#and then as a teen a friend’s big guard dog was so nice and gentle with me I started being ok with big dogs and then it eventually spread

[honeybeewriter]

Icarus

Chapter 1: The Rebel Princess

Au: Fantasy AU

Word count: 2.6k 

Pairing: Hawks x reader

Warning: Smoking, light cussing

Link to next part:

A/N: im super excited to be writing this story! its my first story ive written in a long time and im super happy to share the first chapter of Icarus with you guys! hope yall enjoy it as much i as i do!

Aesthetic:

This overbearing weight of being royalty and responsibilities of princess has hung on your shoulders like a horse stomping on a snake, it was awful to say the least. Along with this your father had now set up an arranged marriage to the kingdom next over to make peace: something you did not want. No, your heart soared for adventure and your senses longed to smell the sea and feel the cool breeze through your (h/c) locks. It’s a wish, a dream, something far from your grasp.  

The morning dew settled among the kingdom, golden warm rays flooded in through the window, caressing your face, rubbing against your eyes as they flutter open. The feeling of silk and cotton danced along your naked legs, you stir awake, outstretching your arms. A gentle knock echo’s out into the silent room, before the creaking of the door opening. “Ah,princess (l/n) you’re awake!” The maid known as Mina entered the room, with a bow. “You know m’lady you should get out for a while! I know about your little dreams” Mina laughs as your face flusters “Mina!” you exclaimed and held your hands to your face “I’ll cover for you, Please don’t bring home another fae!” you had jumped out of bed at the thought of adventure. “Mina! Tamaki is a nice fae!! Don’t be rude!” You both erupt in fits of laughter. What a start to the day. 

Adventure was in the air, as you snuck out of the castle. You dawn a fine silk gown that a fair maiden would wear, a pale lavender tone matched with a wine red hooded cloak: To hide your identity from the ones who would stitch to your father.  

Across the forest, in a cart with friends laughing and having fun. A winged man stood with a guitar singing a merry tune, a man with burn scars guiding a horse with a scowl, a woman with blonde hair in buns reading her daily tarots card. The winged man lowers his guitar and his singing fades as he begins to speak “Hey Toga, whats is my card today?” he asked, sitting in front of the witch, who then shuffles them a few times before drawing out. The wheel of fortune. “Oh! Change is coming! This can be exciting, this means something big is at work, but what goes up must come down. Therefore be careful when change comes!” Toga explained before putting away her cards her satchel. The man with scars turned around and glanced at the two “There is a kingdom coming up, and we need to resupply before heading onwards.” His voice husk from smoking as teen, he still does nonetheless. The song of the frogs and bird sang throughout the woods as the trots of the horse and that squeaky wheel join in the chorus.

The winged man looks to the sky and ponders,Hm change? I wonder what the winds will bring me? The clouds line the sun, like curtains with only peeks of yellows rays shining down. The cart comes to a stop, and the man with raven hair and scars stood up, while lighting a cigarette “Alright we are here, no trouble, gather supplies and come back to the cart before sunset” He inhales the tobacco and puffs out a cloud of smoke. “Got it, keigo?” 

Keigo looks back with a smirk “Me trouble, pssh, never. You’re the one that burnt that caravan, Dabi, oh powerful burnt bastard!” Dabi snarls, clenching his fist tightly “Get out of here you damn buzzard!” keigo waved him off as he slipped on a leather jacket that was inscribed with magical rune that hid his wings. “Meet here at sunset, got it crazy?” Dabi spoke to toga as keigo ventured off into the kingdom.

The town was lively and hardy, towns folk chatter and trade, while the echoes of laughter of children and barks from the stray dogs dance throughout the streets. The smell of fresh baked goods with the smell of blood from the meat market, not very pleasant to smell. You browsed the fruit stands, gliding your hand along the fresh picks, thinking within your thoughts of today's adventure; maybe a nice picnic in my secret garden, or maybe an adventure in the outside forest. Your mind was so deep in thought that you hadn't noticed that a certain knight was next to you. 

“Ahem!” the knight coughed, causing you to jump with fear, as your eyes followed the armor, you gulped.. Iida.. “What are you doing here Iida!” you barked as you gathered up some fruit that had caught your eye, paying the merchant. “I should be asking you that Princess.”  Iida was a stickler for the kings rules and so the king had appointed young iida as your bodyguard, since you liked to skip out and such. “Iida please let me have today off! Please!” you begged as you held the bag fruit to your chest, bouncing like a child begging for a sweet. 

Now usually rumors and gossip caught Keigo's attention but, overhearing the about the rebellious princess, now that caught his keen hearing. As he turns from the stand he sees a tall knight and a cloaked person unknowingly, it was the princess. He strolls on over and wraps an arm around your neck. “Look, knight, i'm sure you have some crown to guard, so do me and my friend here a favor and bug off would yah?” and without waiting for an answer keigo whisps you away into the crowded streets. 

“Geez what a killjoy!” keigo said as he leads you to a quieter part of town, “Ha, I'm sorry if that was weird or if i made you uncomfortable, but that knight seemed to be hard on yo-” Keigo was cut off as you whipped out your opal knife, “Look i don’t know you or where you came from, you take me back to my knight!” You snarled. Keigo just laughed and grabs gentle onto your wrist, lowering the knife “Ah so you are the rebellious princess i’ve heard about! Tell me, Do you really want to go back?” you look defeated and huffed, shaking your head no as you sheath your knife. 

“No not really i just want to go to my garden and eat.” You said as you lowered your cloaks hood. Keigo finally got a good look at your face, (h/l) beautiful (h/c) hair, along with a pair of radiant (E/c) orbs, that sparkled in the sun. You looked just like a princess, no.. a queen at best. His eyes lit up as he looked your body up and down. “Will you please stop oodling me, come on, i guess you will have to be my pretend bodyguard for now” You spoke, you knew when they found the both of you. The two of yall were in serious trouble, him more so, i mean kidnapping a princess that is very bad to the king. 

The streets grew into dirt roads, and the houses disappear as you walked further into the depth of the kingdom, humming a tune, singing as you go. Keigo follows of course, his curiosity growing about you, a runaway princess. 

 “Down in the depths, where the marble stairs cry, to left pink flowers hang their lives, make a right. Trot down the path into the pine, two stones of moss on the northside, listen to the whisper of the willow that lays upon the pond bank , that is where you will find. The sweet little spot of mine.”

Pure white marble stairs lay in bed against the hillside, a makeshift stream runs down the steps, carrying twigs and leaves, a sight to see. Such sad marble stairs longing to be cleaned and re-purposed. Keigo watched as you took off your shoes, the sound of splashing as you walk down the steps. He follows in suit taking his own shoes off, the pitter patter of wet feet echo throughout the silent forest-line.

You stop and look up, “Up there is where the pink flowers hang.” you loop your arm with his as you tell the story about a lonely prince who once lived in this ruin. How his family had gotten a witch to curse the boy, he was a sweet green haired prince who wanted adventure like yourself, but one day he had crossed a line into the dragon land, and he had fallen in love with the king. But once his family found out he was shunned, and casted out. One day his dragon king had found him and they were happy, but the curse of the witch:

Those be warned who want to find the lost, if you travel further than the pine you will find poison, outcast from his family, a lock against the seal, betrayed, outcasted its a weakened deal. The blood of royalty lay among the scales, heed my warning, your life frail. 

“Story of the green prince and the king.. So is this place cursed or something?” Keigo asked as you both walk into the pine forest “i believe it is cause i found the skeletons of the two” You said as your hand glides across the brush as you walk. “That must have been a sight to see.”  Your face fell as the memory plays in your head. The two skeletons embracing in against a tree seemly untouched by mother nature. “A pure sad sight” You tug the blonde male along the path. 

Two stones with moss on the northside, and the whispering willow. The two of you stop admiring the willows horror filled beauty. The willow had to be at least 100 years old, her branches twisting and growing in a way that makes your stomach get a sick feeling. A thick fog rolling over the lake, like a dress dancing over a marble floor. 

