#go with a mountain to a volcano or something

[factual-flittermouse]

“When does a comet become a meteor”

But it doesn’t, for you see

A meteor’s made of rock and metal

While a comet is ice and debris

What they’re speaking of is an asteroid

What they’re speaking of is an asteroid ~

[cheapshrimpysheep]

Dating in a Dream - Jade Leech

SUMMARY: What would his dream be like, exactly the same as in the original story, but with the small detail that he is dreaming that you two are dating?

CHARACTERS: Jade Leech x Reader🐬🦐

TAGS: Fluff; GN Reader; In a Relationship (kinda); Kiss; Flirting

WARNING: Spoilers from Book 7 and Jade’s dream (Eng Server)

WORD COUNT: 3.390 words

COMMENTS: This was written as a companion piece to the original dream story, so the parts that are the same as the game are just summarized.

I hope you enjoy🐬

Dating in a Dream: Idia / Epel / Rook / Vil / Kalim / Jamil / Floyd / (Jade) / Azul / Jack / ...

“Aether signal tracking successful.” Ortho announces. “We have arrived at the designated coordinates.”

You, Grim, Silver, Sebek, Ortho, Jamil, and Floyd already appeared in the dream underwater and your aerospheres were working well by all indications. After a little chitchat about Silver's signature spell, Sebek and Floyd hear something, and then everything starts to shake like an earthquake.

“Surrounding water temperature rising sharply.” Ortho warns. “Immediate evacuation recommended!”

Floyd shapeshifts into his mer form and takes everyone away from that place quickly. You managed to came out unharmed from an submarine volcano eruption thanks to him.

After talking about how dangerous submarine volcanoes are, not only because of the temperature but also because of the toxic gases, you all decide to go look for Jade. Floyd asked if Idia couldn't give you all a mer-form too, but Idia explained that he didn't have data to do it and that, unlike him, you had no experience in swimming with mer-folk tails. Floyd understands because it took him a while to learn to walk on two legs so he assumed it would be something similar.

But before you set off in search of Jade, Floyd changes his appearance a bit and starts to glow in the dark. He says it's called counter-illumination and explains how it actually works as camouflage in deep, dark places like that.

You searched a lot without success and with your vision and smell limited by the gases. Until Ortho detects an aether signal 20 meters ahead.

“Look at this hydrothermal vent! Though it's spewing hot water nonstop, you can see it's actually home to a colony of shellfish if you look closely!” Jade says smiling. “How do they survive in a place like this? I'd be boiled alive in an instant.”

“If I might remind you, Jade, we're not searching for shellfish worth less than a sorcent.” Azul says. “We're looking for precious metals that settle in hydrothermal deposits.”

“I'm aware, Azul.” You see the dreamer's silver bird around Jade's head. “But it's still nice to take a moment to enjoy the mountain scenery.”

“Yup, that's Jade and Azul, all right.” Floyd confirms.

Azul talks about them looking for very valuable gold and him wanting to become a leading figure in the mining industry. And Jade seems to be enjoying following him.

Jamil says he thinks that Azul is just like the real one, but Idia and Floyd, who know him better, say there's something strange about him. Floyd even says he doubts that Azul would voluntarily go near a volcano.

The fake Azul sees something shining in a vent, he pluged up the vent for a moment with ice magic to then try to scoop up the gold while the flow's stopped. He puts his hand inside and reach for the shiny thing hoping it's gold, but the water redirected and erupt from another vent, right at him, which made Jade start laughing. The fake Azul didn't seem to mind having his arm a bit boiled to get the gold.

And suddenly, both the way Azul spoke and his facial features changed.

“So, uh...” Idia says through tablet. “Am I the only guy thinking Azul's acting like a sketch comedy actor here?”

Floyd and Idia (and maybe you too) are the only ones who really notice the differences between that exaggerated version of Azul and the real one.

Ortho mentions that there is an NPC version of Azul, but he is not seeing any NPC version of Floyd anywhere.

“Ah! Right near where Azul found the gold dust...” Jade says. “There's a school of small shrimp living in a rock fissure that's venting hot water! Floyd! Come over here and have a look.”

