#and since i gave him fins and claws i need to consider the make of the clothes he wears and the material of the shoes

[nejackdaw]

I love designing characters when you get to the Specifics stage. Like. Okay. Yeah. Cool. I know what you look like. Tell me what material your fucking shoes are made of

[mollymauk-teafleak]

“I immediately regret this decision.” + ThanZag

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Thanatos had been anticipating slightly better weather. Looking back, in all honesty, that made him the fool in this situation. He’d lived here long enough to know that the weather here moved only between shades of slate grey and varying amounts of freezing rain. It had always been a running joke when they would come here for summer vacations as children, that their mother had chosen this particular stretch of coast because she despised the sun. That while geese might fly south for the winter, Mother Nyx fled north for the summer and took her babies with her.

So really, Thanatos had no one to blame but himself for the fact that he was standing on the pebbly shoreline, fighting to keep his towel wrapped around him in spite of the wind and shivering in nothing but a pair of shorts.

Well, he could blame Zagreus of course. But he should have known better than to fall for those pleading eyes.

Those eyes were currently shamelessly dialled up as his mermaid lover lounged in the shallows, beckoning to Thanatos, “It’s really not that bad!”

Than frowned at him, “So I’ll maybe only lose my extremities to frostbite rather than a whole limb?”

Zagreus laughed, not even flinching as incoming waves broke over the back of his neck, speckling his hair with drops of diamond. His tail swept lazily through the water, stirring up foam, glowing with its faint red-gold light that seemed inherent to the scales themselves.

“You’re so dramatic,” Zag chuckled, “You used to come swimming with me all the time, in worse weather than this.”

“Yes,” Than took a hesitant step closer to where the waves lost steam and fell apart against the smooth stones, “I was sixteen and an idiot.”

“And now we’re twenty six,” Zag flashed him a smile that showed his sharp canines, “So come on in.”

Thanatos had to admit, the way the setting sun flashed on the water’s surface invitingly, lighting up stripes of it in flaming orange, was making him forget how cold it would be. Zag’s tail looked like one of those stripes came to life. Fluid, effortless life that burned with its own soft ember light and trailing fins like lingering flames. He remembered how it felt wrapped around his waist all those nights when they were younger, it’s supple warmth.

Zag’s smile had grown, curled at one end into something hungry, like he could read Than’s thoughts. They’d known each other long enough that he could probably read them on his face.

He pushed off the bank along the shore with his muscular arms, slipping into the deeper darker waters. With one hand, skin bright white against the almost black sea, he beckoned.

Than exhaled and let his towel fall to the ground, kicking it back. Eyes fixed on Zagreus, he took one step into the surf.

“I immediately regret this decision,” he said after a moment’s pause, “No sex is worth this.”

“Aw come on!” Zag yelped half with incredulity and half with laughter, “You promised!”

Than grimaced. His toes had lost all feeling and it only really burned right where the water met his ankles. Zagreus had been right, it wasn’t too bad. When he’d been a younger man, he’d thrown himself off the end of the little jetty into much colder water with reckless abandon. With this being where they spent their summers, he and his brothers had quite the warped concept of acceptable swimming temperatures. Freezing became cold and cold became mild. Actual mild didn’t exist this far up the northern coast.

He had learned it was easier when there was a very willing lover in the water beckoning him in.

With a deep lungful of air, Than increased his pace, letting the water slip up his legs and foam around him until he felt the rough pebbled surface under his feet fall away. Then he just let himself pitch forward into it, bringing his arms up to make it a passable dive. As the ocean closed over his head, the world fell into total silence. There was a perfect beat, a single moment of complete noiselessness, where everything seemed to freeze in place.

Before his nerves could light up with the pain of the cold, Zag’s arms closed around him and pulled him up. Than gasped in air, hair plastered to his head and dripping salt water into his eyes. The first thing he heard was Zag’s laughter, the first thing he saw was his smile, beaming proudly.

“See?” he grinned, wrapping his tail around Than’s legs to let the inherent heat of it warm him, “I told you. Not that bad.”

“No,” Than’s teeth still chattered and his breath still came in gasps but his lover ran hot, he just pressed closer to him, “Not bad at all.”

Zag grinned, drifting them back a little until the water gentled and came up to his and Than’s shoulders. Than knew he didn’t need to do anything, just cling to Zagreus, and he would stay afloat.

“Isn’t it nice to meet in the middle, like the old days?” he hummed, gills flaring as he spun them in slow, lazy circles, “Back when we had to sneak around?”

Technically they still had to sneak around. There was a reason they only met at night, there was a reason the only human Zag had felt brave enough to approach was one who lived in an isolated seaside cottage over the summer. One who was his own age, a child and still desperate to believe fantasy stories might be real.

But Than appreciated what Zag meant, he meant the only person in the cottage now was himself, that Zag could shift his form and share Than’s bed as many nights as he was able to sneak away from his father’s castle. Than didn’t have to sneak out of the smaller room he shared with his brothers, tiptoe down the stairs avoiding every one that creaked to undress at the edge of the jetty and fall into Zag’s arms. Now they could share breakfast together, make love in every room of the lopsided little cottage, walk the shore together and kiss.

But yes, it was still very fun to meet in the middle.

Zag was kissing him now, interrupting his thoughts, open mouthed and inviting. He was so warm inside, warm enough to compensate for the cold of the ocean he swam in, warm enough to make some of Than’s biological impulses possible when the freezing water should have meant otherwise. His lungs remembered how to take deep breaths, exhaling into Zag’s mouth, hands breaching the surface to cradle his lover in return. For a long time, all they did was taste salt on each other’s lips, the only sound was the gentle rolling of the waves and their shuddering breaths.

“I supposed I’m the one getting fucked?” Zag eventually gasped out, ever the impatient one.

“Well I don’t have any lube in my pockets,” Than murmured, teasingly licking along his jawline, “And no pockets. So yes.”

Zag had no complaints, purring loudly as he shifted, exposing the part of his long body just under where his pale skin turned into blazing coppery scales. Getting to grips with Zag’s genitalia had needed a long few days of exciting and giggly exploration when they were teenagers but the last few months since they’d reunited, it had all come back to Than promptly.

Now he knew just where to stroke to tease Zag’s slit open, exposing the blushed, slick pink inside of him. He felt his lover’s tail tighten around him and heard him whimper and moan as he gave him perhaps a little more preparation than was necessary.

“Than…” Zag keened, after a particularly teasing thrust of one finger into him, “C’mon…”

“What? My fingers are cold,” Than grinned devilishly, finding his feet on the sand below them, planting himself enough that he could pull Zag towards him, starting to press into that slit.

Zag gripped his shoulders tight, his claws would leave little puncture indentations when they were done, his tail holding him close, “Please, Than. Oh gods…”

Than rocked his hips, managing to find a rhythm even while he felt like he was floating, Zag helping with his slightly scary, moreso thrilling strength, fucking himself on Than’s cock as much as Than was fucking him. Moaning rapturously, he rested his forehead on Than’s, jaw slack, wickedly sharp teeth catching on the sunset.

“That’s it,” he groaned, someone finding words when Than could only grunt and gasp, “There you are, that's where you belong, my mate, mine…”

Than groaned through tight clenched jaws, those words enough that he was suddenly, dangerously close. He tried to warn his lover, struggling to gasp it out but Zag just nodded hungrily, thrusting hard as he toppled over the edge.

Thanatos’ head fell back as his orgasm gripped him, turning his muscles to iron as it crashed over him. He would have slipped under the surface if Zag didn’t recover from his own climax quick enough to tighten his grip on him.

“I’ve got you,” Zag panted, grinning crookedly, “I’ve got you…”

“I know,” Than clung to him, his desperation for closeness having nothing to do with the temperature of the water, “My mate.”

Zag’s smile brightened with sheer delight at hearing Than use his own words, nuzzling him close as they lazily drifted back towards the shore. Though they wouldn’t emerge for some time, hesitant to leave each others arms, the place where the differences between them didn’t feel so stark, where one of them didn’t have to change to suit the other.

It really was nice to meet in the middle.

[ask-them-bois]

Of Monsters and Matriarchs, pt 1/3

TLDR: Musrio has a talk with Oliver and the ancestors.

