#anyway I just finished The Stone Sky and need to figure out how to be normal

[sharkieboi]

just finished the Broken Earth trilogy and ngl I’m never gonna be the same

[vilevenom]

I got some sad news this morning, so I wrote something sad to make me feel better.

Not the best start to the new year but here we are.

Shadow grunted as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes as sun poured in through the window, having forgotten to close the curtains the night before. He sighed as he slouched against the head board, glancing to the empty half of the bed with a slight frown, before turning his gaze towards the calendar tacked up on the wall. The day was circled in red, bringing attention to its importance. Not that he'd ever forget.

Slowly, he dragged himself from the bed and shuffled into the kitchen, stabbing at the buttons of the coffee machine as he shoved a mug under the nozzle. He had hoped that over time he'd figure out how it worked properly, but Sonic was always better with technology than he'd ever be. Eventually, however, the machine sputtered to life and began to pour a cup of coffee, allowing him a minute or two to wander into the bathroom to brush out his quills and brush his teeth. Once satisfied, he headed back to the kitchen, dumping the mug of coffee into a thermos before slipping his gloves and shoes on and heading out the door. With the early hour, he was hoping that the sooner he headed out, the less likely it would be that he would potentially run into any of Sonic's friends.

It wasn't too long of a jaunt to his destination, as it was a familiar path that he'd run on many an occasion by now. He was relatively certain that if he just closed his eyes and let his air shoes go, they'd still take him to the right place. He huffed out a quiet breath as he trekked up the small, grassy hill, only pausing once he was beneath the giant willow tree that called the top of the hill home, taking a long sip from his thermos as he settled himself beneath its boughs. No one else was here yet, nor did it look like they had been, given the lack of the usual decorations that they had a tendency to put up. But this was better. Shadow preferred the quiet.

"It's been quite the year, hasn't it?" Shadow murmured as a breeze shifted the branches above him, sending flower petals dancing through the air. Silence answered him, but that was to be expected. After a few moments he let himself list to the side, his shoulder coming to rest against cold stone. It was a sensation he was fairly certain he'd never get used to, but he was grateful for it. It gave him something to ground himself with. On especially bad days he'd press his whole back to it, just to keep his mind from wandering away, like it did when he stared up at the ARK.

"There's been so much that you've missed. So much that I wish you'd been around for," he continued, staring off into the brilliantly blue sky, the day looking like it was going to be perfect for a party. "You know, I finally figured out how to use the coffee machine?…More or less, anyway. It spits out coffee, so that's all I really need." He chuckled quietly, tapping the bottom of his thermos against the stone gently. "Your friends will be here soon to celebrate. I won't be staying, but you're used to that by now, aren't you?"

Silence continued to reign, the soft sound of birds waking up to the morning the only other noise around. Shadow finished his coffee and turned to the stone he'd been leaning on, brushing his fingers reverently over the words etched into it. He could easily recall arguing with Tails over what it should say, but in the end he was the more articulate and sentimental of them, so he'd ultimately won the argument. They were words he'd long since memorized, but he still let his eyes trace over each letter with a heavy heart.

'Here Lies Sonic the Hedgehog. Brother, Partner, Friend. The Hero of Mobius. May the winds of change never slow you down.'

"Happy birthday, Sonic," Shadow murmured, leaning in to press a short kiss to the top of the grave stone, "I miss you."

With that, he could hear the distant sound of children squealing and loud conversations. Sonic's friends were arriving with their kids in tow to have their annual celebration of life. Shadow had hated the idea of having a party at Sonic's grave at first, but Amy had made a good argument about how Sonic wouldn't want to be mourned with crying. He'd want people to celebrate the life he allowed them all to live.

"I'll see you soon," he murmured, rising from his spot in the grass, red sparks already dancing around his shoes as they powered up, "enjoy the party."

The only evidence of Shadow's visit, as the rowdy group of freedom fighters crested the hill, was a streak of red and gold energy zipping away from the graveyard, and a single sprig of lavender laying across the base of Sonic's grave stone.

[a-s-levynn]

Okay so the tags all day under my high water small offering genuinly made me super emotional..

I don't know if anyone would be interested in it seeing almost step by step while i ramble about it a bit? But i did it anyway. I'm missing a lot of stages because i wasn't planning to do something like this. I'm not even completely sure why i scanned some of the steps to be honest. But at least you can see some of the progression of it?

Anyway if any of you is interested in it i put a rundown under the cut. Also the obligatory measuring tape/ruler shots at the end of it, because yes i've seen those tags as well. Spoiler for those who understandably do not want to chew through my pointless ramblings: yes, it is fairly small.

Disclaimer: It's long and rambly, you have been warned

Just to preface this: this is not advice on art because i can't give you that. If you ask me how i do stuff i can tell you but beyond that i'm useless. This is just for funzies.

Okay so i don't have the step with sketching Vessel, but you still can see some of what is left from his torso and head and spine-line under the cloack. Maybe even traces of the right arm connecting to the torso.

When i draw figures, i usually start out with a line for a spine and then build it outwards. And i always draw them semi-naked first. It's so much easier for me to dress them, rather than go for the clothed version immediately. Helps me a lot with the fold placement.

Also for pose references i use a free browser app. I certainly can't draw human figures from scratch if the pose is more dynamic or the angle is something more complicated, but i'm decent at eyeballing what i can see. This one didn't really needed that 'cause Vessel does this a lot and i looked at the man's pictures and videos so much at this point, i can kinda mock it up. And like.. i usually draw up a standard male figure and just.. make it slightly skinnier and bam. Vessel proportions. Or something close enough to pass for it. But in general i look up a lot of reference photos for stuff because it is easier to understand something you see rather than something you imagine. At least for me.

Initially i was planning to add tendrils into the waves to indicate that those are raising the water around Vessel. That pulling himself beneth the waves maybe not so much just his own decision he just can't fully see the outside force hiding inside the water or something something i don't know i'm not smart for stuff like this.

What you can't see is that i was thinking about putting a faint silhouette of the tmbte moon behind the clouds but i quickly forgone that, because it was just not dark enough visually that way and also felt far too busy.

So i laid out a rough shading idea for where i want stuff to sit tonally and was like, nope, still not dark enough.

And so darker it got. But the sky felt flat, it needed something. So i was like, okay i have no moon or anything but like i could warp the clouds towards Vessel. Like as if the sky is collapsing into him or sending him a sign or maybe it's just in his head or whatever? I'm still not smart enough for concepts.

Also rain had to be added, because "wash me clean again before..." you know. To stick to the prompt.

It's almost there at this point but the waves look so sad and got smaller than the initial sketch. But i knew there is going to be froth on top of them so it was not a big deal. I knew they would be a sorry sight if i only do it with pencil anyway. It was never an option. So the trusty gel pen came out and it is such a drastic difference:

It also gave Vessel and the stone he stands on a sharp edgelight which is super dramatic looking. Also lifts him out from the background a bit more so he doesn't fully disappear into it. And the waves actually started to look like waves insted of weird grey cones.

And here again the finished version:

There is not much thought or like amazing skill that goes into these, i'm just trying to hide what i can't do and lean into what i can. And what i can do is shading. Someone told me close to two decades ago now that "don't rely on the outlines, shade behind the things to create depth" and that is something that my brain just latched onto and wanted to do that. And so i did. Or at least tried. Didn't took long for me to really start to enjoy shading and got fairly good at it, because i did that most of the time. And that's it, i guess.

Also yes it is small-ish. I'm using two relatively small sketchbooks, the "larger" one (with the ecru/yellowish paper, which i use for the small offerings <- this is where tha name came from originally) is 15x10,5 cm, and a slightly smaller one (with the grey-ish reused paper, which i use for everything else currently) which is 14,5x9,5cm. The card i did Ash's ballpoint pen iii is 16,5x11,4cm.

Basically everything i do is kind of small. I don't know how to draw large anymore to be honest. If i can't see the entire piece properly in one i mess up proportions big time. And i love detailwork and if i draw small the less detail i have to put into it. Because i'm also lazy.

So Vessel is about 4,5cm tall here... which is only a cm taller than the average height of Tiny Token.

[seqka711]

How competent is each Link based on your competency in the game?

So I saw a post from @telemna-hyelle, who credited this idea to @bllaaaaarrgh, who's original post I couldn't find. But this idea was too good to not do. "How competent is each Link based on your competency in the game?"

Hyrule: The Goddesses themselves had to interfere, not necessarily to get him through fights, but to get him enough rupees to afford potions, arrows, items, etc. Through divine time travel, he always picked the right rupee at the gambling game. He doesn't understand why no one else just does that to get rich quick. In his second adventure, he realized he could also time travel to redo fights and did so frequently. Very incompetent, but with divine intervention, anything is possible.

Legend: While competent in the land of Hyrule, in other countries Legend is a mess. Holodrum and Labrynna have more difficult enemies, more difficult dungeons and even Koholint, while not as bad as Holodrum and Labrynna, still required divine knowledge. Luckily Legend is a beast on home turf, who didn't struggle (that) much in either of his Hyrule quests. His greatest obstacle was Hytopia, which unfortunately required a power not even the great Legend wielded. Friendship. Rather than save the day alone, he vowed to someday return with friends.

Time: Time was very competent during both quests, doing everything that could be done, and even saved Termina very quickly thanks to a few all nighters. He'd be down to up the challenge at some point in the future.

Wind: This kid is cocky and he has every right to be. Not only did he complete his second and third adventures without a single brush with death, he also once had a crazy dream about his first adventure where all his items were scrambled and still beat Ganon handily. He got all 8 pieces of the Triforce before finding a single other item. Peak efficiency has been achieved. He wants the other Links to get on his level.

Four: His first adventure was mostly good, except for the few times he got completely and utterly lost with no idea where to go at all. He never did all the kin stone fusing quests and he really doesn't care (except he kinda really does care). His second adventure was just Green and Red, but that's okay, because they saved Zelda and who really needs Blue and Vio anyway? In his third adventure, Four really did split into four this time, but he was also fake and not real and a pirate because no way four separate people all own Link cables.

Twilight: Twilight is very incompetent at anything after beating Snowhead. The City in the Sky? Who is she? Ganondorf was eventually beaten, but don't ask him to describe anything between Yeta and Hyrule Castle, because as far as Twi is concerned, it may as well have been a fever dream. But wanna know what wasn't a fever dream? All those ridiculously high crossbow scores. He knows where his worth is at.

Sky: Sky has never done anything halfway in his life, and nothing in his life is incomplete or part finished. Never had a problem with his sword, but also never quite figured out how to use a shield. He also has pumpkin related sidequest trauma multiple times over.

Warriors: Warriors doesn't just love his job, he excels at it. He's gotten top marks and gold medals for every mission in all 10 worlds. And because he learned his lesson in his first quest, he also did it all without the Master Sword, because screw the Master Sword, it's too broken. He also owes his life and career to Young Link, Linkle and Marin, but he was no slouch himself.

Wild: Wild thought he was good and amazing and the Goddesses' gift to Hyrule, but then he had a terrible dream where all the chests and goals were scrambled and he got his ass handed to him and couldn't save Zelda or Hyrule in time for the dream to end, and his confidence has been forever shaken. Even in his past life 100 years ago, he ended up not completing everything. Wild is competent enough, but compared to the others, feels very incompetent.

[fallenangelofsalt]

Purple Gold 6

Masterpost

Not a lot of horror on this one either. But Purple can't be suffering all the time.

A common characterization I see of Purple is that they dress very fancy and extra. So. Why not have them make their own clothes?

You wake up with a messy braid and tear tracks in your cheeks.

You get up slowly to avoid flare ups from the bruises that weren't there yesterday, and go check on your farm and animals.

_

You pour fresh water into the cauldron and lit the fire underneath. As you wait for it to boil you gather some wheat and cocoa to make your breakfast.

The water is finished boiling and you pour it on the cleaned up clay pot filled with daisy petals.

The cookies taste like strawberries and bananas, and the tea soothes the pinpricks of pain in your arms and scalp.

You fidget with the hem of you shirt and startle as your finger sinks through a hole in the fabric. You stare in disappointment, knowing you didn't bring that many clothes. You mumble to yourself as you try to figure out how to get more without having to steal.

(The world hears this and blinks. A slight frown in the clouds. The grass moves and ties itself in knots as the universe tries to figure out how to help. The sun gets brighter. The sky grins. He figured it out.)

_

You stare in mild disbelief at the sight in front of you.

Sheep. Dozens of them. In colors that you are pretty sure aren't normal for them to spawn in. Right outside your home.

You take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Count backwards from ten.

They are still there when you look.

Whatever. You could use the extra wool anyways.

_

It takes hours to shear them all.

_

It takes a while to turn milk into butter, but you think its worth it as you spread it on your makeshift grill.

You place the porkchops on it for a couple minutes and go back to cutting apples into thin slices. Its not very easy to do that with a sword, but thankfully you managed to fashion some shears into knives a while ago.

You pour the slices into the grill and sprinkle more butter and some sugar on top. You take out the porkchops, still a bit raw, and cut them into smaller, thinner chunks before placing them back on the grill, moving them around with a wooden shovel you keep especifically for this.

After a while, you scoop up the apple and pork and pour it on a bowl. You don't have neither the patience nor the skill for woodcarving so you use chopsticks.

The salty-sweet taste goes well with your orchid tea. You are glad the heat burned away the apple's fleshy texture.

_

You stare at the banner in your hand. It fades from pink to orange in a way that reminds you of the sunset.

You think it would look good on you.

_

You carefully file down stone buttons into a bunch of needles. The small holes at the ends were a nightmare to make without breaking the entire thing but you managed eventually.

