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entity9silvergen · 4 years ago

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Mosaic (Disenchantment Fanfiction)

Summary: We are just mosaics of everyone we love and that mosaic shows everyone we love how beautiful they are. Bean doesn’t think she can love like everyone else but maybe that’s okay.

Fandom: Disenchantment

Word Count: 2K

Characters: Bean

Relationships: Bean/ Mora, Mentioned Bean & Everyone, Mentioned Odval/ Sorcerio, Mentioned Zog/ Oona, Mentioned Zog/ Dagmar

Warnings: Internalized arophobia, first person pov, some self-deprecation, sex mention, drug mention, mention of interspecies relationships in fantasy setting

Other Tags: F/F, Mentioned F/F QPR, Reflection/ Self-Reflection/ Internal Thoughts, No Dialogue, Queerplatonic, Aromantic Character, Aromantic Homosexual Character, Arospec Character, Queer Themes, Unreliable Narrarator, S3E6, Oneshot, AroWriMo 2021

Author’s Note: My friend sent me the line “I am a mosaic of everyone I’ve ever loved” about twenty minutes after I watched “Final Splash.” I’m working on the prompt for Week 2 of AroWriMo rn but I had to drop everything and write a short fic about this. Again, I didn’t really use the prompt but it kind of fits with week 1’s prompt romo/loveless & future.

I’m headcanonnoning Bean as aro or demiro/ greyro. I think in the show it was implied she never experienced romantic attraction prior to meeting Mora because she likes women and I don’t want to erase that in any way but Bean still gives off a big aromantic bisexual homo(queer)platonic vibe.

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My name is Princess Tiabeanie of Dreamland and I’ve never loved anyone.

I mean, I love my dad and my friends and all that but I’ve never loved loved anyone. Is that weird to say? That makes it sound like I don’t really love my dad and Elfo and Luci and everyone. I probably shouldn’t say that then because I actually love them a lot. They’re my everything.

One time, I was walking down Elf-Ally and this elf was sitting on the side of the road with some chalk. I feel like elves would really like chalk but I’ve never seen any of them use it, not even Arto, except this guy. I’d never seen anything like it before so I asked what he was doing and he said he was making this mosaic to show his love for this other elf he liked. I didn’t really understand it so he explained it to me like this: we are just mosaics of everyone we love and that mosaic shows everyone we love how beautiful they are.

I still didn’t get it so I just laughed at him and he got kind of upset and threw a piece of chalk at me. It didn’t really hurt but Luci was with me and the elf started throwing stuff at him and you know how Luci gets when he hits his nose so we left. I couldn’t really forget what that elf said though.

You see, a mosaic is a mix of a bunch of little pieces taken from different things that all come together to make one thing. There’s this mosaic at the church and it’s pretty freaking ugly but the mosaic this elf was making was just so beautiful. He used so many colors and he drew all these little pictures and hid these words I didn’t understand in them. I’d expect it to be all crude and gross like those scribbly pictures Derek would draw when he was younger that Oona pretended to love but it all came together so well. It didn’t even look like separate pieces. It was just one.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The influences of countless parts of my life, weaving together into an insanely complex mesh- That felt like me. I always felt like something was broken in me but maybe I’m just a mosaic.

I think my dad made me who I am the most. Even if he wasn’t really present most of my life. Sure, we don’t see eye to eye sometimes but I think we’re better because of that. He made me strong. His actions guided me into becoming the woman I am today. He taught me how to keep fighting. Literally and figuratively. He taught me to keep my head up and he taught me how to stab people. It’s pretty cool. I remember this one time as a kid he took me out to the courtyard, stole this guy’s knife, and taught me how to use it. I think I still have the knife actually. I don’t stab people with it anymore though.

(I hope he’s okay. He hasn’t been the same in awhile.)

My mom… Well, I don’t really love her anymore but I did for a long time. She was… How do I put it? A constant in my life. Even though she wasn’t there. What I felt towards her, it kept me together for a long time. When I had nothing to fall back on, I always had her memory. Until she tried to take over Dreamland, obviously. Now I just say she gave me my love for alcohol and that’s pretty sweet too.

(I still miss her. I bet she’s dead.)

You know those pictures where the guy has an angel and demon on his shoulders telling him what to do? That’s Elfo and Luci, and it’s literal for Luci. And maybe for Elfo? He did go to heaven that one time. It can be kind of annoying to hear them bickering all the time, especially since they almost never want the same thing, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Elfo keeps me safe and Luci pushes me to be more than I am. They make life fun. Fuller. Less lonely.

(I’m scared they might leave someday. I wouldn’t blame them.)

I don’t really like Derek but I still love him. Maybe a little less since he tried to burn me at the stake. Maybe a little more since he chickened out at the last second. And a little less because he still went through with it. And maybe a little more since it was an accident. We have a complicated relationship but he’s still my little brother, as weird as he is. He reminds me of what I have to fight for, if that makes sense. I don’t really see him as the future of Dreamland or anything but he’s still a little kid and I can’t really help but have a soft spot for him. Don’t tell him I said that.

(I wonder if he’ll keep me around when he’s king. I’d be lying if I said I was surprised.)

The same goes for Oona. I never liked her but I think I love her. Especially after she tried to save me from my mom. And since she became an epic pirate. She’s awesome. She’s the mom I always wished I had except she was actually there the whole time and I didn’t realize it. I’m happy with how things turned out though. I don’t regret it. Plus she’s got great taste in drugs. I still steal them sometimes.

(I don’t know if she loves me. Maybe she did once but not anymore.)

I kind of hate Odval and Sorcerio in a weird way where I like them at the same time. They’re not really family but always been there. Like they’re kind of like second dads to me. Second dads whose the sex lives I know way too much about. My gay polyamorous uncles? But they kind of care under all that court properness and tradition nonsense so they’ve kind of wormed their way into my heart. They’ve always made my life difficult but I don’t think I would be myself if I wasn’t challenged so much.

(I think they’d rather have me gone. They don’t hide it every well but I can pretend.)

I’m going to be honest, I was really bummed when Pendergast died. We were kind of the same age and he hung around the castle for most of my life. And my dad trusted him so we actually did stuff together sometimes. A lot of adventures that never really went anywhere. He could be kind of a stick in the mud but he never really minded that I’m a girl and let me tag along on crusades and helped me get better with weapons and stuff. And Pendergast was weirdly loyal to Dreamland, even after Dad forked his eye out. Or was it spooned? I don’t remember. Some kind of eating utensil. I wasn’t there when it happened. But it was nice knowing I could trust him. He could be kind of fun though when he was off-duty. Total lightweight though. He threw up on one of those little guys who carries dad’s cape once.

(I wish I’d known him better. I really miss him but I can’t tell anyone since Dad gets set off by anything that even reminds him of the guy.)

Who else is there? That’s right, Mertz and Turbish. Turbish and Mertz. Two peas in a pod. Plus Mrs. Mertz. Don’t get me wrong, they are idiots. Totally incompentant. It’s a wonder they’re still alive. But they’re sweet. And they try. They’re not good at anything but they try. Sometimes I don’t want to try but they tell me I always can.

(I’m waiting for the day they realize they could have a better life. It’ll be weird not having them around the palace.)

I even kind of like Merkimer. As a pig, not a human. God, he was an awful human but he’s a funny little pig. He lets Luci ride on his back sometimes. Both of them like it way more than either of them will ever admit. It’s cute. I think they’re friends. If they’re not, Elfo and I will start plotting until they are. Or maybe not. A Luci-Merkimer friendship might be too much for Dreamland to handle. They’re kind of a lot, even on their own. Merkimer always kind of had a big head and it only got bigger when he accepted his new life. It’s actually kind of inspiring how happy he is now.

(I don’t want him to change but he already has. It makes me sad sometimes.)

And Bunty. Oh, Bunty. And Stan! The world doesn’t really deserve Bunty. Stan does though. I think they’re the ones who taught me what real love is. Bunty always showed me love as a kid, she was like the second mom I never had but actually did have because Oona was there. But she gave me something neither Oona or Dagmar could. I didn’t really understand it until I saw her and Stan and their family together. I still don’t. They’re really sweet.

(I’d give them everything. I know they just see me as some spoiled princess though.)

I want what those two have. Or what Odval and Sorcerio have. What my dad had with Dagmar or Oona. What Elfo’s had, and Luci’s had, and Derek’s had, and the knights have had. It feels like everyone’s had that kind of deep love at some point except me. I didn’t even realize until I was talking to Mora.

I’ve had the chance to have it. Merkimer, that brother of his I accidentally killed, that one time Pendergast made a pass at me, that Steamland guy… I don’t think any of it really would’ve worked out though. I’ve had a lot of things with guys and there’s been kissing and touching and I’ve always enjoyed it but I think I always knew it would never go anywhere. That it will never go anywhere. And I can’t even blame my dad because it’s all me. It’s always been me. And I’m okay with that? Maybe? I don’t think so but I’m not really good at understanding my feelings. It’s just another thing on the pile of things I won’t work through.

I think I understood what I had with Mora though. It wasn’t… romantic but it felt like it almost was. We just… clicked. It felt right. She was tough and funny and she didn’t hold anything back. She followed her dreams and didn’t let the world get her down. That one night we had together, I felt like we were alone in the world.

Mora gave me the ocean and the stars.

She was beautiful. Maybe that’s what was missing? None of the guys I ever screwed around with were beautiful. Not like Mora was. Not like a woman can be. I really felt like this was it but there was still that disconnect. Like something was there but not quite. Like something was missing. I don’t know what it was.

