#chasm pals

[lamaery]

6 illuminate

Chasm pals 💕 This one came from a drawing in my sketch I made some weeks ago, but quite liked.

[frogsdocrimes]

following the main plot is overrated, fuck around in the castle basement instead

[erendur]

Maedhros needs a hug.

I think we all agree (well, most of us at least), that Maedhros needs a hug, at the very least.

So I was thinking, what if he was adopted by a group of lesser fire spirits after he threw himself in the chasm (I could bet good money on the fact that a fanfic has already been written based on that idea, but am too lazy to check).

The chasm he threw himself in is probably a major, big-ass one - he’s a Fëanorian after all, I think he would leave in style. So there were bound to be at least a few lesser fire spirits hanging out there, with not much to do. Corrupted evil spirits have plenty to do, what with torturing people, murdering them or creating monsters, but the non-corrupted ones probably have plenty of time on their hands.

So suddenly, there's this gorgeous Elf throwing himself in their chasm. And they’re super thrilled, because the Ainu of Valinor get plenty of pretty elves hanging around them, but the lesser spirits of Middle-Earth, not so much. Plus, when they get closer, they notice that it’s not just any Elf, but a Fëanorian, a super-fiery one, one they’ve probably sneakily had a look at when he was in his Father’s forge at some point (I’m convinced fire spirits regularly sneaked into Fëanor’s forge fire to have a good look at him and his family of fiery hotties).

I’m imagining a kind of Monthy Python’s Holy Grail’s Castle Anthrax situation there : they all jump on his fëa as fast as they can, to make sure he doesn’t escape towards Mandos’s halls or any funny business like that, and of course Maedhros doesn’t put up much of a fight given that :

He’s super tired, even in disembodied fëa form ;

He very much does NOT want to go to Mandos and, as far as he had planned ahead, was determined to give him the slip. He’s already been imprisoned once, thank you very much, he’s not doing it again.

So when Mandos finally comes looking for him, the fire spirits hide him in under a fire blanket and pile of throw pillows or whatever the equivalent would be in a fiery chasm, put on their most innocent look, and say they’ve seen nothing.

“An Elf ? Why would there be an Elf in a fiery chasm ? We haven’t seen any Elves around here. And even if we had, they’d been gone by now. In this direction, yes, over there. Nothing to see here, no Sir, certainly no murderous fiery Elf.”

Mandos doesn’t press the matter too much, because he’s got a group of Avari Elves that have eaten poison berries to take care of, and he already feels the start of a headache coming.

Maedhros spends the next age or so being absolutely pampered by the fire spirits, who can’t believe their luck. They braid his fëa hair and make him fiery buttered crumpets. They chill on the fiery sofa and they make him laugh by telling mean jokes about the water spirits and making funny impersonations of Ulmö. I’m picturing an Odysseus/Calypso situation there. He’s having a nice time. He’s got no one to manage, he’s not in charge of any siblings, he’s got no hopeless war to fight and no Oath to fulfil. He can finally relax with his fire spirit pals.

Eventually, someone spills the beans to Mandos. Of course, it’s a water spirit. They’ve been eyeing Maglor for an age, holding their breath as he gets closer and closer to the water, hoping - surely, this time he’ll go in !- but he never does, so since they can’t get their hot pet Elf, it’s unfair that the other ones do.

Mandos decides to kill two birds with one stone on this one, and sends Fingon to get him. He’s been trying to get rid of Fingon for almost as soon as he’d arrived - “You did a magical rescue ! Manwë sent you his eagle ! You waged a war against Evil ! You died a heroe’s death ! You have nothing to do here !” - but Fingon has always stubbornly refused to be reembodied until Maedhros had at least arrived. He’s got five other Fëanorians plus a bunch of their followers who also refuse to leave for the same reason. He thinks he’s finally got a solution.

So by the time Fingon arrives in the fiery chasm, Maedhros has chilled and relaxed enough that he is able to consider the whole atone for his sins in Mandos thing in a more sanguine way. It will be mostly fine. He did some terrible things. He won’t be tortured. He’ll be ok. Fingon will be there. So he only puts up the bare minimum of a fuss before following Finno.

“I can’t go back, I’m an accursed kinslayer. Everybody there reviles me. There is no hell so profound that is sufficient to punish the tenth part of my sins…” (He has spent hundred of years hanging out with Maglor, who has some serious Drama-Queen tendencies, and also came up with that last line before Marguerite de Navarre).

“Come on, Mae, not everyone reviles you, there are many people who are waiting for you there, and you’ll get reembodied eventually…”

“Do not insist, dear friend, I am the most accursed of the accursed, I’ll never finish atoning for my sins, I'll be cast aside, universally hated, like I deserve…”

“Maitimo Nelyafinwë ! Stop it this instant ! You’re going to Mandos now, and you’re going to be reembodied, and you’ll give a kiss to your Mom you’ve been waiting for you all this time !”

So he leaves, much to the chagrin of the fire spirits. Well, at least, they all had a good time.

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

Fast Food: Childhood

Been meaning to write this one for a while, it's pretty short, enjoy!

My parents once went to a fortune-teller, an Oracle. One of a long line of truthsayers. They asked a dozen questions, about their heirs, about their fates, about their lives. The Oracle had only one thing to say.

“One of your children will bring about the deaths of your entire people.”

I was 6 years old, then. Just one of the dozen children they'd sired. Breeding pairs were rare amongst my people, and so they'd done their duty and popped out as many of us as they could. The result? They hadn't the slightest idea which of us the prophecy referred to.

So they loved us all the same.

Some days I wish they hadn't. Some days I wished they lined us all up and dropped us into a chasm. Some days I wish that prophecy hadn't been fulfilled. At least, not by me.

I loved my parents, much as any child could. I loved their gentle fingers on my head, their chidings and praise, their care. I loved them even as it became clear I was not their perfect child, and loved them some more. I suppose it had to count for something, that they tried their best to reciprocate.