TW: None

~~~~~~~~ Musrio knew exactly what god had chosen to shove its bulge up his wastechute and fuck him over when he’d walked into Scarbucks to see none other than Oliver fucking Maddel standing at the counter, chatting amicably with the barista.

The sun had only just set, so the coffeehive was nearly empty, and Oliver turned her head at the sound of the dongshouter above the door ringing. Musrio froze on the spot, despite Oliver being unable to see him. As he watched, a small, knowing smile spread across Oliver’s face, and the rustblood knew beyond doubt that Oliver knew exactly who stood behind her.

“Good morning, Almawt.” He said politely.

Musrio said nothing, rooted to the spot by his surprise. After a moment, he shook himself out of it, magic springing to his palms as he braced himself for the oliveblood to make a move. And since Oliver couldn’t see him, he flipped them the finger.

Oliver seemed unperturbed by his silence. “I was hoping to come across you soon, you know. I didn’t realize it would be now, but, ah well. Better now than never, darling. Come, order your drink, on me. We should talk.”

“What makes you think I want to talk to you?” Musrio scowled.

“Oh, I know you don’t want to, but I think you and I need to. Just give me ten minutes, darling.”

“I’d rather eat glass. Ribbit.” Musrio spat.

Oliver tittered, taking her drink from the barista. “With the amount of venom you ingest, would that even do anything?” She inquired, turning to fully face him. “Five minutes, then? That’s all I’m asking for. Perhaps we can set some of our grievances aside.”

Musrio narrowed his eyes, understandably suspicious. Oliver tisked, shaking his head.

“Well, I’ll be over here if you change your mind. Darling, put this man’s drink on my tab.” They said, talking to the barista over their shoulder, before they turned and headed for a booth far away from the other patrons, their cane clicking against the floor.

Musrio strongly considered turning around and walking back out. His feet were burning with the urge. At the very least, he was going to get what he came for, though. He approached the counter and gave them his order; a black coffee with as much espresso they were legally allowed to give him, and whipped cream.

It came out rather quickly, and he took it to the personalization station, watching Oliver out of the corner of his eye the entire time.

The oliveblood had taken a seat, and was tapping on his palmhusk, an earpiece reading out his claw’s placement on the screen as his purse and cane laid on the bench beside him.

Musrio reached into his robe, to his satchel, and removed a vial of a viscous, clear fluid. He splashed a healthy amount into the coffee and stirred it, before pouring in a few packs of sugar. He turned towards the oliveblood again, debating himself silently for several seconds.

Finally, he approached the booth, and wordlessly slid into the opposing bench.

Oliver didn’t look up from her palmhusk, but she smiled. “So glad you decided to join me, darling.”

“Five minutes starts now.” Musrio said pointedly.

Oliver hummed, flicking tabs away on their palmhusk before closing it down and setting it aside. “Indeed.” They knitted their fingers together, resting their chin on them. Even with their eyes covered, Musrio got the impression Oliver was staring him down. “We have quite the history together, don’t we, Almawt?”

“No, we don’t.”

“Oh, but we do. Perhaps not directly, but we shared one very important troll.”

“We didn’t share them; you took them away and gave me back the broken pieces. Ribbit.” Musrio snapped.

“If that is how you remember it, darling, sure.” She hurried on as Musrio opened his mouth to speak, “You know, it’s quite funny. I don’t even know what you look like, darling, yet this… animosity has grown so dark between us, that even I am blinded by it. I am thankful that I am a phoenix, so that I might have a chance to cut through the murk with a gracing light.”

Musrio scoffed. “What are you getting at, Oliver?”

“I am getting at your surrender, Musrio.” Oliver said bluntly, his smile suddenly dropped.

“My what?”

“I am asking you politely, and once: I ask that you surrender your side now, before this gets messy and trolls get hurt. I don’t care if you join me or not, but simply… stop fighting. There’s no way you can win- you see that, don’t you?”

Musrio’s claws dug into his palms as he curled his hands into fists. “Trolls are going to get hurt regardless, Oliver- you’re planning a fucking genocide! Ribbit!”

Oliver sighed, shaking his head. “Sacrifices must be made, for the good of-”

“The only troll this would be good for is you.” Musrio cut them off.

“Darling, please. Surely someone as logical as you can see how the odds are stacked? On my side, I have the entirety of the Black Hand- nearly three hundred strong- BB, the Enforcer, and the Bladepen.

You have a drunk, a chef, a pair of broken batteries, a pair of mangy mutts, a gardener, a rancher, a madman, a chronically sick child, a philosopher, a retired soldier, and a failure.” She listed them off like she’d practiced this. “That’s not even to mention those of us who are undecided, such as the Hounding, the mutant reds, and the dear prince. Your side is mere has-beens and broken trolls, darling. I am offering you a chance to surrender with grace, rather than see them all culled.”

Musrio took a deep gulp of coffee in hostile silence, setting his cup down with force. “That’s where you’re wrong, Oliver.” He said, his voice dark. “I “have” nothing. I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask for demons and shifter-beasts and robots. I didn’t ask for soldiers and thieves. They took a good look at the fight you’re trying to start, and chose to back up the one troll you seem afraid of. Ribbit.”

Oliver scoffed. “I’m not afraid of you, Musrio.”

“Then why are we having this discussion?” The rustblood demanded, “If you aren’t afraid, why meet me like this?”

“Because I, platonically, pity you, darling. Watching this all go down is like watching a warren of hop-beast grubs try to fight a howl-beast. Frankly, it’s depressing that the Infinite Scapegrace thought you were a suitable rival to strengthen me.”

Musrio’s mouth opened in shock. “You think that’s what this is? Ribbit?” He hissed, “That I’m some big obstacle your god put in your way to test your mettle?”

Oliver tipped his head. “Of course, darling. Why else would you be so inferior, yet so maddeningly annoying?” Musrio growled, low in his chest, and Oliver raised her hands in surrender. “No offense.”

“Oh, all offenses taken.” Musrio snapped. He slid out of the booth, standing up. “I think I’m done here. I’m not surrendering, Oliver. That’s not a fucking option anymore. I don’t give a damn about you, your god, or even this piece of shit world, but I do give a rat’s ass about the fact that you collectively ruined my fucking life. Ribbit. Fuck you, fuck the Black Hand, and fuck Neviserrath.” Oliver tensed in his seat, “I didn’t ask for this. All I fucking wanted was to be a professor and marry my partner. But since you ruined that, since you started this bullshit and I got no say in my participation, I’m going to put an end to it. Ribbit!”

He spat out the final croak, snatched up his coffee, and stormed out.

It took the entirety of the twenty minute walk down to the docks for him to calm down. He called Drayco as soon as he was a few blocks away from the coffeehive and told them everything that had happened.

“Holy shit, babe.” Was Drayco’s response, “Are you okay?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry, Mush.” The bronzeblood sighed, “I… I don’t know what to do or say. This all started because of m-”

“Don’t, Dee.” Musrio said forcefully, before his dropped into an almost uncharacteristic softness, “This isn’t your fault. It’s Oliver’s. You know that. Ribbit.”

“… Yeah, I know.”

“This will be over soon, Dee, and we can put this all behind us. We just need to find Lucina.”

“Are you headed to them now?”

“Yeah. I’d just stopped off to get a drink.”

He heard Drayco suck in a sharp, gurgling breath. “Well, good luck, then. Call me after and tell me how it goes.”

“I will.”

“Okay. I love you, Mushy.”

“I love you, too. Ribbit.”

Musrio hung up as he approached the docks, and ascended the ramp of the Warshark. Standing on the deck, smoking a cigarette, was the Ruthless Deepbite.

He let out his breath, smoke streaming from his mouth and gills.

“They’re all waitin’ in the dinin’ block fer ya, lad.”

Musrio paused, looking up at the violetblood. “You know what this is about, don’t you?”

Ruthless nodded, the haunted and exhausted look in his eyes, for once, slightly alleviated by the faintest spark of hope. “Aye. There’s only one color left.” He looked out towards the water, his tattered fins flickering. “Krakyn wanted ta be here fer this, but he can’t come this close ta shore.” He said.

“You can tell him about this afterwards. Ribbit.”

“Aye.” Ruthless dropped the butt and crushed it under his boot, before he turned and headed for the hatch. “Come on, then.”

He hauled open the hatch, and let Musrio into the bowls of the ancient ship.

Down the corridor, Ruthless let him into a large room that once crammed a crew of four dozen trolls into tables to eat.

Now, only the Incoding, the Innocent, the Decaying, the Deadscar Wanderer, and, inexplicably, the Hounding and Ashhur, sat around a table, the former sat on the opposite end of the two latter. They all looked up as Musrio and Ruthless Deepbite entered.

“Welcome, young Almawt.” Innocent signed politely.

“Hi. Thank you all for coming.” Musrio nodded. Awkwardly, he took a seat at the head of the table, while Ruthless took a seat between his morails. Taking a sip of his coffee, he cleared his throat. “I… suppose you’re all wondering why I called you here.” He internally cringed at saying such a cliché line. “Well…” He took a deep breath, trying to settle his sudden onset of nerves; he’d never been in a room with so many adults before. “I’ve got a lot to explain.”

Knocking back another gulp of poisoned coffee, the adults were silent as Musrio launched into the story; his death, his revival, his title as the second harbinger, the Black Hand, Neviserrath Apocriyna, the chosen child, the ritual, Oliver’s goal, and his mission. He spoke for over an hour without pause, leaving nothing out as he explained the reasons for their revivals, and why he’d needed them in the first place.

“… and now,” He said, his throat beginning to ache from talking for so long, “we’ve come down to the final color: Jade. Ribbit.”

Musrio watched Innocent and Incoding’s eyes slide directly to Ruthless.

The large seadweller swallowed. “But ya’ve tried a hundred times ta bring her back, lad. Nothin’s worked.”

“That’s the thing.” Musrio shifted in his seat, “The Hierophant came to me, and told me why we’d been failing.” He leaned forward, “Ruthless, your wife isn’t dead.”

A very loud silence fell as the violetblood’s face went slack with disbelief. “… She…?” He tried to speak, his voice faint. Slowly, he began to shake his head. “No, no, that can’t be right! She died in my arms! I watched-”

Musrio held up a hand to stop him. “I’m not denying that she died. She did. Ribbit. But she came back, long before I ever even hatched. She’s a rainbow drinker, Ruthless, and she’s waiting for us, somewhere.”

Ruthless sat back in his seat, before he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands as he digested this. His fins began to flare, before they drooped, only to hesitantly flutter upwards again. Incoding and Innocent each put a comforting hand on his shoulders as he digested this.

For a minute, Musrio honestly thought the seadweller was going to cry. At last, though, he took a deep breath and sat up again, running a hand over his face. “I…” he shook his head. “Okay. Sorry. Okay. My wife’s alive.” His voice cracked, “Where is she?”

At that, Musrio could only shake his head. “I don’t know. She could be anywhere on Alternia- for all I know, she could be off-world. We need to plan, to-”

“To what? We can’t possibly sweep the entire planet for her.” Incoding interjected.

“I know that.” Musrio huffed, “But we need some place to start.” He turned to Ruthless, “Think, Deepbite. There must be a place the two of you went to that she’d know you’d think of, or something. Ribbit.”

Ruthless frowned, brows furrowing in thought. “… No. The only places I could think of would be ‘er grave, or here. Most everythin’ ‘tween us happened on this tub.” He stamped his foot, and the ship responded with a creak. “An’ trust me, I’d know if she were here.”

Musrio swallowed the growl in his throat. “Well, then…” His gaze wandered the room, as if the answer would be scrawled on the walls. He turned to Deadscar, next. “What about you? You’ve been all over Alternia, have you seen anywhere that could be a rainbow drinker’s hideout? Ribbit?”

The Wanderer considered it for a moment, before he shook his head. “That is too vague a question. I have seen hundreds of places where it would be easy for a rainbow drinker to dwell.” He rumbled.

Musrio reached up and fiddled with his necklace, thinking. Looking over the gathered trolls again, his gaze landed on his own ancestor, the Decaying Mind. Brigan was staring fixatedly at him.

“… You know, don’t you?” Musrio asked him.

He nodded.

“What?” Ruthless rounded on the older rustblood, “How?”

Musrio sighed. “Brigan saw all of this happen before it even occurred, when he was caught between life and death. Ribbit. It destroyed most of his mind, which is why I gave him his title.” He explained.

“Rotted, totted, off to the maggots.” Brigan hummed, drumming his fingers on the table.

“Then tell us, Bri.” Incoding took his matesprit’s hand, squeezing it gently, “Where is Lucina?”

Brigan looked up at him, squinting at the goldblood’s face. “Oh, Cody…” he sighed, making Incoding start in surprise.

“Where is she, Almawt?” Ruthless repeated, more forcefully.

Brigan began to sway, his lips pursed. Slowly, he scowled. “Words, words, words. Rotten like my pan, spilling black ink on black paper. Leviathan drowned by wolf, heralded by scorpion, stealing my lexicon. Incomprehensible, even to the Ebonblack.” He said, sounding frustrated.

“… What?” Innocent asked.

That was when Ashhur suddenly stood up. He walked around the table to face Decaying, leaning towards him. “Incomprehensible, against the Ebonblack.” He chirred, “Scrambled eggs in fried pan. Indigestible for gods. Poison. Use it.”

“Brat, what’re you doin’?” Hounding growled. Ruthless shushed him, as Decaying fixed his gaze on the young mutant.

Ashhur made several clicks and hums, all four eyes blinking out of sync. “The raining bows sipper is…” more clicks, “hiding. You know?” He asked.

Decaying nodded, enthralled. “I know.” He agreed, a look of hopeful wonder on his face as he stared at Ashhur.

“Where do you know?”

“Where do I know…” Decaying repeated, scratching his stubbly cheek. He opened his mouth and shut it several times. “The monster.” He said at last, seeming pleased with himself. He pointed at Ashhur, “Monster to monster, water to sand. No- no water, but the sapphire eye, guarding to the metal serpent. Beast of thirst, watching beast of slake, guarded by beast of bone. You know?”

All of Ashhur’s fins waved, almost hypnotically, as he thought this over, Decaying leaning forward with anticipation. Finally, Ashhur turned to Hounding. “What call you, the place of sand with no water?”

“The desert?” Hounding raised an eyebrow.

Decaying slapped his free hand onto the table, shook it out, and pointed at Hounding, nodding emphatically. “Desert, dessert, sweetness in sugar sand and gritted gold.” He turned to Ruthless. “Therein lies the where I know, what I know, who is known. Follow the screaming serpent’s trail, into the red, and find the corpse of lifeless gods.” He said, as if that was both comprehensible and important.

“Cody?” Ruthless turned to his morail, hoping for a translation.

“The hound of war lies in the desert.” Ashhur spoke instead, “Guarded by a beast, of one kind or many.”

“Okay… what’s a screaming serpent?” Incoding inquired.

Ashhur looked to Decaying.

“Metal, screaming, scuttling upon legs of centipede, but a serpent none the less.”

“Oh- a trackscuttler.” Incoding realized. He glanced at Ashhur, impressed. “How did you… manage to make him do that?”

Ashhur shrugged. “He cannot speak the way his pan speaks. I am,” he hesitated, clicking to himself, “broken worded, with your tongue. Broken tongue,” He pointed at himself, “broken thinkpan.” He pointed at Decaying, “Together, we make the words.”

“Well, then...” Innocent signed, “We head to the desert, and follow the trackscuttler trail.”

“All of us? That seems… like a bad idea.” Incoding frowned, “We don’t know where in the desert she is, or even which desert. The supplies alone would be a huge burden, and-”

“Then I’ll go.” Deadscar interrupted shortly. He rose to his feet, “I have crossed many deserts. I can search on my own.”

“Now, hang on.” Hounding squinted at Ishran, “Why the hell are ya goin’? I’m the tracker; my name is the Messiah’s damned Houndin’, after all.”

As one, the entire table turned to look at him. “... Why are you here, even?” Innocent inquired, “Last I checked, you weren’t on our side.”

Hounding nodded to Musrio. “The scumblood told me I aught’a come. Said I could get away from Godric.”

“I thought Godric was your boss.” Innocent pointed out, “He is the one that set you on us in the first place. Why would you want to get away from him?”

Hounding eyed the limeblood reproachfully. “Name one laborer that actually likes their foreman, sewerblood, an’ I’ll hang up my ax. Motherfucker pays me ta clean up his messes, but that doesn’t mean I want ta do it. The jobs the church gives me are more important than offin’ off some bitchblood with a big mouth.”

“...”

All the other adults gave each other a look.

Musrio shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. “Hounding is no longer the bigger threat here. We have Oliver, and the Enforcer to worry about. Ancient animosities have to be set aside. Ribbit.”

“It’s true…” Incoding said thoughtfully, before he snorted a laugh and turned to Hounding, “You’re basic, big guy. You’re season one’s villain.”

Hounding growled at him. “I could still rip ya in half right now, pissblood.”

“An’ ye’d get a bullet in the eye fer it.” Ruthless hissed.

“Stop.” Musrio said sharply, “Now isn’t the time.”

“Aye.” Ruthless agreed, looking around. “But it’s decided, then? Ishran’ll head fer the desert ta search fer Lucina. When ‘e finds her, we’ll come a’runnin’.”

The others nodded.

Ishran turned towards the door. “No point in wasting time. I will leave now.”

“Already?” Innocent asked, surprised.

Ishran looked towards his former charge, his expression momentarily softening. “Yes. I will be in touch.” He said, before striding out the door.

With that, Musrio rose to his feet, before he bowed to the gathered ancestors. “You have my thanks, all of you, for hearing me out. And… I’m sorry, for all of this. If it was my choice, I would have left your souls to rest. Ribbit.”

The gathering broke up, then, Hounding and Ashhur leaving promptly after. Musrio stood on the deck of the Warshark, texting Drayco as the three morails chatted nearby. The young rustblood looked up as a hand touched his shoulder.

“Puzzle to puzzle, pieces to rest.” Decaying murmured, coming to stand beside him. He looked up at the moons; they were full and fat that night, bathing everything in silvery purple and green. “Connected, all of them, until the picture is made blurry by the buried secrets. Clicked together, string to thumbtack, followed by the puppet wires, until they all tie behind the boy with demons in his blood and gods in his brain.”

He looked down at Musrio again, an unreadable expression in his eyes as he gazed intensely at his descendant. “The line will be blurred, paint will spill, but painters spared. Follow the lines, balance, tight-rope walking, but let ashen feathers run amok. Flames consume breath until redemption breaks the puzzle. The bane of worlds and innocent constellations will be the salvation of us all.”

He squeezed Musrio’s shoulder, before he wandered away, leaving the young rustblood to contemplate the oncoming events.

[undertalethingems]

Bark at the Moon Chapter 16: Troubled Present, Troubled Past

<Previous / Next>

Or read on my Ao3>

Rating, Setting: Gen, Pre-canon

Chapter Warnings: None

Chapter Summary: The brothers seek Alphys' help--but that means revisiting bad memories.

Papyrus stretched to his full length, neck straight, arms extended, tail flicking out behind him. All in all, he was easily twice as long as his couch--he didn't remember this form being so long, but then, perhaps he'd grown since those days in the lab years ago. Refreshed, he stood back up, shook out his bones, and gave a short huff. He had to focus. He was going to try something he'd nearly given up on, and he could only hope the time away had renewed his ability to do so. He focused inward, feeling out the vibrant flux of energy within him that gave him life and strength. If he could just nudge the right bit into place...

The door clattered open and Undyne bustled in, bags of fresh groceries looped over her arms. "Heya, Papyrus! I got you all the stuff on the list, I figured I'd have an easier time carrying it than you."

Papyrus snapped his eyes open. "Ah, thank you Undyne! I'm sure I could have managed, but that's very thoughtful of you. Sans will be happy to hear he's restocked on ketchup, no doubt!"

"Oh yeah. They had a sale on the big ones, so he should be good for a while," Undyne replied with a laugh.

"Oh no--I never get those for him, he sees it as an excuse to go through them too fast! Oh well, I suppose we'll count it as a treat."

Undyne laughed again. "Wow, you know, I think you guys are the only people I know of who run out of something because you get more of it than you need."

"It is ridiculous, isn't it?" Papyrus agreed. "But, that's just how Sans is."

"How's he doing? Any more nightmares?"

"No, thankfully. I finally got him to sleep in his room again--he's napping now."

"That's good," Undyne said, joining him in the living room now that she'd set things down. "What's the plan for today? You up for doing puzzle maintenance yet?"

Papyrus frowned, flexing his hands. "Maybe inspection, but unfortunately, I don't think my fingers are quite up to the task! They're much better than they were, but I still haven't been able to manage writing again, much less the dexterity of an expert puzzle engineer... Like I used to be..."

Undyne patted his shoulder. "Hey, you'll get it, you just gotta keep working right? Actually, that reminds me--I've been meaning to ask you guys... I've been wondering if maybe Doctor Alphys could help figure out why you're stuck. I dunno how much she'll be able to tell you, but she's super smart and it's gotta be better than nothing."

Papyrus mulled over the suggestion. "It's worth a try! I was actually trying to change back before you came in."

"Oh geez, sorry if I interrupted..."

"Well, you did, but I don't think it was working anyway," Papyrus said with a huff. "I really don't understand why it's so stubborn!"

"Then let's go see Alphys!" Undyne said cheerfully. "I was actually messaging her about it earlier, and she said she's free, so if you're ready I don't see why we should wait any longer."

He leapt to his feet. "Then let's go! Oh, I suppose it'll interrupt Sans' nap... Well! He can sleep later! This is important!"

Papyrus charged upstairs, excited by the prospect of making a breakthrough. While he'd grown to be comfortable in his beastly form, there was still much he missed about the other shape he could assume. If nothing else, he just wanted to know how to shift between the two again, and Undyne was right--trying to figure it out on their own hadn't worked. It was time to call in another brilliant mind.

"Sans! Sans, wake up--"

He got a weary growl in response.

"I know, I'm sorry--but listen! Doctor Alphys wants to help us figure out why we're stuck, and I'm not waiting a moment longer! I know it's not a priority for you, but..."

At this, Sans opened both eyes to look at him, then pushed himself up and shook before lumbering out of bed. Ever since they'd gotten him back--really gotten him back--he'd been making more of an effort to accompany him in whatever he was doing, even if he didn't participate. Papyrus was just happy to see him up and about, and he supposed that was why Sans did it--but he seemed better for it, and it meant he shuffled after him as he lead the way back downstairs.

It was a short jaunt to the Riverperson, who looked them over before muttering something about wearing more pants. They shifted to make room as the trio clambered in, and in moments the boat was speeding to Hotland. Papyrus hadn't taken the ferry in ages--it was thrilling to watch the water whip past and feel the wind weave through his bones. Sans seemed to be enjoying it too, laying with his head on the boat's rim and watching the world--their tiny corner of it, anyway--go by.

Hotland's warmth could be felt long before they reached the dock. Undyne dipped her arms into the river, splashing water over her face and fins in preparation before they disembarked. They bid farewell to the Riverperson, then headed for the stairs. Papyrus winced--he'd forgotten how strongly it smelled of sulfur here, and there were other scents as well--sharp, metallic, the essence of molten rock.

It was the first thing he'd smelled after escaping the lab.

The lab.

It was at the top of those stairs. It was where the Royal Scientist worked. Where things got made. Tested. Broken.

Papyrus continued walking, ignoring the pit of dread that lay between his ribs. He knew that Alphys would never hurt them. She was a brilliant scientist, but also a good person who'd given him a puzzle for his route despite barely knowing him only a few months ago. He knew this. She was friends with Undyne, and he trusted Undyne would never befriend a cruel person. It would be fine. They would be fine.

They crested the top of the stairs, and the lab loomed. Papyrus tried not to stare up at the structure as they approached, its plain white walls tinted pink by the glowing lava roiling below. White, white walls...

They approached the entrance and the door slid open, making him jump. Sans looked over at him, and he pretended not to know what he was curious about. He had to keep it together--he'd wanted this, it'd be silly to go back now! Only Alphys worked here anymore, not him. She was stepping out now, somehow looking happy and nervous at the same time.

"Hiya Alphys!" Undyne greeted brightly--Papyrus noted she was wearing a softer than usual, but no less wide, smile, and tried to focus on that. "We finally made it! It's good to see you."

Alphys smiled, but her hands fidgeted. "Um, yeah, ha ha... it's g-good to see you t-too... Did... you guys have a good ride over...?"

"It was very short!" Papyrus blurted out, unsure whether he'd sounded cheerful. He wasn't going to think about it.

"Yeah, the Riverperson was all like 'whoosh'," Undyne elaborated, striking a pose the Riverperson definitely hadn't. "It's like they knew we're on an important mission!"

Alphys started. "R-right! Important, ah hah... um... So, do you guys... want to come in?"

"Yeah! That's where the magic happens, right?" Undyne said, and Alphys looked like the pink tint to her scales had nothing to do with the lava.

"I-it's, um, science, but... yeah! You're right, um, let's go in... Th-though, I haven't cleaned, I'm sorry, it's a h-hot mess..." she trailed, then added, very softly, "like me."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Undyne dismissed with a grin, "considering our favorite hang-out is a literal dump."

Alphys burst out laughing, covering her mouth. Papyrus was glad she and Undyne were having a good time, but it was all he could do to keep quiet when everything inside him was screaming. He just had to not think about it, not remember how he'd been made in the depths of this very building, then pressed and prodded and isolated and hurt--

The others--even his brother, moved to go inside. Papyrus stayed frozen in place, staring after them. How could Sans be going in, didn't he know, didn't he care, he had to--they had to--

He lunged forward, slipping under his brother to hoist him onto his back. Run! Claws scraping as they dug into the dense basalt, he whipped around and surged forward, across the bridge that led back to Waterfall and heedless of anyone's cries. Get out, get out, run! He could feel Sans shift precariously, kicking to get either his attention or keep his balance--it didn't matter which. Papyrus galloped on, breath ragged as he wove through the tunnels that connected Hotland and Waterfall as fast as his legs would carry him.

Run, keep going, get somewhere safe, get far, far away--a feeling, more than words, spurred him on, even when he felt the weight on his back disappear. A familiar crevice loomed, and without a thought he leapt, vaulting up the walls and scrambling down the narrow passage at the top.

A safe place, a place to rest, a place to hide.

-

Sans shook himself out, panting; he'd only clipped from his brother's shoulders moments ago, but Papyrus had long since disappeared down the dim passage. His chest was sore where his brother's spines had interlocked with his ribs; while it had held him in place, it was hardly comfortable, and Sans winced as he trotted after his brother, trying to catch his breath. He gave a ragged howl, trying to call him back--they'd been ok, the man was long gone, they didn't have to be afraid anymore...

Sans had noticed his brother was jumpy, on edge since they'd set foot in Hotland--but he hadn't expected him to run like this, and he was worried. Was his brother going to disappear again? Would he be alone? Had all their effort been for nothing...?

He tried to utter another howl, but the call trailed as he staggered to a halt, exhausted. He still hadn't fully recovered from their stint in the forest, and didn't have the strength to keep running. All he could do was sit miserably in a pool of shallow water, trying to breathe and steady the magic racing in his chest. And if he was honest, Waterfall was putting him on edge. It was where the flower had kidnapped him, taken him from his brother when he needed him most, worn him down to instincts and spite, then tried to ruin their lives. He growled at the memory, then shook his head. It was no use dwelling on the past.

Heavy footsteps sounded from the passage behind him, and he turned to see Undyne and Alphys pounding towards him. They caught up, and regrouped.

"You okay?" Undyne asked breathlessly, and he nodded, giving a low hoot as he looked down the passage in the direction his brother had run.

"Gotcha. I guess we just keep looking for him... Any idea why he ran? I thought he was all for this..."

That would be hard to answer. Sans knew what said answer was, but he wasn't about to relay it. He shrugged.

"O-obviously," Alphys wheezed, "s-something about the lab scared him, if he ran."

Undyne sagged, then turned to him. "Do you guys always run from your problems? 'Cause this is getting kinda ridiculous."

Sans sighed. He'd been called out, but usually the running wasn't so literal. It was getting ridiculous at this point.

"Eh, whatever. Hopefully he hasn't gone too far. C'mon."

"Just," Alphys gasped, holding up a finger as she clutched at her chest, "j-just one sec--eep!"

Undyne hefted her up on one shoulder, then looked to Sans. "You need a ride too?"

He narrowed his eyes, chuffing with laughter. Alphys looked like she might faint--Undyne really had swept her off her feet. He was gonna ruin it.

He cut right above Undyne's other shoulder and grinned at the little lizard as he landed, who only squirmed more in embarrassment--but her crush was obvious, and he was always up for some good-natured teasing. Undyne only grunted, clearly weirded out by his sudden appearance even as she braced him with her other hand.

"Ugh, I am never going to get used to that. Okay you nerds, let's go."

She took off, picking up speed and sending up plumes of water as she barreled through puddles and streams. All the while, Sans kept an eye out--he'd never be good for what he'd been made to do, but he still had all the skills. Even as Undyne sped along, his keen vision let him spot important details. Deep scrapes in the mud, a smeared footprint, scattered stones--Papyrus had definitely come through--

And then Undyne skidded as she turned to face the wall--but it wasn't a wall, it was a ravine, and Sans noted the fresh mud that dotted the rock face, leading upwards. If he craned his neck, he could just make out a dark spot some twenty feet up--the entrance to a tunnel. Undyne didn't seem surprised to see it.

"Huh... Hold on guys, this is gonna be tricky with both hands full."

She backed up to take a running start--but Sans did some very fast thinking. The right number flashed in his mind--and they were standing at the top of the cliff, right at the passage entrance. Undyne quivered beneath him--then set them both down as she dropped to her knees.

"O-okay. I... am REALLY never getting used to that," she uttered, looking shaken.

Sans couldn't help but chuff again, and clapped her on the shoulder with a clumsy paw before turning to venture down the hidden passage. Lowering his snout to the floor, he sniffed rhythmically, taking in the trail. Wet mud, lingering sulfur, what they'd had for lunch--it was all there. He gave a short bark to the ladies who still hung back in shock, then began making his way down the narrow tunnel, ducking and weaving through its twists and turns. Soon, the light filling the passage wasn't coming from his own eyes--the tunnel opened up into a grandiose cavern, studded with outcrops of enormous, glowing crystals.

But Sans didn't care about the scenery. His brother sat on the edge of a small, clear lake on the far side of the cave, and Sans could hear him shuddering from where he stood at the entrance. He warbled after him, but Papyrus only flinched and dipped his head. Sans sighed, and ambled over to sit beside him.