“So are we almost there?” Keigo asks his eyes fixed out onto the stilled water. Taking the male’s hand you pull him along into the ruin of clay and brick, a small grotto hides away this lostwonder of a place. Keigo's eyes widen, what a hidden away little base. “Wow, this must have been their home.” Keigo rubbed the back of his neck as he took a seat on the edge of the water basin, you sat next to the male and pulled out the fruit bag that you had bought earlier. 

“So what brings you to the kingdom of berbile?” you questioned With a small chuckle as he takes a pear, 

“I'm actually just passin by, me and a few friends are heading west towards the coast.” He takes a bite of the green fruit, the juice running down into his beard. Your ears perk up at the mention of the ocean.  ‘Wait you mean the ocean! That's like a 5 month cart drive! Give or take if weather and such.” your voice chirps, your eyes brighten at the thought of the salty breeze.

 You take a chomp out of your (F/F) as he explains the mission that his leader sent him on

. “Keigo, dabi and toga i need you three to go west and find recruits, send them back this way we are finally going to take down the two kingdoms along the way, When you get to the ocean that is when you will turn around and come back.”

 Keigo looks at you and ponders “you want adventure, do you not?” 

Keigo quirks his eyebrow at you. You frantically nod your head. “Yes yes!! More than anything! My father has set up an arranged marriage and to hell with keeping the peace to the kingdom” You jump up on the bricks of where you were sitting “I rather see the world!” You exclaimed, pumping your fist into the air. 

Keigo grins “Well why don't you get a maid to gather clothes and meet me by the castle walls near the stables, tonight after dark?”

--

Later on you both went separate ways to avoid getting caught by iida and the other guards, The night set among the land, the quarter moon in the sky guiding your path to the outskirts of the kingdoms edge. 

“Mina i have to go, this is my only chance to get adventure! I won't be coming back, please come with me, won't you!” You held your bag in your arms, dawning a black cloak, money clattered in the coin purse as you pull against minas arm. “(Y/n) as much as i know you want adventure you know, your father will be mad if he finds you gone!” She huffs and pulls you back towards your room. 

“Tell him I died or something I don't care! I'm leaving this kingdom, and you're not stopping me!”  you exclaimed with tears in your eyes, jerking your arms back to your side. Mina looks at you, her eyes soften and a damn broke through, her cheeks flooded and pink. 

“Go, Ill cover for you” You embrace each other in a tight hug before your crawled down the makeshift bed sheet ropes and disappeared into the darkness. 

Giving one last look to the home you grew up in. The hell that was raised, your mother would be proud of you for leaving this greed filled kingdom. 

Dabi tapped his foot impatiently, “You said this girl would be here by now, Where is she!?” he barked, flicking the ash from his cigarette, keigo huffed and  stretched his neck looking over nothing to see if anyone was there Where is she? He pondered. Out of the shadows a small hooded figure comes running, a 2 large bag on its back and a large purse in the other.

Toga grins, looking up from her spot in the cart “oh? You made friends with the Princess I see now~” toga giggled as keigo brushed her off, lighting a torch and holding it out “Two stones!” he called out, dabi and toga give him a weird look before hearing. “With moss on the northside!” a soft voice returns 

Keigo jumps off the old wooden cart, his boots met the mud as your flats met the end of the stone road. You flipped your hood down allowing your (h/c) locks to fall into place. “So it is the princess, damn hawks. Boss will be pleased.” Dabi takes a drag, blowing out a cloud of ashy smoke. “Alright princess, load up, it's gonna be a long journey.” 

You get into action, tossing your bags into the bed of the worn cart, Toga leaning against the edge, looking you over. “This is certainly some change, a princess joining 3 commoners. I'm sure once the king finds out your missing, people will be after us.” The blond female giggles and sits back down, “Call me (Y/n) (L/N). please. No need to be formal, its stupid.” 

Keigo helps you into the cart and then jumps up into the passenger seat next to dabi. “Well you know who i am, This burnt bastard is dabi, Just dabi, he refuses to tell us his real name, and that little crazy next to you is Toga!”

Dabi whips the reins, causing the horses that pull the cart to move on. The clatter of hooves against the ground, the old night owl, singing his hunting song. The voices of the howling wolves, echo throughout the forest. Keigo takes off his magical jacket,  and a pair of beautiful deep  crimson wings emerge. Your eyes in wonder, “Wait you didn't tell me that you had wings, keigo!!” 

“Makes him look like a buzzard if you ask me!” Dabi chims as toga laughs. “Hah, Yeah each of us has some kind power, i'm a witch, dabi up there is a warlock and keigo is just cursed!” Toga explained. 

You look over the three with a warm smile. Adventure was well among its way, and youll be there to greet it with open arms

[mitchellsbeca]

Chapters: 1/? Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell Summary: A collection of prompts/tumblr requests. Bechloe for now but may change later.

prompt 18. “I shouldn’t be in love with you.”

In all honesty, it was the last person Beca expected to turn up, her arrival always catching Beca off guard and tilting her center of gravity.

It had been about six months since she’d officially signed with Khaled, six months since the Bellas had split and gone their own ways and Beca had moved to Florida. But she’d still invited them all to the release party for her first album, something she’d worked tirelessly on to get it completed as soon as possible (and she already had a repertoire of songs and beats saved on her computer so there hadn’t been a great deal of work to do, just plenty of fine-tuning).

Understandably some couldn’t make it; Jessica and Ashley were busy at a different event in California doing... something (she should really ask them what they’re doing now), Cynthia Rose was in military training and couldn’t get the leave, Lilly or Ester or whatever her name was now was off somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, Fat Amy had flown herself over since she had the money now, along with a Aubrey, Emily, Flo and Stacie (who had actually brought Bella with her and made motherhood look cool and easy at the same time). But Chloe had reluctantly declined, her studies taking up most of her time now that she was at vet school with an unavoidable exam taking place the same Friday. And she was the one Beca had been most looking forward to seeing.

It was a red carpet event so everyone was dressed particularly nicely. Beca had been assigned a blazer slash play suit piece, dark red with cut-off shorts in matching fabric and heels. Hair and make up had been done - maybe even over done for Beca’s liking - but done nonetheless. And she did look killer, she wouldn’t disagree. Beca was actually feeling good.

But even in the sea of people at the venue, alongside influencers, other artists and photographers, Beca pulling attention from all corners, her focus wasn’t with anyone else but who’d just walked in.

It was like a parting of the ocean, Beca’s direct line of sight guided by a line of emptiness with people either side and all sound plunging to mute.

A blue gilded dress with a deep neckline held the woman tight, hair braided like a halo around her head with strands falling to frame her face. And the sky. The endless gorgeous sky that Beca always saw in her eyes, even from halfway across the room it was like daylight and the height of summer and the endless possibilities that could be. Could have been.

Beca excused herself from the group she was surrounded by, one of them a journalist who was halfway done with asking Beca questions about the album and attempting to pry into her personal life.

Chloe looked lost, eyes wandering across the vast, dark room in sight of any face she might find familiar with clutch caught in front as her body turned. Beca wove through bodies on the approach, smile growing ever so slightly larger as she neared.

And Chloe beamed, spotting the brunette head towards her and she moved forward, arms outstretched and ready to embrace her best friend. Laughter escaped them both when they hugged, Chloe’s warmth seeping into Beca, dissolving her stress and settling some of the underlying anxiety she’d been suffering from all day.

“I thought you couldn’t make it?” Beca asked.

“Amy flew me over from New York. You know she has her own private jet now, right?”

“I do.”

“Well, she didn’t take no for an answer, so she got her pilot to fly back and pick me up after my exam and I got ready on the plane.”

“Yeah, you look like you got ready on a plane,” Beca jested with a playful smirk.

