#but still asking him to recognize her need

[crazyvik97rpg]

Sebastian was still pretty drowsy and confused at first. His vision was a tiny bit blurry still as he blinked a few times but he so recognized William of course. He felt a warm hand against his own, squeezing gently, and then he heard his voice, speaking so softly and soothingly. Oh...he felt at ease right away. He wasn't alone and he also remembered what happened. William mentioned the surgery and that all went well.

That's when he widened his eyes a little bit more, argh the bright, white light was hurting a little. He remembered he had a surgery. Gosh...was it already over again? He felt so nervous before and now...it was all done? It was a weird feeling. He could barely move at first, heard this beeping sound right next to him and upon shifting a little - moving his toes, tensing his muscles in his legs and body, squeezing William's hand back - he felt the soreness, slight pain, the sensation of bandaids and bandages on his body. And of course the the sensation of the oxygen mask still on his face. He took a deep breath.

It took a while for Sebastian to properly wake up. His head still felt woozy but the pain meds were doing their job, so he felt somewhat okay. He didn't feel nauseous, his mouth only felt dry as a desert. But at least William was here - he kept squeezing his hand, Sebastian kept looking at him, his lips softly curved into a smile. And then eventually his voice started working again too - sounded a bit hoarse but oh well.

"Dove...all is done already...? ...Just a second ago I was still...I was still in there...", he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment then. He was still sleepy for sure. But the effect of the anesthetic was slowly wearing off after all.

It was in the next second that a nurse came in to check on him, having noticed that he woke up already. "Mr Michaelis, up and awake already?", she smiled, as she came to swiftly check on his vitals. Heart monitor looked normal and there was still enough fluids and pain meds in the IV bags. "How are you feeling? I will check your oxygen levels and blood pressure, so don't worry, it won't hurt", she spoke, as she started doing her work. It was a swift procedure, really - Sebastian kept holding William's hand with his bad arm, while the nurse checked everything using his good arm.

"I'm-...I'm feeling fine, I think", he hummed and he watched her, as she put the device for checking his blood pressure around his arm. This only took a few minutes.

"That's great to hear. How is your pain?", she also asked, "Do we need to increase your dose or are you feeling fine? Nauseous as well?"

"...Mmh no...well...a bit sore. No nausea thankfully...dry mouth."

"In case the pain gets worse, just say a thing, then we increase the dose. Soreness is normal, I'm afraid", she hummed, and once done with taking the blood pressure, she had another look at the bandages, just to make sure there were no signs of swelling or bleeding. Sebastian was quite chopped up, then sewn back together. The wounds were not big, just some around his collarbone and chest, under his arm as well, all with big bandaids on top - on top of that, he also had a drain, to collect the fluid now that the lymph nodes were gone.

For I have sinned...

The principal cleared his throat, eyes scanning the notes that he had wrote down before this meeting. It already lasted an hour, and the teachers gathered in the faculty room were becoming restless and bored. But indeed there were some things to discuss, with the concert that the senior class was supposed to perform at the end of the semester, and with recent staff changes. 

William glanced down at his watch, sighing softly. His class was starting in 15 minutes, so at least, whether the meeting will be done soon or not, he will get to excuse himself. He looked out of the window, his mind wandering. Principal’s voice turned into white noise in the background. It was a pleasant day, late summer. But William was looking forward to a slightly cooler weather. Wearing all black could really be bothersome at times. 

“And lastly, I am pleased to announce that we have finally found replacement for the violin teacher. Dear Mr Tanaka, may he rest in peace, was with us for so many years that I’ve been concerned we won’t be able to find someone as good as to fill this position.” the principal spoke. “But Mr… Michaelis, was highly recommended to me, and he indeed has impressive references. He will be starting this week, so please welcome him warmly once he will arrive. Ah yes… about that. He will arrive today at noon, I need someone to pick him up from the train station and bring over for the tour around the school. Any volunteers?” 

William was barely listening, and definitely not paying much attention. He glanced at his watch again, and saw that it was time to leave, as his class was about to start. He raised his hand to excuse himself, and little did he know, he just volunteered.

“Father William! Excellent!” the principal exclaimed. “Just don’t be late, the train arrives at noon.”

“Train…?” William questioned, raising his brow. He had a feeling he was missing something…

***

Right after the meeting, William had to run for the class, so he had little time to clarify what exactly he had volunteered for. He was a piano teacher in this Music Academy, but also he served as a priest in local church. Well respected, and rather liked. So when he later found out it was about the new violin teacher, he didn’t refuse. Who, other than himself, would be a better choice to introduce a newcome to their community?

So even though he raised his hand by accident, he accepted this fate.

After classes, at noon, William took a taxi and drove to the train station, to pick up their new teacher. Wearing black trousers, and a black shirt with a thin tie, was absolutely dreadful in this weather, so William quickly found shelter under the roof of the station platform, that provided some shade.

The train had just arrived. William had no idea how Mr Michaelis looked like, but he figured he will just look for someone carrying a violin case with them. 

He was in for a bit surprise.

@crazyvik97

[hoe4hotchner]

Pieces of the past | [A.H]

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x fem!Reader | WC: 1.2k  | CW: This is very angsty (and kind of triggering to me at least), reminiscing of childhood, centered around the memories you have of a dead relative, specifically your granddad, mentions of a funeral, mention of undisclosed illness. I mention the word church once.| Summary: Looking at old pictures from your childhood, which makes memories resurface, some better than other.

A/N: This is a very personal fic to me, and I wrote it weeks ago when it would've been my grandad's 80th birthday. I hope you guys will take good care of it --> Also the stories told about the grandad in these are half real and half made up for the sake of the story ❤️

You set the heavy grocery bag on the kitchen table with a sigh, the crinkling of paper breaking the stillness of the apartment. You’d just returned from your mom's house, and what was supposed to be a quick stop had quickly turned into a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The bag was filled with old photographs, ones she had kept in the basement - forgotten over time, ones you hadn’t seen in years. Mostly, they were from your childhood, while others were from before you were born - holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings - but the ones that hit the hardest were the ones of your grandad.

He had passed when you were still young, but the memories you had of him were vivid, and cherished, and every now and then, those memories resurfaced like the pictures you now held in your hands.

You started spreading them across the dinner table, sorting through the faded snapshots, organizing them by event. There was one of you, maybe 3 years old, sitting in a four-wheeled wagon, your grandad pulling you around the garden, both of your faces were lit with massive smiles - You could tell it was winter from your massive red puffer jacket, it looked way too big for a toddler, but it looked warm. Another one had him holding your hand while walking through the park, his old, weathered jacket wrapped tightly around him, you could tell he was already sick there, knowing that not long after that trip, he had passed.

The further you sorted, the heavier the ache in your chest grew. It wasn’t sadness, really - it was more of an emptiness, a longing for those quiet, comfortable moments you could never get back, a longing, wondering how he would've reacted to your life choices, how different life might have looked if he had still been around.

You picked up a photograph that felt heavier than the rest, your breath hitching as you recognized the scene captured within the frame. It was a solemn day, the sky gray as friends and family gathered to pay their respects. Your grandad’s casket, draped in a simple white and wooden veneer, stood surrounded by flowers, red roses to be exact - they were always his favorite - each bloom a testament to the love he had shared throughout his life. In the image, you could see yourself, a small figure in a white dress - it was the same one you would wear when your grandmother remarried 2 years later - holding tightly to your mother’s hand, her fingers trembling in yours. Tears glistened in your eyes as you remembered the heaviness in your heart that day, you were sure you hadn't really understood what was going on around you. The ache of loss was suffocating, knowing he had touched so many lives. You blinked hard, wishing to erase that moment from your mind, but it lingered like a ghost, haunting the edges of your memories.

By the time Hotch returned home, you were sitting in the middle of a sea of photographs, some placed in neat piles, others scattered haphazardly, the memories tangled with your emotions. You didn’t hear the door open or the sound of his briefcase hitting the floor. It wasn’t until you felt his presence that you realized he was home.

“Hey,” his voice was soft, and when you looked up at him, he already knew. He didn’t need to ask.

“Hey,” you murmured back, trying to summon a small smile but failing. Your eyes dropped back to the picture in your hand, a shot of your grandad, dressed in his Sunday best at his 25th wedding anniversary with your grandmother, his kind eyes twinkling with the same warmth you always remembered.

Hotch’s gaze followed yours to the table, his brow furrowing slightly as he took in the scene. He walked over without a word and sat beside you, his presence solid and comforting, even in the silence.

You leaned into him a little, letting your head rest against his shoulder. “I went to mom’s today, and she gave me all of these,” you explained quietly, gesturing toward the photographs. “I wasn’t expecting to… I don’t know, feel this way.”

Hotch slipped an arm around you, grounding you without interrupting your thoughts.

Your thumb brushed the edge of the photo in your hand, the texture familiar, like you had held it a hundred times before. “That’s me and my grandad,” you said softly. “I miss him. He always knew how to make things feel better, you know?”

Hotch nodded, his eyes on the photograph now, though he stayed silent, giving you space to share whatever you needed.

“I remember when this picture was taken. It was a summer afternoon. We’d just come back from the park, and I had scraped my knee running after the dog.” You smiled faintly, the memory so vivid it was almost like stepping back in time. “I was crying so much, and he just scooped me up like it was nothing, sat me on his knee, and blew all the pain away he said. It worked, of course.”

Hotch's thumb traced soft circles on your arm, a quiet comfort that encouraged you to keep going.

You picked up another photo, this one of your grandad during the last Christmas you got to spend with him. “This was the last Christmas, I never knew he was as sick as he was,” you murmured, your voice catching slightly. “He loved hosting everyone, their house was always open, whether it be people from church or his patients at work, always pretending like it wasn’t a big deal, he was so proud of it.”

The lump in your throat grew, but you didn’t stop. You wanted to keep talking, wanted to share these pieces of yourself and your grandad with Hotch.

“He taught me so much, not just the little things, but how to… how to love and care for people. I guess I’ve been thinking a lot about him today. He would’ve liked you a lot, Aaron,” you added, turning your head slightly to glance at him.

Hotch’s eyes softened, his hand resting on your back as he gave you a gentle squeeze. “I would’ve liked to have met him,” he said quietly, his voice was low and soothing.

You nodded, feeling the familiar weight of longing settling in your chest again. But being here, with Hotch beside you, made it a little easier to bear. His quiet understanding, the way he didn’t try to fill the silence with meaningless words to coax you into being happy - it was exactly what you needed.

For the next hour, you kept sorting through the photos, talking when the memories felt too strong to hold back, and simply resting when the words wouldn’t come. Hotch stayed right there with you, listening, holding you, and occasionally picking up a picture to ask about it, his voice always gentle, never rushing or forcing information out of you.

It wasn’t until the last photograph was placed on the table that you finally exhaled, feeling a little lighter, even though the ache was still there. You leaned into Hotch’s warmth, your head on his shoulder again.

“Thank you,” you whispered, closing your eyes.

Hotch pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head. “Always.”

And in that quiet moment, you realized that while you couldn’t go back to those days with your grandad, the love and memories he left behind would always be a part of you - and now, they were something you could share with the person sitting beside you.

[idkyetxoxo]

Davos Blackwood - The Realm's Beloved

Summary - Known for her kindness she often finds herself at the mercy of others' harshness. Yet, there's a unique comfort in knowing that with a man like Davos by her side, whose fierce protectiveness balances her gentleness, she's shielded from the world's cruelty.

Pairing - Davos Blackwood x Velaryon reader

Warnings - None

Word count - 2260

Masterlist for Davos • House of the Dragon General Masterlist

My mother was celebrated across the kingdom with the esteemed title of "The Realm's Delight," a testament to her exceptional charm. 

In a similar vein, I earned the endearing nickname "The Realm's Beloved," recognized for my unwavering kindness and the warmth I brought that seemed to brighten even the coldest hearts.

In a world that often feels harsh and unyielding, I was known far and wide as a beacon of positivity and genuine affection, a true sweetheart who could bring a glimmer of light into even the darkest corners.

This very reputation was why my mother found herself in a difficult dilemma. She was torn between her desire to keep me safe and the decision to send me to the Riverlands to assess the progress being made there.

"I can make a difference," I said, hoping to reassure her. Gently, she sighed and tenderly stroked my cheek.

"I can explore whether the houses are willing to pledge their support," I continued, my voice steady despite the gravity of the situation.

"I know, my sweet girl," she murmured, her voice laden with both affection and concern. "I don't doubt your ability."

"We need every ounce of support we can muster in the Riverlands," I persisted. "Cole is already marching, seeking the backing of the various houses."

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, clearly overwhelmed by the weight of our circumstances.

"I am willing to offer myself," I said firmly, causing her eyes to snap open in alarm. "I am still unbetrothed and without a marriage contract, my hand could serve as a bargaining chip."

My mother's eyes filled with tears as she looked at me, her emotions a mixture of pride and sorrow. She struggled with the notion of sacrificing her beloved daughter in the hopes of securing crucial support. 

The sacrifice I was prepared to make only deepened her anguish, highlighting the difficult choices we faced in our time of need.

Her gaze softened, but the weight of the decision remained palpable. With a gentle shake of her head, she responded, "We do not need to speak of such things yet. I would not ask that of you, my dear."

Her voice was tender, but there was an unmistakable firmness beneath it. She took a deep breath, struggling to keep her emotions in check, and then pulled me into a heartfelt embrace. 

Her arms enveloped me in a warm, protective cocoon as if she were trying to shield me from the harsh realities that lay ahead.

As she held me, her breath was steady but her heart was heavy. 

"You are so precious to me," she murmured into my hair, her voice trembling slightly. "Your safety and well-being are paramount. We will find another way, a way that doesn't require you to make such a sacrifice."

That conversation was precisely what led me to where I now stood amidst the windswept field on the border between the Brackens' and Blackwoods' lands.

The air was thick with tension, crackling with the unspoken animosities of two houses whose rivalry spanned generations. Whispers had reached us that both were eager for a fight, itching to reignite their ancient feud. 

If they did, we stood to lose hundreds of good men, lives that could not be easily replaced in these turbulent times.

As I surveyed the scene, my thoughts were interrupted by the sharp voice of a Bracken knight, his eyes narrowing as he approached me and the Blackwood men who had been accompanying me.

"Your beast has scorched one of our fields, a field full of livestock and supplies, all belonging to House Bracken," he accused, his tone laced with disdain.

I turned to him, my brows knitting together in confusion. 

"Pardon me?" I asked, seeking clarity even as a cold unease settled in my chest. 

My mother would have been furious if she knew how close I was to members of a house that had so openly declared for the usurper.

"Your dragon has ruined our land," he repeated, his voice harsher this time. I sighed softly.

"I apologize," I said calmly, trying to defuse the situation. "Please provide me with a list of what has been damaged, and I will ensure you are compensated, twice the amount owed for the sake of peace."

Instead of gratitude, the knight scoffed, his expression contorting with contempt. "We don't want your filthy coin," he spat, the venom in his voice unmistakable.

I tilted my head slightly, contemplating his words, my mind searching for a way to navigate the situation. 

"Then I am at a loss," I began, keeping my tone measured and diplomatic. "Perhaps you could tell me what it is you desire," I continued, allowing a small, disarming smile to touch my lips. 

I hoped that a bit of kindness might help ease the tension, but instead, it only seemed to embolden the men behind him.

"Aye, she's asking what we want," one of the Bracken men jeered, his voice dripping with a crude insinuation that I didn't immediately understand. His eyes flashed with something that made me uneasy, but I pressed on, still trying to maintain the peace.

I blinked in confusion, glancing back at the Blackwood men who were accompanying me. I searched their faces for understanding, but their expressions were tight, their eyes clouded with anger. 

The Bracken men, emboldened by my apparent naivety, began to laugh amongst themselves, their snickers growing louder and more lewd with each passing moment.

"Maybe she'll offer us a different kind of payment," one of the knights muttered, his gaze sliding over me in a way that made my stomach churn. 

His tone was suggestive, the implication hanging heavily in the air, though I struggled to grasp its full meaning.

"Aye, why settle for coin when we could have something sweeter?" one of them added, his voice low. His eyes gleamed with a dark amusement, and I could feel their gazes burning into me, stripping away the layers of diplomacy I had tried to maintain.

The air around us grew thick with their crude insinuations, and I felt a cold knot of dread forming in my stomach. 

They weren't just dismissing my offer, they were taunting me, mocking me with vile suggestions that I was only beginning to comprehend. 

My smile faltered, and a flush of embarrassment began to creep up my neck as the realization of their meaning hit me.

"You've got a pretty mouth for a princess," one of the men murmured, his eyes dark with something that made my skin crawl. "Maybe you should use it to beg, hm? Might be more persuasive."

They were only interested in humiliating me, in making sport of my kindness.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm despite the bile rising in my throat. 

"If there is something specific you seek," I began again, my voice strained but still steady, "I am willing to listen."