Finally, Papyrus drew a shaky breath and spoke. "...I'm sorry for running, brother. I tried not to--I tried really, really hard! B-but... that place... there's so many bad memories... I couldn't let us go back there... I couldn't...."

Sans crooned sadly. He understood completely. Going back to the lab and reliving those memories had instigated his own transformation; Papyrus had every reason to despise and fear the place, to want nothing to do with it ever again. He'd been brave to even consider it, and Sans didn't blame him for being overwhelmed at the last moment. Sans sighed, and bumped his head against his brother's leg.

"I don't know what to do, Sans. Undyne, Alphys... what are they going to think...? I ran away for... for no reason, as far as they know..."

Sans stared out across the lake for a while... then turned to him with a firm expression, hoping his brother would understand. Even if the man who'd made them was long gone, the consequences of his actions were still around--and it wasn't fair to make Undyne and Alphys deal with them without knowing the full story. It was time to stop running.

Papyrus studied him, then looked away nervously. "I can't. I can't, Sans. Not after I tried to forget. Not without you... to help... say things..."

Sans huffed, then warbled a long, meandering cry. He didn't have his voice, even if he had a lot of his thoughts back. It couldn't be him. He looked back at his brother pointedly, then nuzzled him again. He knew Papyrus could do it, and Unydne and Alphys would be here soon. It was now or never.

Papyrus gave a shuddering breath. "Where do I even start, brother? What do I say? What if they don't treat us like real monsters anymore, what if they tell everyone--"

Sans batted gently at his brother's snout, continuing to give him a steady gaze. Papyrus stared back, and slowly--he seemed to calm down. He just needed to trust him on this.

"If... If you're sure, Sans," Papyrus finally said, and he responded with an affirming grunt.

"O-okay. Okay... I'll... I'll do it. They're our friends. I can do this."

Sans leaned into him again, then turned as footsteps finally echoed behind them. Undyne and Alphys emerged looking a little worse for wear, but smiles crossed their faces as they saw the brothers were alright.

"Sorry we took so long," Unyne called, sounding breathless, "but Alphys got stuck a couple times and I had to punch some rocks to get her loose."

"That's alright," Papyrus replied. "I... needed some time to straighten my bones out anyway."

Undyne snorted at the phrase. "Hey, I'm just glad to see you're okay. I'm also glad you only ran here, and not to the middle of nowhere again."

"N-no, I didn't want to do that again," Papyrus replied with a wincing smile. "I don't think Sans would be very happy with me. Not to mention, I wouldn't be happy with me."

Sans barked confirmation.

"Well, that's good, but I just... I dunno why you guys keep running away like that," Undyne said as she finally approached, Alphys only a few paces behind her. "I've been worried about you ever since Sans first said you were missing. You say it's fine, but... you keep running, so after everything that's happened I don't know that it is."

Papyrus wore a bittersweet smile. "It's not."

Sans could hear how much it hurt him to admit the truth, and even Undyne seemed surprised.

"What... what's going on then, Papyrus?"

He shut his eyes and began trembling again, his breathing hard. Sans looked up at him, then leaned into his side, applying a steadying pressure. His brother could do this, he knew he could--and he'd be there supporting him all the way. It took a while, but slowly, Papyrus calmed enough to speak again.

"Um... Y-you... you might want to sit down. There's. Th-there's a lot I have to tell you. I... I haven't... We haven't been entirely honest with you... a-and for that, I'm very, extremely sorry."

Undyne and Alphys exchanged looks, then slowly sat on the cave floor.

"It's okay Papyrus. Go on," Undyne encouraged.

Papyrus drew a deep breath, steeling his nerves--then spoke. "What we said back when all this started was true--I really have been able to switch between forms all my life. But. That. Is about it. Because... the rest of the truth is painful. Very painful. We... we didn't want to scare you, or upset you, or... change what you thought of us. By telling the truth."

"What do you mean?" Undyne questioned, voice low.

Papyrus shifted anxiously, looking to the floor as he continued. "I... I've been running, and I ran away from the lab today... because that's where we were made."

"Made?!" Undyne burst, while Alphys stared in disbelief.

"Wh... what d-do you mean, made?" she pressed. "H-here, in the lab? Who? Wh-when?! How?! Er--s-sorry, I j-just, I'm sure you'll get to that, I'll be quiet..."

Papyrus gave her a weak smile,  then closed his eyes to begin. "Y-you see... A long time ago... but not very long... there was a man. A scientist. Who thought monsters needed weapons that could think for themselves. At least... that's what I gathered. U-um... my memory of it isn't very good..."

Sans didn't know much more about it than that himself, though he knew Papyrus remembered a fair amount more than that. But the reason for their creation... why the man had made the choices he did...? They knew why they'd been made, but not really why, and maybe they never would.

"Th-that's okay," Alphys assured, "j-just keep going with what you do remember."

Papyrus nodded, then continued. "S-so, after a lot of work... this man... made Sans. B-but... Sans wasn't what he wanted. He was weak, small... and too clever for his own good."

Sans uttered a smug snort. He'd cheated at a fair few puzzles back in the day. It was a solution, wasn't it? But their creator had never really wanted weapons that could think for themselves. He just wanted creatures that could follow his orders. He never had gotten it right--as Papyrus was about to explain.

"S-so, the man kept working, and after a while... he made me! But, little did he know, I was also too clever! And he, in fact, had made a terrible mistake. You see... we weren't supposed to be monsters. We weren't supposed to have souls."

"Weren't... supposed to..." Undyne echoed, brows knit.

"Yeah," Papyrus affirmed, nervously. "It was pretty awkward for him. But, he had work to do, so, it, didn't stop him."

"S-stop him... from... god. God. Dammit. He experimented on you?!" Alphys burst, hands slapping to the cave floor and surprising all of them. "He--and you--you were his kids, technically! And he didn't--oh my god. I can't--! I... I'm s-so sorry--no wonder you didn't want to go into the lab... It must mean so many awful things to you... god.... He didn't care..."

She wasn't wrong. Sans' earliest memory of the place was being locked in a barren kennel and left alone for a few days. What he'd been made to endure when most monsters were learning to talk and play... It was a wonder either of them had coped as well as they had.

"Well, it wasn't so bad sometimes!" Papyrus replied brightly. "Many of the tests were just solving puzzles or running obstacle courses, and it was always nice when we got to do things together. That always made the other tests a little more bearable."

Sans nodded, then leaned a little harder into his brother's side, uttering a reassuring croon, and Papyrus returned the gesture. As long as they were together, they could get through anything. That had always proven true--back then, and now as well.

"O-other... tests... like...?" Alphys asked, out of morbid curiosity, and Papyrus balked--but obliged. He made a face, and took a deep breath before answering.

"W-well, they were unpleasant, to say the least. I don't even know what all of them were for... Samples, o-of the insides of my bones... taking my soul and stretching my magic thin to look at it better... seeing if I needed sleep or food... Just to name a few! Wowie, I'm glad those are over..."

He shook himself out to relieve the stress, and Sans couldn't blame him. The doctor had been reluctant to test him so rigorously due to his poor stats... at first. But he remembered the needles, and too-bright lights, and pain even as someone used healing magic on him just so he wouldn't die. He'd never understood the point of it. Papyrus was shivering now, and he could only continue to press against him to comfort him.

"H-he... he really didn't care then," Alphys said quietly. "A-and I th-thought my mistakes were...  God... What did he do when he found out you guys could change forms?"

"I remember it clearly!" Papyrus replied. "He was utterly speechless. We'd surprised him with our abilities before, but this was completely unprecedented! However, it was not a discovery that made him happy."

"I... I bet not..." Alphys huffed bitterly.

"No wonder you guys were so desperate to change back," Unydne stated, looking somber. "This wasn't something you wanted, and now you're trapped like this... Knowing why they exist now, I take back everything I said about these forms being cool. I'm sorry..."

Papyrus shook his head. "No no! It's okay Undyne--not only did you not know, but despite everything, I think they're cool too! No other monsters have this ability, and while there's a lot that makes living in this shape hard, there's lots of things it's better at! I can run faster, my senses are improved, my reactions are quicker--as long as I keep myself sharp, I have all of that plus my regular charms! We can't help how we were made or what happened to us, but... we can at least try to be proud of what we are. And that's not what the man wanted us to be."

He looked to Sans, and he gave him another reassuring coo.

"Wow... that's really brave of you," Undyne said quietly. "I'm glad you guys got out of there in one piece then. I... don't know if I could have gotten through something like that."

Papyrus offered a nervous smile. "We didn't really know it could be any different. At least. Not at first. But, the man had assistants, and they'd talk... they didn't know we were listening, so... we learned quite a lot from their careless chatter!"

Undyne shook her head in disbelief. "Still, no one should ever go through anything like that... But, I guess there's just one last thing I really want to know... One burning question. Tell me where this guy is... so I can KICK HIS A--er, his BEHIND, all the way out of this sorry mountain."

Papyrus managed a weak laugh. "I appreciate your feelings... As it is, his behind has already been kicked."

"So, where is he? H-how... how come I've never heard of him? Was it covered up?" Alphys asked, eyes darting as if secret agents might pop out of the shadows.

At this, Sans sat up to make an exploding motion with his claws, and the two ladies frowned.

"An explosion? But nothing down here's ever exploded," Undyne reasoned, then wore a sheepish smile as a thought came to her. "At least, not any huge explosions that, uh, killed anyone."

"What Sans is referring to," Papyrus explained, "is both an explosion and implosion."

The two ladies looked at him skeptically.

"Um, so... we only ever heard bits and pieces, and a lot of it didn't make sense until we looked into it later... and we still don't know everything. But... the man and his assistants often talked about their other work, thinking we wouldn't understand them. One of their projects... was some kind of time manipulator. One day, their experiments with it... went wrong."

Sans made the exploding motion again--this time wearing a smug expression.

"You exploded him?" Unydyne surmised, incredulous.

"Only sort of!" Papyrus hastily deflected. "I only activated the machine. Sans threw him in. And! It's not like we knew it would explode! I don't remember much of the fight, or what happened after... but, we woke up, and the lab was broken and empty. There were no assistants, no doctor... It was empty."

"Wow. Well, I'm glad he's gone," Undyne said, sitting back, "even if I don't get to bring him to justice personally."

"What'd you do next? I-I mean, you must have escaped, b-but..." Alphys urged, and Papyrus nodded.

"Naturally! It ... was kind of scary, actually. We'd gotten separated in the eximplosion, and didn't find one another until well after we'd both made our way out. But, it was funny--we both came to the same conclusions, didn't we Sans?"

Sans nodded.

"That's right! We both, independently, realized... that no one else knew about the lab, the doctor, or his helpers. It was like they'd never existed--only we knew the truth. So we hid, and watched--and ever so deftly inserted ourselves into regular society! We also swore to ourselves--never again would we wear beastly forms. That no one remembered or knew made it that much easier to pretend none of it ever happened, so when we finally reunited, we... never mentioned what had separated us."

Sans nodded again, then snorted. A lot of good that had done them.

"So... that's the whole story, huh? Wow..." Undyne uttered. "I was a little mad that you'd lied to me about this, but... when it's something so big, and complicated... Man. I don't know that I wouldn't have done the same thing."

"Y... yeah..." Alphys trailed, seeming like she had a lot on her mind. "You felt like hiding everything, from everyone... was your only option."

"Even from Sans, huh?"

Papyrus nodded, looking somber. "Yes. I ran... that first time... because I didn't want to remind Sans, and put him through those memories too. I didn't know what, if anything, he remembered. A-and, if he didn't, then I didn't want to scare him by suddenly not being myself... I didn't want to come back until I wasn't a weapon anymore."

"Geez," Undyne uttered. "Yeah, I can kind of see why you'd think running was your best option."

"Yes, well, it didn't work," Papyrus huffed. "I know that now--though, Sans, why did you stay away after you escaped Undyne's visit? You left, and I..."

Sans' heart twisted, and he buried his head into his brother's chest with an apologetic warble. He hadn't meant to leave him alone. One day, he'd find that flower and pay him back for that. He seemed to be very good at returning favors.

"Well, you can tell me later," Papyrus sighed, then turned to look back at Undyne and Alphys. "So... now you know. We're... not... really monsters... the way anyone else is."

"Wh--no way!" Undyne blurted. "You have souls the same as the rest of us! So you were part of some weird, secret experiment, so what?! You guys are twice the monster that guy was."

Sans squinted, then laughed, and both Undyne and Papyrus glared at him.

"Oh my god! I didn't mean literally."

Alphys snorted. "W-well, I'm just glad he can joke about it. I can't even begin to imagine everything you guys went through... but now I want to help you even more! B-but... I understand if you don't want to go near the lab again. M-maybe I can make whatever I need portable..."

"Do whatever your brilliant mind thinks is best! I'm still a little nervous, but..."

"Hey man, c'mere," Undyne said, leaning forward to give him a hug. "Thanks for telling us, and... trusting us, I guess. I know it wasn't easy."

"Thank you... f-for being our cool friends," Papyrus replied, clearly trying not to cry. "I... I'm very glad... and I--I can't speak for him, but I think Sans is too."

Papyrus looked down at him, and Sans nodded. He hadn't wanted their secret to get out either, but now that it was--to people they could trust, at least--it felt like a little more weight had lifted from him. He turned to study Undyne and Alphys; they both looked sad, and he hated it--happiness was scarce down here. But maybe happiness didn't always let you move forward.

"Hey, what else are friends good for?" Undyne replied. "We'll be behind you every step of the way, cheering you on! I think I said it before, but I'm gonna say it again: I WON'T REST until BOTH of you are back where you want to be. I don't care if that's running around as a dragon-horse-dog-thing or on two legs as long as you guys are happy. That's all I care about."

Alphys nodded quickly. "Me too! I, um, know we're not as close, but... Hearing all this, everything you guys went through... Like Undyne said, I'm glad you trusted us. I... I need to, um... take care of some things first, I think... b-but, if you still want m-my help... w-well, I'll do what I can, okay?"

Papyrus shut his eyes gratefully. "Thank you. Sorry I, er, interrupted today's, things... But! That doesn't mean we can't try again! I won't be defeated yet! I am undefeatable!"

They couldn't help but chuckle at his optimism--it was a welcome sight, and Sans nuzzled him again before flopping dramatically to the cave floor. He hoped no one minded if he called this day a wash and napped.

"Sans, however, may be defeatable. He'd certainly defeated by lots of activity," Papyrus commented, earning more laughter.

"Well hey--maybe we shouldn't do any like, sciency stuff, but maybe we could still hang out, watch a movie or something," Undyne suggested, perking up, and Alphys lit up.

"O-oh! I know it's, um, inside the lab, but! We could watch on my big computer screen! I don't know if you like human TV shows b-but I found a new one in the dump the other day and I've been meaning to watch it, it sounds really interesting--! B-but! If you guys want to watch something else, th-that's fine too, I can watch it some other time--or we can do something else, we don't have to go in the lab, ha ha..."

Papyrus furrowed his brow, deep in thought--then stood. "No. You know what? Let's do it! I want to make memories of the lab that don't involve horrible torture!"

Undyne choked on her laughter. "Oh my god Papyrus. That's one way to tackle it!"

"And this is another!" He pounced on her, and they tussled while Alphys and Sans watched with amusement. Undyne emerged the victor this time, dragging Papyrus behind her in a headlock as she walked up to them, beaming.

"Alright, now that that's settled, should we head back?"

"Sure," Alphys giggled, getting to her feet, "though hopefully it involved less running. And squeezing."

"What, you think the rock's just gonna grow back?" Undyne teased, ignoring Papyrus' grunts as he tried to free himself. "We shouldn't have any trouble getting out, so I don't know what you're worried for."

"F-fair point," Alphys giggled. "Guess we should get started, then..."

Sans looked up from where he still lay on the cavern floor, and did some quick calculations. It would be hard, but...

The room flickered.

They were in Alphys' lab, right in front of the computer. Sans panted--moving that many numbers took a lot out of him. But so did walking all the way back.

"Sans!" Papyrus scolded, finally breaking free of Undyne's grip now that she was too stunned to maintain it. "You can't just keep shortcutting everywhere! It's very lazy! And what's worse, you've subjected all of us to said laziness! You're going to become a bad influence!"

Sans laughed despite being short of breath. He wasn't sure, but it seemed likely Papyrus was the only other person who had even a chance of doing that kind of thing--and he wasn't about to start. Besides, it was too fun to use it to mess with people to ever stop.

"W-well, it, certainly saved us a lot of time," Alphys wheezed. "I'd ask, questions, b-but I don't even know where to start, ha ha... Not to mention he still can't talk..."

Sans snorted. He wasn't giving up all his secrets today.

"Let's. Watch something," Undyne forced out, choosing to ignore the matter for now. "I dunno about anyone else but I'm ready to relax."

"Agreed! And, I have to say, the lab looks... pretty different, so I'm not feeling so scared," Papyrus said, slowly sitting. "It's amazing what cartoon characters in frilly pink dresses will do for the mood of a place!"

"H-hey!"

Sans listened to the banter as they set up the computer and argued over what to watch; he didn't care much either way and knew he'd fall asleep well before the halfway point anyway. All that mattered was that his brother's fear had faded, and he was laughing and playing again. In the very place that had caused him--both of them--so much pain... They were taking something back, after so much had been taken from them.

It felt like a turning point.

But he was too weary to think about it. Alphys had brought down a conveniently-folding couch and tossed them some blankets to get cozy, and they'd all settled in to watch some of her human movie collection. As the opening theme of the first film rose, Sans let his eyes drift closed. There'd be time for serious matters later--and at least for now, there was nothing to fear.

[fortune-fool02]

dio rejects humanity and becomes fish (part 2)

"How's your father doing?" Speedwagon asked, as Jonathan stepped down from the carriage as it parked in front of the Joestar mansion.

"He's doing well," Jonathan reassured, "though he'll be in the hospital for several more weeks to come. But at least he's awake, even if he isn't talking much."

"Good," sighed Speedwagon, exasperatedly. "At least he wouldn't find out obout our little...inmate for the meantime."

Jonathan shook his head. "Alright, Robert. What's the rascal up to now?"

"He kept trying to escape from the fountain, again and again. He's kind of in denial that he can no longer survive on land. He also tried to bite the postman, though thankfully he wasn't hurt. I mean the postman."

Jonathan sighed. "I'm not surprised one bit." 

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

That evening, Jonathan invited Speedwagon over to a dinner over at the mansion, in thanks to all his help during such a strange and difficult time.

"For me?" Speedwagon stammered, flustered at the gesture.

"You're a good man," Jonathan replied with a smile. "I could never repay you enough."

Their friendly feast, however, was eyed by envious eyes from the darkness of outside.

In the fountain, Dio watched hatefully through the window, at Jonathan and his newfound friend enjoying a meal together. How dare that street rat sit in the cozy seat he once occupied, while he was out here, in the cold water, trapped in a fountain for heaven knows how long! He splashed his tail in frustration, growling bitterly to himself over his plight.

His glare turned to sinister glee, however, when he spied a shiny object in the dim light, just within reach on the marble floors around the fountain. It was the bucket that Jonathan used to bring him his food-- and it was now his ticket to make his escape.

Seizing the bucket in his clawed, webbed hands, he filled it with the chilly water from his fountain and dropped it to the floor with a thud. Then, with a thrust of his tail, he launched himself out onto the floor with a wet flop.

Dio grinned arrogantly to himself as he began to crawl away from the fountain, pushing the bucket along. He couldn't breathe without water, so he figured he'd just bring the water with him. They could never keep him contained, he thought. Not Jojo or some Ogre Street gangster to keep him captive like a circus animal...

He carried on crawling, toward the gate of the mansion's premises, pulling his scaly body along while pushing the bucket forwards. Every minute or so he would feel the dryness building up in his gills, and he would dunk his head into the bucket to breathe-- a ridiculous-looking act that wounded Dio's pride more than the rough gravel did to his scales.

From inside the mansion, Jonathan and Speedwagon enjoyed their dinner with pleasant conversation, helping themselves to a pot roast courtesy of Jonathan's cooking. However, as Speedwagon's eye glanced outward, he noticed a strange movement slowly but surely advancing toward the gate.

"Dear lord, Jojo! The slippery bastard's getting away!" he cried.

"Don't worry," Jonathan replied with a laugh. "I've locked all the gates and exits, he isn't getting anywhere."

And so did Dio find to his dismay, as he finally reached the front gate after much of a struggle. He pounded at the gate with his fists and his tail, but it was no use. For a moment he considered trying to get out the back exit: but it was another long arduous crawl to get there, and by now Dio was tired and exhausted, and most of the water in his bucket had spilled out.

Defeated, he had no choice but to return to the fountain before he succumbed to dehydration. He began to haul himself back to the fountain, trying to conserve the little water that remained in his bucket, until at last he reached his aquatic sanctuary-- and prison-- and clambered into it with a splash.

This wasn't what he had in mind when he first found the Coral Mask, he thought bitterly. He wanted revenge, to all those who he believed wronged him. He wanted to be something more powerful than a mere human-- not a helpless fish out of water, trapped in a bowl which he cannot escape.

And so for the rest of the night Dio lay in the fountain, staring dolefully at Speedwagon and Jonathan happily dining inside, until at long last his rage and envy gave way to genuine exhaustion and he soon fell fast asleep.

---------

"Dio, breakfast time!" Jonathan called out, as the gentle yellow light of early morning began to shine over the mansion's premises.

"My goodness!" Speedwagon exclaimed as he woke from his seat in a start. "It's morning already? Dear me, I suppose you don't mind, Jojo..."

"It's no big problem," Jonathan smiled. " I'm just on my way to bring Dio his breakfast. Thought I'd try giving him some salmon for a change," he said, gesturing at the bucket.

"Dio? Dio, breakfast time!" he called out again as he stepped outside. There was no reply.

"Jojo...you don't think he's gotten away, has he?" Speedwagon said in a worried voice as he rushed outdoors.

Jonathan too felt a hint of panic, but felt a sigh of relief when he glimpsed a golden gleam in the fountain. "It's alright, Robert! He's still here! And...still asleep, I guess."

Both of them cautiously approached the fountain where Dio lay curled up in the shallows, fast asleep. With his eyes closed and his arms folded beneath him, Jonathan couldn't help but be reminded of a slumbering lion, fierce and deadly in wakefulness, but strangely peaceful in rest.

His silent admiration was interrupted by a panicked gasp from Speedwagon. "Sweet mother of mercy!" he exclaimed. "Is...is that what I think it is?"

Jonathan turned to look as Speedwagon pointed, and his jaw dropped in amazement.

There, in the clear, running water, was a small, ovoid orb that floated in the shallow fountain. It was roughly the size of a small melon, and was a brilliant, iridescent orange-golden color-- the exact same color of Dio's scales.

Rolling up his sleeves, Jonathan gently reached into the fountain and picked up the small object. It was hard to the touch but smooth and slippery, and as he gazed at it in disbelief he thought he could see a small, curled-up shadow visible within through the transparent shell.

"It's...it's an egg," Jonathan mumbled in total bewilderment.

"Dio...laid an egg?" Speedwagon asked in a tone of horrified fascination. He gingerly pointed out at the object in Jonathan's hands. "You might...not want to touch...that thing," he said uncomfortably.

Dio soon began to stir, as the scent of the salmon in the bucket wafted up to him. But as he awoke, squinting in the brilliant light, the first thing he saw was Jonathan standing next to the fountain, clutching a small object as he stared intently at the groggy merman.

"Dio!" said Jonathan demandingly. "Did you lay this egg?!"

"Wh-what the hell?" Dio screeched in alarm, suddenly snapping wide awake. "What is that thing?" 

"It's an egg," Jonathan explained. "We found it in your fountain just this morning."

"I-I can't lay an egg! I'm a man! Or...or merman! Males can't lay eggs, Jojo!" Dio cried, visibly as confused and panicking. "Someone must have put it in there while I was asleep!"

"It's the same color as your scales, Dio." Jonathan replied to him, as he handed him the salmon with one hand while clutching the egg in the other. "Fascinating...it appears the Coral Mask has altered your biology into that of a fish, since certain fish can reproduce asexually without the need of a mate," he added.

"The damn thing isn't mine!" snarled Dio, as he snatched the salmon throm the bucket and began to tearing into it with his teeth.

Before Jonathan could reply, he felt a strange motion that seemed to be coming from inside the egg. "It's moving..." he said in stupefied wonder.

And before their very eyes the egg began to crack, sharp breaks forming on its surface as it rocked and twitched in Jonathan's arms. And with one final powerful shake the hard shell broke apart, and suddenly, in Jonathan's grasp, was something he never thought he'd see.

It was a baby mermaid, quite smaller than a human baby, but with a face resembling an exact imitation of one. From the neck down, however, it was covered with golden scales, just like Dio, but flecked with pink and adorned with sunny yellow fins. And just like its parent, the infant bore bright blond hair, which, to Jonathan's amusement, bore three circular curls that stuck out prominently from the child's forehead.

At once the baby coughed and began to cry. "Quick, get me some water!" Jonathan yelled to Speedwagon, who grabbed the now-empty bucket, filled it with water from the fountain, and gently lowered the gasping, squirming baby into it to take his first breaths of water.

"Congratulations, Dio!" Jonathan exclaimed joyfully. "You're a father!"

"Or more precisely...a mother," corrected Speedwagon.

A most bizarre expression, a mix of confusion and horror crept across Dio's face. "M-mother?" he stammered...

▪▪▪▪▪▪▪

***

I absolutely loved this! Thank you so much for sending me this! It's absolutely amazing!

[thebibliomancer]

Song of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 27

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because satire is defeated. Now the only form of humor will be clever wordplay.

Last times on book: Kylan, Naia, Tavra (who is stuck in a spider), and new party member Amri are on a quest to save the Grottan Clan from millions of angry spiders who want their caves back and from the Skeksis Satirist skekLi. They also want to find a bell-bird bone to make a special magical flute with to warn all Gelfling about the danger the Skeksis pose. Both of these objectives dovetailed nicely when Kylan tooted on the bone to ward off the spiders and with the help of a pair of convenient urRu trapped skekLi.

That’s why you need a bard in your party.

Chapter 27

How do you solve a problem like skekLi?

urVa and urLii stop chanting but the effects continue, keeping skekLi from moving. He handles it with mature resignation.

“This is not...,” skekLi began. He shot a look at Naia and Kylan, then back at his Mystic brothers. “This is not nice - not fair!”

This is why we need to set out rules ahead of time.

The Skeksis could propose the rule ‘urRu can’t be used to paralyze Skeksis’ and then the Gelfling could propose ‘you’re not allowed to drink us.’

urVa, ever the most proactive urRu, tells skekLi to let the Gelfling go.

“Or what? You’ll raise that bow and run me through? And what happens to our other, eh?”

urVa stood watch while urLii began the winding descent down the corrie wall. He made the climb look easy with all four hands and his long-toed, bare feet, almost as dextrous as a spider himself. He paused on a ledge, half-hanging from the rock face, and tapped his chin. He was close enough now that his thoughtful murmur was audible.

“Hmm... That would be an interesting turn of events...”

urLii pls

That’s a heck of a train of thought! But please ponder non-existence on your own time!

Naia tells Kylan that they should really just amscray on their own. Kylan fearlessly steps in skekLi range to grab Tavra who is still plopped on the floor from the power of the bell-bird bone.

skekLi was spiny with anger, all the quills and feathers along his neck and the back of his head raised. His bloodshot eyes burned with hatred and vengeful excitement.

Body language! Pissed off vulture crocodile dinosaur body language!

Since he’s frozen in place, skekLi’s last remaining weapon is his wicked tongue wielded witheringly.

He warns the Gelfling that if they thought his spider servants were bad, wait until they see what his pal skekUng is making.

“Big servants. Mindless, heartless servants. Flawless servants, with claws that could snap Gelfling in two. See what Gelfling do then, eh... if any are left.”

Oh snap, thats what we call foreshadowing! And maybe dramatic irony?

This is another time in the book where Kylan has no idea how to respond to something so just doesn’t. I think that might have been three times?

I’ve been wondering how Kylan, Naia, and Tavra were going to get down with all the bridges broke but the freed Grottan just come flying in and scoop up the two Gelfling as skekLi can do nothing but glare.

Huh. So it makes sense that the Drenchen Gelfling have adapted to their environment by having wings that are more like fins. But why do the cave dwelling Grottan still have fully flight functional wings.

Although, if the story about the founding of the Grottan Clan are accurate, they’d be the youngest clan so maybe they just haven’t had time yet.

Also, interesting detail. It takes only one Grottan girl to carry Naia away but it takes two to carry Kylan. Dunno if Kylan is just heavier or whether Naia is using her own wings to lighten the load.

So now that they have a Skeksis trapped on a mushroom, the party has the grand ‘so what the heck do we do with skekLi we have trapped on a mushroom?’

Tavra cautions that skekLi won’t be trapped for long. Probably eventually the other Skeksis will come rescue and/or laugh at him. And then he’ll tell them everything that transpired. Then they’ll probably laugh harder. But even if he already told the others what the main characters are up to, they shouldn’t take that chance.

“What are you saying, that we should kill him?” Naia asked. “And urLii with him? That’s not right. urLii didn’t do anything wrong!”

“No one’s done anything wrong,” urLii corrected. He met them and the Grottan, dusting his hands of rocks and sand from his climb. “We are all doing what it is we do, what is our nature and our character. Right and wrong... are a terribly complex song.”

“But that doesn’t help us,” said Naia.

Pfffft.

Characters keep getting frustrated by urLii’s philosophizing.

