#eagle nebula fic

[a-land-lacking-sleep]

PLA Fic: A New Home - Chapter 1: Prelude Beach

Here's the fic I promised you back in June, lul. I had about half of it written back then, but I just finished the second half of it today. This was originally going to be a really long one-shot, then a 3 chapter fic, and now who knows. Not me. I hope it's just 4, but it could be 6!

While this story is connected to my Electric Trains series of fics, it is also made as a stand alone! I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter Summary: Jubilife is established, and The Diamond Clan makes themselves known. Chapter Word Count: 4440

As always, read below or on AO3! Comments and reblogs always enjoyed!

September 30th, 1869

The name came from one of his more optimistic captains, Zisu Perilia of the Security Corp. Another victim of the war that Johto had endured with Kanto during the Imperial Unification, though thankfully a tad too young to endure many of the battles personally. Unlike Denboku, who had tempered his mettle with blade and tactics on the field of battle, where he watched both men and Pokemon bleed out their last.

But it was from her mind that the name of the beach landing sprung. “Prelude Beach,” she had said with a smile on her face. “The start of our new life, away from the pain that everyone had to endure back home.” A fine sentiment, and one that the other arrivals had latched onto with a fervent need. It wasn’t just Johto that had been hit by the succession crisis, but even the rural Hoenn had refugees fleeing from the nobles who felt that they were owed power and slowly crept their way south until they were trapped in Slatesea Port and either killed or imprisoned by the newly restored Imperial forces.

In fact, that was how Beni had joined him in that tiny village outside of Azalea, before the two became brothers on the field of war.

But that was all in the past now. Hisui is going to be a new beginning for them. It has to be. They will carve themselves a piece of land separate from the wilds and build themselves a village, one where they can live with jubilation and grow old without fear. And really, Denboku isn’t surprised when he finds a sign planted at the southern end of the planned layout of the settlement, and another at the northern end, both labeled “Site of Jubilife Village”.

Though he keeps his face set in the permanent scowl that is expected of him, his heart swells with joy to know that the people, the refugees of war and their protectors alike, felt safe enough to boldly claim such a name for themselves.

Nearing the end of the first week, they properly built a perimeter fence around the Village, though even calling it such in this state was almost humorous. It is a collection of tents, centralized in the middle of a large clearing split by a river and surrounded by small cliffs. The fence was barely chest high, just enough to keep curious Pokemon out, but not quite enough to keep actual threats away without a constant guard. Up against the cliffs to the east, Colza and Tao Hua are setting up the crop fields, and amongst the tents Sanqua and her right hand Flaoro are busy designating the spots where foundations will be built for houses.

It is an uneventful week, in all honesty. Their security patrols consisted of 8 men armed with daggers, along with trained Geodude and Scyther, with a Golbat to help patrol at night. And with that, the local Pokemon swiftly learned to stay away from the fences, in fear of concussions or gaping wounds leaving them as easy prey for other Pokemon. The only ones that still come close are the blue and black cats, which remind some of the Security Corp of the Manectric in Hoenn, and even they flee with a well placed Mud Bomb. 

It is the night of the 8th day in Jubilife that Denboku found himself sitting in the moonlight on the cliff east of the village, quietly meditating. He had picked up the habit while protecting the Sprout Monks back in Johto, during the war when they had become easy targets. After a long week of plotting out housing and preparing for the second ship to arrive in a week’s more time, sitting in the cool autumn air and listening to the odd big Pokémon chiming in the fields below felt like bliss. 

“Good evening, Captain,” he says brusquely as Zisu makes a spot next to him and sits down. 

“Evening, Commander,” she responds, a smile across her face as she settles into place. “You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” It was phrased like a question, but Denboku knew it wasn’t; Zisu knows she is welcome at any time.

“Are you here for meditation, or do you wish to speak about something?” Denboku hasn’t yet turned to face her, keeping his eyes closed as he slowly breathes in the night air. 

Zisu is silent for a moment before speaking. “Beni said he found a Pokémon rooting through his food supplies.” Denboku’s eyebrows furrow as he leans forward and rubs a hand against his temple. “I’m sure you know that means that it had to sneak in using more than just instinct. Especially since it was a Munchlax.”

That gets Denboku’s attention, causing him to look over at Zisu for the first time since she sat down. “Those are rarer than the Beasts in Johto,” he mutters before straightening his posture. “If there is a Munchlax ransacking our stores, then we need to stop it from continuing to do so. And if it can slip past a ninja in his own home, then it has to be well trained.”

“I already told my men to be on the lookout for any locals,” Zisu says. “If they see one, they’re to get a Captain who can speak the local language to talk with them and find the owner of the Pokémon.”

Denboku absently nods as he strokes his moustache. He was thankful that Ginter and those of the Gingko Guild were able to help his Team learn the local language, as they have been doing some trade with the natives for over two decades now. Ginter had also been keen to let them know that no foreigners ever set up on Hisuian land. “Do you think this is targeted? Or is this creature acting on its own?”

Zisu immediately shakes her head. “This Pokémon is most likely trained, but we haven’t seen anybody nearby this week since we’ve started setting up. I doubt we’re completely unnoticed, Commander, but I don’t think we’re being targeted.” Denboku huffs quietly, and nods in agreement after a moment.

As his companion starts to stand, though, he holds his hand out. “Stay awhile Zisu. I have a story to share.”

“You haven’t exhausted your stories yet, Kamado?” Zisu says with a laugh as she sits down into a more comfortable position.

“A Cianwood girl like you has plenty of Johto she doesn’t know about,” Denboku says with a glint in his eyes and a twitch of his facial hair. “I know you’ve been to the Ilex Forest when I was preparing the Galaxy Team.” Zisu nods, remembering the forest vaguely from her short time walking through it to Azalea. “But I’m sure you’ve never heard of the Protector of the Forest?”

When Zisu shakes her head, all Denboku does is nod and close his eyes. “Ilex Forest is special amongst the forests of Johto. It’s been tranquil since my grandfather’s youth, and it was tranquil through the war.” He breathes in deep as he hears Zisu settle in and lay back on the grass. “The forest has a protector, a sprite that keeps the trees tall and the waters clear. Even as the war raged and nearly burned down Goldenrod, it was untouched. All because of Celebi.

“Celebi is what allowed Azalea to be a safe haven during the war, what allowed me to go through Johto and find those in need of help and protect them, like it protected us.” He looks out over the fieldlands, the moonlight illuminating the grass and trees, and the distant river a smear of silver ink from this view. “It had fantastic powers, befitting a legend. It has taken platoons of men and moved them forward past the time of their battles. Brought us lost items days before they were lost. And so a shrine was built in the middle of the forest.”

“Never expected you to be a shrine goer,” Zisu says with a tease in her voice, looking over at Denboku with a smile to match her voice. “You always fit in with the monks, but never in that sense.”

“Wouldn’t call myself a shrine goer, neither,” Denboku says with a huff. “I would go before I left Azalea on journeys, but I wouldn’t go and leave offerings on a set schedule like a true devotee. But that’s beside the point.” He waves his hand to refocus the conversation and then strokes his moustache. “But it’s said that Azalea is not the only forest that was visited by a Celebi. Viridian was home to one for several decades, and people claim in Celadon to have seen two of them flying through the trees.

“But once war reached those forests, and people began to pare the forests down to settle in, the sightings vanished. Now only Ilex, a forest that has remained peaceful and untouched even after all these decades, has one.” Denboku looks out over the fieldlands, out to the forest beyond the silver river. “I want to ensure that our land here in Hisui would be one that Celebi would find hospitable.” 

There’s a moment of silence before Zisu responds with a soft hum. “Yes, I think that would be nice. Being able to keep this place peaceful and safe for everyone.” The two continue to sit quietly, letting the stars and the moon circle overhead.

—

October 10th, 1869

Though the cold was beginning to quickly set in on the Village as fall progressed, the men working on the foundation of the main Galaxy Building often found themselves dressed lightly. And most lightly dressed was Denboku himself, who is wearing but a gray hakama as he shovels dirt towards the ever-filling corner that his Golem is ever-emptying. And it is when he is in this state that Ress comes running from the town’s fence. “Commander Kamado, we have a local wanting to speak with you!”

Denboku sighs, and waves at his Golem to keep up its work, which it happily obliges to by rolling into the dirt and bulldozing it flat. Once he climbs out of the pit, Denboku quickly douses his face in the river water to wash any dirt off, and pulls his coat over himself, leaving it draped over his shoulders as he stalks towards the fencing to the east of the Village.

He is slightly surprised when he catches sight of the local, though he shouldn’t be as she at least seems a few years older than Zisu is despite his smaller stature. When it comes to her companion, however, he is completely unsurprised to see a rather large Munchlax chewing away at a berry.

“Greetings,” Denboku says, bowing slightly at the fence as he speaks in Hisuian to the best of his abilities. “Apologize for the state of my look. I have been at work. I am the Commander, Kamado.”

To her credit, the young woman only has to cover her mouth briefly as she holds back her laugh, then resets her face into neutrality. “I am Mai,” she says in heavily accented Kanto-ben. “I have more experience with your tongue than you with mine, so let us make this easier for us both.” While relieved, Denboku tries to hide it from his face by pursing his lips and twitching his moustache. “I believe you’ve been looking for me, Commander?”

Denboku nods, then gestures to the Munchlax absently eating beside her. “More specifically, I’ve been looking for whoever is the owner of that beast. We’ve caught it going through our food like it owns the place.”

“It has a better claim to the land than you do,” Mai says with a slight shift in posture, her hand resting on her hip as she leans slightly to the side. Not confrontational, but decidedly not welcoming. “You all showed up on your boats without warning, and he smelled food. While I didn’t plan for him to raid your storerooms, I can’t exactly blame him for getting easy food.”

“That easy food is what we need to survive, child,” Denboku says, glaring down at the young woman as she shakes her head. “We are working on getting farmland cultivated, so the food we brought with us is what we have. My people and I would greatly appreciate if you kept control over that beast of yours.”