The NPC version of Floyd appears, but with facial features way oversimplified.

“It's like Floyd would be if he were drawn in an absurdist comedy manga...” Idia comments.

“Look at these tiny shrimp, living in such a harsh environment.” Jade continues telling NPC Floyd.

“Ooh you're right! They look delish! Eheheh!” NPC Floyd says in a more childish voice than normal. “Ahaha, lookit how cute and teeny they are! I could eat 'em right up!”

“My, my. What a bold gourmand you are, Floyd.” Jade comments with a mocking smile.

The fake Floyd grebes the shrimp and eats them. Idia comments that that Floyd is scary in a whole different way from the real one, and Floyd says that he's nothing like that, that Jade is the one who eats random stuff he finds on the ground in the mountains, not him.

“Heh heh heh. What fun Azul and Floyd are having.” Jade says amusedly. “I just love the mountains.”

“KYAAA! Poor little shrimps!” An abnormally cute voice says. “Floyd is so scary!”

A new NPC appears: You! Or rather, you in mer-form with a tail like a shrimp's, and you see your NPC quickly swimming up to Jade to hug his arm like a scared child.

“Don't let him bite me, Jade~” Your NPC begs cutely with a tear in the corner of their eye. And your face was also different from your real face, the eyes seemed bigger and brighter, but in a way that was almost pitiful.

“Fu fu fu. Worry not, my dear. You're the only little shrimp I would never let him nibble on.” Jade says, as he intertwines his tail with your NPC's.

“T-That (Y/N)...” Idia says. “C-could it be...?”

“Jade~” Your NPC continues to say, without letting go of Jade's arm and happy that he intertwined their tails. “You'll always protect me, won't you?”

“Of course, my love. You can always depend on me for whatever you need.”

“You make me so happy, Jade! I love you so much!” Your NPC smiles like a ray of sunshine.

“I love you too, my dear.” Jade responds with a cute smile and kiss your NPC's forehead.

But your NPC doesn't seem pleased and tilts their head a certain way. Jade chuckles and kisses their cheek affectionately, which makes your NPC finally smile in satisfaction.

“AH! IT IS! IT IS!” Idea continues suddenly.

“What? What is it?” Silver asks.

“(Y/N)'s NPC in Jade's dream is... is... A CLINGY, DEPENDENT DEREDERE!!!”

“Hm... Sorry, but what is a dere..dere?” Silver asks.

“An openly love-struck character who is continuously sweet, flirtatious and affectionate towards their love interest.” Ortho clarifies. “And it seems that (Y/N) and Jade Leech are each other's romantic interests in this dream.”

Everyone is surprised to find out that Jade has a crush on you. As for Floyd, he simply has no reaction.

“I assume you already knew, Floyd Leech.” Ortho says.

“Kinda. I mean, I wasn't sure, but I think it explains some things.”

“Like what?”

“Huh... Ortho, maybe we'll leave that to them.” Idia suggests and the subject returns to observing Jade and the NPCs.

“I was worried about what to do after climbing every single mountain on land...” Jade says. “But the ocean's far vaster, with a great many unexplored submarine volcanoes.”

“I'll never give up before I strike gold!” NPC Azul says.

“Ooh, ooh, Jade! These crabs are pretty tasty, too! Eheheh!” NPC Floyd says.

“Aw, these corals are so beautiful. Jade~, can we pick them? Pretty please~” Your NPC says.

“Heheheh. I'm delighted you're all enjoying yourselves.” Jade smiles. “May the four of us overcome every obstacle and conquer every mountain!”

“Hip hip, hooray!” Jade and the NPCs celebrate together.

“AAAUGH, I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” Floyd shouts and charges them right in!

Sebek asks if you should join him, but Jamil says that you are at a disadvantage underwater and it could be dangerous for you all, so it's best to wait for a better opportunity.

“Hey... Jade.” The real Floyd confronts him. “Knock it off with this creepy dream. You're givin' me scale-bumps from gills to tail!”

“Huh? There are two Floyds?”

“Why, it's a perfect mirror image!” NPC Azul claims.

“How'm I a perfect mirror image of THAT? We don't look nothin' alike.” The real Floyd says.

