#but in truth i been waiting for this part i can't wait to see Grimms storyworld

[elfqueen006]

Aaaand that's it for episode ehhhuuuhfourithink, the Unraveler jumped through a portal to Little Red Riding Hood and basically said "come catch me nah nah nah nah"

[lunarwritesrandomness]

Truth Potion Troubles part 2

Sorry this took so long to post, just graduated from college and switching to a new one.

Angry. Anger, sadness, and hurt are all emotions flooding through Yuu's body as the realization of current events. Working in Professor Crewl's class on eye color changing potion, only for the beloved Grimm knocks over a glass of eyes of newt into the pot. Yuu rushed to grab Grimm and shield him from the now-blowing pot. Within a matter of seconds, a loud explosion alongside the room was now covered in a thick red mist. Students back up from the contents spilled on the floor, as yuu cough in the middle of it all. Crewl speed walks over to the fallen student holding their firey companion in their arms. "Are you puppies alright?" he asked while squatting down. They groan and sit up "No, does it look like it?" yuu mumbles angry and in pain. Many students mumble to each other, waiting for the reaction of the teacher. He simply cocks a brow before grabbing their hand. He quickly pulls them to their feet before summoning Jack. "Puppy, take this one to the infirmary, then come back. Jack nods before picking up yuu. "I can walk Jack," they told him as they left the room. Grimm goes to follow but Crewl forces him to stay behind and clean up the mess he made.

"We rather not chance it, you were hit by a random potion!" he gruffs while walking down the halls at a quick pace. His ears are tucked back in concentration as they soon get to the room. Yuu just huff as their mind wanders to many things. Grimm, classes, their friends, and Leona. Remembering that they promised that they would take him his lunch to help out Ruggie.

Jack opened the door and walked in. The nurse looked up before asking, "What happened?" his hands worked on putting papers together, not showing any worry for the students.

"A potion blew up on them and they are feeling some pain," Jack responded before their friend could. The nurse sighed and pointed to a bed, not far from a closed curtain. He gives them a curt nod before walking over and placing yuu down. "I'll get you the notes for our classes today," Jack tells yuu before leaving the room.

the nurse gets up and walks over. "What hurts?" he asks

"My side and back mostly." yuu tells him honestly. The nurse motions for them to lift their shirt. Kneeling and checking all over via touch. Yuu hisses softly when the area right below their ribcage on the right side is pressed. The nurse hums and finds a few more sore spots before getting back up.

Yuu puts their shirt back down while the nurse heads over to a tall cabinet. "You will have some bruising but other than that you'll be fine," he tells them while grabbing some breakable ice bags. Walking back over and placing them on the bed. "Just rest here for a while with these on the painful spots. you can head back to your dorm later, you'll be fine for classes tomorrow," he informs them as yuu just nods.

Yuu lays down carefully before the nurse places the bags. "why can't I just go back to class now? it's not like this is the worst thing to deal with nor the worst this month.." they ask the nurse who just gives them a bored look.

"So I can watch and see what potion you are being affected by," they responded while walking back to their desk. Yuu just groaned and closed their eyes. It wasn't long before the pain started to go away and led them into a quiet and dreamless slumber.

Yuu groaned as they woke to bright lights and something to their right making a metallic clanking sound. Thinking to themselves that at least I got some rest…It's been a while since I didn't have a vision to deal with…' The sounds stopped as they opened their eyes. A huff was heard before someone stated,

"Looks like you are finally up herbivore." a teasing and known voice comments. Blushing, yuu looks over to see Leona lying in the next bed over. The curtains pulled back now.

"What are you doing here Leona? I didn't think anyone would come here to see me?" they ask him, first in confusion then leading into a quiet slight self-pity on themselves.

"Well~ you did fail to make it to lunch. Only to find out that Jack that he brought you here. so~ having a nice nap without me? quite rude I must say~" he teases them as his tail flicks to and fro.

"Well, it's not like I wanted to miss the time we get together!" yuu hisses in annoyance. "I quite like the time we spend together, it is calming and relaxing. Plus it does help that I have a major crush on you!" yuu spills. Leona's tail stops moving for a second as he just stares at them. He quickly resumes his action before giving a half chuckle. Yuu's body shuttered in horror as the realization hit them off their words. Their face pales slightly before Leona gets up. "If you want, we can forget this. It's not like I wanted to tell you this way! or in any way to begin with!" they tried to backtrack, but the lion wasn't having it. "Now why would I want to do that?" he says while leaning over their bed and onto them. To do this he has to use one knee to brace his body on the bed. To any outsider, the position of both of them is that of a predator that has finally caught his prey. "I never said that I didn't like you as well," he states confidently.

"waited…You like me too?" Yuu asks softly while looking up at the towering male. He just hums and lays on their good side. "you owe me a nap." he calmly states as the now blushing and embarrassed Yuu lays there, holding him.

A little bit later:

"GET OFF THEM! THEY DON'T NEED YOU ON THEM!!!" the nurse shouts as they come back into the room after going to the bathroom.

[queen-of-deans-booty]

About A Boy: Final Part

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.3k

Warnings: canon angst and violence, extra angst

Summary: Dean gets turned back into a teenager and realizes one thing: his Mark is gone. Is this his salvation or his downfall?

Season Ten Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. I love seeing any and all comments <3

x

"Yeah, we have that stuff in the trunk," Sam clears his throat. "So, we'll get you changed back and light Sabrina's ass up."

"About that," Dean chuckles. "It turns out, this whole freak show has an upside." Dean pulls his shirt sleeve up to reveal his arm doesn't have the Mark. "The Mark is gone."

"How?"

"This witch slammed me back into the body I had when I was fourteen. I didn't have the Mark back then. If we reverse this spell, it's gonna come back. What if we don't?"

"Wait a second. Are you saying you want to stay like this?" you ask.

"No, but if it's between a psycho rage monster/borderline demon or a teenager, well..."

"Really?"

"Look, I'm not a fan, either but this is a problem solved. I'm still me. I can still hunt. I'm just, you know, dewier."

"You kind of have a point, but--"

"There are no buts, Sam," Dean cuts his brother off. "Good news is I have a virgin liver. So, what do you say when we're done doing our hero thing, we take her for a spin?"

"Yeah, sure. I mean, you can drink again in like seven years?"

"That's not funny," Dean says seriously.

"That's kind of funny."

"That's not funny."

"It's kind of funny," you smirk.

Silence fills the Impala and something comes over Sam and Dean. Both brothers are thinking the exact same thing. If Dean never changes back, what's going to happen when they shove a fourteen-year-old soul back into your body? Did Dean's soul revert back to that age, too? If so, did yours? Does this mean your soul is purely white now?

Sam arrives at the house Dean was kept in and immediately follows his brother to the small window he escaped from. This window is too small for either you or Sam to fit through so you'll have to find another entrance into the basement. There is a light on inside the house indicating someone is home.

"Looks like someone's home."

"We gotta get Tina out first. The window is still open."

"There is no way I'll fit through that," Sam says.

"First time you ever had to say that, huh?" Dean smirks.

"Big talk coming from the dude wearing underoos."

"Okay, good one," Dean nods. "Go find another entrance."

"Come on," Sam says to you.

Sam finds the back door and easily slips in. Tina and the witch might be upstairs but Dean is downstairs in the basement. When you get there, some big man has Dean in a chokehold. Sam hits the man in the back of the neck causing him to let go of Dean. The man falls to the ground and Dean joins your side.

"Don't!" Sam yells when he is about to get up. "Where's the girl?"

"Upstairs. Alive."

"What did you do to us?" Dean asks.

"Nothing. I'm not a witch. I just work for one."

"Shitty gig," you scoff. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs. Her name is Katja and she's the worst person in the world."

"I don't know. I work with this one," Dean gestures to you.

"Yeah, truth be told, I'm as evil as it gets," you smile.

"I've been with her for centuries. The things I've seen her do. She made my sister and I hurt and kill people. When we tried to escape, she caught us and tortured me, then she made me eat poor Gretel's heart."

"Gretel? Witch? Are you saying you're Hansel? Gretel and Hansel? Like the fable? Like Brothers Grimm?"

"It wasn't a fable." Hansel gets up and dusts off his pants. "It was based on a true story. They just gave it a happy ending."

"Oh, okay. We get to barbecue a celebrity. Cool," Dean shrugs.

"You can't kill her. You're just men and a woman."

"We're more than that." Sam takes out the Molotov cocktail that will be used to kill the witch. "We're hunters."

"Then let me help."

"What's in it for you?"

"Because if you're going to fry that candy-coated bitch, I want in."

"Tell me how to turn him back," Sam says and keeps the gun trained on him.

"Sam, it can wait," Dean sighs.

"Tell me how!!"

"The hex bag that I'm wearing will reverse the spell. Squeeze it and you'll return to your proper age." Sam lowers his gun. "Look, we waste the witch, I give you the cure. Deal?"

Once both brothers agree to the terms, Hansel takes all three of you upstairs. Katja is cooking in the kitchen and Tina is tied to a chair with a gag over her mouth. Katja chops onions up and places them into the large pot that's on the stove.

"Your friend JP didn't have much meat on his bones," she chuckles, "but a good cook works with the ingredients she's given." She tastes the soup and grins happily. "Mmm. Wunderbar!" The witch is originally from Germany so she'll put a few words in German from time to time. Tina cries quietly and Katja sees this. "Oh, don't worry, liebchen. You're too good for soup. I'm thinking of a nice, sweet chili glaze with a few hours of roasting in the oven. Ooh! An apple in your mouth to top it off."

Hansel steps into the kitchen alerting the witch.

"Hansel." You three appear behind him. You have a knife in your hand, Sam has a gun, and Dean has the Molotov cocktail in his. "Well, our lost lamb. I thought we'd have to go looking for you. Maybe even abandon our home sweet home here. I never dreamt you'd be stupid enough to come back on your own. Hansel, take care of them."

Hansel doesn't respond and walks to the right side of you, between you and Tina.

"Yeah, he's not exactly your biggest fan. Maybe you shouldn't have made him chow down on his sister."

Katja smirks and looks at Hansel.

"I never made Hansel do anything."

Suddenly, the knife is knocked out of your hand and Hansel pushes you into the wall behind you. He kicks Sam and grabs his gun, disarming him. Hansel quickly grabs you and places you in front of him, putting the gun to your head. Dean curses and tries to light the Molotov Cocktail but Katja uses her magic and sends it flying against the wall. The bottle breaks which means the spell is useless against her.

"Now, who's hungry?" she grins evilly.

Sam tries to move but Hansel shoves the gun further into your head.

"Don't move or I will kill her."

You're not scared, obviously, but you do value your life. If you were to make a move, he'd kill you. You'd like to live to see another day so you don't move an inch. Katja walks up to Dean and feels his arm.

"Ooh, scrawny. We'll have to fatten you up."

"Don't fucking touch me," Dean glares and yanks his arm away.

"I'm gonna do more than that." She walks back to the kitchen island. "Children. They're so sweet and delicious. You'll see." She looks at Hansel and nods once. "When I cook him up, I'll give you some, hmm?"

"If you like kids so much, why not go after kids? What's with this whole fountain of youth?" Sam asks.

"In the olden days, if a child went missing, it didn't matter. The young died all the time. Now, with all your AMBER Alerts and your milk cartons, a person fillets one rugrat and people get so angry. So, I improvise. I take adults no one will miss and give them back their youth. It's the only way I can eat in peace."