But then she just left. I had that dream and I just felt so happy. I’d never felt happiness like that. And I never felt pain like the pain I felt when I woke up and the necklace was gone. I definitely would’ve cried if Elfo wasn’t there. I might’ve actually cried a little bit. It’s kind of hard to hear anything when Elfo’s sobbing. Some of those tears might have been mine.

Did I love her? I don’t think so. Not like Elfo loved that boat. It wasn’t romantic. But it was real. It gives me hope. I don’t think I’m capable of the same kind of love everyone else seems capable of and that’s not even a slight at me. It’s just reality. But what I had with Mora, however brief and imagined it was, tells me that’s okay. I don’t need the kind of love everyone else has. Not when I have so many others in my life.

Still, I hope I see her again, even for a second, just to feel that kind of happiness again.

I think that’s what that elf meant when he said we are just mosaics of everyone we love and that mosaic shows everyone we love how beautiful they are. Mora was beautiful and she didn’t see it but maybe she would if she saw how I looked at her.

Stars and the ocean, I’ll never forget them. They’ll be a part of my mosaic forever.

Other AroWriMo Fics By Me, Posted on Ao3, Posted on FFN

#fanfiction #fanfic #arowrimo #aromantic writing month #week 1 #i am doing another one #oneshot #disenchantment #disenchanted season 3 #disenchanted netflix #disenchanted bean #disenchanted mora #i don't know why the tags are wrong #aromantic #aspec #aromantic allosexual character #queer themes

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sophieakatz · 4 years ago

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Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 3: Hope & Mirror

My hope for the future is that we will do away with “should.”

Should I kiss him tonight? When should I hold her hand? How many dates should we go on before we have sex? How much relationship experience should I have by the time I’m thirty? Shouldn’t I be married already? When should I tell them, “I love you,” or should I say it at all? Shouldn’t I be feeling something more, something special, something different? Shouldn’t I value this relationship more than any other?

There is no objective “should.” There’s no checklist, there’s no schedule, and there are no requirements. I hope we stop talking about our lives and relationships in terms of “should” and focus on what actually exists – what we want, and what we do.

I hope we put greater emphasis on getting to know ourselves and our needs, and on getting to know the people who matter to us and what they need. I hope we use that knowledge to make decisions that will make us and other people feel happy and safe.

The only “should” I want to keep is that we should be good to each other. Everything else is communication and self-reflection.

#arowrimo #arowrimo writing #aro #aromantic #aromanticism #aro spec #relationships #should #hope #introspection #communication

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agnezztealeaf · 5 years ago

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To Unmask a Witch - AroWriMo 2020

@arowrimo

Language: English (though not my first language so sorry about potential errors)

Category: Short story

Prompt: Friendship/Week 3

Genre: Fantasy

Word count: 4457 words

CW: Discussions around amatonormativity and heteronormativity, references to blood and violence

To Unmask a Witch

It wasn’t that the cottage at the outskirts of the village was actually run-down or dilapidated, but if you squinted and looked at it through your eyelashes in dim light, you could imagine that it could be. It wasn’t that it was a ruckle, it was that the children thought it should be one.

You see, if a witch lived in a cottage, then that cottage should be falling apart, its windows murky with mould, the roof broken and roof shingles scattered on the garden path and in the flowerbeds, and the garden a mess of weeds and rotting greens. It felt insulting, the children thought, that an otherwise perfectly scary and threatening witch should live in such a charming and well-kept little house. So, when they hid in the forest near the cottage, staking it out, or walked past it on their way to a friend’s house, they squinted and imagined what should have been there, instead of what really was.

The children were lying on the ground, stomachs flat against the musty dirt of the forest floor, wet, brown leaves sticking to their clothes. Five of them there were: William – the team leader, Siv – the clown of the group, Vers – the sensible one, Ty – the troublemaker, and Mouse – their newest recruit. Mouse was seven years old and had quite recently lost both her front teeth on the upper row, a fact she was secretly delighted by. Her sister hade bestowed the name Mouse upon her, courtesy of her greyish-brown hair and her big grey eyes. Mouse hadn’t yet decided what she thought about this nickname.

“Look!” William exclaimed. He pointed excitedly at the cottage that they all wished was a ruckle. In the garden, they could see the old witch moving about, poking at flowers, pulling up weeds, gently pushing her cats away with her feet when they ran in front of her. The children all watched her intently – they wanted to see her do something witchy, something that would once and for all confirm their suspicions about her being an old, evil hag. She was peculiarly dressed. She seemed to be wearing multiple skirts, all made from fabric of different material and colour, her neck was heavily weighed down by a cluster of necklaces – chains made from silver and gold, wooden balls of various colours and sizes, and some that looked like they were nothing more than string. Under all the necklaces she was wearing a tightly laced tunic, and on top of them, she was wearing a cloak in a mild, green colour, though she was predisposed to take it off if the sun as much as showed its face through the clouds. Her long white hair was pulled into a sturdy braid that snaked down her back. They watched her as she once again discarded the cloak on a nearby tree branch.

Ty claimed that she lured children into her cottage to cook them up in her cauldron and eat them (Ty had no basis for this statement, but he felt like it was probably true. That was what witches did, after all, wasn’t it?). Siv claimed that she had once seen her dancing naked at midnight under the full moon out on the moors north of the village (Siv had not, she wasn’t allowed outside after nine o’clock in the evening). Vers claimed that she had isolated herself from society when she at a young age had realised that magic was far better than having friends (Vers wasn’t sure she disagreed with this sentiment). And William claimed that she had turned to dark magic after she turned down a man’s romantic advances and he cursed her to never find love (William’s parents owned the village grocery store, and as with a lot of small villages, they did not only offer goods, but also a friendly face to exchange a few words with. It had become one of William’s favourite pastimes to sit hidden under the counter, listening to the local gossip. The rumours that reached his ears were many, but that did not mean they gave an anywhere near accurate account of reality).

Mouse claimed nothing at all about the witch. As a newcomer to the group, she held no authority on what the witch might or might not do. Not that she minded, she was thrilled to hear what the other children had to say about the witch. Every time they told Mouse a new story about her-

(“Do you remember Hugo, the kid that disappeared last year, that they said got lost in the woods? Well, I saw the witch talking to a toad that she kept in a glass jar on her windowsill, and she called it Hugo. She totally turned Hugo into a toad!” This was also a story brought to her by Ty, who seemed to take great delight in the concept of the witch turning her evil tendencies towards children, which was peculiar, as Ty himself was a child. Hugo had indeed disappeared in the woods a year prior, though whether any witches or, in particular, this witch, had had anything to do with it was dubious. To be fair to Ty, the witch did have a toad called Hugo. She did not, however, keep it in a glass jar.)

-Mouse could feel her stomach curdle up with excitement and fear – a delightful feeling to have as long as she was on a safe distance from the witch.

They watched the witch walk back into the house, open one of the windows, apparently to put a batch of pastries out on the windowsill to cool, and then exit the cottage with a handwoven basket rested in the crook of her arm.

“She’s probably left to collect toadstools and wasp stingers for the potions she brews at night,” Siv said with an excited grin.

Ty’s eyes were firmly on the open window. “We should break in,” he said suddenly, impulsively. “Find evidence of what she’s doing in there.”

“Don’t be daft!” Vers replied without even really listening to what he was saying, that was just her standard response to anything Ty suggested.

William looked at Ty, and then back to the open window before looking at Mouse, a wicked grin spreading over his brown-freckled face. “Mouse,” he said in a very serious voice, “for you to be a part of our gang, we need to know that you’re brave.” Mouse’s stomach lurched, but she sucked in her lower lip through the gap in her teeth and kept her big grey eyes firmly at his. “We need you to break into the witch’s house and find evidence.”

Siv laughed a burst of delighted, shrill laughter, and Ty made an exasperated gesture with his hands. “Come on! There’s no way she can do it! I mean look at her!”

William silenced him with a look. “If you really want to be a part of our gang,” he told Mouse, “you need to do this.”

Mouse swallowed and looked at the open window. It wouldn’t be very hard for her to slip in through it, she was slight, and the window was big, and they’d all seen the witch leave, there was probably no risk of being discovered rummaging through her drawers. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll do it.”

Both Siv and Ty laughed uproariously. William nodded, clearly pleased, though whether it was with himself or with Mouse was hard to tell. Vers was twining a blade of grass around her index finger, her attention placed firmly on the ground (if you knew her, you would be able to tell that this was a sign of discomfort on her part – a sign that she didn’t agree with the plan being made – but no one asked her what she thought and she kept silent).

Since waiting would only increase the risk of the witch returning from her errands, Mouse slowly pulled herself up to her feet and started moving down the hill, from the edge of the forest towards the cottage. She could feel her knees shaking under her, but didn’t dare to stop, in case one of the other children would think her a coward. She reached the window, and after firmly lifting a cat away from the windowsill she nimbly slipped inside, making sure not to touch the pastries lined up on the plate on the windowsill (though she was pretty sure the cat had already gotten to them).

Who would have known it would be that easy to break into a witch’s house? As Mouse looked around the kitchen she had just entered, she was first struck by how tidy the room was. She’d thought a witch’s home would be grimy and gross. Imagined tables covered in burn marks and blood, the walls lined with jars filled with things of dubious origin, like dead frogs and eyeballs floating in transparent liquids, and maybe a few dried up fingers hanging from the roof beams. At the very least she’d have thought there should be some dust and dirt, and maybe the occasional spiderweb in the corners.

But the cottage was tidy and as cosy on the inside as it was on the outside. The floors were covered in maroon-coloured stone tiles, in places covered up by hand-woven carpets in natural colours, and the biggest window had an almost excessive amount of plants in front of it. The bookshelves were filled with books and teacups with floral patterns, and an orange teakettle stood on the stove. There was something hanging from the roof beams, but it seemed to be dried plants and flowers, rather than something interesting to Mouse.

