#and that's how Human!Dot learned how to fly

[theowlgoesmoo]

How do you speak to royalty? Bow before them? Throw in as many honorifics as your little peasant brain can come up with? Shower them with offerings and oaths of service, as if you could offer then anything worth while? No, of course not, you silly goose. The best way is to toss said royal in the air, spin her around a couple times until she's giggling her little blue-blooded head off, and THEN speak to her. Watch closely as Molt demonstrates this with Princess Dot.

Been working on a Human!Molt for a long time, and this piece in particular. I'm not super pleased with the final results, but hey, finally got it finished.

[ancientwastedlores]

Homelander Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

I’m a Loki girl through and through, but a recent The Boys rewatch kinda got me obsessed with Homelander, so I thought I’d write a quick little angst fic based on the Somebody Else x My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” mashup (which I have been playing non-stop by the way. My boyfriend has accepted this new way of life.)

Huge thanks to @blindmagdalena for encouraging me to write this! 

I haven’t written fiction in a while, so I hope this is good! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homelander Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

Oh, here we go again. 

You put on a plastic smile while he holds your wrist in a death grip behind your back. 

The cameras flash incessantly, almost making your eyes water - whether that’s from the ache throbbing in your arms or the flashes, you can’t tell anymore. 

"Homelander! Are you going to cameo in A-Train’s multiverse movie!?"

"Homelander, is there a universe where you are A-Train!?" 

Homelander laughs, flashing his sharp pearly whites. He exudes charisma as he raises his hands to stop the line of questions. 

"I guess you’ll just have to catch the movie next week, boys!" 

He pulls you closer to him. "For now, the missus and I have to make it Vought for the premiere!" 

With a flourish, he flips his cape like the showman he is and then holds you as he launches, leaving the reporters in the dust. 

You feel your tears trail behind you as he whisks you to the penthouse. Normally, New York looks bejeweled from this incredible height. Tiny dots of lights up and down the massive steel and glass buildings. At this height, life is erased. Humans are erased. It’s tall shapes and big shadows, like an unfinished rendering of a video game. 

You’ve always loved flying, but you suspect you’re in for a hard time once your feet touch the marble floors in the penthouse.

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

Homelander stayed silent for hours after getting home. You decided to bake him some banana bread - his favorite - and whip up a good old-fashioned chocolate milkshake. The scent of it usually makes him forget whatever he was angry about, but it doesn"t seem to be working right now. 

He paces the room, his rich red cape trailing behind him in the most dramatic way. Homelander has his theatric tendencies, and you have learned to indulge them. 

Even when the cost is high. 

"What’s wrong?" you ask despite your better judgment. 

"What could possibly be wrong? You’re the Jackie Kennedy to my John Kennedy. What could be wrong about that?" he snaps. 

"John…" 

"Why you?" he asks. "Why you and not me?" 

"Me BECAUSE of you, John; they wouldn’t care about me if I weren’t dating you!" 

He heaves, his eyes red without the aid of a laser. His chest rises and falls as his brain scrambles for a response. He is angry; no, he wants to be angry. He just wants something to rage about. 

He isn’t actually angry that the reporters swarmed the two of you and bombarded you with a hundred questions before paying attention to him. After all, the questions were about him. What’s he like as a boyfriend? What’s the cutest thing he’s done for you? Have you ever worn the cape? Would you ever be in a movie with him? 

No, there"s something else. You’ve given up trying to dig deep and find meaning in his outbursts because, more often than not, you get it wrong. Some obscure random thing might have happened 5 minutes or 5 years ago and he seethes about it before calming down. 

This is life now. 

"Are you actually mad at me?" you ask. "I won’t leave this penthouse if you don’t want me to." 

He laughs - a sarcastic, painful one. You’re all too used to this. 

Homelander looks you up and down as if scanning you. Assessing you. As if asking himself what you mean for his approval points and how you look on his arm. 

You are by no means perfect, but Homelander loved that about you. He never lied that you were the hottest one he’d been with or even the most intelligent. But he loved that you loved him. He loved that you forgave his outbursts and allowed him space to throw a tantrum or brood silently. 

He loved that you were patient with him, which is more than anybody had ever been with him. But he often tested that, too. 

"You know what, I think I'll do this premiere alone. I wouldn’t want you to feel out of place in such a big crowd." 

That stings. You’ve never been a showman or particularly extroverted, but you wanted to try. For him. And you thought you were getting pretty good at it, too. 

But you nod. There’s no use in arguing. 

Clearly, though, he isn’t done. "I mean, I know you hate putting yourself out there, and you end up a nervous wreck after these events. I don’t want to spend the night taking care of you." 

"Sure. I understand." 

Somehow, your neutral, bland response does not anger him. For some funny reason, it relieves him that he doesn't have to fight with you to get what he wants. 

He turns on his heel and exits the house without another word. 

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

You exit the shower and spot the dress you were going to wear for the premiere. In typical Homelander fashion, he wanted you to match his colors rather than A-Train's colors. This was A-Train's night, but he'd be damned if you wore anyone else's aesthetic on your body. 

It’s a red-white-and-blue dress with a dramatic, asymmetrical neckline and fitted bodice with sparkling red and blue sequins transitioning into a voluminous, flowing skirt. Homelander picked it and got it tailored just for you. He knew the parts you were insecure about and made the designer alter the dress to ensure you felt your best. The poofy ball gown style skirt hid your ass, which you didn’t like the shape of. The neckline softened your broad shoulders, which you always felt made you look too masculine. But Homelander made sure the neckline didn’t hide your neck and collarbones, which you loved. 

You touch the rich satin fabric, your heart aching. You were so excited to show this dress off, hanging on to his arm as he flashed his charming, boyish smile. You consider wearing it, even if it's just to clean the kitchen, but decide against it. It would hurt too much. 

You put on a clean pair of sweats and potter to the kitchen. Pouring yourself a glass of wine, you decide to just watch the live broadcast of the premiere and make do with that. 

Three hours pass - you’re asleep on the couch at this point with the TV still running. The premiere ended, and now the channel is playing clips of all mentions of the multiverse in all the past movies. You’d watch if you weren"t so emotionally exhausted. 

A click of the front door wakes you, and through blurry eyesight, you see a smudge of red-and-blue enter. You prop yourself up and rub your eyes sleepily. 

"Hey." 

He sounds like he’s in a jolly mood. 

"Hey," you say back. "How was the premiere?"

"I missed you…" he says, voice dripping with sincerity. 

"I missed you too…" you bring your arms up as if inviting him to cuddle. 

You know he had a miserable time without you. He fucks things up for himself and comes back like a baby in need of consolation. 

Sure enough, he makes his way to the couch, where you’ve created a little nest of fluffy pillows and blankets, and practically falls onto you. You wrap your arms around him as tightly as you can while he buries his nose in your neck. 

"So. Is the movie every bit as terrible as you thought?" you ask, knowing he’s in the mood to shit-talk A-Train. 

"Worse," his voice comes muffled. "Terrible. Horrible. Garbage." 

You laugh and push him lightly so you can have an audible conversation. "Tell me about it." 

"It baffles me the bullshit Vought comes up with. So pointless and bland and unnecessary. And A-Train was eating it right up. Lapping up every last bit of praise like a fucking dog."

"A-Train looked lost in the spotlight. He cannot handle it like you do," you say. "Nobody does." 

A giddy smile crosses Homelander’s face. You pinch his cheeks lightly and then run your fingers through his perfect blonde hair. "Do you want to watch something half-decent and doze off on the couch?" you ask. 

"No… I want you to put that dress on so I can fly us to dinner."

You look at him, your heart twisting painfully in your chest. His boyish grin is disarming, softening your resolve just like it always does. You want to say no. You want to tell him you’re too tired, that the emotional whiplash of his moods has wrung you out like an old sponge. 

But you know that’s not what he wants to hear.

You force a smile instead. "Sure.”

You stand, your legs unsteady, as you head to the bedroom to slip on the dress. It feels heavier now than when you first tried it on. Maybe you’re tired. Maybe it’s just your mind playing tricks. 

You catch your reflection in the mirror. The dress is stunning—perfect, even. He had it made for you, tailored to his vision of you. But when you look at yourself, you see the hollow shell of the person you used to be. You see someone who bends and folds and breaks under the weight of his love.

You hear him calling from the living room, impatient. "You ready yet? You’re gonna knock 'em dead."

You close your eyes, gripping the edge of the dresser until your knuckles turn white. No, you cannot leave him. He needs you, and he doesn"t mean to be mean. He’s trying to make up for it, isn’t he? Stop being such a sensitive, emotional baby. Get the fuck out there and let him show you how sorry he is.

You enter the living room, the satin catching the light and making you look almost ethereal. Homelander is stunned by his own creation. 

"Gorgeous. Fucking perfect." 

You smile and do a little twirl, feeling like the most beautiful girl in the world. 

He rises from the couch, his cape draped dramatically over one shoulder, and strides toward you like a man who owns the world because he does. "You’re my queen. The only one who can keep up with me."

Yes, but do you want to? Or do you want to slow down a bit? Savor the small moments and not spend your life waiting for the next attack? 

You can do nothing but kiss him. He pulls you close by the waist and almost devours you in his frenzy. Waves of emotions crash over you, voices urging you to both switch off your brain and get far away from the broken man. 

How much more of this can you take? He will make it his mission to find out.

He pulls away and flashes his pearly whites. "Ready to lift off?" 

"Abso-fucking-lutely" you smile back. 

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

The restaurant is one of the most exclusive in New York—floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlook the city, tables spaced far apart to ensure privacy, and a waitstaff so attentive it’s almost suffocating. Homelander loves it here. Not because of the food, though it’s excellent, but because everyone here knows who he is. They don’t gawk or ask for autographs, but you can feel their reverence in every stolen glance, every hushed whisper. He thrives on it.

You sit across from him, the candlelight bouncing off the sequins of your dress. He's been in an unusually good mood since you arrived, and for a moment, you let yourself believe tonight might actually be different. He's been complimenting you all night, his eyes lingering on yours in a way that makes you feel like you're the only person in the world.

“See?” he says, leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied grin. “I knew this dress was the one. Look at them.” He gestures subtly to the other diners, some of whom are clearly trying not to stare. “They’re jealous. You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”

You smile faintly, murmuring a soft “thank you” as you sip your wine. It’s moments like this that make staying feel worth it. But then, as always, the warmth starts to curdle.

The turning point is subtle. It always is. He starts picking at his food, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. You can tell something’s shifted. You don’t know what triggered it this time—maybe it was the waiter who smiled a little too warmly at you or the couple at the next table who didn"t acknowledge him quickly enough.

“Do you think they’re staring at me or you?” he asks suddenly, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.

You blink, taken aback. “What?”

“I mean, they’re obviously looking at me,” he continues, his voice low and dangerous. “But you’re the one soaking it up, aren"t you? Sitting there like some fucking… princess.”

The words hit like a slap. “John, what are you talking about?”

He leans forward, his eyes narrowing. “You love this, don’t you? The attention. The glamour. The fucking dress. You think it’s all for you.”

“Of course, I don’t,” you say quietly, trying to keep your voice steady. “I came here because you wanted to. I’m here for you.”

“For me,” he repeats mockingly, his lips curling into a sneer. “That’s rich. You think I don’t see the way you look at them? Like you’re just waiting for someone better to come along. Someone who doesn"t scare you.”

“That"s not true,” you whisper, but your voice sounds hollow even to your own ears. You glance around nervously, hoping no one is listening. Of course, they are. Even if they can’t hear the words, they can feel the tension radiating off him like a live wire.

Somewhere, you blame yourself for enabling this behavior. Your timidness… your eagerness to please… your avoidance of conflict… it feeds him. If it were Starlight or Stormfront or anybody else, they would stand up to him and draw a boundary. And that’s what he needs - not a timid, sniveling fool who would bend over backward to play into his fantasies. 

He laughs bitterly, almost as if he agrees with your thoughts, and leans back in his chair. “You know what"s funny? You’re so scared of me, but you’re the real monster here. You just sit there, pretending to be this sweet, innocent thing, and you judge me for every little fucking thing I do or say.”

“I don’t judge you,” you protest weakly, your hands trembling in your lap. “I—”

“Save it,” he snaps, his voice rising just enough to make heads turn. “You’re just like everyone else. You love me when I’m the hero, but the second I let my guard down, you look at me like I’m some kind of freak.”

“John, please,” you beg, your voice barely above a whisper. “Can we not do this here?”

“Why not?” he says, his smile cold and cruel. “You embarrassed me at the premiere, didn’t you? Couldn’t even be bothered to show up. Do you know how pathetic that made me look?”

“I was just respecting what you asked of me. And I thought you said you missed me,” you say softly, tears stinging your eyes. 

“Yeah, well,” he says, waving a hand dismissively. “What do I know, right?.”

The rest of the dinner passes in a blur. He doesn"t apologize. He doesn"t even look at you. You pick at your food, your appetite long gone, and force yourself to smile when the waiter comes by to clear the plates. You feel like you’re suffocating, the weight of his words pressing down on your chest like a boulder.

When the bill comes, he doesn"t even glance at it. He tosses his card onto the table and leans back in his chair, looking more like a king about to call for an execution. 

“Ready to go?” he asks casually, as if nothing happened.

You nod, your face carefully blank. “Of course.”

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

He flies you back to the penthouse in silence. The city lights blur beneath you, but you barely notice. Your mind is racing, your heart pounding. You know what you have to do. You’ve known for a while now, but tonight was the final straw.

When you land, he kisses your cheek and tells you he’s going to shower. “Don’t wait up,” he says with a wink, and then he disappears down the hall.

You wait until you hear the water running before you move. You slip out of the dress and back into your sweats, your hands trembling as you pack a small bag with just the essentials. You don’t know where you’re going yet—maybe a hotel, maybe a friend"s place—but you know you can’t stay here.

As you zip up the bag, you glance around the penthouse one last time. It feels empty, like a stage set after the actors have gone home. You think of all the times you convinced yourself this was enough. That he was enough. That you could fix him if you just loved him hard enough. And he would love once you fixed whatever was wrong with you. 

But you can’t. You know that now. He needs someone stronger. 

Braver. 

You leave the dress draped over the back of the couch, a silent goodbye. Then you slip out the door, the sound of the water still echoing in the distance.

For the first time in what feels like forever, you don’t look back.

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

It happens on the fourth night. 

You"re staying at a hotel under an alias, the type of place he wouldn"t normally stoop to visiting. You"ve been trying to keep your head down, trying to breathe for the first time in what feels like years. But deep down, you knew it wouldn"t last.

When the knock comes at the door—sharp, insistent—you freeze. Your heart hammers in your chest. You don’t have to check; you already know it’s him. You’ve been bracing for this moment since the night you left. And honestly, he took longer than you expected. 

Still, when you open the door and see him standing there, you’re not prepared. He looks almost unhinged, his hair slightly mussed, his eyes blazing with something between fury and heartbreak. His red cape is gone, but the suit clings to him like a second skin. 

“I found you,” he says, his voice soft, almost tender, but there’s a dangerous edge underneath it. “Of course I did.”

You step back instinctively, your hands gripping the edge of the door. “How did you—”

“Don’t.” He pushes the door open with ease, stepping inside like he owns the place. “Don’t ask me stupid questions. You really thought you could hide from me? Me?” He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Come on, sweetheart. Give me more credit than that.”

“John…” you start, but he cuts you off, pacing the room like a caged animal.

“You left,” he says, his voice rising. “You just walked out. No note, no call, nothing. Do you know what that did to me? Do you have any idea?”

Your chest tightens. “I needed to.”

“Bullshit.” He spins to face you, his expression twisting with anger. “You didn"t need to do anything. You chose this. You chose to hurt me. After I rescued you from a pitiful existence and made something of you. Little Y/N wanted to be a writer but had no time. I rescued you from your shabby little apartment and gave you everything. Time. Money. Luxury. And this is what I get.” 

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” you say quietly, but your words only seem to inflame him further.

“No?” He stalks closer, his voice dripping with venom. “Then what do you call this? Running off in the middle of the night like a fucking coward? Hiding in some fucking run-down rat-shit hotel like you’re afraid of me?”

“I AM afraid of you,” you admit, the words tumbling out before you can stop them. His face freezes, a flicker of something almost like pain crossing his features before the anger returns.

“You’re afraid of me?” he repeats, his tone incredulous. “I’ve protected you. I’ve given you everything. Everything you asked and didn’t ask for. You sound so fucking ungrateful. I loved you.” 

The words hit like a slap. You take a step back, shaking your head. “That's not love, John. That's control.”

“Don’t,” he snarls, his voice trembling with fury. “Don’t you fucking psychoanalyze me right now. I loved you. I still love you. And you—” he can’t stop his maniacal laughter. He wags his finger at you. “You!” 

Tears well in your eyes, but you refuse to let them fall. “I just think this isn’t meant to be.”

“Oh, you’re a fortune teller now?”

“John…” 

“Such a fucking saint, aren't you, saving us all from unhappiness. Or…” he smiles. A dangerous smile. “There’s someone else!”

The question knocks the breath out of you. “What?”

“You heard me,” he says, his voice low and deadly. “There’s someone else, isn’t there? Is that why you left? Did you find someone who makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Someone who doesn"t scare you?”

“No,” you say, your voice breaking. “There’s no one else.”

“Then why?” he demands, his voice rising again. “Why did you leave me? Why did you—”

“Because it’s not love!” you scream. The first real, raw emotion you allow yourself to feel in forever. 

Homelander almost looks proud of you for it. 

“You keep being cruel to me. You keep saying horrible things, and I get it; I'm not intelligent or gorgeous or fucking V'd up like your other girlfriends, but GOD. Why are you with me if you hate me so much?” 

For the first time, you see Homelander shocked. “What? I don’t… I don’t hate you; what the fuck are you talking about?” 

You laugh in resignation and wipe your tears with the neck of your sweater. “Homelander, I’m not the one for you. I’m done.”

“You’re done? YOU are leaving ME?” 

He stares at you, his chest heaving, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. For a moment, neither of you speak. The silence is deafening. He’s confused that you think he hates you and cannot fathom why you would believe that. He gave you everything. In what universe is that hate? 

“I gave you everything,” he says, more to convince himself now, his voice raw. “I’m the best thing that ever happened to you.”

“I’m sorry,” you say again. Part of you wants to desperately say you want to be back together when things are better. When you are stronger, and he is kinder. You want to believe that once you fix you, he will miss you. He will return and be so much nicer. Softer. 

But you know that time may never come. 

Just at this moment, Homelander wishes his powers had allowed him to read minds, too. Your face inscrutable, he has nothing to latch on to. He looks at you like you’ve just plunged a knife into his chest. For a moment, you think he might lash out, that he might destroy the entire block in a fit of rage. 

But instead, he takes a step back, his expression crumbling.

“You’ll regret this,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’ll miss me. You’ll see.”

You nod, tears streaming down your face. “Maybe I will.”

He stands there for a moment longer, his fists clenching and unclenching, his jaw tight. Then, without another word, he turns and leaves, the door slamming shut behind him.

You collapse onto the bed, your entire body shaking. The weight of the confrontation crashes over you. Hot tears finally gush out as you clutch your pillow and sob quietly, knowing Homelander can still hear you. 

This isn’t over. Not yet. He will forever stalk the edges of your life, watching. Waiting for you to need him. 

You know Homelander well enough to know he doesn't let go of his toys without a fight.

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

[t-a-a-1]

The Darkest Hour

Ch.3: Personal Reasons

Summary:

After being labeled as crazy for trying to report that robot aliens exist on national television, you lose your job and move to Jasper City. In a drastic turn of fate, you meet Optimus Prime. You and Team Prime get together to find ancient relics that are vital to the Autobot's cause.

Along the way, you and Optimus start to develop feelings that go beyond comradeship.

But what happens when he discovers you've been lying all of this time?

……..

This story is a slow burn. Eventual smut. Optimus develops an unhealthy attachment (he is smitten, obsessed) to you but nothing OOC. Lots of yearning, craving, hurt, betrayal, erotic and that good stuff. Ok bye. In case of any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, requests, etc. You may message me here. Thank you for reading!

For a better reading experience you can read this story on Ao3:

>>>

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60642838/chapters/154846393

Ch.3: Personal Reasons

"So, one dot and a line is 'A' and a line and three dots is 'B'."

You had spent some time with Bumblebee to realize he was speaking in Morse code. You weren't fluent but you thought that studying and learning it should help you become more proficient.

