#fic: shine a light

[staytiny-angel]

Shine a Light

A Polyam!Stray Kids/OFC fanfiction

Part 1 in the Lights Series

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Stray Kids OT8/OFC (Celeste Cloud), Ateez OT8/OFC (Nathalie Dowling), Ateez/Stray Kids (past),

Warnings; Panic Attacks, Cece is on the autism spectrum, BDSM, Subspace, Spanking, Bondage, MDNI

Summary: Celeste's life changes forever when 8 of the 16 men who saved her life with their music walk into her small town diner.

[just-a-dinosaur-i-guess]

taixu, chapter one - leave all your love and longing behind

sources tba

[nebula-gray]

battle network 5's microserver incident is so intriguing to me because like... on the surface, it's really silly. dr. regal's ultimate plan for a world of evil is to make every extremely pissed off, and it leads to some really funny dialogue.

and i've noticed that people have a hard time taking it seriously, which is fair because... look at it. it's not taking itself seriously. but if you stop and think about it, it's terrifying.

everyone is so caught up in their own emotions, society can no longer function. people want to destroy things, start fights with other people, stop working, and all around cause chaos. in a world where almost every problem is solved through netbattling, people are resorting to physical violence. imagine how quickly things would fall apart if everyone was like this, how soon people would die if no one could cooperate.

and the thing is, battle network couldn't possibly show the real consequences of a scenario like this. it would quickly become too dark for a game aimed at children, and wouldn't mesh with the tone of the series. i understand why they went the silly route, and i'm glad they did so.

unfortunately, i think it leads to people taking the plot and the villain less seriously. dr. regal is already hated by a lot of people, and i truly believe this is due to bad writing rather than a flaw in his own plan. like, if soulnet had worked and people were like this forever, it would be disastrous. way scarier than a typical take-over-the-world plot, because you're directly manipulating people's emotions to make them suffer. and the only reason lan and megaman can fight back is because they have literal plot armor. if not for that, there would be no fighting back, no fixing this. it's scarily effective, and it makes me sad that no one seems to give regal credit for this.

i just... i love battle network 5, and the microserver incident is so interesting to think about. i hope i can get people to look at it in a different light the next time they play.

[beneathsilverstars]

hello for the ask game 9: any theories on stuff unexplained by the game?

I always love theories and thoughts and worldbuilding hcs etc so anything in that vein works :3

I think my favorite little worldbuilding headcanon is that Ka Bue is super chill about aromanticism and asexuality! Not in the same way as irl activism, but it's something that is understood and respected in their ideology, like transgenderism in Vaugarde. So if we combine the powers of everyone in the crew we'll get an entire queer-friendly worldview going lmao!

Maybe... Something about an overarching philosophy of understanding the self? In Vaugard they see the self as something you refine through making, creating and destroying and rebuilding, but in Ka Bue you're supposed to be uncovering and polishing what's already there. And part of that is understanding your position in relation to others, so they have a lot of little descriptive words for flavors of relationships and dynamics, and being the sort of person who seeks those dynamics. Like "oh i'm usually the comedic straight man of the friend group and i seek out jokesters who play well off of that". And that means that nonsexual romance, nonromantic sex partners, QPRs, etc, are all understood dynamics, and various kinds of friend and family and colleague relationships are seen as distinctly important, and being alone is seen as a valid dynamic!

Now that I've typed this out I love it more and more... I was originally just thinking about the metaphor of cutting and polishing a gemstone, but having a lot of little Dynamics that various people may find more or less relevant to themselves is a similar approach to having thousands of Expressions! And it meshes with the transphobia as well - you can describe yourself as having dysphoria but you're not supposed to go and try to change that.

And there's that Odile + Isabeau conversation where she gets really specific about their relationship: "We're not friends, we're associates. Colleagues. Allies at best." And she's obviously joking, but this hc puts some extra weight behind her making that particular sort of joke! Plus she's the one who's like, "I wouldn't call you all friends, that would be weird, we're more like family," and she gets mad about being called the mom. I love the idea that she has Very specific dynamic classifications in mind for her relationship with each member of the crew, and gets pissy that Vaugardian doesn't have the same nuance/connotations!

And this philosophy being the total opposite of the Change belief is so interesting for Odile in particular! It would definitely flavor people's perception of her in Ka Bue - oh, she's one of those fickle Vaugardians who change masks every day and will never truly understand themselves. No wonder she wanted to get actual Vaugardian perspective on their belief. Oh, how lovely it will be for her to synthesize the two extremes, and both discover and create who she is!!