The Bracken men only laughed louder, their crude amusement ringing out across the field. 

"Oh, she's willing, lads," one of them said, his tone heavy with insinuation as he stepped closer.

"Aye," another one chimed in, his grin widening as he took a step closer as well. "I'd say we're more than willing to negotiate... in private."

Before he could get any closer, one of the Blackwood men, Davos, who had been silently observing stepped forward, his expression dark with fury. 

"That's enough!" he thundered, his voice cutting through their laughter like a crack of thunder. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes blazed with anger as he glared at them.

"You will not speak to her like that," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. There was a steel in his tone that left no room for argument, and the Bracken men's laughter died in their throats.

The knight who had spoken last faltered, his bravado wavering under Davos's fierce gaze. "We were only having a bit of fun," he muttered, trying to laugh it off, but Davos was unmoved.

"You call that fun?" Davos snapped, his voice cold. 

"Mocking a lady, a princess at that? Disrespecting the queen's blood?" His hand tightened on his sword hilt, and for a moment, it seemed as if he might draw it. 

"You will apologize, and then you will leave," he commanded, his tone brooking no dissent.

The first knight, emboldened by the tension and perhaps the madness of his own arrogance, straightened his back, standing tall with a defiant sneer.

"No, we will not," he spat, his voice filled with disdain. "The false queen's blood means nothing to us," he added, his words sharp and cruel.

The mention of my mother in such a disrespectful way sent a pang of sorrow through my heart, a deep sadness that these men could speak so callously of her.

Before I could respond, before I could even process the insult fully, Davos, stepped forward, his expression dark with wrath. 

"Then I will cut through you," he growled, his voice low and dangerous, every word dripping with lethal intent.

Before any of us could act, the sound of powerful wings flapping echoed through the air, followed by a deep, rumbling growl that made the ground beneath us tremble. 

The sky darkened for a moment as the massive form of Silverwing, my dragon, descended from the heavens, her silver scales shimmering as she landed beside us with a thunderous impact.

The Bracken knights, who had just been brimming with arrogance and disrespect, suddenly froze, their faces drained of colour as they stared up at the towering dragon. 

Silverwing, sensing the hostility in the air, let out a roar so fierce and primal that it shook the very ground beneath our feet. The sound reverberated through the air, a terrifying, bone-chilling noise that sent the Bracken men stumbling back in fear, their bravado shattered in an instant.

Silverwing's eyes, sharp and intelligent, locked onto the Bracken knights, her maw opening slightly to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. Her growl deepened, the sound vibrating in the air, promising swift retribution if they dared take another step toward me.

The men, who had moments ago been mocking and leering, were now trembling, their eyes wide with terror as they realized the full magnitude of what they had provoked. 

Some of them clutched at their swords, but their hands shook so badly they were unable to draw them.

I stepped forward, placing a hand gently on Silverwing's massive flank. The dragon, sensing my presence, turned her great head toward me, her eyes softening ever so slightly as she recognized me.

"Lykirī," I whispered, my voice firm but soothing, as I stroked her scales. Calm

Silverwing snorted, as she obeyed, her growl subsiding into a low rumble. Her body, which had been tensed and ready to strike, relaxed slightly under my touch, though her eyes never left the Bracken knights, who were now too terrified to move.

The tension in the air shifted as the Bracken men realized they were entirely at our mercy. Their arrogance had dissolved into pure, unadulterated fear, and they stood there, trembling, not daring to make a sound.

"You will apologize," Davos reiterated, his voice now cutting through the silence with a cold edge. "And then you will leave."

The lead Bracken knight, his earlier defiance utterly gone, swallowed hard, his face pale. 

"We... we meant no harm, princess," he stammered, his voice shaking as he finally understood the gravity of his situation. "We apologize. Truly, we do."

"Indeed," Davos said, not lowering his gaze or the tension in his stance. "Leave now, while you still can."

Without another word, the Bracken knights turned and fled. They stumbled over themselves in their haste to escape, casting terrified glances back at Silverwing, who watched them with a predatory gleam in her eyes.

As they disappeared from sight, I turned back to Silverwing, continuing to stroke her flank, my heart pounding in my chest.

Davos approached, his stern expression softening into concern as he met my gaze. 

"Are you all right, Princess?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine care that eased the tension in my heart.

I nodded, though the weight of the encounter still hung heavily on my shoulders. 

"Yes, thank you," I replied quietly, my gratitude extending beyond his mere intervention. There was something comforting in his presence, something that made me feel safe.

Davos tilted his head, his gaze unwavering as he studied my face. 

"You're too kind," he murmured, a hint of admiration in his tone. "Letting them go after what they said... after how they treated you. They deserved more than just a fright."

I sighed softly, my hand still stroking Silverwing's side. "And you, Ser Davos, are the exact opposite," I said, a small, tired smile tugging at my lips. "You would have cut them down without a second thought."

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, and he shook his head slightly, his expression lightening. 

"Perhaps," he admitted, his eyes twinkling with a touch of mischief. "But opposites attract, don't they?"

His words caught me off guard, and I felt a sudden warmth spread across my cheeks. The simple, teasing remark sent a flutter through my heart, and I looked away quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice the blush that had crept up my neck.

"Perhaps," I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper, still not meeting his gaze. I could feel his eyes on me, and it only made the blush deepen.

The sincerity in his voice, the way he looked at me as if I were the only person in the world, made my heart swell with emotions I hadn't expected, emotions that whispered of a future where we were more than just princess and knight, but something far deeper, something destined.

A/n - Black cat and golden retriever but the golden retriever also has a dragon who's known to be docile and friendly to strangers how befitting!

[nottswitch]

hey! i lovelovelove your writing and i was hoping you could do a fred weasley x ravenclaw!reader (fem) and theyre just being cute and fluffy at the library brainstorming products and he suddenly ropes the reader into a prank and the reader pretends to disapprove but after a lot of banter she eventually admits that she does think hes brilliant and just. fluff.

thank you!

hi there and thank you! <3 i’m so sorry it took me this long to get to your request, but i hope you’re still here!! love the fred x ravenclaw dynamic so so much, i hope you enjoy this!

warning: ravenclaw!reader, light swearing, fluff fluff fluff

wc: 1.3k

۶ৎ navigation ; masterlist ; fred m-list ; how to request

When Fred got you, he was, for the lack of a better word, absolutely thrilled. Not only were you absolutely gorgeous and could handle his and George’s sense of humor, you were also a Ravenclaw – and the top of your class, no less, which for the Weasley brothers was similar to hitting a gold mine. It was only a matter of time before they could, using their irresistible charm and maybe some of Fred’s personal tactics, persuade you to help them with new developments for the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes shop. And you did from time to time, reluctantly, as it wasn’t entirely appropriate for a prim and proper Ravenclaw like you, but you secretly enjoyed it.

On one of those days, on a warm, spring evening, you were sitting at the library, studying, as usual. As your nose was firmly in a Potions book, you didn’t hear footsteps slowly approaching you from behind. Only when a pair of soft yet firm hands obstructed your view of the academic text did you realize that you’d been creeped up on.

“Guess who?” a familiar voice with an unmistakable hint of mischief wondered. You giggled and pressed your hands against his, even though there was no real need – you’d recognize them anywhere.

“Freddie,” you murmured, a smile spreading on your lips. You hadn’t seen your boyfriend in a while, and the unexpected encounter was more than welcome, in your book.

"In the flesh."

Your eyes ached a bit after the hands covering them were removed and the warm, bright light of the library candles hit them again. But the ache was quickly soothed by a pair of lips pressed against yours in a short yet passion-filled kiss. You frowned when Fred pulled away, your face jerking forward to chase him, but the grin stretching his mouth immediately erased the crease between your eyebrows. You could never be upset when he looked this happy.

"Studying again?" Fred asked, smirking as he mindlessly flipped through the pages of the book in front of you, not paying the texts any real attention. You nodded, letting out a sigh – of course, for someone as smart as you, studying wasn’t the biggest chore, but sometimes, even the greatest of minds needed some rest, some distraction.

Seeing your covertly tired expression, Fred’s eyes softened, but the mischievous smirk on his lips never left. "Come on, honey cheeks, lighten up," he said in a lighthearted manner, plopping down into the chair next to you and closing your textbook shut with a loud noise.

"Fred!” you whisper-yelled, hoping that Madam Pince didn’t hear the sudden disturbance of the silence in her precious library. Your boyfriend simply grinned, seemingly unbothered, and rummaged through his bag for a moment. With a victorious ‘got it!’ he fished out a small bar of what looked like chocolate and placed it on the table, giving you a proud look.

The look should’ve been a clear sign, but your hand still reached for the bar, thinking it was just one of the usual sweets Fred got you from time to time, “just to see your pretty smile”, as he himself put it. But evidently, it wasn’t the case, because his hand quickly moved to shield the chocolate from yours.

"Oh no, hun, I wouldn’t eat it if I were you," Fred said, the smirk on his lips widening, making a dimple on his left cheek pop out. "Unless you want to have your ears wiping the ground, that is."

You raised an eyebrow in confusion at first, but as the gears in your brain turned, you started understanding exactly what was happening. The realization made you roll your eyes.

"Again?" you breathed out, looking at Fred with an exasperated but also somewhat amused expression. It seemed like every week him and George would come up with something new for their shop, and this time, it seemed to be… a chocolate bar.

"Oh, you know it, honey cheeks."

Fred grabbed the product, tossing it into the air, catching it and swiftly bringing it to your face, which made you flinch and giggle at the same time.

"Let me present to you, my love, the best punishment for the especially nosy – Prying Prick’s Plague. The title’s a work in progress."

You chuckled, shaking your head at his antics. It wasn’t the first time, and of course, wouldn’t be the last, you knew it all too well. You pretended to give him a disapproving look about the ‘prick’ part, but all that came out was a very adorable – in Fred’s opinion – scowl.

"What?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow back at you. He twirled the chocolate bar between his nimble fingers, tossing and catching it again. "It makes your ears turn really damn huge. Just what nosy pricks need."

"Yeah? Why do I feel like this was made with someone in mind?" You narrowed your eyes at the boy in front of you, suspiciously staring him down. He looked a bit too mischievous even for his usual self.

"Ah, darling, perceptive as always," Fred praised in a dramatic manner, giving you a pat on the back. You rolled your eyes for what felt like the hundredth time tonight. "We did have someone in mind. And here, my love, is where you come into the picture."

"Huh?"

You furrowed your forehead, your expression turning a bit dumbfounded. Sure, the brothers appreciated your expertise on their stuff, but they had never tried to actually… use you in one of their endless pranks. And it seemed like Fred was suggesting exactly that.

Fred let out a short chuckle at your cute, puzzled face, and reached out with his hand to caress your hair, as if he was soothing you. A ‘tsk’ could be heard coming out of your mouth, but you didn’t pull away, letting him pet you.

"Don’t worry, hun, it’s nothing too bad," Fred murmured, but the smirk still tugging at the corner of his mouth was too playful for your liking. "You’re tutoring Malfoy in Herbology, right?"

"Yeah," you confirmed, irritation briefly flicking through the depth of your eyes. The guy’s ambition to become a Healer was a commendable one, but his skills in Herbology were, for the lack of a better word, not present.

"And you would agree that he’s a prying prick, right?"

"Um…"

Sure, Malfoy could be annoying. And he always seemed to have his nose in everybody’s business, thinking his "valuable input" was, in fact, valuable. But surely, Fred didn’t mean…?

"Yeah." Fred’s single word seemed to confirm your thoughts, as if he was reading your mind.

"No way. You actually want to…?"

"And with your help, no less."

Fred grinned when the scowl on your face turned even more disapproving. He slipped his hand from your head down to your face, her knuckles softly brushing against the apples of your cheeks. He always thought you were totally adorable like that, all mad at him for yet another disturbance of peace he was planning to cause. This time, it was even better, since you were also going to be involved. And he knew that you were going to – even underneath your prim and proper exterior, a spark of excitement always flickered whenever he told you about his and George’s pranks.

"Merlin, you’re insufferable," you groaned, still leaning into Fred’s touch, unable to resist the warmth of his loving hand caressing your face.

"And you love it, hun," he responded, giving you a sly wink, knowing exactly what it always did to you. "Just admit it – I’m brilliant. And my dear brother, of course, but mostly me."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," you muttered, begrudgingly agreeing with his cocky statement. The image of Malfoy with huge floppy ears was indeed a pretty hilarious one, and his inevitable tantrum would definitely be a sight to behold.

Fred laughed at your reluctant admission of his superior thinking and affectionately pecked your cheek. What a delight you were – gorgeous, smart and secretly, a bit wicked. His dream girl.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Shihua was probably just having a normal day when her youngest bursts into the throne room talking about how his gege on a cliffside with a bunch of strangers and seemingly didn't recognize him. Confused and fearing if it were an impostor, Shihua orders them to be brought before her after Ma got back to her with knowledge that Shihou was still in the Celestial Realm.

But when the impostor was brought before her, separate from his party, her breath caught. The monkey before her was older than her Shihou, with a wisdom and confidence to his step her cub had not yet gained and wearing strange and expensive clothing, but there was no doubt about it. He resembled Shihou, from the golden eyes he had inherited from her beloved right down to every hair of his ginger fur that seemed to glow like fire in the sunbeams that caught it.

"You stand before the Matriach of the Huā Guǒ Troupe, Shihua." Her beloved announced, careful to not let the unease she felt from him show as he did his due diligence as her advisor, "Name yourself and your purpose!"

The stranger seemed taken aback and before stepping forward, clearing his throat.

"I... My name is Sun Wukong, Lady Matriarch. We had not meant to intrude, we... we fell through a portal and woke up here, lost."

Her troupe murmured, confused as to the name the doppelganger gave and what he said. Shihua considered his words about teleportatuon and portals, familair with the concept from her time speaking to the celestials until her eye caught sight of a familiar fabric of red that had flared up behind him as he stepped forth. Faded and far more weathered than her own, around his neck was a familiar cape tied with a simple knot in the style of a scarf that barely concealed a braded black chord. As she stared, transfixed at the cape, the strange monkey began to stammering in his explanation, fidgeting with his hands and tail whipping about in a manner near identical to Shihou whenever he became nervous, clearly uncomfortable with her attention on him.

"I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but we think we're in an alternate dimension or timeline. It's... it's the only reason I can think to explain it." He was saying, "Our world has had a series of disasters happen recently that resulted in damage to the Pillars and reality itself nearly shattering. We... we managed to stop it but we fell through the cracks and so we ended up here and not at our home and-"

Shihua rose from her throne and stepped closer to the doppelganger, startling him with a choked squeak as he noticed her approach. His stammering increased as he began to become more flustered eith every step, stumbling back as their height differences became apparent and she began to tower over him.

"And I was... uh..." the familiar stranger's words faded out as Shihua slowly grabbed at the cape, lifting it for a closer inspection and sniffing the fabric. Her eyes widened in shock, the scent different yet still unmistakable to her. Peach blossoms and fresh grass after morning rain and bright sunlight and the smallest hint of smoke. It was different but it was Shihou! There was no mistaking it.

"Where... did you get this?" Shihua asked, voice shaky as she looked into his eyes, needing the confirmation. Her son's doppelganger looked away, as if ashamed,

"I found it, draped upon the stone throne when I first discovered the Stone Palace."

"'Discovered?'" Shihua echoed, "Have... have you not lived here you're whole life!?"

What Shihou said next shattered her heart. Her people had lost their ancestral home and he had been the one to reclaim it, and the title of 'king' along with it.

"How old were you?" Ye Lin asked, picking up her concern. He had said he was young, but surely he wouldn't have been-

"It's been so long in don't remember for sure, but I think I was only 10 years. Possibly younger."

A cub, he was just a cub! Ye Lin gave her a concerned look, she knew he too was suspicious of who this monkey was and why he looked so much like their child.

"Surely you're parents would have stepped in!" Ye Lin sounded almost desperate as he spoke, "No parent would let a mere cub rule alone!"

"I... I never had parents."

Those four words were like a nail in the coffin and a knife to her heart. He was an orphan. In whatever world this version of her son had come from, Shihou had been an orphaned and abandoned cub!

"I was hatched atop the mountain from a stone egg, alone." Shihou was saying, his words sounding muffled to her ears through the sheer horror she was feeling, "As far as I'm aware, I'm the only celestial primate alive aside from MK and Macaque."

She felt a firm paw on her shoulder, a glance back showing her mate had stepped up to stand beside her, concerned. Shihua takes another deep sniff of the fabric and even a bit of the other ginger monkey's fur, memorizing the subtle differences in his scent from her cub's. Shihou, no he had said his name was Sun Wukong, looked somewhat confused and uncomfortable. What a peculiar yet somehow fitting name for her child. That confusion only grew as she offered the fabric to her mate, letting him smell for himself. His eyes snapped to hers in shock,

"How could this be!? He smells like Shihou!"