Kylan tries asking urLii what they should do about skekLi but his answer is “I suppose that depends on your character” which isn’t very helpful.

Kylan realizes that he’s gotta be the tie-breaker between Naia and Tavra. Amri is also here but he’s not voting.

Huh! Funny how this book had a pattern of Kylan being the tie-breaker between Naia and Tavra but it hasn’t actually been Tavra for most of it. And now that it is the real Tavra, the pattern is repeating anyway.

So Kylan considers how awful the Skeksis are. What the Hunter has done in general and to Kylan specifically. How Tavra is a spider now because of skekLi. And how he tried to kill Naia, showing that he isn’t even loyal to his own kind (weird that that’s a minus in the column but whatever).

urLii proposed that there was no right or wrong, but that in itself did not seem right. It wasn’t wrong, either. The paradox gave him a headache.

“I don’t think we should kill him,” Kylan said in the end. “The Gelfling are a peaceful people. Even when we fight among ourselves. If we’re to be the heroes of this song, we must show mercy, even when we’re not shown mercy ourselves. The Skeksis have done terrible things to us... but I would rather believe that we can unite for the good of our people, not for revenge.”

Its a nice sentiment, Kylan. Its a good principle.

I know that I’ve had similar thoughts in the past. I’m torn because I know where this is all going. And I wonder if the near complete wiping out of the Gelfling clans could have been prevented if the Gelfling fought dirty. Maybe not. And the Gelfling become dicks in the future, even with the example of Jen and Kira as the foundation of their society so who could say what they’d become if they became cynical pragmatists to defeat the Skeksis.

I don’t have an answer.

It’s hard to fight the Skeksis because they have in-built hostages.

Tavra is disappointed that she thinks Kylan is advocating for just letting skekLi go but he clarifies that they DEFINITELY should keep him imprisoned here but someone will need to watch him and keep other Skeksis from finding him.

ENTER MAUDRA ARGOT.

Still picking bits of spiderweb from her cloak, Maudra Argot stepped forward from the small group of Grottan. Of the thirty-seven Grottan Gelfling, even fewer remained, bedraggled and afraid, some elders but mostly younglings Amri’s age. They had lost the Caves of Grot as well - all in exchange for the bone-flute. Kylan’s heart broke for them all, and he hoped that it was worth the sacrifice.

Oof. They were already so few and now they’re so fewer.

But anyway, Maudra Argot says the Grottan will take up the task. They’ll move into the Sanctuary and guard skekLi as they have guarded other secrets.

In fairness, they can’t return to Domrak. The spiders have claimed it. And even if Kylan helped evict them with the bone-flute, they’d just return. Caves are theirs again.

urLii also offers to help keep skekLi here.

“Between the Shadowlings and myself, I believe skekLi’s song has come to an end.”

That’s a fun way of saying that he’s not going to do anything important ever again and that he’s going to rot away on his mushroom prison.

Maudra Argot also tells Amri that he’s to stay with the group and go with them to Ha’rar. Wait, does she think they’ll actually make it there ever?

But she says she won’t be happy until the Vapra have to acknowledge the Grottan and also that Amri needs to grow as a person. Going on quests can help with that!

Kylan says they should get going. He needs to make the bone into a firca and he’s never made one so he doesn’t know how long it’ll take. And he can’t mess it up because THERE’S ONLY ONE BONE LEFT out of the entire extinct species!

He suddenly realizes the weight of the task after fighting so hard to get the bone. He wanted a purpose and he got one and a purpose does not sit light.

Kylan also really hopes that they don’t have to go through the Tide Pass again but he’d rather that three hundred times than stick around skekLi any more.

“I would give my life to stop him from escaping,” [urLii] remarked. “He is me, after all. But I do not believe it will be necessary. Even if it were, it would certainly be a dramatic moment, eh?”

You’re a weird guy, urLii.

Maybe you’re the one guy on Thra who thinks more in terms of stories than Kylan does.

“We spoke with Mother Aughra, before we came to Domrak,” Kylan said. “She had no words for us. She said only time would tell. That understanding the heavens would find us in our place, I think is what she meant. If we could understand the grand song, we would be able to find our way. But... the Gelfling don’t have time for that. We have to cut our own paths. We have to make the choice between being the weaver or the woven. The teller and the told. The singer and the song... But I choose to be both.”

urLii scratched his chin with his slender fingers and tilted his head.

“Hmmm! Weaver and the woven, eh? Where did you hear such fine advice?”

Kylan smiled and sighed.

“Goodbye, urLii. I hope to meet again someday.”

“We probably will not. But I will hear the song of the bell-bird again, yes... When light and shadows collide, under the triple suns.”

Aww.

Of course, Kylan has no idea what it all means. He’s getting some vague grasping of the bigger picture of the Great Conjunction but its still unclear.

On their way out, Kylan stops to look back at skekLi’s baleful gaze and starts worrying about his spiteful declaration about what skekUng has in store.

He wants to think its a lie but skekLi included too many specific details for it be something he pulled out of his ass. Like, who even is skekUng? The name drop means nothing to Kylan!

Tavra tells him to look away and for a moment, Kylan imagines that he can see her as she was, bipedal and not an inch tall.

“Forget him for now, or you will not be able to look ahead.”

He did as she suggested, turning his back on the Skeksis’s piercing gaze and hurrying after his friends.

Tavra here with the good advice.

I like that she’s not just here to be the one with bad opinions all the time. And that she’s protective of Kylan.

And since she’s now a tiny spider, she’s just emotionally protective of him.

She tried to protect Naia in Shadows so I just think that’s who Tavra is.

Anyway... OH NO only two chapters left??

[the-cookie-of-doom]

Forever Is a Long Time

The forest was dangerous. Little boys and girls were warned never to go too far past the tree line; it was haunted, some said. Or filled with creatures that hungered for the taste of sweet, young flesh, other’s claimed. The other children in the village were content to stay far away from the forest, but Stiles had always been too curious for his own good, willfully ignorant to his mother’s claims that a young man like him would make quite the tasty snack for the beasts lurking within. Stiles grew up on her tales of the monsters hiding in the shadows of the trees, and under the glass-still surface of the lake. 

“How do you know what’s in there, if you’ve never been?” Stiles skeptically asked once. Claudia looked at him with her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed; Stiles was six years old and too clever for his own good. He questioned everything. 

“Because… of the bodies we find on the edge of the woods… bones spit out by the big monsters that ate them!” Stiles giggled in delight when Claudia lunged for him, her fingers crooked into claws and teeth bared in a sharp grin. 

The wise man in the village said Stiles was born with the heart of a lion and the mind of an ox. He was frighteningly fearless, and maddeningly headstrong; despite his parents’ best efforts, they couldn’t keep him out of the cursed forest. 

Ever since Stiles was a child, he called the place his home. Never once had he seen the so-called monsters as he walked through the trees and swam in the streams that fed into rivers, all eventually leading to the fathomless lake in the middle. So dark the water was cast in permanent shadow, a black mirror held up to the heavens. Stiles was fearless, but for sixteen years, he wasn’t brave enough to ever dip a toe in the inky waters. 

He did, however, get close. Along the edge of the lake grew the sweetest berries he ever tasted, and it was the only place in the whole forest he could find them. A year later from the first time Stiles stepped foot in the lake—a brief test to prove to himself there was nothing in the water, and slowly he worked up to swimming out into the deep—he floated in the middle, eating his way through a handful of bright pink berries. He hummed softly, listening to the birds; they were a faint tune on the soft breeze. Sound carried strangely over the still black water. Lying out there he felt like he was a part of the forest itself, at peace with his brief disappearance from the human world.

Then something grabbed his ankle. 

It jerked him under the water before he had a chance to breathe in more than a startled gasp for air, nowhere near enough to fill his lungs. Already they began to ache as he was dragged down to the fathomless depths, the light above him fading away, his only hope of salvation. Looking down, Stiles could just make out pearlescent skin shimmering in the water. The creature turned to him and bared its needlepoint teeth like a barracuda. 

Stiles couldn’t so much as scream before he was released, left to frantically kick back up to the surface where he took in ragged gulps of air, the only sound over the silent lake. It was eerie, the way his splashes echoed. Stiles tried to pull himself towards the shore—why did he let himself get so far away—when he heard the creature surface behind him. Sharp laughter followed. 

There, no more than a few feet away: the creature that tried to drown him. It’s eyes were still milky white, slowly fading to black-brown. It’s teeth were sharp, but no longer as long—retracted to a human length. 

“Mitch!” Stiles gasped, his chest still heaving, his heart hammering within. “You’re a fucking asshole.” The creature gave him a grotesque grin. 

“I could taste your fear the second I pulled you under the water.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I pissed myself!”

“You’re so easy to scare, I almost feel bad.” Mitch swam closer to Stiles, gliding easily through the water with several flicks of his powerful tail. He snapped his teeth playfully, circled Stiles like a shark. Stiles shivered when sharp claws raked lightly over his bare back, whipping around to keep Mitch in his sights. He was so cold compared to Stiles’ warmth. Always so cold. Like a corpse. “Consider it payback.” 

Stiles grimaced. “I’m sorry for not coming to see you sooner,” he said sincerely. “You know how hard it is for me to get away.”

“Hmm… apology accepted.” Mitch stopped idly pacing around Stiles and caught him in his tail, coiled around his legs like a snake not yet constricting. He held Stiles close, trapped. Stiles didn’t try to escape. “I’ve not forgiven you, though; I’ve been bored without you to entertain me.” There was only so much to do in his lake, and it’s been weeks since Stiles came to him. 

“I’ll make it up to you.” Stiles smiled and ran his hands down Mitch’s chest, his smooth skin turning to scale where his hips would be, if he were human. Instead his tail kept them afloat effortlessly, shifting and tightening around Stiles’ legs. “Do you think you could forgive me then?” 

Mitch bit his tongue to conceal a smile when Stiles kiss his neck, his mouth hot against his skin. He shuddered when Stiles tongued the thin slits of his gills, his claws dug into Stiles’ narrow waist as he tilted his head back. “Maybe…”

***

 “I wish you would stay,” Mitch said. After what felt like hours he followed Stiles to the shore, curled up beside him on the warm, wet sand. The sun began its descent a while ago, and it was nearing time for his human to leave. Mitch tightened his arms around Stiles’ waist, keeping the human where he was, sprawled warmly across his chest. When Stiles looked at him, his smile was dampened with sadness. 

“I want to,” Stiles said, hating the way Mitch perked, thinking that maybe this time, Stiles would. “But I can’t leave my family. You know that.” 

Mitch growled, a sound like gnashing bones between his teeth. “I know.” His tail twitched unhappily, fins slapping against the sand. Stiles kissed him placatingly, fearless of the dagger-like teeth concealed behind his soft lips. 

“I will stay with you,” Stiles promised, a soft whisper between them. “Not today, but one day, when they don’t need me anymore. I’ll stay. Forever.” 

Mitch was skeptical, Stiles could see it in his narrowed, calculating eyes, black like a starless night. He tugged on a lock of his lover’s damp hair, twirled it between his fingers, until eventually Mitch sighed. He leaned into Stiles’ touch, nuzzled his hand softly. 

“Do you mean it?”

“I do. I want to be with you more than anything…. If you’re willing to wait for me?” It was a lot to ask. Stiles knotted with the fear that Mitch wouldn’t be willing to wait; maybe someday, before Stiles was ready to leave his world behind, some other human stumbled into the lake the same way Stiles did. Maybe they would be willing to leave everything behind for the being beneath the waters; maybe Mitch would forget all about him in favor of someone who wouldn’t string him along like a bait fish. 

Like he knew the maudlin thoughts darkening Stiles’ mind, Mitch cupped his cheek with a webbed hand, looked into his eyes, and said, “I am. I’ll wait as long as it takes. “ He smiled wryly, “What’s another few years when you’ve been alive as long as I have?”

Mitch would always wait for him. Even if when they day came, Stiles was nothing more than a pile of old bones having lived a long life. He would wait until he could make the human his, and keep him in his lake forever. 

.

[some-cookie-crumbz]

Roll the Dice

Roll the Dice - Kidge Month Day 15 and Day 17 Prompt Fill Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Pairing: Kidge Summary: Combining Day 15 and 17 since they were going to be connected either way. Just some fin involving games and  Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more.

Days of travel had left all of them worn to the bone and ready for a bit of rest. She wasn’t normally one to complain about the idea of having to rough it in the woods, but even she had her limits. The need for a comfortable shelter only became more apparent as fat, dark clouds loomed over them ominously. When they reached the top of the path leading them along, the distant flickering of town lights felt so comforting that she would have wept. Beside her, she could feel Faylinn trembling with giddiness, the other young woman clearly just as giddy. “Oh, please tell me this town is on the map,” Block pleaded, reaching into one of the many pockets of his robes. He spread the map out and squealed. “Praise the ancients, it is!”

“What town is it?” Pike asked, peering over the other man’s shoulder.

“Alezxan,”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that place before,” Jiro chimed in. A small smile turned up on his lips. “They say it’s a well-known merchant’s town, with plenty of goods necessary for guilds.”

“I just can’t wait until I have a chance to rest,” Faylinn commented, carefully reach out for her long silver ponytail. Her fingers stroked mournfully over the very edges, which were charred black as night. “I need a night where I don’t smell like sulfur and stomach acid, and have a chance to fix this damage.”

“Such are the risks when dealing with dragons,” Jiro said with a small chuckle.

She pinned him with a fierce glare over her shoulder. “Which was why Block and I suggested we take on the escort assignment,” she groused. She then indicated the young caster with a nod of her head. “And have you seen what that beast did to his staff?”

His staff had a huge chunk taken out of the fine wood, with jagged claw and smaller scorch marks decorating what remained of the curve at the end. “Yeah, still not happy about that,” he commented quietly, rolling the map back up and tucking it away.

“But the dragon mission ended up paying out way better,” she herself chimed in with a sly grin.

“Greedy little dwarf,” Faylinn muttered under her breath.

“Meklavar’s right, though! With how much of a profit we turned on besting that overgrown lizard, you can buy a new staff! A better staff!” Pike encouraged.

“I liked my old staff,” he grumbled with a small huff.

“But I’m sure you’d like a new staff with, say, a Gulonian crystal in it a whole lot too, right?” Meklavar suggested with a sly grin.

That gave Block pause. “Well, if it had a Gulonian crystal, I guess I could like a staff like that,”

“We could all use new equipment, honestly,” Jiro commented, casting a glance at the hilt of his sword, strung along his back. The leather of it was tattered and frayed, sticking out in various places. Inside its sheath, his sword was also rather beaten down from the battle, receiving a sizeable chink on one side. “Which, considering where we are, sounds like the perfect place to do that.”

“See, there ya go!” Pike hummed before a shudder coursed through him, causing his tail to fluff up. He stole a fervent glance up at the plump storm clouds before starting to hurry along the path, ears flattened against his head. “But for now, let’s get somewhere warm and dry before the storm starts up.”

“Aw, poor little kitty doesn’t like the idea of getting his feet wet?” Meklavar teased.

He scowled at her, tail lashing. “Oh, so you mean to tell me you actually want to spend a night waterlogged?” When her only answer was the faltering of her grin, his pout turned into an amused grin. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

With Pike taking the lead, they rushed down along the path and into town proper. They were able to find a reasonably priced inn just as the first few droplets of water fell, paying for two rooms and five meals. As they headed off to the bar attached to the inn, though, Meklavar noticed the young lady working the front desk cast a frantic glance out the window as the downpour really started up. She cast it off as perhaps her being worried about making the trek home in less than desirable conditions and followed her group along.

The meal was good not in taste, but simply in the fact that it was hot and fresh. They all had themselves a little too much ale, with Block and Jiro partaking so much they made complete fools of themselves. They danced and sang atop the tables, spurned on further by the cheers of the other bar patrons. When the festivities for the night ended, Pike and Meklavar had to lug a wobbling, babbling Block back up to their room, while Faylinn carried Jiro over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Once the settled the boys in their own room, she and Faylinn headed back to their own. They took turns using the adjacent washroom to clean up before bed, and as Meklavar slipped under the cover5s for the night, she stole a glance at her own axe, propped against the wall beside her bed. The blunt side of her axe was barely holding up the now-dulled blade, ready to give way and completely splinter from the weight at a moment’s notice. It would only last an incredibly small, incredibly simple mission, if she were lucky.

This, honestly, was the exact opposite of what they needed with their Guild just starting to develop a name for itself.

After their first grand adventure as a team, they decided to continue collaborating to assist one another with their aims. The most effective way, obviously, was to form a Guild and take on assignments as necessary. So, Sky Lion Guild was formed with the path of funding their respective missions as well. Thus far, their reputation was growing well, known for being rather skilled and successful for a tin class Guild. After that mission with the dragon, they’d been promoted to cinder class, which was a great honor, but came with its own host of new expectations. They would all need to step up their game, improve their skills and, obviously, replace their damaged equipment with ones of better quality.

She flopped over on her side, dozing off to the debate of what kind of mineral she’d like best in a new axe blade.

The next morning, Block and Jiro were slow and unpleasant to wake, feeling the backlash of their festive evening full force. They did perk up a bit when it was pointed out that they could hit the market and see what kind of wares the merchants had to offer. When they reached the lobby, however, they were greeted by the rain continuing on. The clerk informed them that, given the weather, it was unlikely any merchants would have set up shop in the bazaar, worried about the rain water ruining the quality of their goods. They waved it off, deciding they’d simply go the next morning, once the rain had let up, and instead headed to get themselves breakfast.

But the rain continued on the next day. And the day after that. And the day after. And the day after that.

“This is ridiculous,” Faylinn complained, arms crossed and pressed as far back against her seat at their table as she could get. “This weather is becoming rather bothersome.”

“Bothersome seems like a bit of an understatement. It’s keeping us from being able to purchase the goods we need,” Block chimed in before taking a small sip of his water-filled mug. After the theatrics of the other night, he had sworn of the ale cold turkey. “Plus, being trapped her is draining our funds much faster than we planned.”

“Well, why don’t we just move along to the next town, then? Surely they would have some merchants looking to sell,” Faylinn suggested.

“Can’t. The only logged path from here to the next town is through a road that cuts along the mountains, but it’s been closed down due to the risk of landslides. We could try to cut through the mountains outside of the designated path, but then we run the risk of getting lost without a guide. Also, our weapons aren’t in much of a state to defend us from much more than a disgruntled kitten,” Meklavar sighed.

“Well, it’s not like we can do anything about the weather,” Pike snorted, reclined in his own seat as if he owned the joint. His feet were propped up and crossed at the ankles atop the table, arms crossed behind his head to work as a makeshift pillow, and eyes closed as if he were merely napping. He peeked one open, the blue seeming brighter in his excitement, to look at their caster. “Unless you have some kind of trick up your sleeve that could help dispel this, pal?”

“With the state my staff is in? Hard pass,” he answered, shaking his head. Pike’s ears drooped and he heaved a loud sigh. “I mean, I could try, but it would most likely end with the spell backfiring directly on all of us. Which would be less than ideal.”

“Besides, we shouldn’t be using Block’s magic to resolve issues as mundane as some unfortunate weather,” Jiro added.

“Unless this is more than just a simple storm,” Meklavar pointed out, leaning in closer to her associates.

Block, Faylinn and Jiro all perked up and leaned closer as well, catching on to what she was hinting at. Pike, however, remained in his position, reclined and seemingly at ease. His ears, however, sat straight upright and his eyes were open just a slit, monitoring those around them for any suspicious behavior. “You think there’s more going on in this town that what it seems?” Faylinn asked quietly.

She nodded. “Do you remember the young woman who checked us in for our rooms? Something about her reaction to the storm seemed strange. It seemed as if she was afraid of the rain itself,” she explained.

“Ah, I noticed that. Broke my heart to see such a lovely young woman seem so unnerved,” Pike lamented lightly.

They all silently agreed to ignore his input and continue on.

“Couldn’t it just be a matter of storms being uncommon around here?” Block suggested.

“I considered that, but the reaction and what we know of this place don’t add up to that. I mean, if they rarely get storms,” she said, “then wouldn’t they be excited about the coming rains? To replenish their crops and water stores and such? Additionally, this place is a renowned trading hub! This implies they have to have a decent enough supply of foods and goods to warrant people stopping by, which wouldn’t make sense if they didn’t get enough storms to maintain their crops well enough to allow as many visitors as they undoubtedly see.”

“Maybe they bring in their crops using the money they make?”

“Then why would they have signs posted informing people of which farms can be located where along the edges of town?”  Silence followed her last point, their whole group exchanging looks. “I don’t have any damning proof of what I think is happening, but the idea that something else is causing this weather seems rather plausible.”

“You think they’ve had some kind of hex laid upon them?” Jiro asked.

“Maybe. Like I said, I’m not completely sure, but it seems plausible. We need more information from someone in town, though,”

Pike swept his legs of the table and let out a small sigh, pushing himself to stand. “Well, I guess I’ll go do some investigating then. It’s the same woman at the front today as when we first arrived. I’m sure that I can get her to let me know what’s going on with a little finesse,” he hummed, stretching and arching his back until he got a little pop.

“Pike,” Jiro trailed off strictly.

“Just… Be careful. The last thing we need is for your incredibly involved approach to interrogations getting us kicked out of a town,” Faylinn trailed, fists clenched on the tabletop, “again.”

He tensed a bit. “That was a fluke! And a learning experience! Now I know to only use a small fraction of my full charisma on the unsuspecting beauties of the world,” He said.

“That or at least be the one who actually takes it on the chin when your ‘unsuspecting beauty’ turns out to have a very angry ogre husband,” Jiro grumbled.

“In my defense, he didn’t tell me he had a husband! I would never flirt with someone who’s spoken for, regardless of how magnificent,” And, with that, he headed out of the bar and back towards the main lobby.

While they waited, they chatted about this or that, stories from their past and their goals for the future. At one point, Jiro and Faylinn broke off to play a rousing game of throwing knives with a few of the other patrons. She spent the time trying to sharpen her axe to a respectable cut, only to be sorely disappointed. The sooner the rain let up, the better.

It took far too long to be reasonable before Pike returned.

His headband and hair were disheveled, face screwed up in a look of goofy satisfaction. He fell into his seat with a contented sigh, tossing one arm along the back while the other dangled in the air beside him. For a moment he just stared at all of them. “Well?” Block asked after Pike said nothing immediately.

“Meklavar was right; the town’s been cursed,” he said loftily.

“Okay, but by what?” she asked with a small huff. She had to resist the urge to grab her axe and knock the legs out from under his chair. He was holding up their progress with his lax behavior.

“I guess there’s some crotchety old mage who lives in a tower up on the mountain,” he said, indicating out the window with a tip of his head. It was hard to see through the pouring rain and dark clouds, but she thought she could just make out the shape of a building far in the distance. “He came down to try and pedal some of his cursed goods in the bazaar a few days before we got here. When they turned him away, he threw a temper tantrum and said they’d pay, that he ruined their whole town for anyone who visited it. Pretty typical for those finicky caster types, though.”

“Hey!” Block squawked.

“You’re not a finicky caster type, dude!”

“That’s still rude of you to say!”

“Oh, whatever! You guys should just be grateful I was able to convince the mayor that our guild could handle it!” He huffed.

And, with that, Meklavar finally turned her axe around to slam the blunt side right against the leg, sending him toppling over in a graceless heap with an equally graceless yowl. “You’re a complete moron!” she shrieked.

“What part of you, exactly, thought signing us up for another mission was a good idea?” Faylinn joined in, slamming her hands down on the table and standing.

“Seriously, dude? That warlock will take us down in, like, two seconds flat! Did you forget about the sad state all of our equipment is in?” Block pointed out as well.

“Which is why I was able to negotiation the terms of our agreement with them, geez!” Pike snapped back as he hoisted himself back on to his feet. He dusted himself off as well. “You guys act like I have no idea what I’m doing here! In agreement for taking on the assignment without a formal request being submitted, they’re going to have us given the best equipment available to complete the task! They’ve also agreed that, assuming we succeed, they’ll refund us for two of the nights we stayed at the inn!”

“Not a full refund?” Meklavar commented.

Pike side-eyed her skeptically. “Greedy little dwarf,”

Jiro let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Anyway, those negotiations are all well and good, but are they going to allow us passage through the blocked path? Or provide us with a guide who can?”

The other stopped at that, ears tipping downward. “Uh, no. See, the rain is coming down a lot worse closer to where the mage lives. Most likely as some kind of defense from any potential attacks by the village. As a result, the whole path is bogged down by mud and tree branches and such. No way we can get around that,”

“So we have no safe way of getting up there?” Block asked worriedly.

“Not quite, young warriors,” An old, withered voice chimed in. They were greeted by the sight of a well-dressed man with a long, braided beard and little reading glasses. His hair was mostly snow white, though there were traces of a fading orange hue to a few patches. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rocan, the mayor of this fine town.”

Jiro rose and bowed politely. “It’s a great privilege to meet you, sir,” he began, “but I am afraid our friend may have agreed to your terms too hastily. Our equipment is far too damaged to take on such a task, and none of us are familiar with the terrain leading up to where the cruel mage rests.”

“The equipment matter is one we have offered to fix,” he answered, “and while I cannot guarantee it, there may be someone who can get you up to the mage’s keep.”

Faylinn and Meklavar exchanged glances. “What do you mean by that, exactly, sir?” Faylinn ponder cautiously.

“There is one who lives outside our village, on the first peak of the mountain range to the east,” he said. “He has lived there many years, living off the land and traveling how he sees fit. No one else in this area will know the uncharted paths anywhere near as well as he. If you can convince him to assist your brigade, I have no doubt he’ll be able to show you the way.”

“There’s a lot of ‘ifs’ in that statement,” Meklavar pointed out.

“He is a bit of a hermit, despite his young age. He rarely ever visits town, and when he does it is typically very briefly,”

“So he’s a recluse,” Jiro said.

“Meaning the likelihood of him helping is slim,” Block agreed.

“Well, it’s better than nothing!” Pike insisted. He then tossed his head back a bit, flashing them one of his smoldering grins. “And, if need be, I can always put some of the old charm to use.”

“Do us all a favor and don’t,” Meklavar scoffed, rising fully from her seat. “Though, I will admit that Pike has a point; we don’t know if they’ll help us unless we try asking.”

Faylinn nodded before looking over at the mayor again. “We will go seek them out once we have the equipment necessary, then,” she agreed.

They were guided through the wet, muddy streets of town up to town hall, where a few of the most prominent merchants in town were gathered. They were given a bit of time to test out a few options, select the ones they found most agreeable, and then they headed out. They had to take their time and be careful, even though the rain was just a bit less severe in the direction they were going. It was still a rather steep climb, but after a good few hours of travel, they could see the hermit’s lodge not too far off in the distance.

But that was when they heard the first cry of a lone wolf not far off in the distance.

Faylinn paused, slipping one hand up to carefully grab one of the silver-tipped arrows from her quiver. “You all heard how close that was, right?” There was a pause between her words, in which a responding howl echoed from somewhere behind them. She whipped around, pulling her arrow back partially in preparation.

“But the question then becomes is it just the two, or is there a whole pack waiting to strike?”  Jiro whispered back, hand clenched tight around the hilt of his new sword.

“Or, there’s also the risk they’re more than just normal wolves, but shifters,” Meklavar agreed, hefting her axe up to rest partially against her shoulder.

“Why can’t it ever be easy?” Block lamented quietly, the Gulonian crystal in the center of his new staff beginning to glow dimly, charging up some of his magic in preparation for an attack.

“Because that would be bo-! Ack!” Pike yowled before a large form slammed right into him. He growled, rummaging to get one of the paralysis balls he’d gotten, only for whatever was on top of him to jump back with a snarl. It hopped back until it stood beside another looming shape covered in a dark pelt. “Looks like it’s a shifter, guys!”

“Who are you mistaking for a shifter, miserable cat?” The larger figure spat, reaching up to carefully push back what seemed to be their head. Which, if they were, in fact, a shifter they shouldn’t have been able to do. When the hood slumped back, they were greeted by a pale face sporting two burgundy red marks along their cheeks, dark eyes with gleaming yellow pupils, and pointed ears.

A gasp left Faylinn. “A dark elf?”

“Half,” He answered brusquely. He paused to stare at each of them in turn. “Who are you, and what are you doing so close to my abode?”

“Your abode? So you’re the hermit of the hill?” Meklavar asked.

He scoffed. “Is that how they’re choosing to call me now? How impolite,” he then reached up to pull his hood back up. “My name is Yorak. And this is my companion, Gévaudan.”

