families and board members, they turn to each other for a simple solution. But marriage is never simple, especially when these two are involved. When Oliver's younger sister decides to hold her much-anticipated wedding on a tropical island and insists her brother and his wife attend, will the island paradise prove to be the tipping point in their carefully balanced relationship? https://archiveofourown.org/works/13604955/chapters/31233603 Finding Choos (And My Way Back To You) by @wrldtravler - Prompt: 4. We are both shopping for the same obscure item. This is the fifth store I have seen you at… Want to join forces? https://wrldtravler.tumblr.com/post/172556147109/4-if-youre-still-doing-the-prompts They Call This Relaxing multi-chapter WIP by writinglover123 - Set during early season 3. There is a Killer on the loose— no surprise there— but what is surprising is that they are targeting rich couples who have been participating in a week long couples’ therapy program at the notoriously known Romantic Rejuvenation Retreat just outside of Starling City. With a case this serious, Oliver and Felicity must go undercover as an engaged couple to find the killer. This might just be their hardest mission yet, and not just because of the extensive list of close proximity activities and bed sharing they will be forced to undertake. https://archiveofourown.org/works/8827729/chapters/20238547

// @emmaamelia95 // @mel-loves-all // @oliverfel4 // @green-arrows-of-karamel // @coal000 // @miriam1779 // @memcjo// @captainolicitysbedroom // @tdgal1 // @spaztronautwriter // @lalawo1// @quiveringbunny // @wrongshipper // @thebookjumper // @vaelisamaza // @myhauntedblacksoul // @lovelycssefan // @laurabelle2930 //

[crimson-of-the-earth]

Why I (Don’t)... [A New Annoying Series] Actual Title: Why I Don’t Take Commissions From Strangers Anymore

Hey, guys! So I’ve been in a sort of rant-y mood lately and I’ve just posted a vent a few days ago about why I train for mat wrestling instead of going to wrestling school.

I thought that since I’m probably gonna be posting a lot more of this kind of rant/vent posts, I figured I’d make it a series where I can:

Rant/Vent about certain topics

Answer asks regarding said topic or

Give my thoughts and opinions about certain stuff

Under the cut will be the actual rant so if you’re not into these sorts of posts, either ignore this or blacklist the words ‘rant’ and ‘vent’ so you won’t have to see further installments of this series.

Why I Don’t Take Fanfic Commissions From Strangers Anymore

You guys probably didn’t know this (that’s on purpose since I don’t think my work is good enough. and besides, i don’t have a paypal account) but I take fanfic commissions from either my friends, my family, my classmates, my professors; Basically anyone who is willing to shell out money for my work.

I originally posted my commission prices on my class’ (or ‘block’ as we refer to it here) group DMs. I did the whole 9 yards; I posted to the PE Group, the Western Cuisine Group, the Bar and Beverage Management Group; I posted that commission list to every school/class related group DM I had, and I’m sure I pissed off a few people because most of them were in all of those groups as well so they’d seen the same list over and over again. Sure, my commission list was pretty full, but none of the works I was working with were like more than 2,000 words so I was finishing them rather quickly.

The way I do these commissions is through Google Docs or MS Word and send through e-mail, but the payment has to be handed to me in person the day before I start the commission, either half or full price upfront depending on the trust I have with the client.

Now, it may seem like I’m rambling but all this will make sense in a second.

So, a lot of my clientele (if you could call it that) are people from my friends circle, or people who have the same major as me, same classes as me, or basically just people I interact with on a daily basis and/or know on a basic level. 

I keep this business a secret from my family because I’ll admit it: I don’t like sharing hard-earned money unless it’s important. I know that makes me sound horrible but what I do with the money I’ve earned is treat my mom or my sister or both to go to the mall, maybe buy a few nice things for them to kinda...give back to them. Sometimes, I even tell my mom to just not give me lunch money on certain days because I can buy food for myself, saving her money to treat herself with. If they knew about my “job” as a fanfic writer, they’d constantly borrow money from me that I could’ve spent giving my mom and my sister gifts.

Now that that’s outta the way, onto the actual rant.