The base is quieter than usual. Everyone but Ratchet was out on a mission to gather Energon. He is always working, you haven't seen him take a break from his enormous computer or what you assumed to be one. That's what you called it because you couldn't find a better word to describe it. Probably a Cybertronian data screen was a better option.

"So, have you found out the function of the ancient relic?"

You walk towards him on the platform. He didn't spare you a single second and kept typing.

"No, but I believe is part of something bigger," Ratchet says as he seems to be reading a scan. "A map may be."

"Interesting," you try to peak on his screen although you know that you won't understand any of it.

"When I was looking over the codes, it didn't say anything about a map. Although I haven't checked the rest of the documents for more information."

"How was a human like you able to decipher ancient codes that led to Cybertronian relics?

You didn't like the sound of the voice, as it belittled you. Thinking about it for two seconds, you decided to give it a pass. You didn't know if he asked out of genuine curiosity or because he was trying to satisfy his superiority complex.

"I don't read Cybertronian but there were some pictures I was able to figure out. After that, it wasn't that difficult really," you remember seeing a few paintings and historical places on the documents provided to you by your government insider. All of them have an inner message related to space. 

"But it's understandable if a Cybertronian can't figure it out. The codes are centered on Earth's nearby celestial bodies. You know, like stars, constellations, comets, meteors, planets."

"That's ... interesting," his tone simulates yours. "If these are Cybertronian relics then why made the codes for something only humans can understand?"

"Well, maybe what we are looking for is not meant to be found by the transformers."

"Maybe, but we should find all the relics before jumping to conclusions," he finally, turns to look at you. A sign to tell you that what he is saying is important. "And find them quickly before the Decepticons find out what we are doing."

"Then we should head out soon."

"This would be easier if the ground bridge was working," Ratchet turns to look at his side. You follow, noticing an arc made of metal. It didn't look like much but according to the doctor bot, it allows travel through the entire Earth in seconds.

"But I've been having trouble trying to fix it."

"At this point, I'll just have to fly myself out there."

"Wait, you can fly?"

He asks with such more genuineness that you find it adorable.

"I mean as taking an airplane."

Ratchet vents heavily, he was disappointed at your answer.

"Well, meanwhile I try to work on the ground bridge. Maybe you can head out with the rest to the second closet location from here."

On the data-screen, a location appears. A relic seems to be inside the Big Bend National Park in Texas. It will take roughly a day to get to oil land.

"Just let me know so I can ask for a few days off work. Although I wish I could help more."

You were never one to stay still in one place. Especially when you see Ratchet working so relentlessly and everyone is out there probably fighting the bad guys.

"If you want to be more efficient, why don't you quit your job and stay here?"

How easy would that be? To just give up and live a life full of excitement and adventures with the Autobots. But you had a rare sense of justice. Within you, it was your duty to tell the truth to the people. They were the lie and you had to expose them. And of course ... getting a little praise on the way.

"Because I need money to buy food. I'll die if I don't eat."

This was also true. It would be hard for him to believe you if you weren't being fully honest.

"If your kind needs 'food' to survive ... Why do you need to work to gain it? Shouldn't it be easily accessible? Free perhaps?"

"Yes, but our civilization is not as advanced with such concepts," you loved changing topics and also seeing the perspective of humans in another species' eyes ... or better say optics.

"How barbaric," Ratchet intonates his voice, it was rather comical to you.

"Agreed."

After a few minutes, you hear the sound of car engines approaching. You look at where the sound is coming from and certainly, the Autobots started showing up.

They transform back to their normal form, standing tall and well beyond 30 feet. You see them more often now but you are still fascinated by them.

Everyone gives you a look, acknowledging your presence.

"How was it?" Ratchet asks. He sees them coming in empty-handed and has already expected an answer. But he asked for more details than results.

"We couldn't find anything," Bulkhead's voice is tired. You didn't even know how that was possible, supposing the machines don't get tired. But you have to remind yourself that they are living creatures. Not things.

"We are running out of Energon reserves."

"What about you? Please tell us some good news," Arcee asks as she looks over to Ratchet.

"Tragically, I have none," Ratchet says, taking the time to step aside from his work to talk to the group. "The groundbringe still needs to be worked on."

Everyone waited for Optimus' orders. After a few moments, he speaks.

"Due that we are low on Energon reserves, (Y/N) and I will search for the next relic. Everyone else shall stay here and continue on the search for Energon."

"The closest relic is one day away," Ratchet looks at his data-screen where a blue dot stands out on the map. "So we better find some Energon by the time you come back."

"I am counting on you."

The Autobots don't say a word. They never needed to in order to understand each other. They can't fail.

.

.

.

You type furiously on your computer as Optimus keeps driving. The are a few bumps on the road, the movement makes your screen shake. It made writing and reading difficult. Your head is starting to hurt for staring too long at the screen but you can't stop.

"You seem distracted."

Optimus voice interrupts your process but you don't take off your eyes from the screen.

"I asked four days off work to come. I've been missing a lot and the only way they would approve my PTO is if I finish two scripts and upload it by tonight."

The next relic should be found in Texas, which is around a day from Nevada without stopping. Yet, you are a bit worried about the bot. You don't know if Optimus gets tired and you wanted to suggest resting somewhere in the woods so he could rest ... or re-charge.

"If you so wished, you could have stayed at the base. You didn't have to come."

He is right. The coordinates of the relic had already been figured out.

"And become more useless than I already am?" you proofread your script. See a couple of mistakes and a few sentences that didn't sound right. You quickly click on the back-space, deleting your previous work. Who would have thought that writing about a grandma turning one hundred could be so difficult?

"Besides, trucks have stops and inspections. What will the transportation officers say when they see an 18-wheeler driving by itself?"

You were so engrossed that Optimus' silence went unnoticed. As you finished writing your script and clicking on the period key, you looked up and noticed the road in front of you. It's starting to get dark. Then you turn to look to the co-pilot seat.

There, you find a young man around your age. Dark blue hair, ocean-eyes. Wearing a white shirt with a denim jacket. He doesn't smile but stares intensely at you.

You scream and throw your computer at him.

"PRIME THERE IS AN UGLY MAN INSIDE!"

The man caught the computer and looks at you with a confused face.

"This is my human hologram form," Optimus says, putting a hand on his chest. You were so used to hearing his voice on his robot or car form that watching it coming from a human version feels strange. "This is the form I use in case I am stopped by the authorities."

You reach out a hand, thinking your hand would go through him. It was not the case as you touched his shoulder. Grasping it so tightly, the clothes felt real. He almost did. But he feels cold and doesn't breathe. His chest nor shoulders move up and down. And his posture is too straight to be that of a human.

This once again reminded you that Cybertronian technology was millions ahead compared to Earth's which was primitive. To them, this was a simple 'hologram' because there wasn't a better word for your species to understand it. To you, this kind of technology was just beyond comprehension.

"If you have this hologram then why keep using cars as a disguise? Wouldn't this be a better way to blend in with our civilization?"

You reach out to take your laptop and take it from the grasp of the hologram quickly. Somehow you trusted Optimus' robotic version more than this hologram man.

"We can only use these holograms within 100 meters of our actual being," Optimus says. "Or if we have someone or something with a transmitter being kept at a close distance."

"I see," you give the hologram a stinky eye and Optimus wonders the reason behind your cold demeanor towards him. "Can you put him back? I like you much more as you actually are."

In the blink of an eye, the hologram disappears and you feel relieved. You didn't notice it but you feel the air of the vents touch your cheeks more strongly.

You were about to go back to work when you heard your stomach make embarrassing sounds. You were hungry, you hadn't eaten all day.

"Hey, Prime, can we make a stop?"

.

.

.

The gas station wasn't the nicest. It smells like piss. But there were burritos and against your lack of better judgment and hunger, you decide to buy one with egg filling. You looked around the store and bought some car stuff just in case Optimus was hungry. He couldn't possibly just drink Energon ... right?

You walk with a plastic bag and a burrito in hand. Opening the door to get inside Optimus' vehicle form. You close the door so no one can hear you talking to 'yourself.'

"Did you find everything you needed?" Optimus asks, anxious to get back on the road.

"Yes, and I also brought you some stuff."

Carelessly, you move the plastic bag upside down, the items falling down on the co-pilot seat.

"I got you oil from all kinds of brands." You also bought a lemon car air freshener. You stood up from your seat and put it in Optimus' rear mirror. "Pick your poison."

You sit back down while taking a big bite of your burrito.

"My apologies but if I were to drink oil, it would impair my ability to drive."

"How? I thought oil was good for cars," you chew into the food, tasting the egg and something else. Another ingredient you didn't ask for.

"Oil is good for maintenance but if we drink large quantities of it, our processor can become disoriented and there can be certain impairment in some functions-"

As Optimus continues talking, you spit the food in your mouth into your hand. On it, you could see scrambled eggs and pieces of steak. Steak that was still too pink for your liking and could still taste the blood on your tongue.

You open Optimus' door and run to the nearest trashcan. Vomiting what you just had and the entire of yesterday's dinner. It wasn't just that the food disgusted you, but the memories that were brought back were still too present. The smell of burned skin. It's as if you've gone back there. The screams, the death, the blood ... The blood in your hands was still too real for it not to affect you.

All the while, the Autobot leader watched, concerned for your safety and most importantly curious about what could make someone like you falter in such ways.

.

.

.

Optimus didn't want to stop, he tried to hide his disappointment but you just knew he was.

He stopped somewhere in the middle of the woods. There was enough space for him to mass-shift back into his regular size. You saw him stretch and move around, it must feel nice to rest after a whole day of driving.

He watched you as you meticulously built up a small bonfire for you. Pulling a 'camping bed roll' and laying it on the grass. You could feel his optics on you. He doesn't even try to hide it. Staring was rude on Earth but you doubted the same thing applied on Cybertron.

"If you want to say something, say it already."

You finished smoking a cigarette and threw the rest of the butt into the bonfire. Sitting on your camping bed, you had also bought a few crackers, chocolate and marshmallows to make s'mores.

"I do not wish for my words to cause you discomfort."

Prime sits a few meters away from you. His back rested against a large trunk tree.

"It causes me discomfort that you keep looking at me," you also didn't want to talk about what happened but you knew Optimus would always think about it every time he saw you. The thought annoyed you, you didn't want him to see you as weak. "You may be a bot but I can tell by your ... Optics that you want to ask something."

Your eyes lay on him. There is a stern expression. Of concern? Curiosity? Pity? All of them three? You couldn't tell and it bothered you.

"Let me guess, it's about me throwing up the burrito right?" you inwardly laugh. Now that you look back, it was so stupid.

"You must be thinking, what kind of person vomits because of a gas station burrito?"

"But it's more common than you think!" you already had a lie planned out. You weren't stupid enough to tell the truth. You didn't trust him. "It just tasted really bad and I don't eat meat. Made me lose my appetite."

To have PTSD because of a steak burrito was not on your to-do list for today. It was ridiculous and stupid. You can usually stand it when you see raw meat but having a taste of it is completely different. You feel pathetic for letting Optimus see you that way.

"I thought most humans enjoyed meat and other types of protein," he wasn't going to let go of the subject too easily. "Why are you different from them?"

"... Personal reasons?"

You didn't think he would care enough to ask any further.

"Personal ... reasons?" he asks, there is confusion in his tone.

"Yes."

"I don't think I understand."

"Well, it's kinda like," you look around and from your marshmallow bag, you take out two marshmallows. "Let's say you are dating someone and then you break up with them."

You move the marshmallows, pretending that they are people. Giving them life by creating a story of them. You put them together and then pull them apart, make them walk and fall.

"Then, I ask why you broke up the relationship and you say personal reasons"

You look up at the metal titan in front of you, he seems more amused by the marshmallows than what you are saying.

"That's like a cue for me to not ask any further questions because you are not ready or you don't want to talk about it," you throw one marshmallow into your mouth, enjoying the softness of it, "It's like a human social cue."

"What is dating?"

Questions and more questions. You would be annoyed but Optimus seems so genuinely curious that you couldn't deny him.

"Well, like," you try to look for the right words but explaining the concept of dating to an alien life was more complicated than you thought. "It's kinda like the time you spend with someone before deciding if you want to spend the rest of your life with them."

Optimus takes a few seconds to process your words.

"I see. Humans and Cybertronians differ on mating rituals."

You didn't like the word 'mating' since it was a term mostly used on animals. But now that you think about it, a robotic alien from a species that had evolved for millions of years may see you as an animal. Either that or he couldn't find a better word.

Nonetheless, the words made you question something. You look up and down at Optimus. Everything seems mechanical to you. Nothing 'natural' about him. But even so, you knew he was a biological begin.

"I hope I am not crossing the line but how exactly do Cybertronians ... reproduce?"

"Reproduce?"

You try to think of another word. From what you can see, Cybertronians don't have any reproductive organs, at least none you can see from the outside. The word 'reproduce' may be foreign to Optimus for that reason.

"As in create a new life?"

He takes a few seconds as if he were thinking of a simple way to explain things to you. You didn't feel offended, on the contrary, you could sympathize. It was difficult to explain to another species how humans work.

"On Cybertron, Sparkmates can build a Sparkling if they so wish. It is a very arduous process but after the construction is done, Primus may bestow a small part of the AllSpark into the transformer and so they come online."

A lot of those terms you didn't understand. But what you could conclude is that the process may be religious, more of a ritual than a natural phenomenon.

"It sounds complicated."

"It is a very hazardous, challenging and exhausting activity," Optimus says as he looks at you and then at the night sky. "But there's also beauty in it."

You take the freedom to look at him. He didn't have eyes as you know but his optics are expressive. Maybe it's the thing you liked the most about him. His optics never lied, it was easy to read and there is some logging in them that almost made you ...

"What about humans?" he looks back at you, unaware of your strange thoughts. "How do humans come to life?"

You look back at your ingredients. Picking up a marshmallow and a stick, you decided these two would be the characters of your story.

"Well, when a man and a woman really ... really love each other," you feel like you are explaining this to a kid but you try to make it as simple as possible.

"They become intimate," you put the stick inside the marshmallow. You take it out and put it in again, in a back-and-forth movement. After a few seconds, you look at Optimus who seems confused. You stop. Maybe you need to be more blunt with him, after all, he was a million-years-old alien robot. Embarrassment may not even be a concept to him.

"And nine months later a baby ... umm a very small human comes out of the woman's belly."

Optimus left the comfort of his seat to move closer to you. His faceplate was so close that you hear his vents and engines move. His optics showed such amusement that you would have allowed him to explore more of you just to satisfy his curiosity.

"Humans have the ability to create life?" Optimus looks at you with awe, his voice softer than usual. "You can give life to a sentient being, with emotions, dreams and hopes? Whenever you wish?"

"Well, I would need a partner first but yes."

After finally taking a deep look at you, he steps back and lays his back on the grass. Laying flat on the ground and having a front view of the night sky with its stars and moon.

"What a great power. Your gods must have certainly loved you to have given you such virtue."

Being able to reproduce another living being was a normal concept for humans. You never consider how difficult must it be for other alien species to conceive life. Especially for those that live millions of years. Humans have a short lifespan compared to that of a Cybertronian. There is no need for them to constantly be having children ... Or Sparklings as they say. Evolution had played them dirty, especially now. That's if they ever plan to repopulate their home planet.

"I wonder ... Since your kind has the ability to create life," Optimus speaks out loud although he seems to be talking to himself more than to you.

"If a Cybertronian and a human were to be intimate as you put it, would a new type of life be born?"

"I think it's more complicated than that-"

"How do your species become intimate?"

The marshmallow and stick explanation didn't work. You open your mouth just to close it again. It's not like it bothered you talking about sex but it wasn't like you were about to open up Pornhub and show Optimus a video. You just find it difficult to explain. It's not like you could say 'penis goes inside vagina' because Optimus would ask 'What is a penis? What is a vagina?'

Maybe it will be easier to explain it in his terms or in a way he can relate. You decide to ignore his question first in hopes that you can answer it later after he responds to you.

"How do Cybertronians become 'Sparkmates'?"

"Sparkmates are extremely rare. In my years I've only met five. There should be more but the war has lasted many eons and there are few of us now," the more Optimus talks, the more you realize that he isn't the quiet type at all. The right questions always make him talk.

"From what I've heard and read, Sparkmates could recognize one another and immediately Sparkbond as a sign of affection."

"Sparkbond?"

"A sacred ritual only reserved for Sparkmates. It is taboo for Cybertronians who weren't Sparkmates to Sparkbond," he continues to talk. You wonder if he is talking because he enjoys it or because he doesn't want to be rude and tell you to shut up.

"But myths say that it is ... an indescribable experience. Even if I wanted to share this information with you, I am unable to ."

"Interesting," you are relieved to know that you weren't the only one having trouble explaining relationships.

"Humans are not like that. We can become intimate whenever we want. Even if we don't love or have feelings for the person we are intimate with."

"Cybertronians also enjoy other means of intimacy," he says as you finally rest on your camp bed, laying flat, looking at the same night sky as Optimus and a belly full of smores. "Most enjoy it with a recreational means."

This sparks your curiosity.

"So ... What other ways can Cybertronians be intimate?

You don't look at him but wait for an answer that never comes.

"I am not certain if that's a proper subject to speak with a lady."

"Oh, come on!" you decide to share some human information, maybe that would encourage Optimus to speak more. "Humans really ... really enjoy intimacy. It gives us pleasure. We actually need to feel a lot of pleasure in order to conceive life. Is it the same for you guys?"

"We do possess the software and right circuits that allow us to process touch and pleasure."

By the way he doesn't dare to look at you, you can tell he is flustered. You are happy to know that Cybertronians can feel embarrassed. Maybe you two aren't so different after all.

"All Cybertronians have different tension points and if caressed properly then ..."

Optimus stops speaking for a few seconds. You don't know if its the archivist in him, with so much knowledge that it's begging to be shared. Or if it is the reporter in you that wants to know more than you somehow find a way to get the answers you need.

"Then?"

The leader of the Autobots stays silent, debating whether or not to proceed.

"I wish to not speak of this further."

"Please, Prime, continue! You were just getting to the good part!"

"Please respect my wishes."

"Fine, fine," you say, quickly thinking of a better question. "But tell me, have you ever been engaged in this type of recreational intimacy?

You pay attention to his faceplate and although he has no clear expression, you notice his cheeks become slightly blue.

"OH, YOU HAVE!" you didn't need an answer anymore, you knew. "Tell me, how was it?! Was she beautiful?"

"I wish to recharge now."

He doesn't deny it and this further proves your conclusion.

"Tell me, please! I am so curious now about alien sex."

"Sex?" his voice is genuinely curious. "What is that?"

"You know what, I suddenly became sleepy too," you put a small blanket over your body, no longer wanting to explain the whole act of human reproduction anymore.

"Let's call it a night shall we?"

"But I wish for you to tell me more about this sex you speak of."

You close your eyes, ignoring his request.

"Goodnight, Prime."

.

.

.

Big Bend National Park in Texas probably has one of the best views of the Milky Way in the USA.

Ever since arriving on Earth, Optimus hasn't had the time to do any exploring as he would like. Free time is never really on his schedule but he finds himself enjoying this time with you.

You had expressed to him the desire to stay a couple more days. Deep down, he also wished he could relax and drive into the distance. He almost wanted to say yes but you had quickly interrupted him, saying that you had work and couldn't afford to lose any more days.

The two of you had to walk on top of a mountain. Mostly, he walked a couple of steps up while carrying you on his right servo.

Optimus looked around the area and then at the sky. He looked up while you looked down. He knows he should be paying more attention, especially when you insist on being the one to scratch the ground with a shovel. He had offered to do it but according to you, he was too brusque and might break the delicate artifact.

He wasn't so sure of that. But he assumed that you felt more inclined to offer your help because you didn't want to feel useless and he wasn't one to want to diminish your efforts.

"There is an ancient story about how the Milky Way formed."

Optimus was so concentrated on looking at the stars that he didn't notice that you had started shoveling.

"A very long time ago, a heavenly god had a beautiful daughter, a princess. She fell in love with a farmer. The farmer also loved the princess."

You continued to talk while shoveling, your voice was agitated and Optimus felt the need to do the job himself. But the last thing he wants is to make you feel unneeded.

"But the heavenly god did not approve of it so he cut off the sky in half. The farmer stayed on one side and the princess stayed on the other. They could never see each other again."