There were just too many of us to be raised by two hands alone. My younger siblings were distributed amongst childless couples, but I was second-oldest, and that came with certain privileges. Privileges like being ignored in favour of my elder sibling, being considered no more than an irritant, and being put through the rigorous trainings of the spare.

Do not take me for a whiner, however. I am grateful for the warmth in my life, and that I was considered worthy of being trained, if only as an understudy. I spent my childhood chafing at favouritism and clamouring for the slightest bit of attention, but I did have good memories, and that is more than some can say.

Those were the days. Lazing beneath the Paliodaen sun, thieving sweets from unsuspecting vendors, tuning out the droning of my tutor. I think, perhaps, I was happiest then, without the weight of destiny hanging above me.

Yet, perhaps time has softened the lash of the belt for every wrong question. Perhaps my rose tinted glasses have coloured my tears pink. Perhaps, if you were to toss me back into the waves of the past, I would weep just as much as I had the day I discovered I would be the death of everyone I loved.

'Tis no matter, to tell the truth. No chronomancer can drag me back to those ages, so long ago they were. My childhood lies in the lands of dragons, of false-mages and of my people, all of which have been lost forever.

Taglist:

@coffeeangelinabox, @dorky-pals, @calliecwrites, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @shukei-jiwa

@thewingedbaron, @pluppsauthor, @cowboybrunch, @wylloblr, @possiblyeldritch

@ramitola, @urnumber1star, @fortunatetragedy, @bigwipscholar, @ratedn

@vampirelover890, @possiblylisle, @illarian-rambling, @the-ellia-west

@finicky-felix, @evilgabe29, @glitched-dawn, @rivenantiqnerd, @dragonhoardesfandoms

(Anyone else who wants to get added can tell me in the comments, pm me, or send me an ask about it!)

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #3 by Joanne Starer and Natacha Bustos. Cover by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson. Variant cover by Joëlle Jones. Out in November.

"Jimmy Olsen comes to town with his ear to the ground for a Daily Planet scoop, and Fire and Ice have a beauty salon full of ex-villains that Fire’s certain they can rehabilitate (in fabulous reality-show fashion, no less!) and Ice is desperate to hide. But if they’re gonna make it through the day without Big Blue swinging back through Smallville to clean up their mess, Fire and Ice will have to look past the growing chasm between them and work together to sell Superman’s pal the story of a lifetime."

[meat-pvppet]

dont usually post publicly about my musings of my ocs but damn

after the shit that happens in tfs i feel like chasm, for the first time, wanted to step away from guardian field work for a while

like he has been doing this work nonstop but after the events of tfs i think he'd realize he super needs to stop and process everything

but he cant

cuz teehee seasonal stuff

he can never catch a break but hey his pal failsafe is around

well she's always been around but he had been so busy with other things so...

[aur0raaura]

Twin Princes AU

LEGEND

Part one | Part two

Buy me a Ko-Fi!

AAAAND SCENE! Wow wow! I didn't expect for what was supposed to be another doodle comic...end up with me putting a lot of effort-!

Life got in the way plenty of times- making me take quite a bit to finish this...even contemplating on just putting this on hiatus and just do something else-

...but I did it! I didn't let any discouragement, nerves and bad feelings get to me.

Now I'm sure many are wondering- HOW did this come to fruition? Simple: my friend pointed out that my next comic should focus on Kyurem's involvement in this! Many were wondering what sort of role the old dragon played after the previous comic (Family) and the art piece that accompanied it (The Giant Chasm)! So I went for a more artistic approach to this, making the artwork look like a tale at first, but then shifting to a more crude and cold atmosphere- I was going to polish these last nine pages, yet my friend would tell me that the sketchiness helps with the narrative- and honestly, she was right! Thus I tried to add some subtle sketchiness on pages 7-11 on part one! I wonder if people noticed that detail...? Anyways, time for some fun behind the scenes stuff...!

Here's the very first concept of my Original Dragon design, including his human form!

You can tell I did some adjustments in the final product, but I really wanted to make sure this dragon had characteristics of the tao trio in some way, plus-- I wished for him to have a unique sort of feel- kinda ethereal? I also gave a teeny bit of eastern dragon influence because...well...tao trio. The tail is actually inspired by a plasma engine!

It's why I gave it a bit of a swirl to it- ...kinda reminds me of ice cream- His human design...well, I wished to make sure he looked like the princes yeah-? He is their dad after all! So I made sure to reflect that- Same with his clothing as well! Ah right...I should show the design of our princes yes...?

WHOA WHOA WHOA-- those faces... Hmm... I wonder if people can start piecing together why this au is called the "Twin Princes AU" with this and what was told in this comic...? The design in itself was conceptualized by a rough idea my friend sent me a whiiiiiile back, but asked me to refine it further! Make it fancy, royal, elegant--!! You get the point. XD Though this is the finalized design i came up with as I brainstormed this comic! I hope I could convey how magical yet refined they are! As for Kyurem....oh my! What a reveal as well huh?

What a throwback....! I drew these a while back!

Well, there's certainly some familiar design choices...! And another clue to this whole puzzle- unless some of you have figured it out! Let me know through my ask box! ;D

I really didn't expect such a warm reception towards this au me and my pal cooked up last year. To think mixing concepts from our ocverse (GUARDiANverse) with pokemon could work so well...! I suppose fantastical elements mixing with another fantastical setting aint such a bad idea...! This AU has kinda expanded since it's conception... to a point of having other stories of other characters that take place in this version of the pokemon world!

Though for now, I may need a bit of a breather. 20 pages was QUITE the endeavor! Yet...that doesn't mean I wouldn't be opposed to tell more of my tale in other ways! Shoot me an ask, tell me! Who knows, I may answer with a doodle comic! For now, I'll just slowly cook my next idea! Maybe I should give the witness to these tales some spotlight...? I dunno...but honestly, feel free to shoot asks. Well, I hope you all can be patient with me in the meantime!

[mings-lore-library]

If your main 10 OCs were Pokémon gym leaders, what would their gyms be?