“And I would appreciate it if you didn’t act like you were the lord of this land just because you believe you own this Village,” Mai shoots back, her tone unchanged from the neutral tone she’s held this entire conversation. “I would also refrain from telling others you own this land, unless you think you can convince my Leader, Adaman, to accept you.”

Pausing, Denboku takes a deep breath and releases it, then squares his posture and stares into Mai’s eyes. “Then how may I talk with your Leader? We don’t wish for conflict, we just want to live our lives.”

“He sent me a message this morning,” Mai says, a smirk forming on her lips. “He will be here in a few days time to discuss your ability to remain here.” Before Denboku could argue another word, she bows respectfully and turns to walk away, effortlessly scooping up Munchlax and carrying it away from the Village.

Denboku watches her walk away, then turns on his feet back towards the village. “Ress, go gather Zisu and Colza, and tell them to meet me by the main bridge. I’ll get Tao Hua and Sanqua, we need to discuss their arrival.” As Ress runs off into the Village proper, Denboku keeps his path towards the pit where the Galaxy Building will be, doing his best not to grind his teeth. Once he gets within earshot, he shouts out “Sanqua! Get on out of there!” He turns towards the store that is half-assembled across the grassy road. “You too, Tao Hua!”

There’s a bit of grumbling from the store as Tao Hua makes his way out of the building, sneering back at the way he came and holding his hip in place as he walks. “No need to yell, Kamado, I can hear you just fine!” He straightens with a grunt, his hip popping into place as he hobbles off of the store step. Across from him, Sanqua clambers up the ladder, wearing a simple white top streaked in mud, just like her hair and face. “What’s the big fuss?”

“We’re holding an Officers Meeting,” Denboku says, scratching slightly at his moustache. “That Mai woman told me that her Leader will be coming in a few days to discuss our right to be here.” Tao Hua sneers and looks in the direction of where Denboku had come from, while Sanqua gets a worried look on her face.

“Do you think they’d remove us? This is technically their land,” she says, looking back at the large hole for the building foundations that they’ve dug, as well as multiple skeletons of buildings around. Sanqua was younger even than Zisu, having gotten her position in Galaxy by being a fantastic worker and a good head for math. “This was the only good place in this area from what Ginter told us.”

“We won’t be leaving if I have anything to say,” Denboku grumbles as his Golem burrows his way up out of the ground behind the pit. He stalks past the pair to cross the simple bridge over the river to the southern side, catching sight of Ress coming his way with Zisu and Colza in tow. Giving a short wave, Ress breaks away to go cover the eastern gate again as the Captains all assemble.

“Something up, Commander?” Zisu says immediately before even stopping, her face pulled into a worried expression that seemed to mirror Sanqua’s, while Colza’s was filled with anxious energy. “Ress mentioned that he saw you speaking to a local?”

Denboku nods stiffly, setting his jaw for a moment as he thinks. “Mai is a member of one of the native Clans,” he starts, noticing the look of understanding on Zisu’s face and the grimace on Colza’s. “She says that her leader will be here in a few days time, and she’s also made it clear that she, at the very least, believes we are overstaying our welcome.”

Zisu, Colza, and Sanqua all share a look at one another, while Tao Hua simply glances away from the conversation. Finally, Colza speaks. “Are we in claimed land?”

A fair question. While a part of the reason that they had chosen this strip of land to build their homes was because it was by a river and relatively flat and protected, it was also because Ginter had claimed he’d never seen a Clans Member in this area. The Gingko Guild had even led their ships here before splitting off to land in their usual port on the eastern edge of the island, to ensure that they landed in supposedly unclaimed territory. “She didn’t say anything of the sort,” Denboku says after a moment of deliberation. “Just not to claim ownership of it ourselves.”

“Which we are by building,” Tao Hua says bluntly, looking past his juniors to look over the mostly finished structures that line the small road that they have leading toward the beach. “Homes, stores, farmland, and a large office for the Galaxy Team’s management. We even have a security detail, and signs.” Tao Hua scowls and spits on the ground in the direction of the entrance to the Village where Mai and Kamado had spoken. “Which they should have done if they wanted to claim this land themselves.”

“The Emperor doesn’t put a sign upon every shaku of land,” Denboku chides with a sharp glare. “And yet I don’t see you claiming ownership of Viridian Forest, Tao.”

“The Emperor is a mightier foe than some backcountry Clans,” Tao Hua mutters before turning away from Denboku entirely while Sanqua steps between them.

“What is the plan going to be, Commander?” Her eyebrows were knit together in worry, but her mouth was pulled into a determined frown. “Should we halt our work?”

Denboku sighs again, bringing a hand up to stroke his moustache as he thinks. “No, continue to finish the housing. Halt work on the Galaxy Hall, though.” Sanqua nods, and with a flick of Denboku’s head, she rushes to the pit where the Hall would be to stop the workers still there. “As for the preparations for the Leader of the Clan to arrive, we should prepare to ready defenses.”

“Ready the defenses?” Zisu asks with an incredulous tone, giving Denboku an unsure look. “Putting up an aggressive front doesn’t sound smart, sir.”

“You’re right, Zisu,” Denboku says with a nod. “I simply want you to have security on the southern end, and people ready to move to the eastern gate if needed. I do not want to start an altercation, but if they seek to remove us by force, we must be prepared to defend ourselves.”

Colza and Zisu look at each other, still uneasy at the thought, but Zisu eventually nods. “Alright. I’ll get people together. Hopefully the ship that Cyllene is on will be here in time for this meeting, she would do good to cover the east gate for us.”

“I’ll be sure to get some Medicinal Leeks growing,” Colza says with a sigh. “I’ll probably have to uproot one of the Sitrus saplings, but I think I still have a pot to fit it in.” With that, both of the younger Captains broke away from the meeting. With a final nod, Denboku dismisses Tao Hua back to his shop, and walks down the singular street south out of the village, back to the beach.

—

October 15, 1869

It had been just after daybreak that the young sentry Rei, fresh off of the boat, had seen the group approaching through the Fieldlands, still nearly an hour away. This gave Jubilife time to prepare, though, with the Captains all getting themselves presentable and meeting with Denboku Just outside of the simple gate that Sanqua had finished working the afternoon before. Within the town, multiple houses were now finished on the far side of the river, arranged in two parallel rows facing each other.

“How many did Rei see approaching?” Denboku asks Cyllene, Zisu’s number two, as he approaches the gate himself. Cyllene had been an unexpected friend in Hoenn several years prior when Denboku and Beni had gone down there in a chase after a rebel Lord. And with her time with Professor Zelkova Elm having ended, she was willing to join the Galaxy Team with her protege Rei. 

“He claims there were seven people,” she says brusquely, keeping a hand on her sheathed katana while her Abra hovered nearby. “There was a large Stantler-like Pokemon, and what seemed to be a large Bird Pokemon flying overhead with one of the seven riding it.”

Denboku nods and looks out over the Fieldlands. Even from this distance, the Bird Pokemon was visible as it soared through the sky, presumably keeping an eye over the group directly below. “And that is it? Seven people and two Pokemon? That Mai woman had a Munchlax with her, did Rei happen to catch sight of it?”

Cyllene shakes her head, her gaze never leaving the Commander’s. Denboku nods, and turns to watch as Zisu arrives with Sanqua. “Then we can assume that at least one of them will have a Pokemon with them, if not each of them. Zisu, how are the defenses?”

Zisu straightens her top and gives Denboku a short bow. “Ress and Wenton are on standby down the road, and Cyllene’s Abra will teleport them in if they end up being needed.”

Denboku nods, and turns to Sanqua. “And did you finish the safehouse at the end of the Village? It looked complete when I went by this morning.”

Sanqua nods as Colza runs up to the group, tying his sash in place as he does so. “It’s fortified well enough to withstand your Snorlax running into it, and the tunnel to Prelude Beach is sufficient. If needed, the entire town could escape to the boats at the beach.”

Denboku nods grimly again as Tao Hua approaches the gate and passes through. “With Celebi’s grace, that won’t need to come to pass. Let us hope that this Leader is more willing to talk than Mai was.”

The Galaxy Captains stand in an uncomfortable silence for some time. They had all made good time arriving at the gate, and if Rei’s estimate was correct (which had proven to be reliable previously), they were still some 15 minutes away. Though Jubilife was up the hill from the Fieldlands proper, the gate was actually just past the crest of the hill, thus they didn’t have a good vantage of how close the traveling group actually was.

It was near the 50 minute mark that the large Bird Pokemon suddenly shot forward towards Jubilife Village, causing Denboku, Zisu, and Cyllene to all tense as it flew over their heads. No attack came, however, as the bird went to the far cliffs on the western edge of the Village and wheeled around to circle the entirety of the Village before returning to its previous location, dipping down out of sight.

“That rider looked quite old,” Tao Hua mutters, rubbing the sun from his eyes as the bird takes back to the air after a few minutes, now without said rider. “They must be quite experienced if they wouldn’t slip at such an age.”

“Did any of you recognize that bird?” Sanqua asks as they watch it come slowly closer, its tight circles showing that it was now following the group once more, and that they were quite close. As everyone gathered shook their heads, she sighs and slumps her shoulders. “So a native and unknown Pokemon. Let’s hope we don’t need to worry about it.”

Native and unknown. “Cyllene,” Denboku says, looking over at the swordswoman, who faces him in response. “Depending on how this talk goes with the Leader of the Clan, I want you to contact our Professor friend in Hoenn. He mentioned that some professor in Galar was looking for a project to work on with grant funding?”

Cyllene blinks, then nods in recognition. “Yes, sir.” With that, she looks over at the hill, and nods slightly towards it as she begins to step back towards the gate. “It seems our visitors have arrived.”

The Galaxy Team turns to face the road as a large Deer Pokemon crests the hill, the morning sun shining off its horns and giving it a slightly golden appearance to its fur. Atop it sat Mai, perched sideways, looking up from her conversation with a young man next to her. The young man’s hair was down, hanging to his shoulders with the bottom edges seemingly dyed green and an open blue haori with white trim.