Now you just need to sew the banner into a shirt. Compared to making the needles, how hard could it be?

_

Ow your fingers-

_

It took you hours to make the shirt in your hands. The sewing looks messy and the ends are frayed but you can't help but feel immensely proud of yourself.

You carefully put it on. Its a bit small on some places but you were right, it does look good on you.

You remember that leather can be dyed. You wonder how you'd look in a jacket.

You ramble a bit on which colors would look best on you, and you're glad you kept some of the sheep so you have more wool later.

Maybe you could even make a flower farm for more dye?

You nearly jump out of your skin when you look out the window to at least thirty cows staring straight at you.

...At least you can get the leather now.

[wish-incorrect-quotes]

Fairy Godmother Practice: Chapter 6

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 7

On an afternoon when she found herself with nothing else she needed to do, Asha decided it would be a good idea to head to the castle’s courtyard and get in a bit of target practice. Because as it turned out, magic sometimes liked to go swirling all over the place if you weren’t careful with it. And as much as it could be beautiful to see the sky filled with trails of magic flowing through the air, she figured she should also know how to keep it a bit more contained, in case she needed to use it in crowded areas. So after borrowing a few pots and pans from the kitchens and scattering them around a few random places on the stone floors, she was working on aiming from far away and making sure her powers hit only the thing she was aiming at.

As focused as she was on her makeshift training range, she hadn’t noticed another person walking through the area, until her wand sent a blast of magic that collided against Safi’s shoulder and burst into a cloud of sparkles with a soft poof.

He sneezed, and a few of the eggs in his basket went tumbling out.

“I got it!” Asha called out. With a hurried flick of her wand, her magic rushed to catch the eggs before they could hit the ground.

Safi gave an appreciative smile as the eggs floated gently back into the basket, with not even a sign of a crack. “Nice catch! Sorry if I interrupted your practice.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. That was even better training for keeping on my toes.” She assured him. “Anyway, it’s my fault for not spotting you there. You alright?”

He nodded, but sniffed a few times and swiped a sleeve against his nose. “I’m fine. I guess it’s just that magic dust is still dust.”

He let out another sneeze, and Asha reached out to help him brush off the few remaining sparkles clinging to his scarf.

“I’ll try and watch where I’m aiming more carefully.” She promised.

Even if she hadn’t gotten the hang of everything yet, Safi was glad they had Asha instead of the old system. Even before they fully understood all the problems it caused, he'd been getting pretty worried about it He still wasn’t sure exactly what he would have done if there hadn't been a change before his eighteenth birthday arrived.

“Hey, um… since you’re learning about the whole fairy godmother thing, do you think you could tell me something about wishes?” He decided to ask.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Well, I was thinking that everyone must have more than just one thing they want, right? So I was wondering… do you know if you get to pick what’s your wish and what’s just another thing that might be nice?”

Asha was quiet for a few moments, apparently thinking it over carefully.

“That’s a good question.” She said, her brow furrowed with thought. “I guess I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think it’s something you really choose. I think it’s just something your heart kinda knows, even if your head tries to tell you something else.”

Safi's shoulders slumped, and he didn’t look very reassured by the answer. “Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just… I don’t think my wish was gonna be what it should have been.”

Her expression furrowed even further. “Safi, no one gets to tell you what your wish should be. It’s about what matters to you.”

“I know, but…”

He trailed off, and didn’t seem to know how to finish the thought.

“I think everyone figured you’d want to wish away all your allergies.” Asha mentioned.

 “Yeah, that would’ve been a good wish.” He replied, though there wasn’t much enthusiasm behind his voice.

“… that wasn’t what you really wanted to wish for, was it?”

Safi shrugged. Honestly, he didn’t mind it all that much if he had a sensitive nose. Or at least, he didn’t mind it nearly enough to put it before other things he could wish for. Though he still felt like maybe it should be his wish. Then he wouldn’t get in the way, or be a bother other people had to worry about.

“Do you want to tell me what your wish really is?” Asha asked. “Maybe it’s something I could help with.”

“Actually, you kinda already did.”

“Really? What was it?”

He glanced away with a small, embarrassed laugh. “It was silly.”

“I don’t think any wish is silly.” Asha insisted. “If it made you happier than anything else, you’re allowed to think it’s important, no matter what it is.”

“Well, alright… I wanted to hug a chicken.” He admitted, slightly reluctant at first, but he was quickly growing more excited to talk about it. “I mean, I could already hug them before, but I meant more like a really big hug. They’re just so soft and fluffy!”

To his relief, Asha smiled but didn’t burst out laughing at him.

“I’m glad you got your wish, then. Guess that makes it one of the first ones I helped out with.”

“Yeah, I guess so!” He cheerfully agreed. “But I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do now. I guess I pick a new one to work on? Though I’m not really sure what yet.”

Suddenly, an idea popped into Asha’s head. She might not be able to tell Safi what wish to pursue next (knowing him, it wouldn't surprise her if it was going to be another one involving chickens), but she could still provide a bit of help along the way.

“Hold your breath.” She instructed.

“What are you-”

Caught off guard, Safi had just enough time to clamp a hand over his nose before Asha sent a swirl of magic his way. He felt a light weight form against his shoulder, and when the twinkling lights faded and he could trust himself to breathe the air again, he found himself wearing a small knapsack. It appeared to be filled with something, and he opened it up to find it stuffed to the brim with clean tissues.

“That ought to get you started while you figure out the next wish.” Asha explained.

Judging from how pleased he looked, maybe what he had needed most at the moment was to know that his friends already liked him the way he was.

[willing-but-not-able]

So, Tears of the Kingdom didn't exactly hit the mark in the story department. I'm glad I'm not alone as I usually am in these cases.

So, after some consideration, I decided to try rewriting the story right after I finished it a whole 200 hours after

I already did this exact same thing with Pokemon Sword and Shield, but just plotted the whole thing out and never wrote any of it because I figured no one reads my shit lol so I'm just going to do the same here, plot out what I feel would have been better and probably never write it... Unless you guys really like it and give me some support/motivation, seriously a comment goes a long way.

Anyways, I'm also writing a origin story for Ganon since he's bae a really unique Ganon but he was watered down to an OOT clone, lame 😒

! Major Spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom !

You have been warned.

So, the beginning of the game isnt going to start inside Hyrule castle. Instead, this is roughly five years after BOTW and Zelda and Link are traveling around on yet another job Zelda is fixated on. She asks Link to join her in exploring Hyrule to find a suitable place for a school.

The Calamity just wasn't a thing in totk and that doesn't make any sense if it was an event that just happened. I wanted it to at least be mentioned and be a major thing affecting Hyrule even now, years later.

After a leisure stroll to some of the more major and centralized locations, Zelda settles on Hateno, but she also wants to find a good teacher. Someone who knows about Hyrule's history, is heavily involved in their present affairs, and will be in their future events 🤔💭😮

A Sheikah!

So, Zelda asks you to find someone from Karakiko village who would fit the bill. A short tutorial trip later and now everything is in order.

Zelda then gives Link a few other tasks:

Find a carpenter to build the school

Travel out to Lurelin Village to become more acquainted with the growing sea village

And to get some food for a mysterious request.

Link, of course, doesn't have to do the top two, but the last one is a main mission. After getting 10 apples, some honey and making a meal, Link returns to Zelda's home and she explains what the food was for.

Now that things are settling down, I think it's time we repair the castle. I didn't want to prioritize it in case anyone needed assistance, but things seem to be calm enough for us to start planning the castle's rebuilding. I even found the perfect companion to carry all our things!

Btw does anyone else remember a trailer where Link and Zelda had a Dondon with them? Like what tf happened to that? 😭

Anyways, this could also be a little romantic moment for Link and Zelda. I personally don't like Zelink in this game, but for those who do, something could be here, a little spark if you will.

The pair rests for the day and plan to head out right when the sun comes out. Link and Zelda make their way to the castle and try and assess the damage and what work would need to be done. In doing so, Zelda finds a strange hole that seems to connect somewhere. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she slips down to check it out, with no way out, Link joins her in an attempt to help them escape.

They travel down the stairs and find the grave of Hyrule's first King and wonder what the slab means by the castle acting as a seal.

Now here is where I would put the beginning of the game. Everything can happen like it does with no changes. This includes the Great Sky island as well.

So, once Link finds a way back to the surface, he sees that things are different than what he remembers. The strange stones falling from the sky are a sight for sure. He heads over to the nearest stable and the owner explains what's going on.

I know it's been a while, but this stuff should be fresh in all our minds. Well, I still don't see how I'm even used to it. The Upheaval--as those researchers call it--was some strange event that occured and lifted Hyrule Castle straight into the sky and made those islands appear as well. I don't know much more than that, but those researchers set up a temporary base camp near the castle, they're the ones who would know more than I do.

The Upheaval just seems to have been an event that no one cares about. They're like "lol yeah that happened, but you wanna hear about Pony Points!??!!"

Link, informed of what's going on, makes his way to find out more and travels to the base camp. There, everyone is still shook that he's alive and everything that happened. He meets up with Purah and she explains her and Robbie discovered some strange entries and features in the Sheikah slate. As a result, with how much it was heavily modified, they decided to rename it to the Sheikah Pad. Yes, I'm not a fan of the name Purah Pad.

This strange text seems to have just appeared here. I can't read it, but there's a man who can possibly decipher it. Too bad I've been busy trying to go and ask for his help.

Why not let me do it? <

Of course I thought of you, but both you and Zelda were missing. I was more concerned with keeping that on a need to know basis.

Zelda is missing? <

Yeah, you both just disappeared and since you were heading to the castle, we came here to see if you would return. Anyways, now that you're back, it would be a really big help if you could take this to Kakariko Village. There's a man named Tauro there who could probably figure out what any of this means.

Then, The Thunderhead Isles quest gets placed here like normal. The four corners of Hyrule aren't affected by anything yet, no Blizzard Rito village, infected Gorons, Mucked Zora's domain or Sand Shrouded Gerudo Desert. I'll explain why later.

Link is then introduced to Mineru, the sage of spirit, who introduces him to the Tears ('cause secret stones is a kind of dumb name with the game being called Tears of the Kingdom) and the power they hold when given to a sage. She then goes on to explain her history to Link and that they man they met was most likely Ganondorf, the Demon King.

In my time, me and five other sages attempted to defeat him... But he was too strong and easily lay waste to us. However, the sage of Light devised a plan and you are at the center of that plan. Together with the Master Sword and the Sages power, we should be able to finally defeat the Demon King!

Mineru gives Link the task of finding the other Sages, that she will be right by his side if he needs any guidance.

I'm changing when you get Mineru because the "true ending" of the game makes it like I'm supposed to care Mineru moves on. Like, I just met her and have little to no attachment. She's no Navi, Midna, Tatal, Spirit Zelda, Ezlo, Lineback, or King of Red Lions. They needed to give her more significance in the plot if they wanted me to care about her.

She does have something she needs him to do, but that can wait. She explains the different races of the Sages and tells him to find someone with great prowess within those races.

It's clear who Link needs to look for.

I wanna make a small note here. I honestly want to make the gameplay reliant in a certain order, for ex. doing Gorondia would be much easier if you already have Sidon, Gerudo Desert and The Lightening Temple would be easier with Tulin. Just so their near useless abilities could have more use. 'Cause we all know Tulin is useless unless you're in the air. I would have just liked it if the puzzles were more complicated and were harder without a certain sage there to make it 100x easier.

Link returns to Purah and details what he learned to her.

Well that couldn't have come at a worse time.

What do you mean? <

I mean, everywhere is experiencing mass events and it seemed to come straight out of nowhere. I don't know if you'll be able to get their help while these strange phenomenons are going on. Maybe if you help them first, we can go forward with this plan after.

So, in no particular order, Link sets out to help the four corners of Hyrule.

Now, I'm going to pause here and talk about the game progression for a moment. As much as I love the depths, it serves no purpose other than to hide Ganon away. Josha and her quests can all be sequence broken to hell considering I found every place she wanted me to go to years before she told me about them, and I even ignored the "Master Koga" quest and found Ganon entirely by accident (I'll never forget that btw, it was too funny). So, I wasn't sure what to do with it. I understand it's there so the story doesn't seem to pop out of nowhere; but with the way it is, it just seem poorly added to be sure the players can actually find Ganon if they didn't jump inside the Hyrule Castle Chasm like my crackhead ass did.

I really figured to have the depths give us more backstory on Ganon. My original original idea actually involved us playing three different stories (Link- the Main one, Zelda- the adjacent one, and Ganon- the opposite one) so if they're not gonna give us Ganon as something more than just the big bad villain guy, then this is the best I can think to add. The depths would serve as a way for you to learn more about the world Ganon lived in as there doesn't seem to be any Gerudo Statues so I could imagine Hyrule was like "ya'll hoes are evil. Gerudo who?" And that might have sent Ganon into a frenzy. Also, I'll add something at the bottom about Zelda's part. Back to the main story 👋

Link is successful in awakening the sages and getting them on board to defeat Ganon; but they're missing two. Mineru did say there were five including herself, but they only make up four.

This is what I needed your help with, Link. I'm a spirit and would serve you no good in this state. However, I was developing a body that I can control even in this form I'm in. Please, you have to find where the Construct Factory is and find my invention. This way, I can fight along side you all.

Note, I think Mineru's construct body is actual 🗑. I really only use it to break ore deposits and to reach crap that's too high. She's just too clunky and slow to be functional, so I thought of this instead. You would still collect each part (however you wanted too. Either one after each sage or all at once after all the sages) and these parts attach to Link. Her legs would allow Link to fall without damage (ik she can do that already, but you can't really fall with her. She just slides until a safe distance off the ground) and her arms would act as a power bracelet replacement allowing him to lift much heavier things he normally couldn't. What heavier things you ask, idk, maybe the devs should have the gimmick of the game actually apart of the gameplay instead of just in the open world.