Looking around the room, Mouse realised that she had not asked what kind of evidence the other children required her to bring back, as she had thought it would become obvious once she discovered what devious plots were taking place inside the house. As it was, the most devious plot there seemed to be, was a teacup sitting on the table without a coaster, and a book lying next to it, its spine bent completely backwards as if the reader had been holding it open with one hand.

She swept her gaze over the kitchen, wondering where she should start looking for the requested evidence. Her friends seemed to have very clear ideas about what made a witch a witch, and Mouse felt sure that they would have known where to look for corresponding evidence. As it was, she timidly walked over to one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled it open. It held nothing interesting, just jars of flour and sugar and conserved beets. She opened another cabinet, this one filled with spices. In a third, she found a book with recipes, and she opened it in the hopes that they would detail some wicked witch-potions, rather than normal human food. (They didn’t, though it could be, and had been, argued that the chicken soup on page 37 was more poison than food). Chewing on the tip of her braid, she flipped through the book, her gaze skipping over the longer, more complicated words – her reading wasn’t that good, and she just needed to find some suspicious words or pictures to prove her theory.

She didn’t hear the door open behind her, or the floorboards creak under the weight of a person, but she did hear the startled “Oh! Hello.” Mouse spun around where she squatted on the floor, the recipe book falling from her grasp with a dull thud. In front of her stood the witch, a surprised crease between her eyebrows and her mouth hanging slightly open. “I’m sorry,” she said, still looking confused. “But what are you doing in my house?”

Mouse shrank back against the cabinets, trying to distance her body as much as possible from the witch. The witch put down the basket she was holding and hung her cloak on a hook by the door. Then she took a hesitant step towards Mouse.

“My friends say you’re a witch!” Mouse squeaked out, sounding about as brave as she looked. To her surprise this made the witch laugh. A big, burly laugh that seemed to start in her stomach and run through the entire length of her, before tumbling out of her mouth in a series of short, powerful thrusts.

She bent over her knees, laughter shaking her body, and when she straightened again, she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Oh really? Is that what they’re saying about me nowadays?” she asked, still chuckling.

“I’m here for evidence,” Mouse said, stubbornly sticking out her chin and slowly getting to her feet.

“I’m sure you are,” the witch replied with a smile, raising an eyebrow. “So,” she walked over to her kitchen table and started picking green, fresh-smelling herbs from her basket, “what’s your name then?”

“Mouse,” Mouse said. She wondered if she should make a run for the door, but the witch fascinated her, and this close up, where she could see the crow’s feet around the witch’s eyes and the dimple in her wrinkled cheek when she smiled, she found that the threat of the old woman cooking her and eating her didn’t feel as present as it had in the company of the other children.

“Mouse!” the witch said, sounding delighted. “That’s a solid nickname right there!” She reached out her right hand towards Mouse. “Nice to meet you, Mouse, I’m Amica.”

Timidly, Mouse took the witch’s hand in her own, shaking it once before quickly letting go. Amica chuckled. “Well, Mouse, do you want some raspberry juice?”

Not knowing what else to do, Mouse nodded.

“Sit down.” The witch pointed to one of the chairs at the wooden table. Slowly Mouse walked over and sat down on the edge of the chair. It was a bit low, so the table reached all the way up to her chest, but she leaned her arms against it and watched the witch pour two glasses of juice.

Resting her chin on her arms, Mouse asked, “Did you turn Hugo into a toad?”

“Who?” asked the witch, looking mystified.

“The boy that disappeared last year.”

“Ah. No. He managed to disappear all on his own.” The witch’s mouth became thin, thoughtful. “It was all a very sad story.” She put a glass in front of Mouse. “Do you want a Danish pastry too?” she asked, waving towards the pastries on the windowsill.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Mouse was sure someone had definitely warned her about this exact type of situation – something about not taking sweets from strangers – but she still found her mouth forming the words “Yes, please,” before her brain had had any say in the matter.

The witch put a plate with a Danish in front of each of them, and then sat down opposite to Mouse.

“So,” she said, looking serious, “did your friends put you up to this? Breaking and entering?”

Mouse squirmed in her seat, “A bit,” she admitted, but then, because she didn’t want to pin all the blame on her friends, she hastily added “but I wanted to, too. I-” She looked down. “I just wanted to know if you were really a witch.”

“Well. You can’t let your friends bully you into doing things that are illegal.” Amica bit down into her Danish. She did not add that she herself had partaken in more than one illegal activity when she was young. And in a few of them when she wasn’t that young anymore. “Oh, go on,” she said, waving towards Mouse’s plate. “Take a bite, I’m not trying to poison you.”

Timidly, Mouse took a bite of a corner of the Danish (her thoughts brushed briefly against the memory of the cat she had lifted from the windowsill, but what child would say no to something sweet, just because a cat might have stepped on it?). She had to angle her head in an awkward position to take the bite, as half of her front teeth were still missing. The Danish tasted sweet and greasy and wonderful, and she hastily took another bite. The middle of the pastry had a hollow filled with jam (also raspberry, Mouse noted), and Mouse stuck her tongue into the jam, revelling in the taste it left in her mouth.

Amica smiled at her. She reached for a napkin and handed it to Mouse. “You have some jam on your cheek.”

Mouse reluctantly took the napkin and patted it to her cheek. “My dad says I’ll never find a husband if I don’t learn to eat like a lady.”

“Dear Lord. You are a child. The prospect of finding a partner should be nowhere in your mind. Honestly, I think everyone would do well if they thought a bit less about finding a spouse.”

Remembering what William had said about the witch, Mouse dug deep into her courage and asked, “Is it true that you can’t fall in love?”

The witch looked surprised. “Who told you that?”

“One of my friends,” Mouse murmured. “William Steel.” She added when her first answer felt inadequate.

The witch laughed her deep belly-laughter again, wiping her mouth on her shirtsleeve. “William Steel, of course! That boy needs to learn to be more source-critical when eavesdropping on his parents’ customers.” When Mouse kept looking at her, she continued. “I’m in love with so many things it’s hard to keep track of them. I’m in love with how dew-wet grass feels under my bare feet. I’m in love with how the earth smells after it’s been raining all day. I’m in love with the way ice crackles under my feet when I walk an unthreaded path in the winter. I’m in love with mist, and deer, and the moon, and mushrooms, and bugs. I’m in love with the way my friends laugh, and the way cats always move around to find sunny spots to sleep in and the way the plants in my garden grow even when I’m bad at taking care of them. I’m in love with the entire world!” She finished, her eyes shining.

Mouse frowned. “That’s not what I meant! I meant, like, with a person! Don’t you have a husband?”

The witch laughed again. “Oh, dear Lord, no.”

“A wife? You have to have someone.”

“My dear girl, in this world, everyone will always tell you that you need to find someone. Someone who will make your half a whole, as if you’re not a whole person on your own. And I want you to hear me when I tell you that they are wrong. There are more things to life than romance.”

Mouse was not ready to let the subject go. “So, you’ve never been in love with someone then?”

The witch smiled kindly at her. “No. I haven’t.”

“Because you were cursed?”

“Dear Lord. Is that what they’re saying about me? That I’ve been cursed to never fall in love?”

Mouse just stared at her intently, her chin resting uncomfortably against the edge of the glass in front of her.

“I haven’t been cursed. That’s just how I am. I don’t fall in love.”

“Doesn’t that make you… sad?”

“No! I find happiness in other things. Like my friends, and nature, and my cats.”

“And you’re not lonely?”

There was a beat of silence, the witch’s eyes fixed at Mouse, and for a second Mouse wondered if she had pushed too far. Then Amica gave her a tight-lipped smile. “I wouldn’t say that I’m lonely, no. I have a lot of wonderful friends, and my cats, and sometimes,” she leaned closer, her smile growing, “a child breaks into my home when I’m out.”

Mouse flushed and hastily took another sip of her juice, but Amica just laughed her burly laugh again and leaned back in her chair, the sombre expression gone from her face.

Mouse thoughtfully swirled her glass in her hands, making the juice still left slop against the sides of the glass. “I don’t think I want to marry anyone either.”

“And you don’t have to,” Amica said decisively, emptying her own glass.

Mouse finished her Danish, and dried off her hands on her trousers, leaving streaks of powdered sugar and grease down the length of her thighs. “You know what? I like you.”

The witch laughed again. “So, you’re not thinking I’m a witch anymore then?”

Mouse bit her lip. “I don’t know… but I don’t think you’re an evil witch, even if you are a witch.”

“That’s good,” Amica said with a chuckle. “So, what about your friends? Are you going to tell them that I’m not evil?”

“I suppose so…” Mouse said hesitantly.

“Or,” the witch said, a conspiratorial smile spreading over her face, “we could play a little prank on your friends…” She laid out a plan that was far too cruel to be justified, but Amica had never really managed to get rid of that mischievous streak that had made her such a menace in her youth. Faced with Mouse’s big grey eyes staring into hers, she winced, and her smile disappeared in a blink, replaced by a worried and slightly bashful look. “Oh Lord, I’m sorry. Is that too ghastly? I forget that you’re a child.”

But an excited smile was taking over Mouse’s face, her cheeks turning flushed and alive, and her eyes shining with an impish glint.

Up on the hill, the other four children were arguing. They had seen the witch return home, and no Mouse emerge from the house, and they were starting to get worried.

“What were you thinking, sending her in there alone?” Vers asked, pushing William in the chest so that he stumbled backwards.