Okay, well considering most of them already have an elemental magic “type” to them, but I’ll be creative here. Also please note the Unova region was my first and is still my favourite so most Pokémon used are from there. They live in a neighbouring region just NorthEast of Unova where most Pokémon spill over, and there are overlapping Pokémon from other regions.

Easily enough, Rex and Ted would share a gym and it would be the fire-type gym. They’re the Fire Twins, after all. Assuming their gym would be the first one, then you’d have to fight them both at once. To travel the gym, one would have to press switches to turn off the flamethrowers that block your path. There would be three other gym trainers, each with a Pansear. Rex’s line-up would be Charmeleon, Ponyta and a Lillipup. Ted’s line-up would be Houndour, Darumaka and also a Lillipup. (They got the Lillipups together, it’s their starters)

The second gym would be Hami’s. Her specialty is rock and ground types. In order to travel her gym you’ll need to have rock smash HM, and there would only be two other trainers, one with a Sandshrew, the other with two Roggenrola. The gym is a cave-like maze, and every so often, wild Zubats and Woobats show up, although they’re very low-level so they aren’t too hard to get past. Hami’s line-up would be Boldore, Sandile, and of course her very first Pokémon, her beloved Sandslash.

After Hami’s gym you would travel North to where it’s icy and cold, to Ivy’s gym. Her specialty is ice Pokémon, but it’s also dog-like Pokémon. Her gym would be an ice-rink, of course, but each trainer within has a Herdier and a Cubchoo. There are three levels and each level has two trainers to battle, except for the one right before Ivy. He has a Vanillite and two Spheals. Ivy herself has an Alolan Ninetails that she got as her first Pokémon when she used to live in Alola. Her other pokemon is a female Absol.

Fourth would be two towns that are so close together, their gyms are right next to each other, each one on the outskirts of their own town. They are called Earth and Sky, and you have to defeat Earth before you can fight Sky. The gyms belong to Tweet and Elsa respectively of course. Tweet’s team are all grass types of course. In his gym, you have to climb the green vines to go up a level, and slide down the blue vines. There are ten other trainers in his gym with various grass Pokémon. Tweet’s team is his beloved Servine, a Simisage, and two Budew that he nicknamed Buddy and Pal.

Elsa’s gym you can only take one after you prove to her you’re ready. Assuming it’s a regular Pokémon game, you do that after a run-in with the Team that kidnaps Ducky and her Caterpie. After you help Elsa and Tweet save Ducky and Caterpie, Elsa let’s you challenge her gym. Elsa’s gym is a flying type gym, and has paintings of various bird Pokémon all over the place. Elsa travels the world painting different bird Pokémon of each region. Each painting is done by her. Some of the paintings have a hidden door to the next room. You have to choose the right painting that answers riddles you’re given. Behind each correct door is a trainer with the Pokémon on the painting you just passed through. Elsa’s team is her two Unfezant, one female one male, a Swanna, and her darling Noctowl.

Sixth gym leader is Kyle Wu. His element is usually weather, but that doesn’t really match up well to Pokémon types (except flying, but that was easily Elsa’s), so I give him the electric gym. His gym would be a huge chasm that you have to step on the right clouds to pass. Step on the wrong cloud and it will poof, sending you falling to the safety net below, where you have to take an elevator back to the start. I’m not sure what the clouds would be, like how you know the right from the wrong ones but there would probably be like a puzzle or something. Anyway, Kyle Wu’s line up would be an Emolga, a Zebstrika, a Luxray and a Manectric.

The seventh gym would be Victoria’s. She would be a dark type leader I feel. Her gym would not have any other trainers, and it would be in a haunted mansion where wild dark and ghost type Pokémon would be. You’d have to follow a maze of clues to find seven switches that will open doors for you. The last switch opens a door to Victoria. Her lineup would be a Scrafty, a Liepard, Zoroark, and an Umbreon. Her gym would also be located outside of town, down a long grassy road, so trainers should pack lots of potions.

The eighth gym is Damien’s and he would be, surprise surprise, a dragon gym leader. It’s either that or fire, and fire has been claimed. Damien’s gym would be a dark building lit only by fire torches on the walls. Ace trainers will be hanging around with various Axew and other dragon types. The building has no special tricks besides that. Damien would be sitting upon a throne when you arrive to fight him. His Pokémon team are a Haxorus, Hydreigon, Garchomp, Dragonair and a Salamence.

Ming COULD be the champion, but to humour you, if she had her own gym it would be Normal Type or Water Type, and she would have the very first gym because as much as she has powerful Pokémon, she also loves to care for the little ones and raise them and give them love. Ming prefers to travel anyway and switch her Pokémon each in turn, and wouldn’t be happy as a gym leader. She has beaten all the others though.

Anyway, that’s the line-up.

The Champion is Sky.

[w0lfyfl00f]

Need to ramble abt our Palworld ocs

So first off categories

Playthroughs

Orson

Luan

Chasm

And I forgot the name of the egg only run

Now random details abt each

Orson

-Great builder

-Has a son named Gilbert

-Loves frog chairs

-Wants to catch one of every pal

-Is hated by the PIDF somehow more then Luan

-Loves goofy pals

-Claims the pals on his team are his children

-He’s shipped with Luan despite how the two are from different saves

-Fav pal is secretly Grintale

-Official relaxaurus hunter but also owner of two

-Sells to the dark market constantly

-Helpless alone

Luan

-Morally he’s chaotic evil

-First pal was a Pengullet

-Canonically a god of chaos

-Taught Orson how to be chaotic and catch humans then regretted it because Orson caught more humans then him

-Canonic criminal

-Loves big houses

Chasm

-kisses victor

-kisses victor

-kisses victor

-kisses victor

-kisses victor

-anyways~

-Past experiment of Victor but now works alongside him after the genetic researchers accidentally just lost Chasm somehow and he fought his way back to Victor

-First pal was Sparkit

-Has horrible back pain from falling when he was lost

-Tends to jump off things

-Doesn’t fully understand how to not freeze or burn up but he’s trying

-Is very skinny but eats a lot

-Was a experiment in combing pal and human dna making him part Shadowbeak but he has deformed wings so can’t fly also the thing around Shadowbeak’s waist formed as spikes on his back making sitting very uncomfortable also luckily those grew back after his fall

-He has burn scars on his arm from a flame thrower given the Syndicate attacked him given they could recognize the Shadowbeak traits and knew he was from the genetic researchers so decided to attack assuming the genetic researchers were encroaching on they’re area when really Chasm was just alone and lost

-He often uses his Direhowl to get around given his body is weaker then most

[hate-letmetellyou]

My laptop broke down today, could you please help me repair it?

