#are actually signs of a protective and loving family trying to shield their child from the evil CGI women

[museenkuss]

Horror films will start off saying "this family seems really off, aggressive and secretive... they must have bad intentions towards their child!" and you're like "please show me horror developing in the silence that grows in rooms of abuse" and as you're still saying this, the horror films will say "Hah!!! Got you! They're actually protecting the child from some random danger! The father wasn't evil after all!!" and no. Actually, I don't feel like excusing that behaviour. I don't think there's an evil cgi woman living behind the walls that's to blame for the fact that "love can look like abuse". I think it's lazy and downright shameful that you said that. Get that cgi woman out of here. I saw the father slam his hand on that table.

[livelaughlovekny]

Hello how u doin? Can I request for a oneshoot (again, if you don't mind:>) where Muichiro's fem!s/o get back in time because of some blood demon art to the timeline when he's around 7 so his family was definetly still alive!

The main event is when she met his dad in a forest where he was cutting down trees, and his dad asked her to have a dinner together with her because it's dangerous for a girl alone in the forest with such an injuries. There she realized that she get back in time.

She still don't let her guard down>:0, doesnt even sleep until midnight and when the demon who sent her suddenly approached (which waking up the Tokito family), she protected them. When the demon's head cut off, a portal to her timeline appeared and she said goodbye. But little Muichiro who has a weird feelings when he met her asked, "Will we meet again?" And she was like. "Of course."

Bonus Muichiro's parents could saw what happened through the portal; they saw older vetsion of Muichiro running towards her and hug her. I wonder how would they react to that🤔

(Aaah I made a very long and specific request again shjajjshejw, anyway I'm the one who requested Reunited with Muichiro in the Afterlife! Thank you so much I love it this big🌏! And I saw that you were worried about being too OOC? but believe me when I read your fics I feel like it's really Muichiro so you don't have to worryXD)

With love, me;3

a/n: WAHHH TYSM FOR THIS REQUEST!! I ABSOLUTELY HOW UNIQUE AND FUN YOUR REQUESTS ARE!!! I SINCERELY APOLOGISE FOR TAKING SO LONG!!! It's currently exam season for me so I'm so sorry for taking so long ahh tysm for your support!!!

  Your sword grazed the demon’s chest as it managed to jump away in the nick of time. “Can you please stop moving? I have a very important person to meet.” The demon sneered at you. “Oh, is that right? Allow me to help you.” And that was when you realised you were in trouble. A hole suddenly appeared beneath you. Unable to escape in time, you fell through it. You managed to land somewhat gracefully on your feet. You look around.

  You’re in another forest. Your crow wasn’t with you so you had no choice but to try and figure out where you were and how to get back. There was a faint dirt path leading up and you decided to follow it. You heard chopping sounds in the distance. Walking towards the sound, you noticed a man and decided to approach him. Upon noticing your presence, the man was shocked and immediately looked worried. “What are you doing out here in the woods all alone and hurt? It’s really dangerous to be out here right now especially for girls like you!” Trying to use your sleeve and hand to shield your sheathed sword from his view, you smiled and tried playing dumb. “Ah I’m sorry! I actually travelled from another village and got lost and hurt on the way…”

  The man looked at you pitifully and gestured for you to follow him. “Come, I’m sure my wife and kids would love it if you had dinner and stayed the night with us.” Deciding that you had no other choice, you bowed as a sign of respect. “Thank you so much and I sincerely apologise for the trouble.” He smiles at you and guides you to his home.

  A hut entered your line of view. It looked small yet so cosy and welcoming. Suddenly, you felt nervous and extremely guilty about intruding on this kind stranger’s family’s night. Taking small tentative steps into his home, he introduced you cheerily. His words faded into the background the moment your eyes zeroed in onto a familiar view. It was Muichirou. Well, not really. This Muichirou looked like a child and had a clone. Realising everyone was now staring at you, you hastily pushed your thoughts away and bowed. “I apologise for intruding! Thank you for having me!” The man’s wife smiled kindly at you, “Don’t worry about it dear.” Younger Muichirou looked at you curiously while his clone looked at you somewhat suspiciously; both of them remained silent. You tilted your head to the side and smiled at them. Subconsciously, they mimicked your movement. You hummed thoughtfully, considering what your next move should be.

  Squatting down so that you were almost at the children’s eye level, you smiled, introduced yourself very briefly and asked, “What are your names?” Mini Muichirou was quick to reply and was a mixture of excitement, bashfulness and curiosity. “I’m Tokito Muichirou and this is my brother Yuichirou! We’re twins!” Ah, that confirmed your absurd theory. Not only have you teleported, you have also time travelled. Not revealing your shock and fear, you smiled and nodded. “Is that so? You have such lovely names and eyes!” Yuichirou didn’t seem impressed by your compliment while Muichirou looked absolutely delighted.

  Muichirou studied you really closely. He found you extremely pretty. It was strange however. The moment he saw you, he felt as if something within him had been fulfilled and relieved. It was really weird. Had he met you before? That wouldn’t have been possible since most villagers don’t really travel this far up the mountain. Tilting his head to the side like you, he wondered why you seemed and felt so special to him. He wanted to know more about you.

  Noticing his curious stares, you smiled at him. Muichirou blushed and tried to hide behind his brother who rolled his eyes at him but smirked slightly. You laughed slightly.

  It was so peaceful and lovely to have a meal with the Tokito family. Really nice except you were extremely aware that the darker the sky got, the more cautious you should be. Which was why when the Tokito family was preparing to sleep, you had rejected their invitation and explained that you would rather look at the night sky. “I appreciate it, truly but I…er… I have a routine of looking at the night sky for a while before sleeping. I stargaze with my…um…lover.” You did not have a lover. They didn’t need to know that though. You tried your best to smile innocently as the family of four stared at you before slowly accepting your flimsy excuse.

  As they settled down and got to sleep, you allowed yourself to actually admire the night sky a little. It was lovely and you wished you could do it more often. Seconds after it striked midnight, the reason why you couldn’t arrived. The demon who had brought you here finally found you. It smirked, showing off its claws and chuckling. “Well? Did you like my gift? Sadly for all of you, your time is up.”

  Fear and tension rose within the little house. Tensing up your muscles, you took a stance, making sure you shielded the Tokitos. You could hear them shouting at you to hide but you knew if you did everyone would die and it would be your fault. The demon striked first. It nearly got past you as it tried to dash by you. Reacting quickly, you managed to slash its outstretched hand off. It screamed in pain. Forgetting the Tokito family for the time being, it directs its attention to you. After sparring with it for a minute, you finally managed to figure out its pattern.

  Unlike before, you managed to slash its head off. Its head dropped and rolled. It started screaming profanities and cursing you and the Tokitos. You stuck your head through its fading head. “Hey, shut up and just die already.” Smiling cruelly at it, you watched as its final ash faded away. The moment it completely disappeared a portal appeared right above where it was. Through the portal you could see that it leads you back to where you came from. A grin broke across your face. Finally, you have a way back now.

  “H-hey! Wait!” A voice called out, stopping you from entering the portal. Turning around, you see young Muichirou running towards you and looking at you anxiously while the rest of his family are staring at you in awe and curiosity. Smiling, you bent down so you were at his eye level. Muichirou checked quickly to see if you had any visible injuries. He was awed by how skilled your swordsmanship was when you sparred with that demon and was sure he didn’t see you get hurt but one can never be too sure. “You’re not hurt right? You have to go through that glowy circle right?” Ruffling his hair, you smiled. “Thanks, don’t worry, I’m not hurt. I have to go through that ‘glowy circle’ as that’s where I came from.”

  Nodding his head, Muichirou fumbled with his fingers before finally blurting out, “We will meet again right?” The both of you just had to. He could feel it. He just had to be with you in the future. His heart just kept telling him that there was something special about you. Laughing, you nodded. “Of course. Meet me in the future!” With that, you got up, you waved goodbye to the family and walked into the other side of the portal.

Bonus: As the portal closed, Muichirou’s mother gasped and pointed frantically at the scene on the other side of the portal. A boy who strongly resembles Muichirou had ran up to you and engulfed you in a hug, anxiously checking you for injuries and demanding to know where you went while trying to ensure that you were safe. Muichirou’s father chuckled, “I’m not quite sure how to feel about that but I don’t think you have to worry about not meeting in the future. The both of you seem quite close!” Muichirou’s mother smiled, “I agree. You looked quite relieved and so happy when you saw her!” The tips of Muichirou’s ears turned bright red as his family proceeded to tease him continuously and express their blessings.

a/n: ahh i hope i did your request justice!! ohmy i had fun writing this though i took so long wahh

[theriverperson]

Every Year a Knife to the Heart [Vignette]

(Content warnings in tags, this gets dark.)

They had always loved the way Galene’s curls seemed to dance in the sun, they played with its light and bounced softly when she spun around and pulled CHARON into her arms. Embracing her in return, they laughed and basked in their love for each other. When her soft voice spoke, they damn near fell over from shock at the words from her mouth.

“Oh, love, I can hardly believe it! We’re going to have a baby!”

What?!

FLICKER

She was not showing yet, and yet they looked forward to each passing day hoping she would. Skeletons rarely showed such physical signs of pregnancy as the extended belly humans did and they were looking forward to something about this child that they could touch.

Gods help them she was so beautiful.

Even when she was concerned. “I’m worried about these rumors going around about some sort of war against all of monsterkind,” she said as she rested her head against their chest.

“Hush, beloved,” they answered, rubbing her back in small circles. “There is no way anyone can fight all of monsterkind.”

There was no way. Truly. Outrageous rumors.

FLICKER

As they watched the ships approaching from the sea they found they really did not enjoy being wrong.

The necropolis was scrambling, with children and noncombative monsters hurrying underground to the crypts behind the traps. The priests and priestesses had insisted on staying above to defend the temple. May every god and ancestor they have watch over them.

They pleaded silently, their arms around their beloved. Soteria, raise your shielding hand to protect us. Hecate, defend your people, who stand fighting for their lives. Zeus. Athena. Apollo. Artemis, if you care for nothing else then care for our unborn child and the children hiding below.

The few human adults, save for their own wonderful Galene who was with child, had decided to stay above and fight with the monsters they called family.

Hera. Please. If nothing else then keep her safe. At my own expense if you must.

When they released her, their beloved brushed her hand along their skull for a wordless moment before taking a step back to grab a shield. Face stern and confident, she held it out to them.

“My love,” she said, “it is an ancient custom, and I am your wife rather than your mother, but you are ancient and this battle is important. More than any I think we will ever face again. So…”

And they knew in their SOUL what she was saying.

“With it or in it,” they finished for her, holding the shield to their breast and bowing their head reverently to her, their own, personal, goddess. They would defend their people and the innocent lives here and return to her carrying that shield or they would fall and return to her carried inside of it but they would not flee like a coward. Not when so many lives were on the line.

They turned away and looked up to Necromancer Eleni.

FLICKER

Slumped backwards against rubble that had, hours earlier, been one of many buildings in the necropolis, they could only feel exhaustion.

The invaders had apparently attacked necropoli before. They knew, somehow, that targeting their Necromancer was the easiest way to break the organization and focus of the defending monsters, and when Eleni had gone down their confidence had gone with her.

It had been a slaughter. They'd only just managed to beat the last of them back in time to save a handful of those that had hidden away. Fewer still were those that remained and had fought.

And CHARON felt such guilt, for having tried to avoid killing. They were not the only one, many of the monsters could not bring themselves to actual lethal harm even in defense of their own life or those around them. They had only done what they could, healing as many as possible and trying to disable, to restrict the invaders. To get them, simply, to leave.

If it had only been so easy.

Was dear, sweet Galene even still...?

Ah! Yes there! Bounding towards them, a likely now-orphaned child of one of their neighbors right behind her, their dearest Galene came running. Tears in her eyes.

Pain. Surprise. Shock. A stagger. A spear, penetrating her chest.

One of those they had thought defeated had not been, completely.

A fall.

Words.

Words that would haunt them for the rest of their days, even half-choked and accented by blood-filled coughs as they were.

"Death to monsters! And to those who would whelp them!"

The human spearman staggered back and fell once more against the rock they'd been leaning on and as Galene fell forwards they swore time itself stood entirely still, for one brief second.

Human forgotten, potentially-orphaned onlooking child forgotten, people and city forgotten, CHARON moved with a speed they had not thought they could still manage and caught her. They cradled her in their arms.

Scrambled.

As much healing as they had left in them.

Why wasn't it working?

Why wasn't it working!?

Whywasn'titworking?Why?Why?Whywhywhywhywhy?

As if there was nothing-

They clutched her against them, grip tight, and keened with their sorrow.

There was nothing left to save. The spear had killed her. Pierced her heart.

They would never be able to estimate, to remember, how long they had spent holding their dead beloved. Their unborn child. Lost entirely to their own grief.

They would always remember what they had done next. Maddened entirely with fury and anguish and desperation to ensure the one that did this would pay for the human spearman had coughed and that one infuriating sound became their world's entire focus.

The ferryman's pole they'd summoned had hardly even registered to them. Neither had the sharpened bone scythe-blade that they'd summoned with it. If nothing else they would be resting assured that there was not enough left of this human for their soul to make it to the Underworld.

Maddened and lost, CHARON swung-

AND RIVER AWOKE

Still rattling, they'd awoken, SOUL filled with grief and mourning as if it had been only hours ago that they'd lost dear Galene and not near a thousand years. The bed they lay in felt entirely too lonely.

[backintheblackparade]

I love Charmed (1998) as a cosmic horror story.

You are a powerful witch destined for Good. You are descended from the one Actual Witch killed by the Salem Witch Trials. You live in a house, an ancestral home of a century or so, where her descendants eventually fled to escape persecution. It sits on a powerful Nexus of magic power, which hides from plain sight in the basement. It draws evil like moths to a flame. These evils have haunted you, literally, since your earliest childhood memories. They can appear suddenly in your home at all hours, on any day, and attempt to slaughter you all without warning.

You have a book. It is written by the hands that came before you. Written in their blood, in their sufferings, in their death. Tips and tricks, potions and spells, marking out methods to defeat each of the almost innumerable horrors that stalk you and yours. For they cannot be truly killed. Only banished, for months or decades, before they come again. Come again to invade your home and take your power. To eliminate you to the last.

This book is considered the greatest of its kind in the world. Witches of other lines covet it. But do they know what it cost? The suffering that begets its necessity? This book is magical, and it’s essence it tied inextricably to yours: if it is stolen, corrupted, so are you. It is also tied to the house. It cannot be taken from the premises by any means not by your hands. You can sense if it’s gone. It is part of you, your blood, and your line. Just as the house is. Just as the Nexus you defend is.

It is your family’s duty to protect them from falling into the wrong hands. You stay. Generation after generation stay, write new entries in the book, and raise their families inside the walls of The Manor. The power of the Nexus seeps into their blood, your blood, each generation gaining more and more power. Power to face the evils that come to take it. They come with poison and knives, crossbows and fire, all intent on murdering a suburban San Francisco family in their home. They invade, plot, scheme, work their evil magics on your bodies and minds. You fight and fight and fight for your lives. You live and you learn. You die and you learn. You suffer and you learn. But in the end, you are powerless against them. They are too numerous, hour after hour, day after day, year after year, decade after decade.

The evils came, and they killed your ancestors. But they did not get what they came for, so they tried again. And again. They killed your mother. They killed your grandmother. They killed your sister. They killed your memories, your childhood, your friends, your lovers, your guardian angels, your spouse, your children. They killed you. Over and over. But they do not win what they seek. At least not permanently. So each time, the power of the Nexus, steeped in blood and in your blood in return, drags you back. It bends the laws of dimension and time, forcing you through endless sufferings only you and yours remember, and it brings you right back to where you started: living in your ancestral home, fighting for the power, set in place as sentinels to shield it from Evil.

Sometimes, one or more of you will move out, try to make a life away from magic, the book, The Manor, and the Nexus beneath it. Sometimes, a child of your line is given up for adoption the day they are born. Sometimes, your memories of magic are erased and you scatter to the winds to live mundane lives. Sometimes, you move across the world to be with the one you love. It never works. None of it ever sticks. You always return. Like moths to a flame. Drawn in by death, the collapse of a relationship, by attacks or spells or magic gone awry or signs that appear to be from the very Universe Itself. Every Warren Witch ends up returned to sender. Always, a Halliwell must remain in the Manor. So you stay, and you protect it. (The House always wins.)

There is a Final Battle. Everyone you love is dead. You are dead. The house lies in ruins. Until it doesn’t. And everything returns to the way it was. You think it is over. That Good has won, once and for all. That the Evil has been defeated, the Nexus destroyed. But your children have power. The Nexus is in their blood. So the Evil will come. Like moths to a flame. And someday, you, and they, will die. Your unending string of death and resurrection will cease. You become another generation sacrificed to feed the great beast that waits below. And another generation destined for Good will in turn rise to protect it. And someday they too will die. But the line, book, the house, and the power will continue. And so too will the sacrifice.