Like I said, I take commissions from my classmates who I have the same classes/major with or professors with whom I have classes with. So I know everyone who commissions me in the event of a discrepancy, regarding either the agreed-upon word count, confusion about prices, wanting refunds, etc., etc., they could easily approach me for it or leave a note in my locker with their name, commission details, class/subject we both have, and any concern they might have. (It’s very detailed for a fanfic commission, I know. It would’ve been easier if this was all done digitally but just like with everything else, I need receipts in case of any mishaps that might happen.)

Since I use the same format for new commissions, someone from the IT College (mind you, I’m an HRS/Hospitality & Restaurant Services major) submitted a request note saying that they would like to commission me for a 10,000+ word, multi-chaptered work, and told me to meet up at the school canteen later at lunch that day to discuss details. 

I was already cringing at that point because, let’s face facts here: College students don’t really have any money to spare unless they’re either really rich or they have a part-time job. And the fic they wanted was going to be at least $105 (₱5,600 = $38 + my time [$10] + the extra details they wanted [which estimated around $20 since they asked for basically purple prose descriptions] + the prologue [which costs exactly the same price for a one-shot, 1,000< word fic $5) and I know they aren’t gonna have the money to pay upfront.

When we met up, he told me all the details, that he wanted the prologue to be more than 1,000 words, and I immediately warned them that that would cost extra since the price for a standard, 1000< fic would be $5/₱300 but they still wanted it so their total was now up to $110. 

I know that sounds like an absurd amount of money to charge a college student but mind you, they wanted at least 30,000 words spread throughout 5 chapters, excluding the prologue which was about 2,500, and they wanted it to be as descriptive as I can write it. And also, this was the cheapest I could go for such a lengthy piece, given the client’s situation and my time and expertise. Which means that I have to either rush out other commissions or tell those clients that their commission would be finished at a later date, both of which I didn’t want to do because if I rush a story, it’ll end up not being worth the money I was given. And I don’t want my clients to wait any longer than, say, a week for a 1,000 word fanfic. Fics of that length shouldn’t even take me a week, I finish those in like 1-3 days depending on how many commissions I have, or my personal situation.

Now, back to the absurd commission. I calculated the price right in front of him so there would be no further questions or complaints as to how the price was how it was, and I had them make a recording on my phone saying that they agree with the price, again another safety net for me should anything go wrong.

Now, since the price was a certainly beyond what he could’ve had as his lunch money at the time, I decided to make the mistake decision to let them pay half when I send them the WIP screenschot of the prologue and the rest when it’s done. That way, they’d have more than enough time to save up some of the money since it’d taken me 3 weeks to finish that. I also made him record himself on my phone saying that he agreed to this payment method.

Cue the day I send them the screenshot of the prologue (which was well over a week after the price agreement) and told them “alright, like in our agreement, we can meet up at school so you can pay half like we agreed, then I can finish the entire thing.” Lo and behold, they reply to me with “oh, I don’t have the money yet. It’s been a rough couple of weeks, I had to spend a bit of money to help with tuition and bills and stuff.”

Now, I get it: Life can be a surprising bitch and it’ll spring up awful situations when you least expect it, especially when you’re in college like we were. So, against my better judgement, I let them know that they can pay full price once I’m done, which they again agreed to. I have the screenshots but for my and this client’s privacy, I won’t post them here. (and because I’m too lazy to block the names out of the screenshots)

Well, 3 weeks later and the fanfic was finally done and out of my hair, I asked around the IT professors if the client was one of their students. Guess what? 

Turns out they fucking dropped out of the school one week prior. So I messaged them, politely and professionally, to remind them of the fic they commissioned and they had the fucking balls to say, and I quote:

“Can you just fucking leave me alone? That commission was a prank and you fucking fell for it, loser. Do you actually think that people want to pay for stories? Fuck, I can write the story myself and it would be 10 times better than the commission I had you make for me. Good luck with your failing business, bitch.”

After that, I just...I ripped that asshole a new one, saying that if they could make a better story, why commission for it, even if it was just a prank, bro? I said a lot more but I don’t want to remember that time. It was a bad time for me because it was so upsetting wasting precious time, energy and skill, only to be scammed out of an insane amount of money.