The wolf beside his let out a small huff.

“No! Wait! Hold up!” Lance suddenly squawked, standing up and holding his arms up in an X in front of his chest.

Keith let out an annoyed look. “What’s your damage?”

“We aren’t seriously going to let your dog have a character in this, are we?” he asked, casting a glance at Coran.

The old Altean merely toyed with the end of his mustache thoughtfully. “Well, if no one else has a problem with it, and he can roll in situations... I don’t see why not,”

“I’m cool with it,” Pidge herself shrugged.

“Indeed. Keith seems rather adept at translating Kosmo’s desires, so it should be fine,” Allura agreed.

“Plus, look at this face! Such a sweet, lovable little guy!” Hunk crooned, gently smooshing the wolf’s fluffy face and booping his nose with his own.

Shiro sighed and shook his head. “Look, so long as Kosmo doesn’t get wild, it should be fun. But can we please get back to the game?”

Lance harrumped while Keith smirked at him, holding the dice out to the others. “Who wants to roll to see if you can coerce me into your group?” he teased.

Pidge smirked and took them from him. “Get ready to be our little slave, dweebo emo,”

[a-collection-of-villainous-aus]

Pirate Au

(Drabble 4)

Please do remember the drabbles do follow on from each other.

So this is the fourth drabble but set between the second and third.

It was late evening, oil lamps burned dimly and Hat sat there at his dining table, fingers laced, eye and patch peering over the top of his hands as elbows rested on the surface.

Soft hues of yellow, warm like honey, lights from the candles flickering making empty plates shimmer, a cloth neatly folded by their side, his belly full even if food was not something he required he enjoyed the many flavours of human cuisine...but he still felt empty as he watched Flugs curled up form in that tank, the merman had not moved in hours, was he still sulking?

It would not surprise Black Hat if he was, the old demon had kept his room dark to try and placate him, why was Flug still ignoring him?

It was not as if he'd hurt him in any way, if it were perhaps White Hat, that supposedly goody two shoes...that bastard would have tortured this creature for answers, kept his tank shallow so the merman would be in a constant state of half suffocation despite being one who lived in the sea himself.

(small reminder Acylius is the first name I've given au Flug ♥ )

Acylius could feel his eyes on his back a part of him wanting to face his captor and glare at him, how dare he keep him in this glass prison, without anything to do, nothing for entertainment apart from aggravating that idiot.

Black Hat was free to roam the ship, eat and probably have a five minute affair with a crew member when he felt like it, no doubt The Pirate King had left his cell empty on purpose, if he had nothing to do he might eventually speak, what ridiculous logic.

Well Hat was not going to get what he wanted, he ate in front of him without so much as offering to share, a custom important to all merfolk, the demon had completely disregarded it, after all he had to know about that right!?

He'd talked so proudly of knowing about merfolk, ha the only thing this fool had done was educate himself on them was what parts tasted and were best served for dinner.

The blasted king would have no doubt made some crude joke at that thought, just last night Black Hat had thought him asleep and pleasured himself quietly, but his highly attuned sense of hearing heard...everything.

He'd recognised the soft pants, sensed his eye on him, even a whispering gasp of his name.

It wasn't fair, the scent had become Intoxicating, shifting he actually sensed Hat stopping a moment, was he actually concerned with being caught?

All he'd wanted to do was invite him into the waters, not that his home had much to impress a mate but it appeared Black Hat did not mind as he resumed his...activities.

Yes last night had made him feel flustered and had taken the will of a god not to show any visual displays of interest.

Anyway it seemed Black Hat was possibly courting that funny girl, Demencia, indeed she was quite the character and while three party relationships might occur under the sea, landwalkers could vary and change their customs on a whim.

Of course he could ask for food or perhaps something for his prison but he was still well and truly pissed at the Pirate King, he refused to talk to him after being trapped in this tank like some common pet, HA even house fish were fed and given items to decorate their homes!

Black Hat was watching the elegant swaying of his fins, veils floating back and forth, hypnotising really, standing up and walking over he came and sat on the floor by the tank, glass reflecting in candle light with small shimmers where scales had shed soon to be washed away like starlight in the rising sun.

His shoulder resting against Flugs tank, legs crossed he let out a sigh.

The demon would have loved nothing more than to have a conversation with him

"Will you not even speak, just to tell me how much you hate what I have done to you?"

The merman held himself tighter, that was the thing he didn't hate him, he was just really, really angry...perhaps even a little scared after all he could still end up in pieces on one of those plates.

Black Hat's voice sounded genuinely disheartened, listening to the sound of his claws lightly scratching over glass as he continued

"I do not know what it is about you my pet, but you fascinate me, I wonder throughout the day what stories you might have to share, what secrets you keep...one mythical creature to another...Just how old are you?"

Flug however did not answer him, he just continued his stubborn silent treatment.

"Do merfolk like companions to sleep with?"

His voice still soft as he looked him over, seeing his spines bristle and blue rings beginning to appear he thought over his words and realised how that must have come across and rephrased

"I mean do merfolk like someone to sleep next to?"

Flug's kind did in fact like companionship, he had a catfish in his home cave deep in the ocean, half cat and fish with the cutest chubbiest belly with such soft paws, she was named Mew Mew Loaf, he knew she'd be fine but no doubt worrying about him and he missed her to.

Hat saw Flug's display disappearing, slightly moving as if he'd almost considered turning to face him or had he been merely shifting?

Still, his breath stayed in anticipation but it was not to be as minutes slipped by and his pet kept his back to him.

"Well maybe you do, otherwise you would have been screeching at me to get away from your tank, heh or are you perhaps you are so insistent on your silent treatment that even now you choose to ignore me?"

A warm chuckle filling the air as he removed his coat and used it as a cover, cheek on the cool surface and yawning as it had been three days since he'd last slept and sleepily wished him goodnight before drifting off.

Flug waited a while, making sure Black Hat was asleep, it was easy to tell as there was a shift in the atmosphere, all the world now seemed calm, the buzzing of energy not quite gone but soothed as if you could hear gentle waters lapping at a late night shore.

Rolling over, gliding closer to him, glass the only thing between them, he could have let his gaze wander over the captains room but honestly he did that enough when Black Hat wasn't there, always turning away from him and focusing on either nothing at all or Demencia with a playful splash of water, it was fun sensing the demons jealousy rise even if not shown entirely, sometimes Hat's hand came down too hard on his desk or a huff as he folded his arms assuming he was hiding the pouting, of course he was not.

He was...well you would be a fool if you called him ugly, how peaceful he looked even if it was amusing to see his cheek smooshed up against his tank and top lip pulled up, revealing mint green fangs ever so slightly.

Lowering himself to better look at them he thought about how Thaddeus had such blunt human teeth compared to him...just like the other merfolk who lived in higher waters in their Pearl City where everything was just...perfect.

So Black Hat had sharp teeth, it had been a long time since he'd seen another of his own kind, deep sea merfolk were dying out and he knew it, could it be that right now he himself was living on borrowed time?

Why was this demon so fascinated with him?

Yes he knew who Black Hat was, you would have to be completely out of the loop not to...king of both land and sea, a being who had never particularly shown interest of taking affairs of the underwater world seriously, who instead chose to adventure than taking any real action, was he incapable of being a leader...was he leaving everything in the hands of those who had some actual experience?

Resting on his hip, hands on the glass, Flug pressed his forehead to where Hat's cheek was and sighed...for someone showing interest in him he also certainly showed displays of affection towards Demencia, what was his game...was he going to be used just like Thaddeus had used him, well it was not as if this one before him exactly needed a power step, but his heart and body could still be seen as game.

Anyway, it was usually a case of ugly things wanting something beautiful to make them feel like they meant something...to be beautiful themselves...oh compared to Black Hat he was atrocious, this landwalker was so elegant, sleek and perfect as they could come, what would the Pirate King think if he did ever see his face, no doubt his interest would be lost and that would just be another notch in the truth the King of Pearl City had told him.

Fingertips lighting up, each line an intricate pattern, a maze of prints as hands formed out of a soft glowing blue hue fading off into their forearms, now tenderly touching Black Hat's face.

(Yes realistically I know He'd wake up but....he doesn't because of reasons...aka XD the writer said so)

Flug's eyes could be seen glowing an intense sky blue through the holes in his mask, under the caress of these made hands he could feel how warm he was, stroking along his cheek, purring slightly as the demon leaned into his touch.

The merman couldn't help but smile a little, he looked, well it was peculiar to see him looking so soft considering what everyone knew he was capable of.

A thumb carefully drawing down his bottom lip to look over his gorgeous fangs, this mouth looked so much smaller compared to his own where it practically split his face in half with rows of fangs that were only shown when threatened.

(Of course he doesn't know yet just how wide Hat can open his maw.)

Thaddeus and his partner Edward had certainly made a point of telling him he'd never hold the beauty of those who lived in their city, no one would accept him apart from them.

That his mask should only be off in the privacy of their company for they were the only ones who could bare to look upon his features...an act of control, one that had whittled away at him and he'd come to believe was true.

Caressing his cheek, his smile was a sad one, look at this idiot who had no idea how to look after him and yet grew envious when he gave others attention, it was endearing really, silly grumpy old man.

Eventually Flug would stop being so stubborn...tell him a story but Black Hat needed to ask him what he wanted, not just stare at him as if that will would just make him speak, though the merman figured if Black Hat wanted to make him he could.

With hands made of magic and stardust, finger tips caressed along his jaw, down over his neck before wrapping around his waist in a gentle embrace.

Yes his deep sea kind did like to have companionship in their rest, they usually had pets to do this with but he'd take this, of course Black Hat would have a stiff neck in the morning but it was surprisingly sweet that he'd opted to sleep here instead of his comfy warm bed.

Coaxing him to lay at least on his side Flug laid on the bottom of his tank facing him.

The hands disappearing as he curled up, his smile growing just a little more.

"Goodnight...Black Hat."

(also if anyone draws a cute pic of mew mew loaf, if you like I can do a character mention or have a character of yours briefly talk to one of the crew members for the one I like the most 💖)

[demon-scarecrow]

Spec/Demon ficlet

Written as a prompt from @waterwindow and @spellfireserpent

It’s cracky. There’s also smut so be warned and such.

Etrigan grinned, baring a row of too-sharp teeth as he flicked his tongue out, licking the blood and viscera from his talons. Sometimes being a "good guy" could be a great deal of fun, he considered as he looked over the field of slain low-level demons. The Spectre was more aloof, not a spatter having landed upon him since he did not wish it. He glanced over at the Rhymer who was covered in filth and fluids and gave a small huff of disapproval. "It is not necessary to throw yourself into things so much. It shows a lack of flair." The demon looked entirely nonplussed as he finished licking his claws clean, now the only part of him which was not caked in demonic blood. The grin never faded from his face as he slowly crossed the field to his current comrade-in-arms. "You heavenly types are all such a bore, though I wouldn't have pegged you as having trouble with gore." Etrigan chuckled as he pressed himself up against the Spectre, mostly in order to smear the divine being with the same blood that coated him. "The time for fighting I'd say is done, let us instead have a different kind of fun." The grin on his face grew even wider as he spread his palm against the Vengeance of God's chest. The thought of rutting with him and staining him with his demonic seed was quite tempting. Although the Spectre was more than a little annoyed at the demon sullying him with base demon blood, he couldn't help but smirk a bit at Etrigan's offer. He found the yellow skinned Rhymer both infuriating and enthralling. A demon who more often than not found himself allied with the forces of good. Hooking a gloved finger under the creature's chin, he tilted his face upward and bent his head to kiss the infernal being. "Indeed. Just take care with your claws. I haven't the same taste for pain as you do." With a hearty laugh, Etrigan allowed the Spectre to press his mouth to his. The divine being nipping in an almost playful manner at his lower lip, which drew a soft growl that might have been mistaken for a purr from the demon. Sharp claws made quick work of the pair of green shorts that the Spectre wore, leaving light scratches against pale skin. This made the Spectre pull back and regard his partner with a slight quirked brow as he slid a strong hand around Etrigan's throat. "What did I just say about being careful with your claws?" The demon gripped the Spectre by the hips and ground his still clad, but rapidly stiffening lower half against him, lust lighting his blazing red eyes. "That you did and no mistake. I've been a bad boy and my punishment I'll take!" He pressed his neck harder against the Spectre's hand and the spirit shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "You are incorrigible. But if punishment is what you crave, that is my specialty." Releasing the demon's throat he made a gesture at the wrist, flicking his hand and banishing Etrigan's clothing, as well as instantly cleaning him up as he found the thought of coupling with him while he was so filthy vile. Etrigan gave him a lightly annoyed look as he had been looking forward to making the Spectre equally as filthy as him, but he would take enough satisfaction in fucking his partner among the corpses of his slain enemies. The Spectre kissed the demon again, more roughly this time, biting and sucking at his mouth without mercy as Etrigan opened to him quite willingly. Then with zero warning the spirit of vengeance had shoved the demon roughly to his knees before him. Etrigan looked up at him with a hungry look. "Blasphemy's always fun to do, I'd be glad to worship you." The look that Spec shot Etrigan was positively murderous, but rather than destroying the demon kneeling at his feet he merely gripped him by the finned ears and forced himself down Etrigan's throat. "If you bite me, I'm removing your teeth until we're done here." He threatened, but that was the furthest thing from Etrigan's mind as he wrapped his forked tongue around the Spectre's shaft, swallowing him as saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth. He was enjoying himself. The Spectre kept his grip on the demon's finned ears, pulling him down onto his shaft and fucking his mouth with little regard to his comfort or pleasure. Of course Etrigan was able to see to his own enjoyment, one clawed hand gripping the spirit's hip and the other slipping between his own legs to stroke himself as he licked and sucked the Spectre's erection. For the moment he was being careful about his claws as he gripped his lover, but the tips of them were pressed just enough to indent his flesh and tease him with the knowledge that he was absolutely capable of rending his skin if he felt like it. "You're pushing it, Etrigan. Behave or I'll have to restrain you." Spectre warned, and Etrigan grunted around him, but did shift his fingers so that only the pads touched his flesh. Meanwhile Etrigan continued to stroke himself in tandem with the rhythm that the Spectre had taken to fuck his throat. He lapped at him eagerly, wanting to drive him into a frenzy. There was just something about a holy being losing himself to lust that was just so enticing. The Spectre had settled into a steady rhythm, sliding his hands from Etrigan's ears to the top of his head, stroking his scalp and rewarding him for behaving with soft touches, even as he continued to thrust hard and fast and heedless of Etrigan's comfort down his throat. The two grunted as Etrigan pleasured the Spectre, the both of them already with blood flowing--so to speak--from the battle beforehand. Etrigan purred around the Spectre as he felt his thrusts becoming more desperate and erractic, feeling the very few shreds of self-control that the spirit had to begin with eroding with each flick of the demon's tongue. It wasn't long before Spectre was throwing his head back and shoving Etrigan's head down onto him as he came, his cloak flowing as though caught in a gale wind as Etrigan stroked himself to completion as well. The mingling of their two essenses beginning to become more of a physical thing as the Spectre's cloak enfolded the demon and they began to merge. In the next moment the combined being reeled on it's heels and looked down at itself. Pale yellow skin wrapped in a green cloak as the physical forms of the Spectre and Etrigan had combined into one. And that was less disturbing to them than suddenly having four dissenting voices in their head as Jim and Jason stirred from those deep dark places that they resided while their other halves handled business and demanded to know just what the hell had happened. The combined being wavered as it took a couple of steps, trying to find a happy medium between the damned and the divine. "This is not something that should be. We must separate." The being shook it's head again and answered itself in a deep gravelly voice that reverberated with unspeakable power. "Perhaps if we revert to something more...human." As both beings were mystical and had the potential of shifting their appearance in some ways either through holy or demonic magic, the flux of their beings might have had something to do with it. But Jason and Jim were quite a bit more solid than either of them. The combined being closed it's eyes and blurred slightly as it tried to separate into the two men. Unfortunately, there was still only one when the attempt was finished. Jason/Jim--Jimson? Jam?--Looked down at himselves. The two gingers were quite similar in appearance so at least everything looked mostly familiar, but felt anything but. One eye of red and one of green, hair shifting in a gradient from a bright almost orange to a deep red with the familiar white streak still in the same place as it was on both men. "I think...we might need help" Whether it was Jim or Jason who voiced the thought was hard to tell, but all four personalities encased in the single form were in agreement. They even were able to concur on whom they should call upon first. Madame Xanadu knew all of them quite intimately and was extremely versed in the occult. If there was an answer, they could only hope she would possess it. Summoning a portal, the combined being exited the battlefield and stepped through to Madame Xanadu's parlor, ignoring the fact that he was still completely naked in his haste to correct what Spectre and Etrigan had accidentally caused. Fortunately for them, the fortune teller was more than used to both Jason and Jim's unusual procliveties so the only thing they got was a raised brow and a rather amused smile. "You seem to have gotten yourselves into trouble. And this is why you should stick to threesomes with me. I would never have let you do something so stupid. Let me guess, you're stuck?" The combined man glowered at the woman "Don't tease. This wasn't our fault. Talk to the other two." Upon finding out that the current situation was the result of Spectre and Etrigan, two beings who absolutely should have known better, Xanadu broke into a fit of hysteric laughter. Far less amused was Jam--which was what the Jason and Jim hybrid had decided to refer to himself as for the moment--who just stood and glowered. "It's not funny." He insisted. "Oh no, it very much is. You're just on the wrong side of the joke to appreciate it, my dears!" The woman continued to cackle, seemingly unable to stop herself. Jam ran an exasperated hand through his hair. Fortunately it seemed that they might not have to rely on Xanadu solely as the Phantom Stranger materialized, taken aback by what he saw and sensed before him. "What have you done?" He asked aghast. "It wasn't me! Us! Argh! It was Moonface and Ettie! They couldn't fucking well keep it in their pants and now...well look at us!" Jam was starting to get more than a little angry and frustrated by the situation. Each side of the combined being was used to his mystical other half causing them headaches, but this was far more of a pain than their usual antics. It was bad enough having to share a body with their other halves, but at least they were used to getting their own form back afterward. A very faint smirk could be seen turning up the corner of the Stranger's mouth as he regarded the man. "You should calm yourself." In the background, Xanadu was STILL laughing. "Can we go somewhere else and discuss this? Someone is not being helpful." Jam shot a pointed look at Xanadu, which only sent her into another fit of giggles. "Oh, I'm so sorry, but this really is hilarious. You two idiots really get yourselves into the most ridiculous situations!" Jam grunted in annoyance and turned to the Stranger. "Get us out of here and tell us how to fix this." "As you wish..." With a wave of his hand the Stranger had transported them away and was still smirking. Oh, he was never ever going to let the two of them live this down. "Perhaps there's also something else you should be concerned about" The Stranger's blank white eyes flicked down to glance at Jam's uncovered groin. The combined man just rolled his eyes and groaned more. The Jason portion of the creation seemed more okay with this than Jim would have preferred. "Does this happen a lot?" He asked himself, and the shared form nodded. "Constantly. You're lucky that Spectre doesn't have the same sense of humor as Etrigan." Jim was more than a little disturbed. "That sounds completely awful." The Stranger interjected by raising a finger and clearing his throat. "Perhaps we should focus on the problem at hand." With another slight wave Jam was provided with a set of clothes. "Thank you. So...can't you just...do your weird Stranger mumbo jumbo and fix us?" It wasn't hard to figure out which side that was coming from as Jam pinched the bridge of his nose. "I think if he could do it, so could the Spectre." His eyes narrowed for a moment as he considered something. "Etrigan! If this is your idea of a joke..." Somewhere inside the deep dark depths of the shared mind the demon roused himself and insisted that he had naught to do with their current predicament, shifting the blame to the Spectre, who took offense and very soon Jam was holding his head in pain as the two mystical powerhouses fought within him. "This is the worst thing ever! How do I make it stop!" The Stranger looked at the being before him and gave them a slightly apologetic expression. "I'm afraid I did not appear in order to aid you with your current situation. Your attention is needed elsewhere." Jam just stared at him, mouth agape. "You have GOT to be joking. I can't do anything...like this!" "Then it is fortunate you two are not the ones I need." The ginger haired man glared at the Stranger. "Nobody is doing anything until we are ourselves again. So you'd better start thinking of solutions." The Stranger looked quite unimpressed by the threat. "And I shall. I will think of one while you deal with Belial, who even now is near to breaking out of Hell and manifesting on this plane of reality." As much as Jam hated to admit it, that was not something that could be ignored. Still, they didn't feel they were in any condition to deal with it in their current state, and letting out a combined Spectre and Etrigan was likely not the best idea. "Then you deal with him." "I cannot. You know that I am forbidden from interfering in--" "Oh DAMN your excuses! We don't want to hear it!" Jam interrupted with a burst of anger. The Stranger bowed his head slightly. "I must apologize, but I will endeavor to have a solution when you have completed your task." Flinging forth his hand he stared at the combined being. "Now show your other halves and do what must be done!" The pocket dimension where the Stranger had brought them faded as Jim and Jason receded into the background and the combined form of Etrigan and Spectre--who Etrigan had decided should refer to themselves as Spectrigan--was sent to deal with Belial. The archfiend was, doubtless, expecting someone to come and stand against him as he made his way toward the exit to Hell, most likely even expecting his son to be one of them, but what he saw before him was certainly not anything he had expected. Spectrigan merged the features of the two beings so that both were discernable within and Belial folded his arms and frowned. "Either the Spirit of Vengeance has developed a very poor sense of humor, or my son has forgotten that he is not yet so old that I will not thrash him for being foolhardy. Whichever it is, I care not. But you will not stall me." Spectrigan straightened itself, both halves of it insulted by Belial's words. "Neither. I am both your son and the Spectre. And neither intends to allow you to pass." Belial's eyes widened for a moment and then he growled, a tendril of hellfire curling from his nostrils in his rage. "What you are is an abomination! No son of mine is going to be a feather fucker!" If Spectrigan was insulted before, he was enraged now. Normally at least the portion that was Etrigan would have drawn out the fight to increase his own enjoyment, now he was too angry to even think of allowing Belial to stand. The combined being flung itself at the demon lord, demonic claws out and holy fire blazing from it's eyes. Belial was knocked back by the force of the combined assault. More than a little disturbed by how well his son and the Spectre worked in tandem. He attempted to put up a defense, but Spectrigan gave him no chance to mount a proper countermeasure. The being pressed it's advantage, showing no quarter to the demon lord. While it bit and clawed and projected a mixture of holy and hellflame from it's hands, the very landscape around them also twisted to the Spectre's power and joined in the attack. Stalagmites and stalagtites shifted and twisted themselves to pin the archfiend, elongating to sharp points and skewering through his flesh, pinning him in place. Once he was sufficiently subdued, it focused it's powers and knowledge of Hell to cast Belial away into Masak Mavdil, where it would take him ages to pull himself out. And that would be only after he had healed from the multitude of damage that he had taken. Still broiling over with rage and the urge to battle, Spectrigan took it's leave of the Hellscape around it and returned to where the Stranger had been. Leveling a look of great anger at the wandering spirit. "Belial is dealt with. Now you'd better have an answer for how we're to fix this!" While Spectrigan stared at the Stranger with blazing eyes, the other man remained calm. "In point of fact, I have. I called in someone who should be able to solve this for you both. He should be here presently." The Phantom Stranger began to fade from view, Spectrigan holding out a hand and calling after him. "Don't dare leave me! Who did you call you miserable bastard?" "ME" A single word was spoken behind them and they turned, although they needn't have. There was only one being in the cosmos that either of them knew who could put that much power into a single syllable. "Michael. Are we to assume that the Stranger informed you of the situation?" The archangel nodded, keeping any opinions he had about what had transpired between them to himself. "I HAVE BEEN INFORMED. AND I CAN ASSIST YOU. BUT PLEASE. DO NOT EVER DO THAT AGAIN. THE ANGELIC AND THE DEMONIC WERE NOT MEANT TO CONSORT." Reaching out his powerful arms, he took the combined being by the shoulders and pulled. The Spectre and Etrigan howled as they were separated. Michael was being kind enough to aid them, but he was not so soft as to make sure that it didn't hurt. Otherwise they would learn nothing. When it was done, Michael looked at the two separated entities and nodded. "IT IS DONE. SEE THAT YOU ARE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE." Etrigan spoke up, jostling the Spectre with his arm. "For your help thanks I owe thee, but as for who's to blame look to him and not me!" The Spectre turned to look at the demon with death reflecting in his eyes. "You blame me? How dare you, pitspawn! If it was anything it was your corrupted influence that caused the problem!" Growling, Etrigan bared his teeth and little wisps of hellfire slid form between them. "Stupid spirit reel in thy pride! For this the blame I'll not abide!" Losing his temper, no matter how hard Jim tried to hold him back, the Spectre leapt at Etrigan and knocked him back, grappling with the beast. Within Etrigan Jason screamed for him to just, for once in his life, let it go, but the demon would not heed him and fought back, biting and scratching at the disgraced angelic being. "IT IS NEVER WISE TO LET YOUR PASSIONS REIGN. YOU MUST HOLD YOURSELF IN CHECK LEST YOU LOSE YOURSELF." But Michael's warning came too late. The two had already remerged, though that didn't stop the fight. Spectrigan was still rolling on the ground punching itself and shouting threats and curses. Michael just sighed and shook his golden locks, walking away until the two had calmed down and were ready to behave.

[justsomerandomweebo]

Ninjago Valentine’s Week Day 3

Au Ship- Fantasy Au ft. Glaciershipping

"Look who's out and about." Jay says, landing on Cole's hide, grinning as the Centaur gave an irritated huff.

"What did I tell you about riding me?" Cole says, giving the storm harpy a glare over his shoulders as he preened his feathers.

"Now is that how you treat a friend?" Jay says with a grin, properly straddling his hide, careful of the talons on his feet and the sides of Cole's horse half.

"No, this is how I treat pesky birds using me as a perch." Cole gruffed, trudging on through the snow, pulling the wool vest he traded in fairy territory closer to his home plains.

"Harsh Cole." Kai says, arriving then, perching just before his mate who immediately cuddled up against his back, bright red, orange and gold feathers fueling him with warmth. "Usually you'd be there before snowfall. What caught you up?" He asked as Cole took a moment to bask in the warmth that always stuck with the Phoenix harpy, even when he wasn't covered in fire.

"I stopped by someplace and paid for a favor." Was all Cole said but the harpies on his back wouldn't give up so easily.

"Oh? Does it involve a certain cold water mer?" Kai asked, wagging his brow as Jay snickered into his back.

Cole's cheeks reddened and it wasn't from the cold.

"'S none of your business." He huffed, starting off in a trot.

The sooner he gets there, the better. Zane will be there any moment now and he wanted to be there before he came. If not then the lake would freeze over before they have a chance to relocate to their official meeting point. He could still get there with the lake frozen over but he always liked to see him emerge from the water like some sort of water angel.

"Considering you're both our friends, I'd say it is." Jay says then paused. "Do you think Nya will finally bring along this Skylor person?" He asked the two.

"She better. She promised last winter and then last summer and didn't bring them either times." Kai huffed. "I may not be a mer like her but I am her brother. As long as she's happy and they don't hurt her, I won't have to roast anyone." He said, spotting the lake up ahead with his sharp eyesight, despite the snowfall.

"Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say hot head." Cole says drily.

"I remember when I had a crush on Nya a long time ago. You singed off my primaries! I was grounded until they grew back!" Jay argued, lightning arcing through his blue feathers, making his eyes glow.

Cole yelped as he was jolted, almost bucking them off.

"Jeeze, watch it with the lightning, yeah?" He says, annoyed and Jay gave a sheepish sorry as the lightning faded.

"I've apologised for that a thousand times lightning bug and I'm still sorry. I looked after you the whole time, didn't I? Plus, that's how we got together to begin with." Kai says, turning around on Cole to pull his mate close, wrapping him up in his warm feathers, pulling a happy trill from Jay.