"His story explains everything, my love." Shihua gracefully assured her, "He and his companions truly are from another world. One where our people did not survive the tragedy of the Floods. In that world, he must be our son."

The news created a ripple throughout the gathered troupe as every single jaw dropped, all eyes locked upon the alternate version of their eldest prince. Many, such as the marshals and generals, moved in closer to the younger monkey, sniffing and inspecting his fur.

"Son!? H-hey! What are you-" Sun Wukong yelped, eyes wide as he was crowded by monkeys, trying to step away but by that point he was surrounded and moving back only brought him back to chest with Luzhen, "Uh...?"

"So does that mean I was right!?" Luzhen's paws came to Sun Wukong's shoulder, gripping them excitedly in the same manner he would do so when presenting Shihou with something he considered exciting, "He is gege!?"

Shihua couldn't hide her giggle at the sight, it appears no matter what, Luzhen would always idolize Shihou, even if it was not the one he knew. "No my little one, your brother is still serving his sentence in the celestial stables. Ma had checked when you first announced finding Aun Wukong here. This is version of your brother from another world."

Luzhen's ears and tail drooped for but a moment as he considered her words before perking right back up, grinning even wider.

"Then that means I have two big brothers!" Luzhen announced, excitedly clinging to the older version of his brother. Sun Wukong's eyes were as wide as dinner plated as he stared in shock at the younger monkey,

"B-brothers!?"

Ah, right. He had said he was an orphan, hadn't he. As Shihua left Luzhen to his excitement, she called one of th3 guards over, asking that Sun Wukong's companions be freed and escorted here. No doubt they, too, would want to be a part of the upcoming discussion.

Ref.

You have such a talent with writing!

I love how you wrote in Shihua subtely observing Wukong; how he has little habits indentical to Shihou, and how his smell is nearly identical. Ye Lin being her biiggest cheerleader and support.

And ofc their shock at learning that the "Shihou" before them is an orphan, flrced to take the reins of his troupe as a mere child.

I love it <3

[jerzwriter]

Thanks to @liaromancewriter for sending this prompt for Ethan x Kaycee: "I love you, I swear I do, but we're not wearing matching costumes." I swear I wanted to have this done by Halloween, but things just didn't go as planned! lol

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC) Rating: Teen Words: 968 Summary: Halloween snuck up on Kaycee this year, but she still wants to make it memorable. But will her "secret" boyfriend comply?

A/N: Participating in @choicesmonthlychallengenov2024 - holidays

Everyone has a favorite holiday, and Kaycee’s was Halloween. Each year, she’d spend countless hours deciding upon and creating the perfect costume. But this year was different than most. Being a medical resident was chaotic and by the time she realized Halloween was upon them, she only had two days to put together a memorable costume. She was not happy.

Ethan wasn’t happy, either. After all, seeing his girlfriend upset brought him no pleasure, but he was able to find a silver lining in the dilemma. Even though their relationship was still a secret to most, he knew Kaycee would have still tried to wrangle him into a couple’s costume. But now, with only a couple days to spare, he was confident he found a reprieve. His fear of dressing up as Mickey and Minnie, Morticia and Gomez, or peanut butter and jelly was put to rest

His doorbell rang, and Ethan rushed to answer, finding a delighted Kaycee beaming from ear to ear. She kissed his cheek and buoyantly stepped into the foyer, her arms loaded down with shopping bags.

“You managed to do this much damage in just two hours?” Ethan asked, eyeing the bags.

“Mm-hmm,” she smirked. “You, of all people, should know that I always get what I want.”

“There’s no denying that,” he agreed, looping his arms around her waist. “Did you manage to put a costume together?”

“I did, but I had to go simple,” she sighed removing a pair of black spandex tights and red stiletto heels from a bag. “I’m going to be Sandy from Grease.”

“Really,” Ethan grinned, recalling the crush he had on that very character during his early teens. “You may have to model that costume for me in advance.”

“Why? So it ends up in tatters," she laughed. "No chance, Ramsey!”  

They were setting the table for dinner when Kaycee crushed Ethan’s hopes in another way. “Now, we have to work on your costume,” she grinned.

“My costume?” He froze in place. “I think we can skip that.”

“Oh, no, we're not!” she replied. “You need a costume, Ethan! Having fun will keep you youthful. And this year, you’re going to be Danny Zuko!”

“Danny Zuko?”

“Yeah, from Grease!”

“I’m aware he’s from Grease, Kaycee. But are you forgetting, only a handfull of people know we're dating. A couple's costume wouldn't be the best idea.”

“But that’s what makes it so cute,” she insisted. “We're not arriving at Donahue’s together, so it will look like a coincidence! Then, we'll have an adorable story later on once everyone knows."

He shook his head with a grimace. “Kaycee, I love you. I swear I do. But we are not wearing matching costumes.”

“Why not?” she pouted.

“Because in all my years in Boston, I have had one costume and one alone...a curmudgeonly, sarcastic physician. If I show up as anything else, it will be suspect.”  

Kaycee rolled her eyes. “You won’t dress up? Not even for me?”

“I think we just covered that,” he deadpanned.

“Fine, Dr. Crumudgeon! Have your way,” she sighed. “But I’m still going as Sandy.”

When Halloween arrived, Kaycee sauntered into Donahue’s, looking like the perfect 1950s bombshell. She twirled a lock of blonde hair around her finger as she scanned the room, expecting to see Ethan perched on his usual stool wearing his old grey cardigan as he nursed a Scotch.

But then, she saw him. He leaned against the bar, wearing a fitted pair of blue jeans, a classic white T, and a black leather jacket. The casual observer may not have recognized it as a costume at all, but Kaycee knew, and her heart began to flutter.

She rushed to his side, a small smirk lifting one corner of her mouth. “Danny Zuko, I presume?”

Ethan's eyes met hers, and a warm smile was shared between them. "Look, I wasn’t about to wear a T-Bird jacket or brush my hair into a pompadour. But this was simple enough, and I needed a new leather jacket, anyway.”

“Uh-huh,” Kaycee replied, her eyes sparkling. “Sure you did."

She didn’t thank him; she didn’t have to. Her face was radiating pure joy, and Ethan stared back with a stupid grin. Life was sure different with Dr. Kaycee MacClennan in his life, but it was different in a very good way.

Eventually, some of their coworkers noticed the matching costumes and rushed to surround them, eager to know if the rumors they had been hearing were true.

“I knew you two were a thing!” Nurse Sarah squealed. “A couple’s costume is the perfect way to announce you’re, well, a couple!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sarah,” Ethan said nonchalantly after putting down his Scotch. “I’m James Dean. I was just telling Kaycee I’ve never even seen Grease.”

“Never seen Grease!” Harper shot back. “When we were dating, you told me you had a huge crush on Olivia Newton-John after seeing her play Sandy.”

“Oh, is that so,” Kaycee teased. “Well, Ethan, I’m pretty sure James Dean was Danny Zuko’s inspiration anyway. So we could technically enter the couple’s costume contest if you want, that is."

“What’s the prize?” he asked.

Kaycee looked around to make sure no one was in earshot, then leaned over and whispered in his ear. “The prize is my costume scattered across your bedroom floor later this evening. I'm sure you'd be pleased.”

Ethan downed his drink in one gulp. “Then, by all means. Where do we go to sign up?"

"Follow me!" Kaycee grinned.

Harper and Sarah exchanged knowing looks as the two walked away.

“Do they really think they’re fooling anyone?” Sarah asked.

"Let them have their fun," Harper shrugged. “But if they think they're fooling us, then neither of them is as bright as we think."

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[plaidpajamallama]

(You scared me) RHEA RIPLEY X JEY USO

Chapter 12

________________________________________________

She heard the car honk, I’m coming! She yelled, grabbing her bags.

She walked out of her house, locking the door.

Damian popped the truck so she could put her stuff in it.

She hoped in the passenger seat. Hey, how you doing, she said, buckling her seat belt.

I’m good, you ready.

Yeah, let’s go.

He pulled out of her driveway, setting sail.

Anything new with you? He looked over at her.

I got something to tell you.

What should I be worried about? Do I have to fight someone?

No, you know how me and Jey have been hanging out more and we have been talking and stuff.

Yeah

Well, we’re together and I wanted to tell you

Oh, really, I’m so surprised, he said in a sarcastic voice.

She hit him in the arm. I hate you.

In all seriousness, I’m happy for you. I know he makes you happy.

He does; doesn’t she smiled

So how long did you wait till you decided to tell me?

Just umm, she thought about how long it’s been.

Since last Monday, oh no, the Monday before that, when I was with Tiffy, she rolled her eyes.

It’s been like a week. Your now just telling me

You have been in New York. What did you want me to do? Tell you on the phone.

Your right, hang on; we're going to make one more stop.

Alright, she gave him a look.

He pulled in a driveway; she didn’t recognize it.

What are we doing?

Just wait your see as he said that he opened the trunk.

She looked behind her, seeing Kayden!

Oh, hey Kayden, you riding with us.

Hell yeah, she tossed her bags in the truck, slamming it close before jumping in the backseat.

So how are you doing? Rhea Haven’t seen you in a minute.

I’m good just working hard

You gonna tell her He looked at her with a grin.

She rolled her eyes.

Tell me what? What happened

You know how me and Jey have been hanging out.

Yeah

Well, we’re together now.

Oh shit, really good for you. He’s a nice guy.

I know right, he’s great.

How long have you guys been going out?

Like a couple Mondays ago when I tagged with Tiffy.

Oh, so it’s like a new

Yeah, but I know him for a while.

That’s true, so tell me everything.

Ok, so Damian cut her off before she could even start.

Ay, I don’t want to hear all that you can tell her later when I’m not here.

Fine, she turned back around. I’ll tell you later.

After a couple hours on the road, they pulled in to a gas station. Her and Kayden went inside to use the bathroom and get some snacks while Damian got the gas.

When they walked back out, Damian was done pumping the gas.

You still good to go or you need a break, she asked.

I’m a little tired, but I can still drive.

Me or Rhea can drive for a bit if you want.

Ha, you can drive, Rhea, not allowed to.

She sucked her teeth. Get in the back, old man. Let’s go.

Your just rushing so you can see Jey.

And so what if I am? She said, getting back in her seat.

Damian hoped in the back while Kayden got in the driver seat.

And they got back on the road. After a few minutes, Rhea looked in the back to check on Damian, and he was asleep.

She hit Kayden on the arm, getting her attention.

Hey Damian, asleep.

Okay, you want to tell me about you and Jey now and how all that happened.

I mean, he’s been chasing me for a while now, like back when I was still with Dom.

Saying his name left a bad taste in her mouth.

Did you like him then?

No, but after everything with Dom, he was there for me; you know, he made me feel better.

Especially after Bad Blood, I was a mess.

I mean, I called him in the middle of the night crying, and he came over to make me feel better.

For him to do that, he must really care about you.

Yeah, she smiled; she couldn’t stop if she wanted to. Jey just put a smile on her face.

How does Damian feel about all this?

They had bumps in the road, but now they’re cool. Damian said he liked him.

You know Jey helped us out a little with the judgment day, so I think he got some points with him there, plus he can see how much Jey cares for me.

I don’t think I ever saw you so smitten.

You think I’m smitten

Girl, you are the definition of smitten. I have seen you check your phone every minute to see if he texted you.

She scoffed I haven’t seen him since before he left for Europe. I miss him.

I bet he misses you too

Oh yeah, he was acting crazy the other night.

She chuckled What he does

He said if I show him mine, he’ll show me his.

Oh, that’s why you're checking your phone so much; he missed you bad, huh?

She laughed. Here you go.

No wonder you can’t wait to see him trying to catch a Yeetdown! she laughed

Oh my god, shhh, your going to wake up Damian.

I hope you have fun. I’ll be sitting in my bed all alone watching TV and eating food I shouldn't.

I wish I could eat food I shouldn't.

Well, you're doing something much better. She said, giving her a look.

She walked in to their hotel room.

Jey was sitting on the bed watching TV.

Hey, babe, How have you been?

He looked her up and down before turning the TV off. I’m good; better your here now.

She dropped her bag on the floor, walking over to him, standing in front of him. I missed you.

I missed you too he grabbed her hips, pulling her closer.

Mmh, she sat down, straddling him. How much did you miss me?

Oh, a whole lot, he flipped her over so he was on top.

She grabbed at his shirt showed me how much

He grinned, taking off his shirt.

She took off hers too, revealing a royal blue bra.

It didn’t take long for them to get their pants off, revealing she was wearing a royal blue set.

He took a moment just looking at her in all her beauty, her long legs covered in tattoos.

Her waist, her hair sitting perfectly on her shoulder, and god did she look stunning in blue.

He kissed her, unhooking her bra as he did so.

Tossing it to the side

His hands moved down to her hips.

She lifted her hips so he could take off her underwear. He looked at her, taking in all of her

Fuck baby, he said as he kissed his way down her body.

________________________________________________

It’s been a couple hours since the sun has set.

Rhea was lying down on Jey’s chest.

Both are still in bliss over what just happened.

It had been awhile since she had sex, and that was god; she couldn’t put it into words.

Jey was petting her head.

I told Damian about us today.

How did he take it?

He’s happy for us. He did say he knew before I told him.

he chuckled I bet he did.

I also told Kayden she rode with us; is that okay?

He gave her a look. Yeah girl, tell all your friends about me shit; I don’t care.

Ok, I was just asking; she laughed. Are you excited for Raw tomorrow?

Mmm, I got a segment scheduled with Jimmy, so

Oh, you do? You are going to try to make things better.

I don’t know. I’ll see what he says. I’m not ready to forgive him one hundred percent yet, but I’m willing to try.

Well, I hope all goes well tomorrow for you. All I got is a little vignette, so it will be a light day.

I’m going to NXT though to see all the new women.

I hope you have fun over there. NXT is crazy

I know that’s why it’s awesome.

I should have known your crazy ass was going that

Yes, you should have, especially now that Zaria is on there. Oh, all the women better watch their backs.

Already, I think your crazy ass needs some sleep because it’s late and I've been up since like six in the morning, so

Yeah, I’m tired too. I think that’s your fault, though she smiled.

Ay, it’s going to be the best sleep of your life. I promise you that.

Oh, it's better. She chuckled. Good night.

Good night, baby, he said, kissing the top of her head.

_________________________________________________

Happy Monjey Night Mami! Crown Jewel was….yeah

I’m need Roman to stop hating cuz the way he was looking at Jey 🖤

[shadowsingerdraco]

Wartime Dramione

Prompt: “Tell me you love me”

—

“Tell me,” he says. Hermione wasn’t expecting this reaction. Anger, betrayal — yes. But not this. Not his gray eyes wide in desperation. “Tell me you love me.”

The air was sucked out of the room. She wondered if he could feel her pulse in the grip he had on her wrists. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Draco was searching her face for something she could not give him.

“You know that I don’t.” The words felt like an iron rod down her throat. Not because she didn’t mean them, but because she did.

She watched his shoulders slump before his expression fell into smooth indifference and fixed his posture. Like he turned himself off and back on again. A restart. It was so subtle, so fast, that it was almost undetectable that it had even happened. Hermione missed the days where she did not recognize his occlumency.

“Draco, please—”

His raised palm stopped her. “Don’t.”

She stared at him. He slowly moved his hand down and inside his pocket.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Hermione said.

He let out a loud laugh, it echoing in the cobwebbed room. The rapid changes in his demeanor was giving her whiplash.

“What were you trying to do, exactly?” Draco’s words were venomous. “What did you think would happen once you wormed your way into my life? Made me care about you? Did you think that you would achieve your goal and leave me unscathed?”

She went to respond and he cut her off with, “That’s rhetorical, Hermione.”

The use of her first name felt like more of a slap in the face than any slur he could have hurled at her. She wanted to explain, make it better, but the truth was why it hurt like it did.

“I couldn’t,” she tried. “I couldn’t let myself love you. I can’t.”

“But you had no problem doing to me what you couldn’t handle happening to you.”

Her stomach dropped to the floor. He was right. She hated that he was right. But. But.

“You’re a Death Eater!” She spit, finally saying what she felt was obvious. What she had to know. What she had to believe for all of this to have been worth it.

Draco’s eyes flickered before the wall pushed itself back into place.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m a Death Eater.” His voice was hollow. “I’m the Death Eater who now has a target on his back from the Dark Lord himself. All in the name of keeping you safe.” He ran a hand down his face, his Slytherin ring glinting in the dim light of the shrieking shack. He had apparated them there after the raid at Malfoy Manor.

“Draco-”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell them where the precious Golden Trio has been hiding out all this time when they try to crucio it out of me.”

Hermione stilled. How could he possibly know where they had been staying? She would need to send word to Harry to move their location.

Draco sneered at her. “You didn’t really think that I wouldn’t have ensured that you were safe at all times? That I wouldn’t have tabs on your location in case I needed to get to you before someone else did?”

