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flightfoot · 8 months

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ML Fanfic Recs for 2023: 20K - 40K words

So I’ve been going through and adding particularly good fics I’ve read throughout the year. Only Complete fics, of course. Enjoy!

Alliance!Adrien’s AI is self-writing, enabling him to grow and change and adapt. As he learns and starts analyzing some of his own systems, he finds some disquieting correlations. Why are there such strong connections between akuma attacks and the Alliance network?

Fu keeps on trying to give Marinette Miraculouses. Marinette refuses to cooperate.

Chat is happy with the person Fu chose to succeed him as Guardian, but confused. Why did he choose Multimouse?

One of Hawk Moth’s akuma attacks ends tragically, with many dead, Adrien in critical condition, and Chat Noir MIA. Alya’s prepared to go to extremes to save the people she cares about, if it comes to it.

In Kuro Neko, Adrien decides to seal off his more rebellious, wilder side, in order to make himself into the perfect partner for Ladybug. This has unintended consequences.

Chat Noir suddenly turns on Ladybug, joining up with Monarch as Cat Walker. Marinette’s devastated. At least she still has Adrien by her side.

Nino offers to fake-date Adrien in order to get the paparazzi off his back. He starts to wish it wasn’t fake.

All this and more below the break!

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The Ghost in the Machine by @jheqiawrites

As part of this function, Adrien knew about Monarch, the akuma butterflies, the victims, and, of course Ladybug and Cat Noir, the heroes of Paris. He was authorized to contact the Ladyblog as well as the citywide alert system if one of his platforms was active during an akuma manifestation, allowing his friends to get somewhere safe until Ladybug and Cat Noir could deal with the situation

While the necessity of these functions was disconcerting, it was programmed to be his routine so he gradually grew used to the inconsistencies. After all, humans tended to be selfish, highly inconsistent, and often flighty, but once you had observed them for a while an intelligence such as his could begin to see the patterns.

That is until she came online.

This is just a beautiful, though bittersweet story. I adore how Alliance!Adrien grows and changes throughout the story, how he develops as a person. He starts off not being able to figure out what he’s feeling, needing to make new modules in order to try to process the emotions he has welling up, and not totally understanding his own reactions. But as time goes on he grows and gets a better handle on himself. This isn’t an “evil AI” story, he’s just a person who’s slowly figuring out who he is and how to handle himself.

Not that it’s entirely about Adrien Alliance figuring out his own emotions, there’s other things going on as well. He’s worried about why there seems to be weird surges in the Alliance Network right before akumas attack, for instance, and why the details about the reason for that seem to be hidden from him, making him more paranoid about the Alliance system the more he looks into it...

It’s just... it’s really good and absolutely worth a read.

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Thanks, But No by @pauliestorylover

For every miraculous that Fu cupped in his palms, an image of the same blue-eyed girl flashed through his mind. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was born to hold the miraculous—she resonated with every single one of them far better than even the late Celestial Guardian, and it was Fu’s duty as the last Guardian not to allow such talent to slip through his hands.

Too bad Marinette wasn’t on the same page.

Or; au where Master Fu keeps throwing miraculous at Marinette hoping one will stick, Marinette goes around handing out miraculous like candy, and Wayzz has never seen anything so ridiculous in his millennia-long lifespan.

This one’s fun. Everyone except for Adrien ends up with a different Miraculous than in canon, and it’s really interesting to see how they all adapt. Marinette’s thorough noping out is pretty funny too, and there’s some sweet bits of Adrino and Alyanette in here!

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The Power of Love by @nedjsmlfavs

In which Ladybug announces that she’s pregnant via her long term boyfriend and Chat Noir is a supportive partner. After all, he can hardly be upset when he’s been dating his Princess for years!

A different take on the show’s tagline (“The Power of Love Always so Strong”) written for Valentine’s day 2023.

This is just a sweet, fluffy fic about Ladybug and Chat Noir finding out they’re having a baby, revealing to each other, getting married, and becoming parents. Gabriel actually tries to do better here, as he does actually care about getting to know his grandchild, and realizes that he can’t undo this timeline without undoing his granddaughter’s existence as well.

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Radio Silence by @into-september

When an inexplicable change between Marinette and Adrien brings the two closer than ever, Alya is left on the outside of a secret too confounding to be about cheesemaking or puppy love.

[No S4 AU]

This is a wonderful Alya-centric fic, with her just being baffled by Marinette’s and Adrien’s newfound closeness. But it’s not all about her being puzzled by the Lovesquare. Things really get rolling when Lila makes her entrance and Marinette and Adrien are particularly hostile to her, with Alya being confused about it and thinking there must be a misunderstanding here, somewhere, even with Lila saying something she KNOWS can’t be true - partially because she doesn’t want to believe she’s been fooled all this time.

But this isn’t a saltfic. Alya’s treated like a full person, and her perspective and thoughts are given credence. She and Marinette talk things out in depth, with both of them feeling badly for accidentally hurting the other person, and reassuring each other (Marinette also told a lie, though unbeknownst to Alya, it was connected to her being a superhero. Alya, however, didn’t know that, and just knew that Marinette lied to her for no clear reason), and they make up. It’s really nice and treats the characters with love and respect.

It’s got a lot of similarities to The Investigation by @11jj11, so if you liked that fic, you’ll probably like this one too.

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I’ll give myself a name (something stupid and pretentious) by @bbutterflies

Nino looked at the number and didn’t recognize it. Usually he wouldn’t answer, but he had nothing better to do – and could still really use a distraction – so he did. “Hello?”

“Hey, Nino.”

Nino stood up quickly, chest tightening. He knew that voice. He’d been waiting to hear it again for over two years. “Adrien?” he whispered.

“Yeah. It’s me."

When Monarch is defeated (and revealed to be Gabriel Agreste), Chat Noir immediately goes missing. Adrien disappears not long after. When Adrien finally shows up in Paris again, Nino would do anything to make sure he doesn't disappear again.

Ah this is lovely, Adrien’s been in a lot of emotional turmoil since Monarch’s defeat, convinced that everyone would hate him, SHOULD hate him, for not realizing that his father was the villain, and should hate him even more for disappearing like he does. But slowly Marinette and Nino get through to him, convince him that they just want him back.

And also Adrien and Nino smooch. Multiple times. So that’s a bonus XD.

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The New Guardian Is... Multimouse? by The_Rabbit42

During the events of Miracle Queen, Master Fu passes on the role of guardian to a surprising successor... Multimouse! Marinette is frustrated, Alya is confused, and Chat Noir is oddly pleased. How will this affect Marinette's friendships and partnership on both sides of her identity? How will this affect Adrien's view of the girls in his life? And how long will they keep it together?

I adore this fic! It diverges from the season 3 ending, with Multimouse - who Chat knows is Marinette, becoming Guardian instead of Ladybug. Which leads to some ripple effects, like Marinette not confessing her identity to Alya, since she’s able to get some support from Chat when he drops by her house. Not that that stops tension from building between Ladybug and Chat Noir, since she won’t just let Chat go and get a Miraculous from Marinette during a battle, and she won’t tell him why, leading him to think that she just dislikes Marinette or doesn’t trust him to get Miraculous like she does. But even while all this tension is building between Ladybug and Chat Noir, Chat’s still able to talk to Marinette, air his feelings in ways he doesn’t feel like he should do with Ladybug, and it’s all a great, complicated situation that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing unfold!