That is the story of Charmed.

[elentiyawhitethorn]

Prompt- Rhys gets sick and feyre becomes mother hen👀

Sick Day

Fluff//1865 words

Cassian grinned. “I told Mor she shouldn’t do it. It wasn’t my fault.”

“Sure you did, Cass.”

“Don’t sound so skeptical! I am your general, one of the highest ranking officers in your court, My Lady. I would never lie to you.”

Feyre smacked Cassian on the arm. “Don’t you have something better to do? Like, I don’t know, harass somebody else?”

He gave a wide smile. “Why would I do that when you’re right here?”

Feyre rolled her eyes. “Gods, you-”

A loud cough cut Feyre off.

Feyre glanced at the ceiling as if she could see her mate through it. She could, in fact, sense where he was. “Do you think he’s okay?”

A tired sigh left Cassian. “I am so sick of listening to you to worry about each other every time the other one blinks funny. It was a cough, Feyre.”

Feyre bit her lip. “Okay.”

Nyx cooing distracted Feyre’s anxious thoughts and she turned to her baby. He was sitting in Cassian’s lap. For some unfathomable reason, Nyx found Cassian hilarious, and he would sit on his uncle’s lap and giggle at the sound of his voice. Or at least, Feyre hoped it was the sound of his voice. Should Feyre find her newborn actually knew what Cassian was saying, the male would be flayed alive.

“Hi, honey,” Feyre cooed back, waggling her fingers at her son.

Cassian snorted. “You’ve gotten so gooey.”

Feyre scowled. “Me? Never. That’s just Rhys.”

“I’ll admit, Rhys is more of a softie than you are, but you’re not the bitch you used to be.”

Feyre gasped. She picked up Nyx and held him close. “Don’t say such things! He’s only a baby.” Then she covered Nyx’s ears and added, “And for the record, I am still a bitch. Don’t forget it.”

Cassian cracked a smile. “If you say so.”

Before he could say anything more, another cough sounded upstairs.

Feyre handed Nyx hurriedly to Cassian, who just rolled his eyes. “Go on, check on Rhysie pie. Gods forbid he has allergies.”

“I would punch you if you weren’t holding my son.” With that, Feyre winnowed into her and her mate’s bedroom.

Rhys was lying in bed. The room was dark enough that Feyre couldn’t tell what his facial expression was right now, but she could sense his discomfort through the bond.

“What’s wrong, Rhys?” breathed Feyre, rushing to his side.

“Lord, you’re fussy today.” Rhys had been going for a sarcastic tone, but it came out raspy and weak.

Feyre crossed her arms. ���Let’s skip all the bullshit about how you’re feeling well and refuse to say anything. What’s wrong?”

Scowling, though possibly more at the situation than at Feyre, Rhys silently opened his mental shields. And Feyre was met with affliction.

She was overcome by the sensation of gut-wrenching pains and full-body soreness. Her throat was sore and her hands were clammy. Feyre felt dizzy, nauseated, likely about to fall over-

Feyre pulled out of Rhys’ mind quickly. “You’re sick.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Rhys groaned. “You should go. Don’t want you to get it.”

Feyre snorted. “For one thing, I can just summon a shield around my body in protection. Rather simple.” Feyre did indeed erect a body wrap of sorts, made of magic. Then she added, “And anyway, I love you almost enough that I’d deal with that just to be with you.”

Rhys’ lips twitched slightly. “Almost?”

Feyre smiled back. “We have to think about the Court. Wouldn’t want both the High Lord and Lady out of action. It would be chaotic.”

Rhys laughed, a brittle sound.

“I’ll be right back,” Feyre said.

“Where are you going?”

She pulled the blanket up farther on her mate as his sweating turned to shivers. “I’m going to ask Cass to watch Nyx today. I don’t want him to catch it.”

“Good idea,” Rhys mumbled, his eyelids fluttering.

Feyre winnowed back. Cassian glanced up amusedly. “Did our precious High Lord get something in his throat?”

Feyre scowled. “He’s ill.”

“How ill?” Cassian asked, not buying it.

In response, Feyre entered his mind and sent over the feelings she’d experienced when she crossed Rhys’ shields.

“Fuck,” Cassian exclaimed. “Give a male a little warning next time.”

“Careful,” Feyre scolded. “You’re holding my son.”

Cassian righted himself. “He’s actually sick. Gods, I don’t think that’s happened since last century.”

A stray snort escaped the dignified high lady. “You old bastards. I was wondering how you would feel about watching Nyx today? He’s so young; I don’t know how he would handle catching what Rhys has.”

“Oh, of course.” Cass smirked and turned to Nyx. “I have some busy things to do today, little male. How would you feel about helping?”

Feyre knew this was absolute bullshit; Cassian wasn’t totally useless but he sure as hell didn’t have “busy things.”

But Nyx burbled excitedly. One of his little hands reached for a lock of Cassian’s hair and tugged, his tiny wings flapping slightly.

“It’s settled then. Your son will be learning how to run the Night Court today.”

“Right. Because that’s what you’re in charge of,” Feyre responded drying, but she couldn’t help smiling at Nyx.

Cassian grinned. “See you. Try not to get sick or I might have to keep Nyx forever.”

Feyre smiled. “Right.”

They exchanged farewells and Cassian turned toward the door of their manor. “Oh, and don’t break anything,” Feyre called after him. “And don’t break my son.”

Cassian didn’t even turn back; he just flipped Feyre off over his shoulder, holding the baby in one hand. Feyre smiled, but she wasn’t actually concerned. For all his goofing about, Cassian could be surprisingly responsible, and she knew he would take care of Nyx well. Satisfied her child was in good hands and safe from infection, she walked over to the other room.

After dismissing the staff for the day (pay still included, of course), Feyre made for the kitchen. She used her magic to light a fire under the stove and she placed a pot on top. Even with her abilities, she normally wasn’t lazy enough to use them for everything, but she wanted this going as quickly as possible.

Worried about Rhys, Feyre used her magic once more to speed along the chopping. After dumping the vegetables in the broth she’d put in, she winnowed back upstairs.

Rhys was semi-conscious, exhausted but too pained to reach sleep. “Rhys, wake up.”

Rhys moaned. “Piss off.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you stay like this. You’re too uncomfortable to sleep well, Rhys.” Feyre helped him sit up, countering all of his protests with promises of soup.

“You don’t need to make soup all by yourself just for me.”

A huff of breath left Feyre’s lips. “I kept my family alive for years. I know how to make soup.”

Rhys sighed in resignation. “It’s not really that bad.”

“You say that like you wouldn’t be calling five healers over and praying to the gods I don’t die if our positions were switched.”

“Fair enough. We can both be rather protective of each other. But-”

“No buts,” Feyre said firmly. “I’ll be right back with soup. Drink this in the meantime. You need lots of fluids.” She waved her hand, summoning a glass of water on their nightstand.

Rhys sighed but reached for it, which was enough for Feyre. She left the room.

Soup was ready five minutes later. Her magic had really sped up the process; she was impatient and wanting to be with her mate, who she heard coughing again. As soon as she could, Feyre made her way back upstairs.

“Hey, babe.”

Feyre snorted and made a tray appear on him lap. She set the bowl down. “Hey.”

The glass of water was still mostly full, but Rhys had taken a couple sips. Appeased, Feyre moved to the other side of the bed and sat down next to her mate.

Rhys sighed, but reached for the spoon.

As he slowly took little spoonfuls, Feyre placed her hand on his forehead, and found him without a fever. A good sign.

She began gently rubbing his back. He was cold, and Feyre let warmth deep through her fingers, courtesy of the Autumn Court’s fire in very small quantities.

Rhys sighed in content. “Maybe I should get sick every day.”

“If it’s the only way to get you to rest, I suppose that wouldn’t be too bad,” Feyre replied, smiling. Her hands kept moving on his back. “I heard last century was the last time you got sick?”

Rhys swallowed another spoonful. “I vomited on Keir.”

Feyre took a minute to process this. “You did what?”

Rhys grimaced. “I wasn’t feeling well, but I thought I’d be okay to make the trip. I clearly wasn’t.”

Feyre burst into laughter. “Oh my gods.”

“Stop that,” Rhys demanded. “You’re not supposed to make fun of me while I’m not feeling well.” His features transformed into a pout.

Feyre couldn’t stop a grin from making its way to her face. “No wonder Keir doesn’t like you.”

Rhys tried to scowl, but he smiled faintly. “I’ll admit, he was a bit more civil to me before that. Only a bit, though.”

Feyre positively cackled. “This is why I love you.”

“Because I accidentally projectile vomit on people I don’t like?”

“Precisely,” Feyre said.

More broth, as well as a small carrot, was swallowed. Rhys sighed pathetically and Feyre just watched him, still massaging his back, trying not to worry too much.

Sickness in Fae was rare, and it usually didn’t last for long, due to their strong immune systems. He must have caught it from somewhere, and Feyre decided to warn her friends later to be careful. Everyone would be fine, but having all her friends sick would be a hassle, to say the least. At least Nyx was safe; Cassian would definitely be staying away from others today. He wouldn’t admit it, but he could be overly fussy too.

Rhys slurped the rest of the broth out of the bowl, holding it up to his face, while Feyre chuckled at him. Then she sent the empty bowl away with a wave of her hand. “Time to rest, Rhys.”

Rhys just pouted at her. “I’m not tired.”

“Liar. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

Rhys reluctantly let Feyre help him lie back against the pillow. Several moments later, they were both situated: Rhys was absolutely covered in blankets to fight off the chills and Feyre’s arms were around him, her magic still warming his body.

Feyre entered his mind and sent comforting thoughts over, as well as urges to rest. It didn’t take long before he was snoring.

Holding her mate, comforting him through even a mild ailment, couldn’t have felt more right. Feyre desperately wanted him to heal, and soon he would, but for now she was content to listen to him breathe and inhale his familiar scent.

As Feyre herself drifted off, she just hoped she could convince Rhys to let her in his mind and show her Keir’s expression after being vomited on. Because that was something she wanted to see.

———

Tag List:

@feysand-loml

@aelin-bitch-queen

@story-scribbler

@live-the-fangirl-life

@midsizewitch

@infernoqueen19

[roscgcld]

THE LOVE OF AN OLDER BROTHER || INUMAKI TOGE

request: Okay if you accept sibling fluff can I request inumaki toge little sister reader(in elementary school) ,where she's deaf and gets bullied for it but doesn't tell him because she thinks it's to much of a burden(like silent voice)

note: hello love! thank you so much for your request! tbh, i’ve never watched the movie A Silent Voice before, so I had to do some Youtubing to find some clips - and I blame you for making me ugly cry at 2 am in the morning lmao. It’s so sweet and such a coming of age story in a way, so I tried to channel that into my writing >< I definitely enjoyed this one a lot!

anime: jujutsu kaisen

characters: inumaki toge

pronouns: she/her

trigger warning: bullying/physical assault mentioned, along with self depreciating and suicidal thoughts. read with caution. 

proof read: N/A

Being from a clan like the Inumaki clan, many from the Jujutsu world would just automatically assume that you’d inherate the powerful Cursed Speech Curse Ability from your family. However, there is always that few exceptions when it came to things like this; and this time, you were that one exception.

You were born deaf, and because of this, you were looked down upon by the elders of your clan for being a ‘waste of an heir’. Your father, a loving man, had always shield you from there vile words; and from example your older brother, a gifted user, became overprotective of you. He would willingly take a bullet for you, constantly showering you in love and affection, and even going so far as learning how to use sign language at a young age so he can communicate with you.

Because he just wants you to grow up in a loving and somewhat normal life. That’s all he wants for you. 

Hence why, instead of following the normal route of a jujutsu student, your parents decided to sign you up in a nearby elementary school with the hopes that you get to bond with normal children. So that’s how you found yourself dressed in a cute floral dress, your white frilly socks with simple Mary Janes, your white hair pulled back into a delicate braid; all excited with your backpack filled with things you picked up at the stationery store and a bento prepared by your mother.

Since it was his day off, Toge took up the responsibility of sending you off on your first day, making sure that the entire process will be smooth sailing for you. Walking down the street of your town, he lets you swing your hands between each other, smiling behind his black mask at how excited you were to start your first day of school. It warmed his heart that you get to experience normal things like this, and without knowing it, you motivated him to push himself harder to become a stronger shaman, to protect the world that brings you so much joy. 

Soon you both found your way into the school grounds and quietly, Toge brought you aside so that he can pull his mask down, revealing his tattooed mouth and tongue. But you just smile at your older brother, who smiles back before he reaches over to ruffle your hair between his fingers. Quietly he signed to you, mouthing the worlds he wanted to say silently instead of wording them out in the open; he was a Cursed Speech user, after all. The safest way for him to communicate for you is for him to use onigiri ingredients. or to word out the words silently whilst doing the signs with his hands. 

‘You ready for school, pipsqueak?’

“Uf huf!” You said happily, your speech clearly slurred and not so clear since you had never been corrected on how to say words properly - but with how you excitedly nod your head with a wide smile, Toge can pretty much interpret what you were saying. Smiling warmly at your excitement, he leans over to kiss you on the forehead on last time before pulling his mask back on. With that he got back up and, after taking your outstretched hand, you two joined the rest of the crowd once more.

After a lot of paperwork and awkward one sided conversations, since Toge went with the excuse that he had a sore throat, you soon found yourself being led to stand behind your new classmates, who were focused on saying goodbye to their parents. Toge squatted down before you and you can immediately tell he was smiling behind his mask, causing you to smile back as well. Quietly he leans forward to rub his masked nose with yours, something that you two always do when the other is about to leave.

With a giggle you happily rubbed your nose against his as well, and with another parting pat to your head, he got up and followed the other parents that were ushered out of the crowded hallway. Soon a few of the more confident students started to introduce themselves to one another, and one of those children came running towards you with a grin. “Good morning! My name is Taku, nice to meet you!” He greeted loudly as he bowed at you and the girls around you, who all gave him an uninterested glance before turning their attention away from him. 

But you did give him an excited smile before you started to sign back a greeting, trying to vocalise your name at the same time. This cause everyone in the hallway to pause and stare at you in confusion, since they had not expected for someone who looks so sweet and soft spoken to have spoken in such a loud and odd way. However before anyone can make a comment about it, the teacher finally arrived with a warm smile on his face, gesturing for the students to entire their new class.

This moment of excitement managed to distract the students and soon everyone flooded into the room, waiting for their seat arrangements to be settled by the teacher before they start their first real day as students. Of course, like any first day of school, you had to do the ice breaker activities to introduce your name and greeting the rest of the class. Everyone had to do it, regardless if they were ready to do it or not - and you were no exception.

You stood up excitedly before you started to say what sounds like your name, signing along the way to try and express yourself better. Once again, everyone was staring at you in confusion, having never heard someone speak like you before. Your teacher just smiles and nods, introducing you to the rest of the students simply. “Inumaki here is actually deaf, meaning she can’t hear you all. So you have to be more creative when you want to talk to her. However, just because she is different, doesn’t mean she is any different from you all. So I expect to treat her like everyone else.” 

The simple explanation caused the rest of the students to nod softly, giving you more curious looks since they’ve never been around someone like you before. But on the outside, you were pretty much the same like the rest of them; so it was easy to forget that you were any different from them in the beginning. 

It was actually really fun for you - for your entire life, you had always been around sorceress, feeling like an outcast in such a well gifted family. Even though you had a disadvantage, you had always been acutely aware of where curses were, being able to locate them quite accurately even without former training. But you were still a child, so you were given a chance to try out the life as a normal child. You were ecstatic, since you had always dreamed what it would be like to start school and live a normal life. 

But, as if the world wanted to spite you, things never tend to go your way.

You remember how things first started out for you - people were shocked at how loud and different you were, but made a real effort to try and talk to you to try and get to know you; since that was what their teachers told them to. However, after awhile, people started to talk behind your back; about how you made no real effort to try and join the conversation, even though the hearing aids you donned on seemed to help you understand them just a little better. At first you ignored the comments of just a few people, having been able to ignore all the backhanded comments that the elders have made for almost your entire life. 

However, the first ever boy who introduce himself to you, Taku, seemed to have deemed you to be the odd one out - and for some reason, had decided that you were going to be the subject of his new taunts and teases. At first it was small things like playful off handed comments about you that made your mood fall, but didn’t do much. You have been subjected to worse treatement from others. However, as the weeks go by, it was getting harder and harder to ignore. 

Toge had noticed that as the weeks go on, the enthusiasm that you once held for school started to dwindle. Every time he asks you about it though, you would just quickly wave him off, saying that you were just tired with how much work it takes to with people who weren’t necessarily used to using sign language and understanding you. Technically you weren’t lying, since you were mentally drained trying to communicate with so many different types of people. But at the same time, all the off-handed comments were getting to you. 