“Please. This is Mile High Couture, thank you very much,” she said, splaying her arms out as she showed off her out and stroke a pose, “And I was going to say I look better than you but that would be an outright lie. You look... stunning, Beca, honestly.”

“This? It’s just people doing their job to make me look good. Turns out you can only do so much with an actual potato. But yours is all natural, you don’t even need to try; you always look incredible.”

“You’re not a potato. But we’ll leave the ‘all natural’ comment out for discussion.” “Dude, I’m not kidding.”

The grin on her face faltered, like a sudden thought had popped to the forefront of Chloe’s mind and escaped to her expression. She eyed someone next to them before she leaned in, pulling at Beca’s wrist and asking in a hushed voice, “Is there somewhere we can go that’s a bit more... private?”

Beca turned to who Chloe had been eyeing; a tall guy with heavy duty camera equipment that was beginning to snap pictures, flash almost blinding. A small group of people lingered behind him too, so Beca nodded in response and grasped the wrist of the hand holding her own, pulling Chloe behind her. She knew where to go. There was a secret balcony down a corridor next to the restrooms that she had scouted earlier that day. So Beca lead them there, out into the Floridian air that was more humid than inside but fair quieter.

“Sorry about that,” Beca apologized.

Chloe shook it off, “You’re a big celebrity now. People want to know you.” “I’m just making music, like I’ve always been doing. Just... more people are listening to it now.”

A silence fell. The thumping bass of the music inside was the only thing that could be heard but the air was still around them. They were both leaning against the edge of the balcony, solid stone wall cool on their skin.

Beca was about to speak when Chloe jumped in before her, “I listened to it. The album, I mean. As soon as you sent it over I listened to it in one sitting. I’m not going to lie to you when I tell you I cried a little bit.”

“You cry at videos of dogs.”

Chloe chuckled, “So it wasn’t necessarily a hard task, okay? But still... it really moved me, Beca.”

“Good. I’m glad you like it.”

“Especially the hidden track.”

The brunette’s posture went rigid. She doesn’t know how, but Beca had been hoping Chloe had missed it, that dumb song she’d unknowingly recorded on her down time (thanks to Theo, once again), stripped back and acoustic. “Yeah?” she asked.

“I don’t know why, but when I first heard it I was kind of... I don’t know. I had to listen to it again. But when I did, I was just... crying and I couldn’t work out why, but I felt like it was a piece of a puzzle that I didn’t even know I had that I’d been missing. And I asked Amy if she’d heard it and what she thought of it and she told me. She told me it was about us. And how you felt about me.”

“Feel,” Beca corrected, staring at the street below them.

A beat, too long too be promising, “...what?”

And it was now or never, Beca decided. Because if she owed Chloe anything, it was the truth. She didn’t have the energy to keep tip-toeing anymore. Chloe had her life sorted now so it wouldn’t make a difference, but she deserved to know, “How I feel about you. Because I love you. And I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t be in love with you because it’s not my place to be in love with you—”

“Beca...”

“The truth is, Chloe, I’ve loved you since Freshman year; starting from when you broke into my shower and invited me to audition for the Bellas. When we sang together for the first time?” Beca asked like she thought Chloe wouldn’t remember. “It just took me too long to realize, and when I did... it was too late. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was too slow and gave too little. I didn’t just break up with Jesse because of the long distance. He wanted me to move with him to LA and I said no, but as soon as you said you were going to New York the thought of not seeing you on the daily made me feel like I was going to drop off the planet. So I agreed to move with you and make it work. I knew I couldn’t ask you to be with me the same way as I was with Jesse, but it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because I was still saw you every day. And even on the USO tour I didn’t say anything because... because I already knew I was too late...” she looked up at Chloe with a sad, gentle smile, but blue eyes were covered by eyelids pressed shut, cheeks glistening in the dark, “and that was okay. I made my peace with that even before we moved. I just wanted you to be happy, and Chicago made you happy, so I didn’t interfere. And all the Bellas wanted me to take this opportunity so I did. And it was a perfect way to move onto the next chapter.”

“We’re not... together anymore. Chicago and I.”

It was Beca’s time to be taken aback, “What?”

“I didn’t really work out. He’s a great guy, don’t get me wrong, but he would have been working away from home a lot and I barely know him already so that’s... not what I want.”

“I’m sorry, Chloe.”

The redhead moved to Beca, clutch left behind resting on the flat of the ledge so she had two delicate hands free. And they reached for the hands across from her, pulling them closer and making Beca turn to face her, “What I’m trying to say is... that chapter? It didn’t start for me when we left Spain, but it ended on a cliffhanger when I heard your song. And I don’t know what the next one is going to be.”

And they were both so close. As close as Chloe had pulled her on hood night all those years ago, but this time Chloe’s eyes were red and puffy and there was a million things swimming within them that Beca had only dreamt about seeing half of. And just when she thought she was used to all the ways Chloe could make her feel...

Clear music erupted from the door behind them. Chloe pulled away, turning away from whoever it was that interrupted them and regaining her composure.

“Beca! We’ve been looking everywhere for you; we need you for the speech,” Theo said, his British accent grating Beca’s neck moreso than usual, “Come on, you’re already late.”

“Two seconds. Just two, I’ll be with you soon. Just... tell them I’m coming.” “We can’t, Beca, we’re already running late,”  he replied, holding the door open. “Dude, I was having a moment!” she near yelled and she heard a chuckle from the side of her. She turned to Chloe.

“You should go. I’ll be fine. Don’t want to keep them waiting any more, Miss Hotshot Artist,” the redhead said, eyes twinkling still but the smile she offered not quite reaching them.

“I don’t care. They can wait, but you can’t. I won’t make you,” Beca whispered, even over the music, so that only they could hear. And she cupped the bottom of Chloe’s jaw, thumbs stroking damp cheeks before pulling her close and pressing lips together. And Chloe? Chloe was everything Beca had imagined her to be. Soft, gentle, perfect. Her perfume smelled divine. She could smell the sweet scent of her hair as it danced into her senses and enveloped her completely.

And before she knew it, Chloe’s arms were wrapped across her shoulders, the crook of her elbow pulling her body closer by the neck. They were pressed so close. So close like when they sleep but this time they were both so awake and vibrant and alive.

Chloe pulled away and Beca craved to follow but the redhead pressed delicate fingers against her lips, “You’ve done enough. I can wait ten more minutes. Go and knock ‘em dead, Becs.”

The brunette couldn’t be beaming brighter if she tried. She pressed a gentle kiss against Chloe’s fingers and pulled away, making her way to the door. She didn’t escape without a pat on the ass from the redhead, though.

And whatever the rest of this chapter had, Beca thought, it was going to even more brilliant.

[wormy-business]

Music’s End; Reprise

I’ve finally done it! I finally wrote the sequel to Music’s End! I’m gonna go cry my eyes out now!

Description:  Several weeks after Avi is given a service dog, he and many Bureau of Balance members are moving off of the Moon Base. This is a direct sequel to my work "Music's End", I would highly recommend reading that first.

Warnings: I really don’t want to spoil anything, but know that there are a few very upsetting themes and one major, extremely sad thing that happens. I will add trigger warnings to the end of the tags, however.

Read on A03

“Alright, I’ll see you in a few hours, uhm, hold down the fort, keep it spooky. . .” Taako trailed off, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck. The red robed lich form of his dear sister lingered next to him, and placed her spectral, skeletal hand on his shoulder.

“You seem bummed. You don’t wanna help Lucretia? You know if I had a body I would-”

“It’s not that.” Taako cut her off, his bangs falling into his face. “I just, I have a really bad feeling, is all. Like, like something’s wrong.’

Lup looked at him for a moment, then moved so she was in front of him. “I dunno, I feel like everything’s pretty good here, except for bone-boy being late, and you being all sad.”

“Y-Yeah, chin up Taako, I’m sure everything will be fine.”