Hermione hated to even ask, but she had to know. Had to be sure. “What’s stopping you from running to Tom now and telling him?”

“Because I want you to live. Because even when I hate you, I love you. Above all else, I love you.”

—

a/n: i found this in my drafts and sort of love it and am debating picking this back up for a longer piece

[discordiansamba]

actually still thinking about this, but: instead of katara freaking out she plays it cool. after all, she still remembers what happened the last time she freaked out about finding zuko in a place he shouldn't be (also a tea shop, come to think about it). so instead she forces herself to smile and asks for whatever's recommended. she can't take her eyes off him long enough to look at the menu. this is easier.

she watches zuko like a hawk, but tries to not be like. super obvious about it. he doesn't seem to recognize her at all. and katara's not stupid. she knows that azula had control of the dai li. she knows her relationship with zuko wasn't the best. but would she really use the dai li to brainwash her own brother?

...yeah who was she kidding. she probably would.

she asks zuko some questions about himself when he comes to bring her her tea. she learns a lot from him. he introduces himself as lee and tells her he was born and raised in ba sing se. he's... incredibly friendly in a way that is making katara's brain short out. he smiles. with his scar half hidden by his hair, she can almost half-convince herself this isn't zuko at all, but just some random kid who kind of looks like him. but it has to be zuko.

zuko asks her about herself- is she new to the city? you're from the water tribe, right? katara mulls it over, and then tells him she's here with the avatar. zuko doesn't even bat an eye. katara has to fight the urge to lunge over the table and drag his head down on the spot to try and heal it. she has to introduce herself to him. he blinks in recognition, and for just a moment...

...then he sinks all her hopes. he's heard of her. she helped the avatar defeat the fire lord. everyone's been talking about them. he's honored that such an impressive person would give his humble place of employment a visit. katara can only think that this is so fucking weird. whatever the dai li did to him, it's way worse than what they did to jet. at least jet knew his own name.

...yeah, there's no chance she heals this in one shot.

actually... should she heal him at all? zuko betrayed them. maybe she should just keep quiet and let him live out the rest of his life as lee. at least this way he can't possibly cause them anymore trouble. except... she thinks of iroh. he's been searching for zuko desperately. she thinks about all he's told her about zuko- why he was the way he was. she could never find any sympathy for him even after that, but...

...this? this is just awful.

katara makes up her mind. there's more customers arriving, so zuko gives her a polite bow and leaves her to her tea. when he comes back to collect her money, she promises him he'll come back again- and that maybe she'll bring some friends this time. zuko smiles at her and tells her he would be honored.

she leaves. she needs to tell everyone about this- except for maybe iroh. she'll wait just a little bit on telling iroh. she'll try bringing aang to the tea shop tomorrow- and if that doesn't get a reaction out of zuko, well... she'll just know she has her work cut out for her.

oh oh! AU in which Zuko is brainwashed by the Dai Li into believing he's REALLY Lee from the tea shop.

oh fuck, sorry about your life zuko. and also yours, iroh.

azula doublecrosses zuko after the fall of ba sing se and hands him over to the dai li. she never had any intention of sharing the glory with him. she smiles and tells him that since he enjoyed working at the tea shop with uncle so much, he can just become lee forever.

lee wakes up in ba sing se, alone. his uncle is gone. the city has been taken over by the fire nation. his memories are a blur- he and his uncle went to the earth palace to serve the earth king tea, and then... he can't really remember what happened next.

the fire nation princess wants him to serve her tea. he can feel her eyes on him the entire time he does. she's smiling, but he doesn't like that smile. her other two friends just watch him with looks that verge on pity- but only when the princess isn't looking. part of him feels grateful when they leave for the fire nation. the other part of him just feels... angry?

lee doesn't know where to go, so he goes back to the jasmine dragon. he finds out jin has been looking for him. she asks where his uncle is. he just shakes his head and says he doesn't know. he went missing. she invites him to come stay with her family... but he turns her down. he finds a job at another tea shop. it's all he knows. he's not good for anything else.

princess azula left behind standing orders with the dai li to make sure to keep up her brother's brainwashing. he's stubborn, so if you're not careful, he'll start to realize things he shouldn't. it's why she does not bring him home to the fire nation, as amusing as the idea of having him paraded before the court as a servant is.

the dai li visit lee once every week. it is the same agent every time. they have brainwashed many in their time, but the prince of the fire nation is their masterpiece. he crafts an entire new life for him. lee is drowning in a sea of lies and he doesn't even know it.

iroh realizes something is *very* wrong when he hears nothing of zuko upon arriving in the fire nation. when he breaks out of prison, he discovers that zuko never returned with his sister- and feels fear in his heart. but with the failure of the invasion, someone must teach the avatar firebending... and it cannot be jeong-jeong. iroh asks the white lotus to search for zuko in his place.

it's katara who finds him by accident, after the war is over. she decides to take a break at a tea shop. she looks up at her server- and sees a ghost. a ghost that doesn't recognize her, not even a little- and with a sinking horror, katara realizes exactly what must have happened.

she can't even be angry at him for his betrayal. not when all it earned him was this.

(lee was born and raised in ba sing se. he has no uncle, but he has his father. he is an agent of the dai li, and lee could not be more proud of him. he got his scar in the accident that killed his mother. a tragic fire. an accident. he's been afraid of it ever since.

lee lacks talent. he knows this, but he has found a simple happiness in the one thing he is good at- serving tea. he chats with the customers. he remembers the orders of all his regulars. his life is simple, but he is happy. he has never once thought of leaving ba sing se. why would he? his entire life is here. he has his father. his job. his girlfriend jin. he doesn't need anything else.

...he would like this strange water tribe girl to stop talking to him now. he hides in the kitchen. the owner kicks her out for hassling his best tea server.

lee has been kidnapped. these people keep calling him zuko. he has no idea who that is. they take him to the fire nation. he needs to get far, far away from ba sing se, they say. somewhere more familiar. lee doesn't know what they're talking about. he wants to go home.)

[thedevotionaltour]

even for period typical ableism it still drives me nuts for karen to go oh poor matt how can he deal and get around as if he hasn't been blind most of his life at this point and living on his own by himself as an adult for his entire adult life after college and has also lived in the city his whole life like girl use your damn brain he can get around by himself just fine. good god. like take five seconds to use your brain. literally adult man who lives by himself if nothing else that should tell you he is fine and when he needs assistance has the knowledge and ability to go get it you act as if he can't even walk on the sidewalk by himself. he literally shows up to work by himself. it drives me up the wall sometimes how she sees proof of him functioning fine independently literally witnesses it on the daily and still thinks these things. like again foggy isn't great either bc again the period typical ableism (and just general ableism in the world outside of this period as this is a common attitude of viewing disabled people as helpless and unable to function even if they are people who do live independently (and im not touching on people who do need extra support and caretaking in this context. as this post is about these characters in the context of a story. so im talking about what we see there instead of any truly meaningful nuanced way) but the writing here is like. Particularly this way due to the time) he has a modicum more of understanding that matt is literally a capable grown adult man. literally told karen matt is a big boy who can handle himself and then karen went b-b-but you forget he's blind as if foggy hasn't known him for years of his life and is his best friend like PLEASE SEE HIM AS AN ADULT. I AM GOING TO GO INSANE. PLEASE RESPECT HIM IF YOU LOVE HIM SO DEARLY. AND EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T. JUST RESPECT HIM AS A PERSON!!!!!!

[todayisafridaynight]

One of my fave jackets is this green jacket with a fur hood im wearin rn because 1.) its green 2.) my dad gave it to me 3.) it reminds me of saejima. Who also reminds me of my dad

[magiclwritings]

It wasn't until Apollo had apologized to Oliver and Cassio for his tone that he'd realized his jaw had been set in a rigid hold. So much so that when he'd finally opened and took a breath both sides popped. His fingers squeezed Apollo's and he slid his hand free. A faint sheen of sweat had collected on his palm and so he rubbed it against his pants. He had to get himself together. Seeing that the little boy also recognized the pair of them had irked him more than the fact that had just showed up unannounced. He sighed and found himself regaining himself, calming down as quickly as he could manage. If he were going to be able to keep touching Apollo like that he couldn't influence his mood like that. Even if it had been unintentional. He wasn't ashamed but he felt bad that he couldn't just let somethings go yet.

"I don't think anyone has heard or seen from her since then either." Cassio chimed in. While he wasn't greatly acquainted with that particular wizarding family, most were still running their circles and gossiping all the while after. As much as he hated to admit, sometimes it was the only way to really find out anything about anyone. "Mungos? And you were the only one to contact? What about her parents?" He'd almost regretted suggesting it as soon as it had come out but still. Cass stepped in and nudged himself under Oliver's arm for his warmth and comfort. "I mean I'm sure they don't have the highest opinions of you or ... Isaac but surely they'd know their daughter was missing, right?" He looked to Oliver and sighed, knowing that may not be true. With so many in his boyfriend's family he wondered how his poor parents kept up with all of them.

"Orion was probably right. Maybe with the four of us we could get more out of him?" He'd suggested, reaching his hand to pat Oliver's chest. "Uncle Ollie seems like he's got a handle on it already." The laugh that followed couldn't be helped. Because while this was absolutely terrifying, that part was still something that would stick with him for the rest of his life. "I mean it can't hurt. Does anyone else know about him?" He asked only Apollo that question, his gaze lingering a little longer than need be but he needed to know exactly what they needed to prepare for and only Apollo could tell him exactly who this could be.

"Jus' the hospital staff." Isaac butted in, snapping the blond out of his staring contest with Apollo. Breathe. He straightened and forced a smile to his lips. "You migh' be righ'. Oliver migh' be the one ta ge' somethin' ou' o' him." He nudged Apollo's shoulder, knowing he was going a mile a minute in his brain and no chance of slowing. "Maybe we can ta'e a brea'. Try an' ea' somethin' while Oliver an' Cassio talk ta him." He offered, knowing Apollo would resist but he needed so desperately to get him to focus on something else even if just for a moment. "He's no' goin' anywhere an' I thin' he's jus' scared." His lips pressed together and he breathed out through his nose. "I would be if the lo' o' us were actin' li'e I was a piece of gilly wee'." His shoulders shrugged and he bent in the rest his chin on Apollo's shoulder. "Wha' else ca' we do?"

Oliver wasn’t surprised that Cassio didn’t immediately believe him. It was so rare that he knew something about Apollo before Cass, but he knew he was right. He knew Orion wouldn’t lie about this. While he didn’t have the whole story, Oliver had seen the look on his brother’s face as he explained a spell to Apollo. “Don’t be all pouty when you realize I was right,” Oliver mumbled against the side of Cass’ mouth, pecking kisses along any inch of warm skin he could find before the blonde pulled away and left the comfort of his bed—knowing such huge information before Cass was a thrill if he was honest. His friendship with Apollo, while it had never bothered him, had been quite the thing to navigate throughout the start of their relationship. 

After Cassio freshened up and they exited the bedroom, Oliver went about gathering the bags he had brought in from his little shopping spree. According to Orion, Apollo and Isaac’s new son was in the toddler-ish stage, so he got…well, pretty much one of everything. He would be the best uncle ever because Merlin knew when any of his useless brothers would give him a niece or nephew. Cassio went to his phone, unlocking it and frowning at the screen. Oliver knew that look; it meant Apollo hadn’t texted him. “We’ll see them in a couple of minutes,” He said, arms loaded with bags of goodies. “You’ll have to apparate us.” Oliver felt arms wrapped around him, and then they were off. 

They appeared moments later in Apollo and Isaac’s home. 

“She’s just our neighbor,” Theo explained exasperatedly, as if Isaac was silly for not knowing this information already. “When I can’t come here, she watches me for me..” He shrugged and went back to his plate. Apollo studied the boy, noting that he adapted Isaac’s accent for some words, but that could have just been him idolizing the man he thought was a father figure to him. Theo opened his mouth to continue, but Apollo held up a hand after he heard a distant pop of someone’s apparition in the living room. Very few people had access to their home. He knew his twin wouldn’t come without calling first. Given who he had called earlier, Apollo knew who it was. 

He glanced at Isaac, sighed heavily, and resisted the urge to slam his head against the table. A concussion would be preferred over dealing with Oliver right now. However, while he was strongly displeased at Oliver's unannounced arrival at their home, it would help them get more information regarding Theodore. Would he recognize Oliver and Cassio? Would he have fabricated memories of them as well? “Theodore,” Apollo called out before he heard a grating voice call out, ‘Hellooooo.’ The boy looked up at Apollo, waiting for him to speak again. He would take the risk. “I think your uncles are here.” Then he held his breath, waiting. 

The biggest grin broke out on the boy’s face as he pushed his chair back from the table and ran into the living room, screaming at the top of his lungs, “Uncle Ollie!!” Apollo turned to Isaac, his mouth hanging open. “What the fuck,” He muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was. Theodore’s entire life had been built on false memories that extended to their friends. It was enough of a distraction to make him forget that he was pissed about Orion’s betrayal. “Orion must have told them,” He said to Isaac; for some odd reason, he felt the need to throw out there that he hadn’t called Cassio about this. “I’m going to kill Oliver.”

Apollo stood up from the seat, his meal untouched, and walked into the living room. As he entered, he saw Theodore trying to wrap both arms around Oliver and Cassio in a hug. His gaze met Cassio’s immediately, and Apollo didn’t have the words to explain, not like he could in front of Theodore anyway. “What did you do to Orion?” He asked, turning to look at Oliver, his hands on his hips. “Because I know he wouldn’t give up my information freely.” 

Oliver ruffled Theo’s hair before sheepishly glancing up at Apollo. “First of all, it’s rude that we weren’t the first told..” 

“Told what?” Theodore asked, looking up at Oliver with the biggest smile. 

Oliver continued without answering Theodore. “And second of all, I beat him up, and it was easy because he’s a little bitch.” Theo giggled and tugged on Oliver’s arm, muttering ‘That’s a bad word’ under his breath. “I mean, he’s a little witch.” Theodore giggled again and moved from them, starting to rummage through the bags at Oliver’s feet. “All of these bags are for you.” 

Apollo sighed but didn’t comment on it. It saved him a trip to the store. “Theo, why don’t you look through those while we talk to your uncles in the kitchen.” 

As they moved into the kitchen, Apollo reached for Isaac’s hand, slotting their fingers together and giving him a squeeze of comfort. He turned around when Cassio and Oliver followed them in, stepping back into the vicinity of Isaac’s warmth. “I don’t know where to begin. I got a call to come to Mungos, and he was there waiting for me. Alexandria is his mum, and she’s been AWOL for days. The hospital has it on file that I’m listed as his father and the emergency contact, but I haven’t met that kid before. He knows all of us as if he’s been in our lives forever. I didn’t even know she had a kid. I haven’t seen her since uni. I called Orion to see if there was a way to look at memories and see if there were traces of altering magic in them because it doesn’t make sense how he has memories of being here, playing with Milo, and being with Isaac and me. Now, it’s confirmed he’s also familiar with the two of you. So now that you’re all caught up, are you here to help or just to make it even more of a difficult night?” 

Apollo inhaled sharply and shook his head. He hadn’t meant it like that, but his nerves were fucking fried to shit, and he was so fucking tired. “I didn’t mean…” He started and then stopped, momentarily focusing on breathing until he felt more solid and grounded. “I didn’t mean it to sound the way it sounded.” Apollo couldn’t bring himself to apologize, so that was the closest he could get to it. “I don’t know what the fuck to do with a kid.”

[attractthecrows]

retconning stroud out of the deep roads so i can shove laure amell and the hawke siblings and varric and anders all into the same little camp. they would all have such a bad time

[seaglassdinosaur]

Ron said there was a sixty second window of suggestibility, yes?

That’s the exact amount of time it takes for Reagan to read the script and give her heartfelt emotional speech about how much she loves him.

Who’s to say that second part doesn’t stick with him same as the Martin Higgins identity?

[star-ocean-peahen]

After watching Cinderella (the original animated movie, which was my favorite as a child), it strikes me how it solves many common problems people have with this fairy tale. Like:

Why did they try to identify the mystery girl using her shoe size? Because the bullheaded king's only clue to her identity was the shoe the Grand Duke picked up off the steps.

Why didn't the prince recognize her by her face? Because his father wouldn't involve him in the process at all, and wasn't the one going around trying to find her.

Why did the prince want to marry a lady he only met that night? Because his father was going to force him to marry someone, and he genuinely liked this woman.

Why did Cinderella want to marry a man she only met that night? Because marriage was her best and most secure way to freedom. Fucked up, but you can't say it's unrealistic for the setting of a fairy tale. She also genuinely liked him.

If they're using the slipper to find her, wouldn't it be more sensible to search for the person with the other slipper? Yes. The King is purposefully nonsensical and the Duke is purposefully terrified enough of him to carry out his orders to the letter. Furthermore, they end up doing that in the end anyway, because the Duke's glass slipper is shattered, and Cinderella brings out the one she has to prove her identity.