Your answer definitely has him concerned, since he was used to having his baby sister basically talking his ear off on a normal bases; but he didn’t push you too much. It was something he had learnt to do when it comes to you - that when you really need him, you’d come and tell him no matter what. And it was true; even if it was a small trivial matter, you always come whining to him for attention and a listening ear. So he doesn’t necessarily push you to tell him, but he did remind you that if you needed him, he would be there.

And you knew that, but the same time, somehow there were seeds of doubts planted in your mind. 

“Don’t you think you’re annoying people all the time?”

“God, you’re so noisy! Can’t you talk quieter?! No wonder people don’t like talking to you~”

“Can you stop trying so hard? You just sound weird.”

It hurt you, and with how busy he can get with his own school life and rarely get to see you, these words started to fill your head and make you feel like you aren’t worth all the effort that people put into trying to communicate with you. It made you start to become closed off and stop making the effort to talk to people, because in your eyes, you didn’t want to be a bigger bother then you already are for people.

Your sudden silence definitely had your parents getting concerned about you, since they were weren’t sure as to why you were suddenly so quiet and secluded from your family when you all used to be such a close family unit. Toge was the most concerned one out of everyone, so after he finally got home from his classes for the week, he had brought some some of the fruit tarts he knows you love from a nearby bakery.

Quietly he made his way to his baby sister’s room, knocking on the wooden frame of the shoji doors to let her know he was coming in. “Salmon?” He calls out curiously as he carefully pushes open the door to your room open, peeking his head in side. The sight of you curled up on your side on your bed, not even acknowledging that your brother had entered your room. Your lack of response does concern him; so he quietly set the box of tarts down on your bedside table before carefully setting down on the bed beside you. 

Quietly he reaches over to run his fingers through your soft hair, wordlessly giving you the comfort you didn’t know you were needing. Just a simple touch from someone who you have been trying to hide for so long definitely have your eyes watering. Wordlessly you turned to face your older brother, who just gave you an encouraging smile before he opens his arms for you. 

You launched yourself into his arms, and if he hadn’t been waiting for it to happen, he would have fallen back from the sheer force of the hug. Any normal person would have asked you hundreds of questions that will frankly make you feel worse, but Toge was just a pro at understanding you without you needing to say a word.

He might not know just what is it that got you so upset in the first place, and just how much seeing him in your room made you feel a little less lonely; but he wordlessly just wraps his arms around you, pressing soft kisses on the top of your head wordlessly as you soaked his shirt with your tears. It breaks his heart that you were going through the pains of having to live with something that you didn’t choose to have.

But if all you need was someone to lean on, he just wants wants you know that he’s here no matter what.

© roscgcld — all rights reserved to me, rose, the author and creator of these works. do not repost/translate/claim my work as yours on any platform

[bus-stop-to-kpop]

Broken Mirror (Lee Seoho x Reader)

Pairing: Lee Seoho (Oneus) x fem!Reader

Genre: idk really, a little bit angsty, but I guess it could count as fluff, it’s somewhat a Soulmate!au

Trigger Warning!!: Short mention of blood, death of a character (but they’re reborn)

Summary: Seoho finds a mirror in the attic that seems to show him the life of his soulmate. You come to find the man in the mirror after a long time.

Word Count: 2,508

A/N: I wrote this in February and now catch me fully believing I predicted the Black Mirror Comeback lol. Seoho is immortal in this fic, there is no actual reason for that, I just wanted him to. That’s the power I hold as an author, hehe. Have fun reading :) ~Admin J

Seoho loved exploring and adventure, ever since he was young he was always looking for some thrill in life. One of the places he loved during his childhood was the attic in the house his parents owned. They were part of the upper class and pretty well off, so there were a lot of treasures in the attic. It's where he found one of his most treasured possessions, a broken mirror. He remembered the day that he found this mirror like it was just yesterday. ~*~ Young Seoho was climbing up the stairs to the attic with excitement. Up there the sun was shining through the cracks in the wood and made the dust visible, but something made it seem magical to Seoho. He was debating where to look through today when suddenly he was blinded by light. He put a hand up to shield his eyes and searched for the culprit that was blinding him. A small mirror was laying on a crate and reflected the sun right into his eyes. Seoho was intrigued, he couldn't recall seeing this mirror before. Maybe his mother had brought it up here recently? The young boy decided to take a better look at the small  rectangle mirror. He picked it up and what he saw in there shocked him. Instead of his own reflection he was met with the figure of a girl. She seemed to be running as her hair was moving in the wind. Due to the shock of his unusual sighting the mirror slipped from his grip. It shattered into a few big pieces but all of them stayed in the frame. Seoho picked it up checking if maybe it had just been his mind playing tricks on him, but no there you were again. This time you were standing, head to the side smiling at someone. It seemed like you weren't aware that he could watch you and he felt awkward. He made his way down to find his mom to ask her about the mirror. "Mother what is this?" he asked showing her the small treasure. She inspected the mirror but didn't seem to recognize it "Where did you get this?" "I found it in the attic." His mother shrugged it was a simple mirror, maybe she forgot about it. "Do you not see the girl?" Seoho asked, staring at his mother with big eyes. "A girl? What do you mean? This is a mirror you see yourself in this." Seoho blinked confused, why did he not see himself, but a girl in this mirror? Most importantly, who was the girl he was seeing? Ever since then he had kept the mirror with him at all times.

~*~ Seoho quickly realized that time seemed to move differently for him. He turned older every year but is appearance never changed ever since his 25th Birthday. Many assumed for him to be happy about that, but living a life like his, was hell to him. He had no idea why he had been given immortality, but he hated it. It was a lonely life to live. His family and friends were all dying, but he had to stay on this world, all alone. The only person that was constant in his life was you, the girl in the mirror. Or at least that was what he thought. Occasionally he took glances into the mirror to see you, however it still felt like he was invading your privacy. Usually he looked, when he was sad or nervous, since you always seemed to be smiling, just living your life simple. He could tell your family was from the lower class due to your clothing, but he admired how you were still always happy. Until one day. He was feeling nervous the whole day, he didn't know what it was. Maybe because the country was preparing for a war or maybe it was the still unanswered letter he had send to his friend earlier this month. When he took his mirror, it almost slipped from his hand again. Instead of seeing you, he saw nothing. The mirror was black, completely black. No sign from you nor his own reflection. His heart sank to his knees, not knowing what was going on. Seoho could do nothing about it, but wait and see if the mirror would change and show you again. ~*~ Seoho had been recruited as a general, leading a troop in war. He felt pressure, not for himself, he was immortal after all, but he had the responsibility for a ton of soldiers. There were several other Generals with the same fate as him, they were six in total. The King had personally requested for them, to build an unkillable unit. The six of them grew closer throughout the span of war, Seoho even showed them his treasured mirror, which was still black. Even throughout the war he kept the mirror with him at all times, he looked into it every morning after waking up and every evening before going to sleep. Five years he saw nothing but black in it, until one evening before going to sleep, he could see the face of a baby in the mirror. He jolted upright in his bed, catching the attention of fellow general Youngjo. "There's a baby." he sprinted over to Youngjo holding the mirror into his face. Youngjo chuckled "I only see myself." After his words Seoho checked the mirror again, he could clearly see the face of a small baby. It made a sort of calmness rush over his body, he smiled and lightly stroked his finger over the mirror, as if he was actually stroking the baby's cheek. "Maybe she had a baby?" he lightly said to himself, still smiling. "I doubt so." Youngjo told him and Seoho's head whipped to look at him questioningly. "There is a war going on, almost all men are recruited." his older explained. "Have you ever thought that maybe the person you see in there could be the one your fate is intertwined with?" Youngjo suggested. Seoho thought about Youngjo's words for a while "So do you think she died and was reborn?" "Could be. I guess we'll find out when it happens again, for now just be happy your mirror is working again." It took Seoho a while to fall asleep this evening, but he was feeling happier and warmer than he ever felt in the last five years. ~*~ The war was tiring, no matter how many times they fought it seemed to never end. For years now Seoho had gotten strength from looking at the little child growing up. You had grown into a young teen and Seoho could tell that in this life you were a noble lady. Your clothes were very flashy and fancy. However Seoho could tell you weren't happy with your life. There was a heavy burden on your shoulders, you never smiled like you used to in your previous life. Being born a noble in times of war made you a target. After various long years the war seemed to finally come to an end, not only for Seoho's relief but also the other 5 generals were happy about this turn of events. When the six of them came back to the king they were honored and received a big piece of land completed with a big castle for them. Life in the castle was boring, sure there was a lot to explore but Seoho would much rather explore the mystery that was you. He spent his days painting you, not only the current you, but also the you that he remembered from your past life. "Is that her? The girl from the mirror?" Xion, the youngest of the generals, asked as he was coming across Seoho painting in the garden, while he was on his way to find some fruits in the garden. Seoho nodded, looking at his artwork with a fond smile. "She looks like a noble lady, but why is she wearing these clothes?" the young one asked, pointing to one of the pictures in which he had drawn your previous life. "She wasn't always a noble. This is her second life." Seoho explained. The next morning his heart dropped. When he looked into the mirror as every morning, he saw you cradling yourself with a pained expression. There was blood on you and an arrow stuck to your chest. Seoho wanted to help you so bad, but there was nothing he could do, he didn't even know where to find you. Your actions and cries seemed to die down with time, the color slowly fading from your skin. "Don't close your eyes!" Seoho called out but there was no way you heard him. As soon as your eyes closed his mirror went black again. There were tears streaming down his face, for the second time in his life he had lost the person that gave him strength unable to protect them. He felt like a failure. It took a lot of support from Youngjo and the other generals to get him out of his room after watching you die like that. ~*~ (the next part will be from your perspective and is taking part in the current time) "Y/N, honestly, I don't get why you're so obsessed with that myth!" your friend Jieun whined as you pulled her along to the museum. "It's not a myth, there are various evidences that the six generals were actually alive, technically that means they're still alive." you argued as you paid for two museum tickets. "Still, that was a long time ago, why are you so obsessed with them?" your friend asked, trying to break free from your grip on her wrist. "The drawing, I'm telling you it really looks like me." you beamed at her, remembering how you had went to the museum a week ago, because they were having an extra showcase on the six generals. As you had went through the exhibition you had found yourself in front of some drawings that were apparently  painted by general Lee Seoho and it looked exactly like you. The information given on the painting was that it was believed the lady was General Seoho's love, but there were no evidences for that, however it were the only drawings found by him. When you had told your friend about the paintings, she hadn't believed you, saying something like you were interpreting too much into it. But now that you had brought her in front of the drawings there was no way she could deny it. That was definitely you, just in clothes that fit the century the generals had lived in. "No way!" she stood astonished looking between you and the drawing. "I'm telling you, I think General Seoho is my soulmate." you said pointing to a drawing that had been made of the six generals, before they were send off to war. "He looks like that guy I keep seeing in mirrors, well his hair is shorter and he's wearing different clothes, but his face is the same." "But the generals haven't been seen for hundred of years, how could you even find him. There's no way he's the one." Your friend argued shaking her head, not fully believing your story. She had never seen the guy you talked about in your mirror, all she did was see herself, but the way you excitedly talked about him, there was no way you made this story up. Besides that, the world was crazy with soulmates finding each other in the weirdest of ways, so why not see your soulmate in the mirror, but a general? A general that no one even knew if he was still alive? Very Questionable. "They say that this castle was gifted to them after the war." you pointed to a map that was put up on the opposite side of the drawings, where the location of the castle was marked. "Didn't it burn down? I saw some pictures it looked pretty beat up." your friend asked reading through the information underneath the map. "That's what it says in a lot of books, but I found one where it said that even though everything around the castle burned down, the grounds that belonged to the generals were unharmed. I'm going to go there tomorrow." You told your friend. "Are you crazy? They're saying the castle is dangerous, what of you get squished to death by falling stones or whatever?" Your friend screeched, but she was well aware there was no way to stop you when you were this determined. ~*~ The next day you got ready early in the morning, you would be taking a bus that would take you the closest to the castle as possible. However the foot walk from the stop to the castle was still a long one, especially since you had to walk through a forest, without an actual road. You knew what you were doing was dangerous, but something told you it was the right decision. The little hand mirror you had brought showed, who you believed to be General Lee Seoho talking excitedly to someone outside of the mirror. Could it be possible he knew you were on your way? Your picked up your pace, but still careful not to trip on the uneven ground of the forest. The sun was standing high in the sky when you took a short break on a tree stump. After your small break you collected all your belongings and put it back into the backpack you were carrying. Back on your way the scenery in front of you started to flicker and for a second you thought if maybe you had been under the sun for too long. You rubbed your eyes and when you slowly opened them again, you found a long road out of small white stones leading up to an impressively big castle in the distance. It looked nothing like the pictures you had seen, there was no sign of a fire at all. You made your way up to the castle the stones making a little noise under your footsteps, however you stopped when you saw a figure come your way. He stopped in front of you and both of you stared at each other, not fully believeing that the person you had only seen in a mirror until now was actually standing in front of you. "It's really you? General Lee Seoho?" you asked with a wavering voice slowly taking a step forward, touching his face with your fingers to see if you weren't dreaming his face felt real and his eyes stared into yours as a smile spread on his face. "I haven't heard that title in years." he answered as he quickly engulfed you in a hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you before." You felt his body shaking and tears streamed down his face. "It's okay. I'm here now." you smiled at him fondly, washing away his tears with your thumb.

[ignitification]

Cold Flame

Cold Flame

A brief explanation of how Rei and Shouto's evolution have to do with the return of Touya Todoroki.

tw: mentions of violence, mentions of suicide, mental illness

1.) I think these two panels tell a whole story of its own.Touya mentions how “The only thing he taught me was how to turn up the heat” referring to Endeavour. This sentence blatantly refers to the accident where Touya’s flames could not be stopped, because his strive to show his father that he is indeed someone to be proud of, has been ignited and then never shut down. Endeavour took Touya, lighted up the flames in Touya (both metaphorically, in his drive and strive to be a hero, and be his father’s hero - and literally, to bring out his fire quirk out while training), and then tossed Touya aside. Rei, on the other hand was not capable to stop him: whether this references to his training regimen, or to him chasing Endeavour, or even his dream is highly unclear - but the sole fact that Touya blames them both (because he feels like he has been bred for this goal, and Rei agreed to it, and then had not enough power to actually put an end to this nightmare) and he is partly right, because this has hurt more people than it was supposed to and that it was necessary. Rei does not know how to stop his kid from getting hurt, which is getting her hurt in return. In this panel, she looks frightened, offended, desperate to grab at Touya (who is silently and slowly slipping further away from her and her grasp) but she cannot. Now, I am not going to go further in this, because Rei not saving Touya is a partially incorrect statement, as yes, she could have done something if herself was not in a very bad place in the first place and if actually everything that happened between Endeavour and Touya did not hinder not only the relationship between Touya and Enji, but as well the one between Rei and Touya (as he see him rejecting her, because Touya knows why he had been born and probably has been influenced into thinking that his mother is weak, as she cannot fend for herself and just blindly accepted whatever Endeavour put in front of her, and not because she did not know any better, but because she did not know how).

2.) The jealousy an older sibling feels towards the newborn is completely normal, because the span of attention given to older siblings usually decreases. But here we are talking about two kids, breaded and raised to be vessels of their’s father dreams. This is an extreme scenario, where the competition between sibling is not about skills or quirk, but instead Touya sees it as a way to regain the lost affections/attention, which since Shouto has been born have never been sent towards him. And the fact that the birth of Shouto triggers in Touya’s the abysmal feeling of being a mistake, tells us that the parents did nothing to let him feel better, or to understand that it was not that way (even if arguably, Endeavour had other kids just because he wanted a perfect kid, which means that at the end of the day, he did consider Touya a mistake). And the fact that Touya was been willing to go this far, as far as to injure himself, as to emotionally condition himself into turning his flames from red to blue, is not only a sign of the mental pressure he put on himself and his emotions (always fuelled by that grating feeling of feeling less, worse, not right), but as well of the constant disappointment he felt when his father paid attention to him while scolding him, being angry at him, scowling and not making any effort. This angry, dark face is what shapes Dabi’s memories of Endeavour - an expression he wants to wipe out of his mind because it reminds him of not being the victim of shitty parenting, but of being considered a failure, worthy to burn to death,  alone.

And these two. 

2.5.) The ‘If only..’ hurts. Because this means not only that there was a chance that Touya did think about it, but he considered it then and there - because it was too much. Because even now, it is too much for him. Rethinking about all this moments is crucial for both Endeavour (who’s memory is definitely triggered into remembering gruelling details of his behaviour towards his children of when he was younger) and Dabi, who instead wonders whether the path he took, the decision he made all those years ago and that brought him there, was actually worth it. Because when Touya died, and Dabi was born on that hill when he was 13, he made the decision to take revenge and actually prove to his father that he is not a failure. He instead, is such a big mistake that Endeavour cannot cancel him anymore. Touya wanted desperately to be noticed for being right. Dabi wants desperately to be noticed because he is wrong, and a big mistake (which is also the result of Endeavour being his father and whatnot).