He smiled a little, feeling Barry’s hand on his shoulder, and then pushed it off after a moment, a smirk returning to his face as he turned to tease him, but something else took over him, and his smirk turned into a gentle smile. “You know what, Barry? As long as your jeans are blue, everything’s gonna be just fine.”

Not a minute too soon a transport sphere descended from the sky, Merle and Magnus already sitting inside. Taako attempted to hug his incorporeal sister and loaded himself inside, feeling a little more squished than usual due to Barry joining the sphere with them. The four waved goodbye to Lup, who stood outside watching as the sphere took to the sky again, lifting them back up to the moon base.

It was moving day, and Bureau members were running about, gathering their things and loading them into spheres. Taako was the first to get out of the transport sphere, and he immediately began fussing over his clothes, straightening them out and dusting them off. Magnus exited the sphere and hugged Lucretia who was standing nearby, catching her off guard as she let out a little sound of surprise, followed by her calm voice requesting Magnus put her back down. Merle gave the Captain a firm handshake, and then a gentle hug between old friends. They chatted a little, Merle boasting about the community he was going to help rebuild and Cap’nport lamenting he still wasn’t sure what he was going to do once he was done moving out of the Moon Base. Barry stood next to Taako, who had finally finished making adjustments to his outfit, the two of them waiting idly by until they were to begin work. Magnus insisted on helping Avi, and no one protested. Avi and Johann had lived together in their room for several months before The Day of Story and Song, packing up all those memories was sure going to be hard on him. Lucretia had swept Barry away to discuss something with him, leaving Magnus, Merle, and Taako to head down to the lowest levels of the Moon Base. Taako’s ears swiveled forward as the elevator dinged. 

“Soprano.” He said out loud, interrupting the conversation Merle and Magnus were having.

“What?” Merle asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“What about her?” Magnus inquired as he stepped out of the elevator with the other two following behind. 

“I can hear her barking.” Taako stated, the pit in his stomach feeling heavier than before.

Magnus stared at Taako, then took off in a sprint down the hallway toward Avi’s room.

The door burst open with a slam, Magnus nearly taking it off his hinges. Avi’s service dog, Soprano, was sitting on the floor, barking at the feet suspended in the air. Magnus wrapped his arms around Avi and swiftly cut the ropes holding him up. Merle entered the doorway as Magnus laid him on the floor. 

“Merle!” He shouted, his voice cracking. “Heal him! Now!”

Merle approached, fingers brushing over his Xtreme Teen Bible, then down to Avi’s wrist as he knelt next to him. 

“I, I can’t. There’s nothing I can do, Magnus.”

Magnus rose, his body shaking, his hands clenched tightly into fists, and he punched the wall of the Moon Base. Merle stepped back as Magnus got to his side again, pulling his friend into his arms, his body was already starting to lose heat. Big, hot tears rolled down Magnus’s cheeks and mixed with the hairs of his beard. Taako placed a hand on his shoulder, holding his hat to his chest. Merle lowered his head and kneeled next to the dog who had laid herself next to Avi. She was whining, and nudged Avi’s limp hand several times. The room was filled with Magnus’s soft sobbing, interlaced with a single repeated word. Why?

Avi dipped his quill into the inkwell on the corner of his desk and tapped off the excess. He began writing, his handwriting as messy as usual.

I’m sorry. I know I promised I would be strong, but I’m just not. Ever since I lost Johann, this pain has been me eating me slowly from the inside out. It feels like an emptiness that’s slowly taking over my whole body. I can’t stand this feeling. I can’t stand the loneliness anymore. Don’t blame yourself for what I’m going to do. I know people are going to hurt when I’m gone, but I don’t want you to hurt yourselves over my decisions. I love all of you dearly, as I would my own family, and it hurts me to leave you, but the pain is just a shadow in a pool of darkness. I’ll see you all again one day, I promise. I know I promised to be strong, but this is a promise I can keep. Don’t cry for me, not for too long. Know that wherever I am, I’m with Johann again. I love you all.

-Avi

 He gently pat Soprano on the head twice as he moved past her, walking to his bedside table where he had the framed picture of Johann Magnus had gifted him with. He smiled at the picture, and pressed his lips gently to the glass as he had done hundreds of times already. He set the picture back down, fingers tracing the face of the love of his life.

“You won’t have to wait much longer, I’m coming.” He whispered to photograph. As he turned his eyes flicked to his service dog. She had been a nice addition to his daily life, he felt bad about leaving her. He got to his knees and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into her mass of fur as she placed a paw on his back. “Sorry, Soprano. You were such a good girl, and I love you.” He kissed the dog on her head and stood up again. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes, a feeling he had grown quite accustomed to. He pulled a small wooden box out from underneath his bed and opened it. He smiled at the hand crafted rings inside. He had only been two weeks away from proposing. He slid the box into his pocket, and reached to retrieve a second larger box. Inside was nothing but a section of rope. Avi was strong enough to hold himself up on the rafters as he secured the rope on one of the central beams, and then laid the circle of the noose around his neck. Soprano started barking at him, but she couldn’t reach him from where she was. Avi smiled, touching the box in his pocket as he released both of his hands from around the beam. He could feel himself falling, then he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then he felt nothing.

His eyes opened again, the bright of the white around him blinding him for a moment, and as he raised a hand over his eyes, he saw a rift open in front of him. From this rift appeared a man, his sharp jawline and intense eyes were of a man he had seen before, with Taako on his arm. The reaper looked solemnly on the dead man before extending a hand to him. 

“It’s time to go.”

Taako felt a cold hand on his shoulder. Moving efforts on the Moon Base were immediately halted when word got out. When Barry and Taako returned to the home they shared with their respective lovers, Magnus was crying with Carey and Killian, and Merle and Davenport were helping Lucretia. Their ride back had been silent. Taako felt, off. He had never personally been very close with Avi, but he still considered him a friend. Even more than that, seeing Magnus so torn up made his heart hurt.

Taako turned to face Kravitz who had his head down, his hair obscuring sections of his face. 

“I’m sorry, Taako. I should have-”

“No, no don’t be sorry. It’s, just c’mere.” Taako said as he turned towards his boyfriend and opened his arms. Kravitz embraced his love, squeezing him tight. It wasn’t that he was necessarily sad about Avi, he dealt with the dead every single day, but he felt that he should have told Taako or at least given him a warning. He could at least say one thing, the indescribable joy he could see in Avi’s face as he sprinted towards Johann across the sea of souls was the look of a man who looked happy for the first time in a very, very long time.

[mysterylover123]

Maiko + Tropes

Back to Avatar the Last Airbender, where it all started. It’s time to do tropes for my ATLA OTP: Zuko/Mai. Prepare for some teenage grouchiness. (Sourced from TVTropes.) Also, Spoilers

1. ADORKABLE

Mai:  Mai is not normally very adorkable, but around Zuko she gets all giggly and blushy. They express their love in very awkward and adorable ways. The B-story in "Nightmares and Daydreams" is a good example.

Zuko: All of his attempts to be a normal and friendly guy end up charming failures. Notably, he practices an apology to a frog, then proceeds to demand an answer.

2. ANTI-VILLAIN

Mai: Though not to the extent of Ty Lee (what with being a Jerk with a Heart of Gold instead of a straight-on Nice Girl), she is still only going up against the good guys because she works under someone who is evil.

Zuko:  An early episode contrasts him with Zhao, who only wants to find the Avatar to bring himself glory while Zuko was only even there is to complete a mission so his father will love him.

3. BETA COUPLE

Mai:  With Zuko. 

Zuko: With Mai. While Aang and Katara dance around the issue, they're snuggling and watching sunsets. Flipped on its head in the comics, where Zuko and Mai go through a bad breakup while Aang and Katara are relatively stable Sickeningly Sweethearts.

4. BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Mai: With Zuko. They're both perpetually frowning Emo Teens with some kind of family issuewho are from the Fire Nation and use bladed weapons.