Link descends in the depths and manages to find the place Mineru kept a secret from Ganon. Collecting the final sage.

They were still nowhere close to defeating him as the Light Sage was nowhere to be found and the Master Sword was still missing.

From high in the sky, a roar shook the earth forcing them look at the source. No matter how far away they were the sad feeling washed over Link as he stared into the sky seeing the strangely colored dragon.

A overwhelming feeling overcame him and before his very eyes he saw tears fall from the sky. Why was the dragon crying? Were those tears for the struggling Kingdom? There was only one way to find out.

For the Geoglyphs, I would just rewrite them entirely, half of them felt useless to get and like they didn't add anything I'm looking at you tea party. One of my main issues was Ganon saying Rauru was arrogant but like, we haven't seen that at all sooo... Anyways, if anyone wants to see how I would rewrite them, feel free to comment or reblog and write your own rewrites, I'd love to see them.

Link manages to find all the Geoglyphs and sees all the hardship Zelda had to face on her own. He gets one hint though and that's the lost woods.

That part would be the exact same, and lead to the Great Deku Tree telling you where the Master sword is.

In finding a way up to the light dragon, he discovers the Master sword and pulls it out. As Link does so, the dragon writhes in pain fighting against the feeling of the sword being removed. Though, soon, it calms and Link pulls out the sword releasing one final tear from the dragon.

You must protect them all!

Now, it's just to find where Ganon is. He's been hiding away this entire time, where was he?

You all talked about something called the Calamity?

Yes, I can't be sure, but it seems the man you all refer to is the same man born as our King years ago.

Strange that he has been reborn once already, but the form I know him is different than the one you all battled. If that's so, it's safe to assume he still resides in the place where he was sealed, only disturbed by the Calamity I would assume.

Mineru's assumptions seemed to be their only lead, so with everything together, Link travels into the Hyrule Castle Chasm and finds himself in the heart of the gloom.

At this point, the ending can play the exact same. Now, at least to me, the ending feels much more satisfying now that we're led into a path that allows us to feel strongly towards defeating Ganon cuz for me, totk didn't give a good enough reason--or a reason at all--for me to kill Ganon.

~Fin~

So, here's my final revisions to improve everything.

Rauru is a very strange character. He's the equivalent of a God and yet doesn't explain why he and his sister just drop to earth and take the throne. He's "arrogant" despite no scene of that ever being present and he does seem to be hiding something but the game cuts off before we can explore that. I think Rauru and Sonia shouldn't have been romantic lovers, but simply married for political gain. It makes their strangely forced romantic interactions make more sense (and come on political marriage was common in those times)

Raru should have been the "gray area" good guy. Ignoring Zelda when she tries to bring up legitimate concerns, dismissing Sonia when he feels there's nothing more to talk about and thinking his way is the best way to handle things. I don't mean for him to be a giant asshole, but he could simply not want to talk about things "until later" and later means it probably won't happen ever. That way Rauru could have the plot point that Ganon feels Rauru's laid-back mentality isn't how a king--or God--should act. So when push comes to shove, Ganon chose to shove. Exposing Rauru and his folly. This would make him less of an idiotic ruler who seems to have little to no urgency about an event he was told will happen.

Ganon had soooo much missed potential. Not only did we miss the chance to have him as an ally/anti-hero, but we missed the chance to get real backstory over how Ganon came to be how he is. I don't think the excuse of "he has evil in his heart" can work with a person who called someone arrogant. Ganon clearly has idealism and not knowing where it comes from kind of sucks. Also, he just was chilling in a hole when he could have come out and tried to kill me any time Misko distracted me with a bottle. Just sayin' 🤷

He just needed some characterization somewhere in the game and since the depths have the different tunics, maybe Ganon's history is preserved down there as well

As for Zelda, I have no idea why she just isn't being more assertive with mentioning that maybe, just maybe Calamity Ganon is related to the same man she says has evil in his heart. There's no need to "keep him close" because it's canon that he's evil, Zelda already knows Rauru. Listen to her start planning already 👏👏

Alongside this, her "sacrifice" held no impact because I 1. Already found out she was the light dragon way before I even did the Geoglyphs, and 2. Stopped caring when I found out ItS iRrEveRsIbLe. I guess Sonia and Rauru missed that one. Zelda just needed to keep the matured tone she had from the end of BOTW

To end things, let me say this rewrite is not saying the game is horrible. Totk is actually a favorite of mine, but it's my favorite because of what I can obviously see is there, but isn't reaching for one reason or another. This game's story is trying its hardest to be something, but it can't quite become what it wants to be.

I hope this game can find its Light Dragon someday.

If you read all of this, thanks. If I managed to five you something to do for a few minutes, I'm happy you got even that out of it ☺

Again, thanks for reading and Hyrule is awaiting you

[ceph-the-ghost-writer]

Wednesday Writing Log Aug. 30

Word Count Roundup

Phagophobia: 40,193

The Primrose Path: 7,591

Last Week's Targets

✓ Finish sketching out final chapters of Phagophobia

✓ Write a little bit of Primrose Path

New Week's Goals

Continue writing final chapters of Phagophobia (finish if possible)

Start learning how to make one of those Neocities sites we've heard so much about

Bonus: Write a little more Primrose Path just because

Rambles and excerpt below the cut

The end is nigh. Or, well, something that vaguely looks like a conclusion is. It's enough closure for me to feel satisfied that I can go back to rewriting Apophenia/Phagophobia anyway.

Even in their fragmented states both stories combined are now just over 50k in words. I'm expecting that to grow in future drafts to maybe 65k-75k. Enough to call it a novel. Eventually.

But that's jumping ahead again. After I write down the rough final chapter(s), I have to go back and outline a new draft. For realsies this time. Normally, I outline a few chapters, get excited, start writing, then everything falls apart because new ideas pop up. This time, though...this time I'm going to outline from beginning to end. Will things still shift unexpectedly while I'm writing? Undoubtedly. But I'm going to have to grit my teeth, go back to the outline, and see how that affects things when changes pop up. It goes against my pantser nature, but if I ever want to self-publish something in an official capacity...I need a plan to get there.

As for The Primrose Path, I decided to just jump around as far as scenes go. I have no set plot for this one yet aside from "Sun Priest meets Death Deity and they fight/kiss about the state of their world a lot". There's something in there about Shadyrus no longer wanting to be a god--the job kinda sucks actually, and they're smart enough to realize it. The trick is finding out how all this fits into the worldbuilding/cosmology.

Looks like I'm going to need another outline.

If you've made it this far, have a snippet:

Despite the lack of any other living soul, the grassy area above hadn’t grown wild. A slim path of white bricks, swept clean and only slightly mossy, snaked its way further in. Belly full of dread but heart driven by determination, Ân followed it to a small, crumbling stone temple. A storm or maybe just age had sent a large tree branch crashing into the roof, caving half of it in. Vines dripping with bell-shaped white flowers were busy pulling down the walls. The anxiety that had been poisoning him for weeks drained from Ân. This? This collapsing hovel was the symbol of Shadyrus’s glory? He could demolish what remained with a few good kicks. “Welcome, illuminator. We’ve been expecting you.” Ân tensed at the crackling rasp in the otherwise mild voice. One that spoke Heaven’s Speech just as naturally as he did. He directed a glare at the figure in white robes he caught leaning against the wall by the arched (and doorless) entryway. This revenant had once been a man old enough to be a grandfather. Its jaw and cheeks were coated in a close-cropped gray and white beard. A crown woven from the wall’s small flowers sat atop its soft cloud of similarly pale hair. Despite the creases in its skin, the creature’s back and shoulders remained straight and strong, letting it tower over Ân. “I take it your god is somewhere in this heap then?” he said, refusing to be intimidated. With its lids half-closed over eyes gone the same blue as the sky, the revenant took on a dreamy look when it smiled. “Shadyrus is waiting for you below, yes.” His heart gave a nasty lurch. “Below?” “Take the winding stairs behind the altar. They go down into the vaults.”

[multishipper-baby]

ANYWAY I finished with my Freddami playlist analysis, with a small breakdown of all the songs and what I think makes them fit into their dynamic, chronologically. Sorry if it's kind of long.

Short Skirt / Long Jacket

Freddy's POV. This one is pretty self explanatory: it's a song about what Freddy likes in Cami upon first meeting her, especially in the first verse ("I want a girl with a mind like a diamond; I want a girl who knows what's best; I want a girl with shoes that cut; and eyes that burn like cigarettes"). 

It's meant to be a setup for the relationship, a first impression that isn't too deep for Cami's character since he hasn't actually gotten to know her yet, but gives the idea of what about her gets his attention and what kind of girl he thinks she is. 

Hero 

Cami's POV. This is her side of falling in love, once they've actually gotten closer and she's started to get to know Freddy as a person. Their time together starts to make her open up slowly, feeling like she can let down her guard around him even if she's still afraid of the sort of intimacy that entails. After all, what if she's wrong about him? ("Few things I really have to know; Before I go and let you in: Don't wanna be irrational; And make the same mistakes again).

And as she starts feeling safer with him, she begans to wonder... Does she really need to follow Owynn's plan? Is it necessary to hurt Freddy? But of course, she can't just up and leave Owynn, not without consequences- but Freddy has been such a good friend to her. Maybe he'd help her, if she helped him. Maybe they can save each other ("If I was your hero, would you be mine?" & "But if I were to save you, would you do the same?").

Blue Tuesday

Cami's POV. Ultimately, however, Cami doesn't trust herself enough to tell the truth- and so Owynn's plans are being finalized, with Freddy none the wiser about what awaits him. She tries to spend these last moments with him as she grows more and more guilty, desperately wishing she could stop what's going to happen, but feeling like it's too late for that ("Face to face and your hand in my hand; There's nothing left, we're just blurring waves").

As the sky grows dark and it becomes late, Freddy keeps telling her he needs to go home and she should do the same, but Cami insists on just a few more minutes each time- until Freddy finally dips, happily reminding her that he'll see her at school tomorrow, leaving Cami alone with one last hug and a huge inner turmoil ("Listen, you have, could I ask you to stay?; Our bodies intertwined, afreyed").

Meteor Shower 

Both POV. This song is for the reveal- when Freddy first figures out that Cami has been helping Owynn and sabotaging not only him, but his whole team and all his classmates. Cami is grappling with her guilt over what she's done, Freddy is confused and hurt, everything's a mess ("I've got miles of regrets and confusing friends" & "There's nothing you or I can do so let the stars fall; 'Cause from up here the sky's my thoughts and we're all so small"). 

Also this isn't really analytical but I really like the lyrics "I'd sell my own bones for sapphire stones; 'Cause blue's your favorite color" for them. Big headcanon of mine that Cami loves Freddy's eyes and that leads to her having blue as a favorite color... Yeah it's cliché, no I don't care. 

Honey 

Freddy's POV, once he learns just how far Cami went while working for Owynn- hypnotizing his friends for evil deeds, messing with everyone's teams, getting close to him just to use him. He's fully awake to what she's done, and Cami doesn't hide behind lies anymore ("I am going sleepless; and you're out of lullabies"). 

He's confused and hurt, of course, especially since his friends are at risk. But, despite all the lies, he's convinced their relationship is still meaningful. That even if Cami wasn't fully honest, she still opened up to him and, in the end, is seeking him out to rectify her mistakes. So he's willing to give her another chance, one to use her knowledge for good and help him against whatever Owynn's plan is ("Always turning back to you; Till you never let me down; Loving your illusions; Staring at a crooked ground).

Bother With Me 

Both of their POVs, just at different points of the story. First from Freddy's POV- between his whole deal with Fred (and how he can be with girls), general shadow bullshit going on around him and other insecurities, he feels like he's less than someone like Cami deserves. He wants a relationship with her, and he doesn't want to pull away, but wonders if she'll actually want to bother with him if she knows all that he's got going on ("I guess I should warn ya what you already know; My memory is hazy; I break before I admit that something's wrong; But here in your room, by your window with the view; It's hard not to sit and picture myself with you").

Then later on, once Freddy finds out about Cami's involvement with Owynn, it changes to be her POV. She wants to apologize and make amends, but knows that she hurt him badly and she doesn't think she deserves a second chance, even as Freddy continues to spend time with her ("I don't wanna be so stubborn and so undercover; Is my apology a liability?; I don't want to make an offer if you don't wanna bother with me). 

Superstar

Cami's POV. This song is about them coming back together after everything they've gone through. Despite the betrayal and the hurt, Freddy manages to forgive her, and they cultivate their relationship yet again, this time without anything to get between them. Now she can be fully honest with him and not worry about the consequences of getting attached- she trusts him. No specific lyrics to pick here, they're all a perfect fit. 

La Seine And I

Both their POVs. Kind of a summary song! It goes through how Freddy felt upon first meeting Cami ("She's resplendent, so confident; I realize I'm hypnotized" &"I hear the Moon singing a tune; Is she divine? Is the wine"), then to Cami realizing that Freddy makes her feel safe and begins to see him as the way to get out of Owynn's control ("I feel alive when I'm beside; From this angle like an angel"), then about how they saved each other in the end and Freddy was able to forgive her betrayal ("Upon the Bridge; My heart does beat; Between the waves; We will be saved; The air we breathe, can you believe?; Learn to forgive, upon the bridge).

Also I should mention that this song is from the movie A Monster in Paris, which is great, and I think I deserve a Freddami AU of that song. Preferably with trans girl Freddy as Lucille (I know Lucille doesn't end up with Francoeur in the movie... But I don't care. My AU, my ships). 