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Two Steps Back (One Step Forward) by @buggachat

Sure, Adrien hadn't been texting her as often as he used to. And sure, Nino noticed it too. But just because Adrien had struggled with depression in the past, didn't mean he was struggling now. Surely, he'd tell her if something was wrong. Right?

Marinette just missed him, and she had a tendency to catastrophize. Surely, he was fine.

But if he wasn't... well, she wasn't above hopping on a flight back to Paris to make sure.

—————

Marinette's at an internship in New York, and Adrien has a depression relapse.

Once again buggachat comes out swinging with a fic centered around Adrien being super depressed and his friends charging in to help him, despite him not wanting them to because he feels like a burden. It’s not easy and Marinette goes through a lot of emotional turmoil, especially since his apartment is in bad enough shape that it can’t be changed to something that a human should be living in without also going shopping, but gradually she helps drag Adrien out of the hole he’s gotten himself stuck in. The emotions are on point and just... if you want to read a hurt/comfort fic with Found Family helping one of their own who’s struggling and doesn’t think they deserve it, this is a great fic to read.

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If only I could break free by megetstoread

It started with Adrien being upset about going away, but led to a lot of revelations.

Another Sentiadrien fic here! After telling Adrien that he’s being sent to London, Gabriel takes advantage of Adrien being distraught to akumatize him. Luckily Ladybug’s right there and deakumatizes him before he can even do anything, but it shakes both her and Chat, leading to her allowing him to tell her a lot more about his home life than usual, and for her and Adrien to investigate to see whether there might be more to Adrien’s inability to stand against his father than just psychological abuse.

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Skinny Dipping in the Seine by whensparksfly

When Marinette and Chat Noir cross paths one stormy night, an unexpected friendship blossoms, and between the two of them they’re both able to admit what they’ve been looking for the most — freedom. Vowing to tackle all of the things they’ve never tried before, they set out on a series of adventures to complete their bucket lists.

Cute little Marichat fic here! Just Marinette and Chat Noir hanging out and doing things they’ve always wanted to do, like going to a rave or, well, skinny-dipping in the Seine.

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Nor No Man Ever Loved by @jheqiawrites

It starts with a gift to cheer up a friend, a friend Marinette's heart is trying to move on from. But when she is blatantly confronted with her feelings by the most unexpected person, Marinette's life takes a turn for the better.

Welcome to my Adrienette April story. It is based around Shakespeare's Sonnet 116: Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds. Each chapter will be framed around part of the sonnet and should be able to stand alone, though the story itself will all be tied together.

This is a nice little story, mostly focusing on Marinette’s perspective while being there for Adrien, WITH Adrien, while dealing with his father and the aftermath of his father’s takedown. We do get some perspective from Adrien though for things like his therapist appointments. I really like that it covered some of the therapy Adrien should have after this event, he needs it.

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Villainous Matchmaking by @nedjsmlfavs

When Chat Noir is tragically unable to attend an event with Ladybug, the mayor calls in a favor from a designer ‘friend’. Now she’s attending in style, on the arm of the hottest male model in Paris. Which would be fine if it weren’t for one, tiny issue: Paris’ favorite domestic terrorist now knows how Ladybug feels about his son. This leads him to his greatest plan yet, using Ladybug’s extremely obvious crush on Adrien Agreste to akumatize Chat Noir.

A Ladrien/“platonic” Ladynoir fic

This is adorable and hilarious. Gabriel keeps on “accidentally” releasing things which makes it looks like Adrien and Ladybug are a couple in an effort to make Chat Noir jealous, while Adrien and Ladybug ae just over-the-moon about getting to spend time together and finding out that the other person loves them XD.

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Vantage Point by @ashes-555

Most of the time, with more information, life get easier and things make more sense. But Alya discovers that sometimes, knowing everything is just plain complicated.

Alya POV fic here, which instantly drew my attention, I think most people know how much I love fics giving her some focus.

This is set post-Gang of Secrets. Basically, Ladybug tells Chat that he can tell someone his secret identity, and he chooses Alya (he thought about telling Nino, but he didn’t want to rock the boat with Nino since he’s his best friend, and he figured Nino would let it slip to Alya anyway). Which leads to Alya just. Dying. As she deals with knowing the full truth about the Lovesquare and not being able to tell Adrien and Marinette that they’re chasing each other around in circles.

The fic soon changes gears, though, becoming a Hawkmoth Defeat fic, with Rena coming up with a plan to discover Scarlet Moth’s location, and then everyone dealing with the ramifications.

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Justifying the Means by @ashes-555

When the worst happens, Alya finds that she may be willing to do the unthinkable. Is any sacrifice to big to make for her friends?

Once again, Ashes comes out swinging with an Alya focused fic!

Basically, there’s a major, destructive akuma attack. During it, Ladybug orders Chat to cataclysm a building in order to stop from being trapped. Unfortunately the building collapses, injuring or killing a lot of people - unbeknownst to her, including Chat Noir. Gabriel releases the akuma, which means she has no way of fixing the damage, either.

A lot of of focus is placed on Alya and Nino worrying over Adrien, who was found in the wreckage barely clinging to life, in a coma, with the doctors unsure whether he’d make it. Shadow Moth takes advantage of their distress to make an offer: if he gets the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses, he can make a Wish to fix everything, including saving Adrien. With as dark a place as Alya and Nino are in, they seriously consider it. Especially with how unhappy both of them are with Chat Noir supposedly “abandoning” Ladybug and Paris as a whole, and Nino being angry with Ladybug for failing (since Alya knows that Marinette is Ladybug, she’s far more understanding on that front).

I love how much credence Alya’s thought and emotions are given here, and that she doesn’t go for the more drastic option right away, either - she talks with Ladybug about it first, tries to do it her way. She understands the costs, but... her friends are important to her, and she’s desperate. I think this was a really good way to present a more antagonistic sort of Alya. She’s still very much herself here, and still considers Marinette her friend, willing to do things her way to an extent, and understanding why Marinette doesn’t want to use the Wish, even though she disagrees with her. Alya’s mindset, her emotions, her problems, are given respect and credence by the narrative. She’s still willing to talk things out, she’s still sympathetic to Marinette and the enormous trauma and guilt she’s going through, she just disagrees with Marinette’s approach. She wants her friend back.

If you want a fic that has some solid focus on Alya as a person, on her emotional struggles and mindset and just... dealing with things, I highly recommend checking out “Justifying the Means”.

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Would Trust You With Everything by @kasienda

Nino breaks off, tears streaking down his face. Adrien wishes he was here as himself instead of Chat so he could offer a hug.

“It’s not like I don’t think she deserved her privacy. It’s just it felt like I was her last priority. And if I knew why, then maybe we could overcome it. But when I don’t, I’m not willing to be her last thought. You know? I always put her first.”

“Yeah,” Chat agrees, able to relate too well. He always put Ladybug first too, and he’s not sure it has ever been the same for her. “I’m sorry you’ve been so alone through this."

“I haven’t been totally alone,” Nino disagrees, holding up his phone. “My best friend has been keeping me company virtually most of the day.”

“Yeah? It helped?”

“I don’t know if any of the stuff he sent helped, but like, given what I know he’s up to, he totally had to move heaven and earth to talk to me so much, and that really helped. You know, just knowing that someone was thinking of me.”

“I’m glad,” Chat Noir said. “I wish he could be there in person for you.”

Nino sighs. “Yeah, me too, but at least you’re here."

...

Season 4 au - canon divergent from Rocketear Rocketear led to DJWiFi breakup.