Sam slowly reaches into his back pocket where his knife is. Dean sees this and decides to stall the witch and keep the focus on him.

"Is it worth it? I mean, the word on the street is people kind of taste like chicken."

"A bit. European children are more free-range and gamier. Americans, though, are Heaven... fattier. The meat is so finely marbled that it's almost buttery. I just can't get enough."

"Awesome," Dean rolls his eyes.

"No! I am in awe. This is my first visit to your country, and I have to say, God Bless the U.S.A!"

"Oh, so, you're a tourist?"

"No. It's business, not pleasure. An old friend is causing trouble and the Grand Coven asked me to take of her. Poor, stupid Rowena."

"Rowena?" you bark out a laugh. "That bitch? Does she have red hair and have a thing for ritzy hotels?"

Katja drops the vegetable she is holding in shock.

"How do you know that?"

Sam finally gets his knife out without anyone noticing but you and Dean. He immediately lunges for Katja with the knife while Dean tackles Hansel to the ground. You jumped out of the way just at the right time so you didn't go down with them. You back up and stand next to Tina to watch this unfold.

Katja goes to stab Sam with her knife but he knocks it out of her hand. She uses her magic and flings him into the bookcase by the door, and he crumbles to the ground along with everything else on it. Hansel elbows Dean off him and grabs him by the collar to repeatedly slam him into the ground. Tina looks at you to see if you're going to do anything but you wave her off.

"He's fine," you shrug.

Katja opens the fiery oven, and Hansel shoves Dean three times against the fridge. Dean slides to the ground and looks at Sam who is too weak to get up. He looks at you and sees no regard for his safety in your eyes.

"Now you'll burn!" Katja yells. "Turn them!"

Hansel turns to you and Sam with an evil grin on his face. He grabs his neck where the hex bag should have been but realizes it's gone. He turns to Dean and goes white when he sees Dean has the hex bag. Dean clutches the bag and squeezes it, giving off a pure white light that is too bright to look at. Dean, now in his normal adult body, grabs the knife Katja dropped on the ground and shoves it deep into Hansel's chest.

He stomps over to Katja and shoves the hex bag into her mouth so she can't use any spells against him. She struggles against him but he shoves her into the open fiery oven and closes the door. She screams and begs to be let out but Dean closes the little door that lets the smoke out.

Dean didn't use the Blade to kill someone but he did take two lives. Your Mark is tingling in the most delicious way.

With the witch and Hansel dead, Tina is let go and forced to face the gravity of the situation. The brothers bring her outside the house to talk while you're off to the side picking the bark of a tree.

"That was crazy. Like psycho crazy. You three do this all the time?"

"All the fucking time."

"Not all the time," Sam mutters.

"Can you turn me back?"

"The hex bag went up in flames. I'm so sorry, Tina." She looks disappointed but not as much as she should. "We may be able to reverse engineer the spell, though."

She looks at her reflection in the window and decides to come to terms with who she is now.

"Maybe you don't. I have three ex-husbands, fifty grand in debt, and not much else. I was kind of a shitty adult. Maybe I'll do better this time around. Get out of town and get a fresh start. This is my second chance. Everybody wants a second chance, right?"

Dean looks over at you but you're not paying attention to them. Do you deserve a second chance? When she shoves this soul back into you, you'll remember every horrible thing you've said and done. Does he really want to do that to you? He'll have to make a deal with Death and put a wall in your head to make you forget.

That will be your second chance.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Dean asks.

"Like I told you, I always am."

"Can we at least give you a ride somewhere?"

"To a bus station would be nice."

You and Tina head for the car and Dean sticks his hand out toward Sam.

"Give me the keys."

Sam and Dean take Tina to the nearest bus station while you stay in the car. Both of them give her all the cash they have so she can use it to get herself out of town. She thanks them and heads into the station, and the brothers return to the car.

"So, Grand Coven. Any ideas?" Dean asks.

"It doesn't sound good."

"It sounds like an 80's hair metal band. You know, a lot of hair spray, a lot of eye shadow, and a lot of keytar." Sam stares blankly at Dean. "No? Nothing? Come on, man. I'm painting a word picture here."

"Is it back?"

Dean sighs and lifts his sleeve to show that the Mark is indeed back on his arm.

"Look, I know what you're going to say, okay? But you were in deep."

"I know. You saved me, Tina, and Y/N. You pulled a Dean Winchester. Thank you."

"Anytime," Dean smiles.

"Do I wish the mark was gone? Yes, of course, on both of you," You roll your eyes, "but I wanted you back more. Here you are and you didn't Hulk out. I'll take the win. As for the rest of it—the mark, everything else--we'll figure it out. We always do."

"Damn right. Let's get out here." Dean starts the car and he smiles when she purrs. "I'm back, baby."

Dean turns on the radio and Taylor Swift's Shake It Off plays over the radio. Sam looks to Dean expecting him to switch the song but he keeps it playing. Sam continues to stare at Dean but the older brother shrugs and leaves it on. He peels out of the parking lot with it still playing.

"I don't know about you two but we need to figure out where the hell my soul went. I want my magic back."

"That's something considering you're out for blood."

"What can I say? I want to switch it up this time."

If you can get them to believe you want your soul back, then you can trick them into giving you the remote for the device on your neck. Your time is up on this ride, and you finally want off it.

x

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[lunatriense]

11, any

That's… a very long story, but I'll see if I can give you the short version. Short-ish; there's not a short short version.

Okay, so after Beacon — after I failed at Beacon — I was in a really rough spot. Pyrrha was my world, y'know? I didn't know what to do without her, how to live. I managed to convince a cargo pilot to take me back to Mistral once I was mostly recovered, but I just…

*sigh*

There was nothing for me there, or anywhere, so when we had to climb above a big storm a little past the coast, I had this thought. That there was no reason to keep going, no home for me — mom made that clear — and no one waiting for me, just pain. So I jumped out. No landing strategy, nothing, I really meant to die there. At least that way I could be reunited with Pyr, even if it was in the next world, y'know?

Well, fate had other plans. As I was falling through the storm, one of my visions hit me. I saw Pyr there, smiling and hugging me, thanking me and saying if it hadn't been for me no one would've brought her back, or even known it was possible. I can't really explain how I knew it wasn't just a dream — aside from not having those kinds of dreams anymore, anyway — but I just knew… I can tell. There was a way to bring her back, and I was the only one that could make it happen. That's what gave me the strength to keep going through the pain; it had to be me, and I couldn't fail, not this time.

Anyway, I managed to catch myself just in time to slow down enough that I didn't die as soon as I hit the ground, even if I messed up my leg a little, but I had no idea where I was — some forest in Mistral — alone and wounded. I tried to make my way generally eastward, but Grimm were hounding me and I was slow with my leg. I thought I was done for til Iris showed up and rescued me. She wanted to drop me off at the nearest village, but I convinced her that I could be useful enough to take with her, so we travelled a little while and she tutored me to fight a little better.

We were hunting this group that called themselves Bad Wolf who were causing a bunch of trouble in the outlying settlements, and eventually tracked them to a hideout in Mistral City. We took them out, one by one, until there was only one left to spread the word so it wouldn't happen again, then we parted ways; she had a new job, I wanted to check at Haven to see if anything about resurrection might be in their archives, and at Iris' request the headmaster let me stay there and look into it.

I ended up walking in on a meeting he was having with this other guy, Dr. Arthur Watts, who got really interested in me after Headmaster Lionheart explained my situation. A couple days later, Dr. Watts told me his employer wanted to meet me, and that is anyone could help bring Pyr back, it was her, so I went with him. He took me to this creepy old castle and introduced me to Salem, and although she was kinda sceptical of what I said, once I proved that I really could see the future she agreed to help me bring back Pyrrha if I helped her with my visions. She told me all sorts of things while I was there, secret things; how Ozpin had betrayed her and been using his students as pawns for generations, how he'd tricked Pyrrha into being one of them, about the gods that had wronged her and their relics… anyway, I don't want to get off on a tangent.

I finally had a direction, a little light of hope that I was getting somewhere, but I didn't wanna just sit in her castle and hope visions came to me. Besides, it works better if I'm out doing things, putting myself in situations where… well, I don't know honestly, but I seem to get them most when I'm making an effort. I ended up getting one of Ozpin's new host in Argus, so I convinced Salem to let me go get him so she could get the information she needed out of him and move her plan forward, but she didn't want me to go alone so she sent Em with me. Truth be told, I was happy to have the company, and Em is… she's amazing really. We ended up hanging around there for about a week before Ozpin was where I saw him, and we had a great time. That's… actually the first time I smiled since Beacon, I think. Even if I was reliving it every night in my dreams, when I was awake with Em I almost felt… I almost felt normal. That probably sounds weird since we there to kidnap an old wizard that hijacked some poor kid's body, huh?

Well, either way, we got him and took him back to Salem, and after interrogating him for awhile we found out that my sister's friends were taking the Lamp they stole from Haven up to Atlas. Since no one knew me like the rest of her followers, I ended up getting sent to infiltrate Atlas with some credentials Dr. Watts made. He had me slip his programs into the Atlas systems so he could control things remotely and—

*sigh*

I'm… not proud of what I did there, okay? Atlas… it didn't deserve what happened. It was never supposed to be like that, though, we were just going to take the relics and vanish. We had it all set up, their attention was everywhere except on us, but then Cinder showed up and I… I did what I had to. Since Dr. Watts had made one of those aura machine thingies to extract Ozpin from that kid, and we'd figured out I had a fragment of her soul in me, I just… I thought that had to be the answer. So… I did it. I killed that sweet old lady, and took her power to open the vault, and I—

*deep breath*

He told me there would be consequences, the big blue guy, but I never… how could my making a special machine cause Atlas to fall like that? It was supposed to today with gravity dust, it shouldn't have… It doesn't matter. I did what I did. I made that machine, I brought the city down, I killed… I killed all those people. I had to, it was my fate, and theirs to die there, but…

*swallows a lump, hanging her head and taking a few shuddering breaths*

Anyway… Cinder followed me. We fought, she won, and I thought that was it… I don't know what happened after. I remember getting very cold, and then seeing Pyr in a white place, and then next thing I knew I was waking up in an Argus hospital with a new mechanical heart and more scars, and hearing what happened I just… Actually no, that wasn't quite the next thing. Well, it was and it wasn't. The other next thing is what's been giving me nightmares since then. I saw… when I was… dead… I saw what happens after. I had a vision of what would happen to me… Grimm goo covering me, turning me into… one of them.

That's what we've been killing all this time. That's what's been killing us. Souls sent to an empty void, left alone until they break, until they lose all hope and sanity. The Grimm… they're people, reborn as… that… and desperately trying to regain some shred of life by consuming ours. And it just makes more.

Don't believe me? No one does… not at first. I could hardly believe it either, but just like before I could tell. It wasn't a hallucination, or just a nightmare, it was real. As real as Pyr when she came into that room and hugged me, and thanked me for bringing her back. She didn't know; no one knew, not until later… what I'd done. They were horrified of course… but I told them what I'd seen, what was waiting for all of us, and all those people who'd just died. We had to do something about it. We had to stop it, to break that cycle, and there was only one way I knew that might work. We had to help Salem.

Pyr's friends came around, even if they didn't like the idea. I don't blame them; they didn't know her like I did. They didn't know what she really wanted, but they knew Ozpin was a liar so they were at least willing to listen. Those other girls though… it would've been so much easier if they'd listened, too. I truly believe we could've done it without everything that happened at Vytal… maybe even without the problems in Vacuo.