2.6.) And this. It’s the realisation that Endeavour is sowing the grief and pain of his oldest son, but it is also a realisation for Dabi: he took a decision, which he is sowing now (along with all the murders and the pain he himself inflicted). Memories which are more painful, and the fact that Dabi’s only comments on the accident is actually that it was scorching hot and that he couldn’t stop is very alarming and sad. He says nothing about how he felt. He just admits to the consequences of that gesture. He is not thinking of how much pain it was, or how sad he was, or anything else but just that this event was what made him into the person he is now, and there is no going back. He maybe thinks that things might have come out better if he actually had died that day. But he never talks of what is happening inside himself, because Dabi cannot allow himself such a weakness. And so, he feels nothing.

2.7.) These two panels (below) give me chills.They are so similar in the feeling they give up: desperation, realisation, hope, terrifying anger and sadness, elatedness in knowing that there is something to hang off, that maybe now the right moment has come. And it’s a sort of revival, a feeling brewing for so long and finally exploding in the hate, and the will to drag his father down in the mud with him.

3.) Rei's involvement, in Touya’s upbringing is a problematic topic for two reasons: she feels guilty about it, and her mental state which has been deteriorated by her family and her husband, does not allow her to even look for an excuse, as Endeavour did. Instead, Rei has been driven to a point where she just wants to let go. 

I think that here, Rei, plays a very big role: she is stuck between a husband she cannot take on by herself, and a child who wants nothing to do with her because of her actions (which are inherently caused by Endeavour). And her mental health further deteriorates. Rei looks distraught. I would say even fatigued, and weighted down by everything that is happening, and how she cannot and does not want to deal with it. 

In the hospital room, in Chapter 300, when she comes back and tells Endeavour that he is not the only to have suffered, she is not only referring to Touya, but to herself as well. I think it is important to note how the change happened. For both Shouto and Rei, Touya is a central button: after the accident, things escalated so much for Rei that she ended up in the hospital, Endeavour instead got the full time he wanted with Shouto (reversing his negative feelings, guilt, remorse and strive for his broken dream) into training. 

And the fact that in this moment, she chooses to let Touya go (metaphorically) is not only heartbreaking, but also reflects the anger in Endeavour’’s eyes who’s thinking line has to go along the lines of: ffs, I have to do everything around here (which I do not want to sound rude, comes off as misogynist, but as well disrespectful and just right arrogant). However, the fact that Rei here is weak, does not define her character and instead Touya coming back is exactly what she needs to step on her feet again, and transform this

into ‘I’m here now’ and I’m going to solve this situation. Because Rei is tired of the situation, of Endeavour and wallowing in Endeavour’s shadow. It is time for her to actually intervene like she should have done years ago, and save her kid (or at least, give Touya a forgiveness sort of goodbye, and maybe tell him that notwithstanding their mistakes, and the fact that he was born because of a Quirk Marriage, Touya was still loved).

4.) But then, Shouto's has always been aware of how bad the situation in his own home is. Him protecting his mom is greatly telling in this sense: Shouto, despite being as traumatised by his father’s behaviour as Natsuo and Fuyumi (who are older than him, and are also crying in this panel - because Endeavour is a very tall, and build man and he is the Head of the family, which is also probably why they know what is going on, and no matter how many times this happened, if one or twenty but there is no excuse for Endeavour scaring his children so much they feel the need to retract in themselves (as shown by Fuyumi’s position on the floor, and Natsuo trying to be shielded by his bigger sister) and to cry as silently as possible with the hope that the angry person does not notice them. Shouto, on the other hand, while also crying actually stands up to his father (as he continued doing til today) and despite the shouts, angry stare and all the burden that comes with parent’s argument, he still tries to protect his mother, because he knows that the dominance of Endeavour’ character is too much for Rei to take. Because Rei is tired. Look at her face. Look at her eyes and her general exhaustion. The panel of point 3 stands to identify that she cannot take anymore. And instead, Shouto plays the bigger person. Notwithstanding all the obstacles he has overcome (the hellish training manu, his father’s expectations, the burden left by Touya’s disappearance, his father’s ego and anger, his mum burning him, Rei’s hospitalisation, the scattered relationship with his siblings, his empty childhood), Shouto stands tall and proud, knowing what he has to do. 

I think that Shouto’s being the Hero of his own family, is a very important ‘part’ of not only the story, but as well for Shouto, who is evolving in character and setting the foundations for an individual whose past prejudices his future, and he has to resolve the plethora of things that he carries involuntarily with him, before possibly saying that he has achieved something, and that he became a Hero. I like how Horikoshi pointed slightly out that this whole drama, even if the protagonists are Touya and Endeavour, is not only the shaping path of Shouto, but as well his stepping stone for being a real hero (through the pits of fire which once again he has to do, in order to let go of the past, and instead his future, depicted in fire and ice).

[jadoue1999]

Wanda and the life she deserved (she’ll make sure of it) Chapter 3

Summary: Pietro wasn’t Pietro, who was he?

Previous parts: chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, chapter 8, chapter 9, chapter 10, chapter 11, epilogue

Chapter 3: Bonding

Wanda tensed up when she heard him talk. Oleg never wore any helmets, a hat, sure but she had never seen him wear a helmet.

“Who are you?” She asked, sharply, pinning him tighter to the tree when he tried to leave.

“Name’s Peter,” he looked around seemingly looking for something. “You wouldn’t happen to know where we are, do you?”

Peter, not Pietro. It wasn’t him.

Of course, it wasn’t, she mentally smacked herself, it was too good to be true. She had ignored the signs, the differences, but there was no denying when it came directly from him. This man wasn’t her brother. Still, it wasn’t fair. All she wanted was to be happy, to have a family, but the universe seemed keen in making sure she’d never get a happy ending. She wanted to feel angry, to lash out, but she just felt... empty. She turned to the man, still immobilized, he was still waiting for an answer.

“Westview,” Wanda replied, “New Jersey.”

Peter nodded, obviously not understanding where the town was, but not having much choice but accept his predicament.

Wanda raised a hand, and let the illusion changing his clothes break. His runner costume gone, the man was wearing leather pants, a silver jacket with a band T-shirt. A Walkman was at his side, the headphones at his neck.

‘Weird, where did he even get a Walkman?’

She smirked at the goggles on his head, if he really had superspeed, he certainly had the right idea. Pietro had complained a lot about dirt and debris getting into his eyes, she had suggested a shield from her magic, but he said he’d find a solution eventually. She noticed with a sigh that his hair was back to silver, no more pretending now.

“How did you even get here?” The question came out harsher than she would have wanted. The man didn’t seem phased by it, he might have been used to someone in his entourage losing their temper. He simply shrugged and answered.

“I’m not really sure, I was in my room, deciding what to do about my father when a portal opened and suddenly, I’m in some freaky dungeon. There’s a lady talking about you getting desperate, next thing I know, I’m at your doorstep.”

It didn’t make sense, no one in Westview had a dungeon and sure, maybe she had wanted her brother back, but bringing in a stranger? He didn’t even look like Pietro, why did her magic took him, out of everyone else? She looked at the necklace in her hand, the magic wasn’t his, that was for certain. He had been under a spell, but why?

He should have had his role attributed to him when he came in the town, no need for any fancy jewelry. Speaking of, how could he stay himself right now? Why was he unaffected?

She waved her magic away, letting him go. He took a step forward and looked at her, probably wondering why she had just let him loose.

“Tell me about you, where are you from?” Wondered Wanda. He might not have been her brother, but she could still feel the connection. Apparently, so did he, because he sat down and cleared his throat.

“Well, I’m Peter, I grew up in America, with my mom and my,” he paused, “my younger sister, Lorna.” Wanda frowned, why had he hesitated just now? Peter continued his ramble, “when I was seventeen, three guys and I helped a known terrorist to break out of the pentagon, you know him as Magneto, but I figured out later that he was my father. I found him again 10 years later, but he had joined ranks with the god wanna be. He called himself Apocalypse. Took my dad in because he could control metal. Tried to tell him we were related, but I was too much of a loser so instead I tried taking on Apocalypse by myself, got my leg broken and I’ve been wondering how to tell him ever since. Oh, and I joined the X-Men.”

Wanda frowned once again; she hadn’t heard of any events that Peter described. Could it have happened while she was being experimented on? She had never encountered anyone named Magneto, or Apocalypse. And who were those X Men? Perhaps he meant Avengers? But those names wouldn’t easily get mixed up. The same unnerving feeling was creeping up on Wanda. The feeling he didn’t belong here, not just him not being her brother, there was something more. His life didn’t add up, nothing of it made sense. A few questions came to her mind, but she settled with the more urgent one.

“Who was the lady in the dungeon? If someone is trying to sabotage my life, I deserve to know who it is.”

Peter seemed lost in thoughts for a moment, before looking at her. “I’m sorry, I guess she used a trick on me because I know she’s a lady, but I can’t remember specifics details.”

Wanda sighed and pressed her face into her hands, why couldn’t she just live her life without someone ruining it. Chaos was the usual in her life, the moment she tried to settle down, a threat would rise and rip her loved ones away. She thought she would be safe in her own little town, but then the drone came, and now that lady who seemed determined to destroy her world.

“What happened to your brother?” The question took her by surprise. It was to be expected from him, he was, after all, brought in to replace Pietro. He had to be wondering why her actual brother couldn’t play the part. Peter cleared his throat, understanding of rude he sounded and opted for a not-a-care-in-the-world mannerisms. “I mean, I think I know, but I don’t want to assume and be rude. Hell, I have his memories, but I have no idea if what I’ve been shown is real. The lady that messed with my mind could have slipped stuff in, so I hurt you without wanting it.”

Wanda smiled, he might not have been her brother, but he did act a little like him. Pietro was very protective of her too, must have been an older brother thing. She too was protective, but her grief had kept her from really connecting with anyone.

‘Except with Vision and look where you ended up’ she shook away the thought. Those intrusive comments kept haunting her, why couldn’t she shake them away? She looked at her not brother, choosing to focus on him.

“He was a hero.” A dead hero. “We survived a bombing when we were ten and ended up on the wrong side. We saw the truth and saved the world.” Yet he lost his life. “He only had his powers for a few months, same as me. He wasn’t in total control of them. He saved a friend of mine and a child from being shot down, but he wasn’t quick enough.”

Peter looked at her with sympathy in his eyes, he slowly put a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to help her. “I uh, I know it’s not the same thing, but I’ve been struggling with telling my true lineage to my father. I thought it was only my truth but it’s apparently true for all speedsters. I’ve noticed that for people as fast as us, we always seem to be too late.” They both chuckled, sadly. He removed his hand from her shoulder and gripped her hand instead.

“You know, I didn’t even get to attend his funeral,” Wanda said, grief dripping from her words. “I’m part of a superhero group, the Avengers. There was always something happening, I never took the time to grieve him properly.”

“I- I’m a twin as well,” confessed Peter. Wanda looked at him in shook, was that why he hesitated when he described his family life? He squeezed her hand, clearly this was a painful memory. “She died. She wasn’t shot or anything, it happened when we were 15. She uh, she had probability powers,” Wanda frowned at that power, she had never heard of it. “She could sway the odds in her favor, if that makes it any clearer.” Peter chuckled, “she would use it to make sure we never missed the bus, or that she’d pass a test she wasn’t sure she had studied enough. We’re not sure what happened, no one was there with her. I was running, when I just felt it, you know? Like a bond just breaking and next thing I know I’m passed out and my mom keeps calling my name.”

“What’s your name? Your full name?” Urged Wanda. They were too similar, there had to be a reason for it. She had felt the same way when Pietro died, like a piece of herself was ripped away, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 “Peter Maximoff”

Notes: Sorry it ended like this, the chapter was originally 2500 words so I split it in two where it fitted best, I hope you like this!

Don’t for get to like and comment if you enjoyed it!

[linkspooky]

I love your analyses because they help me understand my favorite series better. But it surprised me to read your claim that Chisaki's father used him as a tool for the yakuza. Did I miss something when I read My Hero Academia?

It’s never directly stated but it’s sort of implied? Sometimes readings of stories are in between the lines, you have to infer something based upon the details given. For example it’s never directly stated that Chisaki was the one who put Pops in a coma. It is however, heavily implied by the way the characters talk about their disapproval of Chisaki as leader, the cut to black in the scene above, Chisaki’s increased mysophobia and disturbed state plus his obsession with Pops probably being signs of the guilt he feels for putting Pops in a coma and taking control of the Yakuza - even if he believes it was done for his own good. 

So, my belief that Chisaki was used as a tool for the mafia by Pops is just an inference. All I can really do is show to you the evidence I put together to come to this conclusion. 

Number one - Chisaki and Shigaraki are parallels. They are set up to clearly foil one another. They were both taken in by the leader of a criminal organization at a young age. They are both, considered to be the heirs of the leadership position of their criminal organization now that AFO and POPs are both bedridden and unable to lead themselves. 

It is a canon fact, therefore directly stated to us that Shigaraki was groomed to be used as one of AFO’s Tools. This is a literal disagreement they come to, AFO thinks he has the right to own, possess Shigaraki’s body and use him as a tool to further his own goals. This is also the only reason that AFO took him in the first place. 

However, before we knew that Shigaraki was directly being abused by AFO he showed several signs of being an abused child. General instability, a lack of an identity, he didn’t seem like a fully developed adult personality because he wasn’t raised to be one.

What do we see the moment we’re introduced to Chisaki? The same kind of instability, and tendencies towards shows of violence. Chisaki even describes his constant state of stress and displeasure the same way Shigaraki does, like a constant sickness. 

The thing is we know from Shigaraki’s behavior that kids aren’t just naturally like this, they’re not born violent they’re made to be this way. Someone took these kids and pointed them at others and used them as tools in fights. If we go by the foiling then, Chisaki’s childhood was probably just like young Tenko’s, just constant exposure to violence.

Kids do not have any ways of coping with this constant violence they’re exposed to. Kids who have been exposed to so much often lash out in violence themselves because they don’t know any other way of dealing. They are small panicky animals under enormous stress, just trying to make the feelings of stress go away. Children exposed to violence oftentimes become violent themselves. 

If AFO raising Shigaraki taught us anything, it’s that Chisaki’s insane desperation to protect the yakuza, and also his feelings of sickness and alienation from the world around him. The place that he didn’t belong anywhere else but the yakuza didn’t come from nowhere. He was probably raised as a tool to feel these things. It’s either because Pops deliberately did it, or he neglected to take care of a child exposed to that much violence in the proper ways or shield him from the violence of the world. Either way it’s still a case of abuse. 

Number two - Yakuza trash to be used and thrown away. 

In Chisaki’s mind, he is entirely dependent on Pops, and the Yakuza and he can’t exist outside of him. Everything he does is in service of the Yakuza and in the name of protecting them. This is how a tool thinks. Chisaki views everyone around him as a tool, because he was raised to think that way - because ultimately he views himself as a tool as well. That also just seems to be the prevailing attitude among the yakuza. 

All of us are only tools be used to pay back the debt we owe to the man who gave us worth. Chisaki recruits people with this belief, because it’s what he believes himself to be as well. He is a tool, who has to pay back the favor that pops did for taking him in, and according to Chrono he’s had this belief since childhood. 

So Chisaki’s breaking point is this. 

What are humans to you? 

Chisaki has been using himself as a tool all his life, but the moment he suggests using someone else as a tool Pops draws a line. Apparently, the boss is okay with using him and other people that way, but not with this one girl. This is what I believe to be why Chisaki was improperly cared for as a child.

He was taken in by the mafia, but not as a child, but as an asset to be used. At this moment Chisaki realizes that he has always regarded pops as family, and done this place to protect his home, his family, but that Pops doesn’t consider him family. Chisaki is a tool, and it’s the realization that his place is just the tool of the yakuza that makes him finally snap into being the Chisaki we know now. 

In a way, it’s ironic because Chisaki is actually a perfect Yakuza. He would do anything, spare no expense, sacrifice everything for the sake of his family and the family's dignity. He would do anything for the sake of Pops which is how a tool should function. The problem is Chisaki turned out too good, too efficient, too unfeeling to the point where even when Pops stops giving him orders, all Chisaki thinks about is what he has to do to protect the Yakuza and what he has to do in his boss’s best interest, and always pushes things too far. It’s because he doesn’t have that humanity to hold him back he turned out this way. The humanity that a tool probably wouldn’t need. 

[phantomchick]

Naruto Fic Rec Masterpost!

The Last To Know by KuriQuinn Oneshot, Gen, Teen and Up, Team Seven, Sakura and Sasuke, Sakura and Team 7, Canon Compliant, Angst with a Happy Ending, trust, broken trust, forgiveness, hurt/comfort, this fic is fantastic and made me have so many feels for the characters as well as the bonds between them, Character Dynamics,

Summary: As usual, telling her the truth happens as though by afterthought. And this time, she's not taking it.

i'll always be there for you by RecklessWriter Oneshot, Gen, Itachi and Sasuke feels, sibling feels, Light Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Uchiha Sasuke Needs a Hug, Big Brother Uchiha Itachi, a part of me niggles over team 7 failing a mission but I pretend that they ran into the hunter nin afterwards and Kakashi got the scroll back, it do be like that sometimes, Good big brother Itachi, Bad big brother Itachi, it’s complicated, Feels,

Summary:

He’s pressed against something warm. There are fingers carding gently through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp.