Ahh, Adrino my beloved XD. I love the identity shenanigans in this one with Adrien being around Nino as both Adrien and Chat Noir, and both of them vaguely describing their situations to each other. It takes Adrien a bit to figure out that he has a crush on Nino, but once he does...

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Dr. Walker & Kitty Hyde series by @pearl484-blog

Summary of the first fic, Rain Falls, Everybody Lies:

Chat Noir loves the rain. He loves the danger. He loves the excitement, and he especially loves how much Catwalker hates it.

Jekyll and Hyde AU

Adrien AUGreste Entry 3: Rain

So like the summary says, and the title indicates, this series is inspired by the popular conception of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - not how the book actually goes, but how it’s portrayed in popular media, with Jekyll splitting himself in two, with a “good” side and a “bad” side.

During Kuro Neko, instead of just changing his appearance through changing his mindset, Adrien took more extreme measures, sealing off his “undesirable” characteristics, his anger and sadness and all his sharp edges, into the ring so he could assume a more placid, genial persona that’d be more accepted - Cat Walker.

But Chat Noir’s still there, taking over whenever Adrien gets too testy, and desperately trying not to be pressed out of existence entirely. With embodying Adrien’s sealed anger and snappishness and rebelliousness, he’s not too kind to the other heroes - he already felt looked down upon and ignored before this, and seeing them accept Cat Walker while he’s fighting for his life doesn’t endear them to him either.

The series isn’t unfair to them - this isn’t a case where one party is entirely in the wrong and another’s entirely in the right. Marinette, Zoe, Nino, and all the others - they did wonder about what was going on with Chat, but he wasn’t in a position where he could see it, and he did have legitimate questions about how much Ladybug would budge on things, if he’d told her what he was going through. It’s a series that emphasizes characters hurting and lashing out in some terrible ways, but that hurt still being respected, and working things out, trying to get everything to a better place.

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First Dance, Second Chance by @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights

After fighting by Ladybug's side as Aspik, Adrien finally has an excuse to connect with her. But when Gabriel voices concerns about Ladybug during a charity event, Adrien realizes she might need him for more than just one dance.

Or, the one where Ladybug and Adrien work together to find out Hawkmoth's identity, while maybe squeezing in a date or two along the way.

Ladrien Hawkmoth defeat fic here! I love Ladybug and Adrien teaming up to figure out how to track down Hawkmoth and defeat him, and being super supportive of each other more generally. If you like Ladrien and Hawkmoth Defeat fics, you should check it out!

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The Great War by icebelle24

'And maybe it’s the past that’s talking, screaming from a crypt Telling me to punish you for things you never did So I justified it'

The unthinkable happens, and suddenly, Chat Noir’s allegiances change. Now Ladybug stands on the opposite side of the battlefield from the boy who was once her partner, left alone to make sense of an impossible situation.

At least she still has Adrien to give her hope. Or maybe things are not entirely as they seem.

I adore Ladynoir enemies au, and this is a good one. The reveal of what’s really going on is pretty great, everything makes sense. I love the pieces of Alya’s POV in this as well, as she’s trying to support Marinette through one of the biggest betrayals that could possibly happen, even while Marinette’s making some frustrating decisions that don’t make much tactical sense. Everyone’s pissed at Chat Noir (now Cat Walker) for apparently siding with Hawk Moth, and the subsequent frustrating inability to make any headway against him, as Ladybug always insists on fighting Cat Walker personally, and letting no one else take part.

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The moment I knew (I’d no choice but to love you) by @bbutterflies

“He’s dating me,” Nino said, taking Adrien’s hand in his own.

Adrien could only stare back at him in shock.

“How dare you all force him to come out?” Nino continued, glaring at the reporters. “That was disgusting.” He pulled Adrien over to the car, guided him in, and shut the door behind them.

In the relative quiet and privacy of the backseat, Adrien finally processed what had just happened. “So… when were you going to tell me we were dating?”

This Adrino fic is delicious XD. Reporters keep hounding Adrien about his love life, so Nino finally gets them off Adrien’s back by fake-dating him. Problem is, Adrien’s actually been madly in love with Nino for years but has never been able to tell him. And now as they’re spending more time together, Nino’s beginning to find that he’s enjoying all these “couple” activities more than maybe he ought to if it’s entirely platonic...

If you want to see Adrien and Nino PINING for each other while “fake” dating (is it really fake if both parties want it to be real?) then you’ve come to the right fic!

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Evillustrator Reimagined by onewaywriteturn

A full, mostly-standalone rewrite of the episode "The Evillustrator".

Nathaniel never planned to tell anyone about his secret crush on his friend Marc, but his world changes when Chloe picks up his sketchbook and mocks his art in front of the whole class, inadvertently outing him as bisexual. Now as the Evillustrator, he has two objectives: to take vengeance on Chloe for what she did to him and to go on a date with Marc for his birthday.

At the same time, Marinette is already struggling to defend Sabrina from Chloe when she learns of the Evillustrator's crush on Marc, one of her good friends. And while getting Marc involved with an akuma fight is messy enough, the fact that Marc has secretly liked Nathaniel for a long time complicates the situation so much more.

If you ever wanted to see Evillustrator rewritten to focus around NathMarc, this is the fic for you! The two of them just PINE for each other so hard and are so convinced that the other person couldn’t possibly actually want to date them, even with Evillustrator making it uh. Exceedingly obvious XD.

#miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic rec

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deadlyflames · 2 months

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and the world has somehow shifted

Swanfire - Tangled AU - role swap

Snow White and Prince Charming are unable to beat the Evil Queen and King George after the monarchs align themselves with a dragon and a sea witch. Years later, Snow White and her husband live as outlaws at the edge of the enchanted forest, with a band of rebels as their subjects. Their daughter, Emma, is known as the rebel princess, and she takes up her parents' mantle of fighting against the tyrannical rule of the evil queen.

After centuries in Neverland, Baelfire is rescued by his father and taken back to the enchanted forest. To keep him safe from Regina, who grows more powerful by the day, and any of his countless enemies, Rumplestiltskin ensures that his son remains hidden away. For the past 4 years, Baelfire has been locked in a tower, in a deep valley surrounded by steep cliffs and mountains, protected with a powerful barrier spell.

And both their worlds were shifted when the princess without a crown managed to break through the spell that kept the boy in the tower separated from the rest of the world.

Lots of people in the swanfire au have the tangled au with Emma as Rapunzel (lost princess) and Neal as Flynn Ryder (thief using a fake name).

But Emma has canonically cosplayed as Flynn Rider.

Plus Neal is an artist like Rapunzel, and his dad would absolutely lock him in a tower to keep him safe. So i think this version works too

#ouat #swanfire #neal cassidy #baelfire #nealfire #Emma swan #tangled au #swanfirealways #enchanted forest au #I have too many swanfire aus #I swear I’m working on born to run #these 2 just make me insane

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ideasarestuckinmyhead · 3 months

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Protective older siblings

The mafia au for the listeners being a crime family. This was when Angel finally got with a certain someone.

Angel sat in the movie theater, watching how the two 'gangsters' fought with each other. Scoffing at the sight they eat the popcorn bought at the front desk.

"We don't fight like that, we fight like we're in a damn bar fight or get the fucking gun." Grumbling out Angel laughed seeing one of the actors get knocked out. Then the doors of the theater slammed open, 'fuck.' thinking Angel then turned and their three older siblings.

"Get out all of ya!" Barking out the command Rook had Boo and Casper behind them. People scurried off seeing who it was, the older siblings of the Eavesdropper crime family. Angel didn't look at them as Rook sat down, Boo and Casper went to the doors to guard them.