Still, your voice sounds excited. Is excavating that much fun to you? Or was it the story you were telling? Either way, he couldn't tell. But he enjoyed watching you do both.

"The princess would do nothing but cry. Seeing her sorrow, the heavenly god came to a conclusion."

Then, you had come to a stop. He seems some awkwardness in your face. Confusion and uneasiness. Something that is not very familiar to you. But you were pretending not to be.

"I am sorry, I am talking too much. This must be boring-"

He can't believe that he has been paying more attention to you than the story you were sharing with him. A sense of guilt and shame felt heavy on his spark. Was it the stars? Your strange body that he was so unknown to? Otherwise, Optimus can't understand why he would be so fascinated with the scene unfolding in front of him.

"No," he says, walking closer to you. He kneels to listen more closely. "Please, continue."

Seeing his interest, you continued with the last part of the story.

"He will allow his daughter to meet with the farmer once a year. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a flock of magpies forms a bridge, allowing the lovers to reunite for a single day."

He waits for you to continue and then realizes that you have finished your story. With an ending he did not like.

"That god is cruel. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"It's not a real story," you stop shoveling for a second to look at him. Although the night is cold by human standards, you still manage to sweat. A condition that is extremely foreign to him but he finds it fascinating. The fact that you are able to produce a water-like substance out of your skin is astonishing.

"It's fiction. It gives us an explanation of how the Milky Way was created and it's about the message."

"It's a tragic tale with a tragic ending," he says abruptly, showing his clear distaste for the conclusion. "I do not understand the kind of morale this story is trying to convey."

You stand in front of him. His optics allowed him to study you. Your chest moves up and down. You blink constantly. Your hair moves with the wind and your face wrinkles when you talk. There's not a single part of your body that it's not expressive.

Little by little, Optimus understood why the human poets and artists were so enchanted by the beauty of the human body.

"I think it means that to love is to suffer and suffering can be beautiful."

By Primus, he could have sworn he felt a glitch in his spark. A feeling that lasted less than a millisecond but one he will crave for all of eternity.

"It's a part of life. You can't feel happy unless you experience sadness first," you go back to shoveling, the ground around you has become deeper. Optimus wonders how much longer you will last until you give up and finally ask him for help. He needs to help you.

"And besides the star-crossed lovers can still meet."

"Soon?"

You stop again to look at the watch in your hand. Then you go back to work.

"Right now actually."

Instinctively, Optimus looks up at the dark sky to see falling stars and comets. The milkway splits the black mantle of the night.

"I do not see any birds."

He hears a sound. Like a soft and strange melody, delicate but sweet. It's the first time he hears you laugh.

"Did I say something amusing?"

"Don't mind me. I am just indulging," you say, still giggling a little bit. "You know, the more I get to know you, the more I see why you would be popular with the ladies."

"I- Umm-"

He wants to say something, to say more of him. To share things that will make him look more ... capacitated.

"Prime! I think I found it! The relic!"

You use your hands to get rid of the dust of the white pot. Taking a step aside, Optimus is glad to finally help you.Using two of his digits, he pulls the white pot from the ground, easily. It's not big but rather heavy for you. He is surprised that something made for Cybertronians could be this small.

"Mission accomplished," he says. "Let's get back to base."

.

.

.

The last thing you expected to see when you came back to base was to see three kids.

Well, two teenagers and one kid to be specific.

The Autobots had embarrassed looks on their face. Optimus was as unreadable as always. That made the situation even more uncomfortable.

"I departed for three days and returned to find ... small humans," Optimus observes the bots and the three other humans who look a bit scared. "Should I be concerned?"

Arcee steps in, knowing that she is the best to explain the situation.

"We were on a mission to retrieve Energon when we accidentally stumble upon the humans and they got tangled in our affairs with the Decepticons," Arcee says. "Agent Fowler was called and he gave us the order to guard these humans in the meantime."

Optimus stays silent.

"And the energon?"

"We now have enough stored for a couple of months."

He vents heavily and nods slightly.

"Very well then. I approve of Agent Fowler's decision."

Arcee then takes a step back and looks at the kids. She raises a servo, fully open. Not pointing but rather softly signaling.

"Jack, Raf, Miko," Arcee points to each of them for Optimus to learn their names, so do you. "Meet Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots."

"Hello."

"Hi."

"Hey."

Optimus kneels in front of the kids, taking a closer look at them. Memorizing their faces and names. Their appearances gave him a little hint of what their personalities would be like. He liked that, he wouldn't struggle too much to read them as compared to you.

"We have as well completed our mission smoothly," Optimus stands up and moves aside, leaving you exposed to the rest as you were kinda hiding behind his pedes. Next to you the relic that was safely stored inside the white pot.

"Old friend," now Optimus re-directs his attention to Ratchet. "Have you made any advances in discovering information about the relics?"

"No, tragically," Ratchet steps aside from his workstation to show the group the data he has collected so far about the first collected relic. "Good news is that Raf helped me fix the ground bridge so now we can collect the other relics across the globe."

"Very well then, the more pieces we have of this puzzle, the more we are closer to the truth-"

"Wait, is that (y/n) from Jasper TV News?"

Raf interrupts Optimus although there wasn't any malice from it. More curious than anything and excited.

You wave, still not liking the attention but you are not going to be mean about it.

"My mom is a fan of yours! She loves watching the news," Raf says as he gets closer to you. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"I have my own shenanigans," you didn't want to tell the entire story, not wanting to divulge your bad behavior. "Long story short, I was in the wrong place, wrong time. Prime came to save me."

"So is Optimus like your robot guardian?"

"Guardian? Please, it's me the one who takes care of him."

You turn to look up at him, trying to tease him and get his approval.

"She does."

You weren't expecting him to answer but you are happy he played along.

"But I won't be here for a couple of days so maybe you three can take of him for me."

This time you look at the other two teens behind Raf who smile to greet you.

"Where will you be going?"

"Work," you say, your voice showing your clear disappointment. "Someone has to report the news and I haven't been attending to it lately."

You turn to face the Autobots.

"Now if it's not too much to ask ... can I get a ride back home?"

"I can take you home if so you wish," Optimus offers but you didn't want to bother him any longer.

"You've driven so much already, I think it's better if you rest."

Then, you hear beeping sounds. It was Bumblebee who had transformed into his vehicle form, opening the door for you to get in. You walk towards him, a bit excited to ride a nice-looking car.

"If you guys really need me, you can text me," you stand in front of the door, ready to hop in. "But besides that, I'll be drowning in work so please don't look for me."

There was some truth to that but you actually wanted some private time so you could write in your journal everything you learned on this trip. From the relic to Cybertronian reproduction. Everything was worth reporting.

"Goodbye, everyone!"

You raised your right hand, giving everyone a clear view of your palm. Waving your hand side to side. Bulkhead and the kids wave back to you while Arcee gives you an acknowledging look. Ratchet doesn't even bother, too indulged in his work and Optimus doesn't say a word.

You hop into Bumblebee as he closes the door.

Everyone watches as you and Bee head into the tunnel to leave the base.

Bulkhead and Arcee walked around the base and showed it to the kids. While Ratchet kept on with his work and Optimus just stared into the distance.

Although Ratchet was too focused on the screen in front of him, he could sense Optimus' presence still in the same room.

It was quiet and to Ratchet this was a bit strange. He looks at the back and finds Optimus still staring into the tunnel. His optics are heavy on him, that look on his friend's faceplate is not unknown to him but it's been eons ago since he saw it.

Optimus walks past the white pot uncarefully, making it spin, almost fall and break. He didn't seem to notice but Ratchet did.

"Did you see that?"

Ratchet asks pointing at the pot that thankfully did not shatter.

"Yes," Optimus says. "Her hands were damaged. Probably due to the excavation she did with the shovel. I should've had helped."

Optimus didn't see it before but your palms were swollen, pink and with a flew blisters and scratches. For a human with a soft skin like yours it must be painful to have.

"No, Optimus," Ratchet is now concerned. "The relic. Be careful."

Optimus looks at his side where the clay pot is extremely close to his pede. He took a few steps back, showing his clear confusion.

"My apologies, I'll be more careful."

Ratchet continues to look at the Autobot leader, wondering how or why he seems distracted. It's unaccustomed for a Prime to act in such ways but Ratchet couldn't completely be mad at him. He sometimes tends to forget that Optimus used to be more than a Prime and it was moments like this when he could see who Orion Pax used to be.

.

.

.

Every day is harder for you to get out of bed but you remind yourself that you need to go work. Tragically, you are not rich nor have anything to your name just a car you were able to pay off. A reporter's salary isn't great but it's not bad either. Maybe if you worked hard enough you will be able to afford to buy a house. A very small one.

You got out of the house, make-up and outfit ready. You weren't one to wear make-up in the office but today you were going to be live on television, reporting an increase in illegal car racing. Not something you were particularly interested in but you would take that any day over-reporting insignificant lifestyle.

You get into your car, put the tote bag in the co-pilot seat and close the door. You take your bag again, making sure everything is in there. Laptop, make-up bag, cigarettes, lighter, wallet.

Your phone is missing.

You sigh heavily and take off the seat belt, trying to open the door only to realize you can't.

"Don't worry darling, whatever you need, you won't need it where we are heading."

And that's when you realize that this isn't your car.

Once again, you will be missing work.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A/N: Slowburn who? I don't think Reader and Optimus have feelings for each other yet but rather is a fascination for each other species. I think both Reader and Optimus are curious by nature and I think that's why they get along well so far.

If I am completely honest, I am not sure how this story will continue. I just know how I want to end it but it's a matter to get there. Of course, I want to implement some ideas I've had for a while into the story but I want to make it as smoothly as possible without things feeling rushed or making it seem like things happened out of nowhere.

Although I feel like things have strangely improved between Reader and Optimus and it's just the third chapter. So I don't know, I'll see how this story progresses. I've written really long slowburn fanfics before but for some reason I only see this story being around 50k-60k words in total. Which for me, that's a rather short fic.

I definitely want to explore more of Optimus character and mostly importantly, I want him to be able to feel. He may never act upon his feelings but he still feels. Some emotions maybe unknown to him so he may lash or act in certain ways.

I still don't know if I want reader to fall in love first just for Optimus to reject her and through the story we see her moving on and improving as a person (cause reader still has a skewed way look at the world and she is lying to the autobots) and as she moves on and dates other people, Optimus realizes he loves her and he gets angry and annoyed because he starts to have ill feelings like jealousy, rage, confusion, uneasiness and he feels all of that because of you. And of course one day he can't control it anymore and he angrily confesses your love for you under the rain? ( ok I might be making this part up haha)

But anyways, I think y'all get my point.

In the next chapter, I would also like to talk more about the reader and her past. I think she's rather interesting. Not bad but not good either. Her views about life changed and from being someone full of hope she became kinda pessimistic ... maybe Optimus can help her see the good side of life again.

Thank you again to anyone who took the time to read this chapter. I apologize for any mistakes but I don't really proofread since I don't have time. I wrote this while at work actually, haha.

Thank you and see you on the next chapter!

Previous Chapter:

https://www.tumblr.com/t-a-a-1/767425691778203648/the-darkest-hour?source=share

Next:

https://www.tumblr.com/t-a-a-1/770605391385133056/the-darkest-hour?source=share

[rainbowchaox]

OKOKOKOKOK ANOTHER AU FOR ADOPTION:

Space Romance Au

Pretty much Earth sends out people on missions to research alien flora and fauna. They arrive on a distant planet and live in like a portable housing/research station. The station has good housing quarters and labs filled with the best equipment. Also each station has a food replicator. Usually these stations are only manned by one human. Mostly everything is automatic. And Missa is part of this project and is currently manned on the recently found planet coined Vita Viridis.

Vita Viridis is an oxygen rich planet whose natural flora experience gigantism. It’s heavily forested with flora reaching almost unnatural proportions. It tends to be a mild climate but does have typical seasons. It’s tends to rain often and it’s common for bodies of water to dot the surface. So often in fact that Missa usually goes around by boat.

The station Missa resides in is on an island in a middle of a swamp which the roots of the massive trees delve into. It’s the only dry land he saw when he landed so he had to make do. And also why he takes full advantage of the water to explore Vita Viridis.

But the fact is Missa soon realizes he is not alone. Introducing the humanoid insectoid species of Vita Viridis. (Thank you @changeling-ash for all of these)

Class: Suprainsecta (Above Insect)

Order: Sapenoptera (Wise Winged)

Family: Elytronidae (Covering [wing])

Genus: Sapien Vitari (Wise Vitari)

The common name is Vitari. Named after the planet as it’s the dominant species. And one Vitari is very attached to Missa. A Vitari named Phil. Missa saved him from a giant spider web and he now wants to court the pretty human. And does make himself known often to Missa. He is fully sentient but unable to speak human languages.

Vitari communicate by complicated vocalizations including clicks, chirps, trills, rattles and buzzing. Though they can eventually be taught human languages. Vitari also use wing vibrations to communicate as well.

Missa at first was terrified of Phil because he has common sense and healthy sense of what is dangerous. But it wasn’t long until he found out Phil was pretty harmless and mostly curious (Though it does take him a bit longer to realize that Phil wants to court him)

Vitari have elytra that can make them able to fly. Silver or black are the most common colorings. They also have a stinger of sorts that puts venom into whatever they are hunting. They have black sclera with strange pupils. Their elytra is very fast. Their skin is mostly cartilage but can be numerous shades. They tend to wear basic like robes made from spider silk though some Vitari tribes have ways to dye the silk. And some Vitari communities have made full blown cities deep in the forest. Though it’s more common for Vitari to live isolated lives from the rest of their species.

Anyways Phil is courting human missa. This includes serenades. Mainly flapping his wings to create vibrations (not like actually singing). Phil also does elaborate dances and show off with his flying. Also just in general fly close to him (For example in real life male flies would fly close to female flies for attention). Another big thing is the nuzzles. Phil loves to nuzzle into missa hair or shoulder. Also loves to bump foreheads together. Another thing common in real life is insects prepare a meal for females. So Phil keeps trying to feed Missa with strange creatures he hunted. He eventually learns Missa prefers alien fruits and therefore gathers that for him instead. (Yes Missa falls victim to puppy eyes on his alien love interest and goes against all his common sense and eats the fruit. It’s delicious)

Missa has to contact the crew on earth with new findings and just in general checking he is fine and healthy. And they make fun of him so much for going against basic scientific principles and eating foods he doesn’t know how it would affect his human body. Missa too enamored by sweet alien to not accept his gifts. If he gets poisoned he gets poisoned.

Vitari live in hidden treehouses in the canopy. It tends to use whatever is around them to make it though they make the floor soft with fur and moss to sleep on. And they tend to hoard materials for either expanding their nest of sorts or stock food items. They also make simple tools to help them with their day to day. Vitari are pretty smart.

I personally like to imagine during the period Missa didn’t realize Phil has a crush on him and is courting him the Vitari way is when he had to contact the base on earth about his findings and research and Phil just climbed into his lap for cuddles and nuzzles. As he buzzes and chirps happily. His higher ups are concerned at first that he somehow got the dominant species to want to court him. But he is still doing excellent work so it’s fine with them.

[le-trash-prince]

KimKenta WIP Snippet

I'm getting close to halfway done with this and should be able to post the first chapter within the week. I truly have no idea how this story will hit, but I adore it. Lots of emotional hurt/comfort, touch-starvation, pack feels, and praise kink coming y'all's way soon

The dog sneezes—an adorable, snorting sound that Kim is unable to fully appreciate, he is preoccupied with the bubbles flying straight into his eyes. He swears quietly, rubbing at his face with his sleeve. When he closes his eyes, he has a tub full of wet, sad dog.  When he opens them, he has a tub full of wet, stunned, naked man covered in dog shampoo. A familiar face looks back at him—eyes wide, lips parted in surprise, black hair sticking to his pale skin. Kenta. Kim swears—loudly this time—and jumps to a standing position, toppling over his stool. His hand flails out towards the wall and catches on the shower curtain, yanking it out of place. The entire rod comes crashing down over their heads, and Kim barely has time to react before Tony Chen's bodyguard-slash-murderer is splashing out of the tub and throwing himself at him—as if a hollow metal rod posed a real threat to Kim. As if the real threat weren't Kenta himself.  But this isn't where the story begins.  It begins with the last time Kim saw Kenta—well, the last time he saw him looking like a human, that is. When Kenta had been kneeling on the ground, weeping at his father's feet, his hands covered in the man's blood. Kim's attention had been split in two—torn between the desire to be a stalwart comfort for his new friends as Way lay dying in Babe's arms, and the need to keep a wary eye on his former captor-slash-rescuer.  Kenta was a difficult man to predict, as Kim had learned in the hard way. His face revealed little of his intention, his actions were contradictory, and his motives had never been clear—at least not to Kim. So when the man stood up on shaky feet and power-walked out of the main chamber with his head hung low, Kim did what felt natural and followed after him. But when he entered the hallway, he found that Kenta had disappeared completely. The halls were empty and eerily quiet after the explosive chaos just moments earlier. The only being in sight was one of Tony's guard dogs, who stood trembling in the corner, its tail tucked between its legs.  No—current, present-day Kim hasn't connected the dots yet. Give him a few moments, and a dry towel, and he'll get there. Several-long-months-ago Kim, however, softened immediately. He approached the dog slowly, indirectly, letting his scent drift across the room. The dog growled at him—a high pitched, desperate sound, like it was begging Kim to stay back. "Hey," Kim said, his voice low and soothing. "It's me. Remember me?"  Well, perhaps the story doesn't begin here either.

Edit: Ch 1 here

[lumagarden]

DRAGONS RISING S2 P1 SPOILERS UNDER CUT

my thoughts per ep :3!!

ngl thisbisbjust me live typing my reaction but wtv!! also cw for lots of colorful language hehe

ep 1

- THE SILLIES!!!! also riyu is huge??:?2);

- lloyd is so cute when hes eepy

- “maybe you outa crawl into your crib for a nap buddy” WAHHHHHHHH

-lloyds nightmares omfggg poor thing

- SORA OMG NO WONDER HE COULDNT SLEEP theyre visions right

- spinjitsu-ing out of his nightmare to move out of the way and save his children can someone put me out of my misery

- “my nightmares are getting worse uncle” NOOOOOO

- OH MY GOD ARIN AND LLOYD NIGHTMARE TALK WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

- arin imitating wu i xant

- cinder?,

- LLOYDSD

- ???? ok

ep 2

- new intro sooo good fr WHO TAUGHT CINDER SPINJITSU DOE

- resistance kills

- xan percival be rhe new emperor (is 12 years old)

- OH??

- poor lloyd :(

- Frohicky serving swamp ass fr

-WILDFYRE

- lloyd acknowledging his panic attack someone let me out of my cage

- wait so wildfyre and kai dont have the same power right

- HELEODOSJFNS HIM BUEPING UP THE FLY

- ????

- the sillies!!

- arin cannot be mean im sorry

- HELP “i really didnt think a human could dance like that!”

- arins voice is so non-threatening hes so baby

- “i dont know anything about that” “cool :) thanks for your time!” HELEODOS

- arins so gullible i love him !!! (if he gets the lloyd treatment i MIGHT jump off a cliff)

- “wow. im really bad at spotting liars :,)”

- sora being rebellious :000 !!

- lloyd and arin i cnt .

- ZERO CATS DETECTED IN THIS IMAGEJFKEJFJ

- LMFAOOOOO LLOYD

- why r they just standing there omfg ☠️

- whoa. what if jay hits the gong OH MY FOD!!!!!! (it will not happen im delusional and just want evil jay)

- no causw wait now i think itll happen

- WHOS KNOXKING

- PERCIVAL AND ARIN<333

- wait so do the gongs power like is it permanent or no

- wait my stupid ass-cinders not that one twitchy guy right.

- percival!!!!!! fav side character

- “how can a language look evil” “trust me it does”

- alright what the flip

- WAIT LORD RAS CUESED THW WORMS.. my stupid ass how did i not realize this

- WAITTT FORBIDDEN FIVE… (doesnt know what hes talking about)

- is cinder one of the forbidden five

- wait no im srupid

- Ok.