I already knew, even before I started my commissions, that fanfic commissions were gonna be a niche market since, y’know, people already don’t want to pay for a fucking “art piece that I could’ve made myself”, so I prepared myself for the backlash I’d get from outraged people who would complain about me being a “selfish bitch because you charge for a bunch of words on the internet”.

But to be burned this bad is just so upsetting. I literally cried in the bathroom that day because I just felt so stupid for making that one mistake of letting someone outside of my usual clientele circle to not only request a commission but not letting them pay upfront like I always do with other commissions.

Since then, I’ve never let a stranger commission me ever again because I was just so traumatized by it that I don’t want to feel that way again. I never want to feel stupid because I did something out of the kindness of my heart. I don’t wanna be made a fool simply for being nice to someone. 

This was a very long one because it’s such a personal story of mine that just really grinds my gears everytime I think about it.

To the people who do commissions of any kind, (whether it be art, adoptables, fanfiction, YCHs, or whatevs) NEVER BREAK YOUR BUSINESS MODELS LIKE I DID. Especially your payment conditions. I was stupid to do so, so please

Don’t repeat the same mistake that I did.

[stillthewordgirl]

LOT fic: Time & Tide (prologue)

In 1985, a Time Master grabs young Lisa Snart for the Refuge...but there's no way she's going anywhere without her brother.

And years later, when Miranda and Jonas die and the Time Council refuses to do anything, Rip Hunter turns to his oldest friend… 

It occurred to me, while I was writing chapter 3 of "Secret Santa," that if the Time Masters took unwanted kids like young Michael the cut-purse to become future Time Masters--then in another time and place, they could have taken the Snart siblings for the same purpose.

And then the idea wouldn't go away. It demanded to be written. So, here's a prologue to what's shaping up to be another multichapter AU epic. ;) What's another WIP among friends, right?

Please note that this will have CaptainCanary in later chapters ('cause it's me). Many thanks to @larielromeniel for the beta. Can also be read here at AO3 or here at FF.net.

It was, like so many other things, Lewis' fault.

Lisa hadn't been so loud, really. She'd just forgotten herself, in excitement over some game she'd been playing with the new doll she'd gotten for Christmas (Len having scraped together enough to hit a sale at the five-and-dime) and her voice had gotten just a little shrill, as the voices of small girls are wont to do. She was only 5, after all.

Lewis, nursing a hangover and planning another doomed-to-failure heist, had snapped. He'd roared into the room, grabbing her by the arm (Len would later find bruises in the shape of his fingertips there) and dragged her to the door, where he'd shoved her out into the January cold in only her pink leggings and My Little Pony sweatshirt, nothing on her feet but slipper socks, too shocked to even scream.

Leonard, who'd been trying to study for a science test, ("Whaddaya doing that for? Not like they're going to give a dummy like you a diploma anyway," Lewis had scoffed) had just started in from the kitchen when he'd seen the scene unfold in front of him. Thinking fast, he'd grabbed both their coats from the kitchen chairs, and darted out the door after her, ducking the blow Lewis aimed his way.

The door slammed shut behind him. He'd heard the lock shoot home.

Lisa had just stared at him, her big blue eyes filling with tears even as she started to shiver. Len, refusing to think of just how bad this could get, had bundled her into her coat, cursing himself for not snatching her boots. After a moment's thought, he'd pulled off his own shoes and made her step into them, glad for once that they were really too small, lacing them up as tight as he could.

Then he'd stubbornly grabbed Lewis' work boots from the back step and pulled them on. He'd get smacked for the theft, no doubt, but time enough to worry about that when they got back inside. It was cold out, tonight, the coldest night they'd had so far, and he knew he had to get them under cover, especially Lisa.

He liked the cold, himself. He'd be OK, he decided with all the false bravado a stubborn 13-year-old boy can muster. He just had to get his sister to safety.

The garage wasn't heated and wouldn't do much good. The neighbors either ignored the Snart kids as much as possible or were the bleeding-heart sort who'd call CPS if they were given a reason. While he'd do that to get Lisa safe and warm as a last resort, Len had heard too many horror stories about foster care and was far too cynical at this point to believe otherwise. Plus, if they were returned to Lewis after that, there'd be hell to pay.

