#anyway hope y’all enjoy!

[a-chaotically-small-lunta]

Merchild (5)

Part 4 : Part 6

Randy’s gotta drop off some fish, and then get back to Jade who really wants to show him what she’s found.

Warnings: Not any really.

Watching Jade dive back into the water calmed Randy a bit. He really didn’t want her to just hang out on the beach. A part of him wished she could but, what if someone saw her? What if Bruce or Eugene came by and saw her? He knew they were on lookout for a mermaid thanks to Bruce seeing her but still. He didn’t want to risk it, especially since he would be there to protect or cover for her if they did show up. Randy didn’t know what those two were planning to do once they found evidence of her or just Jade in general and he did not want to find out.

He loaded his truck with the three crates, silently wishing he had more. Randy wasn’t thinking yesterday when he caught all those fish. He knew he didn’t have many crates cause why have a bunch of you aren’t going to use them? He barely filled one so having a bunch of extra felt like a waste of space. Maybe now he could try getting more. He knew the five from yesterday were still at Wilson’s since he likes to use them as a display or for storing the fish, but he always gave them back the next day so it didn’t bother Randy. He hopped into his truck and drove off. Occasionally glancing over at the sea.

I wonder what she said, he thought to himself. The first time when she was frustrated was a bit scary. He had seen that kind of frustration from Andrew when he couldn’t figure out how to draw a cat, and just huffed and gave up. So Randy knew she was upset that she couldn’t do something but what? But when she showed up so upset, for a split second Randy was scared that she might hurt him. She was bigger then him, he was basically like a teddy bear to her! So it would’ve been bad if she wanted to do something to him. But when she slumped down, the fear disappeared with just a bit left tingling in his hands. Randy continued to think about that moment as he pulled into Wilson’s shop.

“Oh early today Mmh?” It was Lashunda. She was poking her head out the window of the back.

“Haha! Yeah didn’t have many crates left so I just filled the ones I got,” Randy replied closing the trucks door behind him.

Lashunda walked out and joined him in unloading the filled crates. They each took one and walked inside, setting them by the station where they’d be prepped. Jabari was sitting nearby reading a book, and looked up when he heard the two enter.

“Mind grabbing the last crate Jabari?” Lashunda asked.

Jabari sighed with a shrug, before hopping up and heading out to grab the crate.

“Need help with these ones today?” Asked Randy as Jabari carried the last crate inside.

“Nah, I’m pretty bored today so you just have me something to do. Dad’s out in town doing his thing and Brandon is out fishing right now…at least that’s what he said he was doing. Bet he’s taking a nap right now to be honest, haha! And well It’s Wednesday so Maria is at school.”

“Heh alright, I’ll let you have something to do for once. Since you seem sooooo bored,” Randy chuckled which got him an eye roll from Lashunda.

“Anyway here,” she handed him a wad of cash, “that’s for the fish yesterday. Decent amount this time.”

Randy was genuinely surprised by it but he didn’t know if it was from the amount or from the fact he hadn’t gotten this much in awhile.

“Uh thanks! Got the crates? Oh and any extra ones?”

“Mmh don’t know about extra ones, but we got your crates. They’re just outside the door for ya.”

“Thanks Lashunda, I’ll get them. Enjoy your fish gutting.”

Lashunda waved him off as he walked out of the house. Spotting the empty and cleaned out crates, he packed them back into his truck.

Damn, he thought to himself, I have the whole afternoon free from work if I wanted. I mean I could fill these crates but then I wouldn’t have any for tomorrow…perhaps I should just go back home.

A grin crossed Randy’s face. Perhaps, he thought, I’ll try and see what Jade was saying earlier. He hopped into his truck and headed back home.

While on his drive he was thinking about what she had said; Before he had left and after he told her to go back underwater she shook her head no, Yet she still went under, so what was she saying? One thing was for sure though; she could learn to speak. When she had said boat earlier it truly impressed Randy, he didn’t think it was possible. Although it seemed that if she were to learn more words there’d be trouble. Probably something to do with how certain sounds were made for certain words to be formed. He didn’t know the science of it but he didn’t really care. Randy was just excited to see Jade speaking words he could understand.

Eventually he pulled back to his home and parked his truck. Randy’s home was nice and cozy. It was small but had enough room for a family. It was his great grandfather’s home and just kept getting passed down to the eldest kid. His grandma got it, then his dad, then Randy. It was old, had to be fixed up a few times but it was nice. It sat under a large cliff, with large rocks scattered the beach. It wasn’t the prettiest of sights but, when the sun rose in the morning, it was a beautiful sight to see.