“Who's this guy? It cool if I squeeze 'em and eat 'em? Ahaha!” The fake Floyd says.

“I knew you never paid much attention to other people, but I ain't buyin' this is the best your memory can dredge up.” The real Floyd returns to the subject. “There's no way I'd act all gleeful gobblin' up live shrimp wedged under rocks!”

“Floyd...?” Jade's dream world begins to distort. “You don't eat live shrimp...?”

“Don't let him fool you, Jade!” Fake Azul intervenes. “Look closer. Floyd isn't some menacing-looking gangster. He's more simpleminded and charming than that. Look at this endearing smile!”

“Hey, Jade? I'm bored.” Fake Floyd says. “Wanna ditch this guy and go eat crab somewhere else? Ahaha!”

“Yes... Right.” Jade agrees. “Floyd's always been the endearing type. Our relatives loved doting on him. This has to be the real Floyd.”

“Really, now. How could you ever mix up who your one brother is? Are you getting fatigued? Given your exhaustive knowledge of the mountains, you're essential for my gold search. Please, pull yourself together.”

“Heheheh... Of course. You, Floyd and (Y/N) would be helpless without me.”

The goopy darkness surrounds you and the figures of Azul, Floyd and you become dark silhouettes.

“Come, Jade, let's ignore them and move on.” Darkness Azul says.

“C'mon already, Jade!” Darkness Floyd adds.

“Please, come with me, my love.” Your darkness figure seduces him.

“Yes... Of... course...”

“Oh, is that how it's gonna be?” The real Floyd says. “In that case, you can keep pallin' around with your ‘real’ brother in dreamland. I don't want a brother like that anyway. I'mma knock ALLA you into the volcano!”

The real Floyd attacks all three NPCs including yours, and all three beg Jade for help.

“How dare you hurt them.” Jade defends them. “You will pay dearly for this, impostor. HAAAH!” and he attacks the real Floyd.

“I keep tryin' to tell you, I'M the real one!”

Floyd asks Idia if a good shock to the system wasn't supposed to wake someone up, but Idia realizes that in that case the pattern is different. In this case, Jade had extraordinarily high belief in himself to the point to refusing to budge in his opinion no matter what counterpoints others make.

You all wonder how you're supposed to wake Jade up, but Floyd suggests that you let him sleep forever since he liked that dream so much. He turns back to Jade.

“I'll cut you into chum so you never wake up again, Jade! GYAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“All of you, get back! I'll handle this!”

“Please, be careful, Jade~!” Your NPC tells him.

“He will pay for even daring to touch you, (Y/N).” Jade tells them before attacking Floyd. “*screech!*”

The Leech twins began to fight, attacking each other violently with their sharp nails and teeth, and their fight ends up whipping the water into a whirlpool.

“Their roughhousing is destroying the fragile vents and sending hot water spewing out all over the place.” Jamil says.

All of you take shelter behind a boulder. Even the darkness NPCs are scared and hiding behind rocks. However, the boulder you were holding onto breaks and you are pulled into the whirlpool.

“(Y/N)!” Everyone shouts.

You scream and both Floyd and Jade hear you, making them pause the fight.

“(Y/N)?” Jade looks back, but his vision was limited by all the sand and smoke.

Your aerosphere bursts because it can't resist the heat and gases. Amidst the sand and smoke, Jade sees your silhouette with legs instead of a merfolk tail.

“(Y/N)!!!”

Jade abandons the fight with Floyd completely and rushes towards you. He gets you and sees you holding your breath.

“Did you not take your last dose of the potion? Doesn't matter! I have to get you out of here NOW!”

Jade quickly takes you away from the heat and toxic gases and consequently away from everyone else too. When he thought you were in a safe place, he used his magic to create a bubble around your head. You take a deep breath.

“(Y/N), are you all right?” He asks you calmly with his arms around you in a protective and loving way. “What happened?”

This is your chance to tell him the truth and try to wake him up.

“Jade, listen to me.” You cup his face with your hands. “Would the Azul you know really risk so much for a measly bit of gold?”

“What?” He is surprised that you seemingly completely change the subject.