But they didn't listen. They wanted to stop us, so we had to flee. We needed the sword to give Salem as a peace offering, see; she thought I ran, or at least Em and the others did. Thought I betrayed them, ghosted them, and set Dr. Watts and his creepy partner up to die. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't contact them when I was being kept barely alive by machines, and by the time I could they were out of range. But even though I didn't, Salem isn't the kind of person you want to ask for understanding and mercy, and now I was bringing along people the others had been fighting.

Well, anyway, we went to Vacuo and met these people called the Lahar, who apparently have some prophecy that Pyr fit. They helped us find the sword, but those other girls showed up and turned the whole thing into a mess. Pyr and the others stayed to fight, to try and keep the Lahar from getting slaughtered, and sent me away with the sword to wait for them, but Em caught up with me first. She was hurting… it broke my heart, seeing her like that. I couldn't bring myself to fight her, I just… I couldn't hurt her anymore. I thought I could get through to her, make her understand what happened, and… I did, but she just about killed me in the process.

*absentmindedly touches her abdomen and winces*

It was worth it though. She could've stabbed me a hundred times, as long as she knew I never meant to hurt her. As long as she understood that she deserved… more than Cinder. Better. Anyway, once we all caught back up we went back to Salem's castle to give her the sword and make sure we were all on the same team. She was pleased, said she knew I wouldn't let her down… I don't know if she meant it or not, but it was nice to hear and now that we were good, she sent us out to find the last relic. That stupid crown.

That one took awhile to find. We looked all over what's left of Beacon, around the older Valish ruins, everywhere we could think of, but no luck. Eventually Nora and Em managed to trigger another vision, and when I told Salem what I'd seen she knew exactly where it was. I should've known there was something going on with Vytal; a sneaky bastard like Ozpin never would've done anything important out there otherwise. Well, we went to where Salem told us the crown would be, and sure enough it was the place I saw, but the crown was already gone. That Ruby girl and her friends got there first, so now instead of getting the thing out of a crypt, we had to figure out how to get it out of the middle of Vytal with all those Atlesian guns surrounding it.

You know mostly what happened from there, I'm sure. Everyone does. Salem wanted the crown and since we didn't get it quietly she decided she needed to get it… violently. We tried to stop what happened, I swear — we even managed to trick them into taking it out of the city so we could grab it before she got there with her Grimm — but…

*heavy sigh*

Those poor people had barely gotten settled in on Vytal before that massive horde was bearing down on them. See what I mean about Ruby and her friends? If they'd just listened, we could've prevented that battle from ever happening. In the end, we managed to get the crown to Salem, and she did… honestly, I don't know what she did, I wasn't there for that part. Pyr could tell you better. But whatever it was, it was big; you've seen the videos of the energy wave, I'm sure. As for me, I… I didn't do enough, after all the pain I caused, but I did what I could. I took those bombs into that big Grimm — no one else could, not that was at the city by then — and I thought maybe I could make up for a little of it all, y'know? Save some of the people there. When they went off, I guess there must've been enough of it between me and them that I survived, and… and now I'm here.

I'm here, and… I don't know what to do. I can never undo the damage I've done. Is breaking the cycle enough to balance that? I don't know. I played my part, did what I was fated to do, but that's no comfort to everyone who lost someone because of me. It's small enough comfort for me, and I know how fate works. Salem's gone, the gods are gone… I don't know what she did, so maybe I'll be judged in the new afterlife. If there is one.

— Kass

(subject to change as I'm redoing some things and still working on others)

Send me a number!

[cursedcola]

May i request cater, kalim, floyd and ace with reader who accidentally confesses to them and gets embarrassed and runs away, avoiding the boys? In headcanon format please!! (♡~^-^)

A/N: But of course! This is a very cute idea :) I hope you don't mind if I tweak the idea just a bit. You see, I recently had surgery to have my wisdom teeth removed. They gave me laughing gas before putting me to sleep, and it was the most wild ride. Sooo... 'what if the prefect confesses while on laughing gas, and remembers about it. Then they avoid the boys hehe'. You like? I hope so because I am rolling with it. Have fun reading!

Note! This is getting two parts!

Setting the stage:

Having no friends or family in Twisted Wonderland can be stressful. There is no one to return to while on break, no one to call when you miss home, no one to laugh with over memories - and no one to rely on in case of an emergency.

Which just so happens to be your predicament. Getting your wisdom teeth removed is no joke, and you'll be vulnerable for hours after the procedure. The nurse can't tend to your every need and Grimm is positively hopeless. The only option left is to find someone you trust enough to help.

Oh all mighty seven, please do not let anything embarrassing occur. Especially since he has volunteered to be your caretaker.

Cater Diamond

"Volunteer," perhaps is a stretch in vocabulary when it comes to Cater. He had been caught gossiping during class, and as consequence was given community service hours for the week. Specifically in the nurses office, since he couldn't be trusted anywhere with possible distractions.

He was in the loop about your surgery prior to this though. You had been anxious about it for weeks, and he is your go-to for ranting. You would help him paint the roses, and he would talk your ear off. Normally he would have to pry information out of you, but last week you had been more than willing to spill the details

Cater had already planned to pay you a visit during recovery, but now? He's posed with an ultimatum: file deskwork for hours or watch over the prefect overnight.

He picked the sleepover, obviously. One night while you're a bit loopy and drowsy is nothing compared to boring desk work.

He's there before you're put to sleep, the nurse explaining that he'll be watching over you as the laughing gas calms your nerves.

"Dr. Cay-Cay is on the case! Don't worry prefect, I promise not to put any of your hilarious outbursts on magicam!"

He is greatly tempted to start recording when the gas begins to take effect. You're mid-rant about the correct pronunciation of caramel and he's laughing his ass off as the IV-drip slowly makes you drowsier.

Before falling asleep, you look at him with a droopy grin, "I love you so so much Cay-Cay, thank you for being here with me- you're the best-est"

He giggles lightly into his fist, patting your hand and exiting the room until the operation is over.

Cater takes the confession with a grain of salt, clutching one fist to his chest as he waits in the lounge area. The other holds his phone, which is toggling to random apps in an attempt to distract him. You couldn't have meant it. It was the gas talking - he knows it.

And yet? Hearing those words made his heart stutter. If only he recorded, then he could hear them over and over again. Maybe play them back for you and gauge if there was some hint of truth?

That would be too painful, he thinks, and waits for the nurse to call him in.

Time passes, and Cater is pushing you back to Ramshackle in a wheelchair. Events from earlier are still lingering in his mind, but you're so chipper that it makes for a good distraction. You likely won't remember any of this anyways, so he takes the chance to have some fun.

Now that you're stable, he takes plenty of selfies with you. Back at the dorm he sets you up for the night and leaves you to rest in the living area, while making himself at home and enjoying the empty dorm.

Y'know, a glass of fresh juice, floral scented bubble bath, music playing through his phone speakers, and rare silence that he does not get back at Heartslabyul.

When they wake up, all effects from the anesthesia will be gone, he reminds himself. You won't remember anything, and he'll get to tease you with all the goofy photos and secrets you spilled while loopy. All he has to do is forget, because it didn't mean anything.

He wishes it did

but for your sake, he won't say anything. No matter how much he wants to.

Kalim Al' Asim

Scared to stay alone in Ramshackle, you had asked him to house you in Scarabia on for the day of your surgery.

More specifically, you had asked Jamil. Although Kalim was present and made the decision on the vice-leader's behalf. He doesn't ponder on why you asked Jamil instead of himself. The answer was obvious, with Jamil being the best caretaker out there! He would know just how to care for someone healing from surgery.

Which is why Jamil is going to teach Kalim everything there is to know about caring for a sick person. Why? Because while you are under his dorm's care, he is going to do everything in his power to make sure you are comfortable. He had agreed to helping you, not Jamil, so Kalim is going to be there every step of the way.

This includes before your surgery. He has a room prepared for you, and lets you get settled in before taking you to your appointment. He holds your hand when you're seated in the operating chair, and continues to keep you distracted as the laughing gas is administered.

He's telling you about the most recent letter from his siblings when your hand tightens around his, and his attention is all yours. He delicately squeezes back, and notes that the nurse is putting in your IV on the other arm.

"Nothing to be scared of! It's just a quick pinch and you'll be all better," he grins, wrapping his other hand around the one he is already holding.

You let out an airy chuckle, "I'm not scared. I love you too much to be scared when you're here," and his eyes widen to the size of saucers.

Kalim asks you to repeat yourself, but the IV has taken full effect and the nurse is asking him to step out until the procedure is over.

He wants to protest, but Jamil (who was in the waiting room) appears and drags the star-struck boy out.

He can't hold it in, and quickly spills everything he heard to his best friend.

You returned his affections. Kalim was convinced and Jamil could only hang his head in resignation. Unless you said otherwise, Kalim was taking your confession seriously and nothing will stop him.

After your surgery, the medications are still in effect. Kalim can't wait another second, and as you're being wheeled out is asking you if you love him.

Each time you say 'yes', his heart twirls. Jamil insists that you might not remember anything, that you're not in your right mind, yet it flies by the love-sick dorm leader.

Back at Scarabia, Kalim has you resting in his room instead of the guest room. He wouldn't dare share a bed with you, but he wants to be the first person you see when the medications wear off and you wake up.

He sleeps on the floor next to his bed, and makes sure to wake up periodically to check on you. In the morning, he goes out to get fresh flowers, brew a pot of tea, and prepare soft snacks for when you wake up.

He wants to hear it again. Say you love him, and not just because he asked this time.

Floyd Leech

“You’ll be staying with us, right little shrimpy?….right?”

The Leech twins have been extremely overprotective of you ever since Azul’s change of heart. Not only do they owe you an unspoken debt for saving their childhood friend, but you’re actually pretty interesting. Life’s never boring when the prefect is involved - something that is common knowledge among the students of Night Raven College.

Floyd in particular seems to have a much stronger and obvious attachment compared to Jade. What’s more is that he doesn’t even try to hide it. If he finds you spending too much time with other students then he gets jealous, and drags you off without asking. Crowley loading you with work? If it cuts into his prefect time, then you’re not doing it. He’ll tell the headmaster off personally if it bugs you that much. What’s he going to do, expel him? Does he dad need to get involved?

He notices instantly that you are not in class one morning. Normally that wouldn’t be weird, but your loud pet is still attending despite your absence. Other students observe in fear as a dark aura begins to surround Floyd as he glares daggers at the doorway. Jade somehow tames him to hold off interrogations until lunch, but Grimm’s luck runs out quickly-

“Oi, cat! Why isn’t my little shrimpy with you?”

Grimm tries to act tough, saying that he isn’t your babysitter and doesn’t know or care.

Unfortunately, Floyd doesn’t feel like asking twice. All he has to do is growl a bit and Grimm’s spilling the details. You’re at a consultation and having surgery tomorrow? And you didn’t tell him?

He goes to the nurse’s office, arriving just as you’re stepping out. Let’s get one thing straight - you will be staying with him tomorrow. Not in a guest room but in his dorm and where he can watch you

Why? Because he said so. You don’t need a better reason <3 Now let him squeeze you, its the least you can do after “worrying” him

he was so bored in class without you to annoy

The next day comes, and Floyd is at your front door first thing in the morning. He did not bother telling you his plans, and you instead found hum leaning against the front fence while waiting for you to come out

He teases you on the way. Nothing too serious, but enough to make your nerves act up. Floyd finds it funny how your hands tremble as the nurse guides you into the operating area. They tried to kick him out, noticing that he was the source of your distress

Did not work lol. Nice try though

He watches from the doorway as the laughing gas is administered, suddenly silent as he glares down the surgeon administering your IV. Your delirious ramblings aren’t ignored, it’s just that Floyd has no reason to play nice if you can’t focus on him anymore

Aka. You are now vulnerable and Floyd is in protective mode.