Randy looked out to the sea and smiled, he just got an idea. Quickly running into the house he ran through up to his room. Tossing his keys onto the bedside table, he opened up the drawer underneath his bed. Digging through the underwear and socks he eventually felt it, and quickly pulled it out. His swim trunks. He knew he didn’t need them and could just jump into the water with just shorts on but, he wanted to have some fun today.

Quickly changing into the swim trunks, he tossed on a white shirt and walked back outside. Walking along the beach towards his dock where his fishing boat gently bobbed in the waves. He walked along the dock, making sure to avoid the more broken bits of it, he made his way to the end. With a relieved sigh he sat down and let his feet dangle off the dock, as he watched the waves of the sea.

After a few moments he saw her, she slowly popped her head above the water looking over at him, before her head fully popped out with excited wiggles from her fins and a bright smile. Jade happily swam over with a bright smile, gently wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She started clicking and saying things that Randy really didn’t understand but she seemed excited.

Jade let go and swam back with an excited and bright smile. Randy felt a smile escape him before he got stood up.

“Alright, I don’t know what’s got you excited but, I hope you don’t mind just going for a swim,” he tossed his white shirt off onto the dock before jumping into the water with a splash.

Randy swam up and treaded the water a bit, taking in a big breath. He dove under a bit and slowly blinked his eyes under the water, so they could get used to it. He knew this probably wasn’t the best for his eyes but, he didn’t care when he was 10 and he’s not gonna start now.

He popped back up to see that Jade had swam up to him, curious about what was happening. Her head tilted at him.

“What’s wrong? Do I swim weird? Well you got a whole tail and fins! Of course I’m going to swim weird compared to you, haha!” He laughed as she seemed more confused but slightly amused.

The two swam about for a bit, getting used to swimming together…well more like Randy trying to keep up with Jade’s swimming and Jade happily showing off her tricks. She would swim down and back up, jumping out of the water with a flip and a smile. It was amazing to watch. He also noticed that her scales were all green. The started out green near her head and torso, then the green became slowly lighter in hue, eventually some of those started to have bits of yellow-ish color on them, and some that were more yellow than green had faded to an almost white color with a gentle touch of orange along the edge of them. Her tail and fins had this same effect, but it was amazing to see. Randy wondered if the colors meant anything or if they were just genetics.

Jade then dived down, waiting for Randy to join her again. Taking another breath he dived back down under the water, and he watched as Jade did the same. It was amazing to see her in her element. She quickly swam down past him with twists and turns, quick little flicks from her fins and tail. It was like watching a dancer dancing on stage with no worries. She had some amazing skills for just a kid, but maybe that’s cause she lived her whole life in water. Maybe what was impressive to him was just a normal thing for mermaids.

Jade swam further down and Randy followed for a bit. She was fast compared to him, and he was almost upset by that fact. He couldn’t believe he was getting outdone by a kid…then again said kid was a giant mermaid so maybe he should feel bad about this.

Jade swam down further and waved her arm, trying to get Randy to come further down. It was almost to dark to see but, he could tell she was trying to get him into what looked like an underwater cave. I can’t hold my breath for that long, he thought to himself before quickly swimming back up. He watched as Jade came up with confusion written all over her face.

“Sorry Jade, I can’t hold my breath that long. Don’t think I’d survive in a cave of water.” He said looking at her.

She was still confused, he needed to explain that he didn’t have gills like her. That’s it!

He swam closer to her and motioned her to lower herself a bit. She hesitatingly did so. Randy in that moment froze. Looking at her closely, studying her. Her seaweed like hair dripping water, sloppily flopped into the water. Her yellow eyes studied him with confusion and curiosity. The ear like fins on her head would occasionally twitch or flick. He then spotted them, her gills. They were alongside her neck.

“See these?” He asked while gently touching her gills, causing them to rapidly twitch shut from contact, “oh um…well those are your gills…I think….and I don’t have those, ”He swam back a bit but, moved his head so his neck was exposed.

Randy watched as Jade reached up to touch her neck, feeling the edges of her gills, all the while looking at his neck. She then reached out. A part of Randy screamed to move and that she might hurt him, but another part stayed calm and he focused on that. Her hand reached over and her claws gently touched his neck, feeling the smooth gill-less texture. Jade was amazed, as she touched her gills and his non-gills. She then giggled as his beard hair had tickled her. She pulled back and Randy felt a sigh of relief escape him. He couldn’t have been that nervous could he?