Sure pal. Just fling it down your nearest gaping chasm and I'll get to it eventually.

[doomboy911]

Theme

Sci-fi

Prompt list

Magical March (2023)

Commentary

Boom instant idea, Metroid came to mind and I figured I could study some of Samus armor design then mix it with magical girl motif. On top of that I drew up some basic items she had, her blaster wand, her space safe sailor suit, her alien talking cat and finally her ship. Collect all four win the game.

This design would be a total chore to animate but I'm happy with the end result. The pigtails remind me of the gundam sailor moon

Palette Picked

[hunty627]

Hunter’s Pokémon journey part 31.

I arrived at the giant chasm and there was Ghetsis. And Kyurem was standing by his side. Kyurem was about to freeze me solid in a block of ice with its signature move, Glaciate! But then my old pal N showed up and his Zekrom used Fusion Bolt and stopped the Glaciate attack. N pleaded for Ghetsis to stop, but he refused. And then he used the DNA splicers to make Kyurem fuse with Zekrom, causing it to turn into Black Kyurem! N and I were horrified! I knew the only way to separate them was for me to knock out Kyurem in battle. So I used Reshiram to battle him. After Black Kyurem was defeated, both Zekrom and Kyurem were separated. Kyurem was free from Team Plasma’s control and ran away. Zekrom was reunited with N. N was very happy, but Ghetsis was absolutely furious. So he battled me with his Pokémon. But like before 2 years ago, I beat him. After that, Ghetsis was taken away and I went through victory road. When I arrived at the Pokémon league, the elite four remembered me very well. I had fun battling them again. And when I reached the arena where the champion was waiting. To my surprise, Iris was the new champion! So we had our big Pokémon battle. It was tough, but I managed to win.

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

Bog-demon

I am walking. It is all I have ever known how to do, slog endlessly in the utter dark, praying I am going in a straight line. Where am I going? Why? And for what? I do not know. I do not know anything.

My feet are sore, blisters forming despite the soft dirt underfoot. The ground is moist, as it always is, sickeningly yielding. I despise it almost as much as I despise the pain of each step, but I cannot stop. I think— for I do not know —that there is something chasing me, that if I halt for so much as a moment, I will stumble and wind up into its open chasm. 

I fear falling behind so much it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, flutters my heart, and takes over my mind. Even through the agony, the needles that pierce and shred my feet— real or imagined? I am not sure —are overpowered by my terror, my need to keep moving. I would step into a meat grinder rather than stop, so great my fear is. I would wear my soles to nothing, and my feet to bone if only I could escape that thing that haunts me. I would stumble through darkness forever, and so I do.

The monster is not my only nemesis. The ground's wetness gives way to worse things, sometimes. It thickens to mud, so slowly that I do not notice, wet and filthy and stinging my sores. My mind is too occupied— by things I may have imagined —in any case, and I cannot sway from my path either way. So my feet get tangled in the mud and I push through it anyways, slowed but unstopping.

Eventually, the mud rises, and I am waist-deep in it. It sucks at my flesh, like a bog-demon. I can feel it— or so I think —tearing bits of skin off and suckling greedily at the blood that flows from within. My pace is but a snail's crawl, every muscle aching from fighting the mud, and I cannot help but fear that the monster will have finally caught up to me.

Then the mud is up to my neck, and I have greater problems to worry about than the monster. I am slipping, losing it. My fingers claw at the slippery semi-solid, trapped in the quagmire. My legs continue to struggle— futilely, I suspect —as the waters grow higher and higher. The fingers of the bog-demon reach for my throat.

And so the mud engulfs me, pressing my face down into its breathless pillow. I suffocate, unable to struggle, unable to scream, unable to move. The bog-demon does not just bleed me physically— it claws out my very soul. The world, hollow and devoid of sensation as it already is, turns to dust, and there is nothing but me and the monster, which drinks down my fear and anger and love and loss and hope and failure, until I'm nothing but a husk.

I want to stop moving. The monster hurts too much. Its weight— or what I have imagined to be its weight —is too great, crushing my bones and turning me into putty. I want to let go, and drown in its horrible embrace, engulfed by lassitude. It just hurts, so very much. It drinks down my eloquence, my pretty words and shining smiles, and leaves me with lead in my limbs and floss in my brain.

But the monster is there, right behind me. And I do not want it to catch me. So I keep moving, my limbs sluggish, half-swimming, half-crawling in the thickness of it. The pressure does not lighten— or perhaps my mind keeps it on me —but I push on. I move and move and move.

I break free, eventually, though I do not know when. Much like its arrival, the bog-monster's disappearance is slow, unsusceptible. But it is gone, and I walk forward again, in the dark and the wet and the eternal knowledge that I will meet the bog-demon once more.

Taglist:

@coffeeangelinabox, @dorky-pals, @calliecwrites, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @shukei-jiwa

@thewingedbaron, @pluppsauthor, @cowboybrunch, @wylloblr, @possiblyeldritch @ramwritblr, @urnumber1star, @fortunatetragedy, @bigwipscholar, @ratedn

@vampirelover890, @possiblylisle, @illarian-rambling, @the-ellia-west

@finicky-felix, @evilgabe29, @glitched-dawn, @rivenantiqnerd, @dragonhoardesfandoms

@drchenquill, @everythingismadeofchaos, @owldwagitoutofyou, @dimitrakies, @beloveddawn-blog

@riveriafalll, @the-golden-comet (Anyone else who wants to get added can tell me in the comments, pm me, or send me an ask about it!)