“And Floyd, your own brother.” You continue. “Between the one who depends on you and the one who attacked you tooth and nail, do you really believe that your twin is the docile idiot one?”

“Floyd...? He... Hrk!”

The world distorts again and Jade's head starts to hurt, but he doesn't let go of you.

“JAAADEEE!” You hear a voice approaching, and then you see... you in mer-form arriving and clinging to Jade's arm. “Jade! What are you doing?” Your NPC whines. ��That's not me! I'm right here.”

Jade looks between you and your NPC, confused.

“Is this how you see me?” You say. “Like a helpless and dependent weakling?”

“Wha- Why are they so mean?” Your NPC whines again. “Jade, darling, please leave this impostor and come back with me, my love. I need you so much.”

“You are a kind person.” Jade tells your NPC. “And your lack of magic makes you more vulnerable than me. But you are not that hopeless.” He looks at them with that rare serious face, a bad sign for them.

“WHAT?”

“If you were, you would never have been able to defeat us and Azul that midterms... Urgh!” The world distorts again. “Midterms... At Night Raven College... on land... Augh, I have a splitting headache! Urgh, augh...!”

Jade remembers what you're really like, what Azul and Floyd are really like too, and what you've all been through in Night Raven College. And the dream breaks.

“Jade! Are you all right?!” NPC Azul says, arriving with NPC Floyd. “Oh, thank goodness you're alive! I was afraid I lost my precious subordinate!”

“Your... precious subordinate?” Jade repeats, surprised.

“If we lost you, I'd cry, Jade.” NPC Floyd says. “Don't go anywhere again, 'kay?”

“...Don't go anywhere?... Indeed... The Azul and Floyd I know would never say such things. How could I have forgotten something so important?” He releases you and makes your NPC release him too. “Floyd is never so docile. He's far more unruly. And Azul would never willingly expose himself to danger. He's send someone else to do it instead. More to the point - neither of them would merrily tag along on my mountain expeditions. What was I thinking?”

“Jade! You would believe this imposter over us?!” NPC Azul inquires.

“Unfair! You said I was the real one, Jade!” NPC Floyd complains.

“I implore you to reconsider!”

The fake Azul and Floyd each grab one of Jade's arms.

“Could you please not touch me? It's sickening.”

Jade attacks both of them without mercy and the two turn into darkness figures and disappear in the goop. Jade looks seriously at your mer-form version.

“And you...”

“ME? Jade, my love” Your NPC begs in tears. “Please, stay with me. *sniff* You are my everything.”

“Do me a favor, dear, and shut your mouth. Your despair disgusts me.” And he attacks the fake version of you as ruthlessly as he attacked the false Azul and Floyd.

“But... my... love...” Were the last words of your NPC, before also turning into darkness and disappearing.

Jade looks at you and his expression softens.

“You... you are the real (Y/N), aren’t you?”

“After seeing what you did to the others, do you really think that I would deny it even if I wasn't?”

“He he he. Sounds like you, at least.”

“Heeey, Jade.” The real Floyd approaches you two. “You finally awake?”

“Yes, thanks to (Y/N) and you.”

The two laugh a little before attacking each other again. But this time, as brothers would do in a fight at home. The others finally catch up to you too.

“(Y/N)!” Grim goes straight to you to hug you. “You need to get stronger!” He complains with a few small tears in his eyes. It even reminded you of when he finally rejoined you in STYX.

Idia takes the opportunity to restore your aerosphere.

“Ah, everyone,” Jade says to your group, after another exchange of punches and words with Floyd. “What an embarrassing brotherly squabble you've witnessed. I'm terribly sorry you had to see that.”

“Dude, that wasn't a 'squabble.'” Idia says through the tablet. “That was a full-blown super kaiju brothers brawl.”

“Um... Anyway, I'm glad Jade's awake and the two of them mended bridges.” Silver says.

“You call that mending bridges...?” Jamil questions.

“Heh heh. Yes, we've made up.” Jade smiles reassuringly. “My apologies for giving you cause for concern.”

“Tch. Speak for yourself. I ain't satisfied yet, but we're not gonna get anywhere arguin' about it in a dream, se whatevs.”

“A dream? Floyd, what do you mean by that?”

“