“She’s probably dead by now,” Ty muttered, his eyes big and anxious.

Vers swirled around towards him. “And you! Why did you even think breaking into the witch’s house was a good idea? You’re all idiots! Now our friend is gone!”

“I’m sorry!” Ty cried. “I thought it would be funny!”

Siv stood clinging to a big oak at the forest’s edge, her brown eyes wide and white in her tanned face, her gaze almost compulsively fixed on the witch’s cottage. Her lips were pressed tight, and she had been silent in a very un-Siv-like manner ever since Mouse had entered the house.

William sniffled. “I didn’t think she’d actually do it.” Tears were clinging to his eyelashes and as he spoke again his voice broke. “Now she’s dead, and it’s all my fault!” This took them all aback enough to stop the arguing. They had never seen William as much as second-guess a decision, much less cry. He looked past the trees, to the house, his shoulders shaking.

Vers took a step towards him. “Okay, that settles it. We need to get the police.”

“What?” Ty said, questioning. “We can’t go to the police! We’re the ones who broke into her house!”

Vers turned towards him, her eyes burning with intensity. “Ty, she might be dying in there! We need to get some adults here!”

Siv suddenly gasped. “Wait! I can see someone moving down there!” They all ran out to the edge of the woods and screamed with delight when they saw little Mouse running towards them, her braids bouncing against her back with every step she took.

“What is she holding? Why are her hands all red?” William asked, confused. It was true, her lower arms and her white shirt sleeves, all the way up to her elbows, were covered in red, and when the thing in her hand glinted in the sun, they realised that she was holding a small pocketknife.

They all startled when the door to the cottage opened with a slam, and the witch stumbled out, clutching her stomach, where a great, big, red stain tarnished her tunic. “Get back here!” she growled, panting as she stumbled after Mouse.

Mouse was already almost at the other children, the knife still clutched in her hand. “I stabbed her! I stabbed the witch!” she screamed. “She wanted to cook and eat me, and I stabbed her to get away!” The other children stared in horror, at the blood and the knife, and the witch, now on her knees in her garden, panting heavily. Then the witch threw her head back towards the sky and started chanting, a low guttural song that seemed to come from deep in her throat. She reached out her hand, covered in red blood, towards the children and Mouse bellowed “RUN!”. Without further questions, the children all sprinted into the forest, howling with fear.

In the garden, Amica chuckled and slowly got to her feet. She was too old to be playing these kinds of theatrics anymore. She looked down at her ruined tunic. Turned out that in a pinch, raspberry juice worked as a rather convincing substitute for blood. The juice would probably be a pain to get out of the fabric though. Now that she considered it, she would probably be receiving a stern telling-off by Mouse’s parents for ruining Mouse’s white shirt sometime in the foreseeable future. Not to mention the rest of the parents of the children she had probably slightly traumatised.

Oh well, she didn’t like bullies and found that she didn’t feel too sorry for them. Either way, apologies would have to wait. She went back into her cottage, exchanging her stained tunic for a clean one, and leaving the old one in a bucket in the washroom to soak. She fastened her cloak around herself and put on a hat, making sure that all loose strands of hair were firmly kept out of her face. Picking up her bag, she for a second mourned the loss of her pocketknife – she’d need it the next time she wanted to pick mushrooms – but maybe she could convince Mouse to return it when she got back. She grabbed her broom from the closet and went out into the backyard. The thought of her friends – sweet Valter with his crooked grin and endless nonsense-monologues, Farah, their bag always heavy with books and their thoughts with knowledge, and wonderful, wonderful Gwen with her long spindly fingers tracing lifelines in palms and pulling tarot cards from hidden skirt pockets – sent joy singing through her. The broom handle was firm and polished in Amica’s hands, and as she swept one leg over the broom and soared up into the air, she felt her stomach surge with excitement. Her heart swelled with the thought of seeing her friends again, and she felt like despite what she had told Mouse, she might be a little bit in love with all of them after all.

#Sorry this somehow turned out really long #and not super aro-focused #aroace #AroWriMo #AroWriMo 2020 #aromantic #writing challenge #short story #witches #my writing

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eadrey-the-iptscray · 5 years ago

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More Than Friends - part three is now up!

It might be a week late, but I still finished it. Here’s where we get to the subverting of romantic tropes - part three subverts the Declaration of Love, Love Epiphany, and Fake Dating tropes.

Enjoy!

AroWriMo submission info:

Series Title: More Than Friends

Category and Theme: Fanwork; subverting romantic tropes

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013)

Genre: Slice of life

Language: English

Week 3 Work Title: April - Confessions and Epiphanies

Prompt: Friendship and pride

Word Count: 2,261

Content Warnings: Martial affection and love confessions

#writing challenge:#arowrimo 2020 #fanfiction #fandom:#pacific rim #my contribution to the fandom #shatterdome fam

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arowrimo · 4 years ago

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AroWriMo Week 3 Roundup

Time to reflect on the submissions from week 3. Here are the great works you submitted!

Short Stories

Lady in the Mirror by @amanita-cynth (Ao3)

Post, direct link (Ao3) Summary: Everyone knows the story of the lady in the mirror. How she picks those she appears to is unknown. What she offers and why it is offered is similarly a mystery; those few that have interacted with her and speak of it are reluctant to share details. Maybe that is why the stories are so well-known, so far-travelled. The mystery calls to people and they want to believe they can solve it. Word Count: 1799 Prompt: Hope, Mirror Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Fantasy CW: None

Oblique by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Summary: Unable to experience romantic attraction, Remus feels incomplete. Unable to feel sexual attraction, Roman feels less than. Maybe as the King, they decide, they will feel whole again. Their partners and friends, however, know this isn’t the solution and seek to help them realize there’s nothing broken about them before it’s too late. Word Count: 12000 Prompt: Mirror Theme: None Language: English Fandom: Sanders Sides. Characters: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil, Nate, Remy, Emile, Seth, Toby, Janus, Remus, Unnamed Orange Side, Romulus, Dragon Witch Genre: Friendship, Hurt/ Comfort CW: Romance, Sexual content, Violence

Flash Fiction

Mirror by 27twinsister

Post, direct link (Ao3) Summary: Tsukasa doesn’t dwell in any world. He just stays for as long as he needs. The note contains my headcanons for Tsukasa and what the words mean. Word Count: 223 Category: Flash Fiction Prompt: Music Language: English Fandom: Kamen Rider Decade Genre: Character study CW: None

Hope by 27twinsister

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Summary: Haruto is nervous about coming out. Word Count: 150 Category: Flash Fiction Prompt: Hope Language: English Fandom: Kamen Rider Wizard Genre: Character study CW: None

A Moth And No Flames by @voidpunk.kenku on Instagram

Post, Direct link (toyhou.se) Word Count: 337 Category: Flash Fiction Prompt: Hope Language: English Genre: gaslamp fantasy CW: insects

Poetry

The End of the Rouse Family Tree by @turnovers-and-coke (@arbys-chocolate-turnover, Wattpad)

Post, Direct link Word Count: 144 Prompt: Mirror Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: poetry CW: None

Non-Fiction

Defying expectations by @aallotarenunelma

Post, direct link Word Count: 986 Prompt: Hope, Mirror Theme: Defying Expectations Language: English Genre: Essay CW: Romance, Amatonormativity

Aro Visions and Hopes by @penandquillcafe ( @aroacechillzone )

Post, Direct link Word Count: 729 Prompt: Hope, Mirror Language: English Genre: Nonfiction CW: amatonormativity, arophobia, loneliness (metaphor)

Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 3: Hope & Mirror by @sophieakatz

Post, Direct link Word count: 201 Prompt: Hope, Mirror Language: English Genre: Non-fiction CW: Romance mention, Sex mention

Novels/Novellas

Syrinxian Diamond: Chapter One by charcharcharace (blogspot)

Post, Direct link (blogspot) Summary: After a heist gone wrong, our hero is caught up in an interdimensional prophecy that just may bring them answers to the questions they don't know how to put into words, a feeling of difference, of not feeling right acting how they're supposed to act - but what other way is there to be? Follow our hero through desert ruins, the Wild West, a royal ball, and of course, a midnight trip to the library. Word Count: 2539 Prompt: Hope Theme: Fantasy, Ancient World Language: English Genre: Portal Fantasy, Heist CW: Unsupportive sibling, chapter one features the absence of knowledge of aromanticism, and doesn't feature aromanticism directly.

#Aromantic #Aro #Writing #Arospec #Writeblr #Writblr #arowrimo #Week 3 #AroWrimo 2021 Works #2021 Week 3 Roundup #AroWriMo 2021

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arowrimo · 4 years ago

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Syrinxian Diamond: Chapter One by charcharcharace

Summary:

After a heist gone wrong, our hero is caught up in an interdimensional prophecy that just may bring them answers to the questions they don't know how to put into words, a feeling of difference, of not feeling right acting how they're supposed to act - but what other way is there to be? Follow our hero through desert ruins, the Wild West, a royal ball, and of course, a midnight trip to the library.

Word Count: 2539

Category: Novels/Novellas

Prompt: Hope

Theme: Fantasy, Ancient World

Language: English

Genre: Portal Fantasy, Heist

CW: Unsupportive sibling, chapter one features the absence of knowledge of aromanticism, and doesn't feature aromanticism directly.