Why didn't the stepmother and stepsisters recognize Cinderella at the ball? Because they were dancing too far away, and then left the party to dance in private, which was possible because the King wanted very badly for his son to hit it off with someone and tried to arrange the best conditions for that to happen.

Why didn't Cinderella save herself? Because in real life, abuse victims should not have to shoulder that responsibility, and usually can't. In real life, you need and deserve an external support system. Asking for help, in this kind of situation, is very important. She is saved by others because she is loved. Because she is not alone. Because she has friends who love her, and want her to be happy and safe and free. Because in real life, people who want to help someone who is suffering are like the mice. We can't pull out miracle solutions, but we can provide companionship and if we're in the right place at the right time, we can help the person find a better life.

Why didn't the fairy godmother save Cinderella from her abusive household, or try to help her sooner? Because she's magic, and magic can't solve your problems. Quote: "Like all dreams, well, I'm afraid it can't last forever." This (and Cinderella's dream of going to the ball) is a metaphor for pleasurable things in bad circumstances. An ice cream won't get rid of your depression, but it will provide you with momentary happiness to bolster you, as well as the reminder that happiness in general is still possible for you. Cinderella doesn't want to go to the ball so she can get away from her stepmother and stepsisters, or so she can meet someone to marry and leave with. She wants to go to the ball to remind herself that she can still have things she wants. That her desires matter. This is important because the movie does a very good job of illustrating Lady Tremaine's subtle abuse tactics, all of which invisibly press the message that Cinderella doesn't matter. While going to the ball and fulfilling her dreams may not be a victory in the material sense, it is still a victory against Lady Tremaine's efforts.

Why is Cinderella's choice to be kind and obedient framed as a good thing, when you are not obligated to be kind to your abuser? This one walks a very fine line, but I think the movie still makes it make sense. Lady Tremaine never acknowledges her cruelty. She always frames her punishments of Cinderella as Cinderella's fault. Cinderella is interrupting, Cinderella is shirking her duties, Cinderella is playing vicious practical jokes. Cinderella is still a member of the family, of course she can go to the ball, provided she meet these impossible conditions. Lady Tremaine's tactics are designed to make Cinderella feel like she must always be in the wrong and her stepmother must always be in the right. If Cinderella calls her stepmother out on her cruelty, or attempts to fight back, Lady Tremaine can frame that as Cinderella being ungrateful, cruel, broken, evil, etc. If Cinderella responds to her stepmother's cruelty defiantly (in the way she's justified to), she's not taking control out of Lady Tremaine's hands. Disobedience can be spun back into her stepmother's control. She wants Cinderella to be angry and sad and show how much she's hurting. So since Cinderella is adapting to her situation, she chooses to be kind. Not only because she naturally wants to be and it's part of her personality, but because it is a form of defiance in its own way, and it allows her to keep a reminder of her agency and value. Her choice to be kind is her chance to keep her own narrative alive: she is not obeying because her stepmother wants her to and she has to do what her stepmother does, but because she wants to. It's a small distinction, but one that makes all the difference in terms of keeping her hope and identity. (Fuck, I wrote a whole paragraph about how this doesn't mean you can't be angry at people who hurt you or that you need to be kind to deserve help, and then deleted it by accident. Uh. Try again.) Expressing anger and pain is an important part of regaining autonomy and healing. Although it is commendable to be kind while you are suffering, it is NOT required for you to get help or be worthy of help. If Cinderella's recovery was explored beyond "happily ever after" she would need to let herself be angry and sad to heal. Cinderella is not only kind because it comes naturally to her, but because it's her defense against the abuse she's suffering. Everyone's story and experiences are different, and one does not invalidate the other.

Bonus round for answers that aren't part of the movie:

Why didn't Cinderella run away? Where would she go? Genuinely, in hundreds-of-years-ago France, where would she go if she snuck out of the window with a change of clothes? With her step-family, she's miserable and abused, but she's fed, clothed, and in no danger of dying or being taken advantage of by anyone other than her stepmother and stepsisters. Even if she escapes and manages to find financial security, her stepmother might be able to find her and get her back.

Why didn't Cinderella burn the house down with them inside it/slit their throats in the night/poison their food/etc.? Because that's a revenge fantasy, and this story is a fantasy about being saved. There's nothing wrong with making Cinderella into a revenge fantasy. That's perfectly fine, as long as you acknowledge that the other type of fantasy is also a valid interpretation. (I mean, the original fairy tale features the stepsisters getting their feet mutilated and all three of them getting their eyes pecked out, so go for it.)

Why isn't Cinderella more proactive in general? Because she's a child who has been abused for the back half of her life, who has had to be focused on survival because. you know. she's an abused kid.

How did she dance in glass slippers? Gotta agree with you there man, that's weird.

[beastimusprojects]

Chapter 16: Falling together

______________________________________________________________

            “He shouldn’t be alive, but he is. Thank goodness I caught him, but no one should be able to survive a drop from that height.” Hywel gradually came to as the woman standing over him spoke.

            “How am I still alive?”

            “Well, that’s what we were wondering, you got hit a bunch by the glowy lady with the wings, but somehow you killed her about three or four miles up and managed to survive the fall.”

            Hywel sat up, his head hurt, and the world was spinning a little, everything was really bright.

            Devil energy, it’ll wear off as you digest it.

            Oh, that explains it.

            “You’re also horribly emaciated, we got you some stuff to eat, you know, as a thank you for saving… well probably everyone.”

            Hywel realized that he had been moved and was now sitting on the deck of a large ship, but he was hungry, and so he asked no questions before accepting and slurping down the bowl of soup he was given.

            Another woman came up to him, he recognized her as the one Karol had attacked, she was absolutely covered in scars.

            “What did she do to you?”

            “Not much, don’t worry, I’ve had most of these for a long time. Though, I’d be a lot worse if you hadn’t come at that exact moment.”

            “Are you the one she told me about? Phoenix, I think she said?”

            “Yeah, that’s me.”

            “I’m sorry for what you went through, I should have realized that Karol was bad news earlier.”

            “If you don’t mind, can you explain what was going on there? You killed her somehow, no one could see, but she absolutely bodied the best of the hunters.” Phoenix pointed to where Orwen was still lying unconscious.

            “Demon. She had a Devil; I sucked the life right out of her.” Hywel hung his head between his knees.

            “Wow.” Phoenix was oblivious to Hywel’s shame, only in awe of his power. “Just think of what you can do with that kind of power.” She said, almost whispering.

            “But also, what you have to do to get it.” “It’s not worth becoming a monster.”

            “I don’t know, people usually leave monsters alone, if I had what you have…” she trailed off.

            “I should leave, thank you for your hospitality, but I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

            “You can’t, you saved the lives of literally half the people on this ship, you can stay for as long as you want.”

            “Well, but I have somewhere to be.”

            “Where are you going that can’t wait for you to rest for a few hours?”

            “Core, something bad is going to happen there, pretty soon.”

            “That’s where we’re going to, you can come with us, you need a ship anyway to get there in any reasonable time.” “Unless demons also give you super-fast speed.”

            “Are you sure, you don’t mind traveling with the vessel of a demon?”

            “You are still not the most dangerous person I’m traveling with.”

            “I severely doubt that.”

            “Well, like I said, that guy over there is the most skilled hunter alive, and he currently is on a mission to bring me back to Hunter headquarters.”

            “Wait, is that Orwen Desinor?” “Are you just randomly traveling with Orwen Desinor?”

            “Yeah, and the disgraced crown prince of Levias.”

            “”

            “Yeah, you coming with us really doesn’t add much danger factor to this.”

            “Ok, we’ll get to the Levias thing in a minute, but, why are you traveling with Orwen Desinor if he has a contract on you. I used to be a Seeker, that guy killed Scout! Scout, like it was nothing!”

            Phoenix shrugged “I suspect I am neither as dispassionate nor as tactically minded as I would like to believe.” “So, what do you say?”

            “Ok, I hope I do not live to regret this.”

            “Excellent, let’s give you a tour of the ship.”

______________________________________________________________

@brokendarkfairyempressforever

@hijabi-flavored-nerd

@betanian117

This chapter is short

New post for the Phoenix Story:

Up to chapter 12:

CW for some Suicidal Ideation, General Angst, Mild Body horror, and as of now, one instance of the f-word.

Chapter 1: A Beautiful Night

______________________________________________________________

            Phoenix finally relaxed.

            As she watched the moon slide over the sun, she relished in the fact that she was now, truly, wonderfully alone. Alone, more than anyone else had probably been in a long, long time. There are, of course, ways to be alone not requiring physical distance, and ways of being together that overcome any distance. But it had been a decade since Phoenix had truly experienced togetherness in any of those ways, and the physical isolation was as absolute as she could imagine it. There was no one within 30 miles of where she sat, on an island that no one knew existed on the edge of where life in the sky had penetrated. No one could get there, the navigational skills required were immense and rare, even in such far-flung places as this.    

            By all rights, trying to get to Phoenix in that moment would be like trying to contact the spirits of the dead.

            It was good to be alone, for it was only in this isolation, which, she imagined, would be for some soul-crushing, that she was finally safe. For the first time in a long time, a decade, exactly in fact (she had felt her 17th birthday as she stepped onto the island,) she was safe. At that thought, a wave of, not happiness, but certainly peace washed over her.

            She knew it wouldn’t last, in two hours her first scar would twinge, and that would bring back memories of the worst time in her life. And she couldn’t sustain the aloneness, if only for purely practical reasons. But she would enjoy it for now.

            She looked up and saw that the moon had finished its arc, leaving only the corona of the sun visible. As the night songbirds started to sing, Phoenix went to find a place to sleep for the first night in a new chapter of her life.

            And what a beautiful night it would be.

______________________________________________________________

            It was of course a beautiful night, but Orwen didn’t see much of it, despite his perch on the roof of the headquarters of The Hunters. He did not admire the beauty of the stars or the reflection of the ring of fire in the lake, but rather stared into a handheld mirror, running a finger along his scar.

            The scar should have been a thing of beauty, it was a perfect Hunter’s Mark, a thin but bright slash from the inside of his left eye to the right corner of his mouth. By conventional wisdom, he should have been grateful, the mark was only supposed to fall on the greatest hunters.

            But to him, it only reminded him of his greatest failure. Six months tomorrow. Six months since he had fought the hardest fight of his life. Six months since the first time he thought he might die. Six months since he’d fought and killed the greatest of the Seekers, but that had not been what gave him the scar.

            He was the Nitehawk, the greatest hunter of all time, but a lowlife thief had not only beaten him, she’d marked him.

            “You mean nothing,” he told himself he was talking to the scar, “until I find her.”

            He was not there in the morning.

______________________________________________________________

            “Not so fast Dere! I can see you.”

            As the figure ran along the wall, Hywel knocked an arrow.

            “Not leaving on my watch!”

            He let the arrow fly. It didn’t strike the figure, but it didn’t need to, because Hywel quickly Stepped, and was up on the wall, arrow gripped in his right hand. His left was soon gripping the figure’s coat, which slowly shifted back into its more natural catlike form.

            “Would you believe I was just out for a walk? It’s a very nice night!” Dere exclaimed.

            “No, I don’t believe the words of demons, especially not ones who I catch escaping.” Dere was always unpleasant to deal with. “And now of all times we can’t afford to give you an inch. Not with Scout dead.” Their leader had been killed 6 months prior, and morale had been severely sapped since. The Seekers, and by extension the Alliance of the Sky, had been losing ground fast ever since. They’d already lost control of Nerestar and Dorsinli.

            Hywel wasn’t worried they’d lose the war anytime soon, but it didn’t look good for his chances of ever leaving this post.

As Hywel carried the wretched thing inside, it displayed an array of strategies to avoid its inevitable return to imprisonment. First it pretended to be cute and demure, then it scratched futilely at Hywel’s thick gloves, screaming obscenities that hadn’t been heard by mortal ears in centuries, then it whispered in his ears with that terrible voice, promises of power and wealth. Lies, of course, though, weighed against the prospect of spending the next decade on post guarding the creature, Hywel had to admit to being tempted.

______________________________________________________________ Chapter 2: A wonderful morning.

            Other than blackberries, the island seemed to be almost completely empty. It would be a lot of work to make the place habitable long term, and that would have to include several trips to somewhere habited. But a few trips to get some chickens and sheep and then Phoenix could probably stay here for a long time. Eventually, she would have to build a house, but she didn’t know where she’d get the materials for such a project.

            Its kind of ironic, I guess. To make my fortress of solitude, I have to go to people.

            I can wait a while though.

            She worked to clear a patch out from the blackberries – fire made quick work of the bushes – more so to distract herself than anything else. She didn’t want to think about… well anything really, because everything would eventually trail back to the fact that she had to go to town. Town, where she might encounter someone who knew her and if she found someone who knew her there, that was the only way she could die.

            Why do I always think about death?

            Its irrational, no one will be there, because no one knows I’m here, that’s why I came here in the first place.

            But in the back of her mind, a picture would not cease to form.

            I hate you, Karol. She thought as she clapped her hands, burning away another blackberry bush.

______________________________________________________________

            Orwen was known for being fast, but right now he was mostly just frustrated. He had tracked slippery prey before, but Phoenix Alkaryl was one of a kind. Six months of searching had seemed only to deepen her cover, and he could still only narrow her location to about a quarter of The Sky, a pitiful performance by any Hunter, let alone The Nitehawk.

            Doesn’t matter how long it takes. I will find her.

            He was pouring over a map (the mirror laid just north of Levias) as he sat on the 11:45 ferry from Nerestar and Dorsinli, a convenient service which, 6 months ago, he couldn’t have used. He was glad the Free Cities were winning the war, if for no other reason than it made his job easier. Phoenix couldn’t be anywhere in Alliance territory, ever since he had killed Scout of the Seekers, the Alliance had closed their borders to all travel, Phoenix was supposed to be a good navigator, but no one got past Alliance gusters.

            If she’s this far off the map, she probably wanted to disappear. So, she probably went outward.

As he left the boat, he caught a glimpse of something he’d never seen before in an alley. A tall woman, wearing golden chainmail, one side of her face, covered in burns, with three of her limbs replaced with prosthetics. Their eyes met, and she smiled with one half of her face. A Valkyrie, they were all supposed to be on the Levian front. He tried to walk quickly away, but as he turned a corner, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Excuse me, you are the Nitehawk, yes? You’re looking for a girl named Phoenix, right? The one who gave you The Mark?”

“Indeed.”

“I know where to find her.”

______________________________________________________________

            Guarding Dere was hell, and Hywel had been booked for a full week of it. In a way, you could understand its plight, Hywel didn’t like to be cooped up either and Dere had been locked away for 150 years. But in every other way, well, the thing was pure evil. You could feel it, just standing near it, malice almost seemed to radiate off of the beast, and if you met its eyes, you saw nothing but two pools of absolute emptiness, not just nothing themselves, but threating to make you nothing as well. And its smile was dreadful, you knew it was happy with itself, and when you saw it smiling, you couldn’t even hate it, the hate would drain away before you could replenish it. All you could feel was nothing.

            And then there was its voice. It didn’t make any sound, you heard it in your head. It didn’t say anything of any consequence, but it seemed to know everything about you. Or sometimes it would say the most utterly outrageous things, but that was the trouble, after a while of hearing, you sometimes wouldn’t know the difference.

            It was evil. In its most concentrated and loathsome form. Precisely what the Seekers were out to eradicate. Or at least that’s what they said. In the last couple of years, they seemed to mostly be fighting in the war. Capturing and killing things like Dere was precisely what Hywel had signed up for. Though the job mostly consisted of long guarding of the one that had already been captured.

            Sometimes I hate this job.

            You know, if you’d be willing to make a deal, I could give you the power to do all the things you want. Just think of how much better the world could be if you had that power.

            I always hate you.

            It was going to be a long week.

______________________________________________________________

Chapter 3: A Long Week.

______________________________________________________________

            Hyla really didn’t constitute a city. But it was enough. Big enough that she could buy chickens and sheep. Big enough that her nerves would never rest. She was only there for a few hours, but her heart pounded the entire time. Her nerves acted up around any large group of people, but they were worse this week than ever. She was constantly reminded by her scars. This week one decade prior had given her so many. A particularly large one panged on her chest as she arrived back on the island, she’d killed the bear, but not before taking a swipe.

            Desperate for distraction, she started planting vegetables, with any luck, she’d get some potatoes before winter hit. Then it wouldn’t be as bad as that first winter she’d weathered. She worked furiously, and the potatoes were all planted within an hour, she’d thought it would take till nightfall.

            Ok, we’ll start building shelter then.

            She dug out a pit, which she preceded to thatch over with blackberries, a task that, blessedly, took her the rest of the week. It was not a complete respite from her thoughts and memories, but it provided some comfort. It wasn’t ideal, but it was critically big enough for all three of her new sheep. They wouldn’t do well outside with how cold outer ring winters could get. Even with her magic, Phoenix had not relished the idea of spending a winter without shelter.