Zuko: With Mai. They're both perpetually frowning Emo Teens with some kind of family issue who are from the Fire Nation and use bladed weaponsWith Katara. They're both willful, compassionate, and emotional individuals who lost their respective mothers at a young age and are about equal in terms of bending abilities.

5. BROKEN BIRD

Mai: Her mother treated her like a liability instead of a daughter, was not allowed hobbies or even to speak unless spoken to, and her only friends were Ty Lee and Azula. No wonder Mai is so cynical and bitter.

Zuko: A rare male example; any innocence he had was lost between his father's and sister's abuse.

6. BROODING BOY, GENTLE GIRL

Mai: Zig zagged with Zuko — Both manage to be both with each other. For the brooding part, they both come from a dysfunctional family which led to them becoming Broken Birds but in different ways (Zuko having anger issues and Mai suppressing her emotions). As for the gentle part, both encourage one another to express themselves in healthier, non-problematic ways.

Zuko: Zig zagged with Mai — Both manage to be both with each other. For the brooding part, they both come from a dysfunctional family which led to them becoming Broken Birds but in different ways (Zuko having anger issues and Mai suppressing her emotions). As for the gentle part, both encourage one another to express themselves in healthier, non-problematic ways.Katara is the gentle girl to Zuko's brooding boy - they are a platonic variation of this trope, despite the Ship Tease.There's a very brief moment of this with Toph and Zuko - in "The Ember Island Players", Toph comforts Zuko while he's angsting over his Uncle. They go back to being Like Brother and Sister, though, when she punches him and informs him that "That's how I show affection."

7. CHARLES ATLAS SUPERPOWER

Mai: While turning her back on Azula at the Boiling Rock, she managed to consistently pin several guards onto solid metal architecture, using the same knives with which she attacks everything and everyone else. More passively, she's on even footing with the average elite bender, such as Early-Season-2 Katara and half the Terra Team sent to attack The Drill.

Zuko: While one of the most visibly muscular characters, he once punches a person across a room, and is seen shattering iron, steel, and wood with his kicks. All that training has served him well. Might be a result of Iroh's training: even among the Fire Nation, Iroh and Zuko are the only ones to display superhuman strength unrelated to bending.

8. CHILDHOOD FRIEND  ROMANCE

Mai: In a flashback, we see her admiring Zuko from afar as kids.

Zuko: With Mai. There's a flashback to Puppy Love.

9. DEADPAN SNARKER

Mai: Has a very dry sense of humor.

Zuko: Since Zuko's the most ill-tempered character in the show, this is a given. He's actually a lot like Katara in that respect: particularly sarcastic in books one and two, less so for a part of book three, and then more so for the other half.For instance, after some random kids threw an egg at Earth Kingdom soldiers, they blame Zuko, who continually denies it. It eventually leads to this exchange:Gow: The egg had to come from somewhere! Zuko: Maybe a chicken flew over.He also manages to get in a few good ones at Sokka, of all people:Zuko: I think I'm a little past your level, Sokka. Why don't you practice with the Duke or something. Sokka: The Duke? But he's, like, eight years old! Zuko: He should be a good match for you, then.Even eight-year-old Zuko gets in on the action.Azula : You waste all your time playing with knives. You're not even good! Zuko : Put an apple on your head and we'll find out how good I am!

10. DEFROSTING ICE KING/QUEEN

Mai: Much like her boyfriend, except it takes her longer to thaw.

Zuko:  It takes two and a half seasons, but he thaws with The Power of Friendship.

11. DUDE/CHICK MAGNET

Mai: Besides Zuko, another teen flirted with her in "The Beach", and Kei Lo admits to genuinely liking her.

Zuko: Sometimes in a relationship with Mai. He has loads of Ship Tease with Katara and a temporary love interest in the one-off character of Jin. The comics also have him being ship teased with Suki. Has almost as much onscreen romance as Sokka, plus a fan club and a bunch of random girls that swoon over him at the beach.

12. EERIE PALE SKINNED BRUNETTE

Mai: Emphasizing her emo personality.

Zuko: During the first season, where he has chalk-white skin coupled with a black ponytail. It later evens out slightly; sometimes his hair is dark brown instead of straight black, and he adopts a very slight tan that takes the edge off the eerie. That said, cutting off the ponytail and growing his hair out properly probably also helped.

13. HIDDEN DEPTHS

Mai: The gloomy knife thrower is a Cool Big Sis after off-screen Character Development.

Zuko: Badass, Determinator, Evil Prince -turned- The Atoner, is also a Momma's Boy and a lover of Turtleducks. In the "Ember Island Players", he gives hints that he likes theater, but just dislikes that specific group because while they have great special effects, they tend to butcher their stories. He admits to Toph that he's been doing Angst? What Angst? for some time, but the play is opening some hidden wounds.Toph: "Oh come on. Lighten up. They're just having fun." Zuko: "Fun? Of course you (Toph) like it. They made you a big buff guy! But to me... they're taking all the mistakes I made and throwing them right back in my face."His Uncle has indicated numerous times Zuko is also skilled with the fictional Tsungi horn.

14. JERK WITH A HEART OF GOLD

Mai: Generally quite a jerk but she has a soft spot for Zuko.

Zuko: He's Hot-Blooded and can still be quite rude, but Zuko is a good hearted person.

15. KICK THE DOG

Mai: In her first appearance, she turns down a hostage deal for her own infant brother.In the comics she dishes out a lot of emotional abuse against Zuko, although she still claims to care for him. She jokes about his death, his choice of friends after meeting Aang, and talks about how awful he is in general to Kei Lo.

Zuko: Often when he was in danger of becoming too nice, at least until his formal Heel–Face Turn in Book 3.

16. LONELY RICH KID

Mai: She has no friends other Ty-Lee and Azula, and they were off at the circus or war.

Zuko: He is the banished prince of the Fire Nation, but you can literally count the people who genuinely care for him on one hand (Iroh, Mai and Ursa). Eventually subverted when he makes his Heel–Face Turn, after which he becomes part of Aang's True Companions.

17. LOVE REDEEMS

Mai:  She follows Zuko in Heel–Face Turn because of his turn and her love for him.

Zuko: Averted with Mai. He leaves her before switching to the good side and the two don't reconcile their relationship until after the final battle. Instead it was familial love for Iroh, whom he acknowledges as his true father figure and role model, that redeems him. The shame he feels for betraying his uncle's trust is part of what compels him to make his Heel–Face Turn. He also influenced Mai to follow suit and betray Azula.

18. THE MASOCHISM TANGO

Mai: Her relationship with Zuko is not healthy. The two love each other but their conflicting morals and lack of communication leads to countless fights and their constant break-ups. She spends pages in Avatar: The Last Airbender – Smoke and Shadow describing what a horrible boyfriend Zuko is and how badly a relationship with him had hurt her. This leads to her making harsh jokes at his expense and she expresses the need for her to "move on" by dating Kei Lo.

Zuko: Has this type of relationship with Mai. They love each other but constantly fight, do not understand each other, have different morals and are always breaking up only to get back together again. Mai tells Kei Lo about how miserable Zuko makes her feel and she later says it to Zuko's face about how much of an idiot she was to date him.

19. MEANINGFUL NAME

Mai: Mai is the Cantonese pronunciation of 袂 meaning "sleeve of a robe", which is where Mai conceals her weapons.Her name is phonetically similar to the Japanese mei (冥, めい), meaning "dark", which is relatable to her gloomy personality.

Zuko: Zuko's name is written in Chinese characters which read as "ancestor's robber". It may or may not be intentional, but Zuko is an actual name in a Filipino dialect. Its meaning? "Madness" or "Angry." And he spends a lot of time angry in the show...

20. MUGGLE-MAGE ROMANCE

Mai:  In a relationship with Zuko.

Zuko: In a relationship with non-bender Mai.

21. NEW OLD FLAME

Mai: She and Zuko are a textbook "skip all the boring foreplay and get right to the intensity." Contrast with the heroic Official Couple, who were in the foreplay stage for fifty episodes. In this case we see a flashback of them as Childhood Friends before the reunion.