"Tell me his name." Bluntly saying, Rook started at their younger sibling. Not reacting Angel ate the popcorn, then turned to them.

"Luci Diablo." Telling a fake name, Rook didn't noticed and walked out. Only to storm right back in after telling the name to their twin and second sibling.

"Tell me his name, Halo! I need to know if he's good enough for you!" Sternly saying Rook pointed at their sibling. Who in turn, rolled their eyes and scoft.

"No you want to fucking hurt him!" Hissing out Angel stood in front of their eldest sibling. The leader of the crime family huffed seeing their third sibling retaliate.

"What? Sacred I'll run him off? If he's half of a man he won't let me get between the two of you!" This was true, it's something every partner of the Eavesdropper family went through. To see if your a spy or not willing to be ready for shit, their partners with someone apart of a crime family.

"Just wait for me to show him to the family please. It's.....it's fucking complicated, Monarch..." Pleading to the eldest, Angel really hopes they'll back off. Looking straight into their eyes, Rook grunted and kicked a theater chair.

"You better show him soon or I'm knocking down your door." Growling out, Rook then stalked out the theater. Slamming the door's, Angel stood there clutching their popcorn bag. Then turning to the booth they shouted.

"Oi! I'm a Eavesdropper too ya know? Put my fuckin' movie back on!" Plopping down the movie resumed. Angrily munching on popcorn, Angel worried how their sibling's would take them dating a demon?

#red rants #yuurivoice #red writes #yuurivoice sugarboo #yuurivoice casper #yuurivoice angel #thought of this with a scene of the peaky blinders

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wishingstarinajar · 11 months

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Wish's Undertale AU Masterpost

Because I can't and neither want to share my Undertale AU characters on Toyhouse anymore, I've created side blogs for my AUs and some Out!Code characters. Most of them contain character trivia and posts related to them.

In this masterpost, the AUs are listed in order of creation.

Mafiafell: What Will You Do Features Fang, Boss and Emily from the fanfic with the same name. Blog is 16+.

UndeRewind Features Rewind and Ghost from UndeRewind, my original Undertale AU.

Fame & Magic Features Diva and Starlet, genderbend versions of Underswap in a world where fame and magic rule.

Underswap!COLOR An Underswap-inspired AU which is all about colors and features Big Blue and Orange.

Swapfell!Life Features Sedge, Cyperus and Cedar. A "happy ending" Swapfell-inspired AU that takes place a decade after Cedar (Chara) saved the monsters.

Underrealm An original Undertale-inspired AU set in a fantasy setting, created together with @stankychee. Features Rook, Birch, Shard, my Gem skeleton concept and more.

Tipping Scales A Dreamtale-inspired AU featuring Ephialtes and Oneiros.

Leytale (and Outerswapfell) An Underswap-inspired AU featuring the arcanists Dullahan and Zephyr alongside Stray from Outerswapfell.

Fellswap Pastel A Fellswap Gold inspired AU, featuring Vienna, Sangria and Nerys.

Darkfell A Dark Souls and Underfell inspired AU which is still under development. Features Stranger, an adult Frisk.

Swapfell!Greed A Swapfell-inspired AU which is all about greed, a Pay or Be Paid world. Features Rum and Haze. Blog is 16+.

Falseswap An Underswap-inspired AU where all fake it till they make it in various ways. Features Faux and Scam(p) along with autumn aesthetics.

FS!Megalosomnia A Fellswap Gold and Megalosomnia inspired AU, featuring Case.

Golden Crime An Undertale Verse that focuses on the suave crime lord King and his subordinates. Blog is 16+.

SAVE Game (Tale) An original Undertale AU about found family and saving other AUs at any cost, featuring Slate and his surrogate daughter Pip.

Chrysalis of Dreams A ShatteredDreams and Dreamtale-inspired AU, featuring Monarch, Emperor, Slasher and Knight.

UnderGalactic An Undertale Verse that takes place in multiverse space and on the intergalactic cruise starship, the SS Galactic NEO. Features Quasar.

Understrato An Underswap-inspired AU where magic is centered around weather elements and the seasons. Features Cirrus and Nimbus.

Out!Codes with dedicated blogs:

Indi aka Swap!Ink A blog dedicated to an Underswap (Papyrus)-inspired version of Ink!Sans.

Razzle Dr. Dazzle A blog dedicated to the loveable and sweet Razzle, a Lust Papyrus.

Fault aka Swap!Error A blog dedicated to an Underswap (Papyrus)-inspired version of Error!Sans.

#undertale au #masterpost #long post #a lot of these side blogs need some love but the basics are in place #this will be updated once in a while

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mahpotatoequeen · 10 months

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tdp - anastasia au

Thinking about a Dragon Prince Anastasia AU.

I don’t think I would change the universe very much- we would still have Katolis and Xadia, that long war and all those endless cycles of violence and grief within it. Moonshadow Assassins are still coming from the Silvergrove to enact their Dragon Queen’s vengeance.

Here’s the difference: King Harrow and his sons aren’t home in Katolis. They’ve been travelling, visiting other dignitaries at a conference in some other human kingdom. It was presented as a way of family bonding, but there was something tight and drawn in Harrow’s eyes when he suggested it.

They go anyway. They meet other monarchs. They feast on fine food. Successful conferences are often followed by parties, and this one is no different. The music is lively and the moon is full.

Then the elven assassins come. It is chaos. People are screaming everywhere, Callum and Ezran get separated from their Dad, and well…. You know the rest is history.

FEATURING:

Callum: playing the amnesiac prince who only really has some thread-worn clothes and a small little chain with the symbol of Katolis embedded in what can’t possibly be real gold. He feels like he’s missing something, something important, and really wants to get the Kingdom of Katolis in hopes of figuring out his past. He’s sort of surprised when an elf shows up and claims he might be the missing prince though. It’s ridiculous. Preposterous. Straight up impossible. Even if it is a little weird that he can remember that the King’s favourite jelly tarts are the persimmon ones….

(Also, moonshadow elves with brilliant purple eyes are suddenly appearing a lot in his ragtag sketchbook??? No idea why. Really. It’s not like she’s pretty. It’s just. She’s very aesthetically pleasing. For art purposes. Ahem.)

Ezran: playing the child king who lost his brother and father in one fell swoop when he was nine years old. He’s twelve, and he’s exhausted, but he has managed to work together with the other kingdoms to broker something like a very, very tentative peace treaty with Xadia. Lord Viren is his advisor, but it seems more like he’s there to undermine and trip him up at every possible opportunity. Ezran’s trying to find a reason to fire him, but one of the constituents of his young rule was that Viren would be there to…guide him. So just straight up telling him to leave without reason won’t work.

The last Ezran saw of his brother, he was alive. They had been running, and Callum had helped him up onto a horse and sent it cantering. He was supposed to have followed right behind him, but for some reason never did. He’s convinced that Callum must still be alive, though, even if that hope is dwindling. He’s offering a very high reward indeed for his sibling’s return.

(Ezran is tired. He’s tired, and he’s very, very lonely.)

Rayla: playing a moonshadow assassin who is desperately trying to redeem herself in the eyes of her people after letting the two princes get away through a hidden passage that fatal night. She’s been on her own for the last couple of years, ghosted from her home and more determined than ever to get this right. The protections around the palace have grown extensively since the attack, and If she has to use this nobody as a fake ‘brother’ in order to get close enough to King Ezran and finish the job, then so be it.