______________________________________________________________             I probably shouldn’t trust her. The Valkyries were a very secretive organization, not known for good faith offerings of assistance. But I can’t just let her go.

            “Where?”

            “The city of Asera.” Asera made as much sense as anywhere else, a Free City on the outer ring with enough people to disappear into, but not enough that you would definitely get caught.

            “Why do the Valkyries know that?”

            “Alkaryl is of special importance to us, whenever she is spotted, we’re the first to know.” A little suspect that the Valkyries have more of a stake than the Hunters, but all right.

            “And why tell me?”

            “You ask a lot of questions.” She raised her eyebrow.

            “Well, sorry if you don’t look like a particularly reliable source.”

            “It’s her time to die.”

            “Thank you for the information.” Orwen turned to go.

            “You misunderstand, I am to accompany you.” Fine by him, passing up the help of one of the most feared fighters in the Sky would only hurt his mission.

            “All right, we leave at once then.”

            She shook her head “I have a few matters to attend to beforehand. Meet me by the northern gate.”

            Orwen tried to dispel his suspicions about the Valkyrie. His instincts were usually right, but he hadn’t slept in a while, and her story made sense, he needed her help to find Phoenix. But something still just wouldn’t sit right. He’d have to tough it out, for the mission.

            Traveling with Sharon was not pleasant, she seemed to be all business, and was pushing Orwen to go faster, despite the fact that he was travelling with almost three times the normal weight. Her face apparently never moved, and she refused to engage in any conversation that wasn’t complaining about how long Orwen’s Speed took to recharge (despite the fact that they were on track to cover two thousand miles in a week.) But thankfully, Orwen’s suspicions subsided, though that might have been more because he was collapsing into bed at the end of each day.

            But, after all this time, he was finally moving forward with his mission.

______________________________________________________________

            Hywel emerged from his Hell on the fifth day, after 4 sleepless nights in a row, facing two more, when respite finally came.

            “Hywel, you have been summoned to the Chamber.”

            “Thank you, and I’m sorry you have to deal with this thing now.” Hywel gestured to Dere fatalistically.

            “They’re coming with us.”

            “What?”

            The other seeker shrugged, unlocked the cage, and slipped Dere into some kind of collar “I don’t know, I was just told to get both of you.”

            Hywel was led to the doors of the Chamber and then was left with Dere’s leash.

            The doors into the Chamber felt especially heavy on Hywel’s tired hands as he pushed them open. He had been here many times before, but now of all times, it felt imposing. Dere’s whispers had not stopped.

            The Chamber was laden with the scent of old parchment paper and dead spells. It was deafeningly silent, except for a scribe scribbling minutes of the previous engagement, probably an execution, given the somber looks of the Council. They sat on a raised platform, overlooking the whole room, there were seven of them, and all of their choices were final.

“Hywel Sutherland. Seeker Honorable.”

            “I sir.” Hywel snapped to attention.

            “Do you know why you have been summoned?”

            “I was not informed, sir.” He looked up, the center councilmember was the one speaking, Garrel Satia, Killer of a Thousand foes. A garish title, but Hywel was in the presence of legends.

            “A great time has come upon us. For just yesterday a method has been discovered to eliminate the Demon of which you now hold the leash from this world.” Oh, this’ll be good, how do they think they’ll get rid of me this time… Dere’s voice echoed, Dere caught his eye, They try to do this at least once a year, don’t worry, it won’t work, but you might die anyway…

            As if to confirm the cat’s words, another councilmember spoke, Latise SeBorno. “And we are fortunate to have such a dedicated seeker as yourself at this time, for the ritual is not without sacrifice.”

             “You, Hywel Sutherland, Seeker Honorable, have been chosen for this purpose.” This is what they always do, sacrifice loyal subjects for a chance at killing the only thing they fear. By the way, my offer still stands, but this is one of your last times to take it. The last guy didn’t and they let the Nitehawk kill him.

            “What kind of sacrifice does the ritual entail?” Hywel asked.

            “If all goes well, it will leave you exhausted for days” Made up, killing a demon would drain anyone for years… “If the worst occurs, you may have to give your life.” You see?

            A third councilmember spoke up. “It is for this purpose that you have been tested, to prove your loyalty before we asked this of you.” You’ve been guarding my cell for five days, I thought they discovered it yesterday?

            “And what if I refuse?” In response to this question, all seven of them stood up.

            “THE COUNCIL HAS CHOSEN; ALL OF THEIR CHOICES ARE FINAL.”

            Is it too late yet Dere?

            Fortunately for you, it’s never too late to make a deal!

            Ok, I accept. His mind raced, but there was no time to think about this decision. Everything went black.

______________________________________________________________

            It opens its eyes.

______________________________________________________________

Chapter Four: A first eventful hour.

______________________________________________________________

            Two Levians were sitting at the bar. Phoenix studied them as she sipped on her drink, tea. She’d had to come into town to stock up on food, as winter had started early. Almost a month earlier than it should have. She’d been forced to come inside or be outside in a winter storm. So, she sat in the safest seat in the tavern, a lonely table with a view of the entire space and surveyed the Levians.

            She knew they were from Levias for a number of reasons. The first was that they were loud, she could listen to their conversation from across the room. The second was the woman’s jade earrings, unusual for this region. They had matching upper arm tattoos of a snake eating its own tail, which probably meant that they worked for the Levian government directly.

            These were highly unusual people to be here, but they didn’t seem like bounty hunters. If this hadn't been a very small town, she might have pegged them as tourists. They weren’t wearing rings, so probably not a married couple. They seemed like good friends though, which made Phoenix jealous, though she didn’t really think much of it. She took out her necklace, a piece of wood, polished so smooth that it could have been mistaken for a gemstone. It was a gift from her father, he’d given it to her after her sister died, he was already sick and said he didn’t think he’d last much longer. He died that night.

            “Hey, I really love your necklace.” Phoenix had drifted into her own thoughts and was stunned to see that the Levians had come over to her table. It was the girl who had given her the compliment.

            “Oh, oh, oh, umm, Thanks? I guess.” She stammered.

            “Sorry if I intruded, you were looking kind of sad, and then I saw that we have the same necklace.” The woman pulled out a necklace which was, in fact, almost identical to Phoenix’s.

            “Wow, uh, yeah, its cool.” Not to mention impossible, her father had never been to Levias. “How?”

            “What do you mean “how”?”

            “I mean, this necklace was given to me by my father, who had never been to Levias.”

            “Well, then he got it from someone else, because that’s the only place they’re made.”

            “Weird.”

            “You look like you have a lot of stories you could tell.” The large man commented.

            The woman shot him a look. “I’m sorry about Flynn, he means well but doesn’t understand social cues sometimes. We’ll leave you alone now.”

            “He’s not wrong, you can take a seat if you want.” She gestured to the empty chairs. “I’m Phoenix by the way.”

______________________________________________________________

            Sharon shook Orwen in the middle        of the night.

            He was awake.

            He was running.

He didn’t know what he was running from.

“Get down.”

They both dove.

He thought they had both dove.

His hands were tied behind his back.

            I probably shouldn’t trust her. Orwen’s own thoughts came back to him as he was struck on the head.

He woke up in a dark room, hands shackled to a wall.

            I failed.

            No, I cannot fail, I’ll escape this.

            These are Valkyries, there is no escaping this.

            I’m the freaking Nitehawk, I’ll find a way.

            His thoughts were muddled but quick, probably a concussion. He surveyed his surroundings as his eyes adjusted. He couldn’t make much out.

            Fuck this. He stomped at the ground angrily.

            The cell was small and cramped, with thick iron bars, the shackles were tight enough to cut into his wrists. No way to escape unless he was let out, no way they’d be stupid enough to do that.

            I will escape, I have to. He let out a scream of frustration. But this is going to set me so far back.

______________________________________________________________

            Hywel woke up with a pounding headache and a feeling like dread. But not for the future, but for the past.

            Yeah, the first time does that to you. There’s water on the table behind you, drink all of it. You’ll die if you don’t drink and eat enough, and neither of us want that yet. Dere’s voice in his head. But all he could think about was water.

            He found the jug and downed the entire thing. But when he looked up, he took a step back in shock.

            The scene before him was horror.

            He could recognize the walls of the Seeker complex, but the buildings had been leveled. Everything had been stained pitch black, like the aftermath of a wildfire, though Hywel knew this had been much, much worse.

            And its my fault.

            His entire world started spinning. He felt dizzy. This was his choice. Everyone was dead. It was his fault. His whole life was gone. He chose this. He must have known the deal wouldn’t end well. Everything he stood for, gone in a moment.

            Am I the bad guy now?

            This one question consumed his entire world as he collapsed back onto the ground.

______________________________________________________________

Chapter Five: A second eventful hour.

______________________________________________________________

            The woman had introduced herself as Persephone, and the large man was Flynn. They had plenty of stories of their own to tell, apparently it had been a while since they’d left Levias, and they’d gotten in no small share of trouble since.

            “And then less than an hour after we get rid of the dragon, what do we see, but a pirate flag. Luckily, our ship has wards for cannon fire, but these are pirates with trained dragons we’re talking about.” Flynn was busily recounting the story.

            “So obviously, we just hightail it out of there, we actually used the wind jar we got from the cyclops incident here, because, come on, pirates with dragons.” Persephone interjected to finish the story.

            “Skull and crossbones with wings? On a background somewhere between yellow and green?” Phoenix thought she knew the pirates in question.

            “Exactly.”

            “Well then, that’ll be Jorge Redbeard. Kinda a nasty guy, I hear it’s not even his natural beard color. I got captured by them once, not for very long, but I did see around the ship.” Phoenix leaned in. “Dragon droppings absolutely everywhere.”

            “Hilarious.”

            There was a pause in the conversation, but Phoenix didn’t want to stop talking.

            “So, what actually brings you all this way from Levias?”

             They looked at each other awkwardly, as if sharing a secret conversation through just their eyes, before Persephone apparently decided this was information that could be divulged.

            “It’s complicated, but the short version is that Flynn is suffering from a terrible disease. We’re looking for a cure.” The levity drained from Persephone’s face as she said this.

            “Oh”

            Flynn waved a hand dismissively “Don’t worry about me, I won’t die… at least not soon, I just can’t go back until I’m cured.” He acted like it was the most reasonable reaction in the world.

            “Where are you going?”

            “It’s a small village, named Ser, there’s a healer there, supposed to be the best.” Persephone was apprehensive.

            “I know him, and he is the best.”

            “How?”

            “It used to be my home.”

______________________________________________________________

            It wasn’t long before someone came to get Orwen. She unlocked the shackles but kept her hand tight on his wrist. Pushing him roughly forward. He didn’t struggle, there wouldn’t be much point yet, he’d been trained for situations like this, he had to follow that training.

            He was led into a large room lit by torches, with a big round table in the middle, surrounded by Valkyries, he could recognize Sharon across the table from him. He was sat down into a chair, and his hands were locked into another set of shackles.

            “Good job people. We caught him.” The Valkyrie in charge spoke to the others. “The Nitehawk, right in our trap.”

            “You just gonna keep gloating?” Orwen was practiced in keeping a calm demeanor.

            “You’re in no position to talk, you fell for it.”

            “I mean, it was a good plan, and lucky timing, you wouldn’t normally be able to do that.”

            “You’re just bitter.”

            “Are you ever gonna tell me why I’m here?”

            The goal was annoyance was keeping the idea that he was completely trapped. This was, of course, not true, these shackles were much looser, he could dislocate his thumbs and slide them right off. But that wouldn’t do him much good right now, surrounded and unarmed, he had to buy time.

            “Why so impatient? It’s not like you’ve got anywhere to go.”

            Orwen smiled. “Actually, you are detaining me from an important mission for the Hunters.” The training was working, and he’d just found his way out, an outward facing window, thirty feet up, not ideal, but workable.

            “Well, if you must know.”

            Monologuing? His respect for the Valkyries was dwindling by the second. The woman in charge was describing gruesome torture methods, but she was putting the implements on the table, about 3 feet in front of him. She had better get fired for such a lapse in judgement. Not that anyone less skilled than Orwen would be able to escape. Then it happened. The guard change, all six subordinate Valkyries filed out of the room through the opposite door, the new ones coming in only a second afterward, but a second was all he needed.

            “I’m really embarrassed for you here.” Orwen said before using Perfection.

            Everything started to move in slow motion. Then his hands were free, then the lead Valkyrie was hit over the head with a large set of thumbscrews. Then he grabbed a spear and vaulted, landing on a ledge 10 feet up. Just 20 more to go, he’d practiced the next move many times. He dashed to the corner, and then using his Speed, ran up the wall, catching the edge of the window and pulling himself up and over onto the other side. He didn’t have any speed left, but he didn’t need it. There was a direct line of sight from here to a dock with a small gondola. He stopped using Perfection, he didn’t need it anymore.

            Clean escape, that’s what they’d trained him for.

            Hywel woke up a second time, but this time, he just stared at the sky.

            I can’t be. I spent my whole life dreaming of fighting… what I am now?

            You’ll destroy yourself thinking like that, believe me I know.

            So, what do I do.

            Distract yourself, anything, I recommend getting off this island and getting us some food.

            I can’t just distract myself from the revelation that I am now everything I know to be wrong.

            What do you think demons have been doing all this time?

            It wasn’t a bad point, so Hywel went looking for a boat, whatever he was gonna do, he needed to get off this island.

______________________________________________________________

            Chapter 6: Godspeed.

______________________________________________________________

            It was decided that Phoenix would accompany Persephone and Flynn to Ser. It was a dangerous choice, Persephone and Flynn were still not much better than strangers, but Phoenix didn’t think that she could let them leave without her, during their conversation, something had stirred within her that she hadn’t felt in a long time, and now that she remembered it, it would be impossible to forget anytime soon.

            It was dumb, of course. She didn’t like it. She’d made the same mistake with Karol, and that had left her with a knife between her shoulder blades.

            But this felt different.

            Of course it did, this time she would take precautions. She wouldn’t let herself get too attached, and she’d remain ready to escape at a moment’s notice. She wouldn’t be trapped.

            Persephone and Flynn’s ship was massive, with three masts and several decks. The fact that they had been able to sail it with no extra crew meant that it almost certainly also had magic. It was truly a beautiful thing. And it was fast. Multiple times the top speed of Phoenix’s little gondola. They had enough space to pen up Phoenix’s animals, and within a day of the end of the storm, they had left for Ser, though, even with such a marvelous ship, traveling a hundred miles in outer ring winter would be nigh impossible without masterful navigation skills. Which was probably the only reason why she’d been invited along.

______________________________________________________________

            Three days and nights in a small gondola adrift in the clouds. Orwen preferred running to boating, but he was competent enough in an emergency, which this definitely constituted. Even though he’d escaped, he’d be hunted down if he wasn’t careful. That’s what had gotten him into this mess in the first place, carelessness, he hadn’t followed his training, he’d been too focused on that one thing that he’d gotten sloppy. He couldn’t afford to get sloppy. He needed to focus on everything all at once. He’d need to do this perfectly to have any chance at completing the mission.

            He finally arrived at his destination. He had no reason to believe that Phoenix was in Asera, but he did have a contact here that might be able to help. He’d been to Asera before, so he knew his way around, but between constantly checking to see if he was being followed and the fog that had been slowly encroaching on more and more of his waking hours due to lost hours of sleep, he missed turns constantly, and actually getting to his destination took him almost two hours.

            Three knocks on the door, pause, repeat, pause, repeat.

            The door was opened, and he was welcomed into a cozy little house with a fire roaring and a meal already cooking. He did not enter but stood in the doorway.

            “You look like absolute crap.”

            “Feel like it too.” Orwen longed to collapse into the guest bed, Bolson always kept it ready. “But I don’t have much time, I gotta get going soon.”

            “Chasing Phoenix still?” “You ought to stay and rest a little, you can’t bring her in in this condition.”

            “You forget who you’re talking to.”

            “All right, all right. You’re in luck, we just got word about her.”

            “Really, where?”

            “Our person trailing the crown prince of Levias saw her leave with them.”

            “So, she’ll be in Ser, and soon.” “That’s a ways away. I better get going. Thanks.”

            Orwen turned to leave.

            “Hey, remember not to run too fast, you’re gonna run yourself to death at this rate.”

______________________________________________________________

            Hywel had never been very good with boats, but he didn’t know where he was going anyway, so it didn’t matter that he went slowly.

            Where do I go?

            Big island, on the horizon, there’s houses, there’ll be food.

            I know, but after that where? I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.

            Just focus on now, get food, eat it, then you can think about where to go next.

            Do you ever think about anything other than food?

            I think of lots of things that I want.

            Ok, but anything other than what you want right now?

            No, what else would I think about?