Zuko: Zuko and Mai are a textbook "skip all the boring foreplay and get right to the intensity." Contrast with the heroic Official Couple, who were in the foreplay stage for fifty episodes. In this case, we see a flashback of them as Childhood Friends before the reunion.

22. NOBLE DEMON

Mai: She may be on Azula's side, but she's not evil.

Zuko: Character Development for him in Season 1. He goes from burning down the Kyoshi Warriors' village in his pursuit of Aang to abandoning a later pursuit to keep his soldiers safe. Even right from the start, he threatens the South Pole villagers to get information on the Avatar but when Aang promises to come quietly if he leaves the Water tribe alone, Zuko agrees (and keeps his word).

23. OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Mai: She and Zuko somehow manage to be this and Birds of a Feather. Despite their apparent similarities, their temperaments are completely opposite: Zuko is a Hot-Blooded Determinator, whereas Mai is an emotionless Defrosting Ice Queen.

Zuko:  He and Mai somehow manage to be this and Birds of a Feather. Despite their apparent similarities, their temperaments are completely opposite: Zuko is a Hot-Blooded Determinator, whereas Mai is an emotionless Defrosting Ice Queen.

24. PERPETUAL FROWNER

Mai: Even when she's cuddling with her boyfriend she's frowning.

Zuko: "I'm never happy." Though it is averted around Mai, and after he joins Team Avatar.

25. RED ONI, BLUE ONI

Mai: The blue to Ty Lee's red. Or, since Ty Lee describes Mai's aura as grey, and hers as pink, Mai's the Grey Oni to Ty Lee's Pink Oni.

Zuko: The emotional, easily angered Red Oni to his sister's calculating, eerily calm Blue Oni, though it's reversed after her Villainous Breakdown. This is enforced by the colors of the Flames they produce; Zuko's flames are red/orange, while Azula's are blue.The hot-tempered, loud Red Oni to Aang's positive, peace-loving Blue Oni, which is visualized through their facial markings (red scar vs. blue tattoos)

26. RELATIONSHIP REVOLVING DOOR

Mai: She is in a constant on-off relationship with Zuko. It's unstable to say the least. They get together only to break things off a few months later. They make up but then decide to call it quits again. It is supposed to be a contrast to Aang and Katara's solid relationship.

Zuko:  His relationship with Mai is complicated and...unstable to say the least. They break up at least twice in the series and once again in the comics.

27. SOUR OUTSIDE SAD INSIDE

Mai: Like Zuko, she acts cold as a result of her past.

Zuko: He may act abrasive, but knowing his past, it's not hard to see why.

28. TALL DARK AND SNARKY

Mai: A raven-haired Snark Knight. It's a trait she shares with Zuko.

Zuko: Tallest teenager in the series with raven hair and a cynical attitude.

29. TOOK A LEVEL IN BADASS

Mai: Mai already established herself as a badass (but quiet and knife obsessed) Lady of War took a level in badass in the episode "The Boiling Rock, Part 2". Mai took out 13 prison guards and freed the gondola line to help Zuko and company escape the boiling rock prison...and Princess Azula. Although this could just be a case of Mai being Not So Stoic.

Zuko: He gradually improves throughout the series, but he makes dramatic improvements in season 3. It's then he learns to redirect the most powerful of lightning, holds his own against his sister, casually raise a huge fire tunnel that engulfs an entire hallway, and most importantly, firebends without relying on rage.

30. UNDYING LOYALTY

Mai: To Zuko. Even when their relationship is on the rocks, she remains loyal. Two instances: the Boiling Rock encounter where Zuko explains his treason and desertion and inspires her to defy Azula herself, and again in the "Rebound" free comic day issue where she discovers her father wants to use her as an insider against Zuko in a bid to put Ozai back on the throne.

Zuko: This is Zuko's greatest weakness and greatest strength. Loyalty kept Zuko on the side of his father and sister long after he stopped seeing things their way, but when he finally made up his mind to join Aang, he took a lot of punishment from them without complaint to win their trust, and he protected them over and over. In the sequel, Zuko abdicated the throne, naming his daughter Fire Lord, so that he could travel the world after Aang's death, to keep their dream alive while the Avatar could not.

31. WHEN HE/SHE SMILES

Mai: Just like her boyfriend, she frowns so often that she looks really cute when she smiles genuinely.

Zuko:  The poor guy is frowning so often (and for good reason), the few times he gives a genuine smile are really heartwarming.

32. WELL, EXCUSE ME PRINCESS

Mai: To Zuko. She doesn't put up with his angsting.

Zuko: Something of a male version of this trope in regards to Mai. She doesn't put up with his brooding and temperamental nature, instead encouraging him to lighten up.

[skellyskoo]

Something Good Can Work

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

read on ao3

    When the ogre ran at Bethany, and the only thing between her, their mother, and the beast was wide open, blighted landscape, Garrett Hawke did the one thing that seemed to make sense: he went into cardiac arrest.

He didn’t actually- but he did use that as an excuse later for not acting sooner. Later, when he recounted his tale in the Hanged Man at a table full of friends and siblings; drinks, money, and bad stories flowing between them all. In his retelling, Marian was fierce and relentless with her attacks, covering Carver as he went in and cut down the mighty beast, the two of them a well-oiled killing machine. Their mother cheered them on from the sidelines, where he sat with Bethany, tending to her wounds.

In reality, the ogre charged Bethany, who tossed a prayer and a fireball at it’s towering form. The ogre, in return, smacked her across the ground, causing her body to go limp as she flew backwards a short distance. Their mother screamed, the dog barked, time seemed to screech to a shuddering halt, and Garrett acted on a mix of fear, anger, and instinct- he slammed his staff into the ground and built a wall of ice between the monster and his baby sister’s bruised body. At the same time, Carver used that as a cue to take action, yelling at the beast to get it’s attention before charging it.

-

Time was moving painfully slowly for Marian. The world seemed to be incredibly far away, and her body felt paralyzed. She watched the scene unfold before her with a growing sense of doom; panic’s cold, dead fingers grasped her throat, causing her breath to come to her in short, shallow bursts. When Carver’s cry of anguish and anger ripped through the air as he charged the beast, the world snapped back like a rubber band. Her feet felt cold, and she still felt paralyzed, but as she watched the ogre make a move to hit her baby brother, she felt her voice crawl its way desperately out of her throat, and she screamed, whipped her staff forward, and shot lightning at the beast. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought to herself, “Lightning, huh? Never done lightning before,” and the ogre reeled it’s, now charred, hand back, taking a moment to acknowledge its new opponent, successfully creating an opening for Carver to hack at.

-

Bethany noted to herself that, despite the immense pain overwhelming her senses, she was pleased to find that she wasn’t bleeding, so at least she probably won’t catch the Blight. She also noted that both her mother and Garrett were hovering over her. “Well,” she thought to herself, “that’s nice.” Both of them were saying something to her, but nothing aside from ‘immense pain’ was currently registering in her brain at the moment. Her body felt broken, not right. Her head ached with a pain she couldn’t comprehend, and she barely registered that she could feel tears sliding down her face. “That’s interesting,” Bethany thought, “I’m not even sad.”

-

Garrett has the sudden, crushing realization that he isn’t equipped to handle this at all. He doesn’t know how to fix her, how to knit the bones back together. That was always Marian’s job. Garrett feels panic try and claw its way up his throat before whipping his head towards her and yells.

If his voice is pitched slightly higher than normal then nobody mentions it.