Jade then paused, her brow furrowed in thought, just before and idea popped into her head. She said a few things with clicks and another noises, all the while she extended her hand. She had a wide smile on her face.

Randy looked at Jade and at her outstretched hand, “I don’t know what you are thinking, or what you’re going to do…but I need you to know that I can’t breathe underwater,” he said all of this while awkwardly acting it out. Taking breaths above water and then pointing at the water and pretending to die. Jade nodded but insisted that he take her hand, by pushing it towards him more. He sighed, no use reasoning with a child who could literally kill you at any second.

Taking her hand she pulled him into a hug. Holding him like a child would a teddy bear against her chest. She smiled down at him before mimicking taking a breath. He nodded and took a huge breath, and the second he filled his lungs, she dove down.

Randy watched as the water and surrounding rocks rushed past him. He then watched as she dove straight into the cave she had been trying to get him to go into earlier. She gently let him go, holding onto his hand and motioning with the other towards the cave. She clicked a few words, but Randy was more amazed by what he was seeing. The cave was somehow lit up with a soft blue and green glow on the ceiling, and soft sand had made up the floor. The space was huge!

Randy then felt his lungs trying to give out, he quickly tugged at Jade and pointed to himself. Trying to motion that he needed to breathe. She froze confused for a second before quickly nodded, but instead of taking him out of the cave, she rapidly took him into another tunnel of the cave.

Randy was freaking out, he was going to have to take a breath soon and at this rate it’ll be just water! She quickly swam through the tunnel and then with a splash she stopped. Wait a splash?

Randy looked around, and took a few deep breaths. They were still in the cave but, there was an air pocket. Jade gently let go of him, but continued to hold his hand. She pointed up and explained something. Randy looked up and saw plants dangling from the ceiling, covering parts of the wall, and dipping into the water. He could hear a gentle trickle of water somewhere as well, but he was more amazed by the plants. Long vine like plants with gentle magenta, purple, and pink flowers growing in bunches on the vines. Jade reached up and gently held one of the flowers, happily explaining something.

Randy didn’t really need her to explain, even if he could understand her. He knew what this was, The Lungs of the Sea, Sea’s Breath, Mermaid Wishes, Wave Fruit; he knew many of its names. It was only a legend, that everyone believed had disappeared. It was a legend as old as the mermaids but everyone believed it had gone extinct, much like many believed all the mermaids had died or hidden away. It was a plant that would take in water, and turn it into oxygen. He had read every book in the library about the legends of the sea but this one was the most lost. Some books said that ancient sailors would take these plants and eat them or breathe in their seeds, so the plant could take root in their lungs. They could then breathe underwater, however they would forever be stuck living in the water. That or their lungs would burst from the plants wanting to grow, but that was a theory that many people believed actually happened to those ancient sailors.

Either way, Randy couldn’t believe it. This rare and ancient plant was basically and almost literally in his backyard, and no one knew. He was amazed and he then caught Jade looking at him with a cheeky smile.

“You knew this was here? Wow, and I thought I was just gonna drown for a second there, but you knew I wouldn’t…at least I hope that you didn’t just wing it…heh…You’re one smart or lucky cookie.”

Jade happily wiggled her fins and she gently guided Randy over to one of the walls. He noticed that there was a shelf of rock, that acted like a makeshift shore. He noticed that it was wet, despite the rest of the cave being dry. At least the parts not in the water. Jade laid down on the makeshift beach and looks up at the plants, and Randy sat nearby still looking at the slab of rock.

Looking closely he saw that there was a small leak of water flowing into the cave. That was the trickle he heard before, and it ran alongside the slab of rock into the water within the cave. Part of him wondered where it was coming from but that was a mystery for another time perhaps.

Randy looked over at Jade who was relaxing, looking up at the flowers. That’s when Randy got an idea. He quickly stood up and walked around the slab, gathering any fallen flowers from it, and a single long strand of the vine that had fallen. He then walked back to Jade and tapped her head. She paused and looked at him with a “what?” Look. He then gently gathered her hair and pretended to lift her head up. Jade lifted her head and Randy gather all her hair and laid it in the slab.

Giving her a thumbs up, she laid her head back down in confusion. Randy then got to work. Gently separating the hair into three strands, he got started on braiding it.

As he braided her hair he started humming a tune that his mom would hum to him when he braided her hair.