You gasp and for a moment he thinks the surgeon hurt you. Floyd’s half way off the wall when he hears it

“Floyd? Is dat you?” and he’s chill. Two big strides and he’s leaning over your head with a shark-tooth grin.

“Oh mY sEvEn iT iS i’m not hallucinating your handsomeness, right? Doctor this stuff doesn’t make you hallucinate, right?”

Oh so you think he’s handsome?

“G o o d. Listen I know that soon my mouth is going to be all bloody, but I love you so you’ll have to deal with my kisses anyways, okay?”

Oh, so you love him?

Floyd laughs loudly, planting a large kiss on your cheek as you drift off into sleep. The surgeon takes his moment of euphoria to nudge him out and he doesn’t fight back. Instead he shoves both hands into his pockets and moves to wait outside of the door.

Now that he knows you love him, all he has to do is wait and see if you remember. If you do? Cute. Prepare to be smothered. If you don’t? Watch out. He’s been itching to have some fun

Ace Trappola

After everything you have done for this twat, he better take care of you after your surgery

Ace was one of the first to find out something was wrong. The way you would clutch your mouth in pain occasionally, overkill brushing your teeth (putting Trey to shame), and constantly check in the mirror after meals? Definitely not subtle in the slightest.

Ace is also the one to make you see the nurse. He passes it off as being annoyed at your habits, but Ace is actually concerned for your health. You’re always busy looking after everyone else, so someone has to look out for you, y’know? Not that he would ever admit it.

He even offers to go with you for the consultation, but you owe him lunch. Ace is very snarky about giving up his time until he hears your name and surgery in the same sentence

He is the one who is actually scared on your behalf. Not because of the surgery, but more-so about your response to it. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that you aren’t from twisted wonderland, but for Ace it is something he thinks about every day

You’re his best friend. What if the procedures they use in TWST aren’t normal for your body? What if they hurt you?

He pushes this down, eyeing you from his peripheral vision to gauge your reaction. Good thing he did because you look like a nervous wreak

“H-hey. It’s not so bad, y’know? Everyone gets it done at some point and you’ll even get a few days off from school,” he tries to comfort you, placing a stiff hand on your shoulder and walking you home.

He doesn’t offer to stay with you. He wants to but thinks that someone more responsible like Riddle would be a better fit.

Ace can’t resist when you ask him though. He sighs casually and shrugs as if to say, “it can’t be helped,” but on the inside is panicking. He can barely take care of himself, let alone another person?

On the day of the surgery you are much more calm than he expects. He jokes around, saying things like “it’s because i’m here,” and “you can’t do nothin’ without me huh?” all while expecting you to fight back. Ace is confused when you shrug him off yet don’t deny it

“Just say if anything hurts, alright? They know what they’re doing but don’t keep anything to yourself,” he feels the panic rising again when you’re given the laughing gas and IV drip. He gently holds onto your knee, standing next to the bed as you begin to passionately rant about the hell the students and staff at NRC put you through

Panic disappears quickly, believe it. The poor surgeon is now baring witness to an all out verbal brawl between their half-conscious patient and a hotheaded idiot

“OH SHUT. UP. I wouldn’t be stuck with with half the shit I am if I wasn’t in love with you! Be f*cking grateful and let me sleep!”

…….

O_O

He is out. Ace doesn’t even wait until you are fully asleep to leave. The moment those words leave your lips he is out the door and sitting in the waiting room and whipping out his phone

Man’s sweaty ass hands can’t hit dial quick enough

“Trey please help me, what do I do-“

[inkabelledesigns]

Loraine Celeste (Custom Doll, July 2022)

Base Doll: Freddie Facilier from Descendants

Clothing Pattern: (I modified it slightly to have longer sleeves and a tiered skirt.)

Normally I will wait until my camera photos are spruced up on the computer, but I can't contain myself (meaning you'll be seeing a lot more of Loraine when I do get to share her full photoshoot). This is all just stuff from my phone. Meet Loraine Celeste, my third attempt at making this character in doll form! XD

Loraine is formerly a ballerina doll that wanted a taste for what else the world has to offer, so she secretly switched places with a nutcracker soldier, Auran Dulce, to see what his stance in life had to offer. While she still hasn't figured out where she belongs in the world, Loraine is an adventurous spirit that has so much love for the world and all its wonders. She travels across the kingdom of Equinox in search of where she's meant to be, and in the process, she makes many new friends.

Her doll was a process, I've attempted to make her before, but it just never turned out right before now, and part of it was that I didn't understand her character. She needed to be free like the wind, and that meant giving her room to explore, so her design changed to be more functional for that, something bright with some flow that also can blend in somewhat. I also wanted her to match Auran in having facial detailing. He has a scar that's filled in with gold, much like the process of kintsugi. Meanwhile she has a rose painted on the opposite side of her face, a symbol of the fact that while she is beautiful, she is a force to be reckoned with, a wild part of nature that has thorns amidst her grace and elegance. Loraine is tough, but she is also gentle and kind when the occasion calls for it. The rose has become an important symbol in developing her, and thus I wanted to photograph her with my mom's rose bushes. Aren't they lovely? My mom has done such a good job taking care of them.

Loraine is one of a group of dolls I've finished since my dad passed away, and it feels fitting somehow. I haven't worked on dolls in a long time, not since April, since Dad was sick and I just, didn't have the heart or energy for it. But something my dad wanted was for me (and all of my siblings) to be happy finding my path in life. And the truth is, I haven't really found that yet. I don't know what will make me happy, but Loraine's story is part of my process for figuring it out. As she goes on her adventures, I'm going to go on mine, we're gonna figure it out together. And with Auran by her side or sending her letters as she travels, I know she'll figure it out, just as I'm figuring it out. Everyone needs a friend like that. It's been my dream for ages to go and write a published fantasy novel, and I'm considering shifting gears to find a place in the publishing industry as a job to gain experience before I go and share this story with the world. I dunno how it'll work out, but that's what I told my dad the last time we got to talk about this. Telling stories is a core part of who I am, I would feel incomplete without them, so I'm gonna find a place in the world where I can do that. The Chronicles of Equinox are something I care a lot about, I love these characters and they light up my life. I want to make it real somehow.

[megsironthrone]

Meg's Game of Tales: Tale 15

*Familiar Characters are NEVER mine! The original story of "Rapunzel" was written by The Brothers Grimm.*

Warnings: Rapunzel AU, angst-ish, a little fluff

Pairings: Prince!Jaime Lannister x fem!reader

This hunt was not going as planned. Not at all. Not only had Jaime not caught anything, but he'd gotten hurt in the process. It just wasn't a good day. The only thing Jaime was looking forward to now was getting home, getting clean, and collapsing in bed. That was the thought that kept him pressing forward. But then? He heard it. A voice calling out.

"Y/N! Y/N! Let down your hair!" Jaime followed the sound of the voice and came upon a tower. At the bottom of a tower was an older looking woman, but that wasn't what caught Jaime's attention. it was what the old woman was climbing. It wasn't a ladder or a rope. No. It was…hair?! Jaime's gaze followed the hair up and, as expected it was attached to the head of a woman. A beautiful woman. Well, from what he could see from a distance anyway.

How had Jaime not seen this tower before? He hunted in these woods all the time. Jaime watched until the two figures disappeared from view. Jaime had always been the curious sort of man, so the need to know more welled up in his chest and it took everything in him to stay away from the tower. If the younger woman was trapped up there, it wasn't safe for him to approach while the older woman was there. So, he left, determined to come back the next day when hopefully, the younger woman would be alone and safe.

The next day, Jaime was out early, heading toward the tower. He got there quickly, hiding in the bushes until the older woman was gone. As soon as she was out of sight, Jaime ran up and called out the same phrase he'd heard her call out the day before. "Y/N! Y/N! Let down your hair!" It took a moment, but soon the voluminous length of hair came cascading out of the window of the tower.

Wasting no time, Jaime began to climb. His arms and legs burned with the effort, but his curiosity was piqued and he couldn't go back now. He had to meet the woman at the top of the tower. Who was she? Why was she there? Would she ever want to leave? Was the old woman kind to her? All these questions fueled Jaime's climb until he finally made it to the top and swung into the window.

"W-Who are you?" Jaime glanced up to see a pair of beautiful eyes staring back at him in fear and wonder. You were more beautiful up close. "I think the better question is who are you and why are you in this tower?" You arched a brow. "That's two questions. And you're the one who climbed into MY home. Now, who are you?" Jaime held his hands up in gesture of surrender.

"Jaime. My name is Jaime. I-I saw your tower yesterday and heard the old woman call out to you. I had to know more." You let out a scoff and shook your head. "Mother says the outside world is cruel and vicious. The tower keeps me safe" Jaime nodded. "She's right about that. But I mean you no harm. I swear." You regarded him with distrust. "I don't think I believe you." Jaime chuckled. You were smart. "Perhaps I could sit with you a while? We can talk and maybe then you'll trust me." After a moment of thought, you nodded slowly in agreement.

*time skip*

"Y/N! Let down your hair!" Jaime called out. He'd been coming to see you every day for weeks now. At one point, he'd nearly been caught by your mother. That day you'd been frightened and told him to stay away. He hadn't of course, but you were slowly growing to trust him. It was his favorite part of the day, getting to see you.

Despite being locked up in a door less tower your entire life, you were very intelligent. You could sniff out a lie like a bloodhound. Jaime couldn't hide the fact that he was a prince from you for very long. You were also very sweet, but had a temper that Jaime admired. You rarely showed it, but when you did, you could scare the most fierce creatures. The only thing that bothered Jaime, truly bothered him really, was that you seemed content to never leave your tower. You wanted adventure, but you didn't want to leave your mother.

As Jaime climbed your hair once more, he went through his argument in his head. He was going to try and get you to talk to your mother about leaving the tower for good. It couldn't be healthy being locked away all the time, could it? Jaime didn't expect what was going to happen.

"Hello, Y/N!" Jaime greeted as he climbed in the window. He looked up only to be met with the face of your mother. She looked livid. "Who are you?! How did you find this place?! Did he send you?!" Jaime glanced at you in confusion. "He? Who are you speaking of?" Your mother relaxed a little, but only a little.

"Does anyone know you're here?" she asked and Jaime shook his head. She smiled. "Good. Then no one will know what I'm going to do to you." A crack of lightening sounded over heard, causing Jaime's brows to furrow. It had been sunny when he climbed in a moment before. He glanced out the window to see rows and rows of thorns springing up from the ground.

"MOTHER NO!" you cried. Jaime spun around to see that your mother was about to push him from the window. "Please, Mother, don't! Jaime is my friend. I-I think I love him." Your mother whirled around and Jaime's eyes widened. "Do you even know him?" You nodded sheepishly. "He's been coming every day for many weeks now. I'm sorry I did not tell you. I didn't want to lose him. Or you."

Your mother approached you. "Y/N, darling, how can you trust him? I've told the outside world is a horrible place. I'm the only one who can protect you." Jaime's brows came together as he processed what was being said. "Protect her from what? Surely there can't be an actual threat on the life of someone so kind and lovable. Can there?" Your mother let out a sigh.