[mosaickiwi]

Soft - Light

Your attempt to cook on a date night goes from bad to worse when the lights go out. Redacted always has you covered, though. 900ish words, GN reader as per usual c:

14 Days With You is an 18+ Yandere Visual Novel. MINORS DNI

~

"I definitely did something wrong," you muttered and wrinkled your nose at your creation.

"Hmm, maybe they just look like that?" Ren unhelpfully commented from behind you, hovering just as close as always. You didn't have to see his face to know he was grinning. 

"You know what they look like." Smoke began rising from the pan, accompanied by a rather burnt smell as you desperately tried to wriggle the spatula under the lumpy, oversized pancake. All you managed to do was tear its dark brown edges to a mess and reveal the insides—somehow still raw with bits of unmixed batter. You sighed and switched off the burner, turning around to dump the hot pan in the sink and blast it under the faucet. Rather half-heartedly, you scrubbed at the surface. “Breakfast for dinner shouldn't be this hard.”

They watched you with amusement as the water immediately sizzled and steamed from the pan. Curiously, he picked up the box of pancake mix at the stove, turning it in his hands. "You know I'd love t'help, Angel, but…" he trailed off and you could easily fill in the blank.

"You'd do a lot worse, yeah." You quickly gave up on saving the cookware and moved to your boyfriend's side, peering at the box in his hand. Your eyes narrowed on a few words in the first step of instructions. Prepare a nonstick skillet or griddle. One glance back at the shiny metal mistake soaking in the sink told you right away: it was doomed from the start. "You know what? I don’t care. Let’s just order—"

A sudden crack of thunder drowned out your voice and you jumped. The evening sky was perfectly clear when Ren arrived, but the weather in Corland Bay loved to change on a dime. You could hear rain pelt harshly against the windows in the living room as another thunderous roar boomed, much louder than the first. Only a second passed before the lights flickered and died to shroud the apartment in darkness.

“Are you kidding me!?” came Violet’s muffled scream of frustration through the walls. She must’ve been in the middle of a very important gaming session.

You clung to the dark-haired hacker's arm as your eyes took their time adjusting in the dark. He didn't seem all that phased though, casually wrapping an arm around you while he pulled out his phone. The kitchen was tinted in a faint glow from the screen. You expected him to turn on the flashlight like any normal human would, but he began scrolling through a delivery app.

"Ren," you started, utterly confused by his actions. "Who do you think is going to deliver in a storm when their power is out?"

"The whole bay isn't out. Look," he said and carefully guided you into the living room with a nod towards the windows.

He took a seat while you drew back the curtain to peek. Sure enough, most of Corland was lit up like usual. In fact, it only seemed like your apartment building and a few adjacent ones were completely dark. Another point in the long list against your landlord for being cheap.

The lights from outside weren't much, but you could see a lot better once the curtain was open completely. You walked back over to the couch and Ren immediately held his arms open for you, still searching his phone. 

His hair tickled against your cheek as he pulled you into his lap and rested his chin on your shoulder. "Y'liked the place we ordered from last weekend, right? Wanna try 'em again?” 

"Yeah," you answered and settled against them. He turned his cheek to place a quick kiss on your neck before reading the options aloud. His voice was a soft whisper, blended with the now gentle patter of rain against glass. Their hand rubbed careful circles on your back to soothe you. It was more than enough to put you at ease in his embrace, the disaster in the sink long forgotten.

Quiet minutes passed as he spoke and you responded silently in turn. The barely there nods or shakes of your head you made were all you could muster as exhaustion caught up. He finished up the order and soon you were pressing yourself further against the warmth of their body.

He made no comment when you maneuvered in his lap, merely tilting his chin up to welcome the kiss you needed. The phone slipped from his hand not a moment later. You felt the shape of his smile against your lips and giggled softly at his reaction. It was sweet to know how much he always wanted you. Cool fingers came to rest at your thigh as you kissed him once more, then pulled back.

"Tired?" he asked and looked up at you with a smile, leaning into your hand that traced along the shell of his ear. The faint light filtering through the window caught on his piercings when you pushed his bangs back.

"Mhmm," you said with a lazy nod. "Still gonna kiss you 'til the food's here, though."

"Lucky me." He tugged you forward, gentle as could be, and softly kissed the corner of your mouth as he mumbled, "Yippee."

The surprised laugh you let out was only muffled by the fevered press of their lips.

[dontheckinswear]

reading modern mdzs fics set in the usa (not including ones that are firmly set in a chinese american bubble) is fucking wild. what do you mean i’m reading about lan wangji and wei wuxian and their friend, skateboarding kyle.???