“Nii-san,” Sasuke whispers.

The hand in his hair freezes.

Sasuke gets thrown into a frozen lake. Itachi doesn't know how to stop being a big brother, even when he's supposed to be pretending he doesn't care.

The Beautiful Orange Thing by zafiro Oneshot, Gen, Naruto and Kurama, Naruto is a very lonely kid and the kyubi is a very lonely bijuu, Pre-Naruto Canon Era, chibi-Naruto, Naruto loves Orange, Kurama tolerates Naruto because he is Cute, sweetness and light, angst and fluff, so cute I wanna physically hug this fic to my chest

Summary: Naruto arrives at a weird place and finds something wonderful there.

Maslow by FriendshipCastle Oneshot, Gen, T for cursing, canonical child neglect, Iruka feels, Naruto feels, implied/referenced child abuse, but nothing worse than what’s in canon, angst, hurt/comfort,

Summary: The first four tiers of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs applied to Naruto’s depressing childhood. Alternatively: Iruka slowly becomes the best replacement mother a ninja could have.

take the fight from the kid by theformerone Oneshot, Gen, Team Bonding, Team as Family, Team 7, Canon Compliant, but can be read as divergent, Post Wave arc, Pre-Chuunin Exams,  

Summary: Training with his team is different than it was before the mission to Wave. Sasuke notices how things have changed.

A Clean Break by GwendolynStacy Oneshot, Gen, Teen and Up,  Hatake Kakashi and Team 7, Team as Family, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Team Fluff, Kakashi feels, Self-Harm via compulsive hand washing, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Happy Ending,

Summary: Every member of Team 7 has their personal set of demons to haunt them. While Kakashi is always prepared to lend his students a listening ear, he still hasn’t quite figured out how to ask for help when he’s the one crumbling.

The Beginning and the End by QuinsValoria Oneshot, short oneshot, gen, THIS HAD ME SOBBING OVER KUSHINA AGAIN EVEN THOUGH IT’S SO SHORT, pre-canon era, angst, Dont worry kushina, Your baby makes it out just fine, cries into laptop screen, Hurt/Comfort,

Summary:

“Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” —Robert Browning

Uzumaki Kushina is an amazing mother, even in the very short time she has left.

OR

Kushina comforts her baby.

The Prince Of Leaves And Deep Water by RayShippouUchiha Ongoing, 3 chapter fic, do you ever read a fic with language that is so pretty and evocative that you just want to lean into it, like a kid listening to a piece of folklore that’s been passed down, it’s just beautiful to read? And the words slice and cut into your feelings in the best of ways, angst, hurt/comfort, drama, Kushina feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Uzumaki Lore, well worth the read even as a stand alone should it never update again, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canonical Child Neglect, Uzushio feels,

Summary: ‘Protect him,’ Kushina prays in the quiet of her own mind as she leaves; pleading silently to the old spirits from her childhood, to the things that the Uzumaki Elders used to whisper about in hushed tones.

‘Love him,’ Kushina begs of the things she only knows from instinct and half remembered stories, those things filled with the power of salt and sun and deep deep waters.  Those things that live and thrive in the heart and soul of every Uzumaki who has ever breathed and battled and bled.  'Guide him, keep him safe for always.  But love him most of all. My little prince of eddies and leaves.’

Left behind, left alone and cold where before there was only a soft sort of warmth and a steady kind of safety, Naruto wails.

Final Evaluation by Do_the_Cool_Whip Completed, 5 Chapter Fic, Gen, Umino Iruka & The Rookie Nine, Iruka-Sensei, Feels, fluffy, I have so many emotions about Iruka being the best teacher in the elemental nations and this fic brought them all out to play, Excellence, Kakashi is a troll, a huge troll, like, he’s such a troll he’s a mountain troll, Asuma is a lesser troll, like he’s mostly decent but still infuriating so he’s a bridge troll, Kurenai is so cool that even when she’s trolling as is her right and duty as the jounin elite she is, the person she’s trolling still respects her for it, a river troll, the kids are so cute and young here, you can really feel Iruka’s affection for them, please revel in the wonderful that is this entire fic, revel I say

Summary: Progress evaluations are one-on-one consultation meetings between academy students and their teacher. Their purpose is to inform academy students of their strengths and weaknesses and guide them down their ideal path to becoming a strong shinobi. Upon graduating the academy and passing their jounin-sensei test, new genin return to the academy for one final consultation. (Or: The story of what happens when Umino Iruka uses his final meetings with his students as way to send them off to become the best shinobi they can possibly be.)

it takes a village by quillofferings Oneshot, Gen, snapshot series, angst, character insight, konoha 12, rookie 9, team Gai, team 10, team 8, team 7, repeating patterns and revelations, kinda gives a sense of the culture of a childhood in Konoha in a way that’s very quietly tragic, this story was written well before shippuden came out but it still reads mostly true to me, A Classic of the Fandom,

Summary: A Naruto snapshot series in the form of a oneshot.

spirals by nescione Gen, Oneshot, Team Seven, Generations, Team 7, Dai Nana Han, Spirals, Repeating Patterns, things happening the same across generations in repeating patterns is a big theme in the canon and lots of fic delve into it and play with the whole idea as a result, but this fic does it especially well, Team as Family, Angst, Fluff, Angst with a Hopeful Ending, A Classic of the Fandom, Summary: From the sannin to the present- a look at how history repeats itself, and how it doesn't.

this, and love too, will ruin us by RecklessWriter Oneshot, Gen, Itachi and Sasuke feels, Naruto Feels, Short and Sweet, Angst, Whump, Brother Feels, Sibling feels, Uchiha Sasuke Needs a Hug, Naruto Uzumaki Needs a Hug,

Summary: Naruto remembers the first time he saw Sasuke and Itachi.

He remembers looking at them and thinking, I wish I had someone who loved me like that.

Ten Facts About Team Yamato by Lisse Oneshot, Gen, short and sweet, Team 7 feels, Team as Family, Dai Nana Han, Team Seven, Team Yamato, characterisation, short but solid, Ficlet,

Summary: On paper, their team doesn't exist.

Troubling New Developments by SicTransitGloria Oneshot, Teen and Up, hilarious, pre-shippuden, Team as Family, Kakashi pov, Team 7, AHAHAHAHA,  Puberty hits the genin,

Summary: Kakashi takes a moment to wrap his mind around equating Ino’s chest with enemy shinobi while Asuma begins beating his head against the table and groaning about how he didn’t sign up for this. Rated for language and the general horror that is puberty

Of Harrowed Hearts by Sable_Scribe Ongoing and possibly (probably) Abandoned, Gen, Long Fic, we’re at 36 chapters in as of the time I’m posting this, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix It, Families of Choice, Team Seven, Team as Family, Bamf Kakashi, Good Teacher! Kakashi, Angst, Uzushio Lore, Fluff, Uzushio Feels, Uzumaki heritage, Bamf Team 7, BAMF Rookie Nine, Naruto's ability to make friends with giant chakra demons surfaces early, Rookie Nine, Rookie 9, Konoha 12, Naruto and Kurama,

Summary Naruto has been hearing the rumbling growl in the back of his head for as long as he can remember. He’s seven when he tries to talk to it for the first time. He’s the dead last, the failure at everything, so he doesn’t actually expect to succeed. And when he’s suddenly standing, knee deep in murky water and face to face with a demon, he has no idea what to expect. As it turns out, the world could use something unexpected.

Automatic by Dayadhvam Oneshot, Gen, Sand Siblings, Fluff, Team as Family, but also, Family as Family, Short and Sweet, A Classic of The Fandom

Summary: Gaara's shield defense is automatic: he has never had to consciously think about ordering the sand where it is needed. Kankurou and Temari have always known this.

As Is the Sea Marvelous by blackkat Mature, Gen, Eleven Chapter Fic, Warring States Era, Uchiha Madara/Senju Tobirama, Izuna Lives AU, everybody lives nobody dies, Hurt/Comfort, brotherly feels, sibling relationships, Angst With A Happy Ending, Insecurity, Self-Sacrifice, Imprisonment, Fix-It

Summary: Tobirama is willing to give absolutely anything for Hashirama and his dream. Including his life.

A Lesson In Trust by Live Gen, Oneshot, Shikamaru & Naruto friendship, academy days, trust exercise, fluff

Summary: All Iruka wants is for his class to start trusting each other, too bad Shikamaru would rather watch the clouds...

Snow Is Serious Business When Your Business Is Being A Kid by vulcanhighblood Gen, Oneshot, Iruka and Naruto, Umino Iruka is a Good Teacher, Uzumaki Naruto Needs a Hug, Fluff, Snow

Summary: Iruka's trying to teach his class, but the first snowfall of the year makes keeping their attention more difficult than he would have liked.

The Consequences of Winning by tabjoy13 Oneshot, Gen, Team 7, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi is a Good Teacher, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team Feels, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Hatake Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi Is Trying, Wave Mission

Summary: Three days. It had been three days since Zabuza’s attack, since Kakashi passed out, and since Team Seven took refuge in the bridge builder’s home. Three days and Kakashi hadn’t shown a sign of stirring. Three young genin are left with the question: now what? Cross posted on FF.net.

discendo docemus by llamallamaduck Mature, Ongoing, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Trauma/Ptsd, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, Good Orochimaru, A lot of talk about depression and mental instability, Also Sharingan fuckery and assorted eye-trauma, rarepair, Itachi & Sasuke, eventual Sasuke/Ukitake, Itachi & Tsunade, 

Summary: There are some things a seven-year-old psyche is not ready to endure. An S-ranked torture technique preformed by a traumatized thirteen-year-old is one of those things. Sasuke doesn’t enjoy hallucinating memories of his murdered family day in and day out, but he’s learned to be philosophical about such things. It’s everything else that’s the problem, really.

Nidaime Otokage by DuskBeforeDawn Ongoing, inspired by nukenin, Time Travel, Dimension Travel, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Protective Hatake Kakashi, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, BAMF Dai-nana-han,Team 7, Team as Family, Non-Konoha Shinobi Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi is a Troll, Kage level Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi-centric, fluff, adventure, crack, mature, fun read

Summary: No one knew him.His father was still alive.His Sharingan acted like it had always been his.Kakashi was twenty-two years in the past of a different world.

French Kissing, the End of the World, and Other Impossible Ordeals by Tsume_Yuki Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Time Travel, Uchiha Sasuke Being an Asshole, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Time Travel Fix-It, Smitten Uchiha Sasuke, grumpy asshole/cheerful optimist, this fic is literally just Sasuke being soft for Naruto, Mature but like it’s fiiine the author could’ve left it at teen and up and it would’ve gotten a pass at least from me

Summary: This is it, centuries of excellent genetics, of carefully selected marriages to maximise the potential of future generations and it’s going to be Sasuke who introduces idiocy to the Uchiha bloodline. The ancestors must be rolling in their graves. In which Sasuke is smitten, Naruto is a badass, and time travel happens.

No Tomorrow by Authorship Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Clan, Shisui Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Longfic, Completed, Found Family, Fix It, Mature, Time Travel, Fuck Danzo

Summary: The water was crushing, pummelling Shisui's broken form, even as it swept him further and further from Konoha. 

And then Shisui woke up.

It's two months until the day he died. Two months to change the current of his life, of his Clan, of his village. And Shisui has no intention of letting history run its course.

¦ part 1 ¦ part 2 ¦ part 3 ¦

[wandercrss]

‹ kathryn newton. cis woman. she/her. muse 1q. › cassandra ‘cass’ mitchell is back in rochdale for the summer. they’re currently twenty two years old and are known as the lot soul of the rioters, especially after they were constantly skipping classes and smoking during school hours. they graduated in 2017 and since then they’ve been nomadically moving from place to place working odd jobs. they decided to come back for the summer because she’s alone and secretly feels like the rioters are the only family she’s ever had. let’s hope they have the summer of their dreams! ( jess. she/her. 24. est. )

trigger warnings: death, abandonment, drug mention

full character page here

G E N E R A L

FULL NAME: cassandra elaine mitchell

NICKNAME(S): cass

TROPE: the lost soul

B A S I C S

AGE: twenty-two (22) 

BIRTHDAY: november 1, 1998

NATIONALITY: american

ETHNICITY: caucasian

GENDER: cis-woman

PRONOUNS: she/her/hers

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: panromantic

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: pansexual

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: liberal 

RELIGION: atheist 

OCCUPATION: moves from job to job / currently looking for something new

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

PARENTS: kristen mitchell (mother - estranged), biological father (unknown)

SIBLINGS: penelope mitchell (older half-sister - deceased)

SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): none.

CHILDREN: none.

CLOSEST FRIENDS: tbd.

RIVALS: tbd.

ENEMIES: tbd.

P H Y S I C A L   T R A I T S

FACECLAIM: kathryn newton

EYE COLOR: blue

HAIR COLOR: blonde

HEIGHT: 5′5

BODY BUILD: slim

NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: eyes

AESTHETIC/STYLE: casual (punk undertones...yes, i’m making that up)

P E R S O N A L I T Y

POSITIVE TRAITS: brave, determined, adventurous, loyal

NEGATIVE TRAITS: resentful, secretive, deceptive, isolating

TYPICAL MOOD/EXPRESSION:  neutral

ZODIAC SIGN: scorpio

MORAL ALIGNMENT: lawful evil

ENNEAGRAM: type eight - the challenger

MBTI: entj

HOGWARTS HOUSE: slytherin

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

SKILLS: getting out of trouble, making something you’d least expect an adventure, thought-out pranks, ‘hangover cures’ 

HOBBIES: sketching/photography, pulling a prank on friends, smoking/drinking, more to come

FEARS/PHOBIAS: being left completely alone, losing those she loves

FAVORITES: iced coffee, burritos, thunderstorms, sunrises over sunsets

B I O G R A P H Y

cassandra elaine mitchell, mostly known as cass, was the second child born to kristen mitchell on november 1, 1998. cass’s upbringing was known to be rocky, at best. kristen was a single mother to cass and her older half-sister, penelope. cass and penelope were almost seven years apart in age, but that couldn’t get in the way of their bond. 

from a young age, penelope felt very protective over cass. part of that was out of necessity. see, kristen wasn’t exactly committed to the whole mother-gig. penelope and cass weren’t apart of her plan, just byproducts of drunken one-night-stands. kristen often had trouble holding down a job and seemed more invested in finding herself a relationship to dive into. when it came to being a mother, though, she often didn’t even try. she relied on penelope a lot as the girl got older, even leaving the young child in charge for days at a time as kristen went off on another bender or to another party. penelope tried to shield cass from a lot of it, but that wasn’t an easy job. 

when penelope turned 19, kristen was even more of a mess than usual. she had lost her job completely, their home was about to be repossessed, and the woman just couldn’t handle it all. so, she disappeared. packed up and left, leaving cass under penelope’s care. 

it was less than ideal for a 19-year-old to now be on her own taking care of a 12-year-old child, but penelope and cass were closer than anything. they knew they could make it work. now that it was just the two of them, they didn’t have to worry about their mother coming in and screwing things up. penelope began working two jobs in town so she and cass could rent a tiny one bedroom. it was tough, but it brought penelope and cass together. 

with penelope at work so often, cass was suddenly on her own more and more. it was lonely and isolating, so she decided she would find adventure for herself. cass was always an explorer. a wanderer, as penelope would often call her. she liked to dive into unknown territory, discover new things, and jump off high places just to see how it would feel. it drove penelope crazy, but it made cass feel alive. 

cass always prioritized herself over school. it wasn’t that she wasn’t smart. it was that she hated the idea of being cooped up in a classroom for eight hours every day. she became known for her skill in cutting classes. 

when cass was in high school, she started to make more and more friends. eventually, she found herself apart of the group known as the rioters. other than penelope, cass had never really had a family. and slowly but surely, the rioters really became to feel like one. she was their very own sarcastic, jaded, adventurous lost soul. some of her best memories ever were with the rioters. 

as high school came to a close, cass had to decide what was next. most of her friends were off to exciting things, but cass didn’t have a plan. neither did penelope. but the older girl was exhausted all of the time, having spent half of her 20s just working to put a roof over their heads. so, the two decided to leave rochdale behind and actually see what else the world had to offer. after graduation, they jumped in their car and were off. 

they spent many years travelling...setting up shop in small towns where they could earn some money, spending nights eating one-dollar cheeseburgers and sleeping in their car. it was far from glamorous. but it was exciting. all they needed was each other. cass would take photos, documenting their journey. they would pick up jobs in retail during the holiday season or waitress at a local diner for a few months until they decided to move on.  they lived their lives month-to-month. week-to-week. minute-to-minute. 

eventually, penelope felt like they should think about settling down somewhere. as much as she enjoyed the adventure with her sister, she craved stability. cass didn’t agree. this was the life she liked. nomadic. impermanent. nowhere they could hang around too long and risk getting hurt. they fought about it. weeks went by, and the two still couldn’t agree. hurtful things were said, accusations were made. cass and penelope had finally found the thing between them they just couldn’t settle. 

one night, cass stormed out of their motel, having had enough of her sister. little did she know, penelope went after her. she drove around all night looking for her sister, but it was no use. penelope was starting to feel tired behind the wheel. she decided to go back to the motel, thinking perhaps cass had returned. on her way back, penelope was drifting, trying like hell to stay awake. she didn’t even realize when she had run the stop sign. then...crash. 

the police were already at the motel when cass decided to head back. she found them there, lights flashing, waiting. they told her about penelope and the crash. they told her about how her sister, her person, died instantly from the impact. and that day, something inside cass broke. 

as soon as she could, cass packed up her stuff and left. she was full of anger and resentment. she hated the world, but mostly, she hated herself. cass continued to travel around, now on her own. she spent a lot of time in colorado, working on a horse farm. but she couldn’t let anyone get close to her. she was incredibly lonely. after almost a year of life without penelope, cass felt herself drawn back to rochdale. for how long? she didn’t know. maybe just the summer seeing old friends would do her some good. but she was afraid to admit the truth. she needed them. the rioters. the only family she had left.