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you now. I'm not your real mother, Y/N. Your real mother charged me with caring and protecting you when you were only a child. I was to keep you safe until she reached out to me. But then she died and the threat to you grew worse."

"I ask again, threat from what?" Jaime asked. He wasn't one to draw out stories longer than necessary. That was more Tyrion's expertise. The woman rolled her eyes, but continued on, "The threat from Lord Gregor Clegane," she stated before turning back to you, "Your brother."

"M-My brother?" She nodded. "I know Gregor. He's a monster," Jaime stated, "Your mother was right to send you away. I'd forgotten there was a third sibling. After Gregor held Sandor's face over the fire, the third child was said to have disappeared. Some said she was murdered by Gregor for trying to tell people the truth about what happened instead of the story the late Lord Clegane told."

You looked between Jaime and the woman you knew as your mother in disbelief. "I'm a lady? Like…a trueborn lady?" They both nodded. "That's why I've kept you here. For your own good." You nodded, but Jaime wasn't having it anymore. You had said you thought you loved him. He wasn't sure anything would come of that love if you were stuck in the tower for the rest of your life or Gregor's.

"She doesn't have to stay in the tower. It's true Gregor is still alive, but I doubt he would recognize either of you. And even if he did, you would be safe. Your brother Sandor is still alive as well. He lives in the castle as part of the guard. You would be protected and safe anywhere you went. I swear it."

Your mother immediately began to protest while your eyes were glued to Jaime's again. For a moment, the two of you stared at each other while your mother droned on in the background. After a bit, you spoke again. "No, Mother. I won't stay here," you said, turning to her and taking her hands in yours, "I love you. Very much. I know you want to protect me, but I need to be out of this tower to discover this new part of who I am and if Jaime says he can keep me safe, I trust him. He hasn't broke a promise to me yet. Please, Mother. Let's leave this place together."

The older woman turned to Jaime and in a stern voice asked, "Can you keep your promise? Will you keep her safe?" Jaime nodded without hesitation. While he wasn't sure if he loved you romantically, he did have a love for you. He always protected those he loved. She stared into his eyes the same way you always did when you were trying to figure out if he was lying or not.

"Very well. You have my blessing. I will return to my former cottage, but you two will go to the castle and enjoy life together. If you ever have need of me, you will know where to find me." With that, she placed a kiss to your forehead and nodded to Jaime. She waved her hand to cause the thorns to disappear.

Using your hair, she left the tower to return to her cottage. Jaime followed her down and waited for you at the bottom. You gripped tight to the hair that was going to be your way to freedom. Taking a deep breath, you began lowering yourself from the tower for the first and only time, ready to start a new adventure.

(a/n: That's our 15th tale! Only 3 more to go, plus 2nd parts for "A Hound-Shaped Helm" and "Three Days".)

[themousefromfantasyland]

The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights

Or, russian Snow White and the seven Bogatyrs, legendary slavic warriors, similar to the knight-errant in Western tradition

This is a 1833 poem by russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin, inspired by the childhood tales told by his nurse. It's basically russian Snow White, been astonishly closer to the Disney film than the original Brothers Grimm's fairy tale

With his suite the Tsar departed. The Tsarina tender-hearted at the window sat alone, wishing he would hurry home.

All day every day she waited, gazing till her dedicated eyes grew weak from overstrain, gazing at the empty plain. Not a sign of her beloved!

Nothing but the snowflakes hurried, heaping drifts upon the lea. Earth was white as white could be. Nine long months she sat and waited, kept her vigil unabated.

Then from God on Christmas Eve, she a daughter did receive. Next day early in the morning, love and loyalty rewarding. Home again from travel far, came at last the father-Tsar.

One fond glance at him she darted, gasped for joy with thin lips parted. Then fell back upon her bed and by prayer-time was dead.

Long the Tsar sat lonely, brooding. But he, too, was only human.

Tears for one sad year he shed... And another woman wed.

She (if one be strictly truthful) was a born Tsarina. Youthful, slim, tall, fair to look upon. Clever, witty, and so on.

But she was in equal measure stubborn, haughty, wilful, jealous. In her dowry rich and vast was a little looking-glass.

It had this unique distinction: It could speak with perfect diction. Only with this glass would she in a pleasant humour be.

Many times a day she'd greet it and coquettishly entreat it:

"Tell me, pretty looking-glass, nothing but the truth, I ask: Who in all the world is fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

And the looking-glass replied:

"You, it cannot be denied. You in all the world are fairest and your beauty is the rarest."

The Tsarina laughed with glee, shrugged her shoulders merrily, puffed her cheeks and bat her eyelids, flicked her fingers coyly, slyly, pranced around with hand on hips, arrogance upon her lips.

All this time the Tsar's own daughter quietly, as Nature taught her, grew and grew, and came quite soon like a flower into bloom: Raven-browed, of fair complexion, breathing kindness and affection.

And the choice of fiance lighted on Prince Yelisei. Suit was made. The Tsar consented and her dowry was indented:

Seven towns with wealthy store. Mansion-houses, sevenscore. On the night before the wedding, for a bridal party dressing, the Tsarina, time to pass, chatted with her looking-glass:

"Who in all the world is fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

Then what did the glass reply?

"You are fair, I can't deny. But the Princess is the fairest. And her beauty is the rarest."

Up the proud Tsarina jumped. On the table how she thumped, angrily the mirror slapping, slipper heel in fury tapping!

"O you loathsome looking-glass, telling lies as bold as brass! By what right is she my rival?Such young folly I shall bridle. So she's grown up? Me to spite! Little wonder she's so white: With her bulging mother gazing. At that snow?What's so amazing! Now look here, explain to me. How can she the fairer be? Scour this realm of ours and seek well, nowhere shall you find my equal. Is not that the truth?" she cried.

Still the looking-glass replied:

"But the Princess is the fairest and her beauty is the rarest."

The Tsarina burst with spite, hurled the mirror out of sight, underneath the nearest cupboard, and when breath she had recovered, summoned Smudge, her chamber maid and to her instructions gave:

"Take the Princess to the forest. Bind her hand and foot and forehead to a tree! When wolves arrive let them eat the girl alive!"

Woman's wrath would daunt the devil! Protest was no use whatever.

Soon the Princess left with Smudge for the woods. So far they trudged that the Princess guessed the reason. Scared to death by such foul treason, loud she pleaded:

"Spare my life! Innocent of guilt am I! Do not kill me, I beseech you! And when I become Tsarina I shall give you rich reward."

Smudge, who really loved her ward, being loth to kill or bind her, let her go, remarking kindly:

"God be with you! Do not moan!"

And, this said, went back alone.

"Well?" demanded the Tsarina. "Where's that pretty little creature?"

"In the forest on her own," Smudge replied. "And there she'll stay. To a tree I firmly lashed her. When a hungry beast attacks her, she'll have little time to cry, and the quicker she shall die!"

Rumour spread and caused a panic: "What, the Tsar's own daughter vanished!"

Mournful was the Tsar that day, but the young Prince Yelisei offered God a fervent prayer and departed then and there, to seek out and homeward guide, his sweet-tempered, youthful bride.

Meanwhile his young bride kept walking through the forest until morning, vague as to her whereabouts.

Suddenly she spied a house. Out a dog ran growling, yapping, then sat down, his tail tap-tapping. At the gate there was no guard. All was quiet in the yard.

Close at heel the good dog bounded as the Princess slowly mounted stairs to gain the living floor, turned the ring upon the door.

Silently the door swung open and before her eyes unfolded a bright chamber: all around benches strewn with rugs she found, board of oak beneath the ikon and a stove with tiles to lie on.

To the Princess it was clear, kindly folk were dwelling here, who would not deny her shelter.

No one was at home, however. So she set to, cleaned the pans, made the whole house spick and span, lit a candle in the corner, fed the fire to be warmer, climbed onto the platform bed, there to lay her sleepy head.

Dinner time. The yard resounded, horses stamped and men dismounted. Thick-moustached and ruddy-skinned, seven lusty Knights walked in.

Said the Eldest: "How amazing! All so neat! The fire blazing! Somebody's been cleaning here, and is waiting somewhere near. Who is there? Come out of hiding! Be a friend in peace abiding! If you're someone old and hoar, be our uncle evermore! If you're young and love a scuffle.We'll embrace you as a brother. If a venerable dame, then shall 'mother' be your name. If a maiden fair, we'll call you our dear sister and adore you."

So the Princess rose, came down to the Seven Knights and bowed. Her good wishes emphasising, blushing and apologising that to their delightful home uninvited she had come.

Straight they saw her speech bore witness to the presence of a Princess.

So they cleared a corner seat, offered her a pie with meat, filled a glass with wine and served it on a tray, as she deserved it.

But the glass of heady wine she politely did decline, and the pie she broke with caution, savouring a tiny portion.

Pleading she was very tired, soon she gracefully retired and the Seven Knights conveyed her to the best and brightest chamber and, away as they did creep, she was falling fast asleep.

Days flew by? The Princess living all the time without misgiving, in the forest, never bored, with the Seven Knights abroad.

Darkness would the earth still cover when at dawn the seven brothers would ride out to try their luck with a long-bow, shooting duck.

She, as lady of the house, rose much later, moved about dusting, polishing and cooking, never once the Knights rebuking. They, too, never chided her. Days flew by like gossamer.

And in time they grew to love her. Thereupon all seven brothers, shortly after dawn one day, to her chamber made their way, and the Eldest Knight addressed her:

"As you know, you are our sister. But all seven of us here are in love with you, my dear, and we all desire your favours. But that must not be. God save us! Find some way to give us peace! Be a wife to one at least, to the rest remain a sister! But you shake your head. Is this to say our offer you refuse? Nothing from our stock you'll choose?"

"O my brave and bonny brothers, virtuous beyond all others!"

In reply the Princess'said, "God in heaven strike me dead if my answer be not honest: I've no choice. My hand is promised! You're all equal in my eyes, all so valiant and wise, and I love you all, dear brothers! But my heart is to another pledged for evermore. One day I shall wed Prince Yelisei!"

Hushed, the brothers kept their station, scratched their foreheads in frustration.

"As you wish! So now we know," said the Eldest with a bow.

"Pray, forgive us, and I promise you'll hear nothing further from us!"

"I'm not angry," she replied. "By my pledge I must abide."

Bowing low, the seven suitors left her room with passions muted. So in harmony again did they live and friendship reign.

The Tsarina was still livid, every time she saw in vivid memory the Princess fair.

Long the mirror, lying there, was the object of her hatred;

But at last her wrath abated. So one day it came to pass, that she took the looking-glass, up again and sat before it, smiled and, as before, implored it:

"Greetings, pretty looking-glass! Tell me all the truth, I ask: Who in all the world is fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

Said the mirror in reply:

"You are fair, I can't deny. But where Seven Knights go riding, in a green oak-grove residing, humbly lives a person who is more beautiful than you."

The Tsarina's wrath descended on her maid: "What folly tempted you to lie? You disobeyed!"

Smudge a full confession made...

Uttering a threat of torture, the Tsarina grimly swore to send the Princess to her death, or not draw another breath.

One day by her window waiting for her brothers homeward hasting, sat the young Princess and span.

Suddenly the dog began barking. Through the courtyard scurried a poor beggar-woman, worried by the dog she kept at bay with her stick.

"Don't go away! Stay there, stay!" the Princess shouted, from the window leaning outward.