Randy loved braiding hair, and always did it for his mom when she asked. He didn’t know why he liked doing it but he did. He would even do it for the girls when he went to school. Watching the hair weave into each other into a pattern just soothes him for some reason. Made the chaos of long hair make some sense.

As he continued humming the tune he eventually heard Jade join in. She was soft at first and paused when she got the note wrong or just didn’t know the next part, but would pick it back up. Randy was a bit surprised that he didn’t fall into a trance, like the tales said. It said that a mermaid’s singing voice or even a gentle hum would lure sailors to their doom, but here he was perfectly fine. Maybe that tale was wrong.

The two hummed together as Randy braided Jade’s hair. Gently he placed some of the flowers into the braid as he went along. Once the hair was all braided he tied it up with the vine, at the very end.

“There we are,” Randy said, “Hope you like it”

Jade sat up and grabbed the braid and pulled it over her shoulder to get a better look at it. Her eyes widened in amazement as she gently caressed some of the flowers weaved into the braid. She turned to Randy and scooped him into a hug.

“Oh! Your wel-Come! You’re kinda Squ-EEzing me!” He said as he was hugged a bit too hard. He’s definitely going to have some bruising from this.

Jade placed him back down and slid into the water a bit more, all the while laying on her stomach. She then yawned and her eyes started to look sleepy.

“Woah someone’s tired. Must be pretty late then huh?”

She hummed and sank into her arms, as her eyelids started to sag.

“Heh, well…I’ll let you rest then…guess I’ll be stuck down here for a bit until you wake up huh?”

He turned back but before could fully process it she had fully adjusted herself on the rock slab and gently wrapped herself around him.

“Ohhhh…good thing the water is…and isn’t? Too deep…I don’t know anymore.”

Jade wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close, much to his surprise. She then drifted off to sleep.

“Guess I don’t get much of a choice…man Trisha’s gonna think I’m dead again. Just don’t pull me into the water okay sweet girl?”

Randy gently patted her face, and just laid there. He was glad the water wasn’t deep enough that he could drown in his sleep. He was also grateful that Jade’s tail was diverting the water away from him, making a makeshift island in the center of her curled form. Randy laid back against Jade with a smile. If he fell asleep, he should be okay. She’s gentle, definitely a kid who got tired real fast but still a gentle kid.

Randy would soon drift off to sleep laying against Jade, thinking about how his luck is changing and how it’s so weird.

[fanfic-gremlin-ft-trauma]

tfw you’ve been tasked to murder the prince of the northern water tribe but he’s really majestic

(they make a compromise)

[violynt-skies]

the parallels of rottmnt.

-

-

the way rottmnt portrays the cycle of sacrifice and generational trauma through the concept of the hamato tradition is so beyond phenomenal it’s really hard to articulate with just words how hard it really hits. there’s so many parallels btwn splinter & his history/family than can be seen within raph & leo that can also almost be translated to f!leo & casey in some ways, not to mention the parallels btwn karai and leo as well.

the way splinter tried SO hard to break from that cycle, the way he saw how it effected his family and himself and didn’t want to put his family through it again yet it seemed to be inevitable regardless. he never wanted to have to choose btwn his family and the world and yet even when he made that choice in S1, in the end he still ended up losing a family member (karai) in exchange for time to save the world.

and even though he tried to break the chain so hard, the cycle of sacrifice was still adopted into raph and leo in different ways which was later passed down to donnie and mikey.

not to mention the future timeline where they ended up losing EVERYBODY and in the end of the movie casey is met with the same choice of the world over family just as many family members before him have.

the sacrificial bone and need to protect is just so ingrained into the entire family, to the point where the same events just seem to happen over and over no matter what is done.

the cycle of love and loss, protection and sacrifice, family vs the world. over and over.

[starry-mang0s]

I keep forgetting that I can just post old art…like I don’t have to leave it in the depths of my files.

Such a sad sad grass lad

[1driedpersimmon]

.

Together as… One!

[cybervom1t]

POV: we’re showering together <3

[jamnsketch]

sick as a dog

[crazymecjc]

i’ll steal your heart, and free your soul 🧤♟️

my piece for @kaysa21 as a part of the @p5mixtape exchange event!! hope you enjoy!!