C U R R E N T L Y

cass has just come back to rochdale for the summer. she is looking forward to seeing her old friends again, but she is more than scared to admit how much she feels like she needs them. she intends to play it cool...exercising her usual bit of not letting people in. at least, not enough to see the pieces of her she keeps hidden away. 

having been on the road for a long time, cass isn’t used to staying put, so she might start to feel a little restless. despite her loss, she still craves adventure and maybe even a bit of recklessness.

C O N N E C T I O N S / P L O T S

partner in crime: i would love for there to be someone who was cass’s ride or die, her partner in crime while they were in the rioters. 

on-again-off-again: cass is bad relationships, but there could have been someone she was in that classic on-again-off-again relationship with. she probably cares about them a lot, but just couldn’t let her go there. 

unrequited love: come on, she would also be the type to have head a friend that was like in love with her or something, but she never knew or never wanted to admit that she knew. 

frenemies: someone she bumped heads with a lot. maybe they got in each other’s way or just couldn’t stand each other. 

exes (flings, hook-ups, brief relationships etc): anything like this i’m totally game for.

hateship: am i a sucker for a hateship/enemies-to-lovers trope? perHAPS

anything at all: i am truly open for anything. please don’t be afraid to ask if you think she fits something you want for your character too. i can be bad at asking for plots so please don’t hesitate to hit me up!! :) 

[avenger-hawk]

Hi, can you talk a little bit about naruto’s dark, controlling and possessive side? Or if you already wrote about it, link me the post? Thankss

I mentioned something here, here and probably there is smth in this tag. 

And like I said countless times since you guys just don’t care about other ppl, if you write n*ruto’s name entirely it will show up in the search pages and I am fed up with raging SN/SN.S/Nar stans bitching at me.

Sorry (nope, not sorry) to break someone’s bubble but Nar is not a happy ball of sunshine and he’s not selfless. 

He was neglected as a child, totally abandoned to himself with some money each month and an apartment he was supposed to clean and manage all alone. He was shunned or treated like sh*t by villagers and classmates alike, his only ‘parent’ was Iruka who couldn’t be with him always, and his idea of friendship, family, everything was twisted, cause try living all by yourself since you’re a child and you have no idea of why ppl hate you and avoid you. Of course he saw the Hokage as this big authority figure that everyone respects and ‘loves’ in his child mind, and of course he wanted to be Hokage so that ppl would finally respect and ‘love’ him. His idea of love is obviously screwed, and it’s a mix of respect, aknowledgement, deference.

He doesn’t have a sense of equality because he never learned what equality is. He was below everyone else being shunned and hated, and his role model was above everyone else, where he aspired to be.

He started to make friends and he’s all about comrades, yes, like all shounen protagonists. But it’s always him reaching out to them, him protecting them, him changing their minds about something (or about himself), him obtaining their admiration and respect from an initial situation of being the opposite, being considered a good for nothing and a loser.

Sasuke is considered the opposite since the beginning, he’s a good student and shinobi, he’s left all alone too and nothing is shown of his alone life but from the little things we see he learned to manage himself and the house better, he didn’t care about people probably talking behind his back about the massacre, and he obtained a good reputation in the academy, so the story starts with him in a different situation. And Nar considers him a rival, he’s clearly jealous of the ‘success’ he has, not realizing that he’s alone too. Because Nar is not empathic at all, and his child self is even less, being a child with clear difficulties in processing things, which makes sense since he had no education basically. He just sees external signs of adjustment and ‘success’ which is what he wants, so he ‘hates’ Sasuke and he provokes him all the time. They become rivals, then comrades (and rivals), then friends, but it’s always Sasuke who, despite his aloof personality, shows positive signs, first hand feeding him, then defending him against Sak*ra, then shielding him and many other little things while Nar is always overreacting or doing questionable, not to say bad things (like attacking him and tying him up to meet Sak*ra) to him.

Nar’s lack of empathy can be seen after the inn scene, cause instead of being I won’t even say supportive but, not irritating, he mocks Sasuke who just woke up after Tsukuyomi, provoking him so that Sasuke, already (re)traumatized and feeling worthless towards both his brother and Naru, challenges him. Right after waking up from a coma, basically. And ofc Nar doesn’t hold back.

When Sasuke leaves in part 1 Nar is enraged, ofc, and he reacts violently, even their fight is very violent, and ofc it is being a fight, but Nar is really really brutal, feral I’d say, and possessive, trying to bring him back. I don’t remember their fight well but if I’m not mistaken that’s when he first threatens Sasuke to break all his bones?

Then Sasuke leaves and Nar starts his own “sad boy missing his ‘best friend’ drama” and all the fandom is uwu look at him so sensitive, but he’s being abstract there, while when he faces Sasuke direcly or indirectly he’s different, more direct and not sentimental. As expected of a badass fighter, cause that’s what he is, that’s what everyone is in the story. when in part 2 Orochimaru calls Sasuke ‘his’ he goes berserk, and his search for Sasuke becomes even more obsessive, to the point of claiming that if they’ll fight they’ll both die and theyll be ok in the afterlife...this is kinda poetic but also creepy af. It’s stalker material tbh. Also because in that moment Sasuke just ‘killed’ Danzo, he’s exhausted, visibly blind, especially after fighting Kakashi, whose fight clearly took his toll on him (He avoided Sak*ra’s pathetic attempt to kill him but that was easy). Nar has all his energies and he’s stronger physically anyway having more stamina and kyuubi’s chakra. But he’s ready to fight him, even tho he gives a speech because ofc. too bad that Sasuke doesn’t fall for it cause he has his own personality and his own goals, which for Nar is unacceptable cause everyone must be on his side, especially the one he wants.

Sasuke remains on his own side until Itachi does his thing and bla bla bla, Itachi first is brougth close to Nar which was interesting to watch but also a huge narrative move to bring Sasuke to his side as well, getting to fight alongside his beloved brother and wanting to understand him and his ideal of protecting Konoha thus summoning Orochimaru, the 4 Hokage and deciding to join the battlefield. Then they fight together and even then it’s Sasuke who accepts Naru’s lead, not the other way round because Nar would never obey anyone who’s not himself especially he wouldn’t obey someone he wants to possess, metaphorically (but if you like also literally).

When the battle is over and their battle starts he shows his true colors. He’s no longer the one wanting to die with his ‘friend’, he’s a leader wanting Sasuke, his ‘friend’ who in his eyes took the wrong road, to get back to the village, because Konoha is HIS concept of happiness. In fact, Sasuke in Konoha is Nar’s concept of happiness. And to obtain it he uses every method, not just a good ol’ fight, the more brutal the better. In fact their last fight has a different vibe, it’s Sasuke the one who’s more stressed and emotional, he’s drained, completely, cause he wants his revolution and he wants to change the world to make him like Itachi dreamed of, and he needs to eliminate Nar for it, he doesn’t want to eliminate him but he needs to and he clearly explains him why in the beginning of the fight. The way he fights is desperate.

Nar instead is calm, his emotions are under control, he fights with his hands but also with mind techniques because he manipulates Sasuke all the time: he tells him that he didn’t understand his own brother (implying that he did it better. That he, who interacted with Edo Tensei Itachi for a couple of hours, understands him better than the brother who basically worships him!), that everything he believes is wrong, that he knows what’s best for him (which is interestingly exactly what he wanted in life, what a coincidence). And it works, cause Sasuke admits his own defeat, and, later, he is further brainwashed and guilt tripped, jailed and submitted until he’s a perfect Konoha dog. Even in his Shinden episodes he’s away but loyal and guilt ridden for his actions. He became Naru’s watchdog, his most loyal servant. Not his equal. He fulfilled Naru’s wish for him.

And, in case someone’s still not enraged because Hawk how dare you shit on their amazing bond?  shocking huh? yeah I write what I think and I am very interested in their bond actually, since it’s a dark unhealthy one, completely unbalanced, just like I’m interested in Nar very much when he’s not idealized, cause he’s much more complex and interesting with his dark side.

Every episode shows Nar’s lack of care and empathy, his inner violence and selfishness, but they also are justified somehow. I can understand why, since his childhood made him self-centered and lacking the ability to interact with people on an equal basis, basically he never grew up for real, he acted like a grown up person but he remained a child inside, a possessive child who wants something and then discards it. And it shows whenever he ‘saves’ someone with his TnJ, this someone becomes his ‘friend’, loyal to him forever, and he moves on to ‘save’ someone else, all the while having Sasuke as his ultimate goal. Too bad that after he saves him too, he discards him as well. Not as much as the other cause Sasuke is special to him, but not as an equal either. I won’t mention the jail moment while Naru is basking in his popularity cause some don’t see it as canon, but when in the manga Sasuke is leaving Konoha and stumbles on Nar he says he didn’t think the other would come greet him. This shows how their relationship isn’t so amazing, since one would imagine that Nar would be 24/7 with Sasuke after he comes back.

So, all these moments show a clear picture of him as a possessive and selfish person who only ‘cares’ about ppl because he wants to be ‘loved’ (=admired and respected and aknowledged as the best) by said ppl, and whose ‘love’ for Sasuke is possessive and obsessive to an extreme point, a desire to be aknowledged and respected but also to submit the one whom he most ‘loves’, because there is no equality in the way Nar sees himself and the rest of the world, including ‘his’ ‘best friend’.

(btw if someone disagrees, keep it for yourself, I don’t give a damn about discussing with you)

[secret-engima]

For the Night King AU, could we possibly see the thoughts of the Chocobros 1.0 when they meet/see their counterparts? We kinda got a vauge look at Regis' thoughts and a tiny glimpse of Clarus', but what do they think when they look at the Dark Retinue and see what could have been them? And does Clarus' realize that Iris is an Amiticia as well?

Hmmmmm lemme think. Not sure if this is gonna be what you want but- ramble? Not gonna do them all because my hands hurt but the ramble should be long enough to suit.

-Clarus sees the man with Amicitia gold eyes and brown hair stop Cor’s attack on the Accursed and his heart stops for several reasons. One- he fully expects Cor and the rest of them to die in the next there seconds by angry daemon, two- someone was actually fast enough to STOP Cor, in an instant, like it was easy and that’s never happened before, and three-

-That man looks like Clarus’s father. That man looks like CLARUS and it’s freaking him out. He wonders hysterically if the Accursed was using an illusion to make his guard look like an Amicitia as a joke, or if Clarus’s father had a brother that was presumed dead but was actually taken and molded into a servant by the Night King.

-Instead of turning violent though, the man just laughs a deep, quiet laugh and lets Cid and Weskham drag the breathless Cor back into their group, “Nice try kid, but you’re about three decades too early to pull that off.”

-Regis apologizes for Cor with a desperate edge that means he too fears reprisal, but the Night King just shrugs it off and summons another human (human!) to escort them to the dining room.

-The newcomer, named Prompto, mentions a “Gladio” a few times as they walk and Clarus wonders if that’s the Amicitia he saw.

-They learn ... quite a few things that night and the days following after, and when he’s not fretting over the others, Clarus is, admittedly, studying Gladiolus. Since learning that this Accursed is new, he’s been trying to figure out how far back in the family tree Gladiolus is. He acts like he’s known the Night King all his life, and there’s a brief mention of a childhood incident, which means the man is definitely not Clarus’s father’s brother.

-Honestly, Clarus can readily believe this Amicitia is ancient. Not in appearance, he only looks to be in his early thirties at most, but in soul? Oh yes.

-Gladiolus is old in a worn, battle-hardened sort of way that reminds Clarus of his few recollections of his grandfather. He’s friendly, not the violent, brutish thing Clarus expected of an Accursed’s Shield, but instead gentle. Tired. His temper rises fast as fire and snuffs as quickly as a candle, he answers questions patiently, and seems to keep his king on just as tight a leash as any other Shield (food and sleep seem to be the realm of Ignis’s care, but in other matters, Gladiolus keeps his king anchored, just as is tradition).

-Clarus wants to ask questions, desperately. He wants to ask how old Gladiolus is, where in the family tree he is, HOW he came to be the Shield of the Accursed’s Nephew but ... he doesn’t. He doesn’t dare. There is something dark lurking in Gladiolus’s gaze when they speak, something bleeding still, and Clarus does not want to further open a heart wound that is clearly still weeping.

-It doesn’t stop him from wondering, especially as the years go by and he lives in the Night Kingdom with Regis prior to Regis ascending Lucis’s throne, why a man as steady and unflinching as Gladiolus is nonexistent in the history records. In the family tree. Clarus has CHECKED. There is no sign of him even as far back as Gilgamesh.

-Clarus isn’t sure which is better, that Gladiolus was erased that thoroughly for whatever happened back then, or that no one in the family knew that he (or his SISTER and isn’t that a shock, one that takes much longer to realize since Iris is usually busy elsewhere in the Citadel and rarely sees Clarus) existed.

...

-Weskham doesn’t take long to decide he likes Ignis. There is a steadiness and experience to the blind man, and even though Ignis is very unnerving at times (the way he commands daemons, the way he effortlessly navigates and fights despite being blind), it is gratifying to have another who understands Weskham’s trials as a Hand of the King.

-After the treaty, after they have been kidnapped in all but name and intent (for Regis chose this, Regis agreed to this to spare his father and his kingdom), Ignis and Weskham take to spending afternoons in the kitchens together. Just the two of them, some new dish cooking in the ovens, and a cup of tea as they talk.

-Weskham enjoys their time, but he would also be the first to admit that Ignis is ... a little off sometimes. There is a jagged edge to him that will not smooth, it glitters in his words sometimes, in the fervent desperation that edges his shoulders when he spends too long apart from his King. There is a ... neediness there. A doubt. Like if he turns away for too long, Noctis will disappear into dust on the wind. All of the Dark Retinue (a silly nickname that Prompto insisted on using after hearing it) have that edge, but in Ignis it is the sharpest.

-“The last thing I ever saw,” Ignis tells him once, very quietly, on a rainy day where the tea has been spiked just slightly with wine, “was Noct. He was lying on the ground in the rain next to Luna, and he was ... he wasn’t moving. There was no sign-. I couldn’t see him breathing, and Ardyn was right there. I feared-.” Ignis goes silent and Weskham holds his breath despite himself. He still does not know how Luna was, she is someone they only mention in passing and in deep grief, but he knows enough about Noctis and his ... relationship with his now passed Uncle to feel a thrill of fear just at the retelling, “He was dead.” Ignis’s voice breaks just a little and Weskham feels his heart bleed for the older man, “I thought I had lost him. I swore to stay ever at his side. All his life I walked with him, since he was just a small child, and then I saw him, and he was so very still.”

-Ignis exhales, “I wonder sometimes, what he looks like now. I do not regret losing my sight, but sometimes I wish I could see him. Just once more. Just so that that is not the last moment.”

-Weskham tentatively touches Ignis’s hand in solidarity, and internally he shakes. Because he too was raised with his king from a young age. To have the sight of him almost dead on the ground be the last he ever saw of Regis, even if Regis survived... Weskham can’t imagine it.

-He doesn’t want to.

...

-Cid knows Iris is an Amicitia. He’s not BLIND and unlike Clarus he sees the girl a lot more often, since she and Talcott like to come sniffing around the workshop Noctis gave him.

-He’s more than a little sure the girl avoids Clarus when she can, because seeing him cuts up her insides even though she likes him.

-But she and Talcott don’t bother him, or get in his way, so he lets them visit. Sometimes they chat, either to him or over his head, and he learns a lot about their past from those cues.