Lisa, shivering despite the coat, wouldn't make it far, but there was a convenience store at the end of the street. With any luck, the friendly young clerk would be working, the one who didn't mind two kids loitering around to keep warm and who occasionally even gave Lisa penny candy—and not the jerk who'd called the cops on Len before (he hadn't even taken anything!) or the motherly sort who seemed to think he was a danger to the little girl so tightly clutching his hand.

All they needed was some luck and some time. Eventually, Lewis would leave, or pass out, and Len could take them back home, pop the lock (at least his father had taught one thing that was useful), and tuck Lisa into bed. Lewis probably wouldn't even remember.

His luck wasn't the greatest. But that's the only idea he had, right then.

In one timeline, the store might have been closed due to a power outage. They might have died out there, all of Leonard's resourcefulness failing in the face of the deadly temperatures, falling snow, and neighborly apathy.

In another, the friendly clerk might have been working, might have turned a blind eye to the kids huddled at the store's one table, maybe even turned up the heat a little and pushed a few "damaged" bags of chips their way.

In yet another, maybe one of the other two clerks called the police. Maybe they recognized the Snart kids. Maybe one held a grudge against Lewis Snart, and decided to hang his oldest kid with his very first misdemeanor charge, a charge that would soon be compounded by one of Lewis' heists gone wrong and land the boy in juvie at the ripe old age of 14.

Just maybe.

But in this one, a nondescript man returning from a simple mission in 1985 Central City sees the small brown-haired girl wearing her brother's shoes while that same brother, standing in boots nearly up to his knees, studies the interior of the store through the iced-over windows.

There's a half-healed bruise on her cheek, and she's skinny and underfed in a way the man understands all too well, from a part of his personal history that's been nearly forgotten. He hesitates only a moment, then nods to himself, detouring toward the child, a ghostly figure appearing out of the snow to loom over her.

Lisa Snart doesn't see him until it's too late.

He snatches her expertly, one arm around her middle, the other clamped over her mouth. No need to use the knock-out device, he figures. No one will see him in this snow, and all he really has to do is get her back to the ship. Then he can double-check her role in the timeline, make sure they're in the clear.

But there's a lot he doesn't know about this little girl. And the important thing, at the moment, is this: Her brother taught her to fight dirty.

Lisa's eyes go wide, but she's only startled for a second. Then, she chomps down on the man's hand with vigor, following the bite with a determined backward kick to his kneecap. It connects and, while it doesn't hurt that much, combined with the bite it's enough for him to lose his grip.

Lisa sucks in a breath and screams.

"Lenny!" she wailed. "Lenny! Nooooo! My bruh-bruh-brother!"

The older boy's head whips around instantly, a look of horror overtaking his thin features, and stumbling in the snow, he charges toward them. The man, cursing, takes a step back…and slips as Lisa kicks at his knee again. Dipping his hand into his pocket, he pulls out a device, tries to thumb it into what he, in his own mind, calls the "dazzle" setting—one made to distract its target just long enough for a hasty escape.

Maybe it's because Lisa kicks him a third time, still shrieking although there's no one else around to hear her. Maybe it's his own subconscious as he looks into the boy's panicked face. Or maybe it's fate taking a hand.

But for whatever reason, the device slides right into the "knockout" setting.

The kid looks right into it as it flashes…and pitches face-first into the snow, lying still, snowflakes immediately starting to scatter over his dark, curly hair, burying him where he lies.

The girl tries to howl again, but the man has his hand back over her mouth again, and muttering to himself, uses the device on her next. She sags immediately in his arms, letting him catch his breath and figure out what, in the Vanishing Point's name, to do next.

If he leaves the boy in his threadbare coat and too-big boots here in the snow, the child will almost certainly die. And the man has no way to tell where he fits in the timeline, if this is the next mayor of Central City or just a petty thief. And truth be told, the way the little one had cried for her brother had touched even his weathered old heart.

There's only one logical thing to do.

He grabs the skinny teenager, too.

"The regulations provide for taking unwanted children to train up as protégé Time Masters," he says mulishly an indeterminate amount of time later. "And these two were definitely unwanted."