#Aro #Arospec #Aromantic #writblr #Novels/novellas #AroWriMo 2021 Works #Week 3 #charcharcharace #Prompt: Hope #Theme: Fantasy #Theme: Ancient World #Language: English #Genre: Fantasy #Genre: Portal fantasy #Genre: Heist #Unsupportive sibling CW #wip intro

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arowrimo · 4 years ago

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Lady in the Mirror by @amanita-cynth

Summary:

Everyone knows the story of the lady in the mirror. How she picks those she appears to is unknown. What she offers and why it is offered is similarly a mystery; those few that have interacted with her and speak of it are reluctant to share details. Maybe that is why the stories are so well-known, so far-travelled. The mystery calls to people and they want to believe they can solve it.

Word Count: 1799

Category: Short Stories

Prompt: Hope, Mirror

Theme: Choosing to be Yourself

Language: English

Genre: Fantasy

CW: None

#aromantic #aro spec #aro #aromantic writing month #Prompt: Mirror #Prompt: Hope #Theme: Choosing to be yourself #Language: English #Genre: Fantasy #Week 3 #AroWriMo 2021 Works #Short Story #amanita-cynth #writing

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arowrimo · 4 years ago

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A Moth And No Flames by @voidpunk.kenku on Instagram

Word Count: 337

Category: Flash Fiction

Prompt: Hope

Language: English

Genre: gaslamp fantasy

CW: insects

#Aromantic #Aro #Writing #Arospec #Writblr #Week 3 #AroWriMo 2021 Works #Flash Fiction #Prompt: Hope #Genre: Gaslamp Fantasy #Genre: Fantasy #Insects CW

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arowrimo · 4 years ago

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Mirror by 27twinsister

Summary: Tsukasa doesn't dwell in any world. He just stays for as long as he needs. The note contains my headcanons for Tsukasa and what the words mean.

Word Count: 223

Category: Flash Fiction

Prompt: Music

Language: English

Fandom: Kamen Rider Decade

Genre: Character study

CW: None

#aro #aromantic #aroace #arospec #Kamen Rider Decade #AroWriMo 2021 Works #Week 3 #Prompt: Mirror #Flash Fiction #Fandom: Kamen Rider Decade #Genre: Character Study #Aroace Character #27twinsister #Tsukasa (Kamen Rider Decade)#Neurodivergent character #Demiplatonic character #Neurogender characcter

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arowrimo · 4 years ago

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Hope by 27twinsister

Summary: Haruto is nervous about coming out.

Word Count: 150

Category: Flash Fiction

Prompt: Hope

Language: English

Fandom: Kamen Rider Wizard

Genre: Character study

CW: None

#Arospec #Aromantic #Flash Fiction #Kamen Rider Wizard #AroWriMo 2021 Works #Haruto (Kamen Rider Wizard)#Language: English #Frayromantic #Genre: Character Study #Fanworks #Fandom: Kamen Rider Wizard #Coming out #Week 3

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arowrimo · 4 years ago

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Prompts for AroWriMo 2021

Here are the prompts for AroWriMo 2021, as decided by yourselves! Prompts are week long, and works using them will be posted on the respective weeks. Prompts are jumping off points for your writing - to be used as little or much as you wish.

There are two prompts a week, so take your pick or combine them.

Week 1 (1st-7th Feb) - Romo/loveless & Future

Week 2 (8th-14th Feb) - Freedom & Music

Week 3 (15th-21st Feb) - Hope & Mirror

Week 4 (22nd - 28th Feb) - Non-romantic Relationships & Self-reliance

As always, prompts and themes are optional, but hopefully enjoyable!

Links to more info under the cut, and a form for submissions to follow soon! Happy writing.

Themes list

About AroWriMo

Past works

Submit

#writblr #writeblr #aro #arospec #aromantic #AroWriMo 2021 #AroWriMo #writing challenge #Prompts #2021 Prompts and Themes

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arowrimo · 4 years ago

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AroWriMo 2021 Roundup

Here is the compilation of all 48 works submitted to AroWriMo 2021!

We have a lot of variety this year - short stories, poetry, non-fiction, a play, song lyrics, a zine, flash fiction and some novel/novellas! Check out the impressive writing collected here and support the writers themselves - links to their other sites/accounts are included where possible. Give them a look/follow, and share the works you really enjoy!

Thanks to all who submitted and shared for a wonderful AroWriMo 2021, and I look forward to doing it again in 2022!

Play/Script

Leaving: A (very) Unfinished Stage Play by charcharcharace (blogspot)

Post, direct link (blogspot) Summary: A fractured personal narrative on entering and leaving an unhealthy relationship and the pain of being aromantic without that knowledge. Word Count: 1200 Theme: Humanity Language: English Genre: Personal CW: Depression, manipulation, unhealthy romantic relationship, processing self-blame

Novels/Novellas

Syrinxian Diamond: Chapter One by charcharcharace (blogspot)

Oh, the truth shall set you free by @amanita-cynth

Summary: “I know exactly four things about Alway.” She said wryly. “She’s 23, a genius, she keeps at least three feet between her and other people at all times, and she can root out the truth like nobody else.” Of course, coming from another profiler, such an assessment carried a lot of weight. Eden Alway, the newest member of an FBI profiling unit, is odd even by their standards. But as they begin to pry more into her life and struggle with some of what they find, her past is racing to catch up with her and drag them into the storm that was her life. Featuring misunderstandings, odd behaviour, the constant problems of amatonormativity, and a rapidly escalating series of bizarre problems that they are in no way qualified for but definitely isn’t magic. Word Count: 11000 Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships, Self-reliance Theme: Fantasy Language: English Genre: Crime, portal fantasy CW: Romance, Violence, Gore, amatonormativity, religious imagery, mild body horror later on, currently a WIP

Lyrics

Embers by @clad-in-sunshine (Wordpress, Twitter)

Post, Direct link (tumblr), Direct link (wordpress) Summary: I’m terrible at picking titles. But I have been enjoying writing songs, and this is one I wrote for AroWriMo and the Valentines theme of ‘Love, Romance and Friendship’ at my local folk club. The middle part is entirely uninteresting to me, so this is more about love and friendship than anything else, and the various forms that can take. The tune is called 'Midnight on The Water'. Word Count: 479 Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships, Self-reliance Language: English Genre: Singer/songwriter, Folk

Games/Interactive Media

Superheroes Inc. by charcharcharace (blogspot)

Post, Direct link (blogspot) Summary: It's time for your first day as the Supervising Hero Response Manager at Superhero Incorporated, the largest collection of super heroes on the US West Coast. It's a big step up from your last job managing a team of five up-and-comers out of Chicago to supervising a nearly a hundred teams. Your priority, of course, is choosing which of the 12 big league heroes to have Shadow teleport to high crisis events. Word Count: 3000 Prompt: Future Theme: Sci-Fi Language: English Genre: Sci-Fi CW: Death, Bigotry

Comics/Zine

My Aro Heart: A Zine by charcharcharace (blogspot)

Post, Direct link (blogspot) Summary: A short zine about loving the aro community. Word Count: 50 Language: English Genre: Zine CW: Love (non-romantic)

Flash Fiction

#3 by @fuckin-fudge-nutter

Post link, Direct link (google docs) Word Count: 304 Prompt: Future Theme: Defying Expectations Language: English Genre: Realistic Fiction CW: Mild internalized arophobia

A Moth And No Flames by @voidpunk.kenku on Instagram

Post, Direct link (toyhou.se) Word Count: 337 Category: Flash Fiction Prompt: Hope Language: English Genre: gaslamp fantasy CW: insects

Future by 27twinsister on Ao3

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Summary: Hikari would be alone forever. He liked that idea. The note contains my headcanons for Hikari and what the words mean. Word Count: 146 Prompt: Future Language: English Fandom: Ressha Sentai ToQger, Nonomura Hikari Genre: Character study CW: None

Loveless by 27twinsister on Ao3

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Summary: Takeru and Akari love each other (not like that, this is genfic). Mentions “ love potions or something” in one line. The note contains my headcanons for Takeru and what the words mean. Word Count: 231 Prompt: Romo/loveless Language: English Fandom: Kamen Rider Ghost Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural, hurt/comfort CW: None given

Music by 27twinsister

Post, direct link (Ao3) Summary: Shinnosuke didn’t like silence. He liked being in an environment with other people, or with background noise. That only caused a bit of trouble at home once he lived with Kiriko. Word Count: 223 Category: Flash Fiction Prompt: Music Language: English Fandom: Kamen Rider Drive Genre: Character study CW: None

Freedom by 27twinsister

Post, direct link (Ao3) Summary: Eiji likes his freedom. The note contains my headcanons for Eiji and what the words mean. Word Count: 140 Category: Flash Fiction Prompt: Freedom Language: English Fandom: Kamen Rider OOO Genre: Character study CW: None

Mirror by 27twinsister

Hope by 27twinsister

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Summary: Haruto is nervous about coming out. Word Count: 150 Category: Flash Fiction Prompt: Hope Language: English Fandom: Kamen Rider Wizard Genre: Character study CW: None

Self-Reliance by 27twinsister (Ao3)

Post, direct link (Ao3) Summary: Tsubasa likes to be alone. The note contains my headcanons for Tsubasa and what the words mean. Word Count: 161 Prompt: Self-reliance Language: English Fandom: Mahou Sentai Magiranger Genre: Character study CW: None

Non-Romantic Relationships by 27twinsister (Ao3)

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Summary: Jiro doesn’t know if his relationship with Yuki is romantic. But it’s special to him. The note contains my headcanons for Jiro and what the words mean Word Count: 209 Prompt: Non-Romantic Relationships Language: English Fandom: Dogengers Genre: Character study CW: Romance mention

Non-fiction

Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 1: Romo/Loveless & Future by @sophieakatz

Post, Direct link Word Count: 562 Prompt: Romo/Loveless, Future Language: English CW: Romance mention