Thank you if you read all this, and hope you've been indoctrinated into shipping Freddami with me.

Quick the mutuals are sleeping- drop the Freddami playlist.

Tracklist:

Superstar by MARINA

Honey by The Hush Sound

La Seine And I by Vanessa Paradis and Sean Ono Lennon

Blue Tuesday by Francis of Delirium

Hero by Faouzia

Short Skirt / Long Jacket by CAKE

Meteor Shower by Cavetown

Bother With Me by Charli Adams

[fandomlit]

neutral, chap. 4 (dream smp x reader)

series summary (in game!au) when an exiled tommy finally rebels against a manipulative dream, he finds safety in neutral territory, a place owned and guarded by you. staying in your safe haven opens up the younger one’s eyes to your way of life, while also revealing your deeper past before neutral; a past that involved a war for your love.

chapter summary after waking from a taunting nightmare, tommy expels some late night energy on some wandering mobs. you give him another lesson about taking care of himself, even when working hard, and tommy asks if you’ll teach him archery, which, of course, doesn’t go without entertainment.

warnings nightmares, mob killing

previous | series masterlist | next

gif cred belongs to @halcyoncraft

he was running again. he didn’t know where or from what, but his legs carried him far and strongly, weaving him through trees and grass and other obstacles along the way. he didn’t know how in danger he was, but he wasn’t going to stop and find out.

then he tripped.

when he flipped onto his back, it was that goddamn mask staring down at him, the lips just under it laughing, “you’re so weak, tommy! did you do anything while you were in neutral?” then his axe came down and tommy braced himself for the pain and release of death.

he woke up instead.

sweating under his covers, tommy sucked in a harsh breath as he sat up. he threw the soft cotton off of him, running a warm hand down his face. it was just a dream; he was safe in neutral.

looking out of the window next to him, he saw the moon still high in the sky, casting a cool light into his bedroom. dream’s words rang through his head like a bell, and he rubbed at his temples with a sigh. was he actually getting weak? was relaxing such a bad thing? at the very least, some part of him must have thought so to conjure a nightmare like that..

with another sigh, tommy lifted himself out of bed and flipped open the ender chest. he drew out his sword before heading to the main floor of the house.

when he reached the bottom of the stairs, a voice called out to him, “tommy?” his heart nearly stopped for a moment, before peeking into the kitchen and realizing it was just y/n. she sat in candlelight, writing in a small journal with a slice of half-eaten pumpkin pie next to her. “are you alright?”

“yeah,” he breathed, his voice still heavy with sleep. “just gonna go kill some mobs.”

she nodded. she looked tired, and a part of tommy felt bad knowing that she was most definitely going to wait for him to return. “okay. have at it, kid.”

he nodded, turning to leave the kitchen. before he did so, he pursed his lips and looked over his shoulder to y/n. “you should go to bed.”

she gave him a smile, scribbling something down in the small journal. “i will, tommy. just gotta finish this up..” his natural curiosity was drawn to the small book, and he almost asked y/n what she was writing. but then dream’s voice rang through his mind again, and tommy silently headed for the doors of the house.

the night air was refreshing on his warm skin, cool and still as the moon illuminated the frontal beauty of neutral territory. he took a deep, calming breath of that crisp air before focusing on the task at hand: proving to himself that dream was wrong. that dream is always wrong.

after about twenty zombies, ten spiders, countless creepers, and a few endermen, tommy finally felt the burn in his arms become nearly too much to bear. he panted as he struck down one last spider, turning and finally deciding to return back to the comfort of y/n’s home.

he sheathed his sword when he finally entered the house, going straight to the kitchen to see that y/n was still awake and writing in her small journal.

“ready to go to bed?” he asked gruffly.

she looked up slowly before nodding, placing her quill down and capping her ink. “any trouble out there?”

“no,” he spoke, shaking his head. “wrote everything you needed to?” y/n blew out her candle and went to join the boy in the doorway to the kitchen.

“as much as i could, anyway,” she shrugged, smiling lazily as they began to walk toward the stairs. “what was your nightmare about?”

tommy was slightly startled, but a little too tired to react drastically to y/n’s deduction. “how’d you know i had a nightmare?”

“i’ve had them before,” she said simply. “and it seemed natural that you’d expel some energy onto mobs after such a thing.”

“you’re smart,” tommy credited.

“thank you,” y/n yawned.

they continued to climb the stairs in silence as tommy considered his words. “i was being hunted by dream again, but this time you weren’t there to save me. he called me weak and killed me.”

“so you wanted to prove to yourself that despite allowing yourself peace, you didn’t have to sacrifice your strength to get there,” y/n summed.

the boy half-smiled. she was spot on, as always. “exactly,” tommy breathed. 

y/n was silent for a moment as she thought. they stopped at the hallway to tommy’s room and it then occurred to tommy’s tired mind that her room was downstairs; she was walking with him because she cared about him. 

“honestly, tommy, if this is a real concern for you, then there is no harm in taking time out of your day to work out and train,” y/n spoke. “but the most important thing is to recognize when enough is enough, and when enough becomes too much. you’ve allowed yourself peace and care for the last two weeks, and achieving such a state doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fighting or training; it just means that you need to be more aware and in tune with yourself as you’re doing it.” tommy nodded.

“don’t overwork yourself, is the summary here,” she said, picking a cobweb off of his shirt. “let yourself do the things you want, but make sure it’s not wearing you down. that’s taking care of yourself.”

“alright,” tommy spoke quietly. “thank you, y/n.”

“of course, kid,” she smiled. “get some sleep, alright? if you have another nightmare you’re free to bother me.” tommy nodded again. “good night, tommy.”

“good night, y/n,” he yawned as she turned to head down to her room. he made sure he heard her door shut before finally heading to his own room.

...

“can you teach me archery?” tommy questioned the next morning at breakfast. it was a question that had bugged him since y/n had first revealed her skills just a few days prior, and since he was going to start training, he figured that might be a good place to start.

“sure,” she chuckled as she scooped some more fruit onto his nearly half-eaten plate of french toast.

“why the laugh?” he questioned through a mouthful of berries.

she shrugged to herself. “your curiosity is showing.”

“i’ve been wondering about it since you took out the mob,” tommy admitted. “if i want to get stronger.. i think this is a good way to.”

“perfecting a skill is the perfect way to get stronger,” y/n voiced. “of course i’ll teach you, kid.” she smiled and he turned back to his breakfast with his own grin. “finish up your food and meet me in the basement; we gotta get you a bow first.”

tommy hadn’t been in the basement of the house yet. he opened the heavy, dusty trapdoor and assumed y/n didn’t go down their often either. he slid down the ladder easily and was immediately hit with heat.

y/n had a welding station upstairs in her shop area, but the basement had a more broad and intense version of that area. several anvils, all cracked and rusted and adorned with different materials were scattered in a sort of pattern amongst the space, a fire burning high in a fireplace at the far side of the room. seeing no sign of y/n, tommy moved to the room to his left.

the next room held a large nether portal, as well as a small farm for netherwart. the dark room felt empty to him, and he had to remind himself that he was in fact in y/n’s house still. he remembered she had said that she didn’t like going to the nether.

“i’m in here, tommy!” she called out. he took another left into a small storage room, where y/n was rustling through a chest. “how tall are you, kid?”

“6’1”,” he answered.

y/n smiled. “you’re a lot taller than i’ll ever be.” she took out a pretty oak bow, slightly scratched and obviously old. “you’ll have to use this for now, until i can make you one that’s your size.” he took the bow from her hands, shrugging.

“it’s fine.”

“good,” she hummed, still shuffling through the chest as tommy took the time to look around the small room.

“what’re the dispensers for?” tommy asked, staring at the wall that held the three stone tools.

“im nothing if not prepared, tommy,” y/n spoke as she took out a quiver and began to fill it with arrows for him. “in case of emergency, those dispensers will set off flares to let others know that im in trouble or that neutral is in danger.”

tommy nodded, still looking at the obviously unused dispensers. “smart.”

“i hope so,” she sighed, handing him the quiver of arrows. he strapped it around himself as she continued, “let’s just hope i never have to use them, yeah?”

“yeah,” he chuckled. she gave him a smile, hoisting her bow higher in her grip.

“you ready to shoot some things?”

...

“relax your shoulders,” y/n reminded. tommy did so, his fingers still white with effort against the taut string of the bow. “don’t pull so hard, tommy. you’re shaking.” he sighed as he let the string and arrow go limp, lowering his bow as y/n approached him closer.

it was his second day of archery training, and he was still missing nearly every target. y/n was a calm and collected teacher, offering him advice that was pointed directly for him and reassured him that there was no rush in the learning process. but after missing fifteen or so shots in a row, tommy was getting frustrated.

and it didn’t help with sapnap and george staring at him through the kitchen windows.

“doin’ great, kid,” sapnap encouraged weakly, taking a drink of the lemonade y/n had lovingly prepared for the boys. just watching the older man sip made tommy’s mouth dry, but he was determined to make five shots in a row before taking a break.

tommy glared at the man before turning his gaze back to his mentor. “ignore him, tommy,” y/n spoke gently. “nick couldn’t hit a target if it was three paces away.”

“that’s a lie!”

“im kidding,” y/n laughed, placing a hand on tommy’s shoulder and turning him away from the distraction that was sapnap. “but seriously, there’s almost always going to be someone watching when you shoot. the more you can tune them out, the better. just focus on your aim--and make sure your grip is looser. you’re gonna snap that string in no time otherwise.”

“loose grip, focus on aim,” tommy breathed and she patted his shoulder as he turned back to the target ahead of him. he hoisted the bow up slowly and pulled the string back just enough that it wasn’t fully taut. he made sure his aim was a little higher than his target, and released the whizzing arrow. the arrow pierced just outside of the center ring.

“perfect,” y/n smiled. “now, do it again.” and he did, taking another deep breath and allowing himself to focus in on the feel of the rough wood on his fingertips, and the tight string he was pulling. the arrow hit just beside his last. she nodded encouragingly. “keep going.”

tommy could feel his heart start to thump in his chest from the excitement of his accurate aim. he took another calming breath and watched as the arrow lodged closer to the center.

“great aim,” she complimented and he grinned as he pulled another one back, trying to contain his shaking as he aimed. the arrow shot lower than his previous, but on the target nonetheless. “still a good shot. one more?”

“yeah,” tommy nodded, licking his dry lips as he retrieved another arrow from his quiver. heart still thumping with utter excitement and pride at y/n complimentary words, he quickly released the arrow and his smile dropped as the arrow lodged into the ground before the target.

“hey, that’s fine!” y/n assured as tommy groaned and dropped his head. “four in a row is an amazing improvement, tommy. you should take a break and reward yourself.”

tommy sighed, looking to the shameful arrow. “yeah. alright.” he dropped the bow to the ground along with his quiver. he looked to his slightly splintered fingers. “im gonna go.. wash up.”

“alright,” y/n smiled as tommy scampered away. she entered into the open kitchen, smiling at her guests. “you boys doing alright?”

they nodded. “when did you take up parenting, y/n?” george giggled. she rolled her eyes as she went to pour her and tommy their own glasses of lemonade. “no, seriously! you care for that kid a lot, it-it’s not a bad thing!”

she sighed, leaning against her counter as she sipped at her lemonade. “i know you two haven’t always agreed with him in the past, but i think tommy’s a good kid. i like his ethic, and i think he has a lot of potential. but that being said..” she shook her head. “he’s so young.” the boys nodded. “he’s been thrown into such a life of chaos and destruction, and im not saying he’s at all innocent, but.. i think it’s good for him to learn that there’s more to this world than just war and enemies. there’s...”

“neutral,” sapnap finished for her. she let out a laugh.

“yeah, neutral,” she agreed, tapping her fingers against her cold glass. “but, yeah, if teaching him peace and self care is motherly of me..” she shrugged. “then i guess im alright with being a parent.”

“that’s sweet,” sapnap nodded. “i hate it.” the three of them laughed, y/n laying a light slap on the man’s arm before tommy’s voice called out to her.

“y/n! can i have some help?”

“im coming!” she called back, setting down her glass of lemonade.

“go help your poor son,” george teased, resting his head in his hand as he gazed at y/n amusedly. she rolled her eyes.

“behave, you two,” she laughed before leaving the kitchen.

there was a moment of silence before george spoke, “i do think it’s quite sweet how y/n’s taken tommy in. i think it’s good for both of them.”

“you say that now,” sapnap sighed, leaning back in his chair. “but just wait until tommy’s back to feeling 100% and y/n’s going around saying “pog” all the time.”

tag list!! @vanhakirja @victory-is-here @inkyynki @airiour @sylum @kiritokunuwu @221bee-slytherin @bllatrixcarpnter @soullesstaco @stxrryb1tch @amibismexy @keiarma @akaichi-blog @runningoffofcaffeine @nonetookind @aquilla-favonia @feverish-dove @izuruamme @weeb-bb @bialin @justachillbisexual @kiritokunuwu @natalie-is-a-wall comment below or message me if you would like to be added <3

[theringers]

burnout pt. 1 - max verstappen

summary: a quick drink at the hotel bar with a stranger….

a/n: a small piece of this came to me in a dream and the rest was inspired by the burnout album by anarbor

pt 1/? - not sure how many but I have 3 written already

not smut …. yet lol

warnings: not much tbh, alcohol, making out, some may call this fluff?

The hotel bar was the ideal place for your sister and you to spend your evening. You were in town for a wedding last weekend but decided to stay for the week to relax and recharge, this time without your extended familiar breathing down your neck.

“I’ll take another martini please,” your sister asked the bartender, pointing to her almost-empty glass.

“I’ll have one of those as well.” You added.