- LLOYD HAVING A PANIC ATTACK NOOOOOOOOO MY BABY :((((((((((

- acrually theowing up at him like panicking oh mymgod oh kymgod

- “whoever you are” HELPPP

- uh oh chat

- what if one of the ppl w wolf masks is jay

- NOOOO NYA AND LLOYD I CANT DOT HIS . throwing up

- “then just use spinjitsu-oh right sorry” My god

- literally what will happen if u hit the gong that many times

- “u know i thrashed the last one right” NO WAYY

- succeeded.. (?)

- CHAT

- can i learn shatterspin please!!

- whoa like actually this is so cool im sorry

- lloyd frm the trailer!!

- NOOO WILDFYRE

- “wildfyres hurt bad” im crying

- oh my god one of them is going to turn evil to help save thwm. thats whats gnna happen ik it

- Wheres cole.

ep 3!!

- what r u training for clearly ur alreasy powerful

- is cinder into-oh nvm

- kai getting angry.. i missed this

- can someone translate wus notes

- arin :(

- poor lloyd i cnt

- dude kai with gis like wings or something QHAT IS RHAT IM SO EXCITED

- lloyd plz

- Huh

- WHAT THE FLIP??

- who voices the life symbol

- strwngrh is coles :,3

- id be like hello??? IM RIGHT HERE??

- why r they arguing right in front of him

- K see that did not help

- lloyd is going through Way toocmuch and its ep 3

- oh my god. kai and wildfyre can aomeone throw me off a cliff please

- the boringest :(((

- what the flip

- frohicky x zane is kinda cute sorry

- :(( kai !!! i xant

- breaking my silence. jordana x cinder anyone

- oh theyre actually so evil

- lloye sleeping hes so cute

- WAHHH ivlove rhsm

- “what about the younger ones” sobs

- UM WHO WENT ON BOARD

- WILDFYRE.

- U R NOT ALL BETTER I CNT

- soras lil story :(

- how Did she get out

- oh trueee. but the source dragons were basically telling him to find them so.

- lloyd with a grabber thing omfg theyre having sm fun

- “no offense buddy” HDKWJDKSK

- “WHOS HE TALKIMG ABT” HEKDOSKD

- alright what the flip

- have i ever mentioned how much i love nyas beauty mark . i have a lego figurine of her n the beauty mark makes me emotional

- arin n sora :,(

- i love these new suits!! but dragon rising s1 still fave

- waittt what isbgoing on

- WAIT

- WAITTTTTT I SAW THIS SCENE AS A SPOILER

- arin and his parsnts i cnt do it.

- “what, no? i love you i miss you” Kill me.

- Ohh no i sont like this

- oh my god lloyds is going to break me

- No. no. Why would you do this.

- “i blame myself nephew” no No!!!

- NOOOOOOOO OH MY GOD

- JAYA OH MYGOD THIS IS THE PART THAT I GOT SPOILED FOE

- OH KYMGOD NOOOOO

- nya is so. smart i cant. n the way she knew it wasnt happening . Even tho thats wuite literally what will happen if he finds her

- this is like that visionary ninjago fic

- what did kai see..

- “i know the real jay couldnt forget me” It might seem crazy what im bout to say….

- WHAT DID KAI SEE!!!! (i say louder)

- kai literally jumping off

- HELP??

- “i knew he was fine” U DID NOT

- ok now what

- watch the teachwr be like . oh nvm

- Thwyre cooked

ep 4

- OHHHHH MY GOD

- O HMYGOD OH MY GOD !!!!! IF THEY MAKE LOST SHIPPING CANOIM KILLINGN YMSELF

- WHY WOULD YOU DOT HAI TOCME

- pls im so scared i realyl cant

- COLE WAS THE REAL CHEF??? I FUCKING TOLD YALL HE COULD COOK !!!!!!! I TOLD YALL!!!!!! I WAS THE #1 COOK-COLE TRUTHER

- “why do u say stuff like that” /);&2&$;

- making art :,))

- literally coles family

- THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT THEY SAID THE THING

- a city could be lost i think- oh. No no. No. if they take the cowards way out im actually never watxhing this show again /hj

- wildfyre is so funny

- why is he attacking them riyu is litwrally right there

- “ive always got you arin” im ending it all

- THAT THROW WAS SO COOL

- arin please

- HES SOS ILLYRJJSNF

- ughhh i know hes not gnna feel. great after that

- “is there some sort of social cue im not picking up” OH MY GOD!!! HES SO AURISTIC CODED

- huh???? why does it talk ☠️☠️

- HUH LMFAOO

- LMFAOOOOO ARIN LAUGHING MDKDJSJ

- OH MY GOD BACK TO GEO NOOO

- oh my god. if they. if they do what i think theyre going to do i will lose my mind.

- cole save me cole if you can hear me save me save me cole

- bonzle is so funny new kin

- NOT MY BEST WORK ☠️

- ok geo self sufficient he should be.. ok..

- why do they want bonzle???

- COLE OH MY GOD

- OHHH MY GOD

- is there a lego set of this dragon cause i want it

- yall better hear me out on this dragons va… /hj

- so how did cinder even learn shartterspin

- COLE OH MY GOD SNGRY COLE

- angry cole supremacy

- husbands

- WE REALLY MISSED TOUR BREAKFASTS OH MYMGOD

- OH MY GOD OH MYGOD OH MYOGOD LOST SHIPPING I XANT

- cole and geo r sooo gay

- lostshipping makes up for laxk of jay tbfh

- Ok i didnt know dragoks could be ninja either??

- ok but how cool would it be if one of them turned evil to fight them like

- omgomgomg

- yeah why did they want bonzle

- i want a bonzle figurine like NOW

- omg omgogmogmogm

- THEM TRYING TO PULL UP THE ROCKS

- ok she knoes . aomething

- jordana is actually insane

- alright what the flip

- Oh . No… no no

- it is a little funny wildfyre

- YESSS TRAINING ARC

- IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SCENEE

- WHERE CAN I GET A FROHICKY PLUSH PLEASW ANSWER QUICKLY

- PLEASE TELL ME THE STORY

ep 5

- ITS TO WORK ON CONFLICT ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

- theyre aoo dating

- the heart on the plush ☠️

- the lil looks zane ans cole gave each other bc they havent seen each other in peobablt years someone put me our ofnmy misery

- Ok bonzle let us know fr

- UM?????????? BONZLE???????

- omg i was waiting for this scene omg where they like switch stuff frm their mexhs

- SO WHAT IS WILDFYRE THEN

- heat and fire. what

- GEO AND COLE!!!

- ZANE?? CLURXHING THE PLUSHIW?? COLE AND GEO HOLDING HANDS??

- MASTER WU??

- DRAGONS CAN DO SLI JITSU

- NOOO WU AND BONZLE :(

-wu not bringing it up is so canon

- loneliness :(

- Oh my god garmadon this season??

- Ohh my god. i MIGHT like wu after this

- little one :(

- its wildfyre pretending shes a mucoid that reminds me shes litwrally a child and i cry

- Ok is this get mad at arin day What the flip.

- OHH MY GOD

- COLe AND GEO HOLDING HABDA OH MYMGVOV

- OH MYMGOD????+> mygodbi cant icant

- cole has become. so so so soft it makes me so emtoional

- hello??

ep 6

- ohh my god the forehead touch.

- NO??:&/$:

- lloyd havinf anxiety incnt

- “my other family” Cryingn

- oh. oh no

- not dorama bro fuck this guy genuinely worst character i hate him sm

- cole not veing a performer :(

- this is some power ranger type transformstion

- why doesnt zabe have a mech

-qlright ehat the flip

- didbt type a lot this ep i was eating candy

ep 7

- bonzle is so silly

- THTEE MONASTERIES

- AAAAAA BRUISE FIGHTING OVER VIDEO GAMES AND GOING ON A DATE I CANT DO THIS.

- JAY REFERENCE OHHH MY GOD

- she loojs like ice kings gf frm adventure time. i forgot her name

- i feel so bad for arin this actually sucks

- OHH MY GOD IM SO ARIN!! not beinf able to take compliments bx hes so hard on himself . Kin

- wildfyre about to save them all rn by getting along w the dragons

- her acknowledging that kais her favorite can i please be let out of my cage

- Ohhh mg god??? hes dying?? no wonder hes so grumpy

- what is this lady saying omfg 😭

- NOOO WAIT OH MY GOD !!!

- “im just a bundle of nerves stumbling around in a daze” WAHH

- ohh lloyds gnna turn evil sorry not sorry

- can we get more baby lloyd and master wu scenes plz

- lloyds inly part mortal tho

- WHAG THE FLUP WHAT THE FLIP

- ghis is trap… this is a trap bonzle omfg

- nvm im just scared

- yeah theyre cooked chat gg

- Oh no. theyre cooked

- OH MGMGOD OH MYMGOD JAY????? IS JAY GOING TO BE OH MGMGOD

- PLEASE VILLAIN JAY SAVE ME SAVE ME VILLAIN JAY VILLAIN JAY IF YOU CAN HEAR ME

- kai gets so frustrated when he cant learn something its so cute

- Ohh my god lore.

- “just fun. no need to worry about saving the world”

- OHHG MY GOD BABY KAI AND NYA

- NOOOOOOO

- HE DID THE. HE HOLG CRAP

- GODDDDD I LVOE KAI AND NYA SO MUCH I CANT DO THIS

- thats so infsresting that he got it first like not to be that guy but - THSE BLOOD MOON WHAT THE FLIP

- COLE!! GEO!!! GET DOWN!! THEY COME FOR GAY PEOPLE FIRST

- EXCUSE ME??

- omg omgomgokg jay jay jay jay jy

- PLEASS VILLAIN JAY SAVE ME VILLAIN JAY VILLAIN JAY ID YOU XAN HEAR ME

- i hate the administration sm

- TRUEEEEEE !! zane is so silly

- THE SILLIES!!

- why is the administration mad like U MADE THE RULES ☠️

- save me agent jay walker agent jay walker if you can hear me

- Ermmm O HMGMGOD

- OH MY GOD AGENT JAY WALKER IF YOU CNA HESR ME

- AGENT JAY Wlker o hmygkod

ep 8

- NO ACTUAL WAY THAT HAPPWNED CHAT AINT NO WAY

- anyways. dragosn pulling the most epic prank . turning to stone

MY APP REFRESHED AND I LOST ALL MY NOTES

was mostly juat acreaming abt jay tbfh

anyways im at the part where they fell

- DID SOMEBODY SAY BOOM /ref

- genuinwlt almost had a heart attack there shoot

- bounty has to be destroyed at least once a season

- i need a bonzle figurine im so srs

- rlly confused rn 💯

- poor thint :(

- Okay get in

- wait im scared is she being tricked rn

- is this a trap idk im scared

- WAIT TIA A TRAP ITS A TRAP ITS A TRAP

- NO I DONT LIKE THIS I DONT LIKE THIS

- ok wasnt a trap but lord ras ass

- NOOO

- jordana be so fr

- “never seen her before in my life” LMFAO

- this sucks on god how is this going to be semi-wrapped up in 2 eps

- i thought that atorm was a lloyd nightmare ngl

ep 9

- ok baby lord ras liek i gaf???

- Ok nvm i do feel bad him w the apple put me out of my misery

- him sacrificng ppl is kinda crazy tho like hello?

- Like hello???? no way we cld actually feelcbad for him (did feel bas for him)

- wildfyre si scared of heights :(

- lloys getting all these visions is genuinely so sad and nya comforting him put me out of my miswry!!!

- LEAVE BONZLE ALONE

- ALEIGHT WHAY THE FLIP

- LITWRALLT WHATXIA RHIS

- THE ROCKS??

- but wherws the road road road road /ref

- RIYUS FLYING

- OO KILL EM

- “sorry i cabt remember your name!” OHH MYKDJSJDN

- “whats your elemental power?” its autism

- invisible shoes??

- HOW DID IT TAKE HIS VOICE

- COLES A PUPPYYY AAAA

- “im ALWAYS adorable” CUTEEJDKSNFM

- they cannot be fr

- cinders so-Lemme chill

- OU KY GOD HES BORDERLIJE FERAL

- if arin saw lloyd and nya as his mom and dad i wilk start screaming crying theowginh up

EP 10

- NIOOOOO ITS LLOYD AND NYA O HMYGOD

- WAIT HOYL FUCK I KNEWNIT I KNWW IT WHAT DID I SAY CHAT WHAT DID I SAY THEYRE EVIL

- OH MGMGODDDDD THATS ACTUALLY CRAZY IM SKIPPIGN THE INTRO

- bonzle :(

- ok nvm theyre not evil . Shoot. why did i want it so bad

- NOOO BONZLE

- ohh no chat

- cinders insabe

- Ok byt hes so.. Hear me out

- sharterspinning be so cool doe

- NO. NO NO N O N O

- oh ky fod i litedally paused it hc i cldnt NOOO

- OH MYMGOD NO ACTUAL WAY

- GG CHAT GG

- AND WHO IS THAT

- oh my god. is kai dead like

- NOOOO :(

- LLOYDDDD OH MY GOD

- YESSSSS

- BONZLE FIGHT BADK

- BONZLEEEE OH MGMGOD

- OH KYMGOD ARIN UR NOT SRS

- sora..

- wair.

- NO NO N O N O KAI

- ???

- what the flip

- what the actual flip chat

- ok what rhe flip

- jordana genuinely tweaking rn

- ok whos lord ras’ master

- lloyd n cole hug i cant.

- BUT MY BIG BROTHER WAS ALWAYS MY HERO FUCK.

- WILSFYRE NOOO

- this is rhe weost thinf tht couldce evwr happwnwd

- bonzle n kai wahhh 😭

- no axtual waycir ended like that

Thank u all for coming. i will now be crying my eyes out

[skylarstark4826]

Spider did not belong to Pandora's world. It was a simple and painful truth, of which the boy was, despite all appearances, quite aware. How could he not be? He wasn't stupid. He spent most of his life in the exopack, trying to keep up with the Sully kids. Day after day, he saw the vast gulf that separated him from the Na'vi. His body, dotted with a mesh of scars of various sizes, was proof of this. The perpetually irritated skin on his face from the prolonged usage of the mask was proof of this. The coldness with which the Omatikaya clan treated him was proof of this. No matter how much Spider loved Pandora, the boy was an intruder.

He knew it. 

And he learned to ignore it. And he's not the only one.

Spider saw no reason to feel sorry for the fragility of his own body if no one did. Even the scientists did not react to the boy running out into the forest. "Make sure the seal of your mask isn’t broken  and watch the battery!" was shouted after him in the same tone as the routine "hi" thrown into space when someone entered an already occupied room, soon however, that too disappeared. No one raised their heads from their work to say goodbye to the boy jumping out of the safe laboratory. His adoptive parents didn't even try to intervene – whatever the boy did, it wasn't their problem. “The boy’s too wild to be tamed” was their excuse. And when they left Pandora, they washed their hands of him completely. The boy chose his life, they chose theirs. Simple.

Nobody paid attention to the fact that a human child was running around on his own, trying to match the Na'vi children’s pace in the Hallelujah Mountains or between the branches of mighty trees. "You’re a tough kid" praised Jake, the times he noticed how Spider was scaling the rocky surface of the mountains drifting in the air, his heart beating in his throat and his skin raw and bleeding in places. Lo'ak or Jake would sometimes grab him by the shoulders and lift him up like a kitten, much to the general amusement. Spider hissed at them and writhed in the air, even when he wanted nothing else but to go limp in strong arms if only for a moment longer.

Tough kid!

Yes, Spider was tough. He didn't have a tail to help him keep his balance. His limbs were not as strong as those of the Na'vi. His skin was delicate, his bones brittle. Hearing, sight and smell were not as sharp as the senses of Pandora's inhabitants. However, Spider did not allow himself to be left too far behind. He observed hunting techniques, listened to songs, imitated the movements of other children and adults, or sat beside Sully's children and learned everything he needed to know from them. He asked questions and expected answers, even those growled at him when he harassed the Na'vi outside of Jake's family.

Spider was tough and stubborn. And everyone around him started thinking it quite natural, that the boy was everywhere he probably shouldn't be. Hunting, being within the range of pa'la's hooves, being within the range of an ikran’s maw. The boy could not establish tsaheilu, but he could not be denied stubbornness in trying to work around this problem either. He was a tough kid. Escaping from the dancing hooves of pa'li, or jumping away from the snapping jaws of an ikran were not that difficult.

Spider was also a child circling forever on the outskirts, but that didn't bother him, really. That was the order of this world. Spider could take care of himself and did it perfectly thank you very much. So why should he hope for special treatment?

The boy hissed, feeling Quaritch's strong arm tightening around his torso as the recombinant's ikran began to descend. He didn't understand why he was always seated in the front, like a tiny child. He knew how to fly on ikrans – sometimes he accompanied Sully's kids and somehow  always managed to stay behind one of them in the saddle!

"Shush, you.” A strong arm clenched around him even tighter, as if Spider had any chance of falling out. He hissed again and smiled at a deep, tired sigh above his head.

Ikran, Cupcake, shook her head and Spider's smile vanished from his face, the boy reflexively pressed his back into Quaritch's warm belly and dug his fingers into his forearm, feeling the creature's neck move beneath him. The boy expected to hear some variation of "didn't I tell you to hold on?" but Quaritch sat quietly behind him, focused on landing even more than his ikran was. Not without reason — they were both still working on gracefulness. They sank to the ground with a jerk. Quaritch jumped down first, and Spider threw his leg over Cupcake’s neck, preparing to do the same, but the recombinant wordlessly grabbed him under his armpits — Quaritch's hands were so large that they easily circled the boy's entire chest — and removed him from the saddle.

Spider’s eyes widened as he was gently placed on the ground and the boy shook off the shock only when Quaritch turned to his ikran, patting her on the muzzle before she screeched and flew away with the others.

"I'm not a child, dammit! I'm not crippled either!" The boy ignored the realization that he sounded quite childish and fixed an angry look at the tall recombinant. He felt a blush creep onto his cheeks.

Quaritch frowned, his lips twitching. Spider wasn't sure if he was holding back laughter or a hiss, the boy was proud that he didn’t sulk even harder at the sight. One of Quaritch’s companions laughed out loud. The boy hunched his arms up to his ears, hiding from the sound.

"...Okay! A break to pee and eat a thing or two, do not crawl all over the place like ants. Ears and eyes wide open!" Lyle saluted, grinning, Z-dog loudly popped a bubble, but everyone obeyed. "Kid, what can we eat here, I don't see not-really-strawberries.” Quaritch raised his voice slightly at the beginning of the first sentence, but he asked the question in a normal tone. Spider straightened up like a rod was swapped as his spine and looked around carefully, eagerly accepting the change of subject.

Living the Na’vi way assumed a reduction in reliance on rations, so Spider’s knowledge was used more often than bioscanners. Of course, someone closest to him always checked what the boy was putting under their noses. Building trust was one thing, but Spider was a teenage boy kept here despite his wishes – any attempts by him to smuggle things with side effects into the diet had to be caught BEFORE consumption.

"Yovo fruit, no 'not-really-strawberries,'" he corrected automatically. Quadritch repeated, one of the recombinants hanging close to the them, too, probably Mansk. Spider was already focused on planning dinner, not on his blue surroundings.

Flying here, the ikrans dived through a hole between tangled branches of the huge trees, so the walls of the forest closed around them, but Spider had the impression that some body of water had flashed between the leaves on the way here. He glanced at Quaritch's backpack, where he held the energy bars with which the colonel fed him in-between less satisfying meals, and frowned. Spider never liked the taste of them.

"How about some fresh meat?" Prager got in between them to a crack of twigs broken under his heavy boots and bent over Spider, flashing his fangs. The boy hissed at him, more out of surprise than sense of danger, but Quaritch grabbed his companion by the arm and towed noticeably farther away. He whipped his tail from side to side, and Spider stared at the whizzing fluff at its end.

"Why are you stumbling here like a drunken moose, look where you’re going."

"C’mon, I won't trample Mowgli here, colonel! A little faith in me! Anyway, the little one certainly knows how to wriggle out from under blue legs.” Prager shrugged, snorting a short laugh. Spider promised himself to deliberately get under the soldier's feet to make him fall flat on his face.

For a moment the boy considered helplessly shrugging his shoulders and pointing only to edible fruits and roots, but in the end he concluded that he would punish not only the annoying recom, but also himself. Spider really didn't like the protein bars, and a dinner without meat was a poorly filling one in Quaritch's eyes.