[sjsmith56]

Finding Jade - Chapter 6, Finding Jade

Summary: Jade dreams of Bucky after he fell from the train. During the day everyone relaxes in various ways. Bucky and Jade search for gemstones in the nearby wash. The day ends with a bonfire and singing.

Length: 4K

Characters: Bucky, Jade, Ben, Peter, Sam

Warnings: 18+ only, sexual content (p in v), accepting death, cursing.

Author notes: After a disturbing dream the rest of the day was pretty normal for the Avengers.

<<Chapter 5

〰️〰️〰️〰️

It's so cold.  The fall should have killed him but somehow he's still alive.  His left arm hurts so much and he tries to lift it but it won't move.  Painfully he turns his head to his side and sees a bloody mess where his arm used to be. 

"No, no, no...," he whispers.  "My arm, I've lost my arm."

He takes stock of where he is now, at the bottom of a chasm between the mountains.  How did he get here?  His arm hurts again and he screams at the pain.  He fell, that's right, he fell from the train.  Steve tried to reach him but he fell before they could touch hands. 

"Steve...Steve...I'm sorry pal.  This is the end of the line for me."

He looks to the other side and sees he's on a ridge.  There is a sound of water past the ridge.  If he can just get there he can end it.  End the pain.  End the certainty of freezing to death.  He's tries to move but all he feels is pain.  He's broken, too broken to end things on his terms. 

"FUCK!" he screams, over and over again.

A few minutes later he is calmer, more accepting of how he will die, the slow descent into darkness.  He thinks of his parents and his sister.  He thinks of all the women he slept with starting at the beginning.  He was 17, she was 19 and fast.  Cora thought he was pretty and he took advantage of it.  But she taught him a lot so that the next one, a few months later, Jean was her name... she was so pretty and willing, he made her come first and discovered women liked that, made them feel he was taking care of them.  He was sleepy and it was hard to remember the next one.  Beatrice, that was it.  Catholic, had gone to school in a convent.  She was wild for him.  They almost got caught by her dad as he fucked her in her parent's garage, in the back seat of her dad's car.  He wasn't cold anymore, in fact he felt warm and using his right hand he slowly, painfully unbuttoned his jacket.  The effort exhausted him and he forgot where he was in remembering all the women.  It didn't matter, there were so many and they all mixed together into one image.  A strange but compelling face, blonde, almost white hair.  Who was she?  He didn't remember her.  He would have....

"Jade," Bucky whispered, stroking her hair.  "Sweetheart, you're dreaming.  Wake up."

She opened her eyes, confused at first that she wasn't on the snowy ridge anymore.  Raising her left hand she was surprised to see her arm was still there.  Bucky stroked her hair again and she realized she had been in his memories, the ones she had stored during their mental connection.  She touched his face and he kissed her gently, asked if she was okay.

"I'm alright," she said.  "Bad dream but I'm back here with you now.  Can you hold me until I fall asleep again?"

She nestled her head into his arms and he pulled her body closer to him.  His hand found its way to her hair, her soft silky hair that he couldn't touch enough.  Making her feel safe was good, good for him as well.  It calmed him and made him feel needed. 

Now I look into your eyes

I can see forever

The search is over

You were with me all the while

        The Search is Over by Survivor

The word was out about the gemstone finds on the brief search of the wash where the rain had stirred up the old waterway.  A few days after finishing building up the roadway almost everyone wanted to try their hand at finding a treasure in the flotsam left behind in the wash.  Both Jade and Ma instructed people on what to look for.  The best moment was when Ma found gold, a small scattering in a pocket gouged out by the rain.  The metal, being heavy, stayed at the bottom of the pocket in little flakes that most people would overlook.  But Ma had noticed a glint and investigated further, finding the little bonanza.  There wasn't a lot, but it was enough to melt into a tiny rough bar that could go a long way on the next provision trip.   There were even some pieces of driftwood that must have floated on top of the water flow for miles to reach them.  Ma had the guys drag them back to the Bunker, said they could be used for carving, burning in a bonfire or leaving as is for a rustic but meaningful piece of natural art. 

Jade took Bucky out to a section where no one else was looking and they stopped to kiss and caress each other before searching.  He watched her intently as she kept her eyes down to the ground looking for good candidates. 

"Where did you learn all of this?" he asked.

"From Ma," she said.  "I was homeschooled because Ma thought the authorities would come after me.  She has her nursing degree so she isn't unschooled herself.  We used a home schooling organization for most of it.  Ma threw out the religious stuff saying I had already had enough of that.  We went to the Library, she bought books.  Taught herself jewelry making by using YouTube, then taught me.  We've done the same with Ben."

"It's really hit a chord with everyone," he said.  "This wash is full of gemstones and we didn't know how valuable they were.  It took you to show us."

"Fossil!" she exclaimed, running to the side of the wash. 

There were bones sticking out and she dropped to her knees to dig out more of it.  Bucky kneeled down with her to uncover it but they soon realized it was bigger than they thought.  Digging into his pocket Bucky pulled out a small GPS unit.

"We use these in case we get lost," he said.  "The Bunker coordinates are loaded in as home base.  If we get lost we just use this and hike back to the right coordinates.  I can save the location of these bones so that when things get back to normal we can let a university know for their palaeontology department."

"Good thinking," she said.  "Oh look, a piece of jade."

She dug her finger into the soil below the fossil and pried up a small piece of jade.  The top of it had been scoured by the action of the flood waters.  She held it up.

"It's the same colour as your eyes," he said, smiling.  "May I have it?  I have an idea for a project I can use it in."

"A project?" she laughed.  "Anything I should know about?"

"I'm an open book," he replied.  "You know you could always look and find out."

She kissed him.  "No, I'll only go in if you allow me," she answered.

He pulled her close and kissed her passionately, both of them on their knees in the soft sandy dirt of the wash.  His hand was in her soft hair and he caressed her head through it as they kissed sensuously.  When they finished he kept his face near hers, feeling her breath on his face.