"Let me call the dog to heel, and I'll offer you a meal."

And the beggar-woman answered: "Pretty child, you take my fancy! For that dog of yours, you see, could well be the death of me. See him snarling, bristling yonder! Come here, child!"

The Princess wanted to go out, and took a loaf. But the dog its body wove round her feet, refused to let her step towards the woman-beggar.

When the woman, too, drew near, wilder than an angry bear, it ttacked her. How perplexing!

"Had a bad night's sleep, I reckon!" Said the Princess. "Catch it! There!"

And the bread flew through the air. The poor beggar-woman caught it.

"I most humbly thank you, daughter, God be merciful!" said she. "In return take this from me!"

The bright apple she was holding, newly picked, fresh, ripe and golden, straight towards the Princess flew...

How the dog leapt in pursuit! But the Princess neatly trapped it in her palms.

"Enjoy the apple at you leisure, little pet! Thank you for the loaf of bread..."

Said the beggar-woman, brandished in the air her stick and vanished...

Up the stairs the Princess ran with the dog, which then began pitifully staring, whining, just as if its heart were pining for the gift of speech to say: "Throw that apple far away!"

Hastily his neck she patted: "Hey, Sokolko, what's the matter? Lie down!"

Entering once more her own room, she shut the door, sat there with her spindle humming, waiting for her brothers' coming.

But she could not take her gaze from the apple where it lay, full of fragrance, rosy, glowing, fresh and juicy, ripe and golden, sweet as honey to the lips! She could even see the pips...

First the Princess thought of waiting until dinner. But temptation proved too strong. She grasped the bright apple, took a stealthy bite and with fair cheek, sweetly hollowed a delicious morsel swallowed.

All at once her breathing stopped, listlessly her white arms dropped. From her lap the rosy apple tumbled to the floor. The hapless maiden closed her swooning eyes, reeled and fell without a cry, on the bench her forehead striking, then lay still beneath the ikon...

Now the brothers, as it chanced, were returning in a band from another warlike foray. Out to meet them in the forest, went the dog and, running hard, led them straight into the yard.

Said the Knights: "An evil omen! Grief in store!"

The door they opened, walked into the room and gasped. But the dog like lightning dashed for the apple and devoured it. Death that instant overpowered it. For the apple was, they saw, filled with poison to the core.

By the dead Princess the brothers bent their heads in tears and uttered holy prayer to save her soul; Nothing could their grief console.

From the bench they raised her, dressed her, wished within a grave to rest her. Then had second thoughts. For she was as rosy as if sleep. Garlands of repose were wreathing round her, though she was not breathing.

Three whole days they waited, but still her eyes were tightly shut.

So that night with solemn ritual, in a coffin made of crystal, they laid out the body fair of the Princess and from there, to a hollow mountain bore her, where a tomb they fashioned for her:

Iron chains they used to fix her glass case to pillars six. With due caution, and erected iron railings to protect it.

Then the Eldest smote his breast, and the dead Princess addressed:

"Ever peaceful be your slumber! Though your days were few in number On this earth spite took its toll? Yet shall heaven have your soul. With pure love did we regard you, for your loved one did we guard you, but you came not to the groom, only to a chill dark tomb."

That same day the bad Tsarina, waiting for good news to reach her, secretly the mirror took and her usual question put:

"Who is now by far the fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

And the answer satisfied:

"You, it cannot be denied. You in all the world are fairest. And your beauty is the rarest!"

In pursuit of his sweet bride, through the country far and wide, still Prince Yelisei goes riding, weeping bitterly. No tidings!

For no matter whom he asks, people either turn their backs, or most rudely rock with laughter: No one knows what he is after.

Now to the bright Sun in zeal, did the bold young Prince appeal:

"Sun, dear Sun! The whole year coursing through the sky, in springtime thawing from the chill earth winter snow! You observe us all below. Surely you'll not grudge an answer? Tell me, did you ever chance to see the Princess I revere? I'm her fiance." "My dear,"

Said the Sun with some insistence, "I have nowhere seen your Princess, so she's dead, we must presume. That is, if my friend, the Moon, has not met her on his travels, or seen clues you may unravel."

Through the dark night Yelisei, feeling anything but gay, with a lover's perseverance, waited for the Moon's appearance.

"Moon, O Moon, my friend!" he said. "Gold of horn and round of head, from the darkest shadows rising, with your eye the world apprising. You whom stars with love regard as you mount your nightly guard! Surely you'll not grudge an answer? Tell me, did you ever chance to see the Princess I revere? I'm her fiance." "O dear!"

Said the Moon in consternation,

"No, I have not seen the maiden. On my round I only go, when it is my turn, you know.

It would seem that I was resting, when she passed." "How very vexing!"

Cried aloud Prince Yelisei. But the Moon went on to say:

"Wait a minute! I suggest you have the Wind come to the rescue. Call him now! It's worth a try. And cheer up a bit! Goodbye!"

Yelisei, not losing courage, to the Wind's abode now hurried.

"Wind, O Wind! Lord of the sky, herding flocks of clouds on high. Stirring up the dark-blue ocean, setting all the air in motion. Unafraid of anyone, saving God in heaven alone! Surely you'll not grudge an answer? Tell me, did you ever chance to see the Princess I revere? I'm her fiance." "O hear!"

Said the Wind in turmoil blowing.

"Where a quiet stream is flowing, stands a mountain high and steep. In it lies a cavern deep; In this cave in shadows dismal, sways a coffin, made of crystal. Hung by chains from pillars six. Round it barren land in which no man ever meets another. In that tomb your bride discover!"

With a howl the Wind was gone. Yelisei wept loud and long. To the barren land he journeyed, desperately, sadly yearning, once again to see his bride.

On he rode. A mountain high rose before him, soaring steeply fom a land laid waste completely.

At its foot, an entrance dim. Yelisei went quickly in. There, he saw, in shadows dismal swayed a coffin made of crystal, where the Princess lay at rest, in the deep sleep of the blest. And the Prince in tears dissolving threw himself upon the coffin...

And it broke!

The maiden straight came to life, sat up, in great wonder looked about and yawning as she set her bed see-sawing, said with pretty arms outstretched:

"Gracious me! How long I've slept!"

Down she stepped from out the coffin. O the sighing and the sobbing! Carrying his bride, he strode back to daylight. Home they rode, making pleasant conversation, till they reached their destination.

Swiftly rumour spread around:

"The Princess is safe and sound!"

It so happened the Tsarina in her room was idly seated by her magic looking-glass, and to pass the time did ask:

"Who in all the world is fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

Said the mirror in reply:

"You are fair, I can't deny, but the Princess is the fairest, and her beauty is the rarest!"

The Tsarina leapt and smashed on the floor her looking-glass.

Rushing to the door she saw the fair young Princess walk towards her.

Overcome by grief and spite, the Tsarina died that night.

From the grave where she was buried, to a wedding people hurried, for the good Prince Yelisei wed his Princess that same day.

Never since the World's creation, was there such a celebration; I was there, drank mead and yet, barely got my whiskers wet.

[mageicalwishes]

Day 1, Found Family - New Traditions

The Gang start a new Festive tradition filled with love, laughter, music, food & fun.

Day 2, Distance - Say I Love You When You’re Not Listening

Baz reflects on the events of Wayward Son, and the hopelessness he feels. "A trip to try and save him - To save us. A last ditch effort to put some of the sunshine back in to his soul. Rammed together in economy, the press of his knee firm against mine, but his mind miles away. His eyes ever averted. Touching yet so far apart. I just wish I knew where I went wrong."

Day 3, Retellings - Changing History

The Mage's publicized documents reveal a myriad of painful truths about the loss of Natasha Grimm-Pitch and the origins of Simon Snow.

Day 4, Side Characters - Thawing Of A Heart

Malcolm & Daphne. “I’d always known that I would remarry eventually. It was my duty for the good of the family. Basil needed a mother. And I needed … someone. It was a simple, logical decision - To find a woman of good breeding, and give her the Grimm name. To carry on. But, through all my planning and preparation, I had never anticipated that I would fall in love. Never anticipated her."

Day 5, Sleepless - Tonight He Is Mine

"I can’t sleep. I can never sleep these days, not how I want to anyway - It's always either that I’m knocked out for 15 hours, waking up disoriented and heavy, or that I can barely catch a moment's rest. But today is different. My body is tired, and my mind is too. If I let myself, I’d be gone. But I won’t. I can’t. Tonight is my last night with Baz, and I don’t want to miss a minute of it."

Day 6, WLW - To Her, I Taste Of Nothing At All

Fiona & Ebb. "But then, before I even knew what was happening, she was kissing me back. And Crowley, I swear I melted. She tasted of cigarette smoke and spiced rum - Like fire personified."

Day 7, Animal(s) - Family Dog

My interpretation of ‘I was a 15-year-old closet case whose parents pretended they didn’t notice when the family dog disappeared’. “A shallow grave. So much less than she deserves. But … I can’t breathe. I can’t even think. I’m running on autopilot and adrenaline alone. Everything is just - I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how I got here. I'm losing control. I can't - I can't even look at her. She's still wrapped in my sheets. I can see her bleeding. I still want it. I still want more."

Day 8, Rain - From Across The Courtyard

"When I first met him, it was hammering it down. I was rushing to the main door in a desperate attempt to rescue my suede shoes, umbrella snagging against the wind, when I heard it - An impolite 'Oi! Are you new?'"

Day 9, Kids/Childhood - At The Top Of A Tower

Simon reflects on the few happy memories he made with Baz at Watford.

Day 10, Crossover - I’ll Give You The Stars

A loose crossover between Carry On and parts of I'll Give You The Sun. “He’s haloed under the streetlights, and I’m trying not to stare. But, it’s hard. His face is celestial - The sunshine of his soul peeking through his features. I want to say more, just so that he doesn’t leave. Our houses are right there but, I feel so ... multicoloured."

Day 11, Fluff - Keeping Warm

Simon & Baz spend a tentative first night together after the events of the forest fire. “He’s sighing against me, and sliding a hand up towards to my neck to hold me closer against him, and - Fuck. He’s freezing. I jolt backwards without meaning to. Staring down at him in awe - His pupils blown wide, and a faint (But definitely present) blush spread across his cheeks."

Day 12, Wings - The Guests Can Wait

"Weddings are even more exhausting than I had imagined. What with the panicked last minute search for Simon’s vows (Which ended up being in the mini-fridge of all places), and having to parade ourselves around all of our well-wishing friends and family. All I want to do was get him alone. To tell him, without the presence of a hundred witnesses, how much he means to me - How much the fact that we’re here, together, after everything, means to me."

Day 13, Below the Surface - Below The Surface

"Las Vegas is a sham of a city. Outside it’s all bright lights and glitzy shows - Normal magicians and celebrity chefs. But, beneath its shiny exterior, it’s nothing more than a grim desert, filled with counterfeit culture, and people burning through money they don’t really have. The Katherine is no exception."

Day 14, Constellation(s) - Mirror, Mirror

Simon struggles with his body image Post-Carry On. “Sometimes I just … get so mad at them (At myself, really). I wish that they’d just grow up and tell me like it is. Tell me how much I’ve disappointed them. Tell me that they no longer want me."

Day 15, Hurt/Comfort - First Aid

Simon cares for Baz's Buckshot wounds. Less angsty re-write of the scene in Wayward Son. “I glare at him - At his blackened under eyes, and matted hair. The slight hunch of his back. It does hurt. I know it does. Liar. I move my face closer to his, and breathe in his air. I want to hug him. To kiss him. To cheer him up, somehow. Make him better. But I can’t. I don’t know how. So, instead I step away. My hands dropping limply, to my sides."