"When we flew here, I think I saw a body of water, a lake, maybe a pond, either way we will definitely be able to catch fish there. And later, we can pick fruit, dig edible roots out, or pick leaves as well. Mansk has spices, so we'll light a fire and have a real dinner." The boy pointed in the right direction with his hand and waited for an answer. Mansk immediately supported his idea, almost talking over him. The rest also liked the prospect of a grilled dinner. Quaritch did not think long and ordered a move out.

A heavy, warm hand landed on Spider's shoulder and firmly guided him forward so that the boy walked in front of Quaritch, but still kept close.

"Well, lead the way.”

And Spider began to lead a group of heavily treading recoms, feeling Quaritch's gaze which every now and then settled on his back. One part of him bristled from the attention — he was neither a small child nor an idiot. He knew how to move through the forests of Pandora better than all the recombinants combined, and it was completely unnecessary to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't fall in-between the protruding roots, and Spider had no intention of running away either. Leaving aside the tracker in the mask, the boy was capable of recognizing that the proximity of the soldiers protected him. Despite his love for Pandora, he had no illusions that almost anything could kill him here.

On the other hand... On the other hand, Spider could not stop his treacherous heart from clinging desperately to these gestures. Quaritch watched over him. Over Spider.

The boy explained to himself that the recom had his eye on him for purely pragmatic reasons — Spider was their walking encyclopedia on Pandora. Teacher, guide and translator in one.

However, the attention with which they listened to his arguments about plants, animals, and sometimes even traditions did not help to maintain the hostility towards recombinants. They listened to him! Spider could ramble on about a chosen subject, and there was always at least one pair of ears turned towards him, upturned and catching his every word!

The boy bit his lip and climbed a nearby tree, wanting to escape from these treacherous thoughts. Quaritch yanked his head up, watching the boy’s movements vigilantly. However, his ears were not flattened to his head, rather perked up, alert, his tail swayed lazily from side to side. Spider looked away when the image of Jake watching his children in a very similar position came before his eyes. 

"Look where you put your feet, Baby Monkey!" Z-dog sounded bored, but her ears were as straight as Quaritch's.

"I recommend listening to your own advice. You guys are stiff as wooden sticks, if you fucking fall you’ll go down like felled trees."

Mansk and Ja gasped with laughter, Z-dog popped indignantly a pink bubble, but she didn't look genuinely annoyed by him talking back. Only Lyle asked if he wanted his butt smacked, but his tone didn't suggest that he would raise his hand at the boy, even if Spider said yes. The boy decided to continue the subject and crouched on his branch. Although, in their own way, the recombinants knew how to move stealthly, their grace matched the angtsiks’ at most.

“Be soft on your legs, soft! You have knees to bend them, I don't know if you noticed. You guys stomp around in these boots, as if you want to pass as talioangs!”

"Pass as what, for the love of the Virgin Mary?" groaned Ja, while trying to tread more carefully. Spider almost felt proud, but quickly threw the unnecessary the affection into a corner.

"For the sturmbeests, these are the beasts that look like bastards of buffaloes and rhinos with an added bit of elephant for free.” 

Pride bounced off the corner like a rubber ball and struck Spider's heart when Mansk showed that he listens to more than just food talks. The boy closed his mouth with such force that his teeth clicked against each other and he moved forward. Dinner. They were supposed to go catch fish for dinner. A group of recoms bantered behind his back, but Spider tried to ignore their voices. He should not forget who really accompanies him.

He pushed forward and, feeling that he was far enough, quickly carved the symbol of the Omatikaya clan into the bark of the tree. They weren't on their territory, but the boy hoped that someone from the Swizaw clan would notice the unusual signs and notify Jake, which would make it easier for him to find Spider. He quickly moved on, wanting to avoid suspicious glances.

The lake-pond turned out to be a fairly big water reservoir full of life and surrounded to a large extent by various types of bushes. The trees leaned over it, forming a canopy of leaves, but their branches remained at a considerable distance from the banks. Spider crouched, checking if they weren't on a territory of some predator. Lyle leaned over him, looking over his shoulder. For a moment, the boy considered ignoring the curious recom, but eventually pointed his finger at the tracks and began to explain to him what to look for in animal tracks. Soldiers who did not go away looking for fruit or wood surrounded them in a loose circle. Spider fought not to let the blush flow onto his cheeks. With all the ears up and tails twitching, his ego was being pleasantly stroked.

When the boy had finished, his audience dispersed, but Spider remained in exactly the same position, staring blindly into the distance. He should feel nothing but hatred, and yet...

"Kid! There are no inedible or straight up toxic fish here, right?"” Quaritch's voice broke through the stupor that spilled over his head. Mansk, knee-deep in water and with a long stick in his hands, swore that there was none. Spider trotted towards them, agreeing with the wading recom on the way. After getting a closer look, the boy noticed that Mansk's stick had a thin flexible wire attached to one end, at the end of which a dangled small teylu with a bent surgical needle struck through its rear end and, a little above it, hung a piece of drifting wood.

The boy climbed on one of the stones leaning above the water and looked into it. Despite the general noise and Mansk wading by the shore, Spider could easily see schools of lazily swimming fish that completely ignored them.

Mansk threw the worm in and froze in anticipation. After the initial shock, several fish curiously swam to the writhing teylu, some shyly nibbled the worm, causing the wood to tremble on the surface of the water. Spider watched from his perch for a few moments before deciding to show the recom how to catch dinner more effectively. And without wasting a great source of protein! He pulled his bow off his back, which he was eventually allowed to carry with him (a close meeting with a pack of viperewolves made even the most reluctant to the idea reconsider leaving him completely unarmed), positioned himself comfortably and put an arrow on the bowstring. For a moment he just stood, loosely holding the shaft in his fingers, looking for a suitable prey. When one of the fish swam close enough, Spider in three smooth movements drew his bow, aimed and released the arrow. The fish jerked and struggled in the water for a while, but quickly stilled – the boy hit it right through the gills.

"Ha!"

"What's going on there!?" Mansk tore his eyes away from his drifting wood and looked indignantly at the rejoicing boy.

"That's how you fish!" Spider jumped off his perch and carefully began to enter the water. The shore slumped gently, but even so, before reaching his catch, it reached almost up to its armpits. The boy lifted the fish above his head and proudly presented it to the recom. Mansk's ears perked up in intrigue.

"Nice, pretty plump, but how many fish did you scare away, while catching it?" Mansk pointed to his stick. “And here, young man, a little patience is enough and the fish will not even know what has yoinked them outta water!"

"You also need patience for the bow and it's almost 100% reliable, the fish will be back here in a moment and at least I 'll catch enough before night comes."

"Are you suggesting I won't?" Mansk’s tail swayed sideways under the water, but his pointed up ears suggested that he was not offended at all. Spider smiled mischievously.

"I'm not even suggesting it, it’s a fact, you can stand here and look pretty with a stick, while a real man is about to catch us a fish for dinner!"

Mansk looked around.

"And you’re talking about...?"

Spider showed him the middle finger.

"Okay, real man, wait here for a minute, we'll see who gets more fish!" Mansk whistled at Z-dog to hold the stick for him and came out of the water after she took his place. "Don't you dare catch more fish without me!" he warned on the way out and went straight between the bushes. Spider watched confused, but also excited. He looked at Z-dog, knee-deep in the water and also watching his companion's exploits. She glanced at him and winked.

"He went to look for more bugs for bait," she explained, then pointed to the fish in the boy's hands. "In the meantime, you could put the carcass somewhere away.”

Spider opened its eyes wide and flew out of the water as quickly as possible. Suddenly, he realized that there would be more fish to catch – they needed to store them somewhere for the time being. They needed a net, a basket or something like that! Did he have time to weave something quickly?

"Go to Ja and ask him to give you a few meters of thin wire; instead of jumping into the water, you will be able to fish out your prey." Z-dog jerked the stick and scared off the fish nibbling at the remains of teylu, she grimaced, and then pointed with her head to the appropriate recom. The boy stopped and blinked, suddenly snapped out of his racing thoughts. He glanced in the pointed direction — Ja had already dug a hole in the ground, and now he was finishing tying flexible branches together to make a firegrilling grate out of them. Spider approached him, still with the fish in his hands, and the recom raised his head from his work.

"Want me to gut it?" he pointed with his chin at the boy's catch. Suddenly, a thought popped into the boy’s head. They needed maybe nine fish, filleting them right after being caught wasn't such a bad idea.

"Yes! Together with Mansk we'll be fishing, could you meanwhile sit next to us and prepare what we catch?"

The recom looked at the firegrate in his lap, checked the knots, and rose with a grunt to his feet, setting it aside. The boy looked around quickly for Quaritch, hoping that the recom would go looking for rawpa or rumut, kllpxiwll seeds, or at least a few utumauti — perhaps he would be have beginner’s luck on his side.

"Of course I could. Do you have a competition? Remember, I’ll be just fileting them. Mansk would tear off my tail if I even looked at his spices.”

The boy easily believed it, the rations were the soldier's greatest enemy, but he went to war with them alone, promising unparalleled pain to anyone who got his competence without any invitation. Spider gave the fish back to the recom and began to walk away then stepped back, remembering to ask about the wire. Without any unnecessary questions, Ja cut off a large piece of it and wished him good luck. The boy then rushed towards Quaritch, who happened to come out from among the trees, carrying an armful of dry wood.

"Where’s the fire, kid?" he asked, leaving the twigs near the hearth.

"Here, hopefully soon, and you're already up and walking, I hope you remember how I explained to you the differences between edible plants?"

Quaritch huffed through his nose and rested his hands on his hips.

"To the point, what do you want from me?"

"Food." Spider once again described the characteristic features of the corresponding plants. For the umpteenth time, he was surprised by the attention with which he was listened to.

If he ignored me, he would poison everyone here, crossed his mind. However, this did not silence the joy at the sight of rised ears.

Lyle, on guard and watching everything that happened in and around the camp, laughed, slapping his knee.

"And so the whole team of specialized recombinants works like clock under the leadership of a child! Ardmore would probably have had a stroke at the sight alone!" he croaked out with pure joy. Spider smiled, imagining the she-devil stiff; the first part of the sentence bounced off his mind before it could even scratch the surface. When he returned to the lake-pond, Mansk had already dug a prison for the captured teylu and was waiting for Spider. The boy looked into the hole and counted the worms.

"Those not sacrificed for fish, can be roasted on the fire."

"Sure, they'll get seasoned and we'll maybe forget we're eating larvae.”

Spider did not understand the problem, but didn’t even try to comment anymore. The first time he had presented them the grubs, Prager had glanced at the writhing teylu and declared firmly to keep them away from him or someone would get a fist through the teeth. No matter how much Spider had explained that they were quite tasty and nutritious, no matter that Mansk had been already planning what spices to use in their preparation, the recom hadn’t budged. Almost an hour later, he had done just as promised, and Lopez had discovered that the Na'vi's skin could also bruise, the recom had ceased trying to smuggle worms into Prager's rations.

Spider had tried it though. Quaritch had spotted him, but instead of chewing him out, he had taken a deep breath, pursed his lips, and, after making sure that the boy had been sneaking pieces of previously roasted edible teylu rather than its poisonous cousin into a steaming package, had looked away. He then had stepped in front of the boy, additionally shielding him from accidental notice. Prager hadn’t know who to kill for the extra protein in the powder soup. But Spider would have bet his kidney that Quaritch looked proud while Prager had been spitting and cursing them all up to the fifth generation back, and the whole encampment hooted with laughter wildly.

Ja settled more or less between the boulder and Mansk, and after a moment's thought he spread some kind of silver foil on the ground and got to work. He did not fail to cast an amused glance in the direction of the worms. Mansk watched his movements for a moment, like a hunting ikran.

"Mansk, darling, eyes forward, look out for fish. I can filet alright, and the rest I will leave to you. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t even dare thinking about messing with your spices. But we'll save some time so that we at least can pretend that performance means something to us.”

Mansk huffed, but stopped staring.

"Okay, tiny man, the rules are simple. We fish until the first groan of the group for dinner sounds off or until we collect the right amount of fish, who catches more, wins.”

"Wins what, exactly?"

Mansk did not think long:

"A baseball cap. I have such a perfect-"

"A poor reward…"

"Well then: satisfaction and the title of a "Real Man"."

Spider regretted his earlier words, sensing that even if he won the fishing contest, Mansk would win a new topic for the group to make fun of him. The boy narrowed his eyes menacingly towards the recom. It didn't do a single thing, Mansk was already reaching for a teylu. The boy huffed under his breath, then nimbly climbed his rock and sat down so that he could tie the wire just behind the fletchings of one of the arrows in peace, after a moment's thought he slipped the band from his shoulder to his wrist and hooked the other end of the wire to it, being careful not to entangle the rest.

All set, they looked towards each other, nodded their heads and began their fishing. The boy shot the first fish before Mansk pulled the stick out, but the frightened school unfortunately moved towards the recom. By the time Spider gave up his catch to Ja, Mansk was already towing his own to the surface. The second and third fish joined forces and ate teylu straight from the hook. While Mansk was changing the bait, cursing under his breath, Spider shot another one and showed it brazenly to his opponent. Ja laughed at Mansk from his reception point.

They didn't wait long for the rest of the team to start openly watching, cheering and placing bets. Quaritch had returned with an armful of rawpa leaves, and while Spider still held the advantage of one fish over Mansk, the colonel seemed delighted.

"Come on, kid, show me what you can do with that bow of yours!" he shouted, just as Mansk spat at and threatened the fish, slowly towing a fat and stubborn one. His stick bent under the weight, but endured, despite the cheers on it snapping, coming from the vicinity of their audience. Z-dog and Lyle booed as Mansk patted his stick tenderly, he gave them his middle finger, and the two recoms hissed, then began to cheer the boy to catch more fish quickly.

Spider froze on the boulder, looking for another one, and his ears burned like live fire, even despite the wide smile stretching his face.

Rivalry with Mansk, Ja commenting on every fish given to him, a lively team behind the boy’s back. It was all so... so-! Spider drew his bow and released the arrow straight into the gills of another fish, which stopped moving before Spider even pulled it out of the water. And so the boy caught the ninth fish, and behind him there was one part groan, one part holler of victory rippled through the air.

As soon as the boy gave it to Ja, who was working on another fish, Mansk grabbed Spider under his arms and lifted him up. The boy hissed and began to writhe like a teylu on a hook, but the recom had no problem keeping him in the air.

"Behold a 'Real Man'" he hooted, swinging the boy slightly from side to side. Mansk wasn't even angry that he had lost and the boy's fears were confirmed. He won the battle, yet he lost the war. Spider buried his face in his hands, cursing the laughing Mansk. Lyle threw his fist in the air and started chanting the boy's new title, Z-dog, Lopez and even Ja joined in. Quaritch lost the battle with laughter and bent at his waist, chortling, resting his hand on Wainfleet's shoulder. Spider promised them all painful death, which only made the company laugh that much harder.

Released from Mansk's hands, the boy ostentatiously ignored him and marched to help Ja with fileting. Recom with sunglasses did not let himself be dismissed and joined them. Three pairs of hands fileted the fish in record time, and Ja stood up, stretching until his bones were popping and went towards the lake-pond to wash his hands, bidding them good work.

“Well, that’s gonna make us a nice warm dinner, you, tiny man, go and also rinse your paws and then fetch me some clean water, and the bag of spices from my backpack." Mansk gathered the filets onto a wide leaf given to him by the boy, and, after thinking about it, he threw the leftovers fish into the water. The moment the remains touched the surface it bubbled from wild trashing of, the recom pinned his ears flat to his head in surprise.

"These fish are omnivores," explained, amused Spider. As he rinsed his hands in the water, he felt the watchful gazes of at least three pairs of eyes on him. Lyle handed him a pot and the boy jogged toward the trees, looking for a'o leaves.

Mansk thoroughly rinsed the filets and the remaining teylu, which cost Spider three trips to get water, and, as a reward, the recom let him watch how he prepared the filtes. Lyle took care of the fire and the whole group spread around the camp in such a way that they loosely surrounded it, and, even busy with their own affairs, they acted in one rhythm. Now, Z-dog was in charge of everyone, keeping a watchful eye on the neighborhood, Quaritch and Lyle were sitting on one side, Lopez and Prager on the other, playing some kind of card game. Ja was dozing near them. Spider sat beside Mansk, watching him arrange food on the grill with easy movements, and, again, he felt the strange feeling from earlier begin to nest in his heart.

It all reminded him of watching the Sullies, but this time, no one tried to chase Spider away so that he wouldn't disturb family dinners. On the contrary, he had helped catch fish, Mansk had explained to him what spices he used for filets, which for teylu and why, he had even used previously collected leaves according to Spider's input... The boy was an active member of the whole process of preparing dinner. He had no idea how to feel.

When everything was beautifully grilled, Spider found himself between Quaritch and Lyle with a plate full of wonderfully smelling fish and pieces of teylu. Z-dog handed him a cup of steaming tea, which had been prepared just before dinner was served, and which the boy had placed on the ground, next to his foot.

"To your health, kid. You did a great job today.” Quaritch ruffled his hair and Spider nearly choked on his first bite. The tears that came to his eyes, he blamed on the cough and the huge hand patting him on the back.

A cheerful buzz lingered around the fire, but the boy fell silent, staring at his plate. 

Especially now, when he was surrounded by bantering recombinants, the atmosphere was light, and there was a smell of delicious food in the air, it was easy to forget why Spider was taken from the laboratory. Why they were in the forest, why they were learning to live like the Na'vi. The boy shivered, which did not escape Quaritch's notice. He twisted towards his backpack and a big jacket fell over Spider's shoulders. The boy stuffed himself with a piece of fish, not wanting whatever it was, that was trying to swell in his throat to find an outlet.

However selfish his behavior was, the boy did not want to destroy the pleasant atmosphere, not when he could finally eat a real dinner. The day was ending, he could stop fighting his feelings for a moment, right?

Spider rested the plate on his knees and grabbed the flaps of Quaritch's jacket, pulling them closer to his body. He apologized inwardly for his own selfishness. The boy knew that he shouldn't feel so good amongst those people, but he was only a child. Spider took a deep breath and went after the fish with new verve, laughing with everyone as Prager forcibly gifted his pieces of teylu to Lopez.

The boy leaned on Quaritch, passing it as a stretch but he unnecessarily hid his need for closeness. Quaritch raised his hand and rested it on Spider's back, embracing him loosely. No comment, no thinking. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

A little longer, the boy thought, letting the bustle of life wrap around him like a cocoon. He wasn't sure if he was asking Eywa, or himself, or the recombinants for it.

Let it stay that way just a little longer.

[dj-devil]

welcome part 1

don't go there

pairing: prince!hyunjin x fem druid!reader

genre: medieval fantasy au

warnings: fluff, angst, magic, shapeshifting

words: 2.4k

summary: the forest is cursed. not many remember why, and only some are curious.

he is the prince who has been watching the forest his entire life

she lives there. as one of the last of a family of shifters that now roams the forest.

Masterlist

The sun outside the forest no matter how dull is still brighter than anything you were used to, being just beyond the border only yielded so much sun. The process of studying and learning how to be a raven was two months, which cut it a little too fine for your taste. The raven choosing was in little under two days and shape was always the hardest part. And feathers. You've never done feathers or birds in general.

This field, a large unkindness called home. All day various groups talked, to each other and other animals that would wander close enough to get to the lake surrounded by the trees they called home. Gliding, walking, eating, talking, flying, interacting. All things you would have to think about when becoming a raven. It weighed on your mind that you would not get this right in time for the ceremony. It's not like it only happened every five or something years. Something to do with teaching and learning to be ready for the care they would need, you were sure that was what the guards had said that time.

Leaving the forest always seemed the wrong thing to do, whenever you had tried in the past there was always a watchful eye somewhere aware of your plans. You had always noticed it in the corner of your peripheral, the disturbing feeling of being spied on; stalked. But now, for some reason, things were calmer, like some of the weight of your decision had been shifted. It was not something you understood, but for the moment were grateful for.

The guards and residents of the castle stayed away for a few days, stopped rigorously watching the field of vibrant green and dotted black. It was in those few short days that you crept from the safety of the woods to be with the ravens up close. The person who had named a flock of ravens had had something against them, you'd always thought, since learning that it was called an unkindness. They had probably never talked to them either, not big on gossip but rather casual informative conversations.

"Is there room by the lake for one more?" You asked the flock as they sat at the water's edge, under the guard of the willow trees around its edge. To most, this would be just a cacophony of endless squeaking. To you this is a dozen voices asking the same question; "If we make room are you going to sit or walk away like the rest of those idiot humans?"