Your sister looked confused. “You? Drinking?” You weren’t usually one to drink but one martini wouldn’t hurt. You were on vacation anyway and work would be right where you left it when you returned at the end of the weekend.

“I mean, happy Friday.” You laughed.

“Everyday is Friday when it’s vacation,” your sister replied. You nodded in agreement with her. Her phone began to buzz on the bar between the two of you.

“Oh, shit. I gotta take this.” Her boyfriend was calling. She grabbed her phone and walked away from the bar towards the entrance of the hotel.

“Two Lemondrops,” the bartender said, setting down two martini glasses filled with a beautiful yellow color.

You smiled and thanked the bartender. It may have been too early for drinks, but that didn’t matter. It was exactly what you needed.

Work had gotten extremely hectic at home and you needed a week to recharge your batteries.

The first sip of the martini was bitter and tart, but eventually mellowed out. You puckered your lips. The bartender looked at you confused. “Don’t like it?” He asked.

“I do,” you laughed. “I’m just not a huge drinker. I usually go for wine if I do.”

The bar was relatively empty, so you were taken back when the seat next to you became occupied. “I’ll have whatever she’s having,” the man said. You turned to look at him and admired his chiseled cheekbones quickly before he turned to smile at you.

“You can honestly just have this one,” you said, pointing to your right at your sisters full drink and empty seat. “My sister ordered it but then her boyfriend called. They’re going through some stuff so I wouldn’t expect her back any time soon.”

You picked up the glass along with the cocktail napkin it sat on and placed it in front of the stranger.

“That’s really nice of you, thank you…” he slowed, waiting for you to fill in your name. You gave him your name with a smile and asked his.

“I’m Max. Great to meet you.” He takes a sip of the martini and makes the same face you did at the first taste of the liquor.

You laughed at him. “What’s so funny?” He looked confused.

“I reacted the same way.”

“Not a huge drinker either?” He asked. You shook your head. “I usually can’t because of my job, but I’m off this weekend, thankfully.”

“I’ve just never been a big fan. What do you do for work?” You took another sip of your drink, trying to get it down. Each sip was less awful than the last.

“I drive cars.” You looked at his outfit, fully decked out in Red Bull Racing merchandise from head to toe.

“Ah, I see. That seems like any little boy’s dream job. You must love it.”

“It was my dream job, so you’re right about that. My dad was a driver as well so it’s all I ever knew.” He was finishing the drink at double the speed you were. “How about you?”

“I’m an engineer,” you smiled. You always felt a sense of pride telling people you were an engineer.

“No shit, that’s so badass.” The exact reaction you wanted. “I’m surrounded by engineers on a regular basis at the track. None of them as beautiful as you, though.”

You could feel your cheeks heat up, a combination of Max’s compliment and the alcohol starting to hit your body.

“That’s sweet of you to say. I’ve been in engineering long enough to know that they’re probably all men so at least I know you’re not lying to me.” You let out a soft giggle.

“I would offer you to come work with me but it would be unethical for me to crush on my engineer.” He winked and immediately turned back to the bartender, motioning for another round for both you and him. “You better finish that one up because there’s another one coming.”

You looked down at the half empty martini glass and shrugged. “I’ll get there.”

You peeked out the sliding glass doors of the hotel entry and saw your sister still deep in conversation. It wasn’t long until you and Max had finished three drinks together.

His company was pleasant and unlike anyone you’ve ever spent time with. He was witty, smart, and sweet.

“Before we get even drunker than we are now, do you want to go watch the sunset on the roof? I heard it’s beautiful up there.” He asked you.

“I would love that.” You smiled. You were ready to ask the bartender for the check before Max beat you to it and put all the drinks on his, including an extra for your sister for whenever she got off the phone. You asked the bartender to let your sister know where you went when he returned and he agreed.

The two of you made your way towards the elevators. As the doors opened, you went right to the wall and leaned up against it, making sure you were balanced. Max conveniently stood right next to you and curled his arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his body. He looked down at you, a significant distance between your faces due to your short stature. “I had a lot of fun with you tonight.” He said.

“Me as well. It’s almost felt like a breath of fresh air.” He smiled at your response. You could definitely agree with Max. The two of you got on so well and there was never a moment of doubt or awkwardness in your conversation.

You looked up into his eyes as he closed his, moving closer to you and pressing his lips to yours. Immediately, your hand found those cheekbones you had been admiring earlier as you kissed him back.

Your lips moved together in sync for a few more seconds before he pulled away. “I’m sorry if that was too forward-“ you stopped him.

“Not at all,” you grinned and he leaned in once again, wanting to taste you again.

You both tasted citrusy and sweet from the drinks you had consumed. His tall figure towered over you and you felt safe with his arm around your shoulder.

He pulled away again, letting his tongue glide against his bottom lip. “I’ve been thinking about doing that for the last few hours.”

“Well, I’m really glad you did.” It seemed that the what you had been feeling for Max these last few hours was mutual.

The elevator dinged and you stepped out onto the stone-floored rooftop, practically empty.

You admired the beautiful city skyline and cotton candy colors of the sky.

“Wow,” you said in awe. Your jaw hung open as you stared out. Max’s gaze was directed right at you. Nothing better than watching a beautiful girl admire something she loves. He had no idea you loved sunsets, but he took a wild guess and was wildly right. Must not be a coincidence, you thought.

You were snapped out of your admiration by a dinging sound coming from your phone. A text came through, and you read what was on your Lock Screen. “Hey babe. Hope you had a great week. Can’t wait to see you when you get home. Love you!”

next part

[myherowritings]

anywhere the wind blows

SUMMARY. After hunting a bounty near Wangshu Inn, you sensed the faint scent of qingxin blowing in the familiar wind. It seemed like it was leading you somewhere.

PAIRING. xiao x reader

WORD COUNT. 2.2k

GENRE. fluff, pre 1.3 release

A/N. my first genshin fic of my fav character xiao !! i’m definitely still getting used to writing for this world and for him but i hope this isn’t too bad 🥺 i’m so excited for xiao’s story and banner and can’t wait to learn more about him! if 1.3 comes and totally undermines the small guesses abt the lore i added into this fic then…we pretend we do not see u.u ANYWAY PLS ENJOY xx sof

“A rock shieldwall Mitachurl with a resistance to cryo,” you murmured to yourself with a satisfied smile, picking up the ominous mask and heavy horn that it dropped from the fight. “No more terrorizing Wangshu for you.”

You had just accepted a bounty handed out to you in Liyue and arranged for the proper party to come pick it up. The rewards were promptly transferred to your tab and you bade the team who came to collect the Mitachurl a swift goodbye.

It wasn’t normally on your daily agenda to hunt bounty for money—though the mora was quite appealing, you couldn’t lie—but when the beasts were too close to civilization and scared both residents and passerbyers in Liyue alike, you felt a greater need to step in. And now, after a job well done with some mora in your pockets, you realized just how tired and hungry that search made you.

Looking up, you saw the peak of the inn from a distance and followed the silk flower-covered path there. It wasn’t often you frequented Wangshu Inn, but you have visited enough to know their Jueyun Chili Chicken and Almond Tofu were pretty solid reasons to drop by again.

Your appearance was rather disheveled from your fight with the Mitachurl but you weren’t too messy-looking—certainly decent enough to interact with other humans you hoped. Smoothing down your clothes and practicing a smile, you headed over to the outdoor dining area and were greeted by a waitress who led you to an empty table as she asked for your order. The exchange was pleasant enough and you were soon left to your own devices once your food swiftly arrived.

It was dark out in Wangshu. The bounty hunt took most of your late afternoon and by now the sun had fully set. The dining area was quiet and empty with only the moon watching over you.

You hummed, taking in a mouthful of the sweet Almond Tofu. The night was nice and peaceful and quiet, just like most of your evenings.

A familiar breeze blew against your face, chilling yet warm. Captivating. There was a faint smell of qingxin, like the flowers you grew fond of during your explorations around Liyue’s stone forests.

The wind was different from what you experienced in Mondstadt. That air was light and playful. Free.

The wind you felt just now, on the other hand, seemed to convey something more wistful. Almost yearning.

And it wasn’t your first encounter with this qingxin-filled breeze either. When you helped comfort Little Luo back in Qingce Village and fended off the pesky Hilichurls on her trail, this wind blew around you and cooled the heat from your cheeks. Around Bubu Pharmacy when you spent time with Qiqi, a zombie you happened to stumble upon one day, you felt the same curious breeze.

Part of you felt like you were being watched over. But not in a bad way. It made you feel safe and protected, yet empowered enough to continue your bold expeditions and help the people of Liyue when you were needed.

The wind stuck around as you finished your meal, the aroma of Almond Tofu wafting through the air from the wandering breeze, almost as if it was seeking a taste. Once your plates were cleared and your drink emptied, you headed inside the inn and hoped they had a spare room on such a short notice and—to your surprise—for once they actually did.

On the way up the stairs, you passed by an open balcony near the top of the inn where you caught a glimpse of a lean figure with dark hair looking up at the night sky. You normally would have walked away from the balcony and left the man to his own devices, promptly going to your rented room to get some much needed rest, but the familiar scent of qingxin flowers dancing in the wind made you freeze mid-step.

Wangshu Inn wasn’t too far from mountain tops where qingxin grew… It could have been a mere coincidence.

But in Liyue, you knew that believing such things could be a coincidence would simply be fooling yourself.

The person on the balcony gave no indication that he felt your gaze, but you knew intuitively that he had already sensed your presence despite not having moved a single inch. His stance was so steady you might have thought he was a statue if not for his teal-tinged hair blowing in the wind.

Could he have been the cause of the qingxin breeze that recently started following you around?

“Hi,” you said gently to more formally announce your presence. On the off-chance he didn’t realize anyone was there, you definitely didn’t want to startle him. But judging by the unsurprised expression on his face as he slowly looked over his shoulder, you sincerely doubted he was one to startle easily. “May I stand here?”

His eyes were scrutinizing but not unkind as they looked you up and down. You took your time examining him as well— From the top of his silky-looking hair to the blue tattoos wrapping around his arms and to the mysterious horned mask hanging from his hip.

“I suppose you may,” he finally replied with a single nod, his voice neither welcoming nor rude.

You stood a few feet away from him, leaning against the wooden balustrades as you let the cool air hit your face. The night was quiet and calm, dimly lit by the moon peeking through the foggy sky. Sighing, your eyes fluttered shut in contentment as you felt the wind soothe the aches from the bounty hunt in your muscles.

You wouldn’t normally let your guard down like this in front of someone you just met, but for some reason you weren’t the least bit on edge. He didn’t seem like a stranger. And you had a feeling that maybe he wasn’t.

“Have we met before?” you found yourself wondering aloud. The mask on his hip looked familiar, though you couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, like you’ve seen it in a book you’ve read. And the air around him certainly felt familiar, though it seemed strange to describe why.

He didn’t respond.

Huffing, you tried a different approach. A more direct one. “Have you been following me?”

His brow raised but he uttered no words.

Was that approach too direct?

After a moment of silence, he said, “Were you not the one who followed me out onto the balcony? If I remember correctly, I was here first.”

“But were you not the one who drew me here with your qingxin-scented breeze?” you shot back, tone more curious than biting.

To your surprise, he said nothing to deny it. “Attentive, I see.”

“I’m not sure it’s quite that I’m attentive rather than you wanting me to know.” You hid a smile. He wouldn’t have made it so obvious otherwise, you were certain of it. For someone who held more power in his little finger than you could possibly fathom, you knew that him alerting you of his existence couldn’t be a mere accident.

“You’re right.” He shrugged. “But it’s not so much that I wanted to call you here than I didn’t mind if you happened to stumble by.”

You ran the palms of your hands over the railings, craning your neck to the side to face him. He was a puzzling creature, giving off the aura of something greater and more powerful than a human. The ominous mask dangling around his hip seemed to serve as a word of caution to indicate a menacing side he hadn’t shown you, but his calm stance and the small tilt of his head made him seem curious—almost inviting.

It was intriguing, to say the least.

“And why did you want me to, as you say, stumble by?” you said. “Not that I mind.”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly, shaking his head and looking confused himself. “Intuition? I noticed you fighting, helping the people of Liyue. You’re doing a...good job.”

You shrugged, rubbing at the back of your neck as you shied away from his praise. “So you summoned me here to thank me?”

“I don’t know,” he said again, his impassive tone sounding almost frustrated.

At the small frown playing on his lips, you couldn’t help but let a noise of laughter escape you. He gazed at you in question. This whole situation seemed strange and peculiar, straight out of a dream you’d have at random only to forget the next morning. He seemed strange and peculiar, like a figure out of a story book lost in the ruins of Liyue.

And yet you found yourself enjoying this odd encounter.

“Well, Mr. Stranger, since you seem uncertain of so many things still, are you going to continue to have your wind follow me around Liyue until you figure whatever it is out?” you questioned teasingly, not at all minding that prospect.

He glared, looking slightly embarrassed. “It’s not that I was following you. I only sensed someone in need but happened to see you rushing along the way and decided to let you handle it. The less involvement in the affairs of mortals, the better.”

So he wasn’t a mortal himself, you thought, his words confirming your previous suspicions. Still…

“Is that so?” You quirked a brow. “And what is this if not for involvement in the affairs of a mortal?”

He folded his arms and didn’t say a word.

“Let me guess— You don’t know?”

“Hmph.”

You smiled. “Well, I guess it’s okay you don’t know. It’s okay not to know sometimes, you know?”

He blinked. “You aren’t making sense.”

“And you are?” you retaliated. “I still don’t know who you are or anything about you yet. But… I know you smell like qingxin flowers and feel like a cooling breeze. And I know that I rather enjoy it.”