-He learns Clarus looks like Iris’s and Gladiolus’s father. That Talcott’s family used to be retainers for Iris and Gladiolus’s. He learns that Iris can scrap with the best of them, but honestly prefers staying here and helping people with mending and fixing, because she’s seen too many things get broken in her life that can’t be fixed. Talcott is a busybody, but all his secrets he hoards to himself. He gathers gossip but never spreads it, and he likes learning things because when he was a boy, knowing things was the only way he could help. And even now that he’s grown, knowing things is his strongest weapon.

-Cid can sympathize. He didn’t grow up as one of Regis’s Retinue, and he doesn’t know a lot of courtly things or how magic works beyond the basics Regis taught him. But he does know the wilds, and the villages, and the common folk, and those were things Regis desperately needed to learn back in the day. He knows how to fight, but he prefers to fix because frankly there’s enough people going around breaking things and not enough fixing. Just look at how well Mors messed up Cor.

-Cid carefully doesn’t think about what it must have been like back when Iris and Talcott were small. How they had to help, had to KNOW things when they were only kids (or the nearest immortal equivalent). Cid was an adult when he met Regis, not a kid. He could shoulder that just fine. Them...

-Well. They’re adults now, and they seem happy enough, so Cid will let it go at that.

...

-Cor doesn’t like Older Cor.

-Oh he likes to FIGHT him, and he respects him a lot, but he doesn’t ... like him.

-Old Cor is too much like Cor, and so when Cor sees the ways Old Cor is broken, it means Cor could break in those ways too.

-But Cor is stubborn and curious, so he badgers Old Cor anyway, for fighting, for clues, for ... anything really. And here are some things he learns.

-Old Cor doesn’t like to be around Regis and the others. Not that he doesn’t like them (he loves them, Cor can see it in his eyes, that fervent burning edge that Cor sees in the mirror every morning) but being near them HURTS and both Cor’s tend to fight the things that hurt, so Old Cor stays away.

-Old Cor is protective. He’s protective of his home, of his kingdom, of the humans living in the Night Kingdom. But most of all he’s protective of Noctis and his Retinue, and despite his old joints and scars, he will kill anything that threatens them without hesitation.

-Old Cor is impatient. He’s like Cor, he wants to get things done NOW, but he’s got a much better control over that urge than Cor currently does, so he seems like he’s patient when he’s really not.

-Old Cor lost his King.

-It’s a bad realization. A harsh one that comes after Cor sneaks into the Accursed’s tomb when he shouldn’t have. But it makes sense. Old Cor walks like he is still following in someone’s shadow, two steps back and one to the left, even when no one is around. Old Cor still sometimes looks over his shoulder like he’s about to call someone, then stops and keeps walking. Old Cor spends some evenings nursing a bottle of wine, but for every glass he drinks he pours out two more.

-”Was it Noctis’s father?” Cor asks Old Cor once.

-Old Cor ... LOOKS at Cor and there is a sharpness there that comes less from a honed blade and more from the broken shards of one, “Yes.” Then, before Cor could ask more, Old Cor says, rough and hoarse and fragile “The original Accursed killed him. I was sent away to protect Noctis.”

-I was sent away, he didn’t let me die at his side why didn’t he LET ME STAY WITH HIM- screams between them, maybe Cor’s heart, maybe Old Cor’s. It doesn’t matter, they are close enough in everything else for this reaction to be shared too.

-Cor doesn’t ask about it again.

-One days when Old Cor is too broken and rough, when he genuinely has no tolerance for even looking at Cor, Cor goes and bothers Prompto instead. The man is always willing to fight him, or tell him stories, or just laugh at something Cor did that shouldn’t be funny but is anyway. Cor knows he should probably hunt for clues on Prompto too, but he caught a glimpse of Prompto’s wrist once, the black tattoo that looks suspiciously like a Niflheim slave brand, and even Cor knows that THAT is a line of questions he shouldn’t breach.

...

-Regis has a lot of thoughts on Noctis. At first, it’s terror. Terror at what he thought was the original Accursed, terror for what would become of his Retinue and himself at this monster’s hands.

-Except Noctis is no monster, he is painfully, achingly human, and that perhaps is even worse.

-After that he is wary of Noctis, and refuses to let himself think the words “Lucis Caelum” because if he does THAT then he’s going to ask questions and Noctis doesn’t deserve questions.

-It comes about anyway. There’s no denying his looks, his blue eyes, his magic. And the thought of the OG Accursed being related to the Lucis Caelum line in any way makes Regis’s skin crawl, but Noctis is sweet and kind and patient, and Regis cannot help but love the man like family even before the day he works up the nerve to ask if Noctis is really a Lucis Caelum and gets a soft “yes” as his answer.

(gonna stop there sorry because my hands hurt rn and just hgdhgfds)

[misterewrites]

I get by with a little help from my friends (and Link)

Hey everyone! E here with a random story popped into my head! I needed to write this for practice for another project but I still had a lot of fun with it. So this story takes place in the wild timeline between Age of Calamity and breath of the wild. Like that weird middle ground where the champions were getting ready. Upfront I did as much research as I could cuz it has been a while since I played BOTW and I did use a wiki with some references to the game and such, avoided spoilers I think and I did kinda go with my own conclusion in some places for the sake of story cuz the wiki only knows so much and I can't replay the entire game again. Well I can but not in a short time for this story. Also some Light Zelda and link cuz they’re cute and if nintendo wont canon them, I will! 

So I hope you enjoy! have fun, stay safe, wear a mask and wash your hands! E is out! have a great week everyone! If you want to leave me comments or just have an easier time reading this story, it has been uploaded to Ao3. My user name is MrE42

“He’s still there, isn’t he?”

Impa shrugged, unsure what the princess was expecting her to say “You know he is.”

Zelda huffed, irritated at her father’s watchdog who silently kept watch just outside, stoic and stalwart in his duty to an annoying degree.

Zelda, princess of Hyrule and aspiring scholar, trained from birth to be poised and refined in the harshest situations, made a face towards the library door.

“I do not need a babysitter.” Zelda fumed as she filmed through the bookshelves “You are here Impa and far more suited to the task than my father’s knights.”

“Your knights” Impa corrected “And normally I would agree but with Yiga clan beginning to cause more and more trouble, you and the kingdom need my Sheikah to prevent their tricks. I am their leader and I have to lead. Same as you princess.”

“I know” Zelda replied, unable to keep out the frustration out of her voice “But I wish my father chose a...different person”

Impa rolled her eyes “We both know that Link is the most capable solider in the kingdom. He is without equal and you are only mad at him because your father chose him.”

“I am not a child Impa.”

“No but you are the magical princess whose power would help keep the calamity at bay. I can’t fathom why your father would want you protected at all times.”

Zelda glared openly at her best friend “Your sarcasm is noted and ignored.”

“Excellent” Impa beamed “But in all seriousness, these are dangerous princess. Your father caused quite a ruckus choosing a country bumpkin instead of the nobles lovely, incompetent children.”

Zelda shifted guiltily at the mention of the nobility. They were not pleased that the king of Hyrule had decided to entrust the safety of his only heir and future ruler of their kingdom to a nobody from Hateno Village. It did not matter that Link had come from a long line of knights whom had been protecting the land for almost as long as Zelda’s family had been ruling it. Nor did it matter that he was their most fierce and well trained warrior. He was not of nobility and it angered her that someone who simply wanted to do their best was being mistreated.

Even if she was guilty of the same crime.

“I just wish he appeared more human.” Zelda quietly admitted, hoping Link could not hear “He is emotionless. His gaze is entirely steely and he has not spoken a single word to me. He simply stands, watching and waiting.

“Judging?” Impa added.

Zelda glanced to the side shamefully “Judging. Judging that his talents are wasted on a princess who cannot even perform the single duty that has been entrusted to her.”

“I think you’re projecting.”

“And you are far too calm.”

Impa giggled cutely “Appearances. I’m as nervous as you princess but I know better than anyone how uneasy people get if their leaders show panic. Your powers will come when they come. You will figure it out.”

Zelda turned to the ninja leader fearfully “And if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll protect you.” Impa answered truthfully “Link will protect you and the champions will kick some ganon butt! You’re not alone so stop acting like it.”

“Thank you Impa.” Zelda moved in for a hug.

“Nope!” Impa took a step back “No, no, no! That’s not proper.”

“I order you to give your princess a hug.”

“…..sigh, yes your highness.”

-----

Zelda’s eyes twinkled with a rare softness as she, Link and Mipha watched the young zora prince Sidon swim so carefree in the deep blue waters of the lake. Link was further ahead of the two princesses, standing at the shore of the lake vigilante for any signs of trouble.

“He certainly takes his duty seriously.” Zelda murmured under her breath.

Mipha laughed softly “It is nice to see how age has calmed him.”

Zelda tilted curiously to the champion “Mipha, you’ve known Link since you were both children, correct?”

Mipha nodded in confirmation “Yes ever since he arrived with a group of knights on orders of King Rhoam. Even then he was courageous. Impossibly reckless however but I suppose that is simply who Link is.

Mipha’s soft laughter grew into a playful chortle. Zelda quizzically stared at her fellow princess.

“Sorry your highness.” Mipha waved her hand in embarrassment “I was just thinking to myself how much healing practice Link has gotten me. I suppose I am as proficient as I am thanks him.”

“Oh?”

“He was always getting into trouble.” Mipha began, her voice taking on a hue of nostalgia “Always injured after throwing himself head first into danger. He hated sitting still, allowing others to suffer for him. His shell might be more silent and stoic but he is still the kind boy I knew. That I…”

Zelda caught the slight longing in the zora princess’s tone “Mipha?”

“It is nothing.”

Mipha slipped into a comfortable silence but Zelda bristled uneasily at a sudden realization.

“Mipha….”

Mipha faced Zelda, worry and concern etched in the scholar’s face.

“Do you think…” Zelda spoke slowly “Link hates me? That his talented and training is wasted watching a princess who cannot even produce a glare of light. I drag him everywhere, fuming at his presence all while he watches with an endless vigil.”

Mipha gently placed her hand onto Zelda’s shoulder. Zelda felt a calming presence fill her body and a quiet peace that came with it.

Mipha gave a soft smile “Link knows better than anyone how hard you are trying. He knows how desperate you must be. He does not disdain your loathing. He simply is giving you the space you desire. His duty is everything to him and he will perform it to his dying breath. You are his princess. He will ensure your safety.”

Zelda said nothing and despite the calming peace she felt, the twinge of guilt began to eat at her.

“LINK!”

The tension broke as Zelda and Mipha glanced back towards the lake. Sidon giggled and chuckled at a full swim, rapidly heading for the shore and Link. Link, caught off guard in a rare moment, began to panic. He moved this way and that, frantically searching beyond the approaching zora in search for a nonexistent threat.

He realized, too late, what Sidon was up to.

With a mighty push, Sidon flew out of the deep blue waters and sailed through the air, hands outstretched as he collided with Link. Link flailed backwards, struggling to keep his footing but ultimately losing it. He fell backwards onto the shore, Sidon embracing him tightly a bone breaking hug. Even young, a zora was strong.

“Sidon!” Mipha chastised but before she could move closer, Link stood up with the still embracing prince, an evil glint in his eyes.

“Oh dear.”

“What is happening?” Zelda asked, unsure what was going on.

Link picked up Sidon, holding him high into the air as the young prince chanted “Do it, do it, do it!”

And just like that, Link spun around. Around and around, once, twice, five times building speed with Sidon’s cheers filled the air. Without warning, Link chucked the young zora through the air and back into the lake.

Sidon dove in wholeheartedly and broke the surface with a triumphant yell.

“20 feet! A NEW RECORD!”

Mipha rubbed her eyes tiredly “Boys.”

Zelda giggled softly as Link rose his arms in victory.

-----

“Daruk?”

“Yeah tiny princess?”

“Is that...a rock?”

“Yeah it is!”

“And why...is Link….eating the rock?”

“It’s prime rock roast! He got a real taste for it after the first time.”

“Oh. Right. I recall that now.”

Daruk bellowed with a hearty laugh “Dontcha worry princess, little guy might a hylian but he’s got the stomach of a goron! I bet he’d eat anything. Even some kind of dubious food that’s just too gross to look at. KEEP IT UP LINK!”

Link raised a thumb as he continued to chew on the rocky texture of the roast.

Zelda couldn’t help but smile the Daruk’s presence. His good nature and cheeriness were too infectious for even the royal princess to resist.

“Now what brings you out here tiny princess? Did you finally want to try out the roast? I can have cooks whip up a fresh, steaming one for ya.”

“What? Oh no.” Zelda quickly responded “No. I ate at home before we arrived so I am quite full. Perhaps next time. I am actually here to see if you needed anything.”

Daruk rubbed the back of his neck shyly “Aww thanks tiny princess! I appreciate it! Though if you don’t wanna eat the roast, you can just tell me. I know it isn’t everyone’s taste.”

“Oh. I am sorry I simply did not want to hurt your feelings.”

“Not to worry, I can’t be hurt!” Daruk beamed, posing heroic as an orangish translucent dome appeared over the goron chief for a moment, shielding him from the outside world.

The pair broke into a joyful laugh.

“Thank you Daruk.”

“Think nothing of it tiny princess. Though, now that you mentioned it I might need a little favor from ya.”

Zelda eagerly listened “Name it Daruk and I shall do everything in my power to ensure it done.”

“It’s about Rudania.”

Zelda’s heart sank “The divine beast? Is something amiss?”

“Oh no no no.” Daruk raised his hands as if to physically stop that line of thinking “Nothing serious. It’s just that that wonderful fantastic machine is able to have some alterations. The controls aren’t exactly goron friendly, ya know?”

“Oh! Hmm, I shall talk to Purah and Robbie. If anyone can alter Rudania, it is them.”

“Thanks tiny princess!” Daruk patted her back in a friendly manner. Zelda had to brace herself to make sure she didn’t fall sprawling to the floor.

Rudania.

Zelda glanced upwards Death Mountain, the divine beast in question clinging to the side the volcanic mountain as if keeping an eye out for the calamity.

The divine beasts, ancient Sheikah machines made of stone and an unknown source of power. Her father claimed these machines had been around since the dawn of Hyrule. Though information on these and other Sheikah made devices were contradictory at best and nonexistent at worst. Even Impa, clan leader, knew next to nothing about their functionality or purpose. Luckily for everyone Purah and Robbie had devoted their lives to the study of these machines and it was only thanks to the pairs ceaseless work (and Zelda would say sometimes obsession) that the champions could practice and grew proficient with their individual machines.

“How is your training with Rudania going Daruk?”

Daruk scratched the back of his neck anxiously “I wish I could say it’s going good but it’s not exactly a stroll in the lava, ya know?”

“Of...course.” Zelda nodded slowly, unsure what a stroll in lava would entail “Perhaps we can search for some sort of manual or instructions.”

“Nah” Daruk waved her off “We both know nothing like that probably exists but that’s alright. I’mma going just go for it and do my best!”

Zelda stared at the goron with admiration “I wish I could be as confident as you are.”

“I’m not!”

Zelda watched as Daruk’s face beaming grin melt into an uneasy smile

“I’m not confident” Daruk admitted “This is hard. This is a piece of technology unlike anything else in our little home. I have no idea how to use it or even if I’m doing it right. Heck, I don’t even know if what I’m doing is working. I’m a goron and I’m good at that but this? This is something else.”

Zelda felt that. Her inability to draw on her powers. Her failures and her father’s growing desperation pushing her to extremes, to find an answer regardless of the cost.

“But, I’mma gonna try all the same.”

Daruk’s smile returned. Not with happiness but with determination.

“That’s all we can do, right tiny princess?” Daruk chuckled “Do our best. Maybe it’ll be enough. Maybe it won’t but we gotta at least try.”

Zelda smiled “You are right Daruk. We must at least try. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome! Haha, for what?”

-----

Zelda could feel Link shift his weight back and forth ontop of the snow bank. The pair were bundled in winter gear, huddled close in an attempt to stay warm in the frigid chill of the snowy breeze. Though Zelda knew that wasn’t why Link was unhappy.

“You still here knight? Go home. You need to train some more if you want to keep up with me.”

Link’s face remained as impassive as ever but Zelda could see by the tensing of his cheeks that he was fuming: Revali had that effect on the knight.

She was unsure why the Rito had such a deep disdain for Link but it made it difficult to plan training exercises between the two. Even visits to check on Revali were scarce given the fact Link followed his orders diligently. Nothing would dissuade Link from his task, not even insults and mockery.

Zelda had been softening her stance on Link over the last few weeks. True she hadn’t reached the point where she completely accepted his presence but she no longer loathed him for it. It was not his fault her father was so stubborn and final in his decrees. He did what he was told and he did it with as much respect as he could muster. It was oddly comforting to have him near in the rare moment she was being honest. Whether it be researching any leads to unlocking her powers to her hobby of cataloging the various flora and fauna of Hyrule, he did not judge her. He watched in a quiet reverence, his eyes darting about for signs of danger so she would feel safe enough to focus on her task. And the more time they spent together, the more she realized he was more expressive than she previously thought.