The question makes you smile, speaking to new groups of animals always does. The surprise squeaks when in the space they make, you sit.

"How did you…?" One speaks up after some silence, and you find the raven's face in the sea peering at you inquisitively.

There is only one word for this, you know that. Only one word to elaborate a lifetime that they would understand; "Druid."

Wide eyes all around, a group hopping in time another just off. Surprise is the most shared emotion, it seemed so cute on ravens. Wings opening slightly, either slight or full hopping, beaks that let loose the gasps and squeaks.

"Does that mean you're Ivory's daughter?" Comes a quieter whisper from beside you, a smaller bird. You turn to face them, patiently putting out a hand to give them a gentle pat on the head.

"Yes. She was my mother."

"Why are you here then? And not in the forest working on the smog?" Turning back to the group, there is one raven in the centre staring up at you with a kind of curiosity that you know you have, the one knotted with a desire to fix the problem. To search your whole life for a solution when the only things you have to go on are what others tell you about the problem. You could see the gears turning in the raven's head, chugging and groaning under the weight of the knowledge of the cursed forest that was always passed around. Through most animals in the surrounding area, the understanding of at least part of what happened passed through the generations.

You give them all a small smile, "I am here to learn how to be a raven." Not fully answering both questions, but one seemed enough. The rest would be answered in time. A chorus of oh's fills the air. An excitable voice piped up. "You have watched, now you wish to be, yes?"

"Yes." You answer with a giggle at their enthusiasm. They sit together in a group, in their matriarchal stages as the lady who runs both the unkindness and this part of the field makes her way to me. She walks two steps before quickly hopping the rest of the way.

"That would've taken too long, right. I'm Bone, I've led for 200 years. And you wish to be a raven? You are?" She breathes deeply as she lands in front of you, wings flapping slightly to create a light wind that can cool her off a little.

"I am Y/n, I come from the Yellow Wood forest. I need to be a raven to help my family; the last druids." You speak with confidence and wide eyes to the raven in front of you. She; who definitely saw the beginnings of the smog 20 years ago. She; who won't tell, but could be there to offer words of wisdom if they are needed and accepted.

Bone watches you closely, small eyes peering at you as if you are a whole forest that has withstood a hundred wars. As if you are the forest you have lived in all your life, while there is a little truth to it, you feel everything that happens there, lived through enough to know how every part of it functions. Even now trees creak and leaves shift, you know exactly what part of the forest that is in. It is a part of you, you'd been running every part of it as long as you could run. It is your home, the centre of all your problems and the centre of all your love.

"You have much to learn, starting with feathers.."

Bone flaps her wings generating a gust of wind that wanders by you through your hair to its tips, decorating the fields with petals of the wildflowers it sent into a spinning match. The images of how to transform hair into feather pulses in your head, spreading through every fibre of your being, over the hair all over your body begins to grow longer and blacker. Pushing through the discomfort of the new change, feathers take a staggering form bristly and fragile, and a strange form of disfigured autumn leaf-shaped leaves take over your body. Your body shrinks to the rough size of a raven, a little larger than an adult which by how you feel itchy all over is just the beginning of the process.

"Well, that is a better start than I have seen in a while. The last to do that good, was your mother." Bone nods approvingly, as you shift back to human. A curious glint in your eyes, as you watch Bone, turn to the others to usher them into the trees so there is less pressure, eyes that can be discerned add to the crushing weight you feel like an avalanche building around you; the last of your ideas hinged on this working, the last of your hope to break the curse you were born into. All on this one plan, that could if you weren't careful go horribly wrong.

Over the next day, your body and mind go through the changes in order to take and hold the form of a raven, your idea of feathers becomes clearer, though more complicated than scales, it becomes easier than fur. You'd become a mouse once, it had taken 6 months of trials to even come close to the concept of fur.

You get to know others in the field, some had come from places you had never heard about with names you couldn't pronounce to give their chick the chance to be accepted into the castle. It is an easier life than outside the castle walls. That is the hardest part of this plan, you still had to be chosen. The dread and sense of responsibility that weighed on your back the feeling of carrying the entire forest, it is not all your burden to bear, though it did feel that way.

***

In the distance, beyond the wall, the castle came alive with movement and sounds, a steady drum began to sound as people scurried around the courtyard. A flurry of banners was placed in a few minutes; black, red and bronze. Mumbled yelling from this distance, the guards seemed to be in a rush. The day had broken a few hours ago, it wasn't that they were late, was it?

Through that meant there was still time, in the stillness of the field, barely rustling as a light breeze washed over the the tips of the grass. Still, time to be able to fully become the raven you needed, the friend that was going to get you into the castle. At least you hoped it. With this in mind, you sat on the ground, cross-legged and hands on your knees. Mind only focused on one thing, completely being a Raven for the first time.

What most people were always unsure about with Druid's was how the shifting process worked, most assumed the animal would be in the same age sphere as the person shifting, however, they start as the baby and then grow up just like everyone else does. Albeit a little quicker depending on lifespan and animal.

But like most other things it is a learned skill that you work at. Sometimes it took days or weeks, years and sometimes you never actually managed it. Everyone was different in the animals they could become.

Your body worked in tandem with your mind, shrinking and growing the barely formed feathers of a chick whilst also turning you fully into that chick that you are so set on.

The stomping of the guards begins to take over the sound in the area. An earthquake of boots and metal marched into the field. Spouting words of don't worry, we'll give them back and we won't hurt them. The scattered squarks of we know, you're late and move forward filled your ears.

Your voice becomes shrill to the guards who grow closer the more confidence they got for the chicks that are not moving and parents who are not freaking out. Some of the guards wince at the noise created by all the chicks together, deafening them a little. Others smile and bob to the ground; eyes glistening with tears over the selection they were about to make.

A selection of stuck-out feathers and wobbles brings their attention to you, as you get pushed to the side by the multitude of other chicks that are also here. As tiny as all the others are, you seemed smaller to them. Two exchanged a glance of worry and determination, as you did not have a mother watching over you or another to squawk back to.

To your right, a familiar face comes into view. Dressed in red and black, adorned in silver accents, is the boy who interrupted your staring contest a month ago. With light brown short hair and warm orange eyes, he watches over the exchange of rights to parenthood by the ravens at present. He also catches sight of you, concern and uncertainty plastered clear on his face.

In your observation of the guards and the boy, you did not notice the pair of hands closing in on you, encircling your feet and releasing you from the pressures of standing by yourself. To your small form, the lift seemed higher than it was, the ground a mountain beneath you.

"Hey, hey, hey!" You warn, suddenly worried about the fall from a height like this.

"I got you. You're ok, little one." The guard picking you up reassures you, placing you gingerly in a box with a thick blanket lining. "There. Much better, huh?" Under your feet is the fluffiest blanket you've ever seen, a deep purple you'd only seen in the flowers closest to the centre of the forest. It feels strange on new feet, not to mention as you carefully put your body down as well, the scattered feathers do little to shield your new skin from the blanket. Pecking at the fluff until it is comfy, turns out to be a difficult task when your beak is longer than expected.

The new revelations take up all the space in your brain, the rest of the process of picking chicks, making sure they are comfortable, moving the boxes inside the castle and removing you from the box to a lush pillow don't even touch your tiny bubble of wonder at the life of a raven. What does, is the loud voice beside you.

"Whatcha doin' there?" Turning you see a somehow scraggily raven - even more so than you - perched on a red pillow, staring at you.

"Not really sure." You speak slowly for the first time, the language feels strange coming out of your beak.

"Did you at least bring them a present? They love it when you bring them presents. I brought a flea, but I'm Flea, and I'm covered in fleas. So I brought a flea."

Your head cocks in confusion first and disbelief second, trying to understand. Now was this a human thing or a raven thing?

The queen appears in your view crown almost glowing in the morning sun. She walks up to both of you and Flea smiling ravishingly as she puts out her hand for the dead present trapped in the boy's beak.

"Oh, thank you, glad to know we're appreciated." She says as she takes the flea and wanders over to the prince for him to look at. Human thing, right. As you follow her your eyes fall on the prince, blonde hair with hazelnut eyes. Your staring contest buddy was the prince?

"It's… dead. And all mangled, I don't even know what it used to be?" Hyunjin raises his eyebrows in confusion.

"It's a present regardless, it must be appreciated." His mother scolds.

"Thank tha thank….you. I think.." He manages with a nod in our general direction.

[distant-eclipses]

I'm gonna be writing DCA fanfics(using @dca-fanart-gallery's prompt list for this particular fic) for at least some of october(idk if I can write every day). Today's prompt: dream

Summary(which I forgot to add...): Sun is having a persistent dreams of another fairy

Note: This was inspired by @ayyy-imma-ninja's fairy au. I was already thinking of making one, but this prompt gave me an excuse to write something

"Wait-!" Sun reached out his hand towards the fairy, watching as they flew away. "Come back!"

At this point it was almost used to the dreams. Of seeing another fairy and hoping for a new friend, only to see them leave before the two could talk. Even if the situations in the dreams were different, the fairy was still there, just out of his reach. At first he was confused, but overtime said confusion turned into disappointment and longing.

The animals were wonderful little friends and he was rather curious about the humans he'd occasionally see. It was always a treat when he saw the little ones of any species, even if it usually couldn't get close. But he never saw another fairy before the dreams started and wasn't able to have proper conversations with the animals. Sure he could try to learn some human languages, but the giant beings were intimidating in a way that most creatures weren't. The lack of closeness usually didn't bother him, but it was easier to notice as the dreams kept occurring.

The dreams also made him start to wonder about some things. While he usually had a hard time telling apart different members of the same species, the fairy in his dream seemed pretty different from him. Instead of having a giant spot on part of their face like Sun, the stranger had clusters of white dots along different body parts. If it wasn't for the spots and glowing, Sun was sure that they'd blend into the night. It made him wonder if there other fairies that were different colors. Did the stranger know? What if they were an outlier? What if he was an outlier?

But not all his questions were related to appearances. When he woke up the plants Sun wondered why all the dreams happened at night. When he watched some stray humans it wondered if the other fairy had talked to any of them. When he tied on his ribbons he wondered if the fairy's hat hid their rays. There was so much it wanted to ask.

But despite the questions and the loneliness, he was fine. It was happy with his life. The curiosity and longing didn't interfere with anything.

At least, not until recently. Sun groaned, covering his face. He had woke up a few minutes ago with a sudden desire to fly—despite it being the middle of the night. But no matter how much he twisted and turned, the longing was still there. It reminded him of his dream and that fact almost made him want to pull his rays out. "Now now Sun, it's nighttime, you don't want to hurt yourself." Was it a little silly to talk to himself? Yes. But he was tired and his source of joy and disappoint had just become a bigger problem.

He looked outside of the hollow, praying that sunrise had come. Despite knowing it was unrealistic, he still gripped his rays tighter when all he saw was stars. There was only one way he could think of dealing with the feeling. With another dramatic groan he got out of his bed, only bothering to tie a string with a little bell onto one of his wrists. Hopefully the ringing would keep him from falling asleep outside(he learned his lesson after he woke up to a bunch of rain). Yawning, he walked over to the opening of his little hideout and flew out.

Now that it was outside he felt the desire grow, like there was something calling to him, pulling him somewhere. Deciding to follow his instinct, he took off in a seemingly random direction, trusting his heart more than his(very tired) mind. But despite its initial regret over getting up, it was actually rather... nice to see what everything looked like during the night. He even saw a few new animals. Were some not awake during the day?

After a few minutes of flying, he came across a stream and... didn't know where to go next. Why did he here? Was he thirsty and didn't realise it? But why did this feel like the dreams? Maybe it just because it was late. Groaning, Sun turned around and was about to leave, but paused when he saw something glowing in the corner of his eye. There was a fairy with a blue glow near the stream.

Wait- a fairy! The fairy from his dreams. The stranger was sitting on a rock, kicking his feet and looking down at the running water. Flying closer, Sun rubbed his eyes. If this was a dream he'd- he'd- he didn't know what he'd do. "Hello! New friend?" Part of him knew what would happen. The fairy wouldn't notice him, then they'd leave. And Sun would wake up as he asked them to wait, to slow down-

"Hello?" This wasn't a dream! The fairy seemed a little caught off guard, tilting their head and staring at him. With the confirmation that things would be different, Sun grinned and flew closer, almost vibrating.

"My name is Sun! What's your name?" Now that he was looking closer, it could see the other fairy also had some string tied around the wrists, with some seashells instead of bells. And the rest of their body wasn't grey or black like he assumed, it was actually a dark blue.

The question made the other fairy grin, tilting their head further. "My name is Moon"

[watcher-with-burned-wings]

Bad Thoughts Give Me Bad Dreams

(Dragon Scott au with flower ranchers)

Many years ago, dragons, humans, and hybrids lived in peace. The humans had land and farms, and the dragons had mountains and skies. The hybrids were free to pass through either domain. That was until dragons discovered magic. When the humans found out, they got increasingly jealous. Soon the humans convinced the hybrids that the dragons were too powerful. The hybrids and humans attacked the unsuspecting dragons, wiping out many of them. The remaining dragons refused to fight and turned to hide. The dragons disappeared without a trace. No one knew where they fled as they did not return to the mountains. Even after all these years, many humans were still set on hunting them down.

Somewhere in the sea on the coast, is a cave. Deep within this underwater cave, leads to a hidden civilization. Once a lush cave had grown into a sanctuary for the remaining of the fallen race. The walls shifted from stone alto diorite to calcite. Glow from berries glimmered in the amethyst clusters dotted around the cave.  Vines hung from ledge to ledge, from stalactite to stalagmites, and decorated nests. Moss and azaleas were used as bedding and padding, magic growing the azaleas into trees. Using the same magic, crops were grown. Fresh spring water flowed down one side of the cave. Dragons walked around and glided through the air as they chatted and lived peacefully. A market was in the middle of the refuge. Many sold fish, or the more darning ones sold game from the surface.

A pair of dragons watched the bustle of their kind from a small ledge. On the ledge was their nest. Two eggs were resting in the center. A crack appeared on the shell of the larger egg. Both parents turned eagerly and watched as two tiny legs pushed out of the shell, cracking the egg fully. A purple-haired hatching sat in the middle of the eggshell, its black wings were visibly strong, and its horns shone proudly. The parents only admired their hatchling momentarily before the other egg cracked.

Unlike the first hatchling, a small hole was formed, and a small face poked out. The hatchling pushed hard against the shell and popped his head out as the top of the egg cracked. A startled squeak came as he rolled out of the egg. This hatching had cyan hair, small horns, and weak wings, but his claw-like hands were webbed with a fin-like tail. The parents were ecstatic that they had a sky-borne and a sea-borne hatchling.  They dubbed them Xornoth and Scott.

As the years passed, the siblings soon grew from hatchlings to fledglings. Xornoth was the first to learn how to fly. Scott struggled to fly due to his features but could glide for long periods. When it came to learning how to swim, Scott flew through the depths, while Xornoth struggled to stay afloat. The cyan-fledging soon learned he had gills on the side of his neck, allowing him to breathe underwater.

While being different, both brothers were extremely close. They played, fought, and shared everything. But one thing they both loved was the days of homecoming. Every six months, they would race to the cave Gate and wait for the exploration team to return. The Gate was the water passage that led to the cavern. It was protected by a strong magic to only allow dragons through.   When the older dragon appeared from the water, everyone cheered as they brought new technologies or food for the colony. Scott would watch with stars in his eyes as he admired the team. He made himself a promise they when he was old enough, he would be on that team.

===========

A purple and black blur shot through the cavern air space, a blue flash following beneath. Wedded claws gripped at store roofs, springing across gaps and streets.  A fin-like tail flashed behind as he glided from roof to roof.  Calling out apologizes as he dodges around clotheslines or startled elders. His sibling’s laughs echo above him as they grips their stomach at their brother’s dilemma. A smirk graces his face as they slam back first into a stalactite. They fell onto a nearby roof.

“You deserved that!” Scott snickered as he stepped around Xornoth’s fallen form. They groaned in response to Scott’s jab. Scott fondly rolled his eyes. “Come on, we’re going to be late for homecoming.” Grabbing his sibling’s arm, he pulled them up. They wobbled before shaking themselves off.

Scott leaped off the building with a laugh as he heard an agitated ‘Hey!’ come from his nestmate. He descended into the middle of the street and took off running towards the Gate. Dragon folks of all ages started to converge on the plaza. Scott slipped into the front of the crowd, tail swaying eagerly as he watched the Gate. Xornoth dropped beside him and pushed his shoulder.

“Jerk! I could have missed it,” They complained, crossing their arms over their chest. “And here you would have been.”

“Oh shush! You were fine.” He responded as he rubbed his shoulder with a cheeky grin. “I’ve seen you take worse falls than that. You’re just being dramatic.” Xornoth pouted at him before a gurgling caught both of their attention.

The water in the Gate began to swirl in a vortex and changed in color as the magic reacted. From the vortex, a sea-borne dragon shot up into the air, followed by two sky-borne dragons and then a nature-born dragon. The group landed in front of the crowd of dragons, their arms full of supplies and new shiny objects. But something was off.

A solemn air surrounded the group of newly returned dragons. A wave of confused whispers and murmurs passed through the crowd. Everyone watched the pool, waiting for the other two members to appear. Like everyone else, Scott and Xornoth were concerned by the absence of two of their kind. The sea-borne stepped up with a solemn air to him, hushing every dragon in the process.

“To my dismay, I must inform you Tilly and Dan have sadly perished during our adventure.” The leader informed. A stunned shock settled on the shoulders of the community. “They sacrificed themselves to allow the rest of us to escape from the humans. So let us not waste their sacrifice and forever remember them and celebrate the supplies they allowed us to forge.” The leader tried to lighten the mood.

The crowd agreed, dispersing around the market. A band had begun to play songs of remembrance to grieve their loss, then switched to a more upbeat one. Couples dance in the square, while game stalls begin to shout for players. Soon laughter lifted the solemn mood. Scott watched from a shadowed corner, sitting on a barrel, Xornoth finding him after spending some time enjoying the festivities.

Approaching cautiously, Xornoth asked, “Scott? What are you doing here? You should be out there, having fun.” They sat down on a crate next to him.

“Just thinking.” He replied, watching a bat fly around. Xornoth gave an unimpressed look.

“Scott.”

He didn’t answer for a moment, fidgeting with his tail. His sibling rested a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “I promise, you can tell me anything.”

Scott looked at them finally, taking a deep breath. “I am thinking of joining the group to the outside world.” He admitted, not looking them in the eyes. “I know how dangerous it is, but I want to do something good for the colony.” He closes his eyes, expecting a backlash. Instead, he got a gentle hug.

“I know,” Xornoth whispered. “I will never stop you from pursuing your dream. Just come back to me safe, that's all I ask.” Scott hugged him back tightly, burying his face into his sibling's shoulder.

“I will promise.”

Xornoth cradled his younger brother close to his chest. “You better or I’m hunting you down myself and turning you into a rug.” Scott laughed wetly as he pulled away. Xornoth grinned and grabbed his hand. “Now let’s go play some games, I’m going to beat you so bad!”

Scott smiled as he walked with them, “No you’re not, I’ll win easily.”

===============

It was the third anniversary of the passing of two of the members of the adventure group. It was also the day when Scott joined the team. All the group was reluctant to let the fledging join their ranks but agreed. The first year was spent learning and observing, and Joel made sure of that. Joel was the leader of the group and a sea-borne like Scott. He was a natural-born leader as he gave instructions flawlessly and proficiently.  Scott learned many skills from him. Hunting, fighting, and stealing are the main ones.

His partner was Lizzie, one of the two sky-borne dragons. She oversaw planning missions and was a rather good fighter. Many of the plans the group chose were approved by Lizzie. When not prepping for a mission, she was rather protective of their newest member. She would cook great meals and sing songs when they were resting. Scott enjoyed her company late at night when she would point out constellations. Her scales were a shimmering sea green.

Next, Grian. He was the other sky-borne dragon of the group. He was a master of disguise and deception. He loves causing confusion and distraction to humans as much as possible. The red-scaled dragon loved any explosive he could get his hands on. Anything shimmery or a button to be pressed, he pushes or takes. When not on a mission, he plays pranks on them. No matter what, Grian is there to make Scott smile. Learning how to set traps had to be Scott’s favorite memory with him.