"I can't get enough of you," he said softly.  "You mean everything to me."

"You know that I saw this before," she replied.  "I saw us kissing, making love and I wanted to show you all of it but you weren't ready."

"I'm ready for a lot more," he said, kissing her again.

He pressed himself into her and she felt his arousal.  "Later," she whispered and pulled away to stand up.

He stayed on his knees a moment longer before reluctantly standing with her.  She was already bending over peering around the ground.  He fingered the jade in his hand before putting it in the small coin pocket in his jeans.  He could start making the ring now.

As they got closer to the Bunker they could hear Buddy barking excitedly.  A piece of wood flew through the air and the dog came flying near them to catch it before it hit the ground.  It landed near some quartz and Jade went down on her knees to use her fingers to dig it out.  Bucky kneeled down to help and they discovered it was a huge piece, only the tip of it showing above the ground.

"Hold on," he said.  "I've got something that will pry it up."

Running to the workshop he came back with a pick axe and a shovel.  Jade moved back as he hit the dirt all around the quartz with the pick axe.  In all the directions it hit more rock.  Using the shovel he tested the ground to see how far away he had to go before he hit normal ground.  It was over ten feet wide.

"This is a quartz vein," said Jade.  "There's a good chance there's gold in it.  It might be in powder form though.  We can only extract it by crushing the quartz and putting the powder in a pan with water, swishing it around and watch for the gold to sink.  Hit it with the pick axe and see if you can chip a piece off."

She stepped back and Bucky took a swing at the quartz.  He knocked off a piece and Jade took a close look at it but couldn't tell for sure.

"Ma has more experience with gold prospecting," she said.  "You should mark this location so we can come back to it."

Buddy came flying back at a stick thrown in their way and they heard Peter and Ben laughing.  They both shook their heads at the unlikely friendship between 20 year old Peter and 10 year old Ben.  The next time the stick came out to them Bucky picked it up and threw it back at the boys, hitting Peter on the thigh.

"Ow, Bucky!" he yelled.

"You've almost hit us a few times, kid!" he yelled back.  "Throw it somewhere else."

"Good arm," said Jade, as they walked slowly in.  "Were you always this good or is it a super soldier thing?"

"A bit of both," he said.  "Pitcher in baseball, quarterback in football.  The serum enhances the abilities.  Don't know how Steve got so good at it, he was literally the 98 pound weakling.  He was always picking fights though.  Didn't like bullies.  Neither do I."

"We thought of putting Ben in regular school but he marches to the beat of his own drum," said Jade.  "I worry that he has doesn't have any peer friendships.  Even Peter is too old for him, really."

"Peter's been where Ben is," said Bucky, tossing the quartz chunk up in the air as he walked.  "Smart at a young age, socially awkward.  He was 14 when he first kicked my ass.  Then he was lost in the Snap.  So was I, Sam, and Wanda."

They walked without talking for a few more minutes, eyes lowered to the ground searching for gemstones.

"You used the time travel machine that they used to get the stones to go back for Steve," said Jade.  "You weren't even sure it would work."

"Bruce and I took the quinjet to what used to be the Avengers compound in upstate New York," he said.  "We left the machine in storage there after Steve returned to the past.  It was risky, because there was a lake nearby and you know how the Others are about water.  We gambled there were still Pym particles in storage with it and there were.  I went back with an extra suit and enough particles for Steve and Peggy to come back with me.  We thought of going back for Tony, Vision and Natasha but their timelines ended and couldn't start up again in the future."

He stopped and looked at her squinting up at him in the bright sunlight.  Never had he dated a woman who looked like her.  Most of the blondes he had known were bottle blondes, but hers was the real thing. 

"What?" she asked.  "Do I remind you of someone?"

"No," he replied.  "Most blondes I knew were bottle blondes.  Your hair is natural and so much more beautiful.  Were your parents this blonde?"

"I think my dad was," she said.  "I have no memory of what my mother looked like.  Ben looks more like his dad.  Do you want kids?"

"Someday," he admitted.  "I was pretty wild, chased a lot of girls, but I always thought I would end up with a nice wife and family after the war.  HYDRA took care of that.   I, um... never mind."

He started walking again, holding the shovel and pick axe in one hand, and Jade smiled.  He had broadcast his mind pretty openly in that little pause and she knew he was going to ask if she would have another.  She jogged a little to catch up with him and put her arm around his waist.  He smiled and put his free arm around her shoulder.  They kept walking, stopping once in a while to pick up an interesting looking rock.  The time they spent together was pretty tame by entertainment standards but they were both content and happy to be in each other's company. 

"Have you learned to ride yet?" she asked.  "I've been out a few times and I like it.  When Clint goes home I'm going to take over looking after the horses.  Maria has been helping as well."

"I've been out a couple of times," he admitted.  "It wasn't pretty.  I am a city boy after all, Brooklyn.  A motorcycle is more my taste.  I rode one sometimes when I was the Soldier and I remember feeling free on it."

He heard his name being called and he saw Ma waving to him.  Jade either didn't hear or was ignoring her mother.  Looking at his watch he realized he was a few minutes late for an appointment with Ma to teach him how to make jewelry.

"I just remembered I have a meeting," he said.  "Can I catch you later, before supper?"

She nodded and he bent over, kissing her sweetly.  He took the quartz from her and took it with him.  Ma thought messaged him that Jade was watching so he went inside the Bunker instead and met Ma in the workshop by going through the interior door.  Jade turned away and headed for Peter and Ben instead.  They asked if she wanted a bonfire with some of the driftwood, in the interior courtyard. 

"I'm pretty sure we have the fixings for s'mores," said Ben.  "We would ask but us being kids Steve might say no."

"Let's go see if we have the fixings first," said Jade.