The mysterious entity looked out into the mountain scenery, gloved hand resting on the dark balustrade. He seemed both lost in thought and completely aware of his physical surroundings at the same time. Suddenly, he spoke up.

“Xiao.”

Your gaze met his as he nodded once. “Xiao?”

“My name. Now you know who I am.”

You laughed, startled by how blunt he was. “I guess you’re right. Nice to meet you Xiao.”

“Hm.” Xiao waited one moment before he asked, “Do you plan to keep exploring Liyue?”

At his question, you briefly considered your options for the near future. You liked Liyue and there was so much you had left to see. Was it like home to you? No— Not yet anyway, though it could be if the situation was right. But that didn’t mean you wanted to leave just yet.

Not when you may have found a reason you would want to stay.

“For the time being, yes.”

He nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good. You being there to help the people of Liyue means less involvement with mortal affairs for me.”

Though his tone was haughty, he didn’t seem like he actually minded what he considered mortal affairs. If he did, why would he be so alert when he sensed people in need?

“And, if you ever need assistance during your ventures, I’ll be there.”

Xiao’s words comforted you as you looked at him, his hair blowing in the wind. Maybe one day you could reach out and touch it. But not today.

You sensed this meeting was about to end. The breeze picked up and you could feel him getting ready to leave. Whether he was going to leave to go to bed or leave the mortal world, you weren’t sure. But you would rather treasure this encounter than dwell on an inevitable—and hopefully temporary—farewell.

“Thank you, Xiao. And if you ever need assistance with...whatever it is you do, I’ll be there too!” you said confidently. “As I’m sure you’ve seen, I’m pretty handy at weilding a sword myself.” You doubted he would ever need much help in the physical or martial department. “Or, I could simply lend an ear as well.”

It happened so fast, you weren’t sure if it was actually there, or if your eyes were playing tricks on you— Xiao smiled. At least, you thought he did. But in the mere blink of an eye, it was gone.

Still, you don’t think you would ever forget that peaceful image no matter how hard you tried. Not that you wanted to.

Sensing the night coming to an end, you asked, “When will I be able to see you like this again?”

He paused. “In this human form, you mean?”

You nodded, though you figured the answer would be those three familiar words he had said many times tonight.

“I don’t know.”

A wry smile played on your lips. Knew it.

“The mortal realm is not where I naturally belong,” explained Xiao, amber eyes glowing brighter than the moon in the sky. “But I will meet you again in this state soon.”

The scent of qingxin grew stronger as the wind picked up. His skin grew paler, almost translucent as he met your gaze one last time for the night.

“Even if it takes time, at least the wind will tell me when you’re near.” You smiled, raising your hand in a wave. “Goodnight, Xiao.”

“Sleep well, traveller.”

And in your dreams that night, with qingxin in the air, you felt contentment and serenity in ways you never had before. You would see the entrancing being who called himself Xiao again. Soon. But you had the wind to keep you company while in wait.

[mayordeas-clone]

ok so here’s the deal once upon a time in 2020 instead of paying attention to my online classes i was on reddit drawing a banner for the stardustcrusaders subreddit for a contest (stardustcrusaders is the “main”/non-meme jojo subreddit, idk if the name was changed to be more general since ive last logged onto reddit). i ended up winning the contest (because i was the only one that entered) and this drawing was the banner for a hot minute (no idea how long they kept it up though but i think it got replaced once the stone ocean anime got announced). 5 years later its a little mid but i still made it

well anyways my plan is to redraw it just for fun, but now with jodio, a whole jojo thats been introduced since this drawing. i also thought it would be nice to draw them all together with my newer style where i am a little better at drawing

i got the basic posing down tho i kinda forgot how to draw jojo characters so ill have to work myself up back to that

(jodio’s pose is based on his first teaser from araki’s year of the rabbit art 😊) i have no idea how i wanna handle the colors. idk if i wanna commit to a universal color scheme for the whole piece like what araki does (plus i like how colorful a bunch of palettes can make the drawing) but i guess i’ll figure that out when i do the cleaner pass of the lineart

im also gonna take the concept from the original where the backgrounds for each jojo is an important location from their respective story, though i might change some (as well as draw them more clearly). plans:

jonathan’s will be the same as the night backdrop during his final battle with Dio With A Body, since a night sky is both needed contrast for all the bgs + a night sky is very iconic to phantom blood’s aesthetic identity

joseph’s was the hardest character to pin a background for, so i’m gonna lift from the original piece and do the alps near where caesar and wammu had their battle. i chose this since i reeeaaally wanted to draw joseph with his cute hat and jacket (worn over his most well known look) and this was the part of the story where he wore this outfit

jotaro’s will also be the same as the original and be dio’s egyptian mansion seen from the outside (based on the spirit photograph taken of it), i cant really imagine anything more fitting

josuke’s is gonna be the same too being the corner near the owson convenience store, which is where the ghost alley is located by. i originally wanted the ghost alley straight up, but i wanted the yellow sky in morioh seen in the anime and it doesnt appear in the alley there, and also josuke was kind of blocking the way to show that it’s the alley so i just went for the next best thing

giorno’s bg was originally the sardinan coast which is where one of his allies died in order to give the biggest lead on the boss of passione’s identity. but i might change it to the colosseum at dusk, which is where the final battle takes place

jolyne’s was the general location of where the heavy weather arc takes place (hence the rainbows) since the rainbows are another iconic aesthetic with part 6 (something funny is someone in my post of the original asked if the rainbows represented jolyne being queer, but i’ll take it). i looove the rainbows and it spices up the background array but like. if i had to pick one important location from stone ocean to represent in this art is the gas station at the end!!!! i’ll probably slip in a little rainbow there just as a treat 🤭

johnny’s is the devil’s palm with the skull sun seen in its explanation panel. the dusty sky is another nice mixup in colors in the bg, plus the devil’s palm is an important element in the lore of the second continuity

josuke8’s background was a vague approximation of the walleyes in morioh. i didnt finish jojolion at the time but i do think the walleyes are an iconic part of jojolion’s beginning. i also like the pink sky. though for the redraw i might draw the higashikata house, since the familial relations of the higashikatas is an important part of jojolion’s plot + it’s where a lot of the final confrontation happens. but idk that might be a bit rigid so we’ll see how it ends up in practice

jodio is the newbie! though admittedly i am a few chapters behind on jojolands so i wanna catch up before i settle on anything! also since jojolands isnt even 50 chapters in there may be a location that’s super important to the story or characters that we haven’t seen yet, so that will probably something that will date this redraw :p we shall see….

as you can see i have many thoughts to fuel this so i’m excited to see it through ^_^!!!!

redrawing a piece of important jojo fanart i made 5 years ago :) more updates later hopefully

[dem-obscure-imagines]

Choosing Destiny

Pietro Maximoff x Reader

Fandom: Marvel/MCU

Summary: Pietro has never believed in fate or soulmates or destiny…well, until he meets you…

Note: I know it was recently confirmed in canon that Pietro and Wanda were 26 during Age of Ultron, but for my own purposes, I’m going to pretend they were only 23. WandaVision spoilers if you squint, but not really.

Warnings: Mentions of death (he doesn’t die tho)

Word Count: 3.5k

Reader is: Female

Pietro Maximoff didn’t believe in prophecy. He didn’t believe in soulmates, either, but that was another matter entirely. His entire life, he’d been making decisions. Important ones. And he wanted to believe that they mattered. That his choices determined his outcome. He didn’t want his hands to be tied when it came to matters like that, to his destiny or whatever.

And yet, at twenty years old, approximately three years before his life would change forever, the fair rolled into town. Wanda wanted to go. She always wanted to go. It helped take her mind off of everything. And besides, with the fair came the psychics that would set up their stands, charging a handful of coins for a reading on your future. Your destiny. Your soulmate.

Wanda was very into it, as he knew she would be, and so, reluctantly, he handed over the money and she sat down across from the psychic, who took Wanda’s hands, shivering slightly before she reached for her tarot cards and shuffled them. “I do see a soulmate in your future.” The psychic told her. “He’s tall. Heroic. I see a long cape billowing out behind him and there’s a…strong association with the color yellow. He’s very intelligent, wise. He’s quiet, but he has a lot to say. He will help you through difficult times.”

Wanda chatted with the psychic for a while longer before they finished her reading, and when she was done, she handed Wanda a small rose quartz stone, which she admired before tucking it into her pocket.

“Let’s go get something to eat.” Pietro nudged her onwards towards the food carts.

“Don’t you want a reading?” Wanda asked him.

He scoffed. “I don’t have a soulmate.”

“I beg to differ.” The psychic said softly, beckoning him closer. “Tell you what, this reading is on the house. Take a seat.”

Wanda pushed him closer to the chair and he rolled his eyes, but sat down anyway. His foot bounced up and down. He was antsy, always antsy. Impatient. And on top of it all, a skeptic.

The psychic reached for his hands and he gave them to her. As soon as she made contact with his skin, she gasped.

“Oh you have a soulmate alright. She’s incredibly powerful. I can feel her energy radiating just from your touch alone. You’re going to meet her soon. Not right away, but definitely in the next few years. I sense…some tension. Some resistance, but inevitably, things will work out.” She reached into a pouch hanging from the table and pulled out a butterfly charm. It was small and silver and made of metal and when she pressed it into his palm, it was cold to the touch. “You’ll know it’s her when you see a butterfly.”

Pietro was disbelieving, but he nodded, tucking the charm into his pocket.

“How about that, huh?” Wanda asked as they started walking away. “You have a soulmate after all.”

“We’ll see…” Pietro shook his head. “I still don’t buy it, though, for the record…”

“Sure.” Wanda smirked, unconvinced. She’d seen the look on her brother’s face she knew that look. And she knew that whether her brother liked it or not, he believed the slightest bit that there was someone out there made for him. She liked to believe it, too.

***

There were not many belongings Pietro had inside the walls of the Hydra facility he was transformed in. But one of them was the silver butterfly charm he had gotten at the fair that day. He always kept it with him, and he’d fought tooth and nail to be able to keep it when he’d gotten admitted.

When he was in his cell all alone, he’d take it out and look at it, study the intricate patterns on its wings, and then tuck it back into his pocket, his fingers fiddling with it.

He remembered the day when his transformation happened, although he didn’t like to think about it often. It stirred up weird emotions in the core of his being. Being…altered in a way like that. Changed into something he was never meant to be. Most of the moments from that day, his brain had tucked away, had hidden from him, but when he first stepped into the room with the stone, it had seemed to…come alive.

He watched with wide eyes as it released itself from the staff it had been held inside and floated in front of him. And in the glow of the stone, a figure manifested herself in front of him, a girl who was a bit shorter than him. She had giant butterfly-shaped wings spread out behind her and she landed in front of him, as real as he was. Vivid and beautiful. He stared at her for a long time, waiting for her to speak.

And she did.

“Pietro…” She’d spoken, her voice soft and sweet, but also…worried? He couldn’t tell. “I need you to be okay for me. Breathe, alright?”

“I…I don’t understand. What do you mean?” He asked, but she didn’t respond. It was like she was separated from him somehow, somewhere different in space and time although she was standing right there in front of him.

She reached forward and rested her hand against his cheek. “I’m here, now. Just breathe…”

And then everything went black.

When he came around, everything started…changing. For a few days, every step he took was at superspeed. He’d run into walls without really meaning to, rush forward feet at a time when he’d only meant to move a little. He was hungrier than he’d ever been in his life. He’d always loved food, but now, he felt like he was starving all the time when he was eating more than he ever had. His enhanced body burned through it like it was nothing. His hair started to turn blonde and then white, leaving the top half of his head a silvery bleached color that rivaled the snow. He barely recognized himself in the mirror anymore. Barely recognized this person he’d become.

The choice he’d made, the choice he and Wanda had made together, had sent him on a different path, had altered his destiny. And he wondered if he’d ever pay the price for it.

***

The day came, as he knew it would. His home town in Sokovia was being hoisted into the air, higher and higher every minute. The air was thin and he had trouble catching his breath. He was used to running, now. It was part of him, his speed. It was a gift. A blessing. A “miracle” as the scientists at Hydra had said. He couldn’t help but believe them.

He heard something approaching the border of the city, something big, and when he ran to the edge to see what it was, he was surprised, but pleasantly so, to see a Helicarrier rising, a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo emblazoned on it. He looked around and spotted Captain Rogers standing nearby with the Black Widow, so he ran over.

“This is S.H.I.E.L.D.?” He asked.

“This is what S.H.I.E.L.D. is supposed to be.” Rogers nodded, looking on proudly.

Pietro considered it for a moment before replying with a smile, “this is not so bad…”

It was then that he spotted her flying across the gap. The girl with the butterfly wings. And he couldn’t stop staring, his blue eyes fixed on her for a long moment. She said something, but he didn’t hear her, so distracted by her presence. He knew it had to be her, the girl from his vision.

“What?” He asked, blinking a few times. She giggled and the other two Avengers standing beside them chuckled knowingly.

“I said, I’m (Y/N).” You offered your hand and Pietro shook it, squeezing it slightly as he did so, and hesitant to let go once he was finished. “Fury reached out to me. Figured you could use all the help you could get.”

“We’d definitely accept an extra set of hands.” Rogers nodded. “What are your powers.”

“Flight, energy manipulation, enhanced strength…” You listed off. “There are kind of a lot. I can do whatever you need me to do. Be wherever you need me to be.”

“Priorities right now are evacuating civilians and killing robots.” Natasha said.

“That, I can do.” You nodded. “And you’re…?”

“Pietro.” He offered, smiling softly as he did, an unfamiliar warmth tingling in his stomach.