Last, but not least, was Scar. The nature-borne dragon was Grian’s significant other. While clumsy, he was a master at magic. All dragons knew of some magic, but Scar could outdo them any day. His skill with a bow was incredible and well-practiced. Scar had taught him how to use magic and recite important spells as well as potion making. Scott’s favorite memory is when he accidentally turned the emerald, green dragon into a vivid lavender purple. Everyone had a great laugh.

The second year he mostly allowed Scott to branch out. Engaging the skills, he had studied into practice. The fledging of seventeen rotations soon expanded his reach. He battled in missions with Joel, stole alongside Grian, cast and prepped spells with Scar, and cooked with Lizzie. Scott couldn’t have been happier.

By the spring of the third season, Scott had nearly surpassed all his teachers. He won a duel against Joel. He created a spell all on his own. He even picked up strategizing from Lizzie, helping her to come up with backup plans and escape routes. Everyone was proud of him. Xornoth and their parents were over the moon every time he came home with stories to tell when he visited.

Homecoming had just wrapped up. The team, minus Scott, was planning where they would go next.  Scott walked beside Xornoth, who had grown as well. They were the captain of the guardian force. He was proud of his sibling for making such momentous progress. The two were making idly chit-chat as they headed towards the building where they were residing for the night before heading out the next morning.

Xornoth spoke up suddenly, “Scott… maybe you should hang back this time.”

“What?”

“Just for this year, you know mom is sick so I was just thinking you should be here in case something happens.” They explained, his gaze turned away.

“Xornoth, she has a cold,” Scott deadpanned. “She’s already nearly fully recovered. If something bothers you, just let me know. Don’t dance around it.” He stated bluntly, stopping in his tracks to look at his sibling.

Laughing, “You know me too well. Okay, I guess…” They relent. “I just… have been having horrible dreams about you. In the nightmares, you would be locked in a cage, humans surrounding you. They just seemed so real…” They grabbed his hands, staring him dead in the eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, Scott.”

He pulled his sibling close and engulfed them in a hug. “I vow that I will return to you no matter what. I’ll be careful, I swear.” He pulled away. “Besides, if I’m gone, who’s going to be your annoying little brother?” He gave in a cheeky grin.

Despite looking reassured, Xornoth still seemed troubled. Sighing, Scott compromised, “How about every few weeks I send a letter through flame mail? Will that help?”

“Yeah, just to hear from you.” They agreed.

“Great, now I need to head to the grand hall to meet and plan with the others.” Scott hugged his older sibling once more before letting go.

“Stay safe,” Xornoth called as he walked off. Scott rolled his eyes and called back, “Okay mother hen!” Xornoth squawked in outrage as Scott ran off laughing.

Slipping inside the grand hall, Scott found his companions discussing a map.  

“But Lizzie, we can’t go back to Crystal Cliffs, we were just there,” Joel explained. “It would be best if we went to the Southlands.” Lizzie shook her head.

“It’s too far of a journey this time of year. The tides aren’t in our favor.” She pointed to another place; a city built at the mouth of a river. “Midnight Valley is relatively close.”

Grian piped up. “Oh, heck no! We nearly got caught because of that bottlenecked trap!” Using feather-light steps, Scott crept over and gazed at the map. Lizzie huffed in frustration. “Then where do you suggest we head too?”

Grian studied the map and then pointed to a small group of islands. “What about the Coral Isles? They have good resources.”

Scar frowns. “Don’t they have a pufferfish infestation they are taking care of?”

“Ah, I forgot that part…” He slumped in his seat.

“What if we were to head to Ranch Town?” Scott suggested, alarming everyone.

Scar clutched his chest and panted, “Don’t do that! You nearly gave me a stroke!” Scott had the decency to look ashamed. “Sorry Scar.”

Joel looked at the map, considering Scott’s suggestion. “Why would you say that place?” Scott looked up at him and then at the map. “Well, if we were to travel there, we could camp on the small uninhabited shores near the bottom of the edge of civilization without having to cast huge spells. And Joel and I will always have seawater.” Lizzie nodded slowly.

“I see your point, there are plenty of escape routes if we choose to swim upstream.” She traces the river divides, then taps the docks. “They also have the largest world trade port, allowing us to steal some rare necessities.” Joel nodded.

“I agree. We haven’t been there for ages. Looks like we’re heading to Ranch Town.” The leader declared, “We leave in the morning, so prepare accordingly.  Ranch Town is a week’s worth of travel.”

Everything was settled, so the adventurers headed off to bed, unknowing of the strife ahead.

==============

Weaving through the crowds, Joel and Scott dashed through the dock. Shouts followed them as knights gave chase. Tucked in Scott’s claws was an book, he had stolen from a royal merchant ship. Twin cloaks flailed behind them as they fled the scene. The chase had been going on for around a good twenty minutes by now.

Scott was starting to tire as Joel gave a nod, signaling to split up.

Scott turned down a small side street, trying to lose the guards. As he ran, he wondered how this had happened. It was supposed to be a simple operation. Get in and out. But everything went wrong right away. The ship that was supposed to be there was a simple merchant ship, not a royal one. Then the guards swamped the boat. Everyone scattered, guards tailing them. This brings us to where he is currently.

Four guards sprinted after him. He glanced at the book and wondered why they wanted it so obsessively. Shotting out of the alley, he ran into the road, sliding under a cart that nearly trapped him. He snickered as he heard a few cusses, dashing swiftly around a corner, only to nearly run into a horse.

He stumbles into the dirt on his butt. He looked up to yell, only to pale, seeing the head of the royal guard. The head of the royal guard was the prince’s fiancé, Tango. He was a hot head blaze hybrid, fiercely protective of the kingdom. Nearly no one had escaped him before, minus his group. But he was about to clean his record. Scott tried to scramble away, but his boots couldn’t get a grip on the sediment.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Tango hopped down and placed his knee into Scott’s spine, nearly on his hidden wings. The book, long forgotten, fell into the dirt as Scott struggled against Tango, trying to escape. Tango manages to wrangle him into chains as the other knights rounded the corner. Falling limp, Scott realized he was outmatched and outnumbered.

He yelped as his hood was grabbed and he tossed over the horse's back. Tango patted him down, confiscating his small, enchanted dagger and a few regenerating potions. Then the royal knight reached for his cloak clasp. Scott stiffened in fear as he was powerless to prevent the inevitable. He curled slightly as his wings and dragon heritage were revealed. Tango seemed to short-circuit for a moment before recovering, placing the cloak down he turned to his men.

In a commanding voice, “Find the other thieves I need to bring this one to the castle.” Tango orders. “Do not kill. Especially if they are anything like him.” The knights saluted before spreading out to search for his friends.

Scott’s stomach dropped when he heard castle. He couldn’t be serious. But as Tango saddled up, and pushed his horse into a trot, he knew he was in big trouble.

==============

 Scott cursed as he was thrown roughly into the cell. He hisses at the guard as the wooden door slams and locks, causing the tower to rumble around him. He glares as he brushes himself off, checking himself over. The cyan-scale Dragonborn had been stripped of nearly everything he owned, left with only the clothes on his back. Sadly, his cloak was confiscated, leaving him only in his trousers.

Glancing around, Scott grimaced.

The cell was circular with a barred lancet window situated above his head, allowing fresh air and sea breeze to filter in. Moonlight cased long shadows but provided enough light to see. The tropical summer humidity caused the cobbled stone to gleam with condensation, making the cell damp. A small wooden bench hung, posing as a poor substitute for a bed, under the window. A tiny wooden bucket filled with murky questionable water was placed beside it—the whole cell smelt of mildew.

Trudging over to the bench, Scott sat down heavily. He closed his eyes as he rested his head against the wall, feeling so stupid about getting caught. Opening his eyes, he stared up at the cone-like ceiling with despair. He should have listened to Xornoth.  He could have spent six months with him. It wouldn’t have killed him to spend time with his family. Now he might not ever see them again.

Ignoring the burning in his eyes, Scott looked at his hands. He looked at his scaly hands and sharp nails. He cupped them together and mumbled under his breath a spell. A ball of light formed and drifted from his hands. A sudden thought came to him, causing him to spring up for the worn old bench. The light drifted above his head as he approached the door.

He nearly laughed at his idiocy. He crouched down and pressed a hand to the cell door. He smirked as he pronounced the lock-pick spell. A click echoed around the small room as the door unlocked. Relief washes over Scott as he pulls open the cell door. He stepped out of the cell, and a narrow staircase leading downward met him. Eager to leave, the dragon leaped down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Scott couldn’t help but feel victorious as he dashed down the stairs.

However, the feeling didn’t last long.

Halfway down the stairs, Scott turns one of the many curves of the staircase. He was in such a rush, that he didn’t realize until it was too late, hitting the prince directly in the chest. They both tumbled, pushing the second person, Tango, down the stairs as well. The trio rolled down in a jumble of limbs and curses. Finally, they stopped near the bottom of the stairs, very bruised and sore.

Scott groaned as he pulled himself out of the pile, groaning as he held his chin where he hit it. He rubbed it, checking for blood, which thankfully there didn’t seem to be. Another groan caught his attention, and he turned to see Tango rubbing his head a bit. The prince just lay on the stairs, looking dazed. He and Tango locked eyes.

Scott bolted. He heard a curse before another pair of footsteps followed him.

Scrambling down the rest of the stairs, Scott practically fell out of the stairway, Tango hot on his heels. Picking a direction, he fled. Much to his dismay, he met two guards right away. Tango called from behind him, causing the knights to notice him. He dodged out of their reach, before continuing down the hallway.

He turned another corner, only to run into a dead end. Come on, Scott thought. I can’t catch a break. He spun around to meet his pursuers, pressing himself back into the wall of the hallway, wings twitching. Tango stepped in front of the two other guards.

“No one needs to get hurt. The prince and I only wanted to ask you some questions and offer you a deal.” He had his hands in a passive position in front of him.

Getting defensive, Scott snarled, “Let me go. Like I would ever help you.” He barred his teeth, at the blaze hybrid. Tango's face fell in a scowl.

“You were caught stealing. Normally, thieves would be sent to work in the mines for a few years. But you’re a special case.” Tango explained.

“And why’s that?” He snapped, his tail whipping aggressively. Footsteps came from behind the group. The guards moved, revealing a disheveled looking prince. A low growl rumbled from Scott’s throat.

“Because we need your magic knowledge.” The prince stated as he fixed his crown. Scott’s eyes scanned him as he towered over him. The canary hybrid stood nearly head over him. Golden feathers ruffled on his head wings. He had sandy blond hair with muddy tried brown eyes. He was clearly near Scott’s age but his eyes mirrored an elders.

“Why?” The dragon asked suspiciously.

“Please. Humans have begun to invade our land. Many hybrids are dying, like many of your kind did.” To Scott’s surprise, the prince knelt and bowed to him. “Please. We’re desperate. I sincerely apologies for the treatment you had this far. I promise, as Jimmy Solitary, so to be king of Ranch Town, that you and your kind will have protection here for as long as I live.” Jimmy had his forehead practically touching the floor. All the knights copied his movements.

To say Scott was lost was an understatement. First, they imprisoned him, then they asked him for help. He shook his head a bit, feeling overwhelmed. “How do I know this isn’t a sick trick?” Scott deflected.

“Please, if it was trick, do you think we would be bowing and not just torturing you?” Tango said with a bit of an eye roll, but something felt off as Jimmy shot him a glare. Scott gulped at that. It was a good point.

“Fine,” Scott admitted, “But what would you need me to do?” Scott questioned.

Relieved, Jimmy stood up from the floor. “If possible, we need more of those potions you had on you. Plus, if you could perhaps make our weapons enchanted as well.” Jimmy thought for a moment. “We’ll provide everything you need to create them as well.”

Scott couldn’t believe he was hearing. It was like something from a dream. Those simple everyday things dragons could do, but the problem was supplies to create them. So having access to everything was a blessing. Biting his lip, his ear fins flicking with thought.

Scott sighed, “My group and I will help you out as a trial run, until we can trust you.” He spoke. “But know, we will never show you where we hide.” He promised.

“Deal!” Jimmy exclaimed excitedly as he took Scott’s claw and shook it. “Thank you, thank you so much.” Scott awkwardly patted his shoulder, feeling as though he made a deal with the devil.

“Yeah, well as long as we remain behind the scenes, I don’t mind helping.” He added on. “And free meals and comfortable rooms.”

Jimmy laughed, his personality doing a one-eighty. “Of course! In the morning, you can go out to find your friends. But please, allow me to show you to your proper room.” Jimmy grabbed his hand and guided him down a corridor. A staircase later and another hallway later, they reached a door.

Tango opened it, revealing a small bedroom. To be honest, it wasn’t much bigger than the cell had been, but it was furnished with a bed and a dresser. A rug covered the stone floor, but there was no window, only touches for light. Scott reluctantly stepped through the doorway.

“Oh, by the way. Tomorrow we will also discuss your punishment, after all, you still stole royal property.” Jimmy added slyly. “Don’t worry about it too much, Cutie. We can add it into the contract that we’ll create we all your friends are here.” Jimmy gave a Cheshire grin. “Sleep well, little dragon.”

With that the door was slammed closed and locked. Scott could hear something being put in front of the push door, locking him in with no way out. Standing in the dark of the room with only torchlight as company, Scott had a feeling he had just sold his soul.

Scott crawled into the bed and cried himself to sleep that night.

=============

It was four years later; Scott found himself sitting on the arm of King Jimmy’s throne, dressed in the finest clothes, sitting beside the king himself. The war had finally ended. With the dragons’ help enslavement, the hybrids were able to conquer over the humans, restoring balance. During the war, many dragons had moved from the cave to Ranch Town, having decided to be forced to help.  After dragons were able to begin normal lives in Ranch Town and live happily above ground, free to fly or swim wherever they please. But as per the agreement, Scott must serve an extra two years for his crime.

Jimmy and Tango had married before the war was announced, officially making Jimmy king. Scott was worked to the bone through the first year in captivity. Many potions and weapons nonstop, his hands would blister from how much nether wart he had to touch. His scales would be dry and flaky by the end of the day due to the heat of the brewing stands. Tango had taken notice one day and had him moved.

From then on, he was Jimmy’s personal servant and guard, much to his friends’ protests. Scott simply told them not to worry and continued with his job. Jimmy soon took a liking to Scott, becoming friendly with him rather quickly while Tango was on the front lines. When Tango was sent back due to an injury, he also had taken to a liking to Scott, but much more slowly. Scott, oblivious to royals’ affection, was focused on protecting everyone he endangered. Even when the war ended, Tango and Jimmy agreed that Scott was theirs.

The royals decided to host a ball celebrating the victory, which is where they are now.

Jimmy leaned over and murmured into Scott’s ear, “Come on Scott, don’t look so glum. I know you want to go be with your family and sibling but we’re your family now as well.” A shiver when down his spin at the hot breath on his ear.

A choked off squeak escaped the cyan dragon as Tango petted his wing. “Yeah, we could have lock you in your room for the night, but we graciously allowed you to be here with us.” Tango gave him a small kiss on the forehead. “So don’t be so ungrateful.” Tango chastised lightly.

Scott early on had learned how to get under their skins. “Yes sirs.” He replied sadly. Both frowned instantly.  Neither of them wanted to cause their little dragon to be mad or upset. But they both agreed that sometimes it was needed. But this wasn’t one of those times.

Jimmy tried to recover, “Maybe later you can hang out with Xornoth, they are staying the weekend. But we haven’t seen much of you all week.” He whined, holding Scott’s hand.

“Yeah, and I was only teasing about you room.” Tango added. “We just missed you, cutie.”

Scott smirked internally, having admittedly, started to gain feels of his own towards his to captors. He nodded a bit on the outside, “Okay…” He yawns as he rubs his eyes, having decorated and planned most of the ball himself.

Both Jimmy and Tango melted. Pulling the sleepy dragon into his lap, Jimmy rested him against his chest. Said dragon barely noticed, having done this millions of times, snuggled into Jimmy’s chest. He closed his eyes, falling asleep to the lull of the conversation in the ballroom.

“Sleep well, little dragon.” Both whispered with soft possessive eyes.

[lucky-ladybugs-lovelies]

When All the Paths Are Overgrown, 3/7

@week-of-silver-winds For Sephiroth Week, Day 3 - Feathers

One of perhaps three short pieces for this prompt.

For those just tuning in, Sephiroth is sane, he and Cloud are friends, and some mysterious force or person has hurt them and caused Cloud to forget Sephiroth alone.

By now Sephiroth was restless. They were still in the middle of nowhere; no matter how he walked, there was no visible end in sight. Maybe now it was time for a different approach.

“I’m going to try something,” he announced. “You’ll probably be shocked by this, Cloud, but there is an explanation for it.”

“What are you . . .” Cloud was interrupted by the sudden sound of something huge unfurling. A black feather drifted down onto his lap. As he looked up in bewilderment, an enormous black wing was casting a shadow over them. When he took a moment to process it, he realized it was clearly coming out of Sephiroth’s back.

To say he was shocked was an understatement. He jumped a mile, sitting up straighter in Sephiroth’s arms. “Where . . . how do you have that?!”

Sephiroth’s eyes darkened. “I was experimented on for many years. This is only one of many results.” He gave a mighty flap and took to the skies.

Cloud gasped, grabbing at the front of Sephiroth’s coat. “Is this safe?!”

“I won’t drop you,” Sephiroth replied. “I just want to get a better idea of where we are and if civilization is anywhere in sight.” A pause. “If you get motion-sick, you have pills in your left pocket.”

“Motion . . . oh great.” Cloud immediately went for the pills. He did remember them, and he was relieved he had them. At least, though, as long as Sephiroth was just hovering in the air, any such urges were not a huge problem.

Sephiroth surveyed the entire area and everything surrounding it from his perch in the sky. The wilderness stretched on for a long time yet, to his annoyance. But towards the Southwest, lights of a city were visible. Hopefully it was their city, but in any case, it was a city. He had no intention of walking all that way. They needed to get back. Zack would be worried, and of course that worry would increase exponentially when he learned the problem, but he would be relieved to see them. Maybe if Cloud was around other loved ones who told him the same things, it would help jog his memory. It was probably a foolish hope, but Sephiroth would hold onto it for now anyway.

Cloud looked towards the lights as well. “That would be a really long walk,” he scowled.

“Do I have your permission to fly?” Sephiroth asked.

“. . . Yeah, sure.” Cloud sighed. This was still surreal. But the wing was actually not the strangest thing about this situation.

Sephiroth immediately took off for the lights, his strong wing carrying them through the night sky with minimal effort. Cloud watched it moving; it was certainly the most interesting sight to watch right now.

How would a human have a wing? Where would it even go when it wasn’t out? Something that big would be impossible to hide or store in one’s body. Wouldn’t it?

Loose feathers floated around them as Sephiroth flew. By now they were getting close to a few houses dotting the edge of the wilderness. What would the residents think if they came out to find one of those laying on the lawn? They’d probably all be spooked thinking it was some new kind of bird. And then if any of them decided to have it tested and it came up that it was human DNA. . . . Maybe they’d think it was from an angel. It was black, though, so probably a fallen angel.

Cloud frowned. Appropriate for Sephiroth, when he had lost his mind and become so dangerous. Only . . . if he was telling the truth about everything, he was sane now and the wing was still black. Of course it would be; it wouldn’t change colors like some cartoon. Black wasn’t inherently evil; Cloud liked wearing it too.

“. . . Does Zack know?” he spoke at last. “About the wing, I mean.”

“Yes,” Sephiroth said. “Everyone has seen it by now, but Zack was the first to know.” He stared off into the distance, focusing on the lights. They would be there soon. He was sure he recognized this scenery, so it must be Domino. They were almost home.

“He seems like somebody who’d like it,” Cloud said.

Sephiroth made a noncommittal grunt, a fond smirk playing on his lips. “He does.” He had feared how Zack would react to it at first. He had only been exposed to wings from Genesis and Angeal at that point and they had caused so much trouble, especially Genesis and his clones. Zack had admitted to him that when he had first seen wings on Genesis and a clone, his feeling had been that they were monsters. But Cissnei of the Turks had taught him that wasn’t true, that wings on humans could be beautiful. By the time Zack had seen Sephiroth’s, he had felt completely different.

“How do you feel, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked then. They were coming into the city now, and Sephiroth headed for a fancy residential area on a hill. He soon landed in the front yard of one mansion in particular.