            I don’t know. The future, the past, the people around you and what they need. Right and wrong.

            That’s complicated. I prefer food.

            I guess that makes sense. What did the Seekers call you things? Holes in the universe.

            And the very manifestations of hunger and lust, yes, you get it, I eat, and then I go find other things to eat.

            Hywel would not be finding any answers to his problems from Dere, but of course, it wasn’t like he could keep his thoughts to himself, he didn’t know exactly what had happened, but Dere was somehow… a part of him now.

            That’s why you’re evil, I guess. You can’t really be anything else. Unsatisfiable hunger never really helped anyone.

            It helped you.

            At what cost though? Is it even worth it? Considering that my life cost that of others?

            This is why I focus on food. Anyway, we’re here.

______________________________________________________________

         ��  Chapter 7: A Sight in the Distance.

______________________________________________________________

            Phoenix looked out from the crow’s nest of the ship across the sea of clouds. She didn’t have to be up here, it was a calm day, and the ship could essentially sail itself. She could have been down on the deck, where Persephone and Flynn were talking. She could be a part of that conversation.

            But she was anxious. She worried about whether this was really a good choice. Her instincts told her that getting too close to these people would end poorly. Like with Karol, and Seria. Her instincts had kept her alive this long.

            And yet…

            Another part of her longed to descend.

            Persephone looked up at the crow’s nest. Phoenix hadn’t come down in a while, she didn’t even think she’d gotten lunch. She was debating whether it would be better to bring her some food, or if she probably needed to be left alone.

            “You should go check on her.”

            “And have to climb all that way?”

            “You could always fly up, I really don’t understand the point of hiding that stuff from her, she seems trustworthy, it’s not like she’s gonna do anything bad to us.”

            “Remember that we’re taking precautions for you. You are way too important to risk like that.”

            “Ok, but we both know you’re gonna check on her. It’s your arms that have to haul you up there.”

            “You could probably throw me.”

            “Is that not more suspicious?”

            “I don’t know.” Persephone left to get some sandwiches.

            “You climbed all that way just to bring me sandwiches?”

            “Indeed, but mostly to check how you’re doing. You’ve been up here for a long time.”

            “Yeah.”

            Phoenix picked up a sandwich off the plate and started eating.

            “You like being alone?”

            “I don’t know if I’d say that.”

            “Then it’s probably just comfortable. You’ve been alone for a long time.”

            “Definitely that.” She took another bite.

            “And going back to Ser is dredging some stuff up.”

            “Going back to your home does that.”

            “It’s not my home, hasn’t been for a long time.”

            “I hear that. I could say the same for where I was born.” Persephone stared wistfully “I assume there’s no family waiting for you?”

            Phoenix shook her head. “I’ve been an orphan since I was 6.” “These sandwiches are really good.”

            Persephone could tell she didn’t want to talk about it. “Thanks, I make my own mustard.”

            Phoenix saw the island of Ser in the distance.

______________________________________________________________

            Orwen ran.

            The path he was taking had been built recently, to help move supplies for the war effort. Warpaths were always good for him; they took away the requirement for ferries.

            He was using every once of Speed he got, and walking in between uses. This wasn’t the healthiest way to do it, but it was the fastest. He could rest when he’d found her.

            He slept as little as possible. He needed regular sleep, or his Speed wouldn’t work, but he had to keep going. He was so close he could taste it. Several times he’d thought he’d seen Valkyries in the bushes. He didn’t know if he’d know if they were real.

            He was so tired.

            But he had to keep running.

            Run.

            Run.

            Run

            Run.

            Run.

            Run.

            Run.

            Fight.

            They were on him.

            He stabbed.

            They died; he’d hit his mark.

            Run.

            Run

            Run.

            Run

            Run.

______________________________________________________________

            Hywel ate. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. He must have eaten every last crumb they had to offer.

            I guess having a demon inside you probably does that. Ok, I ate, now what do I do?

            Probably sleep.

            You’re no help.

            Hey, I just say what I’m feeling.

            Hywel just started walking. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but he hoped he’d know it when he found it.

            Possession seemed to have its merits. Even though he was constantly hungry and sleepy, he didn’t seem to need food or sleep to survive, or at least, he was able to walk without stopping or sleeping for 5 days straight, so that seemed to be the takeaway.

            He finally stopped only when he saw it. The front line of the war. A burning mass of shattered, quickly constructed defenses. They had recently lost a battle. He didn’t know which side they were, and though he might have cared sometime earlier in his life, he couldn’t care less now. All he saw were the dragons.

            You aren’t supposed to use dragons as weapons. In captivity they’re killing machines, and if they get loose, they cause immense amounts of damage, indiscriminately, but in the wild they are gentle giants, and rarely have negative encounters with anything other than sheep.

            The fact that there was a village this close to the front line was a tragedy enough. But there was a village, and dragons. Hywel had no more thoughts.

            It took seconds, or it seemed like seconds, for Hywel to get between the village and the dragons. He had climbed onto the tallest building in town. And he had his bow at the ready already. As soon as the closest beast was within range, the arrow fired, and then Hywel was on the dragon’s back. He didn’t know what he was doing, the power seemed to flow from instinct, not thought, the beast’s throat was torn out and he had leaped to another one.

            It was less than a minute before he landed, standing on top of the last dragon’s corpse, in the center of the village. The villagers didn’t cheer. They had been saved. But not by a hero, but by what was, to the vision of everyone, a monster.

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            It stirs in its nest, looking out over the city.

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            Chapter 8: Continuance.

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            Ser was not like Phoenix remembered. It was a warzone; a battle had broken out recently nearby. Keeping track of the front lines was an impossible task these days. Phoenix hesitated, Flynn and Persephone did not.

            They were immediately in the streets, telling people to get out, to go to their ship if there was nowhere else. Several houses had been hit by projectiles from the battle. Flynn quickly went to work getting people out of them.

            The Firethrower. That’s why the battle was here. Most towns didn’t have one, sole control over one made it almost impossible to attack you, but this town had little value outside of it. Phoenix was running, through the town, through the crowds of people. It was the major threat to the city, but it could be easily neutralized. Until she got to the battle scene.

            This is insane. That didn’t stop her. She threw herself into the mass of soldiers. She was adept at moving through crowds, and she wasn’t wearing the colors that would indicate to either side that she was an enemy. So, it didn’t take her nearly as long as it should have. She didn’t know why she was doing it. She wouldn’t normally risk herself like that. But there wasn’t time to think about that right now.

            The weapon was made of wood, it was trivial to set it alight with her power, though, given its size, it took a while to really start burning. She was outside the crowd of combatants before they started to realize what had happened. Both sides of the battle started retreating quickly, but as she looked back she saw sizeable groups of soldiers peeling off to follow her.

            Drat. She sprinted away as hard as she could. Some of them had horses, she wouldn’t be able to outrun them, but maybe she could get back to the ship before they thought to cut her off. The town looked to have been evacuated successfully. There was a throng of people on the dock. And Flynn and Persephone were… running toward her?

            “What are you doing?”

            “Coming to help you!” Flynn roared.

            “If you didn’t notice, there’s a full army, get to the ship.”

            “We can’t lead them that way, there’s innocent bystanders.” Persephone said.

            “We can’t exactly fight here.”

            “Watch us.”

            Phoenix stopped as she got to them and turned around to face the oncoming army. It was a hundred to three.

            “You’re gonna like this one.” Persephone smiled as she threw off her cloak, revealing a pair of sparkling butterfly wings, which started to flap, as she shrunk within seconds to the size of a squirrel.

            She flew straight towards the oncoming throng, reaching a fast speed before – Phoenix couldn’t believe her eyes – she grew not only to her original size, but fifteen times the size. Digging large furrows into the ground where she landed, and probably more importantly, scaring the horses, and some of the people too.

            “That buys us some time.” Flynn was right. They were chaos now. But it wasn’t over, as a few dozen foot soldiers were still running towards them. “It’s big and flashy, but she can’t maintain that size for very long, she expends enough of her power just staying human sized all the time.” “I don’t suppose you are good at one versus many fighting?”

            “Not really, requires touch.” She held up her hands to indicate she was talking about her powers.

            “Ah, well. I’m sure Persephone will understand that this was necessary. Probably be able to scare these guys off pretty easily.” He turned towards the oncoming soldiers; they were only about 60 cubits away now. He looked towards the sky, and his body started to change.

            Phoenix knew what they were trying to cure now. Ursanthropy.

            Faced with a twelve-foot tall werebear, the soldiers turned tail.

            That was intense. That was insane. Why did I do that?

            Persephone and Flynn were returning to their normal selves as they walked back.

            They didn’t hesitate. I guess I was just following them.

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            There was a point that Orwen got to where he couldn’t feel exhaustion anymore. He couldn’t feel anything anymore. All that was left was determination. He was so close, within mere hours, his mission would be complete.

            There was nothing left to think about but what he would do when he finally saw her face. As he sat eating his dinner – the last dinner before he got to her – he looked into his little mirror (for some reason the Valkyries hadn’t taken it.)

            Soon, it’ll all be worth it.

            He thought of what he’d say to her. What would be a suitable ending line for this, the greatest chase of his life.

            Phoenix Alkaryl, fleet of foot and strong of spirit. I am Orwen Desinor, the Nitehawk, master hunter. You have fled me for too long, but now it is time for this to come to an end.

            He pressed forward, less than a mile left to go.

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            Hywel ate and killed. It was all he could bring himself to do. There was a lot to kill in this part of The Sky, word of him quickly spread, he left quite the impression on those who saw him. He came to understand that people thought of him like a monster, that was how he saw himself, but they knew that if they pointed him in the direction of something evil, he would kill it, it was the only way he clung to the semblance of sanity he had left. He was able to convince himself that even if he was a monster, he could make himself a useful one.

            And Dere was happy to oblige this behavior.

            He caught a reflection of himself in a pool of water. A sunken face, despite all of the food he gorged himself on, he was emaciated. He was taller than he had been (now almost seven feet), but horribly thin, his skin (grey, or purple, or red, or yellow depending on where you looked) hung off of him in most places, as if it was made for a much larger man. His joints hung loose, constantly either horribly stiff or horrifyingly flexible.

            It reminded him of why he was doing what he was doing. He wanted to die, but he couldn't justify doing it in any other way. And so he ripped and tore through the other monsters in these islands, he didn’t know where he was anymore, but he didn’t care.

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            Chapter 9: Face to Face.

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            Qualos wasn’t there. He had died months before, not from the war, but of consumption, the same thing that had killed Phoenix’s father and sister years before. There had been an outbreak, leading to the deaths of dozens of people. There wasn’t anyone left who cared about Phoenix’s exile. Which should have been a relief, it was convenient for her. But she couldn’t be happy about death.

            The damage from the battle wasn’t huge, all things considered, only a few people were injured, and the people who lived in the destroyed houses found other places to stay, at least for the time being. But there was quite a bit to do, and it was almost an hour after the fighting had stopped before Flynn and Persephone approached Phoenix again.

            “So, I’m guessing you have questions?”

            “Not really, I think the fact that you’re a fairy with growth powers and Flynn is a Werebear is evident enough.”

            “That’s not exactly it though.”

            “Hmm.”

            “Flynn is also the crown prince of Levias.”

            “Nice.” Phoenix smiled. She wasn’t especially surprised, the giant fairy thing had kind of prepared her for anything. “Ok, so we got a disgraced prince in exile until he can find a cure for his Ursanthropy, and his guardian slash best friend, the two-inch-tall fairy who pretends to be a human but can also be the size of a giant. Anything else?”

            “That’s essentially it.” “None of that is surprising you?”

            “I’ve had a weird life. Traveling thief isn’t a career for the faint of heart. And honestly, that’s a pretty logical explanation for two Levians with a massive, fancy ship traveling alone to a tiny village at the edge of The Sky.”

            “So where do we go now?” Flynn asked. “I mean, this is a dead end.”

            “For a cure for Ursanthropy?” “The only other possibility is Core.” “That’s a long way though. We need to leave as soon as possible.” Phoenix started towards the ship, she didn’t really want to spend any more time here than necessary, there was no closure here anymore to the pain this town had caused her.

            “Is there nothing else you want to do while we’re here?” Persephone asked.

            “Nope, I told you, this used to be my home.”

            “Well, we can’t leave just now, we have to buy some supplies if we’re going on that long of a trip.”

            Phoenix settled on wandering around the town for a few hours, she’d be couped inside the ship for long enough soon.

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            She was right there. He could see her. The journey was over, there was only one thing left for Orwen to do.

            “Phoenix Alkaryl, strong spirited and fleet of foot. I am Orwen Desinor, the Nitehawk. You have fled for a long time, but it is time for this to end. Have you any final words?”

            “Orwen! Nice to see you! It’s been a while.” Phoenix turned around. “Nice speech. A few comments. First, my name is Alkaryl, it’s Liventis, Alkaryl was my mother, though you Hunters probably only have us under her name from the military records. Second, you will not be capturing me today.” She held her dagger close. This would be a hard fight. But he would be attempting to take her in alive, which she knew wasn’t his specialty. She clapped her hands as she said “Ok, let’s do this.”

            This was a distraction tactic, intimidation like this was a Hunter thing. He ignored her and started channeling Perfection he was low on both of his powers, he needed to get this over quickly. And he only had one knife, so throwing was out. He closed the distance quickly, ducking under her first attack and jabbing into her stomach, before dashing back out of reach.

            She was clutching her side where he had stabbed her, but also… smiling? “You’ll have to do better than stabbing old wounds.” Indeed, as she took her hand away from her side, she revealed a charred hole in her shirt, and underneath a large amount of old scar tissue, and the newly cauterized wound.

            He dashed back in, he couldn’t sustain Speed or Perfection much longer, he needed to end this now. Her knife was red hot as she took a swing at him. A torso strike wouldn’t do much to her, she was apparently practiced fighting through the pain, maybe if he hit her wrists? He ran out of Speed, he should have saved some up, but he had been in a hurry. He was still able to perfectly parry the knife, knocking it out of her hands. He turned to strike at her body again as he saw his fatal mistake, with no speed left to dodge it. He’d been focused on the knife; he hadn’t looked at her other hand. It landed on his shoulder, red hot. He blacked out from the pain, he barely had time to scream.

            He had failed.

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            Dere saw fear. Hywel saw justification. Or at least a route to it. It was a horrifying scene. Thankfully Hywel knew it wasn’t happening, yet this was the future.

            People screamed. The streets ran red with blood. Hywel didn’t know what was going to cause it, but he thought Dere did. It didn’t matter, he knew he could stop it.

            A beast lingered over the bodies of the people it had slain, licking its lips. Hywel almost cheered. This was what he was looking for. If he was to be a monster, if all that he would be able to do was kill, he could kill this thing, he got the sense that it was the biggest monster of all.

            It cannot be killed. Dere’s voice was panicked. Do not look for it, you will die.

            I think that’s the goal.

            No, you cannot kill this, it is not some small beast. Even we fear it.

            Well, if demons fear it, then it must be evil. Maybe I can find the justification I’m looking for.

            Do you know what happens to me if you die?

            You’ve been fine with it until now.

            Only because you haven’t been after things that I couldn’t beat. That’s no dragon, that’s… IT.

            Well, we better find a way to kill it. Because I’m doing it either way.

            Hywel saw where it would happen, Core. And then he thought he saw It look right at him.

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            Chapter 10:

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            “We can’t really do anything else except wait for him to wake up.” Persephone had treated Orwen’s burn. It wouldn’t heal completely, Phoenix had only touched him for a second, but the heat had immediately caused a bright white handprint to form, and parts were brown or almost black. “It’s a pretty bad burn, and I think that he was already pretty exhausted, but he should survive.”

            “How long until we’re able to leave?”

            Persephone knew what Phoenix meant; she didn’t want to be here when Orwen woke up. “I don’t want to leave him here; this town doesn’t have anyone trained enough to treat him.” “If that gets infected, and no one is here to help him, he’ll die.” “And quick or not, he can’t get himself to the next town.”

            Phoenix understood that Persephone didn’t want to be responsible for his death, Phoenix didn’t want to either, especially not in this town, but still... “So, we just take him with us?” “Did you forget he tried to kill me?”

            “Yeah, if we’re going to go, we should take him.“ Persephone looked over at where Flynn was “and we need to leave.” She looked at Phoenix “look, I get that you don’t want to travel with him, maybe this is where we leave you.”

            Phoenix balked at that, but she didn’t know why. Yeah, that was the most logical answer. But, for some reason…

            She shook her head “no, you need me if you’re going to navigate all the way to Core.” She was fighting to stay with these people? She’d fought long and hard to get to where she was, she’d gotten paid already, she should just let them go and go back to her little island. Was she really going to choose traveling with the assassin that had hunted her for months.

            Yes, yes, she was. “Look, so long as he’s injured, I don’t think he poses much of a threat. As soon as he can walk though, we drop him off.”