(Rayla doesn’t plan on falling in love. Stupid humans.)

Bait: Has gone on a miniature quest to find Big Brother Human himself, cause his Human is SAD and HAS BEEN SAD for SO LONG and it’s Not Good. He’s surprised, then, after a while of mindless wandering, to actually find Big Brother Human, smelling and looking a little worse for wear and definitely older, but. He’s got charcoal on his fingers. He scratches under Bait’s chin the same. His Human is gonna be so happy.

Bait forgot how annoying it was, though, that Big Brother Human does not understand him. If the Two Idiots would listen to him, they would not encounter HALF the problems they did.

(When all this is over, Bait’s gonna have some tales to tell.)

Viren: playing a royal advisor who is more than a little bitter that the crown has gone to an inexperienced child over him. He had been there, the night King Harrow had died, and he had made… sacrifices for his cause. This was not supposed to be the result.

Still, he is making leeway in winning the council over. The ridiculous treaty Ezran has made with the elves is shaky, and he can use this to his advantage. You can imagine his frustration, however, when he hears rumours about that overprivileged mongrel surviving. Callum had seen something, that night, that could ruin everything Viren has worked for. Something he could not be allowed to remember, or to live and tell the tale.

(The mirror in his basement has its own magics, its own way of reaching through miles upon miles and placing danger in an elf and a supposed prince’s path.)

Claudia and Soren: Working under their father’s orders, they’ve been given commands to make sure that the elf and a magical fake Callum never reach the palace, because they’re an endangerment to the crown and the kingdom’s safety. A trick from Xadia, according to Viren. A plot against the king.

(Soren asks what they do if it is the real Callum. I bet you know the answer.)

Amaya: Has moved closer to home with the withdrawing military presence after the peace treaty, as an extra measure of security and out of guilt of leaving her only family left alone for so long. She started conducting initial interviews of potential ‘Prince Callum’s’ the fifth time Ezran had come to her room, frustrated tears in his eyes, shakily signing about how he doesn’t understand why people would lie about being his brother like that, don’t they get how cruel that is? To give him hope and wrench it away?

Does she believe that her nephew is actually alive? No. Not really. Is the experience of interviewing people claiming to be Callum its own twisted brand of grief? Yeah. Sort of. But she’s willing to do it so that Ezran doesn’t have to, in hopes of making it some of those missing years for him. She’s shoring herself up for when he’s ready to hold a funeral, to stumble her way through helping him with this grief. She wishes Sarai was here.

(She also thinks that Viren is a piece of shit, but that is its own thing.)

#tdp #tdp ezran #tdp callum #tdp rayla #the dragon prince #anastasia au #my writing #is the first chapter of this already half written?#yes yes it is #i'm having fun :)

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chocxy-prince · 3 months

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How would The First Generation react to the Neobeasts if they were…to fight per say? (beast ancient au by @cuppajj )

(this is hypothetical to say but i think to write how pissed off/sad each might be.)

content in the undercut

I’ve been kinda thinking about this a bit (but to also sponsor my own parents a little bit/silly)

Vanilla Bean To: Saint Vanilla: Rightfully pissed off. Who does he think he is? She had raised him so well, to not put himself above others, To not be selfish, establishing a cult surrounding himself and calling himself the only true savior to the cookies of earth bread. But she’s also quite sad. What could she have done. When she was born from sunlight and gold, She swore as the goddess of heaven and purity, She’s going to take this faker down, Even if it’s her own son. She cannot allow the people to deceived by a fake.

“You…HOW DARE YOU?! You have NO right to be vanquishing this poor innocent souls. You are not any saviour, or a god. You are a cult. You are nothing. I swear by the heavens pearl white clouds, you will die by my hand.” (internally sobbing inside because she doesn’t want to do this to her own baby)

White Cocoa to: Frigid Cacao

If you haven’t read the most recent part published of The Runaway series, You probably know how she feels already. Mixed feelings….shes upset, angry, confused. What could she have done? She wasn’t in control…He had locked her temple up and wouldn’t let anyone inside, even disciples of her old cause. Both evenly matched, old versus new… She ain’t going let him return her to his prison and continue being rogue.

“…my son…oh my boy…What happened to you….? When i was told you went rogue…I couldn’t believe my ears. But it is really true. How could you do this…destroy the history and cultures of people who were here before my time…during…” *a pause* “…If it is a fight you want, a fight by the true monarch and builder of the citadel you will get. Bring it on, Boy.”

Burnt Parm to: Celestial Cheese

He’s not entirely shocked, He figured something like this would happen, just not so soon. The old eagle and God Of Prosperity hopes to just talk it out and come to a solution..But he knows, Greed makes a cookie stubborn and unwilling to give up power. He will wrench it from her and save the people, and earthbread. He wants to return her to her former glory, unlike some of the others who may not have a choice…Maybe with her there is one…

“…oh precious daughter… the greed is not worth it…I would never wish to pull my own weapon, on the same cookie i loved, cared for…and baked…Im sorry it came to be this way, But I will do what i must.”

Cranberry Ale to: Dragonberry

Also pissed off. Well, He’s debating his feelings a lot. Well she was cocky, caring and loving in her younger years, it seems it’s caught up to her big time. His old trading capital from his pirate years turned into a ruthless dictatorship…This won’t stand. He knows she won’t budge without a fight, so he’ll bring the fight to her.

“It seems things have caught up to you…Maybe for your benefit, kid. But unlike the others…I have sympathy. I want you to change…I don’t want you like this anymore.” (if the talking out solution does work)

)if it doesn’t): “You seem to not understand the damage that you’ve reckoned upon the world, along with your little friends. I will put a stop to it, even if i have to put my hands on you.”

Wildflower Cookie to: Midnight Lily:

To be totally honest, he’d join forces with her and infact would help the neonates kill the rest: cocoa esp. he hates her guts. Keep Vb alive tho…that’s my wife.

“Perhaps we can join together and spread our ideas and fruits of prosperity to the world…Maybe the others don’t understand…”

(Divine Goddess is not included because she is associated with the republic, and therefore her children aren’t really an issue.)

#white cocoa cookie mention!!#wildflower cookie #cranberry ale cookie #divine goddess #vanilla bean cookie #beast ancients au #not sure if i’ll tag this with the separate and individual neobeast tags

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manawari · 1 year

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Fake-marriage AU:

In which no war with the Monarchs occured, so instead, they managed to get a decent conversation with Jin-woo. However, in the middle of the conversation and with the Monarchs being aware that Jin-woo was a human in spite of having godly powers, Antares asked if he had a significant other — more or less, a wife. Astounded, Jin-woo was about to answer with earnest when Bellion told him that the Monarchs wouldn't like it since he was a human and they knew that humans had "partners" for the rest of their lives. If he stayed honest, they would be disappointed and be enraged.

Wanting to keep peace, Jin-woo answered. "Yes. And she is a hunter."

He knew it was wrong. But he partially felt Hae-in would understand.

The end? Jin-woo and Hae-in had to act like a loving, married couple in front of the Monarchs while they're in Earth.

#jin-woo had no other choice #they were just starting to like each other and bam! got married for the sake of peace lmao #cue jin-woo kneeling down on both knees and repeatedly apologizing to hae-in #solo leveling #sung jin woo #cha hae in #jinhae

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ridhearts · 1 year

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As you return home, a new friend is thrown into your arms - literally.