"One child!" The other man in the room with him whips around, anger in his eyes before he smooths his expression. "Taking siblings raises the chances that someone will notice…"

"By the time I had them back to my ship, they'd already vanished from the timeline," the man retorts. "No one cared, no one bothered to look for them…"

He's interrupted by the third man in the room, who takes an ingratiating tone. "But you have no idea what lay in store for them before that."

The first man shrugs, narrowing his eyes. He's never liked the leader of the Time Council, nor his chief lackey. This is just solidifying the matter.

"Taking one and not the other here would have caused more trouble," he says coolly. "The brother might have been blamed…"

"What do we care? This…"

"He stays."

At that definitive statement, all three Time Masters turn to stare at the tall woman who's standing nearby, facing the windows. Her eyes are fixed on the gangly teenager who's watching his small sister run across the lawn of the Refuge in the sun. The girl had bounced back from her "kidnapping" with the resilience of the young, especially since this place was warm and comfortable, and her stomach was full of good food for the first time in a while.

And her brother, after all, was there besides her.

"But…"

"Madam Xavier…"

"He stays." Mary Xavier turns on them, her eyes implacable, her demeanor cool. "This one is special. "

Druce stares at her another moment, then shakes his head. "He's too old. He'll remember too much of his former life. Won't be malleable."

"Of course, you'd have a problem with that," the first man retorts, anger entering his tone. "I…"

But Mary holds up her hand, interrupting them again. "One of the rights I have as the caretaker of the Refuge is the right of refusal, balanced by the right of acceptance," she says simply. "And I say he says."

The leader of the Time Council draws himself up to match her. "Then we can put back the girl." Druce's eyes are cold. "One at a time. That is the rule."

Mary shakes her head dismissively. "The girl stays too. They're stronger together."

"She's an attachment."

"And you know how I feel about that, Zaman Druce." Mary Xavier turns away, dismissing the leader of the Time Council as if he were still a haughty boy in the Refuge. "They stay. Both of them."

Druce blusters and Druce threatens. And in the end, Druce leaves.

So does the nondescript man. But he, for one, saunters out of the Refuge with a smirk on his face, whistling an off-key tune, snitching a cookie from the kitchen just as he had as a boy.

He pauses for just a moment before getting back in his time ship. "Good luck, kid," he mutters. "Give 'em hell."

Leonard and Lisa Snart will never see him again.

"Leonard."

The kid in question doesn't jump at his name. He'd seen the woman coming, out of the corner of his eye, and tensed just a little, prepared for whatever she was going to say or do to him. Lisa may think this place is wonderful, the answer to a small girl's prayers, but he's far more cynical, far less willing to trust.

(Even if their kidnapper had brought them here on a ship like something out of Star Wars. Len had tried very hard not to look impressed when he'd woken up.)

Mary, who'd purposefully let herself be heard and seen to avoid startling her skeptical newcomer, sighs to herself as his expression closes off. But after a moment, she smiles a little.

"Leonard," she repeats gently. "Come with me. I have someone I'd like you to meet."

The boy's eyes dart to where his sister is running after her new playmates, under the watchful eye of one of the older children. She'd cast off the chains of her past far better than he, although Mary knows from long experience that some of those issues will still be there, ready to cause problems at the most unexpected times.

"She's fine," Mary tells him. "She's safe here. I promise you that." She pauses. "Far safer than she would be at your…former home."

She nods as he sees him digest her last sentence. "Come with me."

This time, he does.

They walk slowly through the old house, the woman slowing her steps on purpose to allow the boy to look around, to see the genuine contentedness on the faces of the other children they pass. She can understand his caution, can understand it very well considering some of the backgrounds her charges come from. But the sooner he settles in, the more ready he'll be for the trials to come, and all the things he needs to learn.

Finally, after a slow circuit through the house and a trip up a flight of stairs, they enter a room that's comfortable, sunny and lined with bookshelves. She sees Leonard's eyes light up at the sight—followed by immediate caution as his gaze falls on the other boy in the room, one just about his age, who hastily puts down his book and bounds to his feet at the sight of them.

The other boy, nearly as thin as Leonard and a few inches taller, has a sharp face and a shock of brown hair. His eyes are bright and intelligent as he approaches them curiously, and Mary puts a hand on Leonard's shoulder, feeling the hesitation there. He's not someone, she thinks, that's ever had many friends. Too much the outsider, too much the pariah.