His emotions were far subtler: A twitch of the ear, a raised eyebrow, clenching of his jaws. This is how Link spoke. This is how he displayed his emotions. Little signs easily missed unless you had been searching for them.

Not that Zelda was looking. That would be silly for her to simply stare at the knight accompanying her all across the kingdom, protecting her from the various threats found throughout. She was merely making observations like the good scholar she was. Link was no different than the flora and fauna she studied. Granted he was a much more interesting subject but….

“Princess.”

Zelda snapped out of her thoughts, her face flushed with embarrassment at her trailing thoughts.

“Are you well?” Revali cocked his head sideways “Your face is red. I rather you not get sick simply because you wish to stand in this cold.”

“I-it is nothing Revali!” Zelda stammered out “Perhaps a small chill. It will pass. I am here to…”

“To see if I need anything” he finished for her “No princess, unlike certain people” he eyed Link distastefully “I am fine.”

Link said nothing but rather shifted the weight on his feet once more.

“Link” Zelda turned to her knight “Perhaps you could patrol the area. I fear the winds are growing more fierce. I would not want to walk back to the castle among an ambush if there is a storm.”

Link remained silent but gave a rigid, steely nod. He caught Revali’s gaze for a moment then trudge off into the snow.

“I don’t why you bring him” Revali sneered “He’s a worthless knight.”

“If he’s so worthless, why do you waste your time berating him?”

Revali turned his head “Hmmph, if your knight is so fragile that a little mockery scares him off, he has no business being with us.”

“Revali!” Zelda began but was silenced by his outstretched wing.

“I am the best princess.” He spoke matter of fact “I am your greatest warrior. My skill is unrivaled across the kingdom.”

Zelda fumed but allowed him to continue.

“I have overcome many challenges and challengers to my title” Revali’s looked out to the various snowy hills and slopes of the mountain, the Rito village barely visible among the snow flurry “I bested them all. When you are so talented, many eyes will fall upon you and their expectations as well. They will say whatever they wish. You must ignore them. You must not allow their pitiful jealousy distract from your task, your goal. I am here to protect my people and for that, I must be the best. I must work with the best and I must train with people with some skill.”

“Revali, what are you…?”

Revali scoffed “You have kept me from training princess. Your knight might be the best among you but he certainly is no match for me. How is he supposed to survive the upcoming fight unless he fights with his all against a superior opponent.”

“I see” Zelda slowly caught on.

“Good. I will be at the castle tomorrow. Make sure your knight is ready for bruises and sores. I won’t have him die on us because he was being lazy.”

“Of course Revali. I’m sure Link will appreciate your concern.”

Revali huffed “I don’t like deadweight is all.”

Zelda said nothing but remembered that Link had won the champion’s last archery contest a few weeks ago.

-----

The desert was colder than you would expect at night but Zelda was not stranger to it. She loved coming out to the Gerudo desert with her mother, spending all day among the Gerudo and its splendor. It was quiet out here, bringing a rare peace not found in the city. The distant sound of thunder boomed but it was soft and enlightening more than frightening. It comforted Zelda.

“Thinking of her again little bird?”

Zelda nodded honestly, the desert stretched out before her as the twinkling stars glimmered beautifully overhead.

Urbosa, champion and her mother’s dearest friend, stood watch nearby.

Zelda turned back to Link, unable to keep the grin off her face as he remained slumped against the wall, his riding hood and cloak turned into a makeshift blanket. His breathing was slow and steady and while it was clear he was sleeping, she also knew that with one word from her lips he would awaken, ready for whatever awaited him.

She was glad he was resting at least. This had been his first trip to the desert and he had not quite been prepared for the intense heat nor the attention he received from the town. A male within its walls was a rare sight. She knew Link disliked attention above all else, except perhaps Revali.

She giggled at her joke.

“You seem more comfortable with Link than I remember.”

“Oh.” Zelda cleared her throat, willing her blush away “Well y-yes. Some of my conversations with the others have led to some interesting insight. Perhaps I had not been considerate towards Link. He is just performing his duty.”

Urbosa leaned in teasingly “Link now is it? Not the knight or he?”

Zelda’s blush spread rapidly throughout her cheeks.

Urbosa laughed loudly “You are far too easy to fluster little bird.”

“I am not flustered!”

“I don’t blame you” Urbosa glanced at Link’s sleeping form “He is quite handsome and not like most men.”

“Urbosa!”

Urbosa laugh once more “So it worked then?”

Zelda was confused “What did?”

“My distraction.”

“Distraction? From?” Realization washed over Zelda “Oh.”

Urbosa gave a solemn nod “I miss your mother terribly. She was an amazing woman and I feel her loss deeply now as I did then.”

Zelda tucked her legs under her arms “I feel like she would be disappointed in me. Not having unlocked my power. Chasing down lead after lead with nothing to show for it.”

“Don’t be absurd!” Urbosa scolded “She would be proud of you. Her beautiful daughter, a natural leader. Especially between Link and Revali. Hylia’s miracle you managed to wrangle them into line. I thought they were going to murder each other at their last training session.”

“I admit I was worried I was about to have to arrest one of them for murder.” Zelda admitted.

The two shared a laugh.

“Do not fret little bird.” Urbosa cupped Zelda’s cheek lovingly “She would think the world of you. She would want you to do your best, not hers.”

“I miss her Urbosa.” Zelda shed a single tear “I just miss her so terribly.”

“Me too little bird. But she lives on in you.”

Zelda clenched her fist, holding it close to her heart as she closed her eyes “I suppose I’ll just have keep at it.”

“That a girl. Now want to see something funny?” Urbosa grinned mischievously, a snap at the ready while she approached the slumbering form of Link.

-----

Link was unsure what to make of princess Zelda’s request to ask him some questions. It had been a few months since he was first assigned to her guard detail and while it had been rather rocky start, she grew to tolerate his presence and was almost friendly with him.

Almost.

Today started off no different than any other: Princess Zelda wanted to stretch her legs out in the fields. Link was used to this particularly outing. He noticed the princess often wished to leave the castle on the days her father was being forceful about her training her powers. Something that was happening with increasing occurrence nowadays.

Despite his lack of talking and general stoic disposition, he enjoyed his time with the princess. True most of it had been at a distance, carefully watching out for her safety but these last few weeks had been a nice change of pace. She allowed to walk closer to her, hadn’t scoffed or turned up her nose at him trailing behind her and became more visibly relaxed when alone with him.

Though she had also become more distracting to the young knight. Everyone knew the princess was beautiful but Link still hadn’t gotten used to it even after all this time. Every morning he would face that same beauty and every morning he would be thoroughly flatfooted at the sight of her. It was easier when she forced him to watch far away, when she spoke to and about him with a quiet disdain. She didn’t like him and he was just here to do his job. Nice, done and easy.

But lately the princess had been asking him to stay close regardless if they were traveling through the countryside or to the frigid Rito Village or the blazing furnace that was Death Mountain. She smiled often now, especially when she found a new plant or animal about. Link would be standing, vigilante when the princess would call for him and when he whirled around, sword at the ready, he found not monsters but the sight of the princess mid-smile and holding out some new thing for him to see, excitement twinkling in her eyes.

It was getting really hard to focus on his task.

“Link, are you alright?”

Link flushed, nearly tripping over himself as the princess broke him from his stupor.

They were sitting at peaceful meadow not too far the castle, the princess’s notebook at her side filled with her various observations and musings.

Link must’ve spaced out because he had not noticed the princess approach him, her face inches away from his.

“I am sorry.” She apologized “I did not mean to startle you.”

Link shook his head in disagreement, raising a hand to tell her not to worry.

“I-if you don’t feel comfortable answering my questions, you do not have to.”

Link gestured for her to continue.

“Link” the princess composed herself “Why don’t you speak?”

Link was caught off guard by the question. No one really questioned why he chose not to speak. Most assumed it was some strange choice by some stranger lad from the country. Or perhaps he could not speak. As long as he stabbed the bad guy, no one seemed to care beyond that and the more renown he gained, the more Link felt he needed to maintain the illusion, the stoic unflappable hero of Hyrule.

Well, until the real hero of Hyrule appeared.

Link mused for a moment, wondering how to best explain his situation to the princess.

“I’m sorry.”

Link was taken aback by the princess’s shameful tone.

“I….I did not mean to be so personal.” She began, eyes cast away from him “It….it just occurs to me I have known you for a few months now and yet I have never once heard you speak. I know I have not been most friendly person to you and I understand if you find me rude or perhaps annoying. I know watching me wade through the fields is not the most effective use of your talents.”

Link could feel panic setting in. He couldn’t let the princess blame herself! Especially now that she was making an effort to open up to him. Link licked his lips, willing the words to form into existence.

“I am sorry Link” Link’s heart fluttered at the sound of his name. She said his name! She said his name! She’s never said his name to him before!

“Perhaps I should just remain silent.” the princess went on “I am truly sorry for mistreating you and taking my frustration about my father out on you. You did not deserve that.”

Wait! No no no no!

The princess sighed dejectedly, turning away from Link.

Link bit his lip, taking deep slow breathes as he tried to form the words in his head.

-----

Zelda was disappointed but not surprised by Link’s lack of a response. She knew it might’ve been a little too late given her treatment of him but she had been hoping perhaps she could convince him that she was not as nasty as she appeared to him. Alas, it seems it was for naught.

“W-wait.”

Zelda blinked, unsure if she really heard what she thought she heard. She turned slowly to Link, surprised to see him with a hand outstretched, sweat forming upon his brow as he awkwardly moved his mouth as if trying to get it to work.

“D-did you say something Link?” She asked quizzically.

Link gave a short nod.

Zelda whirled around, knees against the grass as she leaned in closer, unable to get Link’s voice out of her ears.

Link gestured to himself, touching his chest with an open hand.

“You.”

Link nodded, wincing as he struggled to speak.

“I. Don’t. Like. Talking.”

Zelda was in awe at Link. For a warrior so fierce, so steely, so loyal his voice was soft. It was gentle and quiet like a breeze yet still lingered in her mind.

“You don’t like talking” Zelda repeated “I understand.”

Link nodded once before breaking into a toothy smile.

Zelda’s heart raced at the sight of the indifferent Link forming a full smile on his face. She pulled back, trying to will the red out of her hair.

Link tilted his head curiously towards Zelda before he closed the distance.

Zelda’s heart thundered in her ears as Link placed a cool hand upon her forehead, his face returning to its stony indifference but his eyes filled with worry.

“I’m fine!” Zelda waved him off, pulling away before she turned any redder “I...just thought of something.”

Link looked unconvinced but let it go. He stood to his feet and offered his hand to the princess.

Zelda stared up, the sun glowing brightly behind Link’s form as he waited patiently for her. She took his hand and he, firmly but gently, pulled her to her feet.

Link gestured to her horse.

“Yes.” Zelda nodded in agreement “Perhaps it is time to go home.”

Link gave a thumbs up and went to retrieve their horses.

Zelda pinched her cheeks with all her might.

“Urbosa was right. He is handsome.”

[tack-tick]

Can You Read In Your Dreams?

More fanfic let’s goooo! Planning for this to be a two-shot so this is the first chapter. Starring Dadza, yay!

Ao3 link here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31196324/chapters/77103176

And it is under the cut. Thanks for reading and please reblog/like! It really helps!

Phil softly hissed as he drank his cup of tea. He probably should have blown on it first but he was engrossed in the book he was reading. The warm fire crackled in front of him. The old couch he was sitting on was a bit lumpy but Phil thought that just made it more cozy.

Really, Phil was glad he had found this little cabin out in the woods. Even if it was a little isolated, him and his boys could keep each other company. Although, his two twins liked to gang up on their younger brother.

He blew on the tea this time and took another sip. The book he was reading was a book of Greek myths. Techno had gotten super into it recently and Phil would like to be able to talk with him about it. Plus, he could make sure Techno didn’t read any more… inappropriate stories. He wasn’t ready to answer any awkward questions his ever curious son might have.

He was actually looking for stories about one of Techno’s favorite Gods, Hephaestus. Phil had been surprised at that, he thought Techno would be drawn more to Ares or Athena. After all, Techno always had a love of combat ever since Phil had gotten him a wooden training sword for his birthday.

He was about to put the book up and go to sleep when he heard the patter of footsteps on the wooden floor. He supposed one of them had gotten thirsty or maybe Tommy had kicked Wilbur in his sleep again so Wilbur was coming down to complain.

Instead, he heard little hiccups and turned around to see Techno running towards him, his red blanket trailing behind him.

Phil could almost immediately see the signs on Techno’s face and opened up his arms. Techno ran into them and buried his face into his shoulder. Phil ran his hands through the tangles in Techno’s hair as Techno cried into his shoulder. The cries quickly softened to sniffles until eventually Techno was just clutching him.

“Nightmares again,” Phil said and he felt Techno give a small nod. “Chat bugging you?” He was relieved to feel the small shake of a no from Techno.

It had started when Phil had woken up to Techno screaming in the night a couple of years ago. Long before Techno could turn to Wilbur and Phil was the only family he had. When Techno screamed about murder, death, and voices so loud that he could barely hear Phil. His eyes had turned from a golden brown to a bright red that fateful night. A terrifyingly familiar shade of red to Phil.

Phil had been alive for a very long time and he had seen many things. He had dug through his old notes after that fateful night and had found what he had feared. Notes on famed conquerors, warriors, and rulers who seemed to relish conquest and battle. Who Phil had seen time and time again either let their kingdoms fall or they would die young and alone. Phil had noticed some strange connection between these people. They all had unnaturally bright red eyes.

Phil snapped out of it when he felt Techno shudder in his arms again. He spread his wings and wrapped them around them like a blanket. Or maybe like a shield against nightmares, filled with voices that none could see.

“Same dream again?”

“Yeah, Phil what if someday I hurt you guys?”

“I know you won’t. I don’t care what Chat says, you’re stronger and kinder than all of them,” Phil said as he wiped Techno’s cheeks.

Techno just stayed silent and pushed himself out of Phil’s arms. He sat back into the cushions of the couch and stared down into his hands.

“It was all over me Phil,”

Phil gave him a side hug with his wing.

Techno said Chat called him The Blood God but Phil though they were wrong. Techno was no God. He was a mere child who shouldn’t be having nightmares of murdering his family practically every other month. He was far too young to be scared to go to sleep.

“You know, there’s a way to know if you’re dreaming,”

Techno looked up at him with a curious tilt of his head.

“But they feel so real!”

“Yeah, but there are some things you can’t do in dreams,” Phil said and he opened the book he had been reading to a random page. “Can you read this?”

“Hephaestus?” Techno said and then he grinned up at him with a gleam in his eyes. “Whoa, this is the one about how he built Helios’s chariot!”

“That’s right, now can you read it if I do this?” Philza said and he turned to another random page and turned it upside down. Techno looked up at him with a pout.

“You trying to make me look dumb? Of course I can’t!”

“That’s the point. Your brain gets the letters all mixed up in dreams so you can’t read,” Phil said as he pulled Techno closer with his wing.

“What if I don’t have a book?”

Philza got off the couch and kneeled in front of Techno so that he could see his face. He tucked his tangled pink hair behind his ears and firmly put his hand on his shoulder.

“Then, you come to me and ask me for a book because I promise you Techno,” Phil said and he made sure Techno was looking him in the eye. “I will always, always be here for you,”

Techno stared at him for a moment before he gave him a small smile. “Can I make a promise to you too?”

“I suppose so,” Phil said with a chuckle.

“Someday, I’m gonna be super strong!” Techno said with a prideful puff of his chest. “And then, I’m gonna be the one protecting you!”

“Mate, you think you’ll be stronger than me?” Philza said with a laugh.

“Course I will, cause you’ll be old and grey by that point,” Techno said with a small smirk.

“What, you think age will stop me?” Phil said and Techno looked at him for a second before shaking his head. “That’s right, it won’t,”

Techno yawned and Phil picked him up into his arms. He felt Techno tightly grip at his cloak.

“You know what I do to get stronger?”

“What?” Techno said sleepily, his head resting on Phil’s shoulder.

“I get a good night’s sleep, so how about we both go to bed?”

Phil started walking towards the twins’s room. He carefully opened the door and quickly glanced down at the bottom bunk. Wilbur was asleep with his guitar on one side and Tommy curled up beside him on his other side. Phil softly smiled at the sight and put Techno on the top bunk.

He pulled the covers over him and was about to leave the room when he heard Techno mummer something to him.

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you,”

“Love you too son,”

With that, Phil quietly shut the door and made his way to his room.

If he had told himself a couple of years ago he would get so attached to three mortal kids, he would have called himself mad. But, here he was.

He would make sure he outlived them, no matter how painful it would be. That they would live long and happy lives, maybe someday having kids on their own.

Even if Techno was supposedly destined for a life of violence and bloodshed, Phil would make sure he didn’t have to shoulder it alone.

He hoped he could keep on protecting him, no matter how old he got.