*note: this au follows a specific order! please click below for the chapters as they're intended to be read!

overview. ♕ chapter i. [chapter is.] chapter ii. chapter iis. chapter iii. chapter iiis. chapter iv. chapter v. chapter vs. chapter vi. chapter vii.

Intermission I - An Unexpected Guest

By the time you crossed the border into your country, night had already fallen. The rough pebble roads, torn apart by conflict, jostled your carriage, jolting you from the peaceful nap the roads of the Queendom and Savanna lured you into. Sighing into the plush wall, you looked out at the scenery with bleary eyes. Lantern-lit houses dotted the road, huddled far from the well-traveled path in fear. A light mist curled at the ground, gripping the sleek carriage wheels as they turned. In the distance, settled in the valley path leading to the blot-dominated chasm, a thicker, darker fog billowed up into the air - a grim reminder of your most likely fate.

As you approached the castle, you did your best not to worry your bottom lip between your teeth. Riddle would have your head for that, and if you happened to be given another invitation to go meet with the monarchs of any other countries, you had to look your best. Heaving another sigh, your eyes trailed up the abandoned scaffolding and broken sections of tower walls that were becoming clearer and clearer as the carriage drew closer.

Your eyes were drawn to a sudden movement in the distance, visible in the spaces between the scaffolding. Where the dark, swirling fog of the boundary between your country and the shadowlands settled, one single plume rose into the sky. The thin, spindly tendril curled around itself, leisurely stretching past the light gray mountains and disappearing against the backdrop of the midnight sky. Something cold and uneasy sank to the bottom of your stomach. You had never seen such a thing happen before.

Scrambling to the other seat of your carriage, you pulled on the small curtain and reached through the window to tap the coachman, who yelped in response. Even though you were far from the disturbance in the boundary, you still shushed him - rather ungracefully, to your chagrin. His confused, startled eyes peered at you over his shoulder as he pulled on the reins, willing the carriage to a stop.

"Do you see that?" You whispered, pointing to the tall spindle of fog. The coachman followed the imaginary trail your finger made, squinting to make out the details in the dark. You watched as the wrinkles by his eyes smoothed and his face went slack.

"What in the world…?" He murmured. In front of him, the horse pulling your carriage huffed and shifted on its hooves. You wondered if it felt the coachman's sudden uneasiness. Clearing his throat, the coachman tried to sound authoritative despite the tremble in his voice. "Fear not. I will get you to the castle safely and your family can hide while we send out troops to investigate."

"What? No!" You hissed. The frame of the carriage window was too small to fit your head through, but you pressed your face as tightly as you could against it anyway. "Take me to it. I'll check it out."

"But your highness," he protested calmly, "I cannot allow any harm to befall you. Please, allow me to take you back to safety."

"If there's a breach in the boundary, nobody will be safe anywhere," You argued back. Then, betraying your own fear, you added, "Besides, it's such a small thing. Probably just the wind. All we need to do is confirm."

Your fake level voice was far more convincing than his had been. You almost let a proud little grin show on your face, but you needed to act the part of a leader. The coachman was almost convinced by your cool attitude, but he hesitated once again.

"Protocol states that your safety must be preserved at all costs."

"What does protocol state I should do when a member of the castle staff refuses to listen to a command?" You asked. The coachman opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. "Take me to the boundary."

Huffing, you threw yourself back to your original seat in the carriage, crossing your arms and staring out the window at the boundary. The carriage didn't move for a moment, the coachman clearly getting his bearings. You tried to embody Riddle - the petulant, self-assured version of him, the one who would never let a member of castle staff disregard his word - but something gnawed at you. After all, you weren't raised to be an absolute authority or a strict ruler. You were raised with good old common-folk manners.

Sighing once more, this time much more dramatically, you crawled back to the window behind the coachman and gingerly pulled aside the curtain. "Take me to the boundary, please. And thank you."

A beat. The coachman cursed under his breath, then the carriage started to move.

Once you arrived at the boundary, you threw open the door to the carriage and stepped out before the wheels stopped turning. The coachman called out for you while simultaneously swearing at the horse for stopping so slowly. You stopped in your tracks, eyes fixed on the mingling fog, weightless white twining with deep, dominating, inky black. There was a single spot directly beneath the rising plume that looked a little thinner than the rest of the boundary, like a gaping void that could swallow you up. With a tentative step backwards, you shouted for the coachman.

“Do you have a sword?” You asked over your shoulder, unwilling to take your eyes off of the breach. The coachman wordlessly walked to you, his shoes scraping across the loose gravel until he stopped at your side. When you held your hand out for the sword, he looked at you as if you were insane.

“Your majesty, surely you don’t expect me to allow you to approach the boundary by yourself.”

“I have military training.”

“As do I. We would not allow the royal family to go so far from home without the proper protection.”

Casting a sidelong glance to the coachman, you nodded once, firm and assured. If you hadn't been in your serious battle-ready mode, you would've flushed at having overlooked such a sensible detail. The two of you crept closer to the opening. Your footsteps were careful, purposely as silent as they could be on the rocky ground. Your legs kicked up some of the white fog, the two of you wading through it like knee-high waters. The fabric of your rumbled clothing bunched at the bottom, effectively chilling your ankles in the cool night air. The cavernous abyss waited for you, watching the two of you move with a languid lethargy, two startled deer approaching a lion waiting to pounce.

When you accidentally kicked a small shower of pebbles, both you and the coachman froze. Where the shadows and the fog were twirling around was now completely, utterly still. No wind dared to blow; no human dared to breathe. Then, the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping caught your attention.

“GNYAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Something small and black flew out of the breach, almost as if it had been propelled by a canon. The coachman stepped in front of you in a flash before you could even lift your arms up to your face. He held the sword defensively, bunting the creature out of the air. Startled blue eyes stared up at the coachman for a split second, while blue flames licked out of the creature’s ears and illuminated its cat-like face. The coachman faltered, and the creature struck.

It jumped on the coachman’s head, digging its claws into his scalp and yowling louder than you’ve heard any other animal scream. The coachman dropped his sword and stumbled back, trying to coax the animal’s claws out of his head and pull it off at the same time. Tripping over his own feet, the coachman landed flat on his back and you dove for the sword.

You didn’t have a moment to worry about whether or not you might hit the coachman. The moment you skidded to a stop beside him, you raised the sword above your head and put all your weight behind the swing. The creature noticed the shadow you cast and looked up at you, panic flashing in its eyes when it registered the sword.

“W-WAIT!” It yelled in plain English.

You stopped, nearly teetering over from the momentum of the sword. The coachman rolled out of the way, picking the creature up by the scruff of its neck. All the while, the creature yelled and complained in words you could understand, though its body hung limply from the coachman’s hand. While both you and the coachman panted to catch your breath, you looked to the boundary, only to see that the breach had closed.

“What is that thing?” You asked once you caught your breath, staring at the creature. It watched you with a flat, unamused expression. You almost thought it was pouting.

“I…have no idea,” The coachman admitted. Realizing the boundary was solid, he huffed and held out his hand. “Give me the sword. I’ll finish the job-”

“WAIT! No!” The creature wailed, kicking its legs as much as it could. The coachman furrowed his brows, focusing on keeping his grip on the creature firm as it wriggled.

You gestured for the coachman to relax before standing in front of the creature. “You can talk?”

“Duh! Don’t you have ears?” The creature responded. Its tone was dripping in pure pomposity.

“How did you get through the boundary?”

“I’m the great Grim! I can do anything!” It said with a self-assured smirk. You and the coachman exchanged exasperated glances.