Day 16, Meme/Crack - Baby, You Can Pick Me Up Any Day

Oovoo Javer? Oovoo Javer. AKA: Baz is Simon's slightly dickhead-ish Uber driver. “I kept trying to talk to him - Asking about his night, and whether he always listens to Classical music, or if it was just for show - but he ignored me. Staring unamusedly at me in the mirror, eyebrow raised and lips tilted downwards. He got 2 stars for that trip."

Day 17, Blanket Fort - Torch The Night-Filled Fort

Baz surprises Simon with a living room blanket fort transformation. “I turn to him, beaming. ‘Baz, what? What is this?’ He hums against me. ‘Blanket fort. You’re terribly inobservant, Snow.’ ‘Yeah, but … I mean, why?’ ‘Well, it’s been a year now since we left for America, and we’ve come a long way since then. Thought it was worth celebrating,’ he confesses, smiling shyly down at the floor.”

Day 18, Side Ships - You Got A Boyfriend?

Shepard & Penny. Shepard asks Penny a very important question (Well, in his mind, anyway).

Day 19, Misunderstanding - Wrong Bottle, Moron

Simon makes a VERY stupid mistake while showering. Cue, Baz coming to his rescue.

Day 20, Technology - Screenless

Baz and Simon have been chatting online for a year. It's finally time to meet IRL and take their relationship into HD reality.

Day 21, Warmth - Out In The Cold

Fangirl era. Simon and Baz get stuck in a snowstorm, and have to find a way to stay warm.

Day 22, Unlikely Friends - You’re My Bro

Shepard comes over to hang out with his bro ... Baz?

Day 23, Cooking/Baking - What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin’?

Simon is making dinner. Baz is soft.

Day 24, Song - He Made It Easy, Darlin’

Simon & Baz struggle with trying to take the next step in their relationship. Inspired by Easy by Troye Sivan

Day 25, Parallel Universe - Parallelt Univers

Simon and Baz spend the day recovering in bed, after their first kiss. Inspired by the 'Parallel Universes' talk from Skam.

Day 26, Break - I Think We Should Break Up

Simon is trying to do what's right for Baz. Baz disagrees.

Day 27, Snowstorm - Searching In The Snow

Simon has lost his cat. So the only obvious choice is to hammer on his neighbour's door at 2AM ... And Baz is not impressed.

Day 28, Party - Festivities, Food, and Family. Chapter 1

"I’m over the bloody moon. After everything that happened after we left Watford, I wasn’t sure that I’d ever get to see this Snow - a truly joyful Snow - again. And it broke my heart. Yet, here we are, spending our fifth anniversary together, surrounded by friends and family in our own little London flat."

Day 29, Secret Santa/Gift Giving - Festivities, Food, and Family. Chapter 2

Day 30, Any Way the Wind Blows - Worst Road Trip ... Ever!

Shepard is NOT enjoying his trip back to England with the Gang. "I feel like a kid again, sat in the back of my mothers pick-up, hyped up on sugar, but belted down to the seat. Unable to run. Constantly being shushed."

Also huge thanks and praise goes to everyone involved in running the @carryon-countdown Countdown this year!!! I really enjoyed taking part :)

[the-diamond-fox-express]

The moment you all been waiting for, are you ready

The tale of Casey Grimm's parents part 3 : the heart ache

After Eric Grimm tried to find a open entrance for his wife and daughter to escape the fire but all hope is lost

But an idea flew into Eric's head but it's not a good one " Alice I have an idea " he spoke to Alice

" do you have a plan, that we can all get out " she spoke back in excitement

That made Eric stop his breath for a sec and ask Alice to block Casey's ears " well no all of us " he replied back to Alice " if we the Grimm family want to live the youngest must live...." he pause sec

" no we can't " alice shouted at her husband " we can't let our daughter go... I'm her mother... I know what best " as Alice cried in tears that she had no choice to let her only child live

" but we don't have a choice ... is it for us to let our daughter go or the end of the Grimm family " Eric shouted at Alice to choose

As Alice is thinking, Eric is making a hole in the door for Casey to go through... in the mean time

But then she made up her mind, she let go of Casey's ears and spoke to her " hey Casey "

" yes mother " Casey replied

" um... I that we are going to make it out alive but... but..." Alice pause for a sec and burst into tears, but she can't tell Casey about the real plan but she had to" mother are you alright " Casey ask her mother

And finally Alice had to tell the truth " that your father and I well... not make it " Casey was shock in fear, she's that they had no choice to let her live and them die

" NO MOTHER... I WON'T LIVE YOU...." Casey cried holding her mother's dress " I can't... "

Alice took a deep breath and let it all out " Casey... my little beast... you have to live because you are special... because you have the gift to become a beast "

Casey replied " yes... I know that... I've been like that since I was born "

" that's right.... and what's special about it is that you are going to protect everyone from harm... do you understand " Alice spoke to Casey about her gift

As Eric finished making the hole in the door, he shouted at Alice " hurry the hole won't hold any longer

As Alice look at her daughter for one last time before she says goodbye " no matter what happens to you we always be there for you... my little beast "

Casey gave her mother a large hug like she's going to strangle her, Eric join in as there last hug of goodbye

" love you mother... I love you father " sniff " I'll miss " Casey saying her last words to her parents

Casey walked through the hole and as she made it out the wood collapse and blocking the hole

As the fire grew Alice and Eric look at each for one last time before they shut there eyes as the flames reach to them

As Casey got out she watches the flames grew bigger, destroying the whole house and all the sudden she began to hear her parents screaming in pain

Casey tried to ignore the screams but she can't help it as it becomes like torture for her

After hours, Casey investigates the burned house to see if her parents had survived the fire, but no luck

As Casey drop to the ground in pain she cried forever like she got a heart ache but a bad, her pain grew and grew as she cried

But in the moment later a stranger came and found the little girl

I hope you all enjoy this story, it's very heart breaking for Casey and I know you felt sorry for her

[hopeaterart]

RWBY HPTR AU: Return from Haven

Context for the AU: Incredibly self-indulgent, one of the main parts is that most of the show's villains are now on the heroes' side. As a consequence, Salem has new henchmen that are all (mostly) ocs. Context for this scene: Team ORKL, Wraith, and Gretchen come back from the failed attack of Haven... (if you wanna see a companion piece of how the heroes took learning the truth about Ozpin, just send me an ask since this is basically one half of the So That's How It Is episode)

Also, warning: Marcus Black is there, and he's generally a terrible person, so...

It's been a while since I posted RWBY content!

Ochre helped Lys get down from the airship, the smaller girl landing gracefully. They were quickly followed by Mia and Raoul, the teal-haired girl supporting her partner with an arm around his hip. He was still recovering from how he'd made the whole group go invisible during their escape, after all.

Wraith and Gretchen were already out, waiting for the team. It was weird seeing the two of them like this. Wraith's mask had broken halfway through the conflict, lilac eyes with red pupils sharpened with attention. Gretchen had discarded her cape coat when she found out who was hiding under that green hood, and the biggest signs of her transformation into a half-Grimm were as clear as day.

The older woman frowned at the group. "Are you sure Raoul is gonna be alright?" She asked, the reverb of her voice distorting the words slightly.

Mia nodded regardless, even as Raoul clutched his head. "He's had worse." She then looked in front of her, frowning. "Besides, we've got worse to worry about. Come on, dude."

Marcus Black was waiting for them at the entrance, leaning against a wall and fiddling with his shotgun. Gretchen marched at the front, Wraith right behind her, followed Ochre and Lys, and then Mia and Raoul. He said nothing until Raoul passed him, before turning toward the airship. "Where's Lycoris?" Team ORKL stopped as Marcus started laughing.

"Kids, come on." Wraith pipped up, turning toward the team and gesturing with their head. Ochre was able to make Lys start moving again, but Raoul was stuck to his spot, suddenly very aware of the array of throwing knives he had hidden on his person.

"Don't tell me someone finally did that old critter in!" Marcus mocked, turning his full body toward the group.

Raoul turning his face toward him was the only warning everyone got before he snapped. He fully turned toward the assassin, one of Wolf's Fangs in each hand, the Dust crystals gleaming menacingly. "I will finish what Ozpin started!" He threatened, referring to the array of deep scars the hitman had received during his failed attempt on Ozpin's life. It was honestly a miracle an eye was the only thing he'd lost.

Marcus stopped laughing. He calmly walked up to Raoul, loading his shotgun. "Careful, little boy..." He started, getting into the teenager's personal space. "Aura isn't there to protect you anymore." Raoul took a shaky breath, his hold on his knives tightening even as his hands started shaking.

Marcus was then pushed away by an unseen force, the source becoming clear as Lys jumped in, pink locks of hair flowing around her. "Back off, you big meanie!" She threatened, the choice of words and puffed up cheeks not doing anything to lessen the threat of Twinkle in her hand, nor the rapidly growing pressure.

The assassin took a few steps back, hands up next to his head. "Calm down, brat. I'm not happy 'bout this shit either. If Lycoris is dead, then that means you failed Salem." For a moment, he almost looked sympathetic. "The hell she's gonna unleash on you brats..." His face broke into a cruel smile. "I can't wait to see it."

-

Sky kept their head down as they looked around the meeting room. On one end of the table: them, standing in the middle right with Gretchen to his left, and the Wilhemia-Raoul pair to his right. Ochre and Lys stood to Gretchen's own left. All six of them, including Sky, had their head bowed down, with various looks of apprehension, shame, anger and fear marring their faces. Even as they made an effort to keep their eyebrows relaxed, their scarf still allowed them to set their mouth in an ugly grimace.

At the table: Greene was sitting in her usual seat in the middle on the left, having put down her Scroll for once as her face showed only attention as she waited for the scene to blow up. Black was sitting right in front of her, looking just as tense.

And of course, Salem was at the other end, annoyance the only thing she was letting show. She took a deep breath as she opened her eyes, hands clasped together. "I would like you to explain to me how it is that you've failed so spectacularly."

Well, for starters... Fucking hell, Adam. "The Faunus militia split our forces-" Sky started, frowning as they thought of how fast the White Fang had turned on them thanks to one spiteful boy.

"Stop." Salem immediately said, and Sky quickly shut their mouth. They'd probably had just made her angrier. She blinked as she looked at the rest of the group. "Let me rephrase the question: who is responsible for your defeat?"

Well, there was a question with multiple answers, all of them liable to make her mad: some guy who can't let go of his ex, a little girl with silver eyes, the cowardly principal of Haven, a wizard who just won't die, and Salem's right-hand wo- Gretchen had gotten up. Sky couldn't help turning their head toward her, frowning in worry. Wait, is she planning on...? "I take full responsibility." The Grimm hybrid answered, and Sky had to stop themself from facepalming.

Salem threw the table across the room, everyone quickly getting up to avoid it or out of sheer whiplash. "But that wouldn't be fair now, would it?" Salem asked, furiously walking up to her. "We all know who's truly to blame." She hissed, and curled her fist.

Gretchen seized up, barely stopping herself from screaming as her body collapsed. The parts of her that had been replaced by Grimm were pulsing, emitting darkness as they slowly started to spread. Sky quickly averted their gaze as Salem arrived in front of the group.