She went inside with the boys and sure enough there were marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate chips.  Next they had to find Steve and they brought it up to him.  He actually liked the idea but when Jade said she wanted to look in the workshop for something to use for toasting forks he said he was headed there and would look himself if the boys and her would bring the wood around.  Peter was breaking the wood apart with his hands thoroughly impressing Ben.  Steve met them out there about ten minutes later with coat hangers twisted into toasting forks.  The plan was made to start the bonfire just after sunset at 7 pm.

After such a beautiful day supper was just as good with everyone in the common room laughing, joking and eating.  It was Sam and Maria's turn to cook and Sam had made jambalaya.  He made two pots of it, one spicy and one not so spicy.  Jade had never had it before so she had the not so spicy.  Bucky, eating the spicy version, rolled his eyes after the first spoonful.

"Sam," he yelled.  "God, I've missed your cooking.  No one makes jambalaya like you."

"Thanks man," said Sam, genuinely pleased.  "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Too long," said Bucky, standing up and coming to him.  "I'm sorry.  I'm truly sorry."

Sam looked at him for a moment, then nodded.  "So am I, brother," he said.  "I've missed you.  It's all in the past, agreed?"

Bucky nodded and the two men became friends again, giving each other a pound hug.  Steve looked at Jade and smiled, nodding his head.  Bucky sat back down next to Jade and she nudged him on the shoulder with her head.  For dessert Maria had made banana chocolate cake using the overripe bananas no one had wanted to eat.  Again people were giving multiple thanks for it.  By the time everyone else cleaned up the fire outside was started, the s'mores fixings brought out and an assortment of benches from the workout room were assembled around the fire.  Jade got a little chilled despite the fire and Bucky ran into their room bringing out his jean jacket and placing it around her shoulders.  It was much too big for her but she rolled up the sleeves and said it was hers now.  Ma told a ghost story.  Peter and Ben talked people into playing charades.  Clint was cajoled into singing after Jade said she heard him sing to the horses.  He said he would only do it if she sang as well.  They sang Friends in Low Places and got everyone clapping in time to it.  Bucky mentioned Steve could sing, being in the church choir.

"That was supposed to help my asthma and it was before my voice changed, Bucky," said Steve.  "I only know stuff from the 40s like you.  Wait, I've got it, I have a good one."

He started belting out Singing in the Rain and everyone joined in.  For the next two hours they sang, ate s'mores, joked and laughed.  It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable evenings the Avengers had ever had as a group in the Bunker.  Even Bruce stayed for the entire time sitting beside Ma.  When the fire died down to embers the men brought buckets of dirt and sand to put out the fire.  Bucky put his arm around Jade and Ben, herding them home.

"I heard you and Peter thought of this," said Bucky to Ben.  "Nicely done, it was a lot of fun."

"Thanks, Bucky," he replied.  "It was such a nice day and we both thought it would be a nice way to end it.  Um, if you two want to have noisy sex Peter said I could sleep on his couch.  I don't mind, really."

Bucky shook his head feeling affection for the boy.  Ben was the most direct kid he had ever met.  His honesty shone through.

"Sure Ben," he said.  "That's very thoughtful of you."

"Take your toothbrush," said Jade, smiling, as he ran in to get a change of clothes.  "How thoughtful, really, that's your take on it?"

"What else do you say to a ten year old who knows you're having sex with his mom?" asked Bucky.  "We are having noisy sex, aren't we?"

"His birthday is next week," she suddenly said.  "I don't have anything to give him."

"I've got you covered," said Bucky.  "Ma alerted me and we've been making him something from all of us."

"Tell me what you did," she demanded.

"Nope," he said.  "It's going to be a surprise."

She squeezed his waist.  When they got inside the room they could smell woodsmoke so Bucky pulled Jade into the shower with him.

"We have ten minutes of water," he said, "before it automatically shuts off.  As much as I would love to make love in here I don't relish the thought of being covered in soap when the water stops."

Quickly they soaped each other down and rinsed off then enjoyed kissing and caressing under the water until it shut off suddenly.  Jade wrapped her hair up in a towel then another around herself while Bucky did the same.  Picking her up he carried her to the bed and got on it beside her. 

"We smell so much better now," he said, kissing her neck and playfully pulling at her towel.

Putting his hand into her hair the head towel came off and he suddenly kissed her deeply and sensuously.  This time he undid her towel and pulled it away from her body then pushed her down below him.  Laying on top of her he stroked her hair while kissing her softly.   

"This was one of the best days of my life," he said softly.  "Because you were there with me for most of it."

He kissed her deeply again and she drew him in closer with her arms.  "You're overdressed," she whispered, tugging at his towel. 

Smiling, he reached under himself and pulled it off.  "That better?" he asked. 

She nodded and caressed his bottom, then ran her hands up his back.  He raised himself so he was on all fours then kissed her body starting at her breasts and working his way down.  When he got to her pubic area he slowed down nuzzling her lower abdomen and the top of her thighs before gently opening her and licking inside.  Her back arched immediately and she gave a short sigh as he found the parts of her that aroused her.  As she ran her hands through his hair she raised her hips into him and he went down harder on her, making her body twitch.  He started to caress and squeeze her thighs before pressing down on them and trapping them under his arms. 

"James," she panted.  "I love your tongue."

"I love yours, baby," he purred, as he sucked lightly on her clitoris and she gasped.  "Do you want to come now or when I'm in you?"

"Both," she whispered, as she squirmed under him.

Smiling he increased his pace on her and had her straining to come as he held her legs down.  When she suddenly tensed and cried out he released her legs and gently squeezed them to move the blood through them.  Wiping his face with the towel he laid between her legs nuzzling her breasts then moving up to her neck. 

"Well, I'm half done," he whispered in her ear.

"Mmmm," she hummed.  "I should have said yes that first night.  Your tongue...."

As he stroked himself to become hard again she leaned over and gently licked him before taking him into her mouth.  He caressed her silky soft hair as she brought him to the edge before stopping and holding the tip of him.

"Why are you stopping?" he gasped.

"Just wait a little and let the sensation lessen," she said softly.  "Then it will be more intense when you're in me."