“Such a powerful, unidentifiable creature poses a threat to national security, wouldn’t you say?” You asked the coachman. He nodded sagely while Grim’s eyes darted between the two of you, panicked.

“Might I suggest the dungeon, your majesty?” He asked.

“Ah! Wait! No, let me explain!” Grim insisted, wriggling his legs again. “I - I don’t actually know, okay? I was lookin’ for food, got too close to the border, and it just spit me out!”

“What were you doing in the Shadowlands?” The coachman asked firmly. Grim shrugged as best as he could while in his grasp.

“I dunno! I think I lived there? But, to be honest, I don’t really remember…”

You and the coachman exchanged looks again, clearly dubious. Grim’s stomach grumbled almost as loudly as his earlier yowling.

“What should we do?” The coachman murmured. His eyes narrowed on the dejected creature in his hands - clearly, he wanted to get rid of the noisy nuisance. A sympathetic string was pulled in your heart, though, and as you looked at the creature with tears in his eyes, you couldn’t just leave him here to die.

“I think I should welcome my first royal guest,” You answered. Then you reached out and collected Grim in your arms, holding him like a baby. He shrank into you, probably wanting to stay as far away as possible from the coachman. “He may remember something and be able to give us valuable information about the Shadowlands. Besides, he’s in our country now, and I refuse to let any of my people go hungry.”

Though he appeared utterly disappointed, the coachman didn’t put up a fight about your official decision. He held the door open for you instead, making sure to give Grim a cold glare before taking his spot at the front of the carriage. Finally, you would make it home.

“You’re way more reasonable than that guy,” Grim muttered. You tried not to chuckle at your coachman’s expense.

By the time you were allowed to return to your room, the sky had turned a deep sapphire blue, trying to keep the last cover over the world against the rising sun's persistence. Processing Grim wound up taking hours, because, apparently, he was a creature composed entirely of mysteries.

The first thing you had to do was debrief your father on the situation. After answering a generous amount of questions about the momentary breach, you explained how a catbeast had been launched out of the shadowlands and into your arms. Your father was a curious and courageous man, so you led him to the dining room where Grim was feasting on some bread and meats. The two of you went unnoticed while he gobbled up his food in record time.

“What do we do with him?” You whispered, watching with morbid interest as he gulped down his food. When not mistaken for a terrifying threat to your country and the entire continent, he was sort of cute…in an annoyingly endearing way.

Your father hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I can't say I know. Are you certain he isn't dangerous?"

You shrugged. Grim seemed like a lot of things - arrogant, reckless, gluttonous - but dangerous didn't seem to be in his wheelhouse. Not when he was so scared of your clumsy attempts to disarm him, or how he curled into you to avoid the coachman's wrath.

"Fairly certain," you answered. "I know that anything from the Shadowlands should be treated as a threat, but look at him. He's different. He's more sentient than the phantoms and he's been docile ever since we stopped trying to attack him. It didn't feel right leaving him to starve…or cause panic if he was spotted in town."

"I think you made the right choice," With a nod, your father waved for one of the guards nearby to approach. "However, the coachman wasn't incorrect in his caution. We'll keep him locked in one of the unfinished guest rooms until we figure out how much of a threat he is."

"All by himself?" The guards approached Grim then, gently leading him towards the new quarters your father assigned. Grim didn't put up much of a fight, satiated by the food and the promise of a bed.

"Better than the dungeon, wouldn't you say?"

"Have the dungeons been repaired already?" During the war, the revolutionary forces staged a raid to free the political prisoners locked beneath the castle. Your father always told the story of smoke and gnarled metal like it was an old hero's tale and not his own doing. As he reported, the dungeons suffered massive damage and were nigh on unusable once everybody cleared out. Perhaps it was ironic that now he was the one in charge of cleaning up his own mess.

He averted his gaze, indicating that no, they had not been fixed and that was why Grim was being afforded such luxurious accommodations. You expected a spark of indignation to flash inside your chest, but you could see the logic behind the blasé way your father talked about imprisonment. Allowing Grim inside the castle at all was a gamble. Before you could trust his intentions, you had to learn something about him. Even then, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t succumb to blot exposure at some point. Keeping him on lockdown was the most sensible option.

“Alright,” You agreed. “I’ll be checking on him every day, then.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Giving you an affectionate pat on the head, your father turned and went to give orders to those who would be keeping Grim under watch.

Finally, you could sleep.

As it turned out, Grim was a destructive force.

The first few days, though he complained about being held prisoner, he was easily placated with food. When you asked him questions, he got a little irritated after the first few, but his tune changed quickly once you offered snacks in exchange for true answers. He didn’t cause large amounts of trouble for the guards who tended to him when you couldn’t, even though he liked you the best.

Then he got restless, and things got a little more difficult.

Upon entering his room, you saw that the ends of the bedsheets and all of the curtains had been ripped to shreds. Grim sat in the middle of the room, postured much like a housecat, watching the door in smug satisfaction. For a moment, you weren’t sure what to do with the tattered scraps of cloth strewn around the room. Instead, you silently shut the door and instructed the kitchen staff to withhold dessert from him.

He let you have it the next morning, bemoaning how you starved him and your kingdom clearly didn’t know how to treat guests. Then, catching the glint of your silver crown as you shook your head in exasperation, he had the audacity to try and bargain for answers. He just wanted a couple of jewels! It wasn’t anything a monarch would miss, surely.

When you wouldn’t cave to his demands, he took to escape attempts. The first time, he nearly made it out of the front doors, but you dove for him and crashed on the hard, polished floors. He kicked and squirmed in your arms, yowling about wrongful imprisonment and tyrannical rulers. His tune didn’t change after you personally carried his dinner up to his room.

At wits end, you decided to try to dine with him and maybe reestablish the shaky alliance you formed with him on that first night. The guards opened his door for you, standing behind you in a defensive stance in case he decided to bolt again. Having smelled the food, Grim decided against running and instead sat expectantly at the small tea table in his room.

When you sat across from him, he barely paid you any attention, favoring the food in his bowl instead. It was beef stew, the biggest meal the chefs had prepared in weeks. You were hardly wanting for sustenance, but after many of the fields in the land had been destroyed and livestock confiscated during the war, everyone had to ration their meat and grain to get by. That included your family - after all, it would hardly make sense for you to overthrow a king for misallocating resources, only to do the exact same thing once you were in power.

“Finally! Some good grub!” Grim cheered with his mouth full. You huffed, taking a dainty sip of the broth from your spoon. As you watched Grim shove his face into the bowl, broth dripping from the fur on his chin, you wondered if this was how Riddle felt when he first met you and inwardly cringed.

“I’m glad you like it,” you tried to respond gracefully, though you were unsure if Grim could hear you over the sound of his own slurping. Sighing, you decided to let him eat before grilling him with questions.

Grim was halfway through with his bowl when he broke the silence - which didn’t take very much time at all. “By the way, what gives? You only break out the good stuff when you’ll be eating what I eat?”

“I’ve been eating the same thing as you have the entire time.”

“Well then, why is your food so disappointing?” Masking your emotions was an art you hadn’t quite mastered. You could feel your eyebrows furrowing deeply, holding Grim in a disapproving gaze with a matching scowl. “Come to think of it, even your castle’s falling apart! What kind of country is this?”

Slowly, you let your spoon rest in its bowl with a soft tink. This got Grim’s attention, and he watched as you interlocked your fingers and rested your chin on your hands. “Tell me this first, Grim. What do you know about the current affairs of the continent?”

He cocked his head to the side, inquisitive. “Not much. Politics are boooooring.”