“Pietro.” You repeated, trying the name out. Your pronunciation was a little off, but he couldn’t help but grin at the attempt. “Alright. Well, let’s go kill some robots then, Pietro.” You let your wings flutter, and when you did, your feet lifted from the ground.

He smirked, getting a bit competitive as soon as you’d challenged him. “You’re on. Try to keep up.”

As the two of you rushed off into the city, Steve and Natasha watched with knowing looks, taking another little moment.

“Twenty bucks they’re together by Friday.” Nat said. “Maybe sooner.”

Steve shook her hand. “You’re on.”

***

The battle went smoothly until it didn’t, and as soon as Pietro took fire, you felt the hit in the center of your being. It shook you to your core, and once you’d shot the quinjet that had hit him out of the sky with a powerful stream of pink energy, you landed beside him, his body still and his breathing weak, holes mangling his limbs and torso.

“Pietro…” You whispered, tears stinging your eyes. You summoned your energy to your palms, but it was…different than it usually was. Rather than its typical pink color, the energy you summoned was yellow. It was warm. But you trusted your power and you held the energy over him.

His breaths were shallow, strained. You watched as, very, very slowly, your energy pieced him back together, the holes in his body closing up, repairing as if by magic, as if he’d never been shot in the first place.

He struggled to try to say something, but you just cupped his cheek and shook your head. “I need you to be okay for me. Breathe, alright?”

“But—”

“I’m here, now. Just breathe…” You told him, still pushing energy into his chest, but more slowly, gradually. You felt his pulse and waited as his heartbeat returned to normal, his breathing forced, but becoming more natural as you knelt beside him. “Take a minute. Take your time. There’s no rush.”

He nodded, struggling to sit up, his arms and legs shaking really badly. At some point, you felt like your power hit a wall. There wasn’t anything more you could do for him. He was healed.

“Do you feel okay? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He nodded, staring at his hands for a long moment, looking at his fingers and moving them. “I’m…thanks to you, I am.”

“I think we’re gonna have to get out of here pretty soon. Can you stand?”

“I’ll try.” He decided.

You stood up first and offered your hands to him, pulling him upright with unexpected strength.

He’d definitely pulled something in his leg, and that became obvious as soon as he took a few steps.

“Do you want me to try to—" You started to ask, raising your hand, but he grabbed onto it, lowering it.

He shook his head. “You’ve done enough for me today. Thank you.”

You pulled his arm around your shoulders and supported his weight while he limped.

Captain Rogers walked over and looked at the two of you, paying special attention to Pietro.

“You alright, kid?”

“I am now.” He answered, nodding.

“Get back to the Helicarrier. Both of you. This’ll all be over soon.”

“Yes, sir.” You nodded. The two of you walked most of the way back to the Helicarrier in silence, Pietro sneaking unbelieving looks at you every so often.

Meanwhile, Rogers walked up to Clint. “Did you see what happened?”

Clint nodded. “He almost died. But she…she just…healed him. Like magic…”

Steve considered it for a moment, nodding. He looked back and watched as you helped Pietro onto one of the boats, the two of you sitting together. And he decided in that moment that you might not make a bad addition to the team…

***

As soon as Wanda made it back to the Helicarrier, in the arms of the Vision, no less, she ran towards you and Pietro, disbelief on her face when she saw him. Mascara and eyeliner were smudged around her eyes from crying and she looked paler than he’d ever seen her before.

“Wanda,” He walked towards her, taking a painful step forward.

“You idiot!” She wailed, throwing herself into his arms. “I…I thought you were dead! I…I felt…”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He apologized, his voice soft. “She healed me. She…saved my life.”

“Who did?” Wanda asked and Pietro motioned to where you were sitting.

You stood up and prepared to introduce yourself, holding out your hand, but she engulfed you in her arms instead, pulling you into a tight hug.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” She cried into your shoulder. You held her a little tighter in an attempt to comfort her. “I don’t know what I would have done if…”

“Don’t worry about it.” You told her quietly. “He’s safe. You both are.”

Wanda nodded and pulled away from you, looking up at her brother with teary eyes. He smiled down at her. And then his eyes settled on you and he pulled you into his arms, hugging you tightly.

Pietro Maximoff, at one time in his life, hadn’t believed in fate. But now, without a shadow of a doubt, he did.

***

“You want me to be a what?” You asked. You were sitting in the conference room that the Avengers, including their newest additions, had all crammed into in the remains of the Avengers Tower. They were scheduled to move soon, but before they relocated, Captain Rogers had gotten ahold of you through Nick Fury and called you there to “discuss an arrangement.”

“We want you to be an Avenger.” Clint Barton, the one you’d previously only known as ‘Hawkeye’ explained. “I saw you. You saved the kid’s life. We…we need that kind of power. All the help we can get.”

You looked at Pietro and his eyes were locked on yours, a serious look on his face.

“Look, I’m flattered. I am.” You forced yourself to focus away from the handsome speedster and on Stark instead. “But I’m just…I’m a college kid. I’m graduating in like a month. I have finals and…and I…I don’t know if I’m cut out for this.”

“You are. Cut out for it, I mean.” Natasha insisted. “We’re not going to force you, but…you’d be a great addition to the team.”

“Can I think about it?” You asked. “I just need to get through college. Get my degree, and then…then I can…maybe look into this hero stuff.”

“Take all the time you need. We’ll be here if and when you come around.” Captain Rogers said.

“Cool.” You nodded. “Thank you.”

You left the conference room and you thought you were alone, but as soon as you walked through them, someone else did too.

“Promise me you’ll think about it?” Your ears picked up the all-too familiar accent of one Mr. Pietro Maximoff.

You looked up at him and you hated it, but your heart raced just looking at him, a blush creeping across your cheeks. You couldn’t deny he was handsome. Incredibly so, in fact, but you couldn’t just give up four years of work for a man at the drop of a hat.

“Why do you want me here so bad?” You countered, raising an eyebrow.

He took a few steps closer to you, framing your cheek with his large, warm hand. “Do you believe in fate?”

You thought about it for a moment. “Kind of. Why?”

“I didn’t. I didn’t until I met you.” Pietro said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver butterfly charm, hanging from a thin silver chain. “A long time ago, a psychic told me I would know my soulmate when I saw a butterfly. And…the moment I saw your wings, I knew…”

He was quiet, shaking his head as he reached for your hand, setting the necklace in your palm. “You saved my life. The least I can do is returning the favor at some point.”

“Okay.” You said, closing your hand around the charm. “I’ll think about it. I promise.”

***

You went back to school. It was hard, but you focused on your studies and before you knew it, finals week rolled around. Your wings, for the most part, weren’t active. They only came out when you needed them, and therefore, you were able to blend in pretty seamlessly. No one looked at you differently, although, watching news coverage from the Battle of Sokovia, you’d hear your peers whisper rumors about the mysterious Butterfly Girl who had appeared and disappeared right after.

Tony Stark had been approached for a statement on who she was and where she’d come from and if she was a new member of the team, but he hadn’t commented, which you were grateful for.

Aside from that, everything was…well, as normal as it can be when you’re a superhuman, you supposed.

Your brain fried, your eyes burning, you looked up from your textbook only to spot Pietro standing in the doorway of the building. You stared at him for a long time, unsure if he was a hallucination or your eyes playing tricks on you after so many hours staring at your textbooks.

He jogged over as soon as he spotted you, a mischievous look on his face. It was weird, seeing him force himself to move at a normal pace. At a speed which had once been normal to him, but was now much, much slower than he was capable of moving.

“What are you doing here?” You asked him, taking your headphones off and setting them on the table, looking up at him.

“I knew you must be getting close to the end of your semester. I…well, I wanted to know if you had made your decision yet. I’m…impatient.” He admitted, causing you to giggle softly. “And I figured…maybe buying you a coffee could help you make your decision a little faster?”

“It certainly couldn’t hurt.” You laughed.

“Alright, perfect.” He grinned. “What do you want? I’ll go get it right now.”

You told him your usual order and he walked to the coffee shop tucked into the on-campus library, retrieving two drinks and bringing them back a few minutes later. You cleared out some of your stuff so he could sit across from you, and so, when you motioned him to the chair, he did.

“What are you studying?”

“Psychology.” You replied, wiping the sleep from your eyes. “God, what time is it?”

“Almost ten.”

“Great.” You chuckled, shaking your head. “I’m not nearly done studying.” You raised your drink to your lips. “Thank you for the coffee, by the way.”

“Of course.” He grinned, resting one hand against his fist and reaching for your hand with the other, which you gave to him, allowing him to fiddle with your smaller fingers. He was a fiddler, you’d noticed. Always had to be moving, even if it was only a little bit. “So…?”

“So what?” You asked, amused at his antics.

“Are you going to come to the compound when you’re done?”

You were quiet for a long time, before you nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I…I think I am.”

Immediately, a smile overtook his handsome features and he gave your hand an excited squeeze. He leaned over the table and captured your lips in a sweet kiss, leaving you stunned for a few seconds afterwards, staring at him with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized immediately. “I don’t know why I—”

You grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in, pressing your lips onto his again, in a kiss you’d been wanting to give him for over a month. He kissed back passionately, his lips soft and desperate, his scruff tickling you gently.

As soon as you pulled apart, he switched sides of the table, sitting next to you and cupping his hands around your cheeks. He pressed a long kiss to your forehead and then another quick one to your lips, causing your heart to race and the butterflies in your stomach to dance around. And in that moment, you knew that whatever you believed about soulmates and fate and destiny…it all went out the window.

You knew whatever you did from here on out, whatever choices you made or paths you took, it would always lead you straight to Pietro Maximoff. And you couldn’t have been happier about that…

[glowingbadger]

The Sylvain and Dimitri arranged marriage stuff made me think of a claude version of it. Maybe an AU where Claude never came to fodlan and reader has to marry the prince/king of Almyra to improve countries relationships. Anyway seriously love your stuff thank you so much for the content!!

Oh hoo Anon, this is a wonderful take on the concept. Let's see what I can whip up for us~

((side note I feel like we never learn whether Almyra speaks a different language from Fodlan?? But being multi-lingual is sexy so idgaf))

((And also I used Bengali for Almyran because I have Bengali family and the language is so beautiful even though the english alphabet phonetic spellings are weird af))

Claude x Reader - Arranged Marriage

NSFW 18+ (like only towards the end tho idk)

Overall, you do what you can to stay out of the way. You'd been sent to Almyra as a symbol- a token, more than anything else. Now that you were in King Khalid's possession, very few throughout the castle paid you any particular mind. You were provided for, of course. Anything you cared to ask for was given. But you didn't speak a word of the Almyran language, and those who bothered to use what they knew of Fodlan's to communicate with you seemed to view you as a pet to be kept safe and healthy, and little else.

By week's end, there was to be a lavish banquet in honor of your union with the King- though of course, your input on the proceedings is entirely unwanted. In some ways, Almyra is quite similar to Fodlan. Court life is much the same. As you wander through the royal gardens, wondering at a range of colorful and exotic flowers you'd never heard of, let alone seen, a voice speaks smoothly behind you.

"Did you know you can actually eat the petals of this particular flower? They're very sweet."

You whirl around and nearly bump into King Khalid. You're about to stammer out an apology, but he reaches out and plucks a single white petal and holds it before your lips.

"Go on, I think you'll like it."

Whatever possesses you to eat a flower petal from this man's hand is something you'd rather leave unexamined for the time being- but he is right about the flavor. It's sweet, but not overly so, and quite pleasant.

"Hm! Yeah, it's nice," you say, then glance up at him as another thought occurs to you that you'd considered once or twice before, "You speak the language of Fodlan very well, my Lord."

"I'm flattered," he says with a disarmingly handsome smile, "and please, just Khalid. I don't think I could bear to have my own wife stand on such formality with me."

He says it so naturally, as if you'd been planning this union for years. Though, once again, he's right. This is only perhaps the dozenth time you've exchanged words, but you are wed, and you ought to get used to addressing him as your husband.

"Khalid..." you say tentatively, "Did- did you need something from me? I hope I wasn't too much trouble to find."

"Not when you find such pleasant places to hide," he replies, still wearing that easy smile, "but to be honest, I was actually hoping you'd accompany me for the day. I can finally afford to take a bit of time away from the castle, and I think you and I both would appreciate some space to breathe. What do you say?"

Correct once again. You nod, and take the arm he offers you. As he leads you out from the gardens, he points out a few more plants native to your new homeland. They're incredibly varied, each more strange and vibrant than the last. All the while, he's somehow made you feel as though you're chatting with an old friend. You leave the gardens and wander towards the area you vaguely recall to be designated for horse stables and wyvern stalls.

From there, a few things happen in sequence. Khalid asks if you're afraid of flying. He asks if you trust him to hold on to you. He helps you up onto the saddle that seems impossibly high up on its own right, and then, you're propelled into the air with a force your body has never felt before. You tense and shrink back against his chest, clinging to whatever part of the saddle you can find purchase on for dear life. Up here, it's difficult to pick up, but you feel your husband laugh behind you, then his strong arm wrap around your waist.

"Relax, I won't let anything happen to you," he says against your ear, his voice sure and steady, "I've got you."

And it takes a few miles of flying and a lot of Khalid distracting you by pointing out different buildings and shops along the streets below, but eventually, you do manage to relax- at least a little.

The castle town is positively buzzing with activity. Even from your distance in the sky above, you can see clusters of people moving around each other like fish up stream, and even hear the faint echoes of a merchant advertising goods.

"It doesn't seem at all like the Almyra we're taught about in Fodlan."

"Oh, it is," Khalid assures you with a bemused chuckle, "But it's also much more. I imagine it's the same for your people. There's a lot we can learn from one another, I think."