[wangxianficrecs]

Shine Brightly, That I May Glow by TheLegendOfChel

Shine Brightly, That I May Glow

by TheLegendOfChel (@the-legend-of-chel)

M, WIP, 62k, Wangxian

Summary:Every thousand years, two soulmates are born; one blessed by the power of the sun and the other by the moon. The Lan Sect rejoices when their second young master bears the mark of the moon. However, his other half is nowhere to be found. With every year that passes, the cultivation world becomes more desperate to find the missing sun spirit, and the Wen Clan in particular seems increasingly intent on claiming the sun spirit as their own. ----- When Lan Wangji is fifteen he meets Wei Wuxian, a guest disciple who is loud, annoying...and bright in every possible way. Kay's comments: This story is on hiatus, but it's definitely still definitely a story you should check out! It has the sun & moon combination of Wangxian that I am very fond of, Lan Wangji blessed by the moon and Wei Wuxian blessed by the sun, soulmates who are meant to be. Only no one knows that Wei Wuxian is blessed by the sun, because the Wens are yearning to claim the sun spirit for themselves and yet, Wangxian are still drawn to each other. I love their relationship in this, being drawn together despite Wei Wuxian's hidden identity as the sun spirit. It's just *chef's kiss* Excerpt: That being said, they were few and far between. Lan Wangji usually acted like Wei Wuxian didn’t exist, sometimes going so far as to put a silencing spell on him. Rude. Wei Wuxian would then retaliate by making silly faces at Lan Wangji, but the moon spirit didn’t even seem to notice. There were a few times Wei Wuxian considered just telling Lan Wangji that he was the sun spirit. He promised the Jiangs that he wouldn’t reveal his true identity to anyone, but surely Lan Wangji didn’t count? However, in the end Wei Wuxian decided against it. Maybe he would have felt differently if Lan Wangji had been more open to his friendship from the start, but Wei Wuxian knew that if he told Lan Wangji they were soulmates now and Lan Wangji changed his tune, a part of Wei Wuxian would always wonder if it was only out of a sense of responsibility.

pov alternating, canon divergence, everyone lives/nobody dies, soulmates, soulmate-identifying marks, secret identity, identity reveal, mutual pining, secret relationship, dreamsharing, light angst, jiang cheng/nie huaisang, sangcheng, kidnapping

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[zacs-of-rwby]

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest

Chapter 28: An Offer One Can't Refuse

Story Summary: Ozpin works tirelessly in his pursuit: to make Beacon of Hope a safe place for kids to grow up.  With a bigger location and more kids to take care of, Ozpin starts to feel the weight of responsibility crushing him, and he plans to carry the whole thing himself.

For Qrow, volunteering for Beacon of Hope had only one purpose: to get Summer off his back for a little while.  When he meets the polite, friendly, and handsome man in charge, he wonders if he could actually get something out of this whole ordeal after all.

With Qrow’s support, maybe Oz will be able to reach his goal of turning this house into a home.

Story Categories: Mental Health, Recovery, Slice of Life, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Found Family, LGBTQ+ Themes, Alternate Universe, Ozpin’s Halfway House AU, please check Ao3 tags for potentially triggering topics

Chapter Summary: Qrow has to face his past.

Chapter Categories: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Childhood Trauma, Recovery

Author’s Note: Now that it's been six months since I wrote this, I'm not sure how I feel about it… I'd probably change somethings in it if I really did a deep dive, but I have to be done. I'd be editing forever otherwise lol. Still some fun ideas in here. I hope they come through!

[wyattjohnston]

You know I love Quinn and Laurel…

Maybe things you yelled at the top of your lungs with them could be fun? Or things you whispered in my ear- you choose!

(Sending you writing inspo vibes)

Laurel raised a challenging eyebrow at Quinn, his protests had been vehement. It was low stakes, what she was asking of him. It was also entirely unnecessary but that was the fun of it.

“So, you’re a coward,” she teased. “It’s fine. I knew you were.”

“You’re evil, you know that?” he asked, heaving himself off the boat’s bench. He barely wobbled as he made his way to the bow—that impressed Laurel, at least, she still hadn’t gotten used to being on a boat despite how much time they’d spent on the water that summer. She was only more impressed when he climbed past the glass at the front.

He stood at the very edge of the bow, and Laurel bit into the back of her hand to muffle the shrill noise of delight that was threatening to escape as she watched him throw his head back and his arms out to the side.

“I’m king of the world!” he shouted, loud enough that it echoed across the lake.

He didn’t move when he was done, except to look back over his shoulder to check if Laurel was happy with his efforts.

“Yeah you are!” she shouted back at him.