They kissed and caressed until Bucky entered her again.  Quickly the intensity increased for both of them and when they came together they cried out loud at the intensity of it.  Bucky laid in Jade for some time, kissing her face and neck still recovering from the emotion it had ignited in him.

"My beautiful Jade," he whispered emotionally, "I would die for you.  If it ever came to that I would lay my life down to save yours."

"Shh, babe," she soothed him.  "Just stay in me, stay with me.  I love you being in me, being part of me."

Eventually he pulled out and lay his head in her arms, just as he had envisioned that day in the workout room.  He never wanted to be anywhere else other than with her.  When he finished the ring he would ask her, and he would commit his life to her, his gem, his Jade.

Chapter 7>>

Series Masterlist

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[autumnslance]

Who did you take with you into Copperbell Mines, or did you enter alone? How did you feel about the twisting mineshafts, rickety elevators, and sheer drops inside the caves? How did you feel about the Giants, did you attack first or try to reason with them? Did you character learn the buried history of the mine - that magic was used to enslave the Giants and they eventually rebelled, leading the Sultanate of Ul'dah to collapse the lower tunnels 300 years ago, trapping them inside?

Back in those early days, Aeryn ended up entering Copperbell, like the others, with a few friends from the Adventurers' Guild--namely, Dark Autumn and C'oretta Khell. They weren't quite calling themselves an adventuring party, the way some of the others did, but they could ask each other for aid; Dark had asked for help in Tam-Tara, and Sastasha was one of Aeryn's first meetings with the Gage Acq crew (cuz sorry not sorry, have to have @erickgage present in both versions of Sastasha in all RP canons for FC In-Joke Reasons), so she relied on her pals there again to help in the Mines.

Traversing those crumbling shafts, rickety walkways and elevators, the closeness of the tunnels versus the sudden yawning chasms was definitely terrifying in its own way, complicating clearing out the vermin, and then also dealing with violent giants.

They did learn the history of the mine; what the Sultanate of eld had done to these people. And they made some attempts at subduing and reasoning with the giants. But between the magic used on them, the centuries of stasis simmering in their anger, and the threat they posed to the adventuring party as well as common folk, there wasn't much option given.

It actually shook C'oretta a bit, to learn that bit of history. Not a surprise, entirely, she's well aware of things Ul'dah does in the modern era. But the more she learns of her nation's past, and the nasty ways they've always used to get and stay ahead at the cost of so many other people, the more determined she is to aid in Nanamo's attempts at reform, to air out all the dirty laundry and make it known, and then move forward to be better from there.

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Hello! I was wondering, in the post where you listed your current asks you said you have a few other fic ideas for after you were done with requests (I think it was angst fluff and smut). I was wondering what ideas you had for those? Like what characters you plan on using or what the fics were gonna be about

Hello there! If I recall correctly, I mentioned two angst drafts. But yes, I have a plenty of ideas from all three genres. Let me open up my word doc, where I keep my ideas, and list a few.

Hurt/Comfort: Shinobu x M!Reader

Desc: Shinobu has a breakdown in the Chasm, her stoic resolve shattering under the realisation that she might as well die there. R is there to help.

A cute little idea I might get around to writing some day. Why Shinobu? Because best girl, that's why.

Angst: Breakup HCs for Beidou and Ei

It's about 95% done - it has been for over a month by now. Why didn't I release it then? Well, I'm not satisfied with how Beidou's part turned out. But then again, I'm not satisfied with most of my writing, yet you guys seem to enjoy it. When I finish requests (4 left as of now, 3 smut and 1 fluff) I'll take a look at it.

Angst: Issues of Genshin girls

Characters: Jean, Eula, Rosaria, Keqing, Ganyu, Ayaka, Miko, Shinobu, Sara

I have a draft of it on Tumblr, but I focused on doing requests lately. I'm of an opinion that 'the best food is made by a hungry chef' applies to writing as well. The best fluff comes out when you're happy, the best smut when you're thirsty, best angst when you're soul-crushingly sad. It's back to school time (I had two weeks of winter break) so writing angst is a lot easier. Haha... :(

Smut: Childe & M!Reader x Keqing

Desc: Childe gets some highly valuable blackmailing material in his hands, and wants to use it to have some fun with his best pal on an otherwise boring day. Keqing has to make a choice.

A nasty little fic with blackmailing and dubious consent included. The '&' is quite important here, as it would be straight smut, with no action between Childe and R. Will most likely remain unwritten.

Smut: Yae Miko x M!Reader x Gorou

Okay, this one might be a surprise. The fic would inculde awful stuff like mind break, brain washing and slavery (you can guess who's the victim). I know I said that I only write hetero smut, and I stand by that - I'm not certain if I like the idea enough to make an exception. But I have considered it.

Don't ask where I got these ideas. Past me clearly thought these were worth writing down, so here we are. He is quite weird, that guy.

Smut: Empress!Ei x Shogun!M!Reader x Sara

Desc: Ei and Reader reward Sara for her loyalty and uneding devotion.

Because Sara deserves it. This is the oldest smut idea I've written down.

Smut (Warhammer Fantasy): Karl Franz x Miao Ying

Desc: Karl goes on a trip to China to establish trade relations. When he gets to the palace, it turns out he left his wallet at home. How will he pay me now, thinks the dragon empress, already having a different form of payment in mind...

This idea came to be because of one diplomacy line. And the fact that, out of all the ordertide leaders, it is Franz that gets the damsels. It is confirmed by SEGA, Games Workshop, and Marek Suski. Don't check that, just trust me.

Whump: Abusive!Rosaria x M!Reader

Desc: Rosaria comes home drunk, and her kidnapped boytoy is in big trouble. Beating, cutting, and a pair of long nails are involved. I'll leave it up to your imagination where the nails go.

Very horrible idea, 'inspired' by the movie Grotesque. Don't watch it under any circumstances. It's very nasty.

Art: ModernAU!Shinobu smoking on the rooftops.

She is just such a vibe. Maybe, maybe in a year's time I'll do it. I still can't draw.

Okay, that's the first page of seven. Maybe some of these will see their own posts. But I don't know.