“Well then, allow me to bring you up to speed. My family has only been in power for a few months. We overthrew the last king for being irresponsible in his politics. The war destroyed parts of this castle and many of our fields. Reconstruction takes time, as I’m sure you could surmise.”

At the word war, Grim’s ears drooped and he flinched away. You continued, keeping your voice even. “The barrier you jumped through is a thin line of magic that is keeping the Shadowlands away from us. Should that barrier fail, we would be unable to defend ourselves. We are rationing our supplies and focusing on building defenses for our people rather than opulence for our castle. That is why, up until now, you were not served ‘the good stuff’.”

Grim was silent for a moment, staring deep into his stew as if his image would change into some kind of prophetic vision. “I-I didn’t know…”

Unsure if you could respond civilly, you instead took a bite of the piece of bread beside your bowl. You could feel Grim watching as you ripped into it, not bothering to watch for falling crumbs or opening your mouth to a disgraceful degree. “You know, it would be helpful if you could remember something about the Shadowlands, rather than tear through the room decor with your claws.”

“But nothing’s coming back to me!” He protested. “Will you just throw me out once you realize that? Why bother keeping me around?”

“Because,” you answered coolly, “we were left on our own by the countries around us when we needed them. I don’t intend to let anybody else be left behind.”

The two of you stared at each other for a moment before you turned back to your food. A second later, Grim did the same, eating much more appropriately than before. You didn’t share another word that night, but it still felt like progress.

After gaining a little insight, Grim was a little less combative. Your father was finally able to get a trusted mage to analyze Grim for any dangerous side effects of exposure to blot, and Grim let himself be poked and prodded at with minimal complaint.

“Amazing,” The mage murmured, running the tips of his fingers through the blue flames of Grim’s ears. They started to twitch in response, and Grim glared at the mage from the corner of his eye.

After a few tests of his magical aptitude - which was a little out of control, but would be able to be controlled with a magestone - the mage ended his examination. He couldn’t find any noticeable signs of aggression and left after he assured you that Grim shouldn’t cause any blot related problems. Having officially been cleared, you allowed Grim to accompany you throughout the castle, walking him through the slightly overgrown gardens and showing him which rooms were intact. Along the way, Grim scurried after you, cracking jokes and bumping into tables as his claws skidded across the hard floors. Other than a few narrow brushes with some expensive vases, he proved himself to be good company.

As the days passed, you gave Grim small tasks to help you. He retrieved Riddle’s letters and ran yours to the messenger when she stopped by. He was also proving to be a good listener, even if he preferred to talk on and on about how he could blow you out of the water with his magical prowess if only you allowed it. You didn’t want him to spiral out of control, though, and he actually listened to your instruction…on this matter, at least.

Without really meaning to, Grim became your shadow and accompanied you everywhere. He was granted a seat at the dining table and was even allowed to be present while you discussed more official matters with your family. Your siblings were fascinated by him, and while they got along with him well, Grim was known throughout the castle as yours. Eventually, he even began sleeping in your room with you (after you made him promise that he wouldn’t destroy the curtains.)

As you were preparing to peel back the covers and fall asleep one night, you huffed at Grim curling up on your pillow. You scooped him up, watching as his limbs hung down limply beneath him. He protested as you tossed him on the other pillow and fell on your spot before he could reclaim it. Muttering beneath his breath, Grim began kneading at the pillow and trying to get comfortable again.

“If you don’t want your spot taken, maybe you should get to bed earlier,” he murmured. It was a backwards approach to showing concern for your wellbeing, but you were beginning to get used to that.

“There’s so much to do…” Throwing an arm over your eyes, you groaned quietly into the moonlit room. “Besides, you should be grateful you have a home instead of stealing other people’s places.”

“Home…” As stealthily as you could, you peeked open one eye and watched Grim. In the powder blue light of the moon, his wide eyes seemed even more striking than usual. They practically glowed as brightly as the fire in his ears, yet neither were so bright that it hurt your own eyes to watch him. His three-pronged tail flickered in thought as he traced the floral pattern on your blankets absently. “I’ve never had one of those before, I think.”

A familiar hollow opened up in your chest, the one that pulled you towards Grim and made you want to help him. You were more similar than anybody cared to notice, after all. Life in a treacherous land made you both a little tough, a little reckless - and now that the storm had subsided for a while, you had to adjust to something entirely new. Hopefully, that something would be permanent. But everything could come crashing down in a moment, sending you both back to hell.

You doubted Grim would agree if you said anything - after all, he couldn’t remember much of anything before meeting you. Even if he did agree, it wasn’t like he’d tell you. Instead, you kept your fondness closely guarded and instead turned to face him, brushing a gentle finger down the bridge of his nose a few times.

“How did it feel?” You asked quietly. “Not having a home, I mean. If you can remember.”

That was where you differed. At least you had your memories of your home, and they were fond. At least you felt like you belonged in this country. At least you could be certain the blot hadn’t entirely changed you. Yet.

“Free,” Grim answered cheekily. But instead of smirking at you, he kept his chin on his front paws, pensive. “Lonely.”

“Mind keeping me company, then?”

Snapping out of his reverie, Grim finally gave you a signature smug grin. “Even your lame rations beat foraging for berries every day.”

Despite your fondness for him, you were not too keen on being Grim’s babysitter for the rest of your life, so you began to concoct a plan to put him to use. At your request for his audience, your father listened to your proposition and nodded thoughtfully as you explained Grim’s progress and the trust you were building with him.

"Ah, I don't know…" Your father mused when you were finished, stroking his chin. "A pet is a big responsibility."

"I don't think he would qualify as a pet," you corrected, though you were entirely unsure if what you said was true. After a moment of thinking, you said, "But running a kingdom is an even bigger responsibility and you're trusting me with that!"

"So I am," your father agreed, slowly grinning.

Days later, after a small magestone had been affixed inside a simple pendant, you searched the castle for Grim. You found him on a balcony overlooking the entrance to the castle, the peaks of nearby cottages visible above the stony walls. He didn’t turn towards you when you opened the door, but he did swish his tail in acknowledgement.

“I have a gift for you,” You said, and he gave you his full attention.

“Don’t leave me hanging!!” He insisted, craning his neck as if he could see behind your back. Stifling a laugh, you presented the magestone to him and watched as he jumped up in excitement. “What are you waiting for? Put it on me!”

“Stop moving then!” Threading a piece of silver ribbon through the top of the pendant, you gestured for Grim to turn around. He did, showing his back so you could tie the ribbon in a neat bow.

“We need to find a mirror. I bet I look the coolest!” Finally calming down, Grim narrowed his eyes. “Wait a minute. What’s the catch?”

“No catch, though I do have a separate proposition,” You answered. Grim sat expectantly, and you wondered why he insisted he wasn’t a cat when he acted so much like one. “How would you like to be my royal advisor?”

Grim blinked at you for a few moments, processing your request. When he finally pieced things together, he leapt up and began prancing along the railing, recklessly enough that you worried he might tip over and fall. “Well, obviously you’d be desperate for The Great Grim’s advice! You’re smart to take advantage of such a rare opportunity for such amazing help. My first suggestion: make beef stew the national dish!”

You sighed, letting him go on his excited tangent. There was still work to be done - even more than usual, now that you had to train Grim - but at least now you didn’t feel like you were on your own.

#accidentally made the reader more traumatized than originally intended but i think it works lol #twisted wonderland #twst #twst imagines #twisted wonderland imagines #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #royal au

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