The captaincy wasn’t a sure thing, it hadn’t been inked, there was no ‘C’ officially stitched onto his chest, but Laurel knew it was coming. Everyone knew it was coming.

Laurel was just having a field day with it. Field month. Field summer.

Quinn tilted his head, gesturing for Laurel to join him. She held on for dear life as she did so, focusing very much on not falling into the water as she crossed parts of the boat she hadn’t ever wanted to cross.

He was right there to help her, though, securing her even when she was balanced and up right again. The water was calm, there was no real danger of falling in, but Laurel would never say no to Quinn’s warm hands pressing into the skin of her waist.

With both of them standing at the bow of the boat, Quinn pressed close against her back, and, despite the sun beating down on them, he sent a shiver down her spine when he whispered into her ear, “Do you trust me?”

[emjiroki]

Ive been seeing alot of my fellow writers on here getting really discouraged and disappointed with lack of interactions, I feel you and know exactly where you're coming from as a person with pretty limited interaction on her fics

SO, in an effort to shine a little light today and over the weekend PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send me your fics! Something you feel hasn't gotten enough attention, something you deemed as a "flop", something with under represented characters

ANYTHING! You can send it on or off anon (I guess I'll find out who the author is anyway when I go to the link BUT if you feel embarrassed to send out right please feel free to send on anon)

I won't be posting any of the asks that I get regarding this but my likes and comments will be flowing!

[gothsuguru]

starting my curator!geto fic officially now! <3

[staytiny-angel]

Shine a Light 1/?

Rating: Explicit eventually T right now

Pairing: Polyam!Stray Kids/OFC (M/M included), Ateez Ensemble & OFC (friendship)

Warnings for this chapter: Panic Attack

Summary: Celeste "Cece" Cloud's life changes forever when 8 of the 16 men who saved her life with their music walk into her small town diner

Taglist: @axelwolf8109 @moxxieswitchblade @dreamlesswonder86 (ask if you want to be added)

Part 1. Maknae on Top

"So where are we again?" Felix asks Chan.

"Lawrence, Kansas?" The leader answers, sighing. "The driver says we may as well find somewhere to hang out while they either find us another bus or fix this one" he continues. 

"He suggested that diner on the corner," Changbin says in Korean.

The 8 men pull their masks up and hats down as they walk towards the quaint little diner on the corner of Main St. 

"This place is cute!" Jisung says as they walk in 

"Welcome to Utopia Diner! Table for 8?" An older black woman says as she greets them.

"Yes!" Chan immediately answered and the woman lead them back to a large table by the kitchen window. 

"Here's your menu, sweeties," she says, passing them out. "We've only have one cook on duty right now so it might be a bit slow, sorry about that! I can get your drinks though!" 

The 8 men conferred before ordering a variety of drinks and food. While they were talking amongst themselves I.N. caught the strains of a very VERY familiar tune coming from the kitchen. 

"Do you hear that?" He immediately says to Seungmin in Korean. Seungmin listens closely and begins to smile "Maknae on Top?" He says in English

 

"OH?" said the waitress whose nametag read Rosie ``Do you fellas know that Kpop stuff? Boss Lady loves it! She's turning me to her side slowly but surely, some of its pretty catchy! This place is even named after some Kpop song by I think A...teen, no that's not it, Ateez! Anyway, I'll get those drinks and tell Boss to get started on your food" 

Rosie opens the kitchen doors and sure enough Maknae on Top is being blasted at high volume by whomever is cooking. 

"A Stay owns this restaurant!" Hyunjin says "What are the chances?" 

Chan looks at the door warily, it's not that he was unhappy that this mysterious boss lady was apparently both a Stay and an Atiny, it's that he was hoping they could keep this whole ordeal under wraps. 

Before he can make a decision on what to do the kitchen doors open again but instead of Rosie a tiny, yet curvy black woman walks out carrying a tray of drinks. She's shorter than any of them and has a head full of dusty pink highlighted brown hair tied up in a bandana with what Chan thought was the BTS logo printed all over it. 

"Maknae on Top, ohhh ohh oh oh Maknae on Top" The eight men could hear her softly sing as she looked around before heading towards their table. 

"Drinks for 8...." The woman froze for a moment as she looked at them before carefully placing the tray of drinks on the table. "Can you excuse me? I'm so sorry I have to..." she says before running away, not towards the kitchen but a back room. 

Seconds later everyone in the restaurant hears a scream of "What the ACTUAL FUCK?!?!"

"Do you think she recognized us?" Jisung says laughing so hard he's leaning on Minho who's hand is covering his mouth trying to hold back his own laughter.