Cloud blinked in surprise to be put on the spot about that. “I . . .” He hesitated, then reached towards the wing. Sephiroth lowered it, allowing Cloud to touch it. “It’s soft. . . .” It was a stupid thing to say, really. Of course it would be soft. But he was almost surprised by how soft. How could twisted experimentation have resulted in something so beautiful, so perfectly formed, instead of grotesque and warped? “I like it,” he said at last.

Sephiroth smiled a bit, looking both pleased and relieved. “I’m glad you approve.” He looked towards the house. “Everyone is still up. They’re probably worried sick. Do you feel up to walking through the door?”

Cloud flushed. “I’d rather not be carried over the threshold like some kid or . . .” He trailed off as he flushed deeper at the rest of what the sentence would have been.

Sephiroth smirked at that. “I’ll set you down and you can see if you can walk.”

Cloud gave an awkward nod. “Thanks.”

[cosmereplay]

Day 18: Once upon a time

Rated Teen, transfem!Kaladin/Leshwi, Rhythm of War spoilers Part 3/4. Start at part 1 on ao3

Leshwi hummed to Peace as she watched the sky for Kaladin. It was good to hear the ancient Rhythms again, and she thought briefly of Riah, who loved Peace for its even, stately beat. It soothed Leshwi’s heart to be able to attune it again.

She took a breath of post-sunset air. The sky was almost completely black, dotted with limitless stars, and the breeze was soft and cool, easing the humidity of the Shattered Plains. Usually it would be her turn to visit Kaladin at Urithiru, but he’d insisted on coming to her.

She hoped that was a good sign.

Soon, she spotted a glowing speck in the distance, which began to resolve into a figure in blue and white, tails of cloth streaming behind him. Leshwi hummed to Amusement, thinking his fashion looked a bit familiar.

…Or was it her fashion? Leshwi caught the subtle curve of breasts as Kaladin got closer; like a nimbleform femalen. Leshwi attuned Consideration–were humans capable of changing forms now?

She…he?...landed in a flourish, Stormlight glowing through the fabric of his dress. Up close, it was more obvious. It was a dress, cut in a similar style to fashion Leshwi was accustomed to, though the wide swaths of fabric were interwoven at the front rather than wrapped, and his left hand was covered by a long, elegant white glove up to his elbow. He drew the ends of the tails to one hand with a Windrunner's lashing, then tucked them into his wide waistband, leaving the loops overlapping and hanging like a skirt. He stepped towards Leshwi, still glowing faintly, with a confused look on his face.

“Why aren’t you flying?” he asked. 

“Don’t worry about that right now,” Leshwi said, humming to Reconciliation. “Tell me, what is the occasion for this work of beauty? You look…exquisite.” She gestured to the dress, then upwards. Kaladin was wearing makeup, and his hair was braided.

Kaladin smiled broadly. “I wanted to tell you in person,” he said, and she noticed his voice had grown softer, though it was still deep and rich. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, what you asked me. And I want to say yes. I want to court you, if you’ll have me. But I need to tell you something first…”

***

They joined a late night fire and sat together. Though they stood out sorely, the other listeners offered them drinks then politely ignored them, continuing their own conversations. As Kaladi explained her recent changes, Leshwi came to understand that humans could change forms, in a way. 

“Once upon a time,” Kaladi began, “I wanted to be a little girl. I was a little girl, I suppose. I wanted to learn to read, but I also wanted to climb and explore and fight.” She held her gloved hand in front of her. “I was torn between wanting to follow my parents’ footsteps and becoming a surgeon. I thought that maybe if I learned medicine, I could learn how to become a woman.” 

Kaladi held out her ungloved hand. “But I was also good with the spear. Really good. It just felt right. I thought I would never be able to fight if I was a woman. I thought, if I wanted to fight, maybe I wasn’t really a woman.” Her hand closed into a fist.

Leshwi hummed to Resolve. 

The fire crackled; the conversations around them hummed in interweaving harmonies. Kaladi’s eyes reflected the dancing lights.

“When Tien was taken, I buried those thoughts. I was needed as a soldier, and to be a soldier I had to learn to be a man.” She looked into the fire and sighed. 

Leshwi reached out her hand, caressing Kaladi’s shoulder. “You knew no other way,” she said to Resolve.

“I didn’t think of it again until I met you. Leshwi...I don’t even know how to say how much I admire you. What it means to me that you exist, just as you are.” 

Kaladi raised her eyes. She reached out her ungloved hand, taking Leshwi’s hand in her own, and Leshwi attuned Anticipation. 

“Now that you know everything, do you still want to court me?” Kaladi asked.

Leshwi hummed Praise. “I do still wish to court you,” she said. “The path ahead of us will not be easy. We will exist among those who hate us for joining together. This would be true whether you were Kaladin or Kaladi.”

She took a moment to hold Kaladi’s hand, then leaned down and kissed it. “Kaladi,” she said to Praise, “meeting you has changed my life. You gave me hope when I thought I was lost. Knowing your deepest heart is a true honour. I am overjoyed to know you.”

She snuck closer beside Kaladi until their hips touched, and Leshwi wrapped an arm around Kaladi’s waist. Kaladi rested her gloved hand on Leshwi's shoulder. In the firelight, Kaladi’s eyes shimmered. Her smile glowed more beautifully than any light Leshwi had ever known. 

For a moment, she attuned the Lost, and Kaladi’s brow furrowed.

“Tell me, Leshwi. Why weren’t you floating when you met me today?” Kaladi asked suddenly.

Leshwi met her eyes sadly. “I finally ran out of voidlight. I will not be flying again.”

“But you need to fly.”

“It’s worth it.”

“But Leshwi–”

“It’s worth it,” Leshwi said to Pain. “Being free, being myself, knowing you–it’s worth it, even if I never fly again.”

Kaladi pulled her close, then, their foreheads touching. Together, they found Peace again, and sang.

[ficmachine]

OC: Eliocodo snippet

Collab with @winterwoodragon abt their OC.

Wordcount: 545

Click here for the character's ToyHouse

-

Quiet. Safe. Peaceful.

...Good.

Flying over the forest as a simple barn swallow, Eliocodo silently checks in on those injured and seeking sancturay. Do they yearn to leave the Fae realm? To leave the Mother's protection? Despite the violence these creatures face from humans, why do some long to leave? Why do young cry to go home? Is this not their home now?

Why not?

Briefly swooping by someone taking care of a potted daisy brings a wave of sympathy to his heart. The flower, although slightly wilted, is doing its hardest adapt to the new soil. He wonders if the plant can tell how the sun differs in this realm as its gentle light fades into night.

It is struggling too - he can hear it.

Elio, the new Guardian, is getting used to this position, still learning. Thrown into things head first - as the previous Guardian sacrificed themselves to keep the Mother alive – he needs to figure things out himself. Thankfully, the teachings and the journals the Previous left help immensley regardless of the library-worth of writings.

His wings tilt to the left gently, cilcling around a handful of smaller creatures as they triverse the much bigger woods.

His mind wanders.

Outside, a war is brewing. Far, far outside the realm, somewhere he's never given much thought to or knew existed prior to the request for shelter few cycles ago. Many monsters he's never seen now settling in, huddled together in large groups instead of going of their own to live in solitude. Strange and different from how the Fae live, but not unwelcome.

He would argue that the Travellers should try to reason with the humans, to find a middleground, but he's been told he doesn't understand – the nature of this war, nor the humans. (He scoffed at that in the moment. At the idea that he doesn't understand the nature of it. Foolish. He's one with nature; always was, always will be.)

Truth is that he does not understand. Not even slightly. He couldn't. The young Guardian knows nothing of what the travellers and the refugees speak of; nothing of humans, their ways, or the way things are outside where the Mother's protection doesn't extend. After all, how different can it be exactly?

With a few mental images strung together through stories of those seeking shelter, he has a vague idea: Tightly knit communities, homes dotted around a path like a trail of mushrooms, communal places. And, of course, the surface world isn't much different, though it's ruled by humans – the selfish and the greed-stricken ones who want everything to bend to their willl and be like them.

The image is a foreign one, he himself cannot truly picture it right.

He's not sure he wants to.

Here, everyone knows and agrees how important the Mother is, even if their ideas of how to protect Her are sometimes horrendously different. Though he does acknowledge that, while disheartening, a war might be needed. Simillarly to an amarbel, some actions must be taken immediately before they spill out of control and take root. After all, flora always grow back stronger after a fire.

War will not step foot here. Not while he's alive.

And, perhaps, it's for the best.

[somechaoticcreations]

Now for the Future

Sophomore

May was coming and so was the AP test. The very first of her high school career and arguably, the hardest. Ten thousand years of human history and historical skills crammed into a four hour block of scribbling pens and blacked out scantrons. 

All of class time was devoted to prep. Mock MCQs, SAQs, LEQs, DBQs. A lecture here, a lecture there. Notes. Study sessions. Review. Organizers. Mongols and interregional trade. Europeans and trading post empires. HIPP your documents. Causation, continuity, comparison and change. Contextualization. TEA your SAQs. All that plus finals prep and normal class activities in her other subjects. 

Era did it all. She studied, reviewed. Learned the actual composition of a DBQ because up until then she’d been flying blind. She did her homework. Learned what the hell trigonometric graphs were. Did her calorimetry worksheets. Reviewed periods one through four of human history. Took notes during her lectures. She was so braindead by the end of the day, all her free time was devoted to binge watching and snacks. 

Then came testing day. 7:30 AM on the dot in your seats, writing utensils out. 

Four hours later, and the culmination of ten months of prep was complete. 

Summer SAT

June was coming and it was time to prep for the SAT. Era was in four AP classes the next year and knew for a fact she’d have zero time to study once school started. Might as well start now while she had the opportunity. 

June 9th, the last day of finals and the last day of school. She gave herself six days of binge time then immediately started her study plan. 

Reading. Command of evidence. Grammar. Context clues. Heart of Algebra. Linear functions. Trigonometry. Practice questions. Sample texts. Mock SAT. Curating a study guide. 

Fifteen days and she was ready. About six months early and there went her only free days of the summer but who cared? Better early than late.

Time to binge. 

Small Talk

“So, Era,” her friend’s mother started, cozying up in the seat next to her, “what do you enjoy doing?” 

Era gave her a politely quizzical look and did her best to resist the urge to scootch over another seat. “Doing?” 

“I mean, what are your hobbies? What do you like to do with your free time?” 

She would’ve sighed at the cliche ice breaker but socially speaking, that was unacceptable. And god forbid someone violates social norms.

Era opened her mouth to answer, then paused. 

Hobbies? Damn, she’d forgotten those existed. Between all the family trips and prep for junior year she really hadn’t given those much thought. Hobbies. . . .what were her hobbies? 

After a few moments of actual thought, she shrugged. “Watch anime.” 

Her friend’s mom frowned. “Anime?” 

Era nodded. “Yeah. Anime.”  

Junior

Junior year. Aka, scholarship year. When Era wasn’t researching for Seminar, busting her brains out over Calc, writing analyses for Psych or cramming for US, she was online, turning in application after application after application. 

What’s your dream in life? To go to college. What’s something you’re proud of? My grades. What’s a challenge you had to overcome? My first AP test. What’s something you had to really work for? The A I got in Calc.

Application after application, essay after essay. Research this. What is the integral of this function? How might reconstruction in the south have been different if Lincoln hadn’t been shot? What could possess a person to join a cult? 

Era dropped her head on her desk and groaned. 

Just one more question, she promised, then she’d binge. 

The Million Dollar Question

“So Era, do you have any idea what you’re gonna major in? Or what college you want to attend?” 

Era glanced sideways at the man midbite. Really? That was his conversation starter? 

“I mean, no rush,” he added quickly at her expression, “but you’re getting to that age. I was wondering if you had anything in mind.” 

Oh for fuck’s sake. She was still tripping her way through her AP classes, rushing to review for the SAT and applying for scholarships. Not to mention all the shows she needed to catch up on and actually having a social life. No, she did not have any concrete or even any not-concrete plans for college. 

She swallowed and shook her head. “Not really.” 

“Okay,” he said, nodding, “just wondering. You have plenty of time.” He went back to his food before being roped away by one of his younger children. 

Plenty of time. Did she really? Era swallowed another mouthful. She was sixteen and counting, only two years until she was an adult according to American law. Was that really enough time?  

Winter Break Blues

It’s November and Era could already feel the lethargy starting to set in. Just like every year, she’d all but abandoned her planner, her binder was a mess, her desk was cluttered and whatever time management she’d had, there wasn’t much left. It was all pure willpower at this point. 

She flopped to the floor with a sigh and stared up to the ceiling. 

In twenty years, she wondered out of the blue, what am I going to regret most? 

Having horrible time management and not doing my fucking homework, was the first answer that came to mind. 

Oh shit, and not reviewing for the fucking SAT. 

Post High School Plans

AP testing was done, finals were done and school was finally out. The year had gone pretty well, in Era’s opinion. She’d gotten a decent SAT score, her finals had been graded and they turned out alright, she’d gotten a few scholarships and passed all her classes with As. 

She and her friends decided to welcome the summer with a day at their local lake. They talked about finals, AP tests, funny-as-hell presentations they had to listen to in Seminar. 

“How many APs you guys taking next year?” one of her friends asked randomly. 

“Three,” Era answered. 

“Shit, which ones?” 

She told them and they went on a tangent about possible majors for college. Era couldn’t help but feel a twinge of something dark as they discussed the future. 

Senior

Senior year flew in, full swing. AP gov and eco (fuck that class), AP calc BC (fuck that one too), AP Research (double fuck that one) and a few electives. College apps (fuck you), more scholarships (fuck capitalism), anime to catch up on, apparel to buy for graduation, midterms (fuck), finals (fuck), AP testing (FUCK). 

Acceptance, rejection, full marks, half marks, good grades, ok grades. This is what her life had come to. Era almost cried in relief once summer came. 

Finally, she could catch up on Death Note. 

College

It’s July now. High school was over, AP tests were done, finals were a breeze, her list of Anime had been thoroughly exhausted and she had a place waiting for her in college. 

Era leaned back in her chair and sighed. What a life. What to do now? 

Prepping for college was the first to come to mind, but she was already packed, her classes were picked, flights were booked and the living situation had been sorted out. There wasn’t anything else to do there. 

She glanced at her wall, covered in a plethora of random notes and drawings she’d made what felt like lifetimes ago. Way back when in middle school. Maybe she could add a few more to the collection, kill some time. Leave a last minute mark on her now mostly bare wall. Or her crochet pile, she’d forgotten about those. Did she still remember the magic ring? A stuffed bird would be fun to have for her new room. 

Era decided she really wanted a bird. She reached for her dust covered hooks, then paused. 

No. Fuck. Wait. She had Spanish this semester. When was the last time she did any Spanish? Shit, not since sophomore year. She needed to review that. She needed to be prepared.. 

Era abandoned her hooks and fished her old Spanish notebook from off the shelves. 

Later. She’d make the bird later. 

[iensrobens]

A wrap-up for this blog for a hiatus

Just realised I posted 15 sets of drawings during the past 20 days. This is the craziest thing I ever did and such a relief of all my obsession with the game and Shadowheart since August. First time in my life creating fan content and picking up drawing again in 10 years was absolutely fun. (and of course learning to use these sns apps is also interesting, I know I sound like an ape first seeing human technology but I’m really ancient in this sense.)

I’m no artist and drawing isn’t even a hobby, just that I happen to have an iPad with Sketchbook installed.(and I only got to know how to rerank layers with it 2 pics ago so sorry for the quality for my first few drawings.) I just want to draw all the scenes I depicted in my head and very personal ideas towards the story as I tried writing and had to toss everything in trash can because I struggled making up comprehensive sentences.

I was quite anxious and felt so panicked that if my personal taste is weird and my drawings are bad (as you can tell, I don’t know how to do color) but I’m glad and surprised to see ppl like those. The numbers I’ve seen in my notification tab is far more large than the number of ppl I met in real life. (and it is very relieving to press on the blue dots.)

I really appreciate all your likes and comments and even followings-totally unprepared for this. I read every comments you made and those warms my heart and I jumped around the room when I see you got the references and hints I buried. (although I’m not sure what is the correct courtesy to reply your reposts and comments.)

I can’t recall if I ever obsessed with another character to the same extent like Shadowheart-the only one I actually started to do fan art by myself.

(As I mentioned I’m bad at writing so the next part may be very unorganised because my thoughts are flying in my mind.)

I played as her for my first playthrough. I had a quite traumatised experience for this-knew her background and past story, saved aylin but killed parents as I thought it is what THEY want, but I don’t know what HER wants; romance laezel as the dynamic was so intriguing and so good, saved her prince and let her fly away as I though she belongs to the sky and it was best for her-of course the one who becomes a squid is then Shadowheart-and I just straightaway stabbed myself at the dock. Everyone got their good ending except shad herself, and it was so grieving-all she wanted were actually all gone in that playthrough-family, lover and herself; past, present and no future. I just felt I did my girl so dirty.

Then with the customised character playthrough I actually get to know her more completely-with amazing voice acting, the interactions and all the hidden dialogues around the world-like the childhood memories dialogue which are a condition for letting her save her parents-I feel that is the preferable way as all the needed is done and she made her own decision. (But is the origin playthrough now added these narratives? I was thinking Allister Marley was Astarion’s real name.)And then the evil Durge route for her Shar path to see an alternative timeline, though I prefer the selunite route as the cycle has to end, we are better than this but that gives so many story telling ideas.

I tried to type something like character study but I can’t make it expressive enough even for myself to understand. I just hope then all I wanted to see and say is conveyed in the drawings. God knows I tried.

And thus I have exhausted all my ideas (and my annual leaves) for it. Now I have to remind myself to really focus on my real life work. Until next time my friends on Internet, perhaps I’ll pop up again when DLC or definitive edition drops.

[slashingdisneypasta]

Poppy is still going to be a princess in the Dragon AU... But I couldn't help myself and started imagining her as a dragon too and I have to share XD

So this probably goes without saying, but Poppy would be adorable as a dragon ^^ (at least I think so). Smartass can recover some of his bruised ego because she'd be smaller than him (still bigger than a human, but still. I've gotta work on their heights, so I can't give an exact measurement right now). She's got grey horns that curl backward like a ram, so they'd be better used for smashing or shoving than stabbing. She's got snow-white scales with some black spots dotting along her back, shoulders, and tail. Which could be good for blending in with the winter, but not for much else. I'm debating on whether or not she'd be insecure about her not having colorful scales like other dragons. She can still fly, though the membrane of her wings are actually a bit thicker than the others, allowing her to better use it to shield or defend, and they can't get torn as easily. She's got a bit of a sleek body, but it's not long and lithe like Psycho's. And she's actually got a strong bite, too. But it's not really noticeable unless she's eating. Or the rare cases she gets into fights. So although she can't hide in the wild, at least Poppy has plenty of ways to defend herself.

I'm thinking Poppy could be a burrowing dragon similar to Shiny. Though while Shiny found a crystal cave to call home, Poppy actually dug herself a nice, snug home that literally only she can fit in. She hopes someday she can make it bigger for a potential mate, or even just a close friend, but so far she's had no luck.

Also, she will never go on raides. She's actually pretty curious about humans, and during a snowy day, she'll try sneaking into a village to learn more about them ^^ she... May or may not snatch a few things she finds. Not personal belongings! Mainly yummy foods that the humans make ^^ if this girl did find a public library though, and knew that it was allowed to take books as long as you gave them back, she'd absolutely try to take some. She has a hard time reading the human writing, but she's trying! She loves their stories ^^

So I guess Poppy would be kind of like Stupid with how friendly and easy it would be to get along with her. Offer her some books, cooking, or little facts about your kind, and you've got a dragon who will share her wing shield with you anytime ^^

When word got around that the Dragon Patrol were wreaking havoc all over the land, Poppy was scared of them; she knows that she's not the strongest dragon (it's part of why she hides). But she did actually try to find them and ask them if they could stop. The humans did nothing to them! And they were making them afraid of their kind, and that would mean other dragons would get targeted and killed! This just wasn't good for anyone involved, not now or the long run. But as one might suspect, she wouldn't have the best luck :(

!! First of all she sounds so sweet (Of course) and I want to sit and read her and Stupid as many stories as she wants ^^

Second of all... imagine a Shrek au. Yes. Like Poppy is actually a princess, but she was cursed to be a dragon after sun down. And of course- Ben is lord Farquaad.