The Future Is Arospec by aceofarrows

Post, Direct link Summary: This blog post talks about the nature of romantic attraction, why getting rid of amatonormativity is a worthwhile project, and how arospec people can help bring this about by getting involved in political activism and queer liberation. Word Count: 800 Category: Non-fiction Prompt: Romo/loveless, Future Language: English CW: None

Freedom and Music by @nzcienif

Post, direct link Word Count: 488 Prompt: Freedom, Music Theme: Defying Expectations Language: English Genre: Non Fiction CW: None Link: https://nzcienif.tumblr.com/post/642572547990421504/arowrimo-week-2-freedom-and-music Promo: https://nzcienif.tumblr.com/

The Demand for Freedom to Be Oneself by @graces-of-luck

Post, direct link Word Count: 363 Prompt: Freedom Theme: Defying Expectations Language: English Genre: Narrative CW: None

Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 2: Freedom & Music by @sophieakatz

Post, direct link Word Count: 647 Prompt: Freedom, Music Language: English Genre: Non Fiction CW: None

Defying expectations by @aallotarenunelma

Post, direct link Word Count: 986 Prompt: Hope, Mirror Theme: Defying Expectations Language: English Genre: Essay CW: Romance, Amatonormativity

Aro Visions and Hopes by @penandquillcafe ( @aroacechillzone )

Post, Direct link Word Count: 729 Prompt: Hope, Mirror Language: English Genre: Nonfiction CW: amatonormativity, arophobia, loneliness (metaphor)

Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 3: Hope & Mirror by @sophieakatz

Post, Direct link Word count: 201 Prompt: Hope, Mirror Language: English Genre: Non-fiction CW: Romance mention, Sex mention

Relationship Anarchy and Hugs by charcharcharace (blogspot)

Post, Direct link (blogspot) Summary: Applying relationship anarchy to family relationships and hugs. Word Count: 522 Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships Theme: Defying Expectations Language: English Genre: Non-Fiction CW: consent issues, boundary breaking

Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 4: Non-Romantic Relationships & Self-Reliance by @sophieakatz

Post, Direct link (tumblr) Word Count: Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships, Self-reliance Language: English Genre: Non-fiction CW: Romance mention

Poetry

Untitled by @brilliantsnafu

Post, Direct link Word Count: 38 Prompt: Romo/loveless, Future Language: English Genre: Nonfiction CW: Bigotry, arophobia; amatonormativity

Little Boxes by anon

Post, Direct link (Google docs) Word Count: 456 Prompt: Freedom Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Poem/non-fiction

To My Dear and Loving... by @writingthingsilike

Post, Direct link (tumblr) Summary: A poem about being aromantic but still wanting a life partner Word Count: 165 Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Non-fiction CW: None

AroAce by Catolica (Ao3)

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Word Count: 254 Language: English CW: Choose not to use warnings

icarus' stone by @franzimaya (@witchreyna on Twitter)

Post, direct link Word Count: 199 Prompt: Freedom Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Poetry CW: Grief

The End of the Rouse Family Tree by @turnovers-and-coke (@arbys-chocolate-turnover, Wattpad)

Post, Direct link Word Count: 144 Prompt: Mirror Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: poetry CW: None

Care, uncoupled by @graces-of-luck

Post, Direct link (tumblr) Word Count: 149 Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships Theme: Humanity Language: English Genre: Free Verse CW: Romance

Human = ( X - Y ) / Z by charcharcharace (blogspot)

Post, Direct link (blogspot) Summary: A poem about human essentialism Word Count: 129 Theme: Humanity Language: English Genre: Poetry CW: Mentions of essentialism and touches on dehumanizing ideas

Short Stories

Chasing Shadows by @secret-arrow-man

Post, Direct link Summary: A questioning aro discusses relationship problems with an old friend. Word Count: 660 Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Fiction CW: Romance, Alcohol mention

My Valentine by @bimboztown on twitter

Post, Direct link (Google docs) Word Count: 305 Category: Short Stories Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Coming of Age CW: Suicide attempt mention

Made on the Shore by @clad-in-sunshine

Post, Direct link Summary: Cora had never had much interest in people, and had chosen to live alone on the shore for years by this point. When a ship sails close, she has to deal with both her interest in it and the Captain’s interest in her. Based on the song ‘Fair Maid on The Shore’. Word Count: 2129 Prompt: Romo/loveless, Future Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Fiction, Ambiguous historical fiction CW: Romance, Guns, Alcohol

What is given by @amanita-cynth (Ao3)

Post, direct link Summary: A short exploration of a woman helping a traumatised, adopted girl come to terms with her newfound freedom. Word Count: 5645 Category: Short Stories Prompt: Freedom, Music Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Mildly Science Fiction CW: mentions of human experimentation

Lady in the Mirror by @amanita-cynth (Ao3)

Lights, Camera, Aro! by charcharcharace (blogspot)

Post, Direct link (blogspot) Summary: An aromantic actress is conflicted over how to engage with a romantically coded improv challenge. Word Count: 1885 Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Genre: Literary CW: a ghost, pressure.

Dark secret love by @aallotarenunelma

Post, Direct link (part a), Direct link (part b) Summary: What if an aspec Wicked Lawless Love MC was paired with the incubus Sascha? Word Count: 6941 Language: English Fandom: Wicked Lawless Love (Lovestruck app), Sascha Orosco x MC (Suna) Genre: Fantasy CW: Death, Romance, Sexual content

Thought That Cupid Shot Me With Love But It Was Only An Aro by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)

Post, Direct link (Tumblr), Direct link (Ao3) Summary: Soulmates were supposed to be the other half of your soul. Your one true love. Ino always dreamed of finding her soulmate. Sai never wanted one. Still, they cared for each other so they were going to make it work. Somehow.

Word Count: 10000 Prompt: Romo/loveless, Future Language: English Fandom: Naruto. Characters: Sai, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi Genre: Friendship/ Relationships CW: Mentioned Canon Death, Minor Aphobia

Mosaic by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)

Post, Direct link (tumblr), Direct link (Ao3) Summary: We are just mosaics of everyone we love and that mosaic shows everyone we love how beautiful they are. Bean doesn’t think she can love like everyone else but maybe that’s okay. Word Count: 2000 Language: English Fandom: Disenchantment. Characters: Bean Genre: Friendship, Self-Reflection CW: Internalized arophobia, some self-deprecation, sex mention, drug mention, mention of canon interspecies relationships in fantasy setting Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29230041 Promo: entity9silvergen on Ao3, FFN, and tumblr

We Dance To Fast Music by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)

Post, direct link (tumblr), direct link (Ao3) Summary: Zuko didn’t like to dance. Neither did Mai. But Ty Lee did and they’d do it for her. Fortunately for them, Ty Lee cared about how they felt and wanted to show them just how wonderful music could be. All Zuko and Mai knew were slow dances, the things of ballrooms and romance. Ty Lee only knew the dances of friendship, freedom, and fun. Word Count: 8000 Prompt: Freedom, Music Language: English Fandom: Avatar The Last Airbender. Characters: Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka, Suki, Aang, Katara, Toph Genre: Friendship CW: None

Oblique by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)

He Is Mild And He Is Meek by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FFN)

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Summary: He is mild and he is meek, he is Momo and he is what I seek. Suki always wanted three things in life. One was to become a professional soccer player. The second was to live in a cute apartment filled with succulents. The third was to get a cat. Momo probably wasn’t anyone’s first pick as a pet but Suki was determined to get this cat to love her as much as she loved him. If only he’d accept he had a home now. Word Count: 6500 Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships Language: English Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender. Characters: Suki, Momo, Sokka, Aang Genre: Friendship, Hurt/ Comfort CW: Mention of sex, non-excessive swearing

sick of all those love songs (sing to me about my friend on the moon). by nwhrs

Post, Direct link (Ao3) Summary: Johnny has always tried to follow the game, Ten has always stood out like a sore thumb, Chenle has always been quite vocal about himself, and Jisung really has absolutely no idea just what is going on (or does he?). And this is just a little part of their story. Word Count: 16413 Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships Theme: Choosing to be Yourself Language: English Fandom: NCT // Park Jisung, Zhong Chen Le, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Suh Youngho | Johnny Genre: Slice of Life CW: Romance, Discussions of romance & amatonormativity

he loves you (he loves you not) by @ternaryflower53

Summary: "Who's your companion?" the man asks. "This is Jango," he says, not adding his last name. They have a false one, a name Jango sometimes uses in undercover missions when he doesn’t want to risk being recognized as the Mand’alor’s son, but better if they can avoid using it. "He's my husband." The man frowns down at his datapad, then looks up to study Jango. "I wasn't expecting you to come with a partner, Master Jedi." or, jangobi fake dating au, but make it aromantic. Word Count: 6270 Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships Language: English Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jango Fett) Genre: Fanfic CW: Romance, fake/pretend relationship, request to be in a romantic relationship that gets shut down

#AroWriMo 2021 Works #Roundup #Aro #Aromantic #Arospec #Writing #Writblr

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entity9silvergen · 4 years ago

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Oblique- Chapter 1 (Sanders Sides Fanfiction)

Chapter 1 of 3. Full story and summary here. Also find it here on Ao3.

Story Info:

Summary: Unable to experience romantic attraction, Remus feels incomplete. Unable to feel sexual attraction, Roman feels less than. Maybe as the King, they decide, they will feel whole again. Their partners and friends, however, know this isn’t the solution and seek to help them realize there’s nothing broken about them before it’s too late.