(song is twisted hearts by tasuku hatanaka)

[read-write-thrive]

saw @tma-thoughts ‘s post talking about not enough butch charles rowland and wanting to see more butch4femme painland and naturally I spent the entire rest of my day brainstorming, researching, and then drawing this time period accurate (to the best of my abilities) butch!Edwin(a? Edie?) x femme!Charles (definitely Charlotte/Charlie)

I have whole spreads of photo references for both of them but in case anyone is interested, Charles is inspired by rudegirl/ska punk/skinhead/punk/goth feminine aesthetics from the 1980s UK (even more specifically by the band The Bodysnatchers) while Edwin is inspired mainly by sportswear for women in the 1910s as well as what photos I could find of teenage girls during that era! in terms of Edwin reading as butch, I wanted to combine the shortest hair I could get away with (for the era and while still reading as Edwin—too 20s reads as too fashion forward which is not the vibe), as well as balance the line between sportswear (which imo reads as butch) and Edwin’s usual fashions. I also kept her makeup-free, accessory-free, and overall more “practical” in her dress to try and read as more butch. something to note that you don’t see here— Edwin is 100% wearing bloomers/trousers either as part of or underneath this skirt. I couldn’t get it to read correctly in the design but I need you to know they’re there lmao

feedback welcome (and further discussion even more so, I’m a slut for fashion history x character design!!!)

EDIT: now part of a series!!! part 2 (more sketches of Edwina); part 3 (lingerie!Edwina); & part 4 (lingerie!Charlotte)

[echosong971]

“Mr. Handsome Idiot”

[katetorias]

another Nathan from earlier this week!!(i think… amnesia lol) i drew this for him but I think I captured his feelings well. he misses victoria but has to come to terms that she’s not real </3

[plugnuts]

Working hard or hardly working?

[ourstaturestouchtheskies]

web-weaving — eldest daughter syndrome

Repose – John Singer Sargent // Eldest Daughter – Isabel Pless // Old Soul – The Highwomen // I Miss Her and I Blame You – MALINDA // Goodbye – MARINA // Surface Pressure – Encanto

Violet Sargent – John Singer Sargent // Study for Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose – John Singer Sargent // My Ego Dies at the End – Jensen McRae // You're On Your Own, Kid – Taylor Swift // The Hardest Part – Bre Kennedy and Hadley Kennary// Older Than I Am – Lennon Stella // seven – Taylor Swift

The Black Brook – John Singer Sargent // Eldest Daughter – Isabel Pless // 26 – Carol Ades // Eldest Daughter – Isabel Pless // You're Losing Me – Taylor Swift // champagne problems – Taylor Swift

Girl with a Sickle – John Singer Sargent // The Breakfast Table – John Singer Sargent // Surface Pressure – Encanto // Older Than I Am – Lennon Stella // Control – Bre Kennedy // Surface Pressure – Encanto // Old Soul – The Highwomen

A Dinner Table at Night – John Singer Sargent // this is me trying – Taylor Swift // Let the Rain – Sara Bareilles // The Hardest Part – Bre Kennedy and Hadley Kennary // Half Truths – JOSEPH // this is me trying – Taylor Swift

[junosswans]

They are arrested for Roy’s spectacular driving skills caused three car accidents on the way home. Riza is not happy about it.

[skyward-floored]

Swapped

Part one of the Incredibles au power swap fic lets gooooo

I don’t know how many parts this is going to be total, maybe four..? I tried to keep it short, but that... didn’t work, heh. This is set after movie stuff at some point, don’t know exactly when, not too long... but supers are legal at least.

But anyway, enjoy part one!

Part two

————————————————————

Wind woke up slowly, his ears ringing in his skull.

A dull pulse of pain rippled through his middle, and he winced, putting a hand on his chest and rubbing it as he tried to think through what had happened. He remembered a voice talking, and something about intruders being free test subjects...

Oh. Right.

And a big explosion that had sent them all flying.

Ow...

Wind rubbed his eyes, wincing. He supposed a weird explosion shouldn’t be that surprising, since they were trying to break into a crazy-secure science lab. They’d gotten some information on all sorts of illegal experiments going on here, with supers allegedly involved, and they’d all suited up and stormed the place.

Nobody had realized they were expected.

Wind sighed, and sat up with another wince, grateful his supersuit was so sturdy. If he’d been in his civilian clothes, he’d probably be a smear on the wall right now. Or at least dealing with some broken ribs instead of just the weird soreness he had.

He shook his head, trying to disperse the ringing in his ears, and looked around, wondering why it was so quiet. Something about the air seemed weird, like something was missing from it.

A frown settled on Wind’s face and he reached for some wind, trying to listen and see if there was anything moving nearby. Then he froze.

He couldn’t do it.

Wind thrust his hand out, twirling it in the motion he always used when he directed the winds, but nothing happened, no matter how he moved his hands, no matter how hard he tried.