A few moments later, the woman comes back out. She heads directly to where Rosie is standing there cackling like a loon and gently smacks her older friend in the shoulder. 

"I can't believe you!" She whisper-shouts. "You know who they are?!?!"

"Cece baby, I only saw one of their faces but it happens to be the one whose picture is hanging from your purse so I made an educated guess about the others" Rosie says still laughing softly

"Go back over there and meet your heroes" Rosie says, grabbing Cece by the shoulders and turning her towards the boys.

"Wait, no they like their privacy I don't wanna be that Stay" Cece pleads as Rosie slowly but surely pushes her to their table 

"Gentlemen this is Cece the owner of this fine establishment, Cece....Stray Kids," she says laughing "I'll get started on their food" she says before walking away leaving Cece staring at 8 of the 16 men who'd to be quite honest saved her life with their music

"I can totally pretend I'm not a Stay and not completely freaking out right now?" She offers, shrugging. 

"Calm down little Stay you're fine" Chan says immediately, instinctively comforting the frazzled looking woman.

"I'm Cece, - Celeste actually - and this is Utopia, - um yeah you probably knew that -, sign on the door and all that…what the hell are you guys doing here of all the places? The next 5 Star tour dates are in Chicago. I know I have tickets to both days" she takes a deep breath

"I'm sorry" she says quieter. "I'm getting very," she waves her hands around cutely "Excited" 

Chan smiles and moves over gesturing for her to sit between him and Changbin. Cece looks hesitant, almost like she's going to run again before she takes another deep breath and sits between the two idols. 

"Our bus…it got stuck." Changbin says, taking a sip of his drink.

"Ooooh, So you guys were just passing through?" Cece asks

Chan nods "We decided to take the scenic route to Chicago because we had the time and…well it's a little more scenic than we originally thought it would be"

Just as she was about to ask another question an upset looking older Korean man bursts through the doors of Utopia heading straight for the table of nine 

Chan stands up "What's wrong Manager-ssi?" 

The man answers back in Korean of which Cece can only catch a few words with her limited knowledge of the language but from what she can gather the tour bus is irreparably broken right now and they can't get another one for 2 days. The boys have the choice to fly to Chicago right now from Lawrence's tiny airport or wait for the bus and spend two days in the tiny college town she called home.

"We're stuck here for 2 days?" Felix asks in English 

"Yes. We could get you and some of your luggage and things on a plane but even that wouldn't be until tomorrow and you couldn't bring everything so you'd still be waiting for the bus for all your belongings" the manager explained to the entire group before looking at Cece oddly "I'm sorry who are you?" 

"This is Cece, she owns this restaurant," Seungmin said. "She's one of our Stay." He said, smiling at her. 

"You live in this town then?" The Manager asked in English, continuing when Cece silently nodded "Do you have any suggestions for where the boys and their crew could spend the night?" 

"Yeah there's a fancy Hilton right outside of town but we only have one cab service and the public buses shut down…20 minutes ago" she said looking at her watch,

 "You could drive the catering van? Take them in that?" Rosie said popping up out of nowhere. 

"I don't think…" Cece started to say 

"No, no if you have a vehicle that could transport all of us…please" the manager said.

"We're still open for another hour and I haven't even fed you oh no" Cece says starting to freak out and play with her fingers.

 "Hey, it's okay…" Jisung immediately tried to calm her down, seeing the warning signs of a panic attack. 

Chan gently grabs her hands, stopping them from waving "Why don't you and Rosie make us some food to go?"

"I'm actually almost done with their order" Rosie says "I can pack it up no problem" 

"See? Everything is fine, little Stay." Jisung says "Take a breath"

Cece takes a breath and unconsciously leans her head against Changbin's shoulder, who smiles and hesitantly pets her head. 

"We got you little Stay, we'd appreciate it if you gave us a ride" he says

She nods "I can do that" she whispers.

Rosie smiles at the scene and quietly makes her way back to the kitchen to finish cooking and packing up not only the boys meals but a meal for Cece, knowing her friend would need to eat as well. 

"I should get my purse and keys" Cece says getting up and heading to her office leaving the guys and their manager alone for a moment 

"She's cute!" Jisung says as soon as she's out of earshot.

"She is!" Felix agrees 

"Hmm" Minho murmurs looking at Hyunjin who has a smirk on his face.

"You two will not" Chan says looking at his two most troublemaking boyfriends 

Their manager looks on exasperatedly and groans "Make sure she agrees to sign an NDA" he says before walking out of the restaurant to coordinate everything.

Changbin just shakes his head "Don't play your games with her. She's too sweet." 