Behind the two was a small group of others in blue clothing. A taller man with long lilac hair and a conical hat; A young woman with bright red hair with a red gradient on her legwear; A tall dark-skin man who was looking around everywhere with an anxious energy; Finally, an old man who notably was using a cane with a pair of simple slit goggles hanging from his neck, and a young girl with tumbling green hair running behind him, wide eyes staring directly at Denboku.

Once the group comes closer, Denboku breaks away from his Captains and takes a few steps forward, bowing at the waist in greeting before straightening up. “Greetings, Clansmen,” he says in Hisuian. “I am Commander Kamado, of the Galaxy Team.” Unsure of who exactly to speak to, Denboku put his gaze mostly towards the old man.

The young man looks up at Mai with a sly grin, then shakes his head and steps forward in kind, raising a hand and pushing it forward in some form of salute. “Greetings, Commander Kamado-han,” he says in heavily accented Johto-ben. “I agree with Mai, it would probably be easier to speak your language.”

The young man takes a moment to look over the group, and nods with the smile still on his face. “My name is Adaman, and I am the Leader of the Diamond Clan. I appreciate you making sure to be punctually, it’s always nice to be met at the gates instead of waiting around and wasting time. Good thing, too, because I believe we have some discussion ahead of us about you being here on my Clan’s land, yes?”

[chillichats]

so im writing this fairy tail fic, it's basically an au with some headcanons (and one pretty major difference to canon) and i guess i just want to get my ideas and thoughts out there, and this way i can read back what i thought.

right now my thoughts are about how to flesh out lucy's magic. bless her canon magic but im not just leaving it at that. im planning on giving her more silver keys, and possibly giving her some buffing abilities, though she won't ever be a truly offensive mage. She'll have some finisher spells like urano metria (and more that i'll add later) but they'll be super costly in magic - basically a last resort. for the most part she'll still be a summoner.

i did say buffs because when i was looking up astronomy stuff i found a bunch of Nebula that had really cool names, and almost without thinking i assigned them powers. and then i went ' wait a second, that's actually not too bad an idea!'

so for now i have six possible buffs she'll eventually be able to learn, each with their own (real) nebula:

Orion's Nebula - fairly easy. a strength buff

Crab Nebula - a defense buff, more specifically she can either focus protection on her limbs or her torso, or she can protect both but the defense is less powerful overall

Eagle Nebula - it doesn't give her the ability to fly, but it lowers gravity for her significantly. With it she can jump very high, and move with less friction, but maneuvering relies a lot more on pushing off other surfaces

Cat's Eye Nebula - Better vision/night vision and better senses buff.

Tarantula Nebula - what it sounds like, she'd be able to climb up walls. can't decide if it would be akin to spiderman climbing up or if she could just straight up walk on walls. im thinking spiderman tho.

the buffs would be fairly costly to cast, but less than a silver gate to maintain.

as for the silver keys......

GOSH, the silver keys were WASTED in fairy tail!!! HM focused so hard on the golden gate keys (and not even all of those) that he completely forgot about the entire rest of the constellations.

of course, I can't give Lucy TOO many keys, because then it would just become a hassle to figure out which key to use for what situation, but there's definitely some I want her to have by the end of fairy tail.

for instance, i've just finished my version of the everlue arc (yes its still very early in the rewrite), and ive gotten her musca's key. that's the Fly constellation, if anyone was wondering. In my head it would have kind of... spy powers? like, you know, 'fly on the wall' kinda thing. but i can't decide if it would be an actual fly or a piece of equipment.

if it's a fly, then it would probably listen to conversations and then come report back to lucy, but if it was tech, lucy would probably plant it herself and then have a headset.

actually you know what, what if it was like, a robot fly? and she still had a headset, but couldn't actually hear what was going on around the fly? instead, the fly tells her what's going on around it, and she can direct its attention to specific things for more details. if she asks it to it can repeat conversations verbatim, but it has, well, a robotic voice, so it can be hard to distinguish between who says what.

and to clarify, the fly doesnt say things out loud, but broadcasts words back to lucy's headset. it would be a very poor spy if it was constantly talking out loud, haha

anyways, typing all this out has quelled my thoughts on this, so im gonna go continue to write the next chapter of the au

[cosmicswritings]

Hey I'd love to hear more about Megatron and Starscream's daughters! Whether your tfp version or Idw version of them. I don't think they've been in any of your fics yet ❤️

To add to that I'm so curious in what their creators feel about them. I think you've mentioned that Megatron carries in every other relationship except with Starscream, so I'm super interested in knowing Starscream's experience with carrying Megatron's sparklings with all the violence in their pasts and how they both feel about their daughters? And a little bit about their daughters' personalities too! If that's okay with you.

so tw for like sparkling/carrier death but they get brought back to life so it's all good.

Oh thank you so much I dont think i talk about them enough. So in all my aus when Starscream and Megatron get together officially and have their daughters they are already good. Like their relationship has been mended and they've been together for quite some time. It is post war, and peace times. And even in my aus where the war IS happening the two would have a good relationship.

But their daughters names are Megatronia, Nebula and Andromeda.

Tronia is the oldest and is most like Megatron but resembles Starscream the most. She has more of the 'leader' personality and in many of my aus takes over megatron's affairs after he retires. And in my idw aus, she and her half brother - Kaon - become leaders of Cybertron together. Kaon looks like Megatron's twin, she looks like Starscream's twin, so it's kinda funny. Tronia is a military strategist and likes fighting. She also really likes children as well given she cannot have her own. She trains under Megatron but also her tfp trains under Airachnid. Tronia is also close to Optimus.

then there is nebula who is more of a free spirit, who looks more like megatron but acts like an airhead in a good way. she loves flying but she also loves singing and dancing. she is also very courageous. Her idw counter part is an accidental time traveler, acutally, so is her tfp counter part. TFP counterpart accidentally goes back in time and befriends Miko while her idw counterpart befriends Tailgate. She and Tronia do not get a long like at all.

Both girls have cybertronian jet alt forms whereas Tronia's is more lik megatron's, Nebula's resembles starscream's.

next is andromeda who is the scientist of the family and has a lot of megatron's smarts. She also looks like starscream but a bit more 'bird like' and that's because she's partially an experiment. She was a still born and starcream actually died when he had her. Luckily, Shockwave was able to save them both. In order for Andromeda to survive however, Shocwave had to mix her CNA/Coding with predacon coding, and he also had to do the same to Starscream. Starscream's biology isn't affected but Andromeda's (and later his final child, Atlas) is. Andromeda unlike her sisters has a harpy eagle like alt form. She is incredibly smart, due to Megatron's genes. She is also the one he babied the most out of the girls and for the first year of her life she wasn't allowed to leave his subspace or play with any one, not even her siblings. Megatron had to go to therapy for paranoia after that. But she is very very sweet and kind. If she had a personality it would probably be Megatron's personality before he became a gladiator.

Starscream is actually very happy too be a carrier despite the major repercussions it has on his body. He doesn't care after a while. In my personal AUs, Seekers aren't supposed to be able to carry or have sparklings simply because of how they are created. They are only assembled to fly and fight and nothing else. Carrying was always a dream of Starscreams but he was told that he couldn't do it, and if he tried then it would injure him/possibly kill him. And it eventually does.

That was so traumatic to Starscream to hear so for millions of years he just pretended he hated sparklings and was against the idea of carrying them when that was one of his greatest desires. So when he and megatron are on good terms and are together, it is something he wants to try. Starscream has four sparklings and nearly loses his life every time, but it's still something he wants, well he does die after he has Andromeda but is revived. Because of how he is constructed, it is very difficult for sparklings to grow to full term so he has a lot of complications but all his daughters are healthy, just small but they grow fast. Starscream's last child is his son who is not born small at all and does not have the 'seeker' frame which is very difficult on him.

Megatron makes sure that is the last child they have together for Starscream's own health and benefit. As traumatized as he is with Andromeda he is even more traumatized that Starscream went through all of that, and still wanted to have more sparklings. So he puts an end to it because Starscream's body physically wouldn't be able to take anymore - whether we talk about his tfp or idw counter part.

[aethelflaedladyofmercia]

When I’m writing fic, I usually have “time” as we understand it start with the creation of humans. Things happened before then, but stuff was a lot fuzzier, it could slow and accelerate, and anyway no one was counting anything.

In that sense, Crowley and Aziraphale of the present can be aware that they’ve known each other for millions of years, even if at the time they wouldn’t have thought of it in those terms. Another possibility is that if the “angel time” is stretched and distorted, they might not have any way to talk about that length of time except in reference to whatever parts of Creation were already ticking—so if the humans perceive the nebula as millions of years old, that’s what Aziraphale and Crowley see it as.

Also, everything is getting shut down in 6,000 years not from the present moment, but in 6,000 years from when the official Time kick-off happens. The way Aziraphale says that is a little ambiguous, so maybe he misunderstood or maybe the way angels talked about time “Before Creation” is a bit weird just in general.

As I’m typing this it also occurs to me that angels might have time perception to match whatever their task is. Angel-Crowley is building a nebula that will be cooking for millions of years, so that’s the scale he thinks on at least at the time. Of course he’s upset about 6,000 years, he probably has sneezes that last longer than that! But then while on Earth he experiences something closer to human time—not the same, but close enough to get bored from a few months of nothing to do during lockdown and to generate a lot of hate for one particular century.

One last thought, I think they didn’t know each other well even for most of their time on Earth, but they don’t have a specific agreed upon moment where their friendship started. For Crowley, it’s probably telling that he picks their first meeting with him as a demon; it’s a little less clear with Aziraphale since he spends so much time insisting they Are Not Friends. If you pushed him to answer, I wonder if he would say they’ve been friends for millions of years (since the nebula) or for just a few thousand (since Rome, or maybe Job)?