"Hmmm... Ok. I'll forgive you." He murmured, nuzzling the light, skin coloured feathers against his neck as Kai crooned deeply.

"You two better not get frisky on my back." Cole gruffed as he came to a stop before the lake that had already started to freeze over.

"You're just jealous we aren't you and Zane." Jay mumbled against Kai's neck.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Cole says, rolling his eyes. "You better get off or else." Cole says, glancing back at them as he dragged his front left hoof through the snow a few times.

"Up we go." Kai says and both harpies took to the air, hovering as they watched Cole.

Said centaur snorted before rearing up on his back hooves with a half whinny, half yell and stomped his hooves down again, making the entire ground shake with a brief yet turbulent earthquake. The waves from the vibration traveled from land to lagoon, shattering the thickening ice with ease, leaving the remaining chunks floating on top.

"Well that saved us some time." Nya says, her head surfacing a moment after, flcking her deep blue, tipped with maroon ear fins clear of water so she could hear better.

"This year is colder than last for the lake to freeze over so quickly." Kai says, landing in the snow that immediately began to steam and melt on contact with his taloned feet.

"I prefer to think of it as ideal." Cole's breath hitched at the familiar voice, watching eagerly as a large white tail with ice blue fins and spines carried the pale, cold water mer to shore.

His ear fins were white at the ends, turning blue towards his ear canal. The scales along the sides of his face and forehead were the same white as his tail and skin with an exceptional few that were the same pale blue. From the corners of his light blue lips were thin lines of blue that stopped a little before reaching his ears. Should he chose to open his mouth at its full width, those little blue lines would reveal taunt blue muscles and two rows of sharp, pointed teeth made to rip through flesh. His long blue claws were just as sharp and made that way for the same purpose. It's the appearance of these cold water and deep water mers alike that made them so feared. To all but them. Cole just found him breath taking from the very first day he met him three years back. And his eyes... They were such a bright blue in comparison to the rest of him. He could stare into them for days...

"Earth to Cole!" Jay yelled, using a talloned foot to mess up his hair.

"Damn bird!" Cole growled as he batted him away, Jay laughing as he flew over to Kai.

"Are you ok Cole?" Zane asked, concerned as he worked his way closer to shore, the water just covering his tail now as he flattened the spines on his back and closed the gills along the sides of his chest so he could take in air through his nose.

"Y- yeah. I'm fine. Just uh- just wondering where Skylor is. Jay's been wanting to meet her." Cole quickly deflected, not about to admit he was lost in his gorgeous eyes.

At least, not in front of everyone.

"I did actually bring her this time. Gimme a sec." Nya says then slithered around, back under the water, her tail flicking frigid water towards them.

Jay only managed to dodge by ducking behind his boyfriend. The water was warm before it hit Kai anyway.

"So it's a she..." Kai says with narrowed eyes, crossing his feathered arms.

"Yes. She is. And quite nice." Zane spoke up, gaining their attention.

"I'll have to-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you will. Can we move this to the caves? It's freezing out here, even with my own personal warmer." Jay pouts, taloned hands pressed up against Kai's exposed stomach.

"In a sec." Nya says, popping up again. "Guys, this is Skylor." She says and they all watched in anticipation as the red head emerged soon after, her long hair creating a sort of red halo around her in the water.

"So you're all Nya's friends- and you must be her brother." Skylor says, gesturing to Kai with her chin before raising more out of the water so they could see the seal tail she had from the hips down.

Considering that she had purple scales at the sides of her face, neck and shoulders, it was a little surprising. They didn't think much of it however. Nya liked her and that's all they needed to know.

"Nice to finally meet you all." She says politely.

"Hi!" Jay chirped, waving at her. "I'm Jay, you already recognise my grumpy mate and our cold water friend and this is Cole!" He introduced. "No offence but can we go now? It's only getting colder..." He whined, climbing Kai's back.

"Fine you big baby. I'm a warm water mer and even I can take the cold for two or three hours." Nya huffed and Skylor chuckled next to her.

"Uh, you guys go on ahead. I- uh. I wanna talk with Zane for a bit." Cole says and Jay grinned widely, opening his mouth. "Alone." He says firmly, cutting off whatever he was going to say.

Jay pouted as Kai chuckled.

"Alright. We'll see you in a bit." The phoenix harpy says, before they both flew off towards the hill descending into the lake close by.

A splash from Nya and Skykor and they were gone too. Now alone with Zane, he couldn't help the brighter flush that filled his cheeks as the cold water mer looked at him curiously.

"You wanted to talk?" Zane prompts curiously.

"Yeah..." Cole says, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly before stepping closer, ignoring the frigid water lapping at his hooves. "I kinda wanted to say something a long time ago but I didn't know how to say it, you know?" He says, pilling something out of the small satchel he always carries and lowered himself to his knees, shivering when the cold water lapped at his underbelly but ignoring it in favor of what he held in his hand.

Zane on the other had was still curious but was anticipating now. Was he saying what he hoped he was?

"I talked to Nya during the summer for the best thing I could offer you to not screw this up and well..." Zane lifted himself up on his hands unconsciously, heart pounding as Cole stretched his hand out to him.

Zane gasped softly, seeing the gorgeous pearl in his hand, his eyes widening as his pale cheeks turned light blue with his version of a blush.

"I really like you Zane... More... More than just friends." Cole says, glancing away as his tail flicked anxiously. "And I was hoping you'd let me court you." He says, catching the mer's eyes again, swallowing nervously.

"Cole..." Zane says breathlessly, in awe of the large pearl and at his words. "Of course. Yes." As if there was ever a doubt.

There was no question about it. He had been nursing a crush for the strong stallion with a kind smile and gentle hands since he first met him. He hadn't said anything up until now, despite what Nya told him because he was seen as a monster and he didn't think he could handle the rejection when crush spiraled into love so quickly.

"Really?!" Cole says, baffled yet eager.

"Really." Zane smiled, accepting the pearl and craidling it gently, core warming at the sight of it.

He's never seen any this big before. His webbed hand couldn't fully close over it.

"Great." Cole says with a relieved sigh before grinning wide.

Zane looked up at Cole again and shifted closer, reaching out and tugging him down by the wool vest. Cole flushed, now nose to nose with the beautiful cold water mer.

"May I... Kiss you?" Zane asked softly, learning the term from Nya and seeing it from Jay and Kai.

It seems like a very important part of courting for land creatures so he would like to do the same with his land creature.

"U-um yeah. Sure." Cole got out, face red but anticipation building inside him.

Zane nods once before he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Cole's.

‘Hot…’ Was Zane's first thought at his first kiss.

Cole was having opposite thoughts but neither minded. Taking the initiative, Cole cupped Zane's cheek and deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against Zane's longer and smoother one. He tasted so much like cold and ocean and… And Zane. A low crooning sound had Cole pulling back, curious to the sound and where it came from. Instead, he saw Zane with cheeks blue with blush and lips puffy from their kiss.

“Forgive me. I only make that sound when I'm-”

“Wait, you made that sound?” Cole asked, surprised.

Zane nods and Cole… Found he liked it.

“Oh, OK.” Cole nodded as he swiped his thumb against his cheek he still held, smiling warmly once Zane leaned into it. "We should head in... Before the others get worried." He says quietly and Zane nods, taking a moment to relish in his touch before nodding and pulling away.

"Meet you there." Zane says, slithering back and Cole nods with a grin before trotting along the shore towards the caves excitedly.

He just snagged himself the most gorgeous mer!

**********

This was supposed to be longer but I'm posting on mobile and there's that stupid limit so I had to cut it short. For reference, Skylor is a half naga, half selkie. When she takes off the seal tail, she still has human legs but with skales on them. She has a snake tail though. Nya likes to use her sealskin as a scarf. Also, I went with glaciershipping since I did plasmashipping before. Technoshipping and lavashipping are around the corner tho!

[rosywrites]

Beyond the Depths, Chapter 4

Title: Beyond the Depths (Merman Jhin AU) Chapter 4: Surfacing Fandom: League of Legends Ship: Jhin x Sona

[AO3]

Word count: 5,588

Pencil tapping against a wooden clipboard sounded from the platform by the tank. A doctor hummed in thought as he went over the results. There was a silence between the group of people gathered by the merman. “Going over the results of your physical condition, you can perform complicated maneuvers without any pain or hesitation. We can release you back into the sea,” he said to the merman.

Sona, sitting at the bottom of the stairs leading to the platform, raised her head at the statement. She pursed her lips and sighed. The time has finally come. Jhin would be released within the next few days. She started listing the things they would need to send him back.

“If I may make a request…?” Jhin started.

“Oh, what would that be?”

“I…” Jhin’s eyes averted to Sona, who was too busy preparing in her head, and paused. “I would like to stay for a while longer.”

Sona’s eyes widened as her head perked up.

“Uh, I see,” the doctor said slowly. He glanced at Sona. “We will have to discuss that with Lady Buvelle first.”

“Let me know if my request can be granted then.” But he wasn’t talking to the doctor.

The doctor nervously tapped his pencil against his clipboard. “Lady Buvelle, I’m sure you’ve heard the merman’s request earlier. But what do you think of it?” He glanced back at the tank with a perplexed expression. “My knowledge on merpeople is limited, but he has no reason to remain in a tank any longer. So why?”

Sona furrowed her brows. She wasn’t sure either. Jhin shouldn’t have had any reason to stay. They both knew even he can’t be kept in such a small space forever. “I’ll try to ask him myself later. But I still plan to release him back to the sea soon.” She escorted the doctor out after some words of thanks and returned to the tank room.

As she approached the tank, Jhin swam over to the glass. “How did it go?”

“The usual, though the doctor is confused about your request.” She looked up at him. “I’m wondering, as well, why you asked if you can stay. It’s not like you plan to be domesticated to be some sort of pet.”

“First of all, it’s insulting that you would think I would choose to stay to be a source of entertainment,” he said in mock offense. “But that’s not the reason why.”

She raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

Jhin’s eyes seemed to soften. “Consider it as paying back a debt.” He sank lower towards Sona’s eye level. “You trying to help me with my compulsions and future… and I help you with your trauma, considering I am the source of it.”

Sona chuckled. “In other words, you regret it?”

“Hah, I wouldn’t say ‘regret’. Perhaps ‘pity’ is the right word.”

“Ugh, you sure know how to hit where it hurts most, don’t you?” Sona asked jokingly.

“I learned it from the best.” That earned him a pouting glare. “I have another request, actually.”

“What is it?”

“I remember you talking about the shores. Something about a private shore. I would feel much better if I am allowed to spend the rest of my time in the sea than in a tank. It would also be better for you to interact with the sea itself than something artificially made to feel like it.”

“That… is a rather big request,” she admitted.

“Not an easy one either.”

Sona gave it some thought. It would indeed be a very big move. The tank would have to be emptied, the entire household may have to put aside their tasks just to get him into the ocean, and there was that slim chance of him using this to escape or worse. She glanced at him, who remained where he was and stared at her patiently.

As if he read her mind, he asked, “Do you trust me?”

Her eyes perked up, searching for the sincerity in his question. But she didn’t need to. Her lips turned up into a genuine smile as she nodded. “I do.”

“Um, Lady Buvelle, is this safe?” Two maid struggled as they stepped down the stairs as they carried a stretcher with Jhin laid across it. Another pair of maids in the back called for the front to be careful so as not to drop him.

“I mean, this is how we transported him the first time, no?” Sona was helping them down the stairs while also assigning other tasks to the butlers and maids to take care of the tank.

“You do realize I was unconscious at the time. Not to mention, I feel ridiculous.”

“Do you have any other ideas we can transport you, then?”

“A small, merman-sized tank, perhaps?”

“.... Too heavy.”

“Excuse me?” Jhin croaked in offense.

“No talking, or you’ll run out of air,” she quickly dismissed smugly. Her smile widened when an annoyed growl sounded from his throat. “Once we release him into the ocean, please go back inside to help the others with the tank,” she instructed the maids.

“Will you be okay by yourself, my lady?” one of them asked, eyeing her knee-length dress. It was shorter than her usual long dress, so perhaps she planned to walk into the water.

“I’ll be fine.”

  The maids slowly walked into the water with Sona in front. As soon as they reached hip-deep water, they set the stretcher down and let the merman float in the water. He slowly slipped out of the stretcher and dove headfirst into the sea.

Everyone paused, waiting for the merman to resurface. In minutes, his head poked out of the water a few feet away with a pleasant sigh.

“It feels good to be in the sea again,” he said.

Sona smiled and dismissed the maids to go help the others with the tank. She stayed where she was, watching Jhin swim around Buvelle shores and occasionally surfacing to see the sky. For a situation like this, she was almost glad that the Buvelle shores were a cove, almost surrounded by a wall of rock with only one passage that leads to a small dock on the right of the beach. If someone were to come by to deliver a package, at least Jhin would be able to hide easily.

Not that it would matter. They’d need permission to enter anyways.

Jhin swam over to Sona. “Worried?”

“A little. Just unsure if I might freeze up in the water again.”

“Hm, well, how are you feeling now?”

“It’s cold.”

He rolled his eyes with a smile. “It’s the sea. Of course, it’s cold. But with the weather being so warm, a human like you should adapt eventually.” He extended his hand out of the water. “Give it a try?”

After a deep breath, Sona took his hand and let him guide her deeper into the water. She gulped when the water rose up to her waist. So far, so good, just a little nervous. She could feel each step get deeper and plush faster now that the sand was sloping.

Then, they stopped.

“Sona?”

Sona realized she was shutting her eyes as they were walking in. Her eyes fluttered open, and there was Jhin. The water was now up to her shoulders, and each wave carried her off the ocean floor for a few seconds.

“I’m not going to panic. I promise.”

“If you don’t want to keep going, we can go back to the shore.”

“Thanks, but it won’t be necessary,” she reassured. She took another breath and allowed herself to float, letting her body surface and drift with the gentle waves. “It’s nice, being able to do something like this.”

Jhin stayed close to her, making sure she doesn’t drift too far from where they were.

“Where are you staying when it’s nighttime? Surely, you sleep too, don’t you?” Sona asked while she stayed afloat on the ocean waves, her eyes closed to focus on the movement of the sea. Jhin kept her from drifting too far by leaning against her body in the water. He kept his back turned to her as they continued conversation.

“Yes, but it’s just like almost any predatory fish out there. Part of me is still awake so that I don’t go into unknown territory or drift too far. I stay closer to the rocks since it’s a cove.”

“Hmm,” she hummed in satisfaction at his answer. She opened her eyes and looked over at Jhin, who stared at the sky. She positioned herself so that she now floated upright in the water. She looked at the back of Jhin’s head, his flesh-colored mask with a dark, dull purple coloration framing his face. In curiosity, she smacked her hand on top of his head. It felt weirdly slimy, unlike how it looked.

Jhin flinched, wheeling around to see Sona’s surprised and amused face. “What was that for?”

“Sorry, I… had this urge to feel it,” she said with slight shame in her tone. “You mentioned that it was a mask, right?”

He stayed silent for a moment. “It’s a mask I used for, well, killing and… a bit for myself. I loathed how I looked, so I tried to use the mask to look more suitable to who I was. But even then…” he paused, “I would hate it.”

Sona swam closer to Jhin, placing her hand on his cheek under his eyes. His blue eyes stood out from the mask, and upon closer inspection, there was a space between his eyes and the eyeholes of the mask. She traced the purple coloration of his mask down to the slits of the mouth.

“Can I see?”

His eyes looked into hers, and she could see the concern swirling in the blue. She was about to reassure that he doesn’t have to, but he held out his claw. “I don’t see the harm in doing so.” He dug his thumb under the lining of his mask and pulled up, slowly revealing his true skin underneath. Wet, black hair spilled out and clung to his face as he completely pulled the mask off his head.

His face was like any other human’s. He had no features that resembled a monster like his mask did. He looked like… a normal human. She reached out to touch his skin, her fingertips just barely brushing against his cheekbones. Her fingers traced the dark purple scales that framed his face. They felt smooth, almost like leather, but she could each individual line and texture in another direction. He even had ears that resembled small fins, unlike human ears.

“Not what you expected, is it?” he asked.

Sona shook her head with a smile. “Not really. But I think you look perfectly fine as you are.”

“Would you like to try submerging again today? You did well last time.” Jhin extended his claws out to Sona once they reached the deeper end of the cove.

“Are you sure? This is a little deeper than before…” she said worriedly. Last time, Sona had tried to hold her breath underwater when she could barely stand on the tips of her toes. But this time, she was floating about three feet above the slope. Plenty of distance away that she couldn’t reach and ground herself with her toes.

Jhin smiled reassuringly. “Remember I’ll be with you. I’ll go underwater with you on the count of three?” he suggested.

Sona gulped, but she nodded. She placed her hands in his claws and took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m ready.” On three, the two submerged. With her eyes closed, she couldn’t anything other than the water and Jhin’s claws gently wrapping around hers. Seconds passed, and she tried to squint her eyes open.

It was blurry underwater, and the water stung her eyes, of course. But in the blue, she could make out Jhin’s figure in the water. He was staring up at her from below to help her sink deeper into the water. Without his mask, she could almost see the encouragement in his face. His black and gray scales shimmered purple in the light, his golden tail even brighter. But the brightest of all were his eyes. It almost seemed to glow even in the midst of all this blue. The same eyes she saw in the distance that night in the ship.

Having forgotten how long she was holding her breath, she released a stream of bubbles from the lack of air. She kicked her legs to swim up, but there was no ground to get a boost. She felt Jhin's claws release her hands, grab her by the torso, and take her back up to the surface.

“Humans can be rather unpredictable,” he said. “I think this is your longest record of holding your breath underwater without being overtaken by your fear.”

Sona laughed when she realized: “I didn't even have the time to think about it.”

Recently, Jhin had stopped wearing his mask altogether since a few days ago. Though he had trouble maintaining eye contact and would wear his mask again for a while, he began feeling a little more confident in showing his face to Sona. Had it been anyone else, he’d feel less inclined to show it.

He explored the bottom of the cove, not hesitating to swipe a fish for food if one was nearby. Shells, sea stars, fish, and many other colorful creatures littered the floor. He never frequented the bottom of the ocean near the shores in his current age, nor did he like diving too far into the dark depths either. That was where the more frightening monsters lie, and where merpeople go to lose their sanity forever.

“Hm?”

He spotted small schools of fish swimming around a fissure in the cove, several different fish even going in and out of it. He swam towards it in curiosity without mind of the fish that evaded his presence. The fissure went quite deep inside and tall enough for anyone his size to swim through.

“How peculiar.”

  Later that afternoon, Sona went for a swim, despite Jhin’s absence today. She felt more and more comfortable swimming in the sea by herself now, though it was more enjoyable having someone else accompany her. The waves looked calmer than usual, so perhaps she could take it easy for today.

She swam off the sandy slope and headed towards the deeper side of the water. There was no sign of Jhin swimming around or underwater. Perhaps he went off to explore farther out the cove, though she hoped he would stay away from any peering eyes.

Drifting along with the waves, Sona reached out to the sky as if she could touch the clouds peeking out of the space between the cliffs.

Then, she heard the familiar sound of something moving in the water. She looked to her right to see Jhin watching her from nearby. Suddenly self-conscious, she scrambled upright in the water, her ears red and hot. “How long were you watching?”

Jhin’s head perked up, averting his gaze to the side. “Sorry, you just seemed really peaceful. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

She covered her ears to cool them down as she asked, “D-did you need anything?”

“Actually,” he started, swimming over to Sona, “there was something interesting I found inside the rocks: a cave. You can only get in through a fissure underwater though.”

Sona nodded slowly. “Is it possible for me to swim into it?”

He shook his head. “It’s too deep below for you to swim to it by yourself. The only you can get in…” he paused mid-sentence in hesitance, “... is if I take you there.” He watched her think, taking her fear and trauma into account. “I understand if you don’t—”

“If you’re okay with it, then you can take me there.” She smiled. “Besides, I think I’m doing well with handling my fear now.”

“In that case,” Jhin said as he extended his arm out to her. “Shall we get going?”

With a nod, she let Jhin wrap his arm around her waist and take her under. She held her breath as she felt the current rush past her. The water pressure gradually increased as they went deeper underwater, and the sounds of movement became muffled.

And for a moment, she thought she could hear voices calling out to her in the water.

Sona. Sona.

Help us, Sona.

Sona. Save us.

Sona. Sona.

No.

They were simply phantoms. Just remnants of the fear she worked to overcome.

She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t going to panic. Wanting to prove it to herself, she opened her eyes despite the salty seawater stinging them.

There was no darkness. There was light. Bits of blue and sea green lights lit the water like clusters of stars in the night sky. The lights swirled with the force of their surfacing bodies, just like the gentle brush strokes of a painting.

Beautiful , she thought until she finally surfaced for breath. She took a few breaths to reorient herself in this new environment. The cave was bright with blue light, and she wondered if the cave had openings to the outside. She couldn’t see properly from the seawater blurring her vision.

Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave, she saw that it wasn’t sunlight lighting the cave or the water. Bioluminescent plankton and algae glowed like beautiful stars of blue and green within the water. Her every movement made them twinkle. At the far end of the cave, sunlight shone through holes in the rocky ceiling.

“Are you alright?” Jhin’s voice sounded from beside her. “Can you breathe properly?”

Turning to Jhin, Sona saw his face underlit by the light, the blues of his eyes almost glowing. She could see the subtle features of his face that she wouldn’t see in broad daylight. She huffed in laughter. “Yes, I’m fine. This is such a gorgeous cave, though. Just how did you find this?”

Jhin guided her to the rocky floor, where she pushed herself up onto the ground and sat on the edge. He looked up at her smiling face lit by the glowing water. He could almost see little bits of sea green in her eyes as they gazed across the water. Blues and greens suit her , he thought. “I was exploring the cove, and I happened to see a fissure in the rocks that fish were coming out of. I figured I could take a look inside.”

“Well, I never knew about this little hidden spot. It’s almost like a cave full of treasure.” She narrowed her eyes at the ceiling and spotted minuscule pieces of glowing rocks embedded in each pillar and crack of the cave. She felt at peace here, with no one and nothing to bother her. “Hey.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Can we come here again? Tomorrow?”

He chuckled at the captivation in her smile. “Whenever you’d like.”

Sona usually brought a towel with her to the cave to give herself a cushion when she sat by the rocks. She spent most of her day in the cave to have some peace and quiet, though they’d sometimes be outside for a change of pace.

Today was just another long day of paperwork, scheduling, and giving two Demacian nobles an audience only to see the disappointment in their eyes upon seeing Jhin’s absence in the tank room. At this time, she was glad she made the decision to show the Crownguards. And now word would spread that she no longer had a merman in her manor, and no one would dig into the situation any deeper.

It’s just what she wanted.

“I heard you speaking with those nobles by the balcony before you came here.”

“You could hear them?” she asked in disbelief.

“They were rather loud. I could hear bits and pieces of their conversation while you were gone too.” He sighed in slight annoyance. “I suppose it was a good thing to confirm my existence so you wouldn’t come off as a liar.” His brows furrowed in irritation. “They were saying something about that.”

Sona tilted her head. “Did they really call me a liar?”

Jhin pursed his lips. “Not exactly… Something along the lines of “she must not have been lying about the merman” or something of that sort.” His eyelids lowered as his brows furrowed further. “Despicable that they would dare imply that.”

She smiled, a little grateful that he was angry for her. “Thank you, Jhin. I appreciate the sentiment.”  She saw his eyes dart to her before averting their gaze immediately. Suddenly, she remembered something back when she talked to Jhin for the first time. “Say, I just realized that you could understand Demacian. I thought you could only speak Ionian.”

Jhin thought for a moment. “Show me your hand.” He gingerly took Sona’s extended hand in his and stared as if examining it. His claw touched the dips between her fingers. “Haven’t you ever wondered why humans can swim as well as they can? Why they look a little webbed?”

Sona didn’t say a word, waiting for him to continue.

“There are myths among my people. Stories of merpeople who turned to humans and moved on to live on the land. Their tails, which they once used to swim, became two legs able to walk on the earth. They wanted to become humans for different reasons: curiosity, wanderlust, elopement, rarely vengeance, or,” he paused as he traced his thumb across her palm, “to be with a loved one who was human.”

Her hand fit snugly in his like a puzzle piece. He could feel the calluses and her tough skin from plucking her etwahl. Upon closer look, he could still see scars at the tips of her fingers from the ship. Something within him stirred painfully.

“It’s believed that humans evolved from merpeople. It’s why they have slightly webbed hands.” He wrapped his fingers around the tips of her fingers. “It’s why we can understand your languages, because they were derived from our people by our people. Of course, after centuries and centuries, those languages slowly became their own. But their roots haven’t changed.”

He inaudibly gasped when he realized he almost brought her hand to his face. Distancing himself away, he averted his gaze back to her. She was staring at him with wide eyes, her face brimming with interest and curiosity.

In that moment, he started to wonder…

Just when did he fall so deep?

“I’ve been thinking…” Jhin trailed off as he relaxed his head into his folded arms on the ground.

“About?”

“About how many of these kinds of hidden caves exist out there all over the world. Each of them made out of their own special materials. The journey of chasing and discovering treasures that humans generally can’t get to. It sounds fascinating.”

Sona put a finger to her lips in thought. “That would take a long time, wouldn’t it? I mean, you just got lucky that there happens to be a glowing cave right by my manor.”

“That’s why it makes the journey all the more worth it, no?”

She laughed with a nod. “Yes, it makes sense.” She then frowned again. “Do you plan to just take a look and go back to the surface, just like that? Though, then again, there’s nothing you can use to record something that can last underwater.”

“I was thinking of taking a sample of my discoveries to remind me of where I’ve been.” His tail slightly splashed the water when he thought of something. “Hm, maybe create a map of where I’ve been and record my discoveries on it. I’d have to hide them somewhere no one can find while I’m searching.”

“Oh! That sounds like a nice idea.” She grinned as her hand waded across the water. “Maybe you can take me to one of your discoveries someday, given I’ll survive the dive.” Jhin didn’t respond. How odd that he didn’t even reply sarcastically.

His arms hid most of his face, but Jhin’s eyes softened at the thought. Taking her to one of his discoveries, huh? He closed his eyes and smiled against his skin, thinking how wonderful that would be. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing. I was imagining nonsensical things.”

Sona tilted her head, pouting at the answer. Her expression then changed in annoyance. “Ah! You better not have been thinking of me trying to swim after you”

The imagery made Jhin stop and burst into laughter. “I wasn’t, but what an interesting thought!”

Sona’s jaw dropped in offense and crossed her arms. “Ugh, you bastard…”

Jhin continued to chuckle as he shifted his arms to lean his head against one. He gazed at the irritated maven with a loving smile. Her lips puckered into a small pout then pursed into a thin line. When she returned his gaze, he immediately averted his eyes to the pillars of glowing rocks.

She didn’t have to know. It would be better that way.

The water was calm and serene. Sona could feel herself sinking deeper and deeper into the depths. On instinct, she opened her eyes to see how far she was from the surface. Bubbles rose for what felt like forever. But she felt no fear. Only peace.

She didn’t want to swim back up to the surface. Being embraced by the sea was almost comforting now.

Just as she closed her eyes, she felt blades of kelp reach out from the dark and wrap around her torso. However, it didn’t do anything to sink her any faster or further. They simply kept themselves wrapped around her like a blanket.

No, not like a blanket. They felt like… a pair of arms. A familiar pair of arms. The feeling grew more and more warm and comforting when she caressed the claws that gently pressed around her waist. She wanted to stay like this for a while.

But then the feeling disappeared like sea foam, and Sona found herself in the water of the cave. All around her were lights of blue and green, but nothing was blurry. Everything was clear. The lights danced before her eyes.

She then saw the same familiar shadow swim through the water above her. It passed her once, twice. Then it descended below towards Sona with the arms extended out. In response, she reached out with her own to let them take her into a warm embrace.

“Ha…” Sona gasped as her eyes snapped open to the top of her canopy. It was a dream. She pulled her covers over her head and curled up inside. She cupped her face, which became red and hot in wake of her dream. Her mind and heartbeat raced as she realized…

She had fallen too deep.

“I found one!” Sona exclaimed as she burst out of the water with a shell in her hand. It had a slight pink hue and an iridescent sheen. However, it had already cracked and chipped off in several places that it wouldn’t be useful to contain any life. She swam towards Jhin while preoccupied with pulling off round goggles away from her eyes.

“Oh good, I found an interesting stone as well.”