“Swap with me!” He calls. Marian's eyes flick towards him, her cold blue meeting his warm brown and she nods once, sharply. Garrett scoops up his staff and goes to run and take her place. He spares a quick glance behind him only to see his mother and sister, Bethany’s head resting in her lap, their faithful dog guarding them. Bethany looks dead, her eyes unfocused and staring at the sky above them, breaths coming as slow, painful wheezes. Garrett turns back ahead, focusing on the scene in front of him. The ogre’s arm is moving to make a swipe for Marian’s unguarded side, and he slides underneath it with a fireball to the lumbering beasts’ side. She whoops, unable to help herself despite the situation, and Garrett feels a bubble of hysterical laughter in his throat. He clamps it down, and skids to a stop behind Carver. His knees are a bit uncomfortable from the friction, but he pays it no mind and goes straight for offense, unleashing everything he’s got on the surrounding hoard and monster in front of them. He sends a silent prayer to whoever might be listening that his baby sister lives through this. -

“Awful nice of you to drop in!” Carver yells to his older brother. Garrett gives a breathless laugh, fire flying through the air, shifting and curving around Carver as he swings his sword, striking true. The stench of burning, dead flesh is unpleasant and permeates the air. Carver wishes he’d switch to ice, or even rock. He isn't feeling too picky.

“Oh, you know! More of a slide, really?”

Carver laughs despite himself, for once welcoming the untimely wit of his older sibling. It makes it easier for him to let his mind slip into routine, for him to stop thinking about his twin, meters away from him, possibly dying, and empty his mind of all thoughts except how best to carve through the obstacles in front of him. His arms burn from swinging the giant greatsword around, but it’s a good burn, and that too, helps to keep him from falling into a state frantic desperation. He doesn’t want to think of Bethany dying, not now, not yet, not ever . By the will of the Maker, these darkspawn will pay.

-

Marian drops to her knees at Bethany’s side, hands hovering over her sister’s prone form. She hears their dog whine at her, as if he’s telling her to fix this mess already. She’s painfully aware of Bethany’s shallow breathing, of how clouded with fear and pain and confusion her eyes have become. Of the small, choked call to their dead father that she wheezes out. Marian doesn’t want to lose her baby sister, not to this, not to anything. She cracks her knuckles, itching with a warrant want, need, to do something, anything. She calls on her magic and the lessons the three of them learned together when they were young, back before Lothering and before the blight. She remembers a conversation they had together, and she remembers saying that, really, if they think about it, there’s no need to learn healing, as fighting is just preemptive healing. She remembers Father smiling tiredly at her, shaking his head at her pre-teen logic.

Another choked breath brings her back to the present and Marian admonishes herself for the fact that she keeps slipping today.

“Beth,” she calls to her little sister, voice soft, firm, vying for Bethany’s attention.

It works.

Kind of.

Bethany’s eyes glide over to her face, and Marian exhales sharply in relief. “Hey,” she forces an awkward smile, “I’m not great at this, so it’s gonna hurt a lot more before it starts to hurt less.” Bethany wheezes again in response, and Marian takes that as her way of saying “Yes, yes alright! Get to work you big oaf, before I die, here!”

-

Bethany’s mind is clouded, fuzzed, and she could swear she sees her father, off in the distance. Her heart aches and oh, how she misses him. “Not yet Bethy.” he says, his smile gentle. The same smile she sees on Garrett’s face, the same blue eyes as her sister, and suddenly, she can breathe. Her sister’s swims above her, mouth set in a straight line, the same way Mothers used to when she found out that she and Marian ruined their clothes wrestling with Carver and Gare again. “She looks so worried,” Bethany notes and goes to reach for Marian’s cheek, to let her know that she’s fine, but she finds that her arm is more of a dead weight than a limb, and instead ends up flopping it across her own body. Marian tenses and then looks up at her face, and Bethany can see that she’s about ready to cry. A wet nose presses her cheek.her’s hand stroking through her hair, and Bethany suddenly remembers how she was just slapped around by a giant, hulking darkspawn in a heroic attempt to protect their mother. “That was probably stupid of me,” she thinks to herself.

“Remember,” she wheezes when she speaks, finding it difficult to talk with bruised ribs “Remember when you said we shouldn’t bother to learn healing?” Marian laughs, but it comes out more as a choked sob.

“Welcome back to the world of the living.” She says, cracking a watery smile and Bethany wants to laugh. She does- a small chuckle that hurts her ribs.

“Don’t welcome me back just yet, I’m still debating the pros and cons here” she croaks out. Her chest feels tender, and she knows it’ll take a while for it to heal. Weeks. Bethany doesn’t look forward to it.

“If you die, I’ll kill you.” Marian warns, warmth flooding her voice. Her tears fall freely, and a grin is plastered to her face.

“That’s a funny thing to say.” Bethany retorts. She can’t help but to smile herself.

The sounds of battle make their way into her consciousness, and she tries to sit up, only getting halfway before Marian pushes her back down to lay in their mother’s lap.

“Not yet, don’t strain yourself.” Bethany rolls her eyes with a little effort and looks up at their mother, who is staring back at her, face in tears.

“Oh, Bethany,” she says and strokes her hair, “My brave little girl.” Leandra smiles at her, and Bethany returns a sheepish grin. She hears her brother yell from beyond the wall of ice that guards them and turns limply to look at it. Bethany isn’t sure which one yelled, but she finds she cares less about the who and more about the why.

Her curiosities are answered with the resounding screech from the ogre that felled her, and the miniature earthquake its dead body causes when it falls. She gives a weak croak of encouragement, the dog barking with her, and smiles before turning back to their mother, who stares ahead with a horror-stricken face.

Bethany feels a sense of dread settle in the pit of her stomach. She looks over to get a glimpse of Marian’s face and gauge her reaction to their surroundings. She sees instead her sister standing tall, staff poised for a fight.

-

“There’s too many of them!” Garrett hears Marian call above the noise in his head and around them. More darkspawn. He opens his mouth to respond but before he can even get a breath out, a dragon roars overhead.

Despite the dire situation, he can’t help but feel an overwhelming amount of excitement.

”Well I’ve always wanted to meet a dragon,” he mumbles to himself, a little awestruck, and though he can neither see nor hear her, he knows his twin shares the sentiment.

[scamtheradio]

Unity of all Kind

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ls2f74do67d2658/Unity+Of+All+Kind.zip

Think of song as fragments of human emotion banded together, ideas tangled in sound. Swirling in and out of our bodies, gusting through the universe. Song is never standstill. (see creation of dance) An entity all it's own, capabilities are endless. Song mimics time. Motivates, heals, hurts , it encourages love.

This song collection (80's kids deem mixtapes) is spun from honers of the craft. It is an Unmatched detached batch free from latch.

Creature Calendar

https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/49sJfPL1z8rluEwJ7lXLNE

Aloha - Don't Wanna Win Real Estate - Darling Hoops - Rules Caveman - 80's West Angel Olsen - Never be Mine Arms - Stellary Cave Singers - Christmas Night Tennis - Friends of Blue EZTV - Racing Country Mac DeMarco - My Old Man Hippo Campus - Way It Goes HINDS - When it Comes to You Molly Burch - Downhearted Chris Staples - Golden Age The Proper Ornaments - Bridge By a Tunnel

Cigarettes and Sorcery https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/3kUygZRuVOevgp5pSGLa3W

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam- 1000 Times Museyroom - Siren Eisley - Sparking WHY? - Easy Relient K - Air for Free Rogue Waveve - Look at Me Nice As Fuck - Cookie Lips Phish - Waking up Dead Elbow - Gentle Storm The Duke Spirite Spirit - Pacific Ryley Walker - A Choir Apart matt pond PA - Used to Be Big Search - Distant Shore Owen - Empty Bottle The Besnard Lakesrd - Golden Lion Grandaddy - I don't wanna live here anymore

Danced In Bones Alone https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/6HrSERRxE6kuxqkGA9rXYN

Lindstrom - Closing Shot Pfarmers - 97741 Mr. Tophatat ft Robyn - Trust Me Factory Floor - Ya S U R V I V E - High Rise The Range - Copper Wire Pantha Du Prince - You What Euphoria Teen Daze - Lost Beacon- Better or Worse SUUNS - Translate The Album Leaf - New Soul