All that said, I hope everyone will be happy to know that the Eagle Nebula, and the Pillars of Creation it contains, are about 2 million years old, so Crowley’s “millions of years” checks out. It is also located in the Serpens constellation which I’m sure is just a coincidence 🐍

GO Timeline: In the Beginning

Based on Neil’s replies to my ask and one other ask from 2023, here is what I’ve come up with regarding the early Crowley and Aziraphale timeline.

I asked “how it is possible for them to have talked for millions of years” (Crowley, S2, Ep6), and Neil said “because there was lots of angel time before Earth time started.”  

The universe is being created, and the plans for Earth are underway.  Aziraphale and Crowley meet.  “They’ll be shutting this all down in 6,000 years*” doesn’t mean 6,000 years from that point.  Although Aziraphale says “all this” and Crowley takes it to mean the whole universe, it’s clear from Neil’s reply to my ask that this isn’t true.  Since Aziraphale says “the word from upstairs” is they’ll be shutting it down, I believe he misheard or misunderstood the 6,000 years to apply to the universe when it actually only applied to Earth, which will still take “lots of angel time” (i.e. what Crowley means by “millions of years”) before the Earth's creation is finished. *Then again, "years" here is not equivalent to an earth year...um...so who knows.

Therefore, AFTER that first meeting, and BEFORE the Earth’s creation, there is a very, very long time for Aziraphale and Crowley to have their “millions of years” of talking, and getting to know each other.

This is confirmed by the following ask/reply from August 23, 2023:

They knew each other for a long time before Eden.  This is pretty darned clear.

Then the Great War/Rebellion happened.  In Series 1, Gabriel says, “There was war in Heaven long before the Earth was created.  Crowley and the others were cast out.”

We have no idea what “long before” means.  How long?  Who knows?  But the rebellion/war happened, Crowley was cast into Hell, and some unknown amount of time later, the Earth's creation was finally completed, and then the 6,000-year timeline started ticking.  Aziraphale guards the Eastern Gate, Crowley does his tempting thing, etc.  They meet again on the Wall, and Aziraphale has to ask for his friend’s new name as a demon.  

Note: in the bandstand scene, when Crowley says, “How long have we been friends? 6,000 years.”  He means, how long have you and I-As-the-Demon-Crowley, not the Angel you knew who I no longer identify with been friends.  This is also pointed out in the Job minisode, when Aziraphale firmly states that he knows “the angel you were”, and Crowley firmly denies he’s the same person (“the angel you knew is not me”).

But of course, we all know that some essence of Angel Crowley remains, because of the way he is still “a good person” at heart, right?  Right. He can try to deny it, but it’s still there, and Aziraphale knows that.  This is why they can stay friends, and why they can love each other.

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

I just watched 5 eps of dw while writing dw fic so i am, unsurprisingly, in a dw sort of mood, so; would you do something short with Malcom and the Tenth Doctor? Ten taking him away, just for a moment, to see the stars, see what's beyond Erisden? Maybe somewhere that isn't Earth.

It's been AGES since I wrote Malcolm/Ten content. I miss those two men and their depressing loneliness.

On with the fic!

--

"One trip, that's it, alright?" The Doctor smiled as he walked Malcolm up to the console.

This wasn't the first time that Malcolm had been inside of the Doctor's strange box, but this would be the first time he would go anywhere in it. He had no idea how it could move to place, yet had seen it with his own eyes that it faded in and out of existence, reminded him a bit of when rain hit a body of water, there for a moment, gone the next, yet still there in some way.

The inside of the box, the TARDIS, as it was called, was beyond explaining to anyone he knew. How could he ever tell his brothers, his congregation, his own daughter, of the mysterious device his unusual friend used to get from here to there.

"I'd take you more places, but I feel that it might be too much for you right now." The Doctor was saying as he moved around the strange thing he called the console, where there was a pulsing cylinder of glass and light.

Malcolm quietly watched as the Doctor bonded about, flipping things, pushing flashing items, turning a wheel, before striking something with a mallet. "Hold on to something!"

That was the only warning Malcolm had before the room stuttered and violently rocked. The prophet shouted as he grabbed onto the metal railing, clinging to it as he heard the wheezing sound of the TARDIS all around them.

The Doctor let out a hoot of joy as the room felt like it was moving, even though it shouldn't do that.

"Good lord, you're insane!" Malcolm shouted, which just made the Doctor laugh with a manic glee. He was beautiful when he was in his element, when he didn't have that sad look on his face when he didn't think Malcolm would notice.

The movements stopped, and things calmed down. The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, messing it up a bit, but that was normal. He looked at what appeared to be a moving, framed image. It reminded Malcolm a bit of a zoetrope, but clearly more advanced. The Doctor smiled, giving a little nod, before approaching Malcolm, holding out his hand.

"You're going to want to see this." He said softly and Malcolm took the offered hand, being helped down the ramp and towards the doors.

The taller man opened the doors and Malcolm found the most beautiful, wondrous sight before him.

It was like a painting, of all sorts of colors, dusted and painted across a black canvas, stretched out across eternity with little diamonds scattered about it.

"What... what is this?" Malcolm asked, staring in pure awe out the doors, looking all around. They appeared to be floating in the colorful darkness. He swore he smelled the faintest hint of raspberries and gunpowder in the air.

"This is the universe, Malcolm." The Doctor said, leaning against the door frame. "This is what is beyond Erisden, beyond Britain, Europe, the Earth. This is what is all around your little planet and so many other amazing worlds like it."

"This is the universe?" Malcolm blinked, unable to take his eyes off of the beauty before him. "It is beyond anything I have ever seen, or have even read in books."

"That's the beauty of things, there's more to what we know out there. Just waiting for someone to take the steps to learn more. What we're looking out here is the Eagle Nebula, and right there, do you see those large clouds there, that cluster?"

The Doctor gestured to some rather large, strange looking shapes, and Malcolm nodded. "Those are called the Pillars of Creation. Granted, in your time, and in the time when scientist discover them, they've long been gone, destroyed in a supernova explosion, humans are still getting the light from this moment in the future due to distance and you don't understand anything I'm saying."

He cleared his throat. "I brought you here, to this time, this location, to just... see the wonders of things. You've been so stressed lately, I can see it in your actions, your eyes, and... I wanted to remind you that sometimes you just need to step back and remember that the universe is big, vast, amazing!"

He leaned out the door, looking at the thing, the nebula, with such wonder and appreciation. "Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that there's more than just you and your problems in this big, ol' universe we call home."

Malcolm looked at the man, his attention no longer on the beautiful scenery before him. No, he wanted to look at the man who brought him here, who did something that he never thought was possible before he met this strange person.

Then the Doctor turned and smiled so brightly at him.

Malcolm was quickly reminded of his love for this mysterious being and his wonders that came with him.

--

Mmmmm, wanted to go with something sweet, soft, just... something they both needed, ya know?

Also, big nerd, me, putting in little things that I like into this. I like zoetrope animations (when you spin a wheel to make images move), and I love the Pillars of Creation formation. I thought it would be rather fitting for the Doctor to show it to a prophet. Could've shown him the God's Hand cloud or whatever it is, but... nah, let's go with a personal favorite cause I'm a bit of a dork.

Oh, and the raspberries and gunpowder thing is because that’s what space smells like, apparently. I think the TARDIS, since she has the field around her to allow you to breathe, would let you smell space. 

[compo67]

I'm so sorry for how random this is, but I have a post hole diggers question? You once said on here that Patreon had a lot of rules about what kind of sexual content you can and can't post there, like underage wise and because of that some aspects of the fic turned out differently than you wanted. Can I ask for more detail on that? I'm guessing if not for the rules J+J wouldve had much more sex, but how/when? Sorry!!! Post hole is my favorite fic of yours + it's basically always on my mind.

Hi anon!

Thank you for the ask, I love talking about fic, no matter what fic it is. I did a reread of Post Hole Diggers not too long ago! I'm so glad to see that it's your favorite. :D

Long post ahead!

Ahh, Patreon. I've seen creators have this issue with YouTube, like Legal Eagle etc. creating Nebula because of the dreaded algorithm. I believe that if you appropriately tag your stuff, do what you want. I grew up with LJ, where you could find anything and everything without shame. But Patreon is getting increasingly strict with NSFW content and content in general. It seems like the world is getting more restrictive with NSFW/adult content (ex. Tumblr, sigh).

For Post Hole Diggers, it was tough writing about someone who is essentially a teenager, on the cusp of adulthood, on Patreon. I had to be careful with that, but tbh, it was something I could easily change if any of the Patreon mods flagged it. 17? 18. Done.

What really took me for a loop was the issue of consent and the plot. There was a power differential between Jensen and Jared and Jensen knew it. I knew it. Jensen was in a direct position of authority to Jared. And Jared, for as mature as he could be, was still a young adult and had a lot to learn about the world. Jensen understood this, even if Jared didn't. It felt more realistic and healthier to have Jensen enforce a boundary, even if it wasn't really what either of them wanted (or what I wanted!). I think, also, Jensen knew that if they did start something, Jared wouldn't get to know the world outside of that town. Jensen, at Jared's age, had opportunities to figure out what he really wanted to do--he genuinely wanted the same for Jared.

I think, what I've personally come to learn about relationships, is "it doesn't have to happen now." There's no need to force something into happening. No need to be secretive or bend over backwards or do some mental gymnastics in order to be with someone. It's possible to acknowledge that you both want something, and come back to it later. It's not always possible to leap into a relationship, much as my romantic little heart would love. For this story, it worked out better that they had some time and distance to grow. The point though, is that they didn't grow apart from each other. They grew alongside each other by exchanging letters. They were still involved in each other's lives, and that's what mattered.

The ending to PHD is one of my favorite endings. Jared realized what he needed to do--get out of that town, get away from his mother, and put himself first. If he'd ended up with Jensen, he'd have had none of those things. Jensen sent some confusing mixed signals, but he did hold firm in the end. And, on the flip-side, Jensen needed to figure out what he was doing with the ranch, his personal life, and how to best care for his grandfather. When you're a caregiver, as Jensen found out, the person you're caring for becomes your #1 focus. I didn't write it, but you can infer that as time went on, Charles needed more and more care.