Jhin held out a pouch for Sona to deposit the shell. Inside were pieces of sea-weathered glass, shells, pebbles, and even fish scales they collected from the ocean floor. He watched her eyes gloss over the pouch contents with satisfaction. He was sure that if Sona could have had a voice, she would’ve been humming a happy tune.

“So, hm, why did you want to collect things today?” he asked.

“Well, I…” Sona trailed off as if deciding how to word her answer. “Let’s just say I’ve taken an interest in crafting something.”

Jhin hummed in curiosity. “Something to use for your next concert?”

Sona smiled as she pressed the bag closer to her. “That’s a secret.”

“You, a noblewoman of Demacia? Keeping secrets? Scandalous.” He even gasped for dramatic effect. His comment was met with a splash of water. He chuckled at her smug face.

  That night, Sona dumped the contents of the pouch next to jewelry tools on her desk. There were bits and pieces of pink, green, blue, and purple among the collection. She sorted out the pieces that she wanted to use and didn’t need to use and got to work.

This was certainly going to take her days to finish, given her crafting skills weren’t the best. But she didn’t mind.

By the time she went to sleep, her fingers were covered in scratches and bandages. She took note of the pieces that broke and need a replacement. She should try to find them again in the morning.

  Sona winced when her fingers stung in the water. There were cuts all over them after all, of course it would hurt. But she needed to find replacements for the pieces that broke into an unusable state. Surely the pain will dull the longer she stayed in the water.

“Just what are you doing that your hand is in such a state?” Jhin took her hand and examined it closely. “You have cuts everywhere.”

“I’m fine, Jhin. This is the result of what I’m trying to make.”

Jhin couldn’t help but smile grimacingly. “You’re not very good at crafting, are you?”

“Rude. I did say I took an interest to it. That doesn’t mean I will be the best at it in one night.” She huffed and put her goggles on her eyes and dove into the water. Her pouch stayed tied around her waist, made sure to remain closed while she was searching.

This time, Jhin joined her below and swam beside her while she was looking around. Of course, if she became desperate for breath, he’d immediately take her back up to let her catch her breath before going back down. He wanted to ask what she was making that she was so diligent in her searching, but he knew the answer.

Sona reached for a shell that stuck out of the sand and wrapped her hands around it to pull it out. She felt a painful sting in her hand and jerked it back. Swimming back up to the surface, she caught her breath while sucking on the fresh cuts from the shell. The pain sent her into a fit of Demacian and Ionian curses that Jhin laughed at.

“That’s not very graceful of you.”

“It nearly tore my hand open. I deserve to curse as loud as I want.”

“Well, on that note, I did happen to pick up that same shell as you swam back up.” He held it up for her in the light. “Though, I’m not sure if you want the very shell that has slighted you,” he said dramatically.

“Haha, very funny.” Despite the stinging pain, Sona reached for the pouch and pulled it out of the water for Jhin to put the shell in. “It’s a beautiful shell. I’m glad I found it. Now I need to find something for the centerpiece.”

“Hm, what about this one?” Jhin opened his claws to reveal several other pieces he picked up in that short time period. His nails sorted through the piece to isolate a green stone among them. It shined like the ocean itself was contained inside.

“Wow…” She picked up the stone and held it up in the light. The stone seemed to dance like the waves in the sea. “It’s exactly what I needed.”

Strands of her bangs stuck to her face messily despite her having combed her hair back when she came out of the water. The stone reflected its colors into her own sea-colored eyes, almost looking full of life. Her rosy lips curled into an excited smile and then pulled back into a grin when she placed it into the pouch. She noticed Jhin staring at her and felt her ears turn a little hot. “Is something wrong?”

Would it be okay, he wondered. “Nothing, it’s just…” He brushed aside the strands of hair that stuck dangerously close under her eye and tucked it behind her red ears.

Their eyes met. Jhin’s claw lingered on Sona’s cheek. How he wanted to caress her cheek, to trace his finger around her eyes down to her soft lips. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He didn’t want to impose on her any more than he had already. He felt a pang of fear, just a little afraid that she would push him away.

His touch felt inviting. She almost wished his hand would stay where it was, just so she can bring up her own hand and hold it against her skin. But she couldn’t bring herself to. She couldn’t bear the thought of scaring him away when they’ve become so close. She didn’t want him to push her away.

Jhin lifted his hand and hesitantly submerged it underwater. “There we go. Your hair was, was close to your eye.”

Sona felt herself shrinking in embarrassment—especially after that dream—as she tucked strands behind her other ear. “I, um, thank you.”

The two fell silent, averting their gaze from each other and finding anything else to set their eyes on instead. An awkward silence passed. It felt heavy, weighing on their already-heavy hearts filled with the feeling of wanting to hold the other in their arms.

[arazialotis]

Hunters Academy - Part 3

Word Count: Around 3100

Summary: The reader is looking for a way forward in life. A cryptic business card may provide her with a new opportunity at an unconventional school. Catch Up Here -> Introduction Part 1 Part 2

Warnings: Language, Drama

Pairing: Dean x Reader

This is purely for a hobby and my enjoyment. Maybe some of you will enjoy it too. I am by no means a writer so I apologize in advance for any mistakes or grammatical/spelling errors. I appreciate any feedback or suggestions!

-------

Things had finally cooled down between you and Serena. And by cooled down, you meant the two of you could at least be in the same room without getting the feeling she was waiting for the right opportunity to tear you apart. It was still a little tense but progress was being made nevertheless. Other than that, things had been going pretty smoothly. You took Sam’s advice and forced yourself to ease up a little.

One of your extracurricular activities included spending some time in the garage and not just to gawk at Dean; no matter how appealing his muscle looked popping out of that tank and smeared with a bit of grime. Honestly, you did try to focus on upgrading your ‘stang. You were surprise they had yet to mention anything in class, but you clearly remember the side panel of your mom’s car door concealing her stashed weaponry. With a hunt coming up in your second semester it would do you good.

Instead of a door compartment you opted for hollowing out the back seat and constructing the bench into the trap door. Dean was hard at work too, at who knows what. You knew when he was in the garage by the start and stop of his classic rock music. He’d been favoring 38 Special or Fleetwood Mac lately. As you worked you hummed along to ‘Caught Up In You.’ The melody was interrupted by the clang of metal and unintelligible cursing. Instead of checking on him out of concern, you stayed out of viewed containing your silent laughter. Several minutes passed without sound so you dared to peak through your rear window, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Nice.” You heard from directly behind you. You jumped in shock hitting your head on the car’s roof. Unlike you, he didn’t keep his laughter a secret. “But as usual, overachieving again. I have a good chunk of class time dedicated to this in... oh, let’s say seven weeks.”

You sighed rubbing the back of your head. “And how was I supposed to know that?” You lightheartedly defended.

“I guess I won’t hold it against ya, since I only decided to add it to the curriculum just now.” He playfully admitted. “Two pointers though.” You followed him pacing around the car. “First, you’ll want something built in with easier access. Say you become surrounded by a nest of vamps, you’re not going to have time digging through your backseat.”

You smirked and rubbed the tacky fin on the back of the car. “Precisely why I have this.” You found the switch and hit the button releasing a blade resembling a katana into your hand. You gave it to Dean to examine.

“Iron?” He asked surprised by the weight.

You nodded. “Coated in silver.”

Dean tried to hide it, but he was impressed. He cut threw the air getting the balance of sword before handing it back to you. You set it back into place.

“Second.” He didn’t miss a beat. “Ain’t no way a body is fitting into that trunk.”

“Maybe not in one piece.” You winked at him.

You waltzed back to the front and slid onto the hood. Dean cautiously followed you, hesitating to blur any boundaries. But something about you drew him in, made it hard to stay away.

Even though your nose was already buried in the first auto mechanics book that was in nearby vicinity, swinging your legs back and forth, you were painfully aware of him inching closer.

“So…” Your breath was shaky but you looked to break the growing tension. “When it comes to 351 V8s…” You honestly had no idea what you were talking about at this point. “Would you recommend…” You couldn’t help it any further. You lowered the book to find him practically leaning against the car between your legs. You instantly stopped swinging them and lost the ability to form sentences.

“Y/N.” He softly called.

Both your heads swung to the sound of the heavy garage door opening and Sam appeared to ruin the moment. You looked back to Dean who seemed to have magically been separated from you by several feet. “As I was saying,” Dean started lecturing. “351s are a piece of garbage. It’d do you good to upgrade to a 372 turbo. It’s significantly lighter…”

“Dean.” Sam interrupted. “Can I talk to you.”

Sam looked between the both of you and it was easy to take the hint. You went back to working on the seat contraption yet tactfully eavesdropped on their conversation.

“Check this out.” Sam handed Dean his phone. After a few minutes of Dean looking it over, he continued. “Usually I’d say we should had it over to someone else, but… I don’t know… this seems big.”

“Yeah.” Dean agreed. “What, we really only have a week and a half til break anyways…”

“Just let them off a bit early?” Sam asked, feeling a bit guilty for abandoning the group.

“Nah. Y/N’s been working on something I think that’d do them all good. I wanted to fit it into the schedule next semester, but if we need to be gone, maybe now is the perfect time.” Dean suggested.

You continued pretending to work as Sam loomed over your shoulder. “Yeah, that seems fine. I’ll break the news to the others. Let’s plan to leave in 30.”

“Hey!” You cut in before he was able to run out. “Um, since I am pretty much finished with the project, maybe I could come with you guys on the hunt…” You sheepishly proposed.

“No.” They both rejected your offer in unison.

“You’re not ready.” Dean ruled and cut off your protest. “I don’t have time to show you the ropes and worry about your ass. This is real life Y/N and as good as you are compared to the rest of the class, you still need more training.”

When Sam didn’t object the reasoning, you huffed in annoyance but didn’t push further. Instead you dove back into the work.

“Y/n it’s not that…” Dean started again after Sam left. “You’re… I don’t want to…”

You gritted your teeth together. “Whatever Dean.” You put in headphones to clearly show you were done with the conversation.

He sighed looking at his watch debating whether or not to open up, ultimately deciding it could wait another day. He headed out as well to start packing. The days were slow without them here. As anticipated, you finished up earlier than the others. You briefly considered following the boys, but didn’t want to risk being expelled. You honestly had no where to go. Going back to your foster family would only raise questions and most likely anger. You did miss them, but here you actually felt like you belonged. With graduation coming up only next year though, concern built. You would most likely end up like your mother, jumping from motel to motel, no real place to ever settle down.

Broseph and Serena took off early. He wanted her to meet his parents, who were also hunters. They would finish up their project there. Once Kaveri, Skylar and Ciara completed the assignment, they took off for break as well; leaving only you and Ned. Not that you didn’t like Ned… but you actively avoided him, trying to limit your social interactions to the rec room or the kitchen. Something about him gave you the creeps, you couldn’t exactly figure out what. Besides a bit of quiet time on break would do you good. Yet he always managed to find a way to follow you around.

The layout of the bunker was huge. And just when you thought you had discovered every inch of this place, another door always seemed to materialize out of thin air. You practiced your lock picking skills and popped the newly discovered door open. Another storage facility. Although this time it captured your eye. Instead of the usual piles of books; this one contained artifacts, reels from a super 8 camera, potions, and god knows what else. You were digging around for a film projector when Ned appeared from nowhere.

He was digging through another box. “Do you think Sam and Dean declawed this themselves?” He asked holding what looked like a raptor claw.

“Jesus Ned!” You swore out of shock. It seemed this was becoming a pattern. “What, is it like your semester project to follow me around?” “Pretty much.” He set the thing back in its box and flipped his hair aside. You couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or honest.

“Well, I don’t know, a lot of this stuff looks pretty old, I would say probably before their time.” You walked around the room, trying to create a bit of distance, until you noticed grooves along the floor indicating file cabinets repeatedly moved. “Ned.” You waved him over. “Take a look at this…” He looked at you and had the same thought. You both grabbed a cabinet and pulled it open revealing the dungeon behind it. A huge red devils trap and chair in the center, handcuffs hanging off the wall, devices that looked more of interrogation tools than practical hunting weapons.

Both of your mouths hung open. “Dude…” Was all Ned managed to utter in shock.

You cautiously advanced… “Do you think it is just for practice or they use it for real?”

“What would they need to practice?” Ned debated.

“I don’t know… maybe showing students a real life exorcism, um... “ You were at a lost.

“No, it’s definitely a torture chamber.” Ned decided.

“Stop.” You insisted “We are hunters not cold sadistic torturers…” You stepped inside the circle. “I bet it is just for role play…” Ned smirked. “You know what I mean. Learning through practice.” You clarified sitting down in the chair. “So… are you going to exorcise me?” You popped an eyebrow.

He tilted his head to the side.

“Exorci…” You egged on.

He jumped in. “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas…” You sat up in the chair. “Once I get outta here. I’m going to kill you and everyone of your little friends.” “Hey..” Ned stopped the chant, offended.

“I’m making it life like…” You whispered. “Keep going…” “Uhh… omnis incursio… uh… infernalis adversarii…” He stuttered trying to remember.

“Omnis congregatio et secta diabolica…” You piped in.

“Yeah, real life like Y/N, I’m sure the demon will be all the more willing to help.” He rolled his eyes.

“Listen Blink-182, I know I’m screwed either way so the sooner I smoke out of here, the sooner I can crawl back out of hell and peel off those fake eyelashes.” You goaded covering your tracks.

“Uh, they are not fake.” He gasped.

“Really?” You jumped back out of character. “What kind of mascara do you use? Sorry… back to it.” You settled back into the chair.

“Ergo draco, um… maledicte, ut expelliarmus…” He continued “Harry Potter.” You whispered.

“I mean, ut ex…” “Ecclesiam…” You reminded.

“Oh, right. Ecclesiam tuam secura, tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos.”

You rolled your eyes back and shook for a few moments before going limp. “Y/N… Y/N?” He whispered concerned not daring to enter the circle. “Y/N stop it.”

You couldn’t hold back anymore and clutched your stomach in laughter.

“You’re not funny.” He scoffed and went to leave.

“I’m fucking hilarious.” You follow him out, closing the cabinets behind you. “But seriously, mascara?”

“I stole Serena’s Better Than Sex, alright.” He confessed.

Your hand came down on his shoulder to catch yourself  buckling over in laughter. “Does she know?”

“No… don’t tell her… I replaced it with E.L.F.” He continued.

“Dude! You don’t have to worry about demons, she is going to kill you herseself.” You had to wipe away a tear in your eye.  

You both walked down the hallway to your rooms rambling hypothetically making up scenarios about Serena’s revenge.

He stopped at your room and coldly shifted topics. “Y/N, Do you really like Dean?”

“What? Who told you that?” You demanded.

“Skylar.” He admitted without hesitation.

You huffed in annoyance. “No, I don’t like Dean.” You lied not needing more drama or especially the rumor to reach the man himself. “Why would she say something like that?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, I just wanted to hear it from you.”

“O.. Kay…” You went into your room more confused than you Eurasian lore test.

By the time Christmas rolled around, the realization hit you that it was only you and Ned. Everyone else was off home with their families and Sam and Dean were still not back from their hunt. It didn’t even feel like Christmas, there was no snow on the ground, no tree, no presents. Ned ranted about the mix of Christian and pagan lore to celebrate a holiday that only worships capitalism.

You half-heartedly listened to him as you reflected back on Christmases with your mom. It was usually in a motel room or a Denny’s. Even Charley Brown’s Christmas tree usually put the one she found to shame. Gifts would consist of knick knacks found at gas stations like hostess apple pies, crossword puzzles, a stuffed bear holding a rose. But there was one year she went all out and bought you a polly pocket Cinderella castle. Looking back, she didn’t have fake credit cards, she must have picked up an extra job to pay for it. But you did it justice, carrying it around everywhere with you and spending countless hours building your fantasy life. If you thought hard enough, you’d even make a bet that you forced Sam to play when your mom and his dad were on a hunt together, but those memories were so long ago.

Christmas never felt traditional until you moved in with the last of your foster families. Your foster mom would wake you up every morning and the whole family would be downstairs progressively working their way through stockings and presents. Your foster dad would eventually turn on the TV to TBS while brunch was being served and you’d manage to watch A Christmas Story at least three times intermittently throughout the day. Relatives would come over for dinner and you’d help your foster mom in the kitchen preparing ham, potatoes, salad, rolls, really a full out feast. She’d probably still have a place set for you this year, hoping you’d show up.

You had to stop lingering on these thoughts so you convinced Ned to indulge in the capitalistic lifestyle and make Christmas dinner with you. Thankfully, Skylar and Kaveri showed up later in the evening because you had not adjusted the recipes to only fit two people. Even with them, there would still be plenty of leftovers.

Days had passed and the rest of the students had returned yet Sam and Dean still remained unheard from with class on schedule to begin tomorrow. You had braved the courage to call Sam once, but he didn’t answer, you couldn’t muster the courage again. Instead, you stayed up later than usual with your door cracked open hoping to hear them come in.

You stayed up reading, with only your desk light on. Although late, a few others were still up. You could hear Broseph’s passionate hollers down the hall as his sports team seemed to be rising to victory. With a jolt, you woke from the bed, you must have drifted to sleep momentarily. Coming from the room next to you was the all too sweet music of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, which you had missed so much since arriving here. The record was the only Christmas gift you had purchased this season - for Dean and partially you - as you could enjoy it from next door. And if the record was playing, that meant Sam and Dean were back. You resisted every urge to run over a greet him. So instead, you waited for him to come to you.

You pretended to dive back into your book but very shortly felt yourself slipping back into sleep. You went to wash your face and then planned to head for the kitchen to try and elicit a run-in. However, ‘Young Lust’ came up next. You couldn’t help but mouth along to the words and swing your hips enticingly around your room. You danced over to your and Dean’s adjoining wall imaging some sort of connection as you pressed your back against it.

‘Oh, baby set me free.’ You mouthed as your continued rocking your hips and reaching your arms above you pressing harder against the firm concrete. ‘Ooh, I need a dirty woman. Ooh, I need a dirty girl.’ You slid down the wall onto your knees air guitaring your way through the solo.

A cough instantly broke your concentration and your eyes popped open only to discover Dean had pushed the door open wider and was standing in it’s entrance. God only knows how long he had been watching your humiliating display. You immediately stood up, nervously combing your fingers through your hair.

“So, I suppose I have you to thank for the shiny new vinyl?” He asked.

You pretended to be confused.

“Well, Sam already gifted me some lube.” Your face contorted. “... For my car, for the car…” He recovered. “So with him off the list, that leaves… well nobody really.”

“I guess you have a secret admirer…” You winked.

“And you are going to pretend it’s not you, even though you were clearly enjoying it…” He challenged.

You shrugged your shoulders. “I guess we just get to mutually benefit… Oooh! Next time leave a note for, hmmm, maybe some Rush. Oh, and chocolate.” He chuckled. “Well, perhaps they already left you something?”

You furrowed your brow analyzing him further. His eyes hinted towards the base of your bed. You crouched down, looking underneath.

“What on earth?” You pulled out a box wrapped in Snoopy Christmas paper. Dean smiled as you lit up tearing apart the paper and realizing what it was. “Dean… you didn’t have too… How did you know?” You held a brand new record player.

“Whenever you stop in my room, your practically drooling over mine.” He remarked.

‘That’s not what I’m drooling over.’ You thought. “Dean, I love it.” You set it down on top of your bed. You waltzed over to him. “Thank you.” And gave him a hug without second guessing.

He was tense at first, surprise by it but then wrapped his arms around you. When you pulled back he did not release you from his embrace. You looked up at him, weariness from the hunt still hanging in eyes. His mouth danced closer to your lips, only breaths parted you. He searched your face for permission, neither one of you daring to close the gap. You pushed up on your toes but were too late. Dean had let go turning away from you.

“Shit!” He ran his hands through his hair. He turned back towards you. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, Y/N.”

Before you could respond the sound of Sam and Joe’s voice grew closer from the end of the hall.

“Shit…” Dean muttered heading back to his room.

-------- 

Part 4

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[clairekatswritingcorner]

Not in Arcania Anymore

Word Count: 2,163

Summary: Alexys is startled awake one night when an unfamiliar figure appears in her room. She soon finds out that this mysterious visitor is a stranger in more ways than one.

*Author’s Note*: A commission for @bad-blue-moon-rising! This time she had me do a couple for a ship she has with one of her friend’s (@xeensbin’s) OCs, and it was really fun! She has some really great OCs (and art) so if you get a chance, definitely check her out. I hope you enjoy!

Being awakened by a startling crash was the last thing Alexys expected this morning. Or really any morning. But here she was, sitting up in bed, clutching her blanket so tightly her fingers ached. She had it pulled up around her shoulders, considering for a second that it might be best for her to just hide under it completely. That usually worked; hiding and closing her eyes until the nightmare went away. The longer she thought about it, the more she realized this wasn’t a simple nightmare. Or at least, if it was, it was happening in the real world.

The creature that’d just been unceremoniously stranded in her apartment was equally confused. Before he’d even opened his eyes, he could smell that things were different. He wasn’t in Georejia anymore, in his pleasant little pottery shop, his pride and joy. He wasn’t surrounded by any of the warmth that pervaded the shop’s atmosphere, nor could he find any traces of the earthy smells of baking clay that saturated his home where he carried out his work.

No, now things smelled…well, he couldn’t quite put his claw on it. Maybe it would be alright, since being teleported somewhere by brash bandits wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever experienced. But being teleported to another dimension, to a world that was vastly different from his own, that was something that hadn’t happened to him yet. Until now, that is.

He stood up and rubbed his head, checking his horns to make sure they weren’t cracked or damaged. He hadn’t hit anything that hard, and he didn’t feel any pain that would indicate that kind of injury, so for now he figured things were okay. Next, he rubbed his arms and legs, trying to determine if anything was broken. The good news was all his bones also seemed to be intact; if anything, he’d only incurred a few scrapes and bruises. He whipped his tail around as carelessly as usual, completely at ease, and that was the last observation he needed to know that by physical standards, everything was fine.

Following this personal assessment, he examined his surroundings. He appeared to be standing in a dwelling of some sort; that was the vibe he got from the furnishings and general atmosphere of the place, plus it didn’t look unreasonably different from the kind of structures found in Arcania. But he was definitely not in Arcania anymore, there was no denying that. This place lacked an aura of enchantment, integral surges of magical energy that constantly ebbed and flowed in the air. Said sensations were as natural to him as breathing or painting pots, which only made their absence more pronounced.

How was he going to get home if he didn’t even know where he’d ended up? His mind strayed to this train of thought when suddenly his thoughts jumped the tracks entirely. His eyes fell upon the form of a small, timid looking girl, and the expression she was giving him was one of sheer terror and panic. His eyes grew wide and his claws started to tingle, his body reflexively preparing to respond to any threat of danger that may befall him. He was still a little on edge following the fight that’d gotten him dumped here in the first place, leaving his offensive senses sharp and ready to redeploy at any moment.

But the rational part of his mind wasn’t preoccupied with fighting or self-defense. When he glimpsed the girl trembling in the bed before him, the fire in his heart flickered. It was swayed by an unknown breeze, a rush of emotion that churned his stomach and heated his cheeks; the fact that he could even notice the latter part was significant, considering how high his body temperature was. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt butterflies flutter inside him, or a perceptible heat sear his already crimson cheeks. But something was unquestionably happening to him, and it was something that toppled his emotions and scrambled his thoughts. What was it going to take to dissolve the fog of admiration that had suddenly enveloped his mind?

Similar thoughts were also rushing through Alexys’s head, albeit just a hint overshadowed by the innate fight or flight response flowing through her bones. Hormones of self-preservation battled with budding feelings of fondness, but those were the last kind of feelings she needed to be having right now. Some sort of mysterious, otherworldly creature had just appeared in her bedroom without warning, and she could sense an undeniably dangerous aura emanating from him.

The being had ruddy skin and red hair and black hands and horns…he was even equipped with a scarlet tail that swished idly behind him. Clothed in what looked to be red robes of some sort, he almost looked like some kind of character out of a cartoon or anime. Even if he was, nothing about his appearance negated the fact that he existed tangibly in her room, his eyes focused on her with what seemed to be a hint of confusion. He was simply trying to determine how he felt about her, too.

“Where am I?”

 “Who are you?”

The demanding questions broke from both of their lips at the same time, and Alexys pulled the blanket up even further under her chin. The creature brushed his clothes off a bit, seeming much less disturbed about this whole incident than she was. Then again, she kind of thought she was looking at some sort of monster or demon. Unusual clothes and appearance, which happened to include horns and claws and a tail, and she swore she could see some form of red fins protruding from his forearms.

She considered calling the cops, but her limbs wouldn’t cooperate. The being took a step towards her and she flinched, tears starting to well up in her eyes. She was…scared of him? He was a little surprised by that, but then again, he didn’t know what kind of world he’d happened to wind up in. Perhaps there were beings like him here that were antagonistic or dangerous, so he decided the best thing to do was attempt some communication. He carefully held his hands up, hoping she understood he was trying to demonstrate he meant no harm.

“Who are you?” Alexys demanded again, more forceful this time. The formation of her tears tainted her tone with a noticeable thickness, the weight of her worry. Now it was his turn to flinch.

“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you,” he replied, trying to pull himself together after the fright she’d just given him. “I’m not going to hurt you. My name’s Gwyoko. What’s yours?”

That certainly didn’t sound like any name she’d heard before, but he also didn’t look anything like anyone she’d seen around here before, either. “A—Alexys…” she answered nervously, her muscles still mostly paralyzed by fear.

“Alexys…” He couldn’t deny he liked the way her name sounded sliding off his tongue. But he couldn’t let himself get distracted by things like that right now. “Um, would you mind telling me where I am?”

She observed him cautiously. “Only if you tell me where you came from.”

Well, that seemed like a fair enough request. “I come from the city Georejia, in the land of Arcania.” But I kind of get the feeling I’m nowhere near Arcania at the moment, he silently repeated to himself.

Alexys shook her head. “I’ve never heard of either of those places before. Are you from some undiscovered continent or something?”

“Something like that,” he joked weakly, feeling the heaviness of his fatigue settle on his shoulders as his adrenaline started receding. “So, where am I now?”

“In my apartment, on a place called Earth,” she explained, and he gave a long-suffering sigh.

“That’s not a place I’ve ever heard of, either.” He rested his hands on his hips, racking his brain for any kind of advice that could help him determine what his next move should be. “Um…well, this may sound a little strange, but I think I fell here from another dimension.”

Alexys’s eyes widened in disbelief and curiosity. “What happened?”

“I was just fighting with some bandits.” That last word was loaded with venomous spite. “Some no-good rotten criminals that wanted to ruin my pottery. Or take it for themselves. But I don’t negotiate with anyone who tries to slight me.”

He was getting off course, talking to himself, and after taking another look at Alexys he readjusted his focus appropriately. “Ah, anyway. I think one of them had some sort of spell or potion or something on them, and they ended up using it to transport me here. I’m not sure why it was here, specifically, or what I can do to get back…”

“But you really need to get back, right?” Alexys filled the last part in for him, and he nodded in reply. “Getting back to another dimension…it sounds complicated, but if you were able to make it here from there, I’m sure it’s not impossible!”

Such positivity and optimism; Gwyoko found his heart twisting again, but not in a bad way. “Would you even know where to start?”

“Well, you clearly come from a place that has much more supernatural power than this place does.” She gestured to her room, finally relaxed enough to release the blanket from her hands. “Maybe hearing more about your world would help? I’m kind of interested to know more about you, too. I mean, I thought you were a demon or something for a moment there.”

He couldn’t help chuckling, and Alexys felt a flutter of fondness dance in her heart. “I’m certainly not a demon, although if you know about those, maybe your world is already much more magical than you think.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “Like I said, my name is Gwyoko. I’m half dragon, which explains the horns and such. But I’m also half human, just like you. Or at least, I’m assuming you’re human; you look and smell that way.”