Salem frowned down at Gretchen, before turning her head. "Lys." She called, the pink-haired girl emitting an ever-so-quiet whimper. "I want you to tell me whose fault this was." Lys started sobbing quietly as Salem walked closer, her hold on her partner's arm tightening. "Now."

"Au- Aura!" She squeaked out, hiding her face in her long hair. One of Ochre's wing moved slightly, hiding Lys from view.

"... We failed because of Lycoris, madam." Ochre finished for her. Sky sighed in relief for the moment. So 'right-hand woman' was the right answer.

Salem leaned into Ochre's space, pushing his wing away so she could have access to Lys. "That's right." She almost whispered to the girl, her voice just loud enough so Wilhemia and Raoul would be able to hear, from where they were holding onto one another. "I want you to understand that failure." One of her hand reached out to caress Lys' face, the girl whimpering as a strand of pink hair was pushed behind her ear. "I want you to understand why Aura must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself." She stepped back from her, starting to walk back to her throne.

Raoul gasped from where he stood. "You mean..." Another bout of headache came in, making him sway.

"She's alive?" Wilhemia finished for him, letting the boy in green lean on her shoulder.

"You're joking." Black scoffed, disbelieving. "How could you know that!?"

"Uh, hello? Haven't you been around for the past two years?" Greene asked, raising an eyebrow. "The answer is pretty obvious."

Black growled. "How is it obvious-!?"

"It's important not to lose sight of what drives us." Salem started, cutting off the argument before it started. Her head turned toward Black. "Revenge." Then Greene. "Justice." She made direct eye-contact with Sky. "Love. But the moment you put your desires before my own..." Gretchen stopped twitching on the ground, taking a deep breath. "They will be lost to you."

Sky took a deep breath, the brutal reminder doing it's job. All of this for Rusty. Just follow along, and they'll be able to properly form their aura again. They just hoped they'd hold her end of the bargain...

"This isn't a threat." Salem started, as if reading Sky's thoughts. "This is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found through me. And so, we must press on..." She took a deep breath. "The Sword under Vacuo's Academy, Shade-"

"Ma'am?" Wilhemia suddenly piped up, cutting her off. "There's... more. Something that I... don't think was mentioned." Salem frowned, glaring at the group as Sky groaned.

She meant Ozpin, didn't she?

A cold sweat ran down their back as Grimm Hands reached around the teal-haired girl. Sky had to admit, Wilhemia's poker face was excellent. "The group from Beacon are planning on taking the lamp to Atlas."

Greene raised an eyebrow. "I think we can stop Qrow Branwen and a group of children from getting along with Ironwood."

"They're not being led by that alcoholic." Wilhemia bit out. "Whatever Aura did to Ozpin a year ago in order to keep him down... he's already recovered from it. He's the one leading the group."

Sky, Gretchen and Black all turned toward Salem. Gretchen was frowning at the reminder of the wizard, Sky hoped their expression came across as neutral, and Black actually looked scared as he caressed his eyepatch. As for Greene, she was visibly thinking a mile per hour. Ochre winced, taking a step back as the windows started cracking.

"How..." Black muttered to himself.

"He's the only person who can get through Ironwood in these circumstances." Greene said, frowning. "If that happens, then-" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed black energy swirling. She turned her head, realizing that the energy was coming from a very pissed off Salem.

"Leave." She ordered, and it's barely as if Raoul and Wilhemia didn't go invisible right here and then. The boy quickly went to grab his other two teammates, cloaking them in his Semblance as they hurried out. Greene was the next one out, walking as briskly as she could with a cane, followed closely by Black.

Sky was snapped out of their panic as Gretchen grabbed them. "Come on, Wraith. Let's go." She said, and Sky nodded, letting the half-Grimm lead them outside.

The last thing they saw before the door slammed close was Salem engulfed in dark energy. The muffled sounds of her furious scream and the glass breaking following shortly after made them wonder just what Ozpin had done to earn such ire.

[ookamikasumi-writer]

Just say NO to Author Intrusion

The Fourth Wall is the Audience. -- Every time the writer addresses their story's audience --their Readers-- they are violating the fourth dimension, or wall, of that story's Reality.

These violations are known as: Author Intrusions.

Author Intrusions show up as little comments that express the author's personal feelings on what's happening in their story, or heavily hint at things to come during the story.

Author Intrusions are a Bad Idea.

----------- DISCLAIMER: This is how I was taught to write for publication purposes by my professional editors. If you don't want to do it this way -- Don't. (Less competition for me.)

WHY Author Intrusions are a Bad Idea.

Author Intrusions jar the Reader out of the mental movie they've generated while reading because the Author keeps rudely shoving them out of the story to remind them that They know something the Reader doesn't.Compare it to watching a movie you haven't seen before with a friend that won't shut up about how cool the next scene is.

See this shit? This is Author Intrusion.

Identifying Author Intrusions:

The most common form of Author Intrusion is when the writer plants overly-obvious hints of things to come addressed directly to the Reader.

Examples:

In hindsight, he would be thankful for his overreaction.

Unfortunately, his choices had truly never been his own.

If only they'd realized how wrong they were.

These are normally found at the end of a chapter, or book, but I've also seen them posted smack in the middle of a scene in progress.They had no idea what consequences their choice would bring.

I have been told that these particular intrusions are meant to be a form of Foreshadowing.

This shit is NOT Foreshadowing.

True Foreshadowing symbolically hints at things to come. It Does Not point-blank TELL the Reader that something is coming.

More on actual Foreshadowing: TV Tropes: Foreshadowing

I have also been told that this form of Author Intrusion is supposed to create suspense and entice the Reader to read the next installment.

This shit does NOT create Suspense either.

The truth is, this sort of cheap-assed teaser-spoiler Does Not add suspense because it entirely Removes the surprise factor of what is coming.

Suspense is about Anticipation. It's about waiting for 'the other shoe to fall'. When an author point-blank announces that there's another shoe, all that lovely anticipation is halved because the Reader now knows for a fact that this shoe WILL fall -- that something IS going to happen.

THINK: How can anyone be surprised if they're already expecting a surprise?

If you want to create Suspense, don't TELL the Reader outright that something is going to happen. Instead, SHOW IT by planting Clues; the butcher knife was missing from the kitchen drawer, and give Hints through ominous Sounds, creeping Shadows, character Body Language, and stilted Dialogue that something is going to happen.

Authors: Keep Your Opinions to Yourself!

The next most common form of Author Intrusion happens when the writer just can't keep their personal comments about certain characters, or what's happening in their story to themselves.

This is particularly virulent in fan-fics written by new writers who get over-excited about what they're writing.

Cut that shit out!

Literally, cut all that shit Out of your work.

Us readers do not want anyone interrupting our stories with their opinions, feelings, or comments about the story we're reading. That includes comments from the Author. Save that crap for the Author Notes.

However...

"Lines like those (in my fan fiction anyway) are actually meant as red flags; a sort of, "Hey, pay attention, I'm doing something over here!" This is because, in the...years I've been writing fan fiction, I've noticed that the majority of 'new readers' (i.e. those new to fan fiction,) will not pay attention [to what they're reading] and will inundate me with questions that are easily answered if they did. With lines like those thrown in, the questions are fewer and I don't have to waste time explaining things that don't need explanations." -- Annoyed FF Writer

While all that might sound like a good excuse -- it really Isn't.

When the author inserts comments about a character or situation happening right there in the middle of the story just to make it easier for lazy-assed readers to figure out what's going on, those comments are nothing more than Spoilers for the rest of us.

Spoiling the Story for Lazy-Assed Readers -- is a BAD IDEA.

While some readers love to be babied like that, the rest of us readers don't. The rest of us are paying close attention and we love ferreting out the author's little hints exposed by the plot's progression and character reveals. We are reading specifically to discover what the heck is going on.

Spoilers strip all the suspense and discovery --the most enjoyable parts of the story-- right out.

I don't know about you, but once all the surprises are gone from a story, I have no reason to keep reading that story.

Fixing Spoilers

If the Reader doesn't get what happened and the information to set them straight IS NOT actually present in the story, then yeah, the Writer messed up.

To fix this, they should REWRITE and REPOST the Relevant Chapter ASAP! NOT answer their reader's query with any comment beyond, "Oh crap! Let me fix that real quick!"

If the Reader doesn't get what happened and the information to set them straight IS actually present in the story, meaning; the Reader simply missed it the first time around, then the Reader messed up -- not the Writer.

When this happens, the Writer should answer their query by politely telling that reader to Read the Chapter Again a little more carefully. NOT by giving them Spoilers!

Seriously, professional authors don't cater to that crap, neither should fan-fic writers.

The only thing catering to lazy-assed readers does is encourage those readers to bug other writers for spoilers -- and us other writers don't appreciate it.

As for Breaking the Fourth wall...

Or is he?

Deadpool: Not actually Breaking the Fourth Wall. He is Narrating his own story.

Yes, Deadpool does address his audience throughout his comic books and movies. In his comics he even comments on the textboxes around him.

Deadpool also freely admits that he's not exactly Sane.

However, addressing his readers, or watchers, or even his text boxes doesn't change the fact that Deadpool is The Point of View Character in both his comics and his movies. He's the one telling the tale. He's expected to comment on everything and everyone around him because that's what POV Characters do.

Deadpool just happens to be narrating his story out loud to the voices, and text boxes, in his own head. That there happens to actually be an audience of readers and movie watchers is entirely incidental.

Now if Stan Lee; the main author of Marvel Comics, popped into Deadpool's story, that would be Author Intrusion--

Oh, wait... He did.

A...tasteful example of Author Intrusion. AKA: The Cameo.

Narration is Not Author Intrusion

The Narrator is The Point of View Character observing --and commenting on-- their part of the tale. If done Right, what is narrated is colored by that POV Character's thoughts, opinions, and comments about what is happening around them.

Breaking the 4th Wall? Nope, just 1st Person POV.

Narration is not Author Intrusion because the author isn't telling the story, the POV Character is.

Deadpool, in both the comics and in his movies, uses First Person Point of View Narration. First Person POV can look like the character is Breaking the Fourth Wall, but they really aren't because Narration is supposed to address the audience. Think in terms of diary entries, or in Deadpool's case, a massive Selfie Video.

The only time Narration should ever be colored by the author's opinions is in a Self-Insert story where the author is the POV character--

-- or in a Fairy Tale.

Fairy Tales were originally told Orally. They were spoken and acted out by a storyteller directly to their audience. The storyteller's opinions of what was happening were part of the act, rather like the Master of Ceremony for a play. When these tales were eventually written down by collectors, such as the Brothers Grimm, they wrote them in the oral style --author intrusions included-- simply because that's how they were told to the collectors.

Later writers, like Hans Christian Anderson, wanted their tales to be labelled Fairy Tales, so they used this oral style specifically so their stories would blend in with the much older collected Grimm's stories.

However, if the story is not a Fairy Tale--

Don't Interrupt Your Readers!

Written stories are viewed in the imagination like a movie. So when the author pops in a comment to make their personal opinions known, it throws the reader out of the movie they're watching in their imaginations because someone is talking to them.

"But the whole story is the author's opinion!"

That's right, a writers has their whole story to express their personal opinions, so there is absolutely No Need for the author to interrupt their readers with additional comments on anything at all during the story.

If a writer absolutely positively must comment on what's happening in their story, an Author Note is where that shit belongs --or their personal blog, or whatever social media floats their boat-- nowhere else.

Author Intrusions: -- If you're Not writing a Fairy Tale -- Don't Do It.

Unless you're Stan Lee. (He can intrude wherever he likes.)