It's interesting how years after writing this fic, something similar happened in my personal life to mirror this. Folks dear to me helped me through hospice and knew that I needed to focus on my grandma. They respected that my time and attention had to be 100% on her. They were there to listen, to advise, and to talk to when I couldn't sleep. They were generous with their time so I could do right by my grandma. Those are the kinds of folks we need in our lives--folks who will, even at a distance, lift you up.

So that's why there wasn't more sexual intimacy in PHD. There were issues surrounding power differentials and personal growth. It needed this ending, and sometimes, the end you get is not always the end you want--but it turns out to be the ending you need, and everything works out in the end. That's the most satisfying ending to me--we don't ignore challenges, we meet them face on, and things work out.

But your partner has to be willing to put in the work. Jared and Jensen happened to share the same values and work ethic.

It doesn't have to be "now." It can be later--but only if both people involved really want it. I'd rather leave on a good note, spend time away from each other, and circle back--than do something in the moment that would likely create a lot of resentment down the line.

Thank you, anon. This was so good to write out. <3

-Cal

[banyanas]

Hiii wondering in regards to some Beings, is there perhaps some Beings that are just a whole galaxy or dimension? Like you see a spiral galaxy in the distance and all that is one whole Being and it's wondering why you're staring at it? This came to mind when I remember in Super Mario Galaxy on how some Lumas can permanetely transform into whole planets or new galaxies for you to explore.

okokokok this took forever im sorry BUT the short answer is yes the LONG answer is that

Dimensions: Given the Time Being is a thing... yes! On the way, way smaller scale though, since comparing Time to most other Beings is like measuring a golden eagle next to a house sparrow, Twilight Goat actually is a dimension Being, in a way! The Twilight is a little dimensional wrinkle/fold that essentially is him- the Goat we see in various fics of Beingverse is more of an... avatar, or a manifestation. Any time our characters are inside the Bell, they're inside the Twilight Goat, in a way. Same with how when entering Subcon Forest, you're basically walking over a part of Snatcher's extended body. Domains! Fun stuff!

Galaxies: Usually, the bigger and more powerful a Being is, the rarer it is- which is probably a good thing for anyone else in the vicinity, same way how it's good that El Reno-scale tornadoes are a lot less common than your average dust devil. Thankfully most galaxy or nebula Beings are pretty passive- despite being Like That, they are living creatures, and the bigger a critter is, the more energy it takes for it to sustain itself. So they're fairly sedentary, preferring to feed off whatever light or energy passes through them, if it's enough for them to register it as a snack.

(And as a note on nebula Beings, there is a scavenger nebula one here because i am more than slightly guilty of creating characters on Flight Rising Dot Gov for some Beings. Aurora-Being from Soul-Stricken, a black hole Being, and a nebula Being, who actually does have some sickass art hold on.

and all the art is credited in its bio but special shoutout to @ruthlesslistener for the last one ur art is poggers and ur brainmeat is huge its my favorite art of them)

[moskaisley]

flight of the navigator

rating: g

word count: ~600

summary:

Din Djarin has a dream about flying, nebulas that look like eagles, and warmth he rarely gets to feel.

ao3 link

-

I had a dream.

I had a dream we were flying over all of us.

It started with a beach. It took him a second to register, but the rhythmic crash of waves rolling and crawling onto shore were unmistakable. Din was uncovered, clad in only a thin woven shirt and shorts. No helmet. No armor. Just him.  And with every relentless turn of the water, he relishes in the feeling of the sea spraying onto his skin, and focuses on the way it dries up in the face of the sun.

It was so warm. Warm, warm, warm. It’s everywhere, seeping down into his bones smooth like honey. All the way down to the balls of his feet, where he scrunches his toes and nearly bursts with excitement at the smoothness of hot white sand. He stretches out his arms, as if somehow he could take in more of the sun’s light by reaching for its place in the sky, much like a child would when they wanted to be picked up.

When he closes his eyes, he begins to float. Fly. 

There were so many pretty people.

So many pretty faces.

Voices. He could hear voices; so many of them that they melted into each other and became nothing but background noise. When Din opens his eyes again, he’s in a bustling market and panic immediately strikes him, and his hands fly to his face in a half-decent attempt to fall back into obscurity. Into the safety of his own anonymity, where no one can see his big brown eyes–wide and blurry because sometimes he’s just so damn scared. But then he realizes he’s moving, feet striding on their own through droves and droves of people. Faces fly by, falling and fading away as he moves faster. So fast he can’t even feel the ground anymore and suddenly he’s airborne. 

I talked to some birds

I fell in love again

He’s high above the market now; high enough to be amongst the clouds dusted in pinks and oranges in the light of the fading sun. Ships pass him by, and he watches them go higher and higher into the atmosphere before disappearing into stardust. He reaches to them too, begging, take me with you. 

Everything just kept going, and going and going

Time and space are shifting, and what he thought was sunrise is now sunset, and the sky is turning and the sun is setting to reveal the glittering vastness of the galaxy.

And I got to meet every star, every planet

Everything that made me

Din sits, weightless and suspended over all the nameless faces, and he watches the universe collapse and be reborn again. Meteors and asteroids hurtling through the inky dark matter that makes up the space between planets and moons. Nebulas form and bloom from stardust, taking the shape of just about anything he could ever think of; to him, they looked like eagles, spreading their wings and traversing parsecs over millions upon millions of cycles. And then, Din could feel the boom and roar of a supernova in his chest, erupting in space above and hurling glittering fragments into every corner of the expanding universe. Comets fly above him, streaking across the aftermath of the exploding star and splitting at their perigee. They fall, ripping through the stratosphere and whizzing by his floating form as they crash down to the earth. Din feels it all against his golden skin again.

He didn’t realize that colors could be so bright, or the universe so warm. Warm, warm, warm.

And we all kissed

And became the same

We became the same

-

a/n:

*alexa play flight of the navigator by childish gambino*

i think din is just a lonely man floating thru the gffa who wants to feel the sun on his face n i think he deserves it. not rly edited or anything i just rly wanted to write and publish something bc i have so many wips. i miss writing and i miss putting stuff up and im trying to get back into it kdsafjal idk what it is y’all but like fic is just getting 10x harder and i feel bad for being so slow but i dont? like?? forcing it out?? ANYWAY

ty for listening to me attempting to wax poetic and finish something in a reasonable time <3

[morvith]

Oh wow! @lucyclairedelune thanks for tagging me!  

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

In chronological order:

1) Dead Man Walking (Star Trek: Alternate Original Series)  The second worst thing about being caught is, Marcus was expecting it: every second he thought he was slipping his leash, every time he believed himself one step ahead was all an illusion.

2) Some That Smile (Star Trek: Alternate Original Series): On Kronos, you hate yourself for looking – for the hot, dark twinge of attraction you feel deep in your gut.

3) Raise a cup (or ten) (star Trek: Alternate Original Series):  Jim only has himself to blame.

4) Stand by me (Star Trek: Alternate Original Series): ACCESS DENIED – CODE BLOCKED 

5) Homecoming (Star Trek: Alternate Original Series):  They have been hiding inside a nebula for the last ten days, waiting, and Jim is starting to crack.

6) Jim’s War (Star Trek: Alternate Original Series): When the medical team finally materializes, Jim gives them space to work, but doesn't go far: he kneels down by Khan's head and keeps talking, just in case.

7) Hell or High Water (The Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth):  Marcus laughs as he stumbles through the club, his cell phone pressed against his ear.

8) In The Hour Of Torment (Star Trek: Alternate Original Series):  Parallel universes. Alternative time-lines.

9) For Me and My Guy (The Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth): Paris (the French one), July 10th, 1918 

My dearest, if I ever complain about how many rehearsals you schedule, feel free to kick me, as long as you'll kiss me afterwards and never stop.

10) Invitus Amabo (The Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth):  He owes his life to a woman.

11) When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again (The Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth):  My Dearest  

12) Keep Calm and Dance on (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild): Link fell in love with dancing after watching a Fred Astaire musical with his grandmother and pestered his parents until they signed him up for classes. 

13) Sing Your Sorrow When All Your Tears Run Dry (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild):  She used to call him The Silent Ghost behind his back – not that she would have cared if he had known, back then.

14) The Wrong Immortal (The Old Guard):   “...e non ho ancora trovato l'Immortale.” [Translation: ...and I haven’t fount The Immortal yet]

15) Unseen by the world (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild):  Zelda chews on her pen, casting a quick glance at her Appointed Knight. 

16) Medieval Naming Customs (The Old Guard):  They aren't exactly friends with Copley.

17) The Opposite of Love (The Old Guard): It takes him a while to find Yusuf, mostly because he doesn't want to ask the others: they all look at him as though he should already know, as though there's something fundamentally wrong with him for asking.

16) Miracles (The Old Guard):  Can I tell you a story?

17) An Unlikely Hero (The Old Guard):  It has to be tonight.

18) With This Wind Blowing, And This Tide (The Old Guard) : “Everyone, we're here. This is Nile.” Andy announces as she steps through the door.

19) Ring, Ring, Little Bell (You Shall Not Toll For Me) (The Old Guard):  "Do you ever wonder how he would have killed us?”

20) The Service of Our Love (The Old Guard): “Are we doing this? Are we really doing this?”

This took longer than I expected!

Zelda’s “Unseen by the world” is technically the second sentence but the first one was a quote from Zelda’s diary in-game: it is part of the story, but it didn’t seem right? So I went with the first sentence I wrote. I hope I didn’t accidentally break the rules...though maybe I shouldn’t have included a not!fic.... 

Oh, well, too late now. 

Analysis: I do a lot of in medias res beginnings - that or flashbacks/letters. Titles are either very factual (i.e. I couldn’t think of one and it shows), taken from quotes (when in doubt: World War I poetry) or songs. Some fics came complete with title and again, it shows. 

Also, I can’t leave a plot well enough alone: I end up writing AUs, and then AUs of the AU... 