Something was wrong with his powers.

Wind breathed in shakily, and looked down at his hands, trying not to get swamped with panic. He was fine, he was fine except for the aches and lack of powers, he was fine. He probably just... needed to recover a little more from being unconscious. Yeah.

That had to be it.

Wind swallowed and looked around, suddenly zeroing in on Legend lying nearby. He wasn’t moving, and Wind shakily got to his feet, stumbling over and crouching at his side.

“Legend?” Wind asked, and gave his brother a light shake.

Legend didn’t move, not one inch, and the sight of his brother so still made something lurch in Wind’s stomach.

He paused in trying to wake him, and turned his attention to the rest of the room. He’d been separated from the others in the explosion, and the only other person besides Legend and himself in the hallway was Warriors. And Warriors looked like he was beginning to stir, a groan coming from his direction.

Wind stood up again, the absence of his wind all the more noticeable when he tried to draw on it for assistance. He swallowed and kept going, and knelt by Warriors’ side as his eyes flickered open.

“Warriors?” he asked in a shaky voice, and his uncle groaned, pressing his hands to his ears.

“Not so loud...” he bit out in a whisper, face screwed up in a wince. “...why is it so loud?”

“...I’m the only one making any noise,” Wind said in confusion, and when Warriors winced, he switched to a whisper as well. “...Sorry. It’s not loud at all Warriors, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t... know?” Warriors bit out, trying to sit up. “Ugh... I feel like I got hit by a truck...”

“Did you hit your head?” Wind asked anxiously, and Warriors slowly shook it, still wincing.

“No... everything is just... loud.”

Wind waited a moment for him to wake up a little more, and Warriors breathed out, slowly sitting up. Pain still showed in the way his face was creased though, and Wind felt the bubble of anxiety in his chest get a little bigger.

“That was a weird thing they hit us with... are you sure you’re okay?” Wind said as he helped Warriors sit up, glancing worriedly at the rubble separating them from the others.

“Yeah...” Warriors mumbled. “You okay, Wind?”

Wind swallowed.

“I... I don’t know,” he said honestly, wishing his voice wouldn’t shake. “I only woke up a bit ago. I found Legend too, he’s still unconscious, but Wars there’s— there’s something wrong with my powers.”

“What?”

Wind bit his lip. “I can’t get them to work. Ever since I woke up I haven’t been able to feel any wind or anything, there’s something wrong.”

Warriors’ face creased in concern, but then he paused, and held out his hand with his palm outstretched.

Nothing.

He tried again, a little more frantically, but still nothing happened, and he exhaled, looking down at his hands.

“Looks like mine are on the fritz too,” he said worriedly, then gave Wind’s shoulder a squeeze. “We’ll... we’ll figure this out. There’s probably something blocking them, I’ve seen this before. We just need to find the device.”

“You’re sure?” Wind said shakily, and Warriors nodded, giving his hair a quick ruffle.

“Yeah. It’ll be fine, kiddo.”

Wind gave him a small smile, then decided to check on Legend again since he still hadn’t moved. His brother’s face was still pale and blank, and while he didn’t look injured, Wind knew stuff could be hurt on the inside where they couldn’t see it.

Warriors joined him a few moments later, still wincing, and got to a knee beside Legend. He began looking him over, brushing dusty bangs from his face, and Wind watched in silence from beside him.

“Warriors, what do we do now?” Wind asked quietly, and his uncle hesitated, flinching when a sound rang out in the distance.

“I... don’t know just yet. Let’s recuperate for a bit, see if we can wake Legend up. Maybe try and contact the others. Then... I guess keep going. Somebody has to stop this scientist guy.

“And that somebody is us.”

“Right-o,” Warriors smiled. Then he stiffened, ears pricking as he looked down the hallway. “Someone’s coming.”

“I don’t hear anything,” Wind said in confusion, and Warriors shook his head, gathering Legend up into his arms.

“I can, there’s someone coming, trust me. We need to—”

Footsteps clattered towards them, and Warriors flinched, quickly tugging Wind and Legend behind a piece of rubble. A handful of guards came around the corner, and Wind crouched down further, watching them nervously.

Normally four guards would be nothing, but without powers and Warriors in a questionable state... Wind wasn’t sure they could handle them.

“Wars?” he whispered, and Warriors put a finger to his lips.

The guards drew nearer, spreading out and looking around the rubble. One came closer and closer to where Warriors and Wind were, and suddenly looked behind the rubble, spotting them.