Well, perhaps that will change.

"Leonard, this is Michael, my foster son. Michael, this is Leonard—who will also be my foster son. I think…" She smiles for a moment, eyes turned inward, then shakes her head. "I think that you have a lot in common."

The boys stare at each other a moment, a shared background of caution and distrust of their peers (and adults) uniting them.

Then Michael, who's at least had the benefit of years of affection at the Refuge, sticks his hand out. And after another moment, smiles.

Leonard, after a moment's consideration, reaches out too, and shakes it.

And smiles, very tentatively, back.

[neadaithe]

❖PROLOGUE❖

hiya, howdy, whats up, how’s it goin’

this is the wip prologue of my original story: the book of the damned

such a creative name, i know, right? that’s also a wip...

anyway, if it interests you, read on!

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔅𝔬𝔬𝔨 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔞𝔪𝔫𝔢𝔡; 𝔓𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔲𝔢

Nagini shot up from her luxurious bed, gasping for air and clutching her chest in an attempt to calm her rapidly beating heart. Long locks of white hair slipped from behind her pointed ears and framed her scale-covered cheeks. Throat dry and a layer of cold sweat upon her skin, the fanged woman tossed the thick covers off of her lower half and placed her feet onto the cold floor that laid beneath her bed. Fluttering her eyes shut, she clutched the side of her mattress and focused on slowing her breathing, swallowing thickly to try and rid herself of the raspy feeling in her throat.

“Little Snake,” the honey-smooth voice resounded in Nagini’s head, her immediate response being to stand to her full height and reach for her twin blades, but something stopped her.

Standing just a foot away, Nagini watched as the shadows that flickered against her wall from the dancing light of the flame on her bedside table engulfed the candle along with the weapons that laid perfectly beside it. The scent of smoke invaded her senses once she was left in the dark, yellow eyes, that battled the sun in beauty and vibrancy, struggling to adjust to the shadowy room. She stood still in her place for a couple of heartbeats that felt like hours, breathing no longer ragged and hands curled tightly into fists.

“Goddess Shadow,” came the cold response, “How nice of you to visit,”

The umbrage pulled back from the room, allowing light from the outside to peer through the curtains once more. Gathering in one spot, the shadows created a figure in the center of the room before pulling away to reveal their keeper. With hair as dark as the blackest night sky and eyes that put the oceans beauty to shame, Alexandria stood proudly with a sly smirk playing on her red-painted lips.

“Come now, Little Snake,” Alexandria said with a chuckle, her body relaxed and uncaring, “Is that any way to address your Mommy?”

Nagini stared at the ravenette woman with a blank stare before huffing out a heavy sigh, arms crossing defensively across her chest.

“Mother,” She hissed out, “Would you like a spot of tea?” Tone heavy with venom, much like the venom that flowed in her blood, Nagini stressed each of her syllables to further show her distress of the sudden appearance.

Alexandria laughed sharply and tilted her head back, hand resting gently on the exposed skin of her stomach and eyes shut tightly from the force of her laughter.

“Nagini, I think,” She paused mid-sentence, holding back a giggle, “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Nagini rolled her eyes and moved to lean against the wall beside her bedside table, eyes carefully trained on the dangerous woman that stood in her room and mind racing with wonders as to why she decided to appear all of a sudden. Hair still messy and untamed and left standing half-naked in front of the monster that raised her, Nagini couldn’t help but feel slight embarrassment settle in her stomach. She clenched her jaw to keep herself from hissing out anything that could anger Alexandria.

“Well, we both know you’re not here to spend time with your grandson,” Nagini said bluntly, yet it nicer than anything else she thought of. “So why are you really here?”

Alexandria hummed softly and lost her cheerful mood, the sudden change of attitude seeming to make the room a couple of degrees cooler.

“Right. Well,” She muttered, “Remember your dear friend, Mavis Phreignox?”

The name sent a shiver down Nagini’s spine as she held back an audible shudder. ‘Friend’ was far from the term she would use to describe that woman.