Tagging: @amistakemaybe, @nicolodigenovas (feel free to ignore), @sugar-maple-trees-but-drink-it, @honestground, @dontcallmecarrie, @shanastoryteller,@botanycameos, @asheneclipse, @giotanner 

I’d honestly need to tag more than that, especially in TOG fandom 

[a-land-lacking-sleep]

Pokemon Legends Arceus Fic: Dragged from the Whorl

Part of a mini-series within Electric Trains that I have dubbed The Eagle Nebula! I have at least two other fics planned for it at the moment, one of which was the poll winner "A New Home". This fic is a one-shot, and was originally formulated during a "Zisu Zunday" over on the Wayward Station server.

Fic Summary: As War wages and slowly dies down in Johto, Denboku Kamado finds a young girl who wants to protect as many as she can. Word Count: 4756

As always, feel free to read below or over on AO3 with some notes! Reblogs and comments are always appreciated.

August 13th, 1859 - The Sea of Johto

The area around the Whirl Islands is said to be protected by the powerful Ryujin, Lugia. A single stroke of His wing could whip the heavens itself into a frenzy, and the seas around his island home were some of the most treacherous between Kanto and Hoenn. And yet, this sacred protector, this deity of Pokemon, never made an appearance to protect those who lived on and around his islands, and let the Lord of Olivine sail uncontested across the small sea to ransack Cianwood.

Denboku Kamado sneers as he watches the small village come into view, standing on the deck of the ship alongside Beni and Tao Hua. From this distance, they can’t see the details of the damage, but the general haze that continues to hang over the town gives them all the information they need. Even with what was surely a tacit surrender, the Lord still decided to make an example of the town on his mad dash to Hoenn. The Lord was already long gone, with Denboku and his contingent having left Goldenrod once they heard of his movements, let alone his actions.

“I still say we should’ve tried wrangling that ‘Protector’ of yours for situations like these, Denboku,” Tao Hua says almost flippantly before turning and walking towards the steps down into the ship. “I’ll go prepare the medical supplies. Let me know when we are beginning to help the injured.” Neither Beni nor Denboku look away from the approaching shoreline, the buildings slowly coming into focus.

After a few moments, Denboku breaks his gaze from the shoreline. “Beni, go gather the men. Katana and daggers only, no polearms or larger weaponry. Enough for self-defense and nothing more.” Beni nods, and turns to step away before Denboku brings a hand up. “And no Pokemon. I’ll take Snorlax, but no others. We don’t want to risk the creatures picking fights without control.”

Without a word, Beni vanishes below the ship, and Denboku turns back to the shoreline. “Now let’s hope the survivors are willing to listen…”

_      _      _      _     )`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_

A Few Hours Later - Cianwood Village

As Denboku led his men down the gangplank onto the shore, he watched as more and more of the villagers began to come out of their houses. And while none of them were rushing them with the weapons that many of them were carrying, they clearly weren’t happy to see another warrior in tosei-gensoku leading men onto the beach. As Snorlax came around the ship though, wading through the waves, the attention shifted and people began to back off.

“Halt!” Denboku cries out, raising his hand to gather attention back to himself. “My name is Denboku Kamado, and I am a Socho of the Goldenrod Relief Forces. My men and I began our travel here when word reached us of the former Lord of Olivine abandoning his post.” While most of the people had relaxed somewhat, there were still some in the crowd that began to ready weapons when the Lord was mentioned.

“Then we’ll tell you what we told him!” A man wearing only a white hakama shouts as he steps through the crowd. He looks to be about Denboku’s height, with scraggly brown hair and a half-grown beard, and unlike himself, this man was barrel-chested and his arms were muscled. From the way he carries himself, a martial artist. “We have nothing for you, so turn around and leave now!” There’s a bit of murmuring from the crowd as they generally agree with him, a few even shaking makeshift spears above their heads. 

“Well then, let me pack up all of these medical supplies that I’ve spent the last five hours getting prepared!” Tao Hua shouts from the top of the gangplank, carrying a basket of cotton rolls in each hand and a large pack on his back. “Maybe we can stop by the Whirl Islands and bandage the rocks that you steered us into last night, Taro.” One of the men behind Denboku audibly groans, and he can’t help hide the smirk that briefly crosses his own face.

“As my quartermaster said, we have plenty of medical supplies to help your wounded,” Denboku says, steeling his face back into the stern look he had been wearing previously. As he speaks, the men behind him part to let Tao Hua through to the shore, where he dumps both baskets of bandages down. “We don’t know how long it’s been or what your injuries are looking to be, so if you could lead Tao Hua to a place to treat them, we can get started immediately.”

The crowd in front of Denboku finally start to calm down, their weapons lowering and several of them stepping away. The shirtless man steps forward towards Denboku, and lowers into a bow. “I apologize for the rash decision then, milord. I am Shijima, the closest that this village has to an elder at this point in time.” With a cough from Denboku, Shijima returns to his full height. “We have a few villagers who are still too injured to be allowed to return home, or have no home to return to, in my dojo by the cliffs. I would be happy to lead Tao Hua there personally.”

“Learn manners quick when you get a gift, huh?” Tao Hua mutters quietly before gesturing to the baskets. “They’re not heavy, but you can carry them.” 

“We also brought some food with us, in case your stores are running low,” Denboku says as Shijima approaches to pick up the baskets. “We’ll keep it stored on the ship for now while we get a count of how many people you have in the village and ration it out.”

“Thank you very much,” Shijima says, relief seeming to flood through him as he noticeably relaxes. “That Lord and his men ransacked a majority of our food supplies, and we haven’t been able to restock it yet. I can meet you by the market stalls after I get Tao Hua to my dojo.”

As Shijima walks off, Denboku begins having his men work with the villagers to get a headcount and begin distributing food. Everything is going smoothly for the first hour, until Denboku comes across a house that is locked. Looking at the building, he can see the windows are covered by furniture, though there does seem to be noise inside. He gives Shijima and Beni a quiet look, which Shijima quickly answers. “The Perilla girls. Their father passed away a few months ago, and the girls were targeted by some of the men during the attack. Since then, they’ve barricaded the windows and locked the door, and no one has seen them.”

“Beni, unlock the door,” Denboku says quietly as he steps back. Beni quickly steps in, producing two small wires in his hand before working on the lock and stepping back to give Deboku the space to move. He grips the door knob, and turns to Shijima. “Should I?” Shijima grimaces for a moment before simply nodding.

Denboku opens the door just as whoever is inside snuffs the lantern, leaving the majority of the house inside dark and unseeable. But not even a second later, a sound from Denboku’s left alerts him to a red headed teen barreling at him from the shadows, shoulder down first. Her shoulder slams into the armor on his stomach, knocking him back into the door, and he can feel a knife skitter off of the armor as the girl tries to skewer him. But obviously the girl wasn’t expecting the sudden movement of the knife, and she fumbles the knife and it clatters onto the ground outside of the house, and she stumbles past Denboku towards it, losing her balance.

Before she can fall, both Denboku and Shijima grab her by opposite shoulders, while Beni snatches the knife off of the ground.

“Zisu, what are you doing?!” Shijima shouts at her, pulling her up onto her feet just outside of the door frame, just before Denboku feels a smaller bump on his side. Looking down, he sees the younger sister, with both of her hands pushing against his side and trying to push him out of the doorway, her feet skidding on the dirt floor. Obliging her, he steps out of the doorway and she crosses her arms triumphantly.

“You can’t trust him, Shijima!” The older sister, Zisu, shouts back. “No one past the Whirl Islands cares about us! They’re going to rob us blind and take the rest of our food  and money for their lord!” She jerks out from Shijima’s grip and glares at Beni. “They already stole my knife, see?”

“And you stabbed my friend,” Beni says softly, looking down at the knife and flipping it in his hand a few times to get a better look at it. “I’d consider it an even trade.” Zisu glares at him, and Beni sighs and hands it back over. “No more stabbing people who are here with food for you. Neither of you look like you’ve eaten in a week.”

Getting a better look at the girls, Denboku had to agree with Beni. Zisu seems to have already shed her baby fat, which made her face gaunt and her cheekbones uncomfortably sharp, while her younger sister still had some of her baby fat to give her face some shape, but her arms and legs were far skinnier than any kids’ should be. “Zisu, Suzue, why haven’t you come to ask for help?” Shijima says, kneeling down to look Zisu in the eyes. “The food stores in the dojo aren’t so low that I would turn you away.”

Zisu grimaces, then tries to stand tall in defiance. “Because…” She deflates a little bit as she likely struggles to come up with an answer that Shijima would accept. “... Because we’re weak, and we can’t help. We’re just burdens…”

Shijima sighs and opens his mouth to say something, but is quickly cut off as Suzue runs up and latches onto Zisu. “I said stop talking like that!” She tightens her grip and tries to shake her older sister, who sways with the motion.

Denboku beckons Beni closer. “Go grab them some food, now. Make sure there’s meat.” Beni nods and turns to disappear before Denboku places a hand on his shoulder. “Bring soap and bedding as well. Kids shouldn’t have to look this miserable.” Under his mask, Beni gives a small smile and disappears into the alleyways.

_      _      _      _     )`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_

August 20th, 1859 - Cianwood Village

Snorlax gets up from the ground and shakes his head before charging back at his opponent, an abnormally large Tyrogue that lowers itself into a stance to catch it. And a few dozen feet away, their masters clash together, hands clasping onto biceps and thighs, Denboku and Shijima struggling to find purchase on the other and toss them to the ground. Shijima has more muscle mass and more strength to move Denboku with, but Denboku has been wrestling for much longer and knows how to center his gravity and how to manipulate an opponent.

And near simultaneously, both matches resolve. As the Tyrogue catches Snorlax’s outstretched paw and sweeps his leg from beneath to down him, Denboku drops his body down slightly to overextend Shijima’s grasp, and use the additional momentum to twist and throw the larger man into the sand of the beach. For a few moments, there is only the sound of the waves hitting the shoreline and the sound of their breathing, until Denboku extends a hand to his fallen opponent. “Fair match.”