"I'll be nice I promise" Minho raises his hands innocently 

Hyunjin just shakes his head. He actually thinks he likes this Stay, it's a new feeling for him. He feels…protective over her already in a way that was reserved for his boyfriends

Cece comes back out into the dining room her hair down around her shoulders and a pair of cute pink and black glasses on her face, carrying a BT21 mini backpack that has several Photo Card holders dangling from its straps. 

"So fucking cute…" Minho whispers in Korean. 

"I'm ready as soon as Rosie finishes up in the kitchen" She says dropping back into the seat between Chan and Changbin. 

Jisung reaches over and tugs on the strap of her purse. "Photo Cards?" 

"I carry my biases yes" She says shyly. 

"RM-sunbaenim, Hongjoong-hyung and Binnie-hyung?" He says looking at his boyfriend.

Binnie perked up at this "I'm your bias?" 

Cece head dropped in her hands "OT8, but I bias all of 3Racha actually" she murmurs 

Chan and Jisung both reddened at this revelation 

"So you have a thing for rappers?" Minho says with a grin. 

Cece groans "Yeah….I can't believe this shit" 

"Here yall go!" Rosie comes out of the kitchen carrying a box filled to the brim with Styrofoam containers which Binnie stands up and takes from her

 "The van is out back," Rosie says "That manager of yours is already back there loading it up, I gave him the spare key when he came round the back, a cute one that is"

"Rosie, please!" Cece yells 

"I'll shut it down tonight, and Finn will be back tomorrow so you don't have to open" Rosie tells her "Have fun y'all" she says with a wink.

[reelnaturalfreak]

When you Mess with Your Beta Reader

I'm very lucky to have @malicmalic as my beta reader for my fic, Oh How the Light Shines (It'll Blind You)

I'm also very lucky to have her as a friend as well because sometimes, I like to sneak joke parts into my documents. So when she's reading it, she thinks what I wrote is actually going to happen. So, I promised her I would share the latest joke I pulled that caused her to yell at me lol.

The joke part of the latest chapter:

Cas felt his body lock up when Dean buried his head in his chest and held him tight. He was angry, none of what Dean said excused what he did, but he couldn’t help but feel for the man he once loved. Cas held Dean back, rubbing his hands up and down the omega’s back, doing his best to comfort him. Time seemed to slow down as Cas whispered words of comfort to Dean. They could have been like that for hours, just standing there in the kitchen, as the air was filled with Dean’s sobs. 

Cas would never know for sure, but eventually, Dean pulled away and wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m sorry…” Dean mumbled with his head downcast. 

“It’s okay,” Cas whispered. 

Dean finally lifted his head, his green eyes dulled by puffy redness. “So… I guess… We’re over?” 

Cas felt like he had eaten something sour, his stomach churned. Thinking about it and knowing it were two different things. Cas loved Dean, he loved him with all his heart, but… “I can’t trust you anymore.” 

Dean nodded, smelling and looking resigned. “Yeah… I… I thought so…” 

Cas swallowed, doing his best not to cry too. He never imagined this would happen. Cas still loved Dean, but he wasn’t sure love was enough anymore. They both stood there, looking at each other, and both could hardly believe what they had between them was ending. Dean looked around the kitchen and a small smile graced his face. 

“Remember the time I tried to teach you to cook?” Dean chuckled. 

“I do,” Cas replied with a sad smile. It was the first time Cas truly viewed Dean as a friend. One who had no reason to stay and help him, but did anyhow. 

Dean let out a small laugh. “I’m not going to lie, I thought we were gonna die in that house.” 

Cas’s eyebrows shot up. “What? But you seemed so sure of yourself.” 

Dean smirked at him. “I was just flying by the seat of my pants, hoping my half-baked idea worked.” They both laughed, for a while, and Cas wasn’t sure if it was the same for Dean, but the longer they lived in the past, the longer reality wouldn’t show up. Dean blew out air. “Have you noticed our plans never work out how we plan?”

Cas felt his heart break a little more. His plan was to live the rest of his life with Dean, with their two beautiful pups, but Dean was right, the odds were always stacked against them. 

“So…” Dean started, ducking his head. “I guess we better talk about custody of Jack and Claire, huh?” 

Cas swallowed. “I think we should.” 

*** 

I am so sorry A, I couldn’t help myself. I’ll get back to the real story. I love you 💙

[wazzappp]

@moosemonstrous THIS FUCKING SCENE. YOU. I AM FUCKING UNWELL ABOUT IT. AAAAAAAAAAAAA.