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Characters: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil, Nate, Remy, Emile, Seth, Toby, Janus, Remus, Unnamed Orange Side, Romulus, Dragon Witch

Relationships: Logan/ Patton, Virgil/ Roman, Janus/ Remus, Remy/ Emile, Toby/ Seth, Nate/ Orange Side

Other Tags: AroWriMo, Aromantic Remus, Asexual Roman, Spider Virgil, Snake Janus, Orange Side, 7th Side, Additional Sides, No OCs, Short Vid Characters

Author’s Note: This was written for AroWriMo 2021. I’ve actually had it planned since April of last year but never wrote it until now. I originally intended for it to go with the Week 3 Prompt (Hope and Mirror) but it kind of drifted.

This fic takes place in Thomas’s mind and there are four of each kind of Side (light, dark, neutral).

The Light Sides live upstairs. They are Logan (Logic), Patton (Morality), Roman (Creativity/ Fantasy), and Emile (Self-Esteem) as well as Virgil (Anxiety) who left the Dark Sides to be with the Light Sides.

The Neutrals live on the main floor we see in videos. They are Nate (Patience/ Procrastination), Remy (Self-Care/ Sleep), Seth (Adaptability), and Toby (Courage).

The Dark Sides live downstairs. They are Janus (Deceit), Remus (Dark Creativity/ Intrusive Thoughts), and OJ (Spite). As mentioned, Virgil was previously a Dark Side.

None of these characters are OCs. Emile is Emile Picani from Cartoon Therapy, Nate is Nathan Christopher/ Slo-Mo Guy/ Procrastination from the short vids, Remy is Sleep from the short vids, Seth is Seth Ember/ September from the short vids, Toby is October from the shirt vids, and OJ is the currently unnamed 7th side (We call him orange juice on the Sanders Sides subreddit so OJ is an allusion to that).

Dark Sides also have animal attributes in this story. Janus is a snake, Remus is an octopus, Virgil is a spider, and OJ is a badger.

Warnings for this chapter: Fighting

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

It was dark. Darker than it normally was.

There was a hum in the air. Eerie, mysterious. Almost like static. Something neither of them were used to but it was familiar deep down.

It was telling them they shouldn’t be here. Not right now.

They ignored it.

The lighter figure stumbled down the stairs, seeming almost surprised to see a darker shape slinking up from the basement, almost mirroring him. They stared at each other for a few moments but neither drew their weapons. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time and hadn’t been at peace for even longer but a mutual understanding ran between them.

Eyes watched them and the room seemed to listen. It made them uneasy, filling them with the need to leave or cower away. But they were more afraid of what would happen if they turned away and too curious to listen to the signs warning them away. The same thing was on each of their minds and it was almost too late to turn away.

Both were visibly upset but the shadows obscured any tear tracks and the static hid any sobs. Still, they could sense the distress within each other. And they knew how to make it stop.

There was hesitance on both sides. They knew what they were doing, what they had to do, and yet they held back. There were a million questions in the air and the answers to none.

It wasn’t until the lighter figure offered a hand that they reached a decision.

That he reached a decision.

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

Logan’s attention was drawn from his book by a loud crash.

It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, living with so many others in the mind palace and all. Roman was always slashing things with his sword, OJ often swatted cups off tables out of passive aggression or just plain boredom, Toby and Remus were always wrestling, Nate was terrible at catching things and Seth never failed to forget, and Patton was just clumsy in general. Emile usually kept them calm and Virgil’s dislike for loud noises was often enough to keep the mind palace in one piece but the other Sides were always an endless distraction for Logan and his work.

Today, however, was not one of those times the noise seized quickly.

In fact, it only seemed to get worse.

It got to the point that Logan had to get up and go downstairs to see what was making the racket, something he rarely did. Where was Patton? Or Emile? Keeping the others from destroying their home was their job, not his.

He expected to see Remus riding a roomba. Or Nate trying to steal Remy’s coffee. Or Toby and Roman jousting with mops instead of cleaning. He did not expect to see Janus and Virgil, fangs and arachnid legs out, full on brawling in the living room.

Shockingly, Patton and Emile weren’t trying to stop them. From Logan’s observation, Patton seemed quite distressed at the sight of Virgil in his spider form and Emile was trying to distract him. Logan’s colder side wanted to shake them and tell them to ignore their feelings to focus on what was important but his more human side could understand. Virgil was truly terrifying when he was like this: thick, hairy legs sprouted from his back, his eyes seemed to glow with something primal, and his mouth morphed into something truly grotesque to look at. Janus too. His transformation was less extreme but his sharpened scales were still strange to look at. Eyes gleaming with yellow and hunger and movements faster and more serpentine, his presence was a bit disturbing. As much as Logan wanted to, he couldn’t blame them from keeping out of the fight.

He at least expected one of the others to step in. Not all of them weren’t fighters but they were at least more prepared than Patton and Emile. None of the neturals seemed concerned though. Actually, it looked like Nate, Seth, Remy, and Toby were taking bets. Logan would have scolded them if there weren’t more pressing matters at hand.

Logan looked around for Roman and Remus but the twins were nowhere to be seen so his gaze fell on OJ. The Side seemed disinterested from where he was seated casually on the staircase leading to the basement but his eyes betrayed him. The disinterest was a facade, his eyes were sharp with interest.

Logan met the Dark Side’s gaze, trying to convey his alarm and confusion. OJ simply shrugged and gestured loosely at the fight. Janus had his back pressed to the floor and his feet against Virgil’s chest, keeping him from punching or snapping at his face but the anxious side’s long spider legs were still free to batter his foe.

Janus was just starting to wrestle Virgil off him when Logan decided to step in. “Enough!”

Logan knew his voice could be enough to offset anyone if he wanted it to. He’d shouted enough falsehoods to know it was a tactic that would likely be successful. And it was this time as well. Virgil and Janus looked up, startled, and stopped long enough for Toby and Nate to step in and grab them by the shoulders, pulling them away from each other.

Both were still glaring and hissing. Logan put up a hand to silence them. “Can you breathe in for four seconds?”

“We don’t need to do breathing exercises, Logan,” Virgil snapped, voice distorted, as he wretched free from Toby’s grip. Thankfully, he didn’t move to attack Janus. “We know what we’re doing.”

“Then why were you fighting?” Logan asked. “Dark and Light Sides don’t usually come to the Neutral Zone at the same time.”

Janus’s face flashed with guilt while OJ feigned innocence. It wasn’t a set rule but Light and Dark Sides generally avoided mutual space if there were others there. If everyone was in a good mood, there were times they would share the space but it was rare.

“Roman’s missing,” Virgil said, glaring at Janus and OJ. His arachnid qualities were receding but he still looked angry. “I’ve been looking for days. There’s no reason he’d disappear unless the Dark Sides did something.”

“And I’m telling you Remus is missing,” Janus responded. Nate let go of him and the snake crossed his arms. He still looked tense. “Why would we take Roman? We have better things to worry about. Quit blaming us for stuff and back off.”

Logan silently cursed himself for not being more observant. He hadn’t even noticed Roman and Remus were missing. Well, he wouldn’t have noticed Remus’s absence, being a Dark Side and all, but he would’ve noticed if Roman was gone. Should have noticed. How long had it been? What had he been doing?

“Oh this is what this is about?” Remy piped up, taking a long sip of his ever-present coffee before continuing. “They met up here a few days ago and went off to the dreamspace together.”

“...What?” Janus and Virgil said in unison, giving the recalcitrant Side hard stares.

“Um, yeah, gurls. It was, like, the middle of the night and they talked for a bit before going off,” Remy said, shrugging. “No need to get all hissy about it. They’re fine.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Virgil exploded but at least now he wasn’t trying to attack anyone. “We’ve been looking for days!”

“Chill, gurl. You never mentioned it. I thought you knew. Normally they tell you before they come to my domain.”

“Well, they didn’t tell us,” Janus said, sounding annoyed yet distracted. His face was wrinkled in thought and it took Logan a moment to catch on.

“Should we be concerned then?” Logan asked. The other Sides turned to look at him. As per usual, Logan felt pride well up in him knowing the others were listening but he tried to ignore it. “They left without warning, which normally wouldn’t be alarming but there has been no sign of them for days. Wouldn’t that imply something happened to them? Perhaps they went to Remy’s dreamspace to fight and rendered each other unable to continue.”

“Oh no! My poor kiddos!” Patton wailed, startling Logan. He’d almost forgotten the other Sides were there.

“Chances are they’re fine. Roman and Remus know how to avoid getting hurt and Remy didn’t say they sounded angry,” Emile pointed out. He was still frowning though. “But maybe we should send someone to check on them?”

“We should just leave them to duke it out. They’ll be fine,” OJ said, inspecting his fingernails boredly. He pointed in Patton’s direction, not even looking up to see the father figure’s excited expression. “No pun intended, daddio.”

Logan ignored them and looked to Remy expectantly. The Side rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine. I’ll take some of you to the dreamspace. Hissyfits, Lo-bitch, come on.”

Janus and Virgil looked a bit peeved by the nicknames but followed Remy without question. Logan sighed and spared the remaining Sides a glance. “Will one of you retrieve us if the twins return while we’re gone?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Toby responded, ignoring OJ. “Don’t stress it, man.”

Satisfied, Logan nodded and turned away, following Remy into the place of Thomas’s dreams.

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

“Do you guys think Roman and Remus are getting along again?”

Patton’s voice sliced through the silence, drawing everyone’s attention. After Remy and the others left, the rest remained in the living room rather than returning to their rooms. They largely ignored each other but unspoken worry hovered among them. They would wait this out here.

“I didn’t see anything,” Seth spoke up, the other Neutral Sides humming their agreement. “Remy’s got a weird sleep schedule. He sees all kinds of stuff we don’t but I think he’d mention it if anything changed with the twins.”