“How could I forget?” Nagini questioned rhetorically, “She almost ripped my tongue out for the sole reason of it, ‘looking peculiar’.”

The black haired woman in the room smirked at her daughter’s unfortunate memory and waved her hand out lazily beside her, shadows appearing along the floor and creating a lump before retreating back into their rightful places, leaving an unconscious body laying limply on the floor.

“Eris,” Nagini whispered out, pushing herself off the wall and heading towards her fallen sister.

Alexandria held up an arm to block Nagini from approaching her, yet the fanged wielder of sin smacked it out of the way without a second thought. She lowered herself down to her knees and brushed the black strands of hair from Eris’ pale face. Audibly gulping, she moved to rest her sister’s head in her lap.

“How did this happen?” Nagini said lowly, anger bubbling in her chest, “What did Mavis do to her?”

The mother of the two looked down at them with pity, hands folding delicately behind her.

“Nothing permanent, fortunately,” She said, “But the only way we’ll wake her is with your blood, dear. Since I don’t have literal venom for blood, you were the only one who could save her.”

Nagini looked down at Eris’ hauntingly peaceful face before raising a wrist to her lips, mouth opening and fangs digging sharply into her skin. Blood blacker than Alexandria’s shadows seeped out from the puncture wounds, dripping from her arm and onto the previously spotless floor. She placed her wrist against her sister’s mouth and moved to tilt her head back so that the blood may flow down her throat. After a couple of moments, Nagini retracted her wrist and licked the remainder of the blood off of her wounds.

“How long will it-”

“She’ll be awake within the next sunrise,” Alexandria interjected with a reassuring smile.”

With a shaky sigh, Nagini heaved her sister up in her arms and moved to lay her gently on the unmade bed, her usually cold eyes muddled with worry and concern. After making sure that Eris was laid comfortably on the mattress, the white-haired female hurriedly moved to dress herself. Beginning with her simple blouse and brown-leather bottoms, she then began to strap on the simple pieces of armor to her body.

“And what, might I ask,” Alexandria said suddenly, “Do you think you’re doing?”

Nagini scoffed, slipping her gloves over her hands and up to her elbows, tightening the straps once they were secure.

“What does it look like I’m doing, old woman?” She said with a taunting smirk, “I’m going to go slay myself a dragon.”

Alexandria shook her head and held a hand as a sign to stop her daughter’s motions.

“You can’t go alone, Little Snake,” Alexandria solemnly said, “Eris brought with her two trained Paladins, an Archer, and a powerful Sorcerer. They were taken out swiftly… But not even by Mavis.”

Nagini frowned as she listened to Alexandria speak.

“Mavis had a companion,” The ravenette said with a sigh, “Instead of doing her own dirty work, she got herself an Oracle with amazing abilities to fight her battles.”

“Oracle?” Nagini scoffed, “I’ve taken down bigger and badder than a lowly Oracle.”

Alexandria shook her head, her tone stern and serious.

“This isn’t just any kind of Oracle, Nagini,” She glanced towards Eris, “She can do things that no one thought were possible. Listen, she shattered the bones of the Paladins simply just by looking at them.”

Nagini stood still once she heard just what this girl was capable of, fear flashing through her eyes but disappearing just as quickly as it appeared. Fists shaking at her side, she inhaled sharply before opening up her hands and letting out a long, drawn out sigh. Something she learned to do when she was -cursed- blessed with Alekye. She looked back towards the comatose body of Eris and stared at her emotionless face.

“Then what do you suggest I do, Alexandria?” Nagini said, swallowing back her pride, “Mavis has done enough destruction.”

The ravenette chuckled softly, knowing it took a lot for Nagini to ask for advice, let alone from her.

“Get yourself a team, a strong one. Amazing abilities, strange powers, strong qualities, anything that you think will give you an advantage against that Oracle and against Mavis,” Shadows slowly began to engulf Alexandria as she spoke, “And remember, Little Snake - Your father and I will always come to aid you, you just need to say the word.”

With that, Alexandria winked at her daughter before fully succumbing to the darkness, her figure melting away into the shadows, leaving Nagini there with a small smirk on her face, her cocky aura redeeming itself.

“Well,” She said, looking towards Eris, “Looks like I’ve got some friends to visit.”