[jacobseed]

how dare [you] + theo xx

ty stella aaaaah theo i miss her

——

the look of his wet blue eyes, calm and relaxed but blended in sorrow, caused her heart to drop. how could he still hold this power over her? even has he sits there barely hanging onto the life she has taken from him?

“how dare you.” theo cries, anger heating her blood and fear gripping her heart. “how dare you think you can just die after everything?”

jacob smiles and blood slips past his lips and down his chin. “how could i stop you? you’ve always done what you wanted.” he weakly waves her over and she complies without a moment of hesitation. “it was always going to happen this way.”

she cries- she hates him with everything in her. but she drops to her knees and clings to him. “don’t leave me.”

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how do you know how bright you shine, unless the darkness has touched you?

elriel month prompt five: darkness lets the light shine

“Where do we go, once we die?”

Azriel’s eyebrows shot toward his hairline. The question had come out of nowhere, surprising him in the way only Elain possibly could. The juxtaposition of her morbid question posed against the truly wholesome surroundings they currently lay within also did not go unnoticed. 

It was mere weeks before the Summer Solstice, the balmy days growing longer and warmer making way for the hottest season. Enamoured by Elain’s genuine excitement for the arrival of midsummer, he had told her there was a little place he had wanted to take her one day whilst they were enjoying tea in her garden. He’d seen her quiet intrigue and immediately made the arrangements. 

Just four days later, Azriel had told Elain to await him in her rose garden at the river house, which she had done so, looking positively stunning adorned in one of her jewel coloured dresses. Gathering her in his arms, Azriel had flown Elain out toward the eastern outskirts of Velaris, to a field of wildflowers he’d soared over countless times on his way to the Steppes.

The valley was isolated, not another soul to be found for miles, and the long grass of the sloped plain danced in the wind as clumps of colourful wildflowers dotted its façade. 

Elain had silently stared in awe as they flew over the secluded glade, Azriel soundlessly landing them within it moments later.

Sure, he could have winnowed, but how else could he have relished in hours of having Elain held in his arms, the smooth pass of her fingers playing in the short hair at his neck. He may have taken a slightly longer route to get there, his wings only beating at not even half their usual speed, languidly sailing them through the warm breeze under the guise of not wanting to ruffle her hair or clothes too much.

As soon as Azriel had reluctantly placed Elain on her feet, she had promptly hitched her skirts in a fist and was immediately wandering about the valley, picking an array of wildflowers or simply stopping to inspect others. 

She had fashioned a crown of sorts out of some of the flowers she had picked, her lithe fingers braiding the stems skilfully as they sat knee to knee in the tall grass, basking in warm sun.

Resting the crown atop his head with a satisfied smile, she’d then scanned his face as if she wished to memorize it, before nodding just once, and proceeded to recline in the tall grass. Folding her hands over her stomach and crossing her ankles, she’d made herself comfortable, Azriel soon following suit and stretching out on his back beside her. 

So, when she had voiced her query about a subject so grim, she had certainly caught him off guard. Of course, he could appreciate that her mind was indeed diverse— other, even— so it made sense she contemplated such things that those without the power of Sight often wouldn’t. He knew her visions spoke to her in mysterious ways, the oracular nature of them perhaps awakening dark thoughts she may not have previously contemplated too closely.

Generally, the Fae abhorred talking about death and the afterlife. For long-lived creatures such as themselves, it often struck him as odd that they would avoid the topic of death as vehemently as they did.

It wasn’t taboo, per se, but it was wildly unpopular conversation material and generally regarded as morbid and inappropriate. Funny, where the fae decided to draw their lines.

He wasn’t sure if the attitude of the Fae toward the topic was born from a sense of arrogance, believing they were indeed the all-mighty, ever-enduring creatures that were impossible to kill that featured in the tales humans told their young, or, alternatively, if it simply stemmed from fear. He surmised that arguments could be made for both.

Azriel supposed, as a former human, mortality was a more commonplace thought for Elain. And besides, she didn’t shy away from discussing difficult topics. At least not with him, not lately. Her penchant to open such conversations and discuss them for hours with candour had become a favourite pastime of his.

The hard ground pressed into his back, the blades of grass tickling his wings as the breeze tousled his hair. One of his shadows braved the sunshine and darted out to twine lazily in Elain’s hair beside him.

“Why do you ask?” 

Instead of answering, he’d decided to prompt her further, unsure where her train of thought was headed. Seeking further explanation seemed the safest route before delving headfirst into such heavy discussion.

“Well, you- we, all live for so long now. As a human, we believed we would spend the afterlife in heaven to live out eternity in everlasting peace. Away from the threat of the fae above the wall,” a corner of mouth tugged up at the irony before she continued, “but, when your life spans for hundreds or even thousands of years… well, I suppose- where would you possibly want to go, after all that?”