Shijima reaches to grab ahold of the offered hand and hauls himself to his feet. “Tougher fight than I anticipated,” he says with a groan as he tries in vain to wipe the sand off of him. “Didn’t expect you to be able to toss a man like me when you’re so scrawny under that armor of yours.”

“Scrawny to you, Shijima,” Denboku says, crossing his arms. “I may not be a specialized martial artist like you, but I am a trained warrior. It would mean my death if I wasn’t in fighting shape.” And standing shirtless across from Shijima, it was clear that Denboku was the smaller of the two, but he was still covered in lean muscles. And on top of those muscles sit scar after scar, none bigger than an inch, but more numerous across the chest and arms than houses in the village.

Shijima lets out a laugh, running a hand across the stubble on his jaw. “Fair enough there, Socho. And I’d challenge you to a rematch, but it looks like we have a spectator.” He nods his head forward, indicating to Denboku to look behind him.

Turning on his heel, Denboku sees that Zisu is standing a dozen yards away, a katana in her hand. Her red hair is no longer matted, and pulled back into a single ponyta-tail above her head, and she’s managed to put on a bit more weight since she’s been pulled out of her house. She still looks like a wet Eevee in the slightly too big gi she had taken, but the look in her eyes was serious.

“Take me with you, Kamado.” Her voice cut through the night with clarity as she stood there, the bare katana in her hand clutched tight. “Take me with you and train me. I want to be able to fight.” 

Shijima steps forward to say something, but Denboku holds his hand up in front to stop him. “We’re fighting a war, Zisu.” He makes sure to project his voice slightly, letting the volume help nail down the weight of the situation as he starts walking towards her. “My people may be here bringing you peace now, but even a Relief Force like us faces combat. I know you’ve weathered an attack here, but war is much more than just a single attack.” As he approaches her, he drops the projection and lets his voice carry naturally to her. “Surviving is different than running into a battle. Surviving is different than planning what happens after you die. Surviving is different than taking another’s life.”

Zisu looks away for a moment. “But I ca-”

“You are not going to come with us. I cannot let a child deal with war like we do.” There was no room for argument, no space to challenge the call. His words were final.

“But I will start your training. And I’m sure that Shijima would gladly pick up where we leave off.” Behind him, Shijima gives a thumbs up. “And in 5 years time, when you’ve grown into a proper adult, not just one who can work for a living, but one who can properly live, then you can come find me. And hopefully this war will be over with before then, and it will be more peaceful.”

Zisu stands there for a moment, the katana still clutched in her hand, even with her body shaking. Finally, though, she takes the weapon and throws it aside before throwing herself at Denboku, sobbing as tension melts from her body. Denboku straightens up in shock, and looks back at Shijima.

“Guess you have an emotional apprentice, Socho.”

_      _      _      _     )`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_

April 12th, 1963 - Sprout Tower, Violet Forest

Denboku stares across the fields surrounding the Tower, heavily conflicted. The Monks of Sprout Tower had called in a request of aid, as the Lord of Cherrygrove was failing to honor their protection agreement as bandits made their way through the Violet Forest. And while Denboku and his men successfully fended off the attack, it was clear that they weren’t just a large group of bandits, but instead the remnants of the previous Lord of Blackthorn’s forces. And as such, instead of the carefully tilled fields, curated gardens, and long-lived trees, he is looking at the dug up gashes in the earth and splintered wood.

And yet, they had endured no casualties from the monks or his own Forces. Even with the remnants bringing in Ursaring from Blackthorn and Onix from the Dark Tunnel, Denboku has enough experience running disruption with his Snorlax and Golem that he was able to coordinate with Beni and stop most of the destruction from reaching the main Tower. But something wasn’t sitting right with him. Even with the disruption that he and Beni had caused, there should’ve been more carnage. More damage and loss inflicted on them.

A tap on his shoulder pulls his attention to his left. “Something’s troubling you,” Beni says as he leans against the railing of the pagoda balcony nearby. “Are you seeing the problems, too? How little they actually fought us? Despite supposedly wanting to raid this place, they barely made moves to enter the compound.”

“No, and they didn’t attack until we were half a day away, despite making noise in the surrounding area the week prior,” Denboku notes, leaning forward onto the railing and stroking his growing moustache. It was getting longer, and with how often he stroked it downwards in thought, it was beginning to cover the sides of his mouth when he spoke. “It could be that they were afraid to attack a temple under the current Lord’s supposed protection, but they had enough power from those Pokemon to break into this place without worry.”

“And they weren’t stupid enough to be making a mistake in timing, because they knew how to pressure us without taking major losses of their own,” Beni continues Denboku’s thought as he looks down over the field beneath the tower, watching the monks and their own soldiers milling about to catalogue the damage.  “They hit the crops, the gardens, and the forest, but didn’t seem to be trying to breach. Just cause… chaos…” Both men seem to hit the same realization at the same time, straightening off of the railing and looking at each other with shock, and then anger. They had been played. 

“Tai-i Kamado! Socho Yukimura!” From a room inside of the tower, the pair hear Taro call out to them. Denboku turns around first, stepping away from the balcony railing and straightening his posture, his face falling into his normal stern stoicism. Behind him, Beni pulls up his mask and steps into place behind Denboku’s right shoulder, barely noticeable past the larger man’s body. “A messenger from Shosho Wataru has arrived!”

‘What good timing,’ flies through Denboku’s mind before he calls out in response. “We’re on the southern balcony.” There’s a sound of recognition, then the stomping of hurried footsteps as Taro approaches with the messenger, both of them making their way onto the balcony a few moments later.

Denboku’s eyes narrow as he sees the messenger. A young woman with bright red curly hair, pulled up and back into two separate ponyta-tails, and simple gray eyes. She’s tall, nearly towering over Denboku and definitely Taro, with broad shoulders and a wide, well-trained stance. And, most interestingly, she has a naginata strapped to her back, when Denboku knows he had trained Zisu with a sword before leaving Cianwood 3 and a half years ago.

“I beg forgiveness for interrupting, Tai-i Kamado!” Zisu starts with an apology, putting her hands to her side and bowing at the hip as she speaks. “I come with a small squad of men who can help guard this Tower, and a request from Shosho Wataru for you to join with Tai-i Yanagi. Remnants of the former Lord of Blackthorn’s men are currently laying siege to Ecruteak, and when I left from Goldenrod, I heard talk that they had burned down the Brass Tower with Jushoku Matsuba inside.”

The balcony is quiet for several moments as the news sinks in. The Relief Forces in Goldenrod had been played so well that not only was its best defensive force in another part of Johto entirely, but their defense over a dear ally had been so weak that it had fallen entirely. And just like that, a major center of the region’s religion was literal ash, and a brilliant man was dead. “When is Yanagi mobilizing?” Denboku’s question didn’t relay any of the dread, any of the anger that had begun to boil inside of him. It had no place here.

Zisu straightens up, briefly making eye contact with Denboku before lowering her gaze to his nose. “Once I send word that you are ready, he and his men will begin to make their way to Ecruteak.” 

Denboku nods to himself, then looks over at Taro. “You’re dismissed, Taro.” The man quickly bows, then turns and departs from the balcony, leaving Denboku and Beni alone with Zisu. After a few moments, Denboku takes a deep breath and lets out a slow and heavy sigh. “I asked for 5 years, and this is what you give me, Zisu?”

“People needed my help, Sensei. And I can handle myself,” she responds with an edge in her voice, the professional smile she had falling into a dissatisfied frown. “You and Shijima trained me well enough to handle whatever comes my way, and I can give to people with my skills.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re ready for battle,” Denboku says, his voice picking up slightly in volume, though he bites it back before it can truly peak. “Being able to defend yourself, or swinging a weapon does not mean that you are ready for this. You’re not ready to ki-”

“I’ve already had to kill someone, Kamado,” Zisu says bluntly, her eyes coming up to look directly into his. “To defend Cianwood, to keep myself alive on the road to Goldenrod, to protect others. I’ve already come to terms with it.” Her jaw is set square as she raises it, staring into his gaze defiantly. “It may not be a choice I like to make, but it is one I will make if I want to survive, and if I want others to survive. I am re-”

This time, Denboku interrupts her as he steps closer and slaps her across the face, the sound ringing across the empty balcony and echoing through the empty rooms behind Zisu. Zisu’s mouth snaps shut as her body tenses, looking away from Denboku after the hit, her expression steeled into neutrality. Denboku breathes in deep before speaking, “You should never speak so casually or calmly about taking another’s life. If I didn’t teach you that, then surely Shijima should have.”

“He did,” Zisu says with restrained anger in her voice as she turns her head back to face him. “He taught me to remain calm in many dangerous situations, to be able to watch out for others when they aren’t able to help themselves. That my blade isn’t for my own sake, but for that of others, and that if I’m to have any honor, I must put them first. ”

Denboku exhales heavily through his nose, then turns to take a few steps away from Zisu and looks over the battlefield. “Have you seen anything like this before?”

Zisu stands there for a few moments before lowering her eyes. “No. Not like this. I’ve dealt with skirmishes, bandits on the road.” She pauses. “Cianwood. That would… Be the closest.”

Denboku nods and thinks for a moment before turning to face her again. “Send a Murkrow to Shosho Wataru in Goldenrod, let him know that we are mobilizing a force of men and will rendezvous with Yanagi at the clearing between The National Park and the Violet Forest. I will personally be leading the force, while Socho Beni remains here to continue the reconstruction of Sprout Tower.” He glances over to Beni, who nods and disappears over the side of the balcony, going to gather men together for the trip, and to inform them of the changes.

“And am I to remain here with them, or return to Goldenrod?” While Zisu sounds like she is resigned to be apart from the action, there was a fire behind her eyes. Denboku meets her gaze for a moment, then huffs in approval.