“Hey!”

He grabbed for his gun, and Warriors shoved Wind behind him, launching himself at the guard with a snarl. The man shouted as he fell backwards, and despite the pain on Warriors’ face, he managed to wrestle the gun away from him.

The other guards heard him though, and Wind’s stomach lurched as they surrounded Warriors, unsure if he should go help or stay where he was and defend Legend. Warriors was hurting, but Legend wasn’t even awake, what was he supposed to do?

Two guards split off and went for Wind, and he yelped in panic, backing up so he could better protect Legend. The guards both reached in the nook Wind and Legend were tucked in, trying to grab them, but Wind avoided their hands and kicked at their arms.

Warriors was still struggling with the other two guards, but when he heard Wind’s yelp, his head shot up, eyes going wide when he saw one of them pull out a gun.

“Get away from them!” he shouted, eyes glowing, and was suddenly doused in shadows.

A familiar noise hummed through the air, and Wind and the guards stared in shock as the shadows dispersed, leaving a grayish-blue and white wolf on the ground where Warriors had been.

The wolf looked utterly shellshocked, and Wind felt much the same as he stared at it.

What.

Wind suddenly realized the guards were all distracted by the abrupt appearance of a wolf, and he shoved his shock to the back of his mind. He pushed the two that were trying to grab him, knocking them both over, then darted out and grabbed a piece of metal that had fallen on the ground.

He slammed it into one of the guard’s heads, sending him to the floor, but by then the others had snapped out of their daze.

But Warriors had too, and it didn’t take long for him and Wind to take out the other three guards. All four lay unconscious in short order, and Wind panted heavily as he wiped his face.

Then he stared back at the wolf, who was staring at his paws with his ears back.

“Um... what?” Wind spluttered, disbelief coming back. “Warriors that— how?”

The Warriors-wolf whined, his eyes wide, and he paced around in an anxious circle, nose twitching and ears flicking.

“How did you do that?!” Wind repeated, and Warriors flinched at his raised voice, ears folding back again. “...sorry. But why do you have Twilight’s powers?!”

Warriors repeated his whine, tail between his legs, and suddenly the shadows whirled around him again, blocking him from view. When they dispersed, Warriors was back to normal, sitting on the ground and looking somewhat nauseous.

“...Warriors?” Wind asked, and Warriors slowly sank down and laid on his back, then put a hand over his eyes.

“Gimme a sec,” he croaked.

Wind went quiet, and for a minute the only sound in the room was Warriors’ somewhat-shaky breathing.

While his uncle got a hold of himself, Wind gently tugged Legend out from the hiding spot, setting his head in his lap as he sat down. He ran a hand over Legend’s hair while he watched Warriors, and finally his uncle exhaled, and took the hand off his eyes.

“I think I know what the problem with our powers is,” he murmured. “Somehow... they switched.”

“But how?” Wind said as he stared at his uncle, and Warriors sighed, slowly sitting up and setting his hands over his ears again.

“I don’t know. But... I think it has to do with that weird energy pulse. I’d guess somehow it switched our powers.”

Wind stared at him in shock, and Warriors grimaced as something made a sound in the distance.

“How... is that even possible?”

“I have no earthly clue.”

Wind petted Legend on the head again, trying to wrap his brain around the idea of powers somehow swapping. Their powers were a literal part of them, how could anything switch them around?

“So... so you somehow have Twilight’s powers,” Wind said, and Warriors nodded. “Does that mean Twilight has yours?”

“I don’t know. But based on the whole wolf thing and the fact that I can hear so much as a pin drop, I definitely switched with Twilight,” Warriors said, then winced again. “Eugh. How does he deal with being able to smell everything? Or hear people breathing?”

Wind shrugged. “So... what was it like being a wolf?” he asked curiously.

“...Weird. We should get moving before the guards wake up,” Warriors said, dodging the question, and Wind sighed and nodded. Obviously Warriors didn’t want to talk about it.

...he’d get it out of him eventually though.

Wind looked down at his hands as Warriors moved to pick up Legend, flexing his fingers, and wondered suddenly if the same thing had happened to him.

Had he just gotten his powers blocked, or had he switched with somebody too? Was that why he couldn’t feel his winds?

Wind focused on himself for a second, trying to remember back to when he was smaller, and accessing his powers was more difficult. Normally there was a sense of the winds around him that he drew on, a thrum in his heart that moved in time with them, and he could usually draw on it with little to no effort.

That feeling wasn’t there anymore, but as Wind focused, he realized there was a different thrum inside of him now, one that felt blindingly strong.