Azriel paused, thinking on Elain’s question. Only to a former human would the thought occur that an immortal life may be enough. Humans were granted only a fraction of what the Fae may have, and yet they still greedily wanted more. Yes humans, with their seventy, eighty, maybe ninety-year lifespans— if they were lucky— seemed much more content with that. 

“After a faeries death, it is said they pass into the Land of Milk and Honey,” he supplied simply.

He heard Elain shift beside him. “And what is that, exactly? Is it like heaven?”

“It is our promised land. The souls of the worthy are sent to that paradise to enjoy the spoils of abundance and endless comforts. Infinite bounties and peace.”

Elain paused again, before continuing. “And how does that differ from what we have now?”

Azriel blinked. He supposed she was right. The life they were fortunate enough to lead, was extremely abundant. It is true, it had not always been this way for all of them. Not him, certainly not Cassian, and even the Archerons had lived in impoverishment for years before Feyre was taken above the wall. But now, they wanted for nothing.

Truly, they were beyond comfortable and happy.

“I suppose, any stress or anguish dissipates there too.”

Elain hummed, sinking back into quiet contemplation. She stared up at the sky, the clouds lazily drifting by in the breeze making shapes that depicted nothing at all.

“Where do you think I’ll end up?”

Azriel snapped his head toward her, the grass beneath him poking into the side of his face as he stared over at Elian.

Her face was still tilted up toward the sky, her profile lovely and cheeks flushed from the warm sun. But her brow was furrowed slightly, as much dissatisfaction as Elain’s pleasant countenance would allow to show in a moment like this.

Was she anxious about her mortality? Had she Seen something of concern? His shadows skittered restlessly in the shelter his wings provided from the sun.

“Well, I suppose that would be up to you.”

Elain blinked slowly before rolling over onto her side to face him fully, her legs curling up toward her belly, her bare feet skimming the tunic of his leathers. Her slippers lay discarded a few meters away, having kicked them off earlier, sinking her toes into the soft grass.

“How so?”

Turning his face back toward the heavens he inhaled slowly before answering her.

“Well, how do you feel? Inside- in your soul? Do you feel more human, or fae?”

Her eyebrows twitched as his question registered in her mind. “Are you saying I would get a choice? When the time comes?”

He didn’t want to think about a world without Elain Archeron in it. He hoped he would be long gone before that day came.

“I don’t see why not.”

A little contemplative noise drifted from her throat. She was silent for several moments before her next question bubbled from her lips.

“What do the Illyrians believe? Where do they think they go?”

Azriel’s expression flickered, his eyes glazing over at the mention of his heritage.

“The Illyrians are a war mongering race whose beliefs reflect as such. They say that if you die an honourable death during battle, you are worthy of spending the afterlife with Enalius and his battalion, feasting and drinking with all the greatest warriors in Epidamnos’ golden palace, forever more.”

Again, Elain went silent, twisting her face toward the clear blue sky once more. The lines of her face were contemplative, thoughtful.

“So then, you would have a choice too. Illyrian, or fae.”

She spoke of such things so simply, so matter-of-factly. As if she were merely commenting on the weather. How her sunny disposition managed to innocently seep into a topic as dark and morose as death and discuss it so simply was a true testament to Elain’s innate goodness.

“By those standards, I suppose you’d be correct.”

She turned to him again, poking him in the arm with a slender finger.

“Well? Would you choose the fae afterlife? Or the fancy Illyrian one?”

Her doe eyes were wide, eager, bright in the afternoon sun. Not a hint of jest on her lovely face. Just pure curiosity and genuine interest.

Snaking his hand through the long strands of the soft grass he reached for her, threading his fingers between hers. Her skin was smooth, soft, warmed from the waxing summer sun.

He held her hand within his, her small palm engulfed in his large one, and he marvelled at the feel of it. Her slender fingers curled between his, squeezing his hand gently in return.

Locking his gaze on hers, he found his breathing slowing, his mind quietening, his body thawing as if it were melting into the earth in her presence. He always felt like some cosmic puzzle was clicking into place, some unanswered question was finally finding its solution when Elain stared at him like that.

He finally felt whole, complete. Like the Armageddon of dark and light clashing and the war of those two sides melding to create something entirely new; something precious and terrifying and rare. A perfect, equal blend of the two. Of Dark and Light.

Bringing her hand up to his lips, he pressed a tender kiss to the unblemished skin of her palm.

“I’ll go wherever you go, Elain.”

*******

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