“Once you send the Murkrow, take our Skarmory. Fly as fast as you can to the Indigo Plateau, and inform Taisho Wataru of what is happening in Ecruteak.” Ibuki and Mokho Wataru, the twin jewels of the Unification Army, and fearsome members of the Dragon Clan of Blackthorn. While Shosho Mokho was the one doing the groundwork in Johto, ensuring the region was settling well after the Reunification War from Goldenrod, Taisho Ibuki had been running the Unification Army’s entire operation from Kanto’s capital, Saffron, as well as the Indigo Plateau. “Tell her that this might be the chance she’s been looking for to remove the final rebel Lord from Johto.”

Zisu quietly nods, then speaks up after a moment of silence. “What should I specifically request, Kamado? How many people, what sort of resources do you need?”

Denboku looks out over the courtyard for a few moments, mentally counting out everyone below. “Knowing Yanagi’s crew, he most likely only will have 45 men with him, with maybe a dozen Pokemon. We have 30 men that we can take, with my Snorlax and Golem being our main Pokemon for battle, along with a few Machoke and an Electabuzz.” He turns back to Zisu, and sizes her up. “If you know the enemy we’re facing, then I trust you know what to request of Wataru.”

While he couldn’t see into Zisu’s mind, Denboku had to hold back a grin as one formed on the young woman’s face, seemingly from both his praise and his trust. “I won’t let you down, Sensei!” She bows quickly, and turns to leave the balcony, leaving Denboku alone for the moment.

And a few days of planning and travel later, Denboku came to the conclusion that he would never take another apprentice. Not because he wasn’t happy with his results, or disappointed with Zisu. But rather, he knew that no future apprentice could ever make him more proud than when he watched Zisu divebomb a raging Tyranitar atop a screaming Skarmory, while leading a pack of Dragonites from Mt. Silver.

_      _      _      _     )`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_

October 10th, 1967 - Cianwood Village

To Zisu Perilla of Cianwood, Nito-Gunso of the Goldenrod Relief Army

First, I would like to extend my hearty congratulations on your upcoming promotion to Tai-i, to Captain, in my command. While you have not yet officially accepted the role, I am certain that you will come meet me in Goldenrod to accept it after you hear my pitch.

Myself and Beni have gathered with several of our allies from the war, and we have made a pitch to the Johto Regional Government to attempt to establish a Village in Hisui, the island to our north. We have been in touch with the Gingko Guild, a merchant company that works between our three unified regions, and they tell us that though there are natives, they leave much of the land unclaimed and we could likely forge ourselves a new home, away from the trauma and war that has begun to fester here.

I would never seek to tear you away from your home. I know that your sister has settled in with her husband recently, and that you have been helping Shijima with maintaining his dojo while he trains his successor. But at the same time, I believe that you have a set of skills that are necessary for the Galaxy Team to survive. You have been an invaluable strategist, and your control over Pokemon puts every other soldier I have ever met to shame.

If you are willing to join us, we would welcome you with open arms, Captain Zisu of the Security Corps. Our official inaugural meeting to finalize our formation will be November 1st.

Denboku Kamado, Shosho of the Goldenrod Relief Army and Commander of the Galaxy   Expedition Team

Not even a week later, Zisu Perilla left Cianwood Village, her childhood home and the place for which she had trained so arduously to protect, for the final time on the back of her Honchkrow. Far beneath its beating wings, the waters of the Whirl Island churned, their protector and master awakening from his slumber for just a brief moment to watch over one of his children taking to the skies. As Zisu flew on and her life became a speck upon the horizon behind her, Lugia smiled, and fell back into slumber.

[brutashaswin]

Lost For You to Find

Synopsis: Fluffy Endgame speculation-fic about the Guardians reunion! (I have not seen the leaks, so no spoilers here!)

Peter felt a strange wind move his body around, as if he was weightless, like a cloud of dust...

And suddenly he hit the ground with a THUD, sending a sharp ache through his entire body. Although he surprisingly didn’t mind, it was the first sensation he’s remembered feeling in a long time. Wait...how long had it been, exactly?

“Urgh...my head...” He groaned, struggling to sit himself up. His headache was worsened by a shrill voice yelling his name.

“QUILL!”

“I - what?”

“Oh my god, Quill. You’re back.” Mumbled Rocket, burrowing his face into Peter’s chest in a rare display of affection. He found it curious that his shirt was now stained with the rodent’s tears.

“Yeah? What’s all the tears for, you big doofus? You miss me that bad?”

“Shut up.” Rocket replied with a watery grin.

“Do you really not remember anything, Quill?” Asked Nebula, crossing her arms with her expression unreadable.

“I guess not.”

Nebula offered Peter his hand, which he gratefully took to help him stand up. As the two locked eyes, an awkward silence ensued.

“I’m...glad you’re back.” She said with a curt nod.

“Thanks.”

After another brief silence, Nebula stiffly opened her arms and Peter pulled gently her against him. She felt warmer than he ever expected her to.

“Wait, so what did happen? Where is everyone?Where’s Gamora?”

Rocket and Nebula exhanged a look. (Quill knowing this information was part of what got them into this mess in the first place.)

Peter’s expression sunk as that memory came back to him.

“Oh god. GAMORA?!”

He desperately ran around the field, running between crowds of people who seemed just as distoriented as him. Others kept appearing in clouds of sparkling dust. After excruciating moments of searching, he noticed a sandy mass on the floor take the shape of Gamora, her unmoving body splayed spread-eagle.

“Oh please, no...”

He bent down, carefully brushing her hair away so he could get a look at her face. A gentle press to her neck revealed stillness in the veins underneath, until...

“HUHG!”

Gamora’s eyes shot open, and she began gasping for air.

“Gamora!”

Peter sat her up, holding onto her shoulders to steady her. As her coughing subsided and her vision cleared, her eyes met with

“Peter!”

What little strength she had just gotten back was used to fling her arms around his neck. Peter’s arms cinched across her back, clinging her to him as tightly as possible as hot tears rolled down their cheeks. They shared a desperate kiss before she nuzzled onto his neck.

“Guys!”

They looked up to see Nebula and Rocket, now joined by Mantis, Groot, and Drax.

Blurred, vague exclaimations of joy were all that could be heard as the Guardians of the Galaxy collapsed into a group hug.

[masonmerger]

Angbang Problems

ME: [complaining about the lack fix-it fics for Sauron/Mairon x Melkor/Morgoth] But who WOULDN’T want a 200K slow-burn redemption arc for the embodiment of chaos/entropy and the Industrial Revolution? 

FRIENDS: Literally only you.

ME: I mean, I know the Industrial Revolution was a shit show make no apologies for it but its also how we get MODERN SCIENCE and that is a metaphor that deserves to be turned into a long fic about gay love.

FRIENDS: I... aren’t we talking about a flaming eyeball?

ME: I mean, Eru’s supposed to be god and all of god’s thoughts are supposed to be valid so what if Melkor’s music clashed in the beginning wasn’t a bug but a feature? WHAT IF HIS MUSIC WOULD’VE MESHED PERFECTLY BUT THERE WAS A VOICE MISSING? Oh my god IMAGE --

FRIENDS: can we not?

ME: It’s Dagor Dagorath. Tolkien Ragnarock. And Melkor’s had his last stand and all his followers are dead and he’s falling apart and staring down Eru like ‘what are u waiting for bitch. U made me like this and knew this was gonna happen; I came out wrong and sang wrong because you wanted me to be wrong so stop pretending to care and end this.’

And Eru is all: [soulful parent eyes] dude, this was never my intention. There was supposed to be a 16th Valar that would’ve provided balance.

And Melkor has no time for this shit so he snaps: Don’t ‘supposed to be’ sad-eyes shit at me. If you had a 16th thought, you should’ve pulled them out of your head with the rest of us. 

And Eru is like [pity face] the 16th was never my thought, Melkor. She was yours. 

And there’s like a ‘waaaaaaaaaah’ record scratch moment because this bitch Melkor has had a chip on his shoulder about not being able to create life since LEGIT THE BEGINNING OF TIME and he’d probs be all ‘bla bla you seek to mock me/lies and treachery/etc’ but Eru is o.p. so they could probs just blast a vision of the potential/reality of it into his mind like ‘haha bitch u were the mightiest of my children and the only one I made capable of creating something greater than myself. Look at this theoretical awesome daughter you failed to have: she is science! JUST LOOK T HER QUANTUM PHYSICS? IS THIS BULLSHIT WAVE/PARTICLE NONSENSE NOT THE EPITOME OF THE CHAOS  AND THE NON-EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY U HOLD SO DEAR?

And -- lets be real with ourselves, this ex-Valar loves science (the way that someone on the internet that posts a lot of nebula pictures loves science), getting into trouble and frustrating the pants off of people and would be proud as punch at having (theoretically) created something as headache-inducing as  theoretical math and quantum physics. I totally buy that if Melkor is the Kanye West sample in the middle of a classical orchestra, a 16th Valar of math/modern science could be the DJ that gets HYPE with that mix. 

FRIENDS: ...[have wandered off to do literally anything else]

ME: And like -- legit every elf that so much as STUBS THEIR TOE in the Silmarillion/Hobbit/LotR gets a time-travel do over fic so why CAN’T I have Melkor and/or Mairon having to go back and fix their fuckups and learn and grow and become the Valar/Maiar they were supposed to be and eventually forge the 16th -- who Eru could not imagine on their own and is both Valar and Maiar and has the potential to save/redeem all 3. 

So Eru’s just like: Melkor I could wipe u from existence and just do the second music already but thats boring and i love u u crazy terrible kid so what do ya say? YOU WANNA DIE NOW OR LIVE AND TRY TO CHANGE? But don’t lie this time bitch I’m not ur bro I can see into ur soul and will gank u the moment u think about fucking around on me. 

So like -- the first 100K is Melkor 1000% trying to find a way to go back on the deal and get back to eviling around while kinda letting Sauron in on the game plan but also not because he’s a dick and 200K later everything is sassy and gay and better and Manwe doesn’t know how to deal with the fact that his shitty niece’s airplane control towers keep fucking with his eagles.