“It’s probably a coincidence,” OJ added. “Janus and Remus were screwing that night. I doubt Remus would go to his brother after that. Weird.”

“How do you know that?”

“What is sc-”

“I think Roman and Virgil were just having a quiet night,” Emile interrupted before Patton could finish his question or OJ could respond to Seth. He really didn’t want to know. “I don’t really know what those two do but it’s unusual Roman would come downstairs in the middle of the night, isn’t it? Wouldn’t he stay with Virgil? Or return to his room?”

“I don’t think there’s much use thinking about it,” Toby said, pulling a device from his pocket. “Now, I’m going to play some Pokemon. We can ask Roman and Remus what’s up when they get back.”

The other Sides didn’t look satisfied but no one argued. The others would be back soon. They could figure it out then. Right?

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

Remy usually didn’t take people to the dreamspace.

It was his domain. Sure, Roman and Remus contributed a lot but they had their own spaces. They were in charge of Thomas’s imagination. Everything about sleep was Remy’s and no one else's. Logan and Patton had memories, Virgil and Toby patrolled the place of Thomas’s fears, each Side had their own thing. And Remy loved his. It was weird to have someone intrude on his space.

He understood the necessity though. Still, couldn’t the others be a bit nicer?

Janus and Virgil were bickering since the moment they entered and Logan wasn’t even trying to stop them. How rude.

“Hush up, gurls,” Remy said after a while. “You don’t want to be too loud here.”

“And why is that?”

A loud roar cut through the terrain.

“Because of that.”

Virgil, Janus, and Logan peered at the horizon, not seeing anything. The dreamspace looked very much like the Imagination or the real world but it had this fake, fuzzy quality that only the things of dreams could have. It was similar to reality and recognizable enough but it was different enough that it could be jarring to those who weren’t used to it. That was the only reason Remy was forgiving when the other Sides failed to see the approaching Dragon Witch until it was practically on top of them.

The beast screamed and plunged out of the sky, making the ground shake like an earthquake when she landed. A clean thirty feet tall, she towered over the Sides. Remy opened up his mouth to try to reason with her but a malicious glint in her eye told him that she wasn’t in a talking mood today.

Wings beat the air as claws scored the earth. Virgil’s spider form took over and he used his long spider legs to vault himself and the others to safety. “What the fuck is that?!”

“The Dragon Witch,” Remy responded as he slipped out of Virgil’s grip and began scrambling away. “She’s normally not like this!”

“I never would’ve guessed,” Janus snarked. His scales grew more prominent and his eyes became sharper as he prepared to fight. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Virgil, try to climb up her neck and onto her face. Blind her, at least partially,” Logan instructed, taking charge easily. “Janus, draw her attention and see if you can get some of your venom in her.”

Janus eyed the Dragon Witch’s scales dubiously. “I am not breaking my teeth on that thing.”

“Just fight, Deceit,” Virgil snapped as he launched himself into the air and grappled his way onto the Dragon Witch’s shoulder. She didn’t even notice his presence, allowing him to climb up her neck with no obstacles thrown his way.

Remy ducked behind a rock, dragging Logan with him, as Janus coiled around the dragon’s blows and tried to snake his way to her soft underbelly. Out of the four present Sides, Virgil and Janus were most suited for battle but even they didn’t have much of a chance against such a creature. The Dragon Witch was powerful, both as a dragon and a witch. Together, her two halves made her a formidable foe.

“Is this a common occurrence?” Logan asked as he grabbed a small, sharp rock in his fist. Remy didn’t know what he planned to do with that but whatever made him feel better. “Do you frequently run into this, eh, Dragon Witch?”

Remy shook his head. “She’s one of Roman’s creations. Most of the time she keeps to herself or at least stays peaceful. I can’t remember the last time she got like this. I have no idea what’s got her so worked up.”

Logan looked like he wanted to comment but chose not to and refocused on the fight. The other Sides seemed to be doing well. As much as they hissed and spat at each other, they worked like a well oiled machine. Virgil was using his spiderlegs to jab the Dragon Witch in the eye, distracting her long enough to let Janus coil up her leg. He wasn’t doing much damage at the moment but soon he would have access to the vulnerable parts of her massive form.

It looked to be going well until it wasn’t.

Remy knew he should have expected that. The Sides were more than human but they were still far from equals to a mystical beast like a Dragon Witch. For all their efforts, they only seemed to be agitating her further and soon she grew too tired of them to bother any longer.

The Dragon Witch roared and bellowed before slapping her thick, scaly tail against the ground. A wave of magic radiated from her form and knocked the two Sides clean off her.

It hit Logan and Remy as well, shattering the rock they were hiding behind. Remy yelped as he was thrown back, shielding his face from stone shrapnel, and hit the ground roughly. Both his and Logan’s glasses were knocked from their faces. Logan flailed for them the moment, unable to see without them, while Remy just laid there, stunned, and blinked rapidly until his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. His eyes unused to being uncovered but he could survive without his sunglasses. He quickly scrambled up to try to see what happened to Janus and Virgil.

Janus and Virgil were on the ground, floored and disoriented. The Dragon Witch was looming over them, snarling and angry. Remy tried to get up and shout a warning but his voice broke and came out dry and hoarse. It surprised him, somewhat, but the shock from the blast was still ringing in his head too much for him to dwell on it.

A spike of fear pumped through Remy’s veins as the Dragon Witch lifted a paw, primed to strike. He got to his feet, mind and body screaming for him to get his friends to safety, but he knew he was too slow. The Dragon Witch was going to crush them.

Then, a battle cry sounded.

A human battle cry.

Remy looked up to see a figure standing on a cliff overlooking the battlefield. Momentarily blinded by the sun behind him, Remy couldn't quite make out any distinguishable features. Without his sunglasses, he could really only see the flowing cape draped over his shoulders.

The man- it was definitely a man, Remy knew that much- drew a weapon in each hand and flung himself off the cliff. Remy wanted to scream but the man seemed to know what he was doing and landed flat on the Dragon Witch’s face.

The Dragon Witch roared and the man matched it. Remy watched them for a moment before his mind caught up with his body and he remembered his friends. He tore his gaze away and sprinted across the landscape. He reached Janus first, grabbing him by the back of the coat, and dragged him until he managed to get a grip on Virgil’s hoodie as well.

“Gurls, why are you so heavy?” Remy grunted as he tried his best to pull the two Sides to safety. They seemed dazed from the fall and Remy really hoped they weren’t concussed. He really didn’t want to deal with that right now. At least he had Logan here if they were but Logan could be concussed for all he knew.

“Roman,” Virgil groaned, head lolling a bit as Remy jostled him.

“Yeah, I know, gurl. We’ll find Roman soon.”

“No, I need to help him.”

Remy didn’t pause to figure out what he meant by that until he’d reached Logan. The logical Side was sitting up and had his glasses back on, looking overall okay. Remy swiftly dropped Virgil and Janus beside them, making them both yelp, and turned back to the battlefield to confirm his suspicions.

The man was tall and broad. Sturdier and better built than Remy or any of the other Sides on the ground around him. Maybe even more so than Roman and Remus. His clothes were a deep grey, an unusual color to see on someone in the mindscape, and he wielded both a sword and a morningstar. That made Remy uneasy. He didn’t quite know why but it felt wrong.

“Remus!” Janus called out, sitting up as the man ran across the beast’s snout to slam his morningstar into her eye. Remy opened his mouth to tell him that the man wasn’t Remus but the words died on his tongue. Who knew who he was? It could very well be the stinky Side for all he knew.

The man was fast and quite skilled. He scaled the dragon’s giant form and slammed down hard at various points on his way down. Remy didn’t know if Dragon Witches had pressure points but the man’s attacks seemed to be doing a fair amount of damage, judging by her roars. Remy really believed he might win this.

The Dragon Witch put up a fair fight, of course. She snarled and swiped but the man seemed to be holding on pretty well. It was only when she reared back and began swinging her wings that he lost his balance. Still, he managed to hold his own pretty well. Unlike Janus and Virgil, the fall didn’t seem to faze him. Maybe it was because he’d already managed to weaken the Dragon Witch so much.

Janus, Virgil, and Logan were on their feet by the time the newcomer managed to bring the Dragon Witch to his level. She was still fighting but she didn’t quite stand as tall anymore and Remy was pretty sure she knew she was losing.

Then the newcomer stopped.

He wasn’t giving up. No, that was clear. He was still in a fighting stance. But he didn’t seem to be fighting anymore? At least not with his weapons. He was just… looking at the Dragon Witch really intensely. And she was too. It was like they knew something the other Sides didn’t.

Reality seemed to ripple around them and the Dragon Witch suddenly vanished.

Remy sensed Janus and Virgil exchanging a confused glance behind him but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the figure. Now alone on the former battlefield, Remy could see him much more clearly but he still couldn’t make out who he was. Was it Roman, with his sword? Or Remus, with his morningstar? It had to be one of them. Right?

“You need to be more careful,” a steady voice boomed as the figure turned around. Remy heard Logan gasp behind him but it took a moment for Remy to realize why. “You never know what you’ll run into here.”

The man began walking towards them and a feeling of recognition and dread flashed between the four Sides. It was only when the broad, bearded figure was standing right in front of them that any of them were able to stutter out his name.

“R-Romulus.”

The King had returned.

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

Author’s Note: This has multiple chapters. I planned to write and post them all this week but that didn’t happen so I will just be posting chapter 1 this week. Next chapter and the following one will focus more on the prompt and aspec themes.

Next Chapter

#fanfiction #sanders sides #chapter 1

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