            “Absolutely. And we can keep him in a locked room too.” Persephone smiled; she was glad Phoenix wanted to stay with them. “Hey Flynn, come over here, help me get this guy loaded up so we can leave.”

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            Orwen didn’t wake up for almost a day, when he did, he was on his stomach on a large, soft bed in the belly of a rocking ship. His entire back ached, but the pain was by far the worst on his left upper back. He tried to get out of bed, but twisting his body only made it much worse.

            “I wouldn’t try that” Persephone brought in some food. “your left shoulder sustained some nasty burns.” “We definitely need to keep you in bed for at least a few days.”

            “Who are you? Also, where am I?”

            “Oh, yeah, that. Well, we couldn’t exactly just leave you in a town with no doctors with that kind of burn. But we really needed to get going. So, we brought you on board.” “I’m Persephone by the way.”

            “Do you know where Phoenix went?”

            “She’s here too. But I wouldn’t try anything.”

            “She’s here!? Why would you let me travel with her?” Orwen was ecstatic, though confused, maybe he hadn’t failed after all.

            “The other option was to essentially leave you for dead. No one wanted that.”

            Kinda stupid, I would have left her for dead in a heartbeat. But I probably need to pretend to play along for now.

            “All right, I assume I’m at least locked in this room though?”

            “And your daggers are locked up in a closet on the other side of the ship, yeah, we weren’t gonna take that chance.”

            Persephone left, and Orwen started eating his food, he’d be coming up with some sort of plan to complete the mission, but for now, he needed to sleep, his back was killing him.

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            Hywel finished climbing the hill. Core was a long way away, so he’d need to pace himself. He’d made good progress; he’d walked nearly 40 miles over the last couple of days. Though, at some point he would have to find a way to increase the pace, he’d probably need to get a ship, he had a sense that what he’d seen would happen in a matter of months, and he needed to travel a lot.

            As he knelt beside the pond, he scooped up some water to drink, he hadn’t had a sip in weeks, he didn’t need it. And he looked at his reflection.

            It was, better, or at least, less bad. The color was starting to return to parts of his face, and the bags under his eyes had shrunk significantly, he’d slept for the first time in a while. His increased height had not diminished, he still stood almost seven feet tall, compared to his natural 5 foot 4, but he looked significantly less emaciated.

            What has happened to me? Is it really newfound purpose, or am I just getting used to being a monster?

            Dere remained silent, he suspected he was being given a form of cold shoulder for his choice.

            He was still drenched in blood, so he used this opportunity to bathe. His clothes were mostly ruined, and none of them fit well anymore.

            I need to get new ones; I’ll need to be some manner of presentable if I expect to be able to get a ride to Core.

            His hair had grown ragged, it was long, but it had been falling out in tufts. He was surprised to see that he still he still had his dagger. He cut as much of the hair off as he could, better bald than patchy. He left his beard.

            Wait, that’s odd, I couldn’t grow one before.

            Sometimes that happens. Dere spoke up for the first time in a while. If your hair comes back, it might come back curly too. Possession does weird things to human bodies.

            Oh, I hear you’re speaking up again.

            Just here to remind you that if you are doing hygiene, you should trim your nails, they look like claws.

            Indeed, they did.

            You deciding to be helpful all of a sudden?

            Maybe if we get you back in civilized society, I can convince you not to kill yourself.

            Not a chance. Hywel smiled as he scrubbed the blood from beneath his fingernails, the first time in at least two months that he had smiled. But I appreciate the sentiment.

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Chapter 11: A long trip

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            Phoenix sat on the deck, this area of the sky was calm, which meant slow going, but also not a lot to do as a navigator, so she was sharpening her knife.

            “It’s a beautiful thing, glad to see you’re keeping it in good shape.” Flynn sat down beside her.

            “It’s broken, it used to be able to fold, it also used to have a wooden handle.” Repetitive heat had fused the tang and the blade together, she’d had to weld additional metal onto it several times to keep it usable, the handle had now been shaped to almost exactly fit her hand.

            “Put another way, it’s been shaped into exactly the right shape for its use.” “Weapons designed for magic have to be unique, that’s what makes them beautiful.”

            “Every time I use it in battle, I have fix it up again, otherwise the blade warps.”

            Flynn nodded “yeah, it’s a lot of work to hone after every fight, but what you get in return is a perfectly natural tool. I’ve seen how you fight; you use that knife like an animal uses claws, I would know.” He balled his hands up into fists.

            “How does it feel?” Phoenix asked.

            “Being a Werebear?”

            “Yeah, that”

            “It’s not bad. It’s never been the being so much as the being seen as that’s the problem.” “When I actually transform, all I feel is the power of it, like I can do anything I want to.” “That’s kind of the worst part too, is coming out of it, and not feeling that anymore.”

            “Feeling like you can’t actually change anything that matters.”

            “Yeah, that”

            “And then comes the fear, that you’ll be trapped, and something bad will happen to you.”

            “I don’t know about that; I’ve been living on borrowed time for a while. It’s more so feeling that I’m trapping her.”

            “Persephone?”

            “Yeah, she cares a lot, and she’s determined that I have to survive.”

            “You won’t die though.”

            “Not from ursanthropy directly, no, but my father, as much as he pretends. Well, we think he’s the one sending people after us. We talk a big game, but we barely survived the last attack, I don’t think we, I, make it all the way to Core.”

            “He would do that?” Phoenix was astounded.

            “He was willing to when we were back in Levias, said he ‘couldn’t allow exceptions to the rule of law’, even for his own son.” “I think he’s always seen me as less than my brothers, might have just been looking for an excuse.”

            “I can’t even imagine that.”

            Flynn smiled, trying to cut the gloominess of the conversation “don’t feel too bad, at least I got to grow up as a prince.”

            “I mean, that doesn’t make any of that less tragic…”

            “I don’t care that much, I’ve just kinda dealt with it.”

            “That doesn’t work.”

            Flynn raised an eyebrow.

            “Running from your feelings I mean.” “Believe me, I’ve tried.”

            “I wouldn’t call it that… I’ve just got, thick skin, that’s it.” “It doesn’t get to me.”

            “Must be nice.”

            “You’ve been running though?”

            “Until it catches up with me.”

            “And then you fight like a cornered animal.”

            “That’s one way to say it.”

            “Like, not trying to kill it, just make it go away.”

            “I don’t like killing.”

            Flynn nodded. “Does anyone really like it?”

            “The last time I killed I broke my dagger.”

            “That must be a good story.”

            Phoenix looked at him seriously, “it was a bear, it almost killed me, gave me this” she pulled her sleeve up to reveal a nasty bite mark on her shoulder “but I killed it. I don’t like killing, so I haven’t killed since, I just run, and when I’m cornered.” “Well, if you don’t want to kill, you have to learn to inflict pain instead.”

            “A lot of it.”

            “Yeah, that.”

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            Orwen lay in bed. The room had no windows, which, on a boat this fancy looking, probably meant it was toward the bottom. The walls were likely to sturdy to have a hope of breaking through, and there was no access to the door lock from this side, so picking wasn’t going to be an option. The only way he would be able to break out would be to jump Persephone when he brought him his food. If he did that, he could probably escape, assuming they didn’t have someone watching for him immediately outside the door.

            His wound had healed considerably since he had come aboard the ship, but he strictly speaking still needed more rest. This, combined with his reluctance to assault Persephone, she seemed like such a nice person, led him to conclude that his best chance for completing the mission lay in a more, diplomatic approach. Gain their trust, lead them as close to Hunter headquarters as possible, and then bring Phoenix in at the last possible minute. He probably also wanted to save as much Speed and Perfection as possible. That meant sleep and food, easy enough, whoever was cooking the food was an amazing chef.

            “I hope you’re hungry” Persephone walked in, talking in the sweet, almost sing-song tone she usually used with him, “we’ve got something delicious today, Phoenix made Borscht, I hear it’s a family recipe.”

            “Does Phoenix normally cook? I’ve been wondering who it was.”

            “Ever since we found out she’s absolutely amazing at it, we’ve refused to even touch a pot.”

            After he tasted the soup, wonderfully meaty, he said “probably the right call.”

            “From what I can tell, she just appreciates having this full of a set of ingredients.” “How’s your shoulder?”

            “Much better, thank you. It’s been feeling better every day.”

            “Well,” she turned to leave “let me know if you need anything else.”

            “Hey, Persephone”

            “Yes?”

            “Seriously, thanks for doing this for me, most people I know wouldn’t.”

            She walked away smiling. Exactly what Orwen needed.

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            Hywel ran now. He had avoided crossing the war line before, but he could no longer. But the borders were closed, so there wasn’t an easy way to get across. And what was more troubling was that he had alerted seekers to his location. They had been tracking him down, whatever remnant of the Seekers was left apparently had capturing him as their first priority.

            So, he was running, both from half a dozen trained Seekers and a large contingent of soldiers, who had at least a few boats. Thankfully, the wind was low today, so the boats couldn’t outrun his enhanced speed. He would have been captured ages ago if not for a confluence of lucky factors. He would almost definitely be captured soon, he knew where he was, and he had studied this area, Seekers were required to know the general layout of all the land around the war line. This road was old and would run out in less than a mile.

            He didn’t want to have to fight them. They didn’t stand a chance, with Dere’s help he could probably have plowed through the entire alliance army, but he wouldn’t be able to avoid killing them, enough people had died needlessly because of him already.

            So, he’d have to figure out a way to escape.

            There’s the end of the road. Nothing within a thousand feet.

            Two thousand feet out, there’s a rock, with a running start I can get you most of the way, and then shoot an arrow.

            If I’m even a little short though…

            You could always turn around and fight!

            No.

            He stopped about a dozen feet short of the edge, turned around and surveyed the oncoming army, and then he looked over the edge, nothing. If he fell, he would be falling forever.

            I wouldn’t take that risk if I were you, you have choices here. Instead of throwing yourself over the possible suicide gap, you could stand and fight or let yourself get captured and break out later.

            Hywel took a deep breath. No, if I want to believe I can be redeemed, there is no choice.

            He backed up and took a running start. With Dere’s power, he launched himself across 100 feet, 500 feet, 1000, 1500, he just had to shoot this arrow 250 feet, not the easiest, but he could do it.

            He knocked the arrow, drew, and shot. It raced toward that solitary rock…

            And missed.

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Chapter 12: Impossibilities

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            The wind had picked up, it was howlingly fast, the middle ring was known for wild changes in weather, but this was stronger than Phoenix had seen in a long time.

            “If this keeps up, we’ll be in Dorsinli this afternoon.” She had to shout to be heard over the wind.

            “Really? It feels like we just left Nerestar.” Flynn shouted back. It had taken three weeks to get from Ser to Nerestar, but only four days to get to where they were. “We’re making good time!”

            “Remember that the distance from the middle ring to the inner ring is longer, and from the inner ring to Core, that’s going the feel interminable.”

            “That’s not what the map shows.”

            “I forget that you haven’t been farther in than the capital of Levias.” “Let me finish tying this up then I’ll come down and explain it.” The sail needed to be secured better, she finished tying the knot and then quickly climbed down the netting.

            “Ok, so this is weird for people who were born on the Outer Ring, like us, but I forget that they don’t teach it in Levias, given that it only has territory in the Outer Ring.” “As you get closer to the middle of the map, it gets less accurate.”

            “Couldn’t they just draw the map better.”

            “No, see, there is no actual middle of the Sky. The radius is infinite.”

            “How does that work?”

            “No one really knows, but if you walk towards where the middle would be, you just find more sky. So, as you get closer to the middle, the map can’t be drawn right, because the circumferences of concentric circles still decrease.”

            “That’s not geometrically possible” Flynn looked at Phoenix with a side eye.

            “Thus, why the map doesn’t show it. But anyway, what it means is that each ring is significantly smaller around than the outer ones but the chords across them are increasingly long with respect to their circumferences.”

            “Wait, wouldn’t that mean that they get to the point where its quicker to go around the circle than across it.” Flynn looked fully confused.

            “Indeed, it depends on how far in the middle ring, but in the inner ring, every two points can be reached in less distance by a circular path than a straight one through the inside.”

            “Hey Persephone, have you heard this before?” She’d just gotten back from taking Orwen his food.

            “What is it?”

            “I was just explaining hyperbolic space to Flynn here.”

            Persephone’s face scrunched up in disgust. “I’m so glad I don’t have to navigate anymore.”

            “Yeah, it only gets worse as you get further in, but it’s that or stay here with the bad weather.” Phoenix had learned the hard way, navigating by yourself out of even the middle ring was insanity.

            “Hey Phoenix, Orwen wanted to say something to you.” “I told him you probably wouldn’t come.”

            “Can I have Flynn outside the door?”

            “Sure, I’ll stand guard.”

            “Then there’s not much to worry about.”

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            Orwen was surprised to see Phoenix come in.

            “You came?”

            “Yeah, there’s not much reason not to. I don’t have a lot else to do today.”

            “I just wanted to say”

            “You’ll say you’re sorry, I honestly don’t believe you. And it’s ok by the way. For you to hate me. I’d rather be on a ship with a thousand people who hate me openly than one who pretends to like me.”

            Orwen opened his mouth to speak, but Phoenix raised a hand. “And don’t say it was only professional, we both know that’s not true; no one runs themselves that ragged for a job.”

            I do sometimes Orwen thought probably too often, but there was no point in trying to convince Phoenix that he was, merely, following orders. “You’re right, it was personal.” “Still is. You have to know I still want to take you in.”

            “Yeah, I figured that.”

            “So, why’d you agree to travel with me.”

            “It’s my principal flaw. I get too attached to people, I can’t leave.” She shrugged “They betray me, or they leave.” She said it in a nonchalant tone. “That’s why I have so many of these.”

            “You know I could kill you right now if I wanted.”

            “Oh, believe me, I know. But I’m not stupid, I wouldn’t have come if I thought there were a chance of that.” “You have to take me in alive.”

            He did indeed.

            “Not that alive.”

            Phoenix chuckled at that one. “Hey, can you walk yet? I wanna show around the ship.”

            “Now why would you do such a thing? I just threatened to kill you.”

            “Oh, you’re so serious about the whole assassin thing. Its gonna grind your gears so hard to know you can’t bring me in yet.”

            That much was true, it frustrated him to no end, but he wanted a distraction, and this sort of played into his plan. Though, what Phoenix had said about people betraying her got to him a bit. Just a bit. “Yeah, I can walk, let’s see it.”

______________________________________________________________

            Hywel was only falling for a minute, but it felt like an eternity, by the time he realized that the first arrow had missed, he had no time to shoot another.

            Well, this is how it ends, I guess. At least I’m taking you down with me.

            He must have been almost a mile below the island when he felt a firm grip on the back of his shirt.

            “Well, thank goodness, you’re a lot lighter than you look.”

            He looked up, astonished to see a woman with two giant feathered wings sprouting from her back. She could only be described as radiant, quite literally seeming to glow, as if something within her could not be contained, and was struggling to be free.

            She managed to drag him all the way up to the rock he had been aiming for. They could see the soldiers gathering at the end of the path.

            “Ah, don’t worry about them, we’re almost past the border already, they won’t chase us any farther.” “I’m Karol by the way.”

            “Hywel” “How, how did you find me?”

            “If you didn’t notice, everyone on this side of the Sky has been following you for almost a month. I’ve been tailing you for a while, to make sure you don’t do anything stupid, like taking a plunge into the Void.”      “Hey, I’d love to chat later, but we need to get going, they won’t follow us across the border, but we have about 1000 feet left.”

            They traveled a pretty good distance, the rocks were close enough now that Hywel could jump between them.

            “Sorry if this is offensive” Hywel started talking almost as soon as they had stopped “but what’s with the wings?”

            “A recent thing, possession works weirdly.”

            “Wait, you have a demon too?”

            She raised an eyebrow “you don’t know much about how this stuff, do you?”

            “Not a demon, then?”

            She shook her head “no, demons are spirits of emptiness. Mine is a devil, a spirit of fullness, of bursting and limitless possibility.”

            You’ve been awfully silent about this whole affair Dere.

            Demons and Devils don’t mix. We kill each other.

            “That seems infinitely preferable to mine.”

            “Oh, it is, I wouldn’t have hunted down a demon.”

            “You mean, you actually wanted to be possessed?”

            “It’s a marvelous power, I wanted to be strong, so I could help people, I failed before.” “I think you’re the same, we both want to cleanse the world of its evil. That’s why I followed you.”

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@brokendarkfairyempressforever

@hijabi-flavored-nerd

I fixed a few things. Its almost 13 thousand words now, by far the longest thing I've ever written, and getting close to the halfway point plot-wise, which means that technically this will probably end up at Novella length (Its already 30 pages in the Word document I'm writing in).

Actually, I'm gonna tag some of my other mutuals as well, I won't tag you again though unless you want to...

@queenpiranhadon

@nervousscissorsgoopthing

@betanian117

@justalunaticfangirl

@shrxe