Wind cautiously drew on it, but it was like turning on a firehose, and a flood of whatever power he had now came rushing at him, startling a yelp from his throat.

Warriors called his name, but Wind barely heard him, focused on the power rushing through his middle, spreading to his limbs and stretching out along his face. It was nearly overwhelming, but Wind held on against it, gritting his teeth as power buzzed all over throughout his skin.

The rush ebbed finally, enough that Wind could open his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was that the floor seemed a lot further away then it had before.

Also Warriors staring at him in shock.

“What?” Wind asked, then startled at the way his voice echoed.

“You... you also swapped,” Warriors said in a somewhat strangled voice.

Wind blinked, then looked at his hands, feeling the current of power run through him, feeling so powerful that he could probably punch his way through the walls if he had to.

Which meant...

“I got Dad’s, didn’t I?” Wind said.

Warriors sat back down.

“...Yep.”

[thedeathdeelers]

miracle

“no regrets.” he takes in a shuddering breath, trying hard to suppress yet another sob clawing its way out of his throat.

julie vigorously shakes her head at his words, even as the desperation in her eyes slowly shifts into defeated acceptance.

he knew she would get him — she always did — even if it pained the both of them.

he looks at her, takes in her slumped shoulders — her glassy eyes, wet cheeks and quivering lips.

luke swallows down another sob at the sight, fingers curling into fists at his sides as he holds it all in. he doesn’t want to break down in front of her and make this harder on her — not when she was already struggling.

he couldn’t.

especially here, now, when this might be the last time they see each other.

he needed to be there for her, to reassure her, up until the every end.

he walks closer towards her, as close as he could get, suddenly too aware of the space between them. because no matter how close he got to her, she still felt so out of reach.

what he would do to be able to bridge that gap — to hold her, to wrap his arms around her and keep her close, even if just once- even if it was the last thing he ever did-

and now, in this moment, he could almost picture it — the feel of her against him, feeling the air rush out of his lungs as she runs into his arms, her own wrapping tightly around his neck as she holds him close.

it felt so natural, it felt so real- almost terrifyingly so. was this the end? was he to spend his last moments of existence dreaming of a world where he could hold her?

luke closes his eyes, drowning in his own hallucination.

“i love you guys.”

if this was the end, then so be it.

let this be the last thing his mind conjures up.

but as the dream he thinks he’s having starts to move away, luke opens his eyes in panic to find julie just a few inches away from his face, her eyes too bright and too real to be a figment of his imagination. he stares at her in awe and confusion as she pulls away just enough to trail her fingers down his arms.

warm soft skin brushing against his own.

“h-how can i..feel you?” she asks, voice barely above a whisper as she looks up at him in wonder.

“i-i-“ he stutters out, too distracted by..everything. by her proximity, her warmth - by her. “i don’t know,” he finally manages to say, tears blurring his vision.

julie reaches out towards him at his words, almost as if in a desperate hurry to confirm that this wasn’t a fluke — that it wasn’t a dream, an illusion.

he immediately feels the warmth of her skin against his as she cups his face in her hands, her fingers stroking his cheeks and wiping away his tears.

he doesn’t know what to feel, what to think, what to say-

he continues to stare at her in disbelief, his body suddenly moving of its own accord as he mirrors her movements, hands moving up to the soft warmth of her cheeks.

“i-“ he must be dreaming, this can’t be true; a moment ago he was an inch away from being wiped out of this world, and now he is suddenly holding his entire world in the palms of his hands?

this was…this was a miracle.

he could touch her.

she could touch him.

laughing in bewilderment, luke pulls julie in closer and rests his forehead against hers. he closes his eyes at the soft touch, and takes a deep breath, breathing her in and letting her fill his lungs until he could no longer keep it in.

slowly breathing out, he flexes his fingers against her skin, feeling the friction beneath his fingertips as strands of her hair tickle his skin.

it felt surreal. every single part of her, of this moment — like it was all just a dream.

almost as if to prove him wrong, julie moves beneath his hands, head tilting up towards him just enough for her nose to bump against his own.

she was real.

luke breathes out another laugh at the contact, still in absolutely awe of everything that she is. he takes his time to savour the moment, feeling her breath brush against his lips.

he doesn’t know how long they stand there, holding onto each other in this dreamlike stance, but when he eventually opens his eyes, the first thing that greets him is her smile — a smile full of love and joy and wonder and hope.

this was truly a miracle.

she was a miracle.