By the time the sun is high in the sky, you've passed the most densely settled part of town and are gliding over farmland and the occasional pocket of forest and rivers that split and cross through the earth like veins. Though, the warmer climate of Almyra will still take some getting used to, and it seems your husband considers this.

"Let's land for a bit and find some shade,"

You nod, and he directs his wyvern to begin a slow descent.

The King had thought of everything for this little day-trip, it seemed. Having evidently packed everything you'd need in the saddlebags on his steed, you now recline beside him on a plush blanket in a clearing amidst the trees. A small brook bubbles down from stone to stone in small waterfalls beside you, and the air feels positively alive with birdsong and rustling leaves, all foreign to you and all part of your new home. And so is he, you think as you glance over at the handsome figure of your husband beside you.

You'd been sitting in a comfortable quiet, munching on a couple of very dense pastries which Khalid had told you incorporated an extract of the flower you'd sampled earlier. He gives a satisfied sigh as he finishes his first and lies back on the blanket, taking in and savoring a deep breath. As you finish the last bites of your own treat, you reflect on the day thus far. You'd learned much about the locals and their daily lives by observation and Khalid's description in such a short time, and he'd even taught you a hand full of basic words and phrases in Almyran.

"Uhm, Khalid?"

He opens one eye and gives you a sideways glance.

"It was... dhonnobad, right? Thank you?"

His smile his open and warm, his eyes practically shimmering in the reflected sunlight from the nearby brook.

"Well, we'll have to work on your pronunciation, but I'm impressed you remembered," he beckons you down onto the blanket beside him, and you follow, lying on your side as he turns towards you. You're closer than you'd anticipated, even given the limited realestate of the blanket, and you internally scold yourself for being shy about something so silly- like some naive adolescent.

"Let's try a couple more words, since you've been such a diligent student."

"Okay," you say with a smile, "try me, I'll do my best."

"Hmm..." he looks around your private clearing, then gestures towards the brook and says, "Jala"

"Jala," you repeat slowly. He nods,

"Right- that's 'water'. And, uhm..." he points toward a patch of wildflowers at the edge of the brook, "Phula. That's 'flower'."

Again, you repeat as best you can, and though you know your pronunciation must be off, he's encouraging nonetheless. Then, he leans in towards you, and brings his free hand to your cheek, his fingertips brushing your skin lightly.

"Now try sundara."

"... Sundara?" you make an attempt, and you're sure you got something about that 's' sound mixed up, but Khalid just gives you a slanted smile. He doesn't clarify at first, so you ask, "What does that one mean?"

His fingers slowly weave back into your hair, and his voice is low and soothing as he replies,

"That means 'beautiful'."

Your face warms immediately, but you hardly have a moment to feel bashful about it before he presses his lips to yours, kissing you slow and deep. His movements are effortlessly sensual, pulling you towards him and sending your pulse pounding through your veins. You part your lips to him almost instinctively, and the way he uses his tongue is sparing, but oh-so effective. When he finally pulls away, your head is spinning and it's all you can do to meet his gaze.

"So... that's how they kiss in Almyra." you say, barely above a whisper. Khalid smirks and turns you onto your back, sliding an arm around your waist.

"Oh, no- there's no tradition in this, only skill."

Goddess- if they'd warned you of the King's supernatural charms, you wouldn't have believed them. But now his lips are on yours once again, and he's holding your body to his, and you can't think of anything else. Your arms drape across his shoulders, and faster than you can track, your bodies have met in a tangled, impassioned embrace. It was hard to imagine that mere kissing could feel so erotic, but something about his pace, about how his lips and hands move in tandem, about how thorough he is in exploring you, makes you feel like it would be only natural to give yourself over to him completely.

His kiss travels along your jawline up to the shell of your ear, where he nips briefly, then murmurs,

"I was hoping to apologize for how little time we've had to get to know each other before today," you bite at your bottom lip as his hand slides down to the curve of your hip, "if that would be pleasing to you, my dearest wife."

"Ye- yes..." you sigh into the open air as his lips reach your neck. The single word is all either of you need. He never stops pressing lavish kisses to your lips and neck as he pulls your clothing out of his way. By the time he's satisfied, your clothes are draped off your arms and pooling around you on the blanket- and he doesn't seem to care to remove them entirely. He has a goal in mind.

Slowly, painstakingly, he makes his way down your body. You feel him everywhere- hands tracing and memorizing your frame, breath hot across your skin as his lips spoil you with adoring kisses. Soon enough, he's kissed his way to your lower stomach, and he urges your thighs apart beneath him. You suppress the instinctive wave of embarrassment at being exposed to him for the first time- he is your husband and your King, afterall- but then, his head dips down towards your plump lower lips, and your mind goes white.

"Khalid-!" you gasp out as his tongue trails coyly up the crease of your folds. He hums contentedly, and places a disarmingly chaste kiss to the soft skin. Then, his thumbs gently spread you open for him, and your entire body burns while he takes a moment to merely admire you- your pretty little hole already wet, your clit already hard and flushed dark. When his head lowers once more, his green eyes meet yours steadily, as though to promise without words to be good to you.

And in a moment, his mouth begins to gently tease your clit, and your head tilts back on the blanket. Your hips jerk just a bit with each pass of his tongue across the sensitive bundle, and occasionally you can't hold in a gasp or whimper of pleasure. This only encourages him, of course. The more you moan and sigh, the more dedicated he becomes to your body. He presses himself more firmly to you, his lips surrounding your clit and the surrounding tender flesh, and he suckles on you, licks you, kisses you. You don't know when it happened, but your hands are at the back of his head, fists tangled in thick brown hair as he diligently works.

The unbearable tension is winding tight and anxious in your lower body- you know he'll drive you to climax before long, and the mere thought feels like falling in love. And then Khalid moves lower, and his tongue dips inside of your entrance. You gasp and unwittingly tug on his hair- but he certainly doesn't seem to mind. With a lustful groan, he presses more firmly to you, truly buried against your body as his dexterous tongue curls upward, stroking the vulnerable spot behind the nerves of your clit.

"Khalid!" this time it's nearly a scream, and you're grateful that your voice is lost in the surrounding foliage. Your thighs begin to shake, and your hands release him to instead clutch the blanket behind you. And at last, with a whimper in a voice you hardly recognize, your lower body floods with soaked warmth as your orgasm sweeps through you. Panting, twitching, you moan out for your husband over and over, until finally, the wave begins to subside, and Khalid pulls away to position himself above you on all fours.

"That's a nice expression..." he says with a grin, directing you to look at him with a hand at your chin, "I hope I'll get to see it often."

When your eyes finally refocus, you look up at him somewhat apologetically,

"I should... attend to you."

He laughs and kisses your forehead,

"There will be time for that tonight, don't you think? Once we're a bit more... put together," he says with a glance at your bare form, "we should head back to our ride. I'll bring you back to the castle, and we'll get the cooks to prepare something very 'Almyran' for you."

You nod- it probably wouldn't do for the first time with your Lord Husband to be mid-day in the woods. Though he'd certainly failed to make it seem unappealing.

"And then," he goes on, bringing a finger to trace the curve of your bottom lip, "Well, maybe we'll excuse ourselves to our bedchamber a bit early this evening, and we can continue this little... cultural exchange."

[red-doll-face]

domestic oni w/ his s/o and some bebes please ;/// u know

Of course!!! I have seen the light on oni and I have realized he’s the big boi we needed. This ones for u bun ! I’ve never written for oni before so I just went off sorry 😞

Warnings: slight nsfw, slight breeding kink on onis part and reader is afab or at least has obtained baby making bits also children , mentions of blood and gore as well as nasty baby shit 🤢

WC: 1380

Kazan ‘The Oni’ Yamaoka x afab Reader

A Star in the Night

Life always balances itself out. For every bad day there was a good one. Considering his last day on Earth wasn’t necessarily what one could call good, there had to be some good here in the sprawling fog to naturally even things out, right? So, he searches for another chance. This must be Kazan’s second chance because if it were not, he would be well and truly dead. Floating in the abyss, gone forever. Here, however, he’s even met a descendent and her story makes him feel as if he’s done some good. Passed on his vengeful anger that pushed her to stand up for herself and so he decides that here will be his own slice of peace despite the souls he sends to the sky everyday.

As much as he wishes he could have left that part of his past behind. The killing and the beating. Brutality. It has become a part of him. It’s what makes him useful to the new god that rules here so he does it. If he hopes to one day achieve something here he has to please it. The new god has even taken to labelling him the Oni. The oni. A term he once despised. To torment him more, his skin is now tinged blue and his nails have sharpened and grown out black. He sure looks like one now. Blends into him like colors or ink into water. Makes the endless loop of killing a little easier.

Whatever he’s been working towards, he thinks he finally found it. In these repeated processes Kazan see’s someone unique. One of a kind among all the different screaming visages of the survivors. That’s the moment when he makes a more important decision. The choice to take you as a prize. Something of his own.

Bargaining with the Entity quickly places itself as his new priority. What would he have to do to take you away? To start again with you? The entity asks him to sacrifice 100 survivors. No moris, no escapes. Kazan is determined to get this. He is not in this place for no reason. This is his destiny. He almost lost the streak a few times. Against the hardy survivors. Against you too. But it’s not for nothing because the moment he succeeds, the entity allows him to take you. Upon seeing him, you are apprehensive. Why you? What for? All he will say is that you don’t have to be hunted anymore. Not by anyone. You can live a comfortable life, as comfortable as it can be. You’re shocked. Unsure of why this offer is being extended to you. But what would it be like to be in the fog but never have to go to a trial. You ask if you can come back at some point. If you’re free to leave when you want. Kazan doubts you’ll want to leave. He nods anyway.

And so you sit in his house. A house that used to be only Spirits. The temple however isn’t suitable and thus you live in the house. Settling in is rough. You’re not sure what to do. Then Kazan brings some old traditions. Meditating, raking stones in the garden into little lines. Lighting candles and lanterns at the shrine. It’s fairly easy to put you back into a lulling routine. One that doesn't involve blood and hooks. You start to realize that the Oni or Yamaoka Kazan, he had told you, is interested in more than just feeling bad and sheltering you from the Entity’s wrath. He acts as if you are his spouse. He comes from trials and comes to find you. Greets you. Merely wants to spend time with you. He tells you stories from a time of what must have been Japan when their were jitos, shoguns, and, samurai. He was a samurai. You’re uncertain on why you can communicate with him. Shouldn’t he be speaking a different language.

From a cupboard, he pulls little black sticks and stones used for grinding them into powder. Then into ink. Calligraphy brushes. Old brittle paper. He watches you draw little pictures and he keeps all of them, praising your creativity. How he has chosen someone as talented as you.

“Chosen? For what?” You question. Innocent enough of a question.

“To stand beside me.” That clears up nothing. You feel as if something has gone over your head.

His grand daughter, Rin treats you with kindness. She treats you as if you’re part of her family. With a familiarity you’d forgotten was real. It clicks then what Kazan is trying to do. You are to be a warped version of whatever marriage customs were held in his day. A spouse. He’s taken you as a spouse.

Once you confront him about it, he acts as if you should have always known. That it was obvious what his intentions were and that he didn't feel the need to be explicit. You retaliate with the acknowledgement that you’re not from his time. It’s your first real argument. What did he expect from you.

You don’t know when you start to actually like him. He’s not the best conversationalist unless he’s talking about fighting or battlefield strategy but he tries to entertain you. Listens intently to what you have to say. Ultimately, Kazan comes off as more genuine than your own fellow survivors. Some of them were nice. Niceness can only go so long here though. You’ll run out at some point. He brings up the last time you talked about why you were in this derelict house and he apologizes. Kazan apologizes so formally that he practically looks like he’s begging forgiveness. For not thinking of you as an individual and instead as a vessel. Finally, putting two and two together, you think he wants children. You stare quietly at him. A pause lingers and then you ask him if you wanted to bear his children, he wouldn’t respect you any less, would he? He tells you that he would crush the souls of 1000 more men should it mean you would bear his line. He would lay their bodies at your feet if it made you happy. Dramatic but fitting for someone like him.

Kazan tries for it as soon as he can. It should be impossible. The entity cannot create life, only steal it. But you allow him to try. Over and over again. Until it takes. Whenever he finishes, he takes to stuffing his seed back inside of you. Careful of his talon-like nails that seem to be made for ripping flesh apart.

After trying so many times, you feel something change. The entity buzzes about you, you can feel it. No one can see it, certainly not you but it’s excited. When Kazan returns from his stand-in profession, he’s visibly happy. Thrilled.

“You are with child.” He almost yells it, he’s so happy. He picks you up and hikes you into his arms.

It’s the birthing that makes you nervous. You're less daunted by the carrying. Kazan dotes on you, more than he had already. Treats you like a glass figurine, passed down generations. You cannot be broken or stressed. You feel like a figurine, alright. The man simply sits you down and admires you. As you swell, he looks at your belly fondly and then to your face. He pets your hair and soothes you.

The birth is painful. So, so, so painful. More than any mori, hook, or cage. Your body rips itself apart for his child. Your child. The baby is covered in blood and birthing fluid and Kazan is smitten. He’s silent, in awe of your creation. The baby is so small, so tiny in his hulking hands.

The child grows and grows. Laughs and gurgles. Kazan cares for it, a wonderful father. He cleans the blood and gore from himself before seeing your child and you watch on as he teaches them to write. Read ancient japanese. Rin is just as caught up with your baby. She’s like an older sister, the best kind. Normal childhood is unattainable but you lament at forcing the child in this world of night. Your child will never see the sun. But you figure that's because your baby is the sun.

Thanks for requesting and I hope you liked it! 💖💖