Dedicated to Thomas Fekete https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/4yxJjupSfzicJ5PVtgqcPL

BIG UPS - National Parks Modern Baseball - Apple Cider, I Don't Mind Cymbals Eat Guitars - 4th of july Surfer Blood - Frozen Say Anything - Wire Mom The Thermalsls - Thinking of You JAPANDROIDS - Near to the Wold Heart of Life Built To Spill - Some Other Song Thee Oh Sees Sees - The Poem Cloud Nothings - Up to the Surface You Blew It It! - Canary We Cut Corners - On Avoiding People Car Seat Headrest - (Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Using Dugs With Friends )But Says This Isn't a Problem Fred Thomas - Voiceover American Football - My Instincts Are the Enemy Into It. Over It. - No EQ The Good Life - Are You Afraid of Dying

Fluster Flurry https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/6peIIJjWv9sNscd5h9B9Ao

Chris Cohen - Torrey Pine Brendan Canning - Once I Was a Runner Woods - Politics of Free Hoops - Going Strong The Drums - Blood Under My Belt Mitski - Fireworks Jay Som - Our Red Door Frankie Cosmos - Too Dark Eskimeaux - Sleeping Bear Trust Fund - Would that be an advenuture? Allison Crutchfield - I Don't Ever Wanna Leave California Mothers - It Hurts Until It Doesn't Big Thief - Paul Quilt - Eliot St. Tony Molina - No One Told He

Goth Party https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/1KUx93OcP2ZEFBnrCLKyiO

Lust For Youth - Tokyo Trentmoller - River In Me Sin Fang - Lost Girls The Raveonettes - Nvrlnd Crocodiles - Telepathic Lover The Growlers - Night Ride Japanese Breakfast - Everybody Wants to Love You American Wrestlers - So Long DIIV - Dopamine Wye Oak - No Dreaming Fear Of Men - Island Eagulls - My Life in Rewind Merchandise - Right Back to the Start BADBADNOTGOOD - Speaking Gently LNZNDRF - Kind Things Soft Hair - Jealous Lies Tacocat - I Hate the Weekend

Moondrown https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/1pwkKFcMJ5xOGmpN8vG5uk

Porches - Black Dress (Water Version) Memoryhouse - Get Back Junior Boys - Baby Fat Austra - I Love You More Than You Love Yourself Psychic Twin - Strangers Still Corners - Downtown Jessy Lanza - Going Somewhere David Bazan Someone Else's Bet Casket Girls - Virginia Beach The Radio Dept. Can't Be Guilty Thieves Like Us - Moon Is Tropical - Say Ariel Pink & Weyes Blood - On Another Day

Preposterous Octopus - https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/5JKtnFHRRwr7ydJTFh88hB

Adam Olenius - News Is Saying Cullen Omori - Cinnamon Whitney - No Woman The Snails - Tiight Side of Life Regina Spektor - Bleeding Heart Laura Gibson - Two Kids Okkervil River - The Industry Andrew Bird - Puma case/lang/veirs - Best Kept Secret Martha Wainwright - Around the Bend Shearwater - Quiet Americans Oberhofer - Lost Your Love

Sledge Allegiance https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/2zwCzpooNvp6EDeNpmfqdF

Tim Cohen - Meat Is Murder The Lemon Twigs - Hi+Lo Dams of the West - Tell the Truth Butch Walker - East Coast Girl Fruit Bats - My Sweet Midwest Drive-By-Truckers - What It Means Shooter Jennings - From Here To Eternity Dawes - We're All Gonna Die From Indian Lakes - The Monster Spookyland - Nowhereland Conor Oberst - Gossamer Thin

Sleeping Bear https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/4Vwpqb5H04p0ITlFJxLDvf

The xx - On Hold Anna Meredith - Something Helpful M83 - Go! School of Seven Bells - Signals Chairlift - Romeo Jim James - We Ain't Getting Any Younger Pt. 2 Eric Copeland - Honorable Mentions El Guincho - De Bugas Animal Collective - Jimmy Mack Beth Orton - 1973 James Vincent McMorrow - Seek Another Sun Kil Moon - Philadelphia Cop Bon Iver - "33 God" Sin Fang - Walk With You in Space Lambchop - Relatives #2 Xiu Xiu - Get Up

Spin A Dream https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/7zW3vzP5x55YDaXEDdSmux

Mesita - Fear Of Others Weyes Blood - Used To Be Julie Byrne - Sleepwalker Deakin - Golden Chords Tim Cohen - Clouds Bat For Lashes - In Gods House Flaming Lips - The Castle Mutual Benefit - Getting Gone Slow Club - Sweetest Grape On The Vine M. Ward - Pirate Dial Damien Jurado - A.M AM. From Indian Lakes - American Dreams Cass McCombs - Laughter is the Best Medicine David Bowie - No Plan Devendra Banhart - Jon Lends a Hand Marissa Nadler - I Remember The Touch of Your Hand Willis Earl Beal - Lost In A Dream Alexis Taylor - Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue Rufus Wainwright - Take All My Loves (Sonnet 40) Yann Tiersen - Pern Bonnie Prince Billy - Jolly One (2/15) Peter Broderick - Conspiraling Peter Silberman - Impermanence

Spitigit https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/2Sx6E580ff4WLn3RHBM6VG

The Strokes - Threat Of Joy Red Hot Chili Peppers - Sick Love Hot Hot Heat - Magnitude Blink 182 - Bored to Death The Orwells - Vacation Weezer - (Girl We Got a) Good Thing Kings Of Leon - Eyes On You Pixies - Oona Yuck - Hold Me Closer Jeff the Brotherhood - Idiot We Are Scienctists - Too Late Bloc Party - So Real

Starchoo https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/3ZikgKm5ktsoLycE54R4vu

Jens Lekman - What's That Perfume That You Wear? Sondre Lerche - I'm Always Watching You The Shins - Name For You Delicate Steve - Winners Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Astonished Man Dr. Dog - Survive Joan of Arc - This Must Be the Placenta Deerhof - Learning to Apologize Effectively You Can't Win Charlie Brown - Linger On Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Down (Is Where I Want To Be) Peter Bjorn And John - Do-Si-Do Walter Martin - Amsterdam Jaill - Helen You Sure Do Smell Bad For A Girl Dr. Dog - Bring My Baby Back Tennis - Ladies Don't Play Guitar Eleanor Friedberger - Two Versions Of Tomorrow

Super Mario Bros 2 Overture https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/5kMXVhcfcnmsoq5fLHxA5p

Foxygen - Hang Eric Bachmann - Seperaion Fight Joseph Arthur - When I Look At You Quiet Life - Live Wire Band of Horses - In A Drawer Wilco - Someone to Lose Damien Jurado & Richard Swift - Sincere Replies Kevin Morby - Beautiful Strangers Kevin Devine - Guard Your Gates Daniel Bachman - Wine and Peanuts The Last Revel - Garage Sale The Way Down Wanderers - Changing The Avett Brothers - True Sadness Hiss Golden Messenger - Happy Day (Sister My Sister) Frightened Rabbit - I Wish I Was Sober

Thrustin Junction https://open.spotify.com/…/…/playlist/5DWNyygSRMIAHDE5kRo6Kd

Field Music - They Want You to Remember Metronomy - Back Together of Montreal - My Fair Lady Shooter Jennings - Love Kills Saint Motel - For Elise Sam Patch - 100 Decibels Eleanor Friedberger - Cathy With The Curly Hair Craig Finn - Extras Wolf Parade - C'est La Vie Way Ra Ra Riot - Call Me Out Moonface and Siinai - The Nightclub Artiste Jesu/Sun Kil Moon - Last Night I Rocked The Room Like Elvis An Had Then Laughing Like Richard Pryor Natureboy - Sunsets Animal Collective - Mountain Game Majical Cloudz - Pretty Julia Brown Without You (full)