She hoped her scent was at least moderately appealing, too. “I am human, and that’s incredible! I mean, that you’re half dragon and all. As far as I know, there isn’t a lot of magic in this dimension. If there is, I don’t know the best place to find it…but that doesn’t mean I can’t try. And I think finding some sort of magic or sorcery would be your best bet at making it back to Arcadia, was it?”

“Arcania. You were close,” he corrected with a smile, and she knew she was blushing before she could even attempt to stop it. “And I would really appreciate that. Your help, that is. As things are, I don’t know anything about this place. I guess that’s kind of obvious, but I just mean, you’re the only person I know. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to stick around with you. Just for now.”

“I think that would be best,” Alexys responded almost too quickly. “I mean, if other people saw you, I’m not sure how they’d react. Actually, I’m sure they’d react a lot like I did. And I don’t think you want to send a crowd of people into a frenzied panic, because it would only end up drawing more attention to you. Probably not the good kind.”

Gwyoko winced a bit and shook his head. “I’d like to avoid something like that happening at all costs, if possible. I’m not very good with crowds, or lots of attention in general. I prefer spending my time inside, taking care of my pots, preparing or painting them.” His head fell a bit. “I hope nothing bad happens to them while I’m gone. Now I don’t know what I’m going to do to pass the time.”

“If you like pottery and painting, we have that kind of stuff here!” Alexys explained, moving closer to him and patting the bed as an invitation for him to join her. “You don’t have to go without that kind of stuff. Enjoying your time here is just as important as getting you back home, so I’ll do my best to make sure you do. This might actually turn out to be fun.”

She gave him a gentle smile, and he returned the expression as he hesitantly sat down beside her. Her hand was resting on top of the bedsheets, and for a split second Gwyoko considered touching it with his own. But he’d just met this girl, and he knew that now wasn’t the right time to be thinking about things like holding her hand. With the way things had turned out, they would have plenty of time to get to know each other, and maybe after a while he’d finally gain the courage to do so. At the moment, he was just grateful he could sit beside her like this. And she was just as happy to see him smiling at her.

[yatorihell]

In The Darkness Chapter 43 - The Great Lake

Words: 3,395

Summary: The second task is here. What treasure has been stolen from Yato?

Previous chapter | First chapter

Thank you Gio (@themusicalbookworm) for beta-ing me <3

Happy birthday Ina (@kurisuumakise)!

Read on AO3

Yato worked himself into a panic over the next few weeks as the second task drew closer.

He hadn’t slept well since the Yule Ball. Thinking about what the next task would be drove him mad. He knew it would be water, probably in the Great Lake.

But what did they take? And who were ‘they’?

Yato wrote to Sakura to consult, but she hadn’t answered. He worried if the Aurors had found her; their letters were risky, after all. Even if he didn’t know exactly where she was, Coo Phone took care of finding and delivering their correspondence.

Eventually he turned to Kazuma for help, not wanting to bother Suzuha and have Yukine’s smug face smiling at him as they would tease the answers from him slowly, making him work for it. As well as that, they seemed to disappear together a lot of the time. Where they went to, neither he or Hiyori knew.

Yato grumbled under a stack of books Kazuma had told him to collect from practically every shelf in the library. This made it difficult to see where exactly he was going as he made his way back to the already cluttered table where he and Kazuma sat.

The books nearly went flying from his arms as he heard an ‘oof’ and came to a short stop. Yato lowered the books, allowing his eyes and nose to peek out over the top to see who he nearly ran into.

Yukine stumbled out from behind one of the library stacks in front of him, looking behind at someone before back at Yato.

He looked breathless, face flushed down to his neck with a surprised expression on his face. His mouth opened and then shut again as he fiddled with the collar of his shirt, which Yato noticed had become untucked from his jumper. His tie was in no better state, pulled so it hung loosely around his neck and was all but slipping off.

"What are you doing?" Yato asked. He cocked his head curiously and shuffled the books in his arms.

"Stuff..." Yukine said, trying to make it sound as uninteresting as possible.

This failed as a second later Suzuha appeared behind Yukine with a dopey grin and cheeks nearly as red as Yukine's when he spoke.

"I'm stuff," Suzuha said. He leaned an arm on the bookcase and let himself rest against it with a Cheshire-cat like grin whilst Yukine stuttered excuses.

Yato clicked the messy ties, untucked jumpers and Yukine's attempt at hiding his neck.

"Well," Yato said, a grin worked its way onto his face despite his attempt at suppressing it, "I'll let you carry on with your 'stuff.’"

Yukine muttered something under his breath, though Yato was sure it was more aimed at Suzuha as he began pushing him back the way they came.

Yato shook his head, grin still on his face as he crossed the library and dumped the books in front of Kazuma. He ignored the agitated look Kazuma gave him, leaning over to look at the upside-down book that was in front of him.

“Found anything?”

“Not much, going by what you told me,” Kazuma took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose, quietly closing his eyes for a second before he began breaking down what they knew.

“‘Come seek us where our voices sound’, that’s obviously the Great Lake, so you’re going to need something to help you breathe underwater.”

Kazuma opened his eyes and placed his glasses back on his nose, picking up one of the dusty leather books.

Yato cocked an eyebrow. “Oh yes, just let me grow some gills quickly.”

“It is possible.”

Kazuma flipped to a bookmarked page and spun it around to Yato as he sat down opposite him. A plant with pale roots and short green leaves greeted him.

Yato wrinkled his nose. “What’s that?”

“Gillyweed, it makes you breathe underwater,” Kazuma said, “with a few other abilities.”

Yato didn’t ask what this meant – he dreaded to think what it would entail. Maybe he would grow flippers and a dorsal fin. Still, there was one part of the song which had bothered him since he opened the egg in the bathroom.

“‘We've taken what you'll sorely miss’.” Yato propped his chin in his hand. “What did they take? I haven’t missed anything.”

Kazuma shrugged. “Something that was precious to you.”

Yato sighed. “And I only have an hour to search for an unknown item in the massive lake that stretches into the horizon?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Yato dropped his arm on the table and rested his head on it, giving a dramatic sigh. Guess he would have to wait and find out. However, the final lines stuck in his head.

But past an hour, the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.

~

On the bleak grey morning of February 24th, the second task began.

Three stands had been erected in the centre of the Great Lake which was abuzz with activity. Students and teachers had bundled themselves in thick robes and scarves against the near freezing weather, but the four champions had no such luck.

Manabu and Nana stood beside him, bracing the cold in similar attire but in colours respective to their schools – or in Suzuha’s and Yato’s case, house colours.

Wearing only a short jersey vest, long shorts, and no shoes, Yato shuddered as he looked around the central stand. It was so ram packed with officials and teachers and the odd student that Yato couldn’t see anyone he knew.

Kazuma, however, had found him on the lakeshore and given him some Gillyweed which was now stashed in Yato’s sweating hand.

The three headmasters stood behind the champions, as well as Rabo who Yato assumed would act as some sort of lifeguard should the task go awry. The thought of something going wrong underwater, and the steely glare he received from the Auror for staring too long, didn’t fill Yato with much confidence.

Suzuha – who stood on Yato’s right – seemed to be looking around for Yukine. Yato realised that he hadn’t seen him at all, nor Hiyori, since the previous day. He was left with no option but to put his hair into a messy ponytail himself.

At a few minutes to ten o’clock, Yato looked over his shoulder at the sound of footsteps on the wooden platform.

Professor Tenjin had pressed his wand to his throat. His voice boomed across the lake, amplified by whatever spell he was using, and silenced the crowd.

“Our champions are ready for the second task. They will have one hour to recover what has been taken from them.”

Yato still had no idea what he was missing, and from what he could tell, neither did the others. Nevertheless, Professor Tenjin continued.

“On the count of three, the task will begin.”

At this Yato started shoving the Gillyweed in his mouth, chewing the rubbery leaves with haste as the countdown began.

“One… two… three!”

A shrill whistle cut through the air followed by the roaring cheers of the crowd.

Yato barely had time to swallow before he plunged – unceremoniously – into the lake alongside his competitors.

Searing cold water made Yato take an involuntary breath in, water filling his lungs, muffling his choked cry. A stabbing pain ignited his senses as he felt himself sink downwards, away from the filtered light above. Yato kicked his legs uselessly, hands clawing at his neck were the pain grew almost too much to bear, lungs about to burst from a lack of air.

Then it was gone.

Yato took a sharp, panicked breath, limbs falling still as he realised that he was breathing underwater. He dragged his fingers over his neck, just below his ears, finding that two large slits had appeared on either side and were flapping gently.

I have gills… Yato realised. His surprised turned to his hands – and then his feet – when he realised that a translucent webbing covered his fingers, helping him tread as if he was born in the water.

Yato felt a grin spread across his face. Thanks, Kazuma.

With a flip of his legs Yato dived, arms by his side as he squinted through the dark landscape that spread out before him. Unknown creatures scuttled out of his way in the forest of tangled black seaweed, concealed by murky water as they watched him apprehensively.

Silence was the only thing that greeted Yato as he searched for his lost treasure, though his honed senses could detect the smallest cackles of creatures that nipped at his feet before ducking away. Not before Yato could see green eyes and sharp teeth mocking him from a flurry of tentacles – Grindylows.

Small silver fish flitted past him as time dragged on, and Yato’s anxiety grew. He hadn’t seen anyone else, he hadn’t a clue where to look, and time was running out. What if he was going the wrong way?

A snatch of singing made Yato stop, looking in all directions for the source.

“– searching ponder this –”

Yato snapped his head to the left at the voice, not waiting before he took off after the elusive song. He kicked his legs harder, neck craning to follow the gentle voices which grew louder, encouraging him.

It wasn’t until the murkiness subsided that Yato could make out the shape of a stone arch ahead of him. Smaller shapes came into view along with shadows that drifted at the lakes floor. When Yato swam forward he realised the shapes were tethered in position. After a moment the realisation dawned on him that the shapes were bodies. When he got close enough to see their faces his heart faltered.

The first person he recognised was Yukine, golden hair made dull by the dark water that filtered tainted sunlight over his features.

Yato’s heart pounded as he realised that by Yukine’s side was Hiyori, long hair fanning out like a halo.

An hour long you'll have to look, and to recover what we took. But past an hour, the prospect's black, too late, it's gone, it won't come back.

Yato kicked his feet in a frenzy, remembering the threat the song promised. He never considered that his prize would be a person.

Once he was near enough Yato pushed himself upwards so that he was level with the pair. Their eyes were closed in a state of serenity, neither stirring as Yato reached out to them.

He cupped Yukine’s face, then Hiyori’s. Still alive.

Enchanted sleep… Yato realised, some sort of protection spell must be keeping them from drowning. His thumbs brushed across Hiyori’s cheeks, wracking her expression in search for some way to wake her.

Only then did he allow his eyes to slide away to scan the other captives. On the far right, a boy he didn’t know, Yukine and Hiyori, and…

Yato felt the pit in his stomach grow deeper when he realised who was right beside him. Small and peaceful, with soft ink hair fanning her pale face, was Nora.

What’s she doing here? Yato asked himself.

For a moment he lost himself. The solitude of his consciousness in the empty lake, and the four-unconscious people waiting for salvation overwhelmed him.

Who am I meant to save?

There was a sharp movement out of the corner of his eye which brought Yato back to reality, its blurred shape quickly approaching from the dim, greenish water. As if in slow motion Yato spun around, arms splayed out and breath catching in his gills.

A shark, coming straight at him with its jaws – bloody with something it had already killed – opened wide.

Yato let out a startled noise and drew his legs up only inches from where its teeth severed the rope holding the boy. Yato stared in disbelief as the boy was towed up to the surface by the rope which hung from the shark’s jaws…

Only, it wasn’t a shark. Well, it was half shark, half red shorts and short legs – Nana.

Yato looked back at the three remaining prisoners, all of which had some sort of connection to him.

Who am I meant to save?!

He didn’t have time to choose.

A flash of red seared one of the ropes, allowing Yukine to slowly drift upwards, head tilting back. Yato grabbed his shirt and panicked as he felt something graze his arm. Through his bangs Yato saw Suzuha – wand in hand – swim up by his side.

Yato blinked, surprised to see a bubble of air covering Suzuha’s nose and mouth, but Suzuha’s attention was elsewhere.

He was regarding Yukine with worry, dark hair fanning around his face as he reached to touch Yukine’s cheek. Suzuha pushed Yato’s hands away from Yukine’s shirt which he still held tightly, and Yato got the message.

Of course Yukine was for Suzuha.

Yato let himself float back as Suzuha wrapped an arm around Yukine’s middle and began making long strokes back up to the surface.

Only Nora and Hiyori remained – and there was still no sign of Manabu. Even if Yato knew he was meant to save Nora, he refused to leave until he was sure Hiyori was safe, even if it meant he would come last in the competition.

Yato looked around, apprehension growing as the minutes passed and glimpses of phantom shadows moved in the reeds, none of which emerged to be Manabu.

The hour would be up soon, and for whatever reason, Manabu wasn’t coming.

Yato drew his wand from his pocket decisively. He wasn’t going to leave her behind. With a silent spell Yato severed the rope which tethered Hiyori, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer as Yato moved towards Nora.

Before his wand was raised there was a flash of movement below him and a sharp point pressed to his throat. Yato dared not to swallow as he realised that all the shadows he had seen were the castings of mermaids.

But these weren’t the kind of mermaids from fairy tales.

Their skin was grey, face deepest with yellow eyes and broken teeth that bared at him. Seaweed-like hair trailed out behind them, and Yato didn’t have to breath to know that it smelled just as foul. Pebbled necklaces had been strung around their necks, each armed with a spear which they pointed at him threateningly.

Yato held Hiyori’s arm a little bit tighter.

The creature – the one holding Yato still – hissed two words that made his heart sink.

“Only one!”

Without another word the group dispersed back into the depths and Yato was alone once more. His eyes fell back on the two girls, both oblivious to the decision he would have to make:

Hiyori or Nora.

His eyes flitted between the pair. He knew Hiyori wasn’t his, but he couldn’t leave her, nor could he take both of them…

Yato looked at Nora apprehensively. What if this is what Father wants? Why else would she be down here when I barely speak to her?

Yato tortured himself for a moment, but in the end, there was no contest.

Before he could give himself time to doubt his choice, Yato was breaking the surface with his arm wrapped around Hiyori and the final chime of the bell in his ears. Yato took a deep breath of fresh air, treading water as his gills dissolved back into his flesh and webbed digits returned to normal.

Yet Hiyori remained unconscious.

“Hiyori! Hiyori!” Yato called. Why wasn't she waking up?

Treading water and keeping Hiyori from sinking was quickly zapping what remained of his energy. At this rate they would both go under.

Summoning the last of his strength, Yato began kicking furiously until he reached the podium where the crowds were still cheering. Yato caught the ladder rung and held it tightly, one arm still wrapped around Hiyori as she floated limply against him, head on his shoulder.

Wake up, wake up, the silent chant – a prayer almost – rang through Yato’s head as the seconds ticked by.

Bishamon and Kazuma pushed through the swarm of people gathered around him to haul Hiyori out of Yato’s arms and onto the soaked wooden platform. Bishamon rolled Hiyori onto her side and shook her gently, calling her name as Kazuma pulled Yato up onto the deck.

Yato feel to his knees and pressed his head against the ground, panting heavily. He felt a hand rubbing his back and voices asking if he was ok.

Raised his head, Yato vaguely registered Yukine and Suzuha by his side wrapped in towels against the biting wind that whipped through the stand. Kazuma had a tentative hand on his shoulder, but it didn’t register as he saw Hiyori lying beside him.

Yato dragged himself over to her side, trying weakly to push Bishamon away. He leaned over Hiyori and cupped her cheek to wake her, panic rising in his voice as he called her name.

No response.

Yato worriedly pulled her upper body into his lap and wrapped his arm around her damp lifeless frame, frantically shaking her shoulder as he tried to rouse her.

“Hiyori!” Yato said urgently. “Hey! Wake up!”

After what seemed like an eternity, Hiyori’s body shuddered to life and her eyes flew open. Yato hurriedly slapped her on the back as she sat upright, hacking up water.

Hiyori let herself lean heavily against Yato, head resting against the crook of his neck. A shuddering breath escaped her lips that drowned out Yato’s rushed sigh, relief flooding through him at the feeling her hot breath against his skin.

His hand rested on her head, fingers trembling on her soaked hair as fluffy towels were draped around them. Using his own, Yato softly wiped the moisture off of Hiyori’s face and hair as she looked around in a daze.

Yato barely heard Hiyori’s confused mumble of ‘What’s happening?’ as he looked back at the unbroken surface of the lake.

An unmistakable wave of guilt wash over him.

Nora was still down there.

~

As with the previous task, everyone ended up in the infirmary as a precaution.

The matron was less than happy to find out what ‘the poor kids’ had been put through this time, cursing under her breath and occasionally repeating ‘Are they trying to kill them?’ under her breath as she flitted between the beds.

There was no lasting damage, but Yato still sat on Hiyori’s bed quietly hating himself as he looked between Hiyori and Yukine who sat on either side on him.

He had lost points for saving the wrong person but Yato didn’t care. He ended up coming third after Manabu never made it past the Grindylows, which Suzuha said was a good thing before vanishing for a much-needed bath.

But Yato didn’t feel like celebrating.

Nora lay in a bed in the far corner of the ward, curtains drawn after she had been retrieved from the lake following her abandonment. Only when he saw her slip out of the room did Yato realise that she hadn’t been as present in school as before.

I didn’t even notice she wasn’t at the ball…

“Yato?” Hiyori said for the fifth time before he heard her. Yato looked at her, eyes wide and nerves frayed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quickly, confused when she smiled and Yukine huffed a laugh at Yato’s overprotectiveness.

“Thank you.”

Yato stared at her and then Yukine, lost for words.

“It was my fault this happened,” Yato muttered after a pause. He clenched his fists on the damp hem of his shirt. “If I hadn’t put my name in that Goblet –.”

“Technically,” Yukine butted in, “you weren’t the first person to be chosen. You’re not even meant to be in this competition.”

Yato was quiet. That much was true. Deep down the three of them knew that Father had something to do with the bewitched goblet, but who had done it was beyond them. And more importantly, why would they?

“You both are still getting hurt because of me…” Yato said quietly. He pulled them into a tight sideways hug.

Hiyori put a hand on his back, allowing him to wrap both her and Yukine in a soggy embrace.

Yukine jabbed his finger into Yato’s ribs, voice muffled against his shirt with a hidden smile. “If we’re going to die for you, then you better bloody win.”

[necroticarachnidism]

> Cae: Be Ridiculous.

necroticarachnidism

Being kidnapped isn't the worst thing that could possibly happen to you. Your captors were certainly trying their best to be cruel, but the holding cell they shoved you in after their deranged "traps" wasn't as claustrophobic as it could've been, and incredibly clean. There was even one entire piece of unnecessary furniture, in the form of an incredibly cheap and tacky folding screen. The only problem is that it's always inevitably interrupted by-

"HOW ARE YOU TWO DOING IN THERE? LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A PRETTY GOOD TIME! NOT."

That.

You and Dualscar both groan at the voice you've become far too accustomed to over the course of this trip. At the very least the ringleader and their cronies were here in the flesh, though, which was marginally better than having to hear them abuse a squeaky intercom.

The leader pulls a set of handcuffs out of their pocket and starts spinning them around on their finger before they almost immediately fly off and fall to the ground. After picking it up they almost try again before deciding against it and handing the handcuffs to one of the other gang members.

"I'm going to need you to cooperate with my friend here. We're doing something special tonight, and it needs a helping hand from each of you."

trolljacksparrow

"Why, can't you...HANDle it yourself? You know it'll just get out of hand otherwise." You hate yourself sometimes, you really do.

It could be worse, they could be competent.

However, incompetent as they are, you are Not going along for the ride. They've been haranguing you and your friend for DAYS! You're not giving them an inch! So instead, you muster up a defensive snarl. Its difficult to be mad at them, considering how pathetic they are, but you try to think about how awful your hair looks after a week of neglect anx that gives you the Power necessary to access your battle face.

You jab a clawed finger in their general direction, fins flaring. "Listen....fuck you." Okay, try again.

You put up your dukes and bare your impressively large teeth. "Do you think we'll just hand ourselves over? Hell no! Come get some, motherfucker." Yeah the cmere  finger gesture is happening. Yeah.

necroticarachnidism

You also hate him sometimes, the puns get him a light smack on the arm. The gang seems rather happy about him playing along, though, because of course they are.

Which is then immediately squandered by his attempts to stand up to them. The one with the handcuffs growls a little and takes a step foward before being stopped by the leader.

"Listen," they say, rather flatly "we can do thi-"

"The easy way or the hard way, yes," you interject. "He's picking the hard one, please do continue."

They sigh at you, you sigh back louder, they sigh again and don't stop their associate from creeping closer as they try to engage Dualscar in a hissy match. The leader then makes a solid attempt at fishing their keys out menacingly.

"I'd prefer this not get violent, but if you really insist..."

caepaecaesurae

The tension was somehow starting to mount, despite the competence of half those involved, and threat hung in the air for nearly a second and a half before someone's phone rang.  It was tinny the first time, soft, as if just as uncertain as their captors, but quickly gained in confidence.  There was just enough time to momentarily doubt whether they had heard correctly when it called out again, more firmly, a second or two later.

Someone was definitely calling one of them, and it sounded suspiciously like the default ringtone of a popular chat program.  ...but where was it COMING from?

trolljacksparrow

Waitwaitwait theyre ACTUALLY gonna fight you??? Ohhhhohohoh fuck yesss you're gonna do ART THERAPY with their insides when---

You just look around in disbelief. After all, it cant be you.

"We're having this showdown type thing, and your phone is ringing? How are you that bad at paying attention and looking proper intimidating? What's next, I find out you had another nemesis on the side?? I'm almost hurt - and you wonder why im not going along with this? For all I know youll mistake our legs for arms and tie our feet together!" Cross your arms, huff, tut tut maybe.

......Remember what you were doing and uncross them, going back to posturing. "Anyway, violence for the violentblood - and honestly, do you really think you can take me? "

caepaecaesurae

Ring...    ...was it off to Nadaya's left?

necroticarachnidism

As the ringing started the leader immediately turned to the member of the group who hadn't been part of this incident with a very accusing look. Said member simply gestured to their form-fitting and clearly pocket-less outfit, then to the one with the handcuffs. The one with the handcuffs almost said something, then was immediately interrupted by Dualscar's monologue.

That pissed them off.

"I don't have a fucking phone! None of us having a fucking phone, holy shit, the only thing I have-" They trail off, realizing that they do in fact have something and pulling it out. It's some kind of gun, loaded with a vial. "The only thing I have is this! To drug your dumb ass again!"

"We're a real knockout with drugs." adds the catsuit one.

That was true, at least by comparison to everything else. Not only had they managed to drag you here in the first place but they had their hands on something that could fuck with your mind control. It was the one of the few things they'd actually pulled off.

Meanwhile, to Nadaya's left, the ringing sounds distinctly like it's off to your right. But they took your items, so if it's not them then...? You take a curious step closer and look intently at the area it sounds like it's coming from.

caepaecaesurae

Nadaya's claws tingled faintly, the fourth time it rang, on just his left hand.  Why was the ringing coming from so close by?  It seemed to be following the tips of his fingers, especially the thumb and little finger claws.

trolljacksparrow

Okay okay wow you are going to MURD--what. "Okay a real knockout with the drugs being plural is a bad pun since youre the only one vaguely knockouty and also quit it with the drugs okay what the fuck," you trail off just staring into your hand, and bringing it up to your face, digits with tingling sensations first. "What the fuck," indeed.

caepaecaesurae

His hand rang at him, right in his face, very distinctly.

trolljacksparrow

.........You make a phone gesture with the fingers. "What??????"

caepaecaesurae

There was a soft audible click, and a deep, familiar voice answered in a wry, almost affectionate tone.  "WVhere are you?"

necroticarachnidism

Catsuit winked at the half compliment but this was quickly overshadowed by...whatever was happening.

You personally were looking at this with clear curiosity instead of pure what the actual fuck.

trolljacksparrow

Okay, its. Sounding like your kismesis. Your magic, hope god kismesis. Oh, thank god, you're not losing your mind.

"Caesurae?? Honey is that you?? Gotta hand it to you, this is a brilliant way of contacting me," At this point, though, you were really looking forward to beating people up!

"Gimme two secs I'm gonna kick some ass first," and you deathgrin at your enemies, still talking in your hand.

caepaecaesurae

"Brilliance is one of my better traits," the voice agreed humbly.  "If you're sure, dear, I can call back in a fewv minutes, just wvanted to hear your vwoice."

Apparently the magic hand might actually let Nadaya handle this on his own if no one interjected.

necroticarachnidism

Nadaya's opponent is more baffled than enraged right now, but starts approaching the cell again when ass kicking is mentioned.

You are having none of that.

"Okay, pardon me, but I am not going to let you hang up on your fucking magic kismesis so this idiot can try to stab you."

caepaecaesurae

"Oh, hello!  Say, can you pass her the phone?"

trolljacksparrow

"Okay thats....fair enough I guess? I mean he wouldn't succeed, but, yeah. Can yall hold on on the death maze bullshit for a moment? Trés bitchinnnn'," and you pass Mindfang the....hand. You put her hand to her face.

caepaecaesurae

At some moment during the awkward fumbling, his claws would stop tingling and hers would start.

necroticarachnidism

There's almost a protest at Nadaya putting your hand to your face but you know what, you can't think of a reason for that not to work, it might as well, this is fine. Copy the phone gesture Nadaya was making.

"Caesurae, please tell me you have something planned, nobody else here does."

caepaecaesurae

"I wvas hoping to figure out wvhat wvas going on wvith you twvo, and if you needed a ride back."

trolljacksparrow

You can't help the smile on your face, you spent a week being unable to contact anyone and you miiiissed theeeeemmm... "We're starring in saw for idiots!" You add, hopefully loud enough to be heard.

necroticarachnidism

"We've been kidnapped and harrassed by mororns. Nadaya is apparently fine here fighting them but I'd quite like a way out."

That gets the group responsible looking around. Was...something going to happen?

caepaecaesurae

"Alright my dear.  I'd like you to try to accept a vwideo call, so I can send you something.  I'm sending the request nowv."

"Just... do your best."

trolljacksparrow

"You can teleport wwhy cant you just send us a phone, " This is getting Ridiculous.

necroticarachnidism

The word 'teleport' only makes the kidnappers more antsy. Meanwhile you...try your best. You make a rectangle with your hands.

caepaecaesurae

The rectangle filled with moving light!  There sure was a giant, slightly relieved looking Ampora sitting in a nice-ish livingroom.  He gave her a smile, adjusted something out of frame, and said -- "--There, I'vwe got wvhat I need."  He took a step back, produced a portable one-use transport pad, and spun it in his hands once, and then looked back towards her with a peculiar look of concentration...

...and it disappeared, and reappeared on the floor at her feet.

"--Dearest, I promise, there's a method here."

trolljacksparrow

"....You beautiful, angelic man you." Holy. Fuck. You offer Mindfang the crook of your arm like a gentleman or some shit, fins and ears perked up. "And you lot " with a menacing look at the assorted kidnappers, "better never brighten our nights again."

necroticarachnidism

Make sure the transportalizer is armed, and then absolutely take that arm, you are now the picture of elegance (minus all the appearance neglect).

After a moment the kidnappers try to scramble for the door, fumbling with the keys, but nowhere near fast enough to catch the two of you before you port away to...wherever this will take you.

caepaecaesurae

Mindfang and Dualscar are whisked away to Nadaya's ship -- and then the device they just left explodes behind them in a colorful fireball.  It might be enough to knock the saw wanna-be's off their feet, but probably not injure any of them unless they use the wrong hair products and are slow to put it out.

The moment her hands parted, Caesurae lost his connection to the video call -- but he scratched his chin, considered, and gave it a few long seconds.

...then Nadaya's pants rang.  If Nadaya swatted at his beltline to refuse the call, he'd laugh and consider it good.

trolljacksparrow

"Absolutely fucking not. I fucking hate him. Are you hearing this shit Sicari? I truly hate him."

You swat at your belt like your pants are on fire!

"Also hey Mindfang if you wanna like....use the bath here or sleep or whatever go ahead its all good - I'm gonna go....cling to him gleefully, honestly." You just. You are just Attention Starved by now.

necroticarachnidism

Rather undignified giggling at the swatting. Amporas.

"I think I'll take you up on that. I might drop by in a few hours to thank Caesurae personally, since it sounds like he'll be here for a while."

caepaecaesurae

The pants obediently stopped ringing when Nadaya refused the call.  Caesurae would be more than happy to apply attention to his missing and beloved quadmate, and to meet with Mindfang later.

trolljacksparrow

"Hey now," he couldnt contest that though. "Hey...now...listen." yeah. Yyyeaaah. Yeah, Nad's gonna dissappear to his quarters for a change of clothes at the least, and transportalize over to be very grateful and very tired at Caesurae - adrenaline barely let him sleep - but mostly just to be delighted and cuddle him.

caepaecaesurae

Caesurae missed him, and is glad he's back, and will happily cuddle him through a nap.

trolljacksparrow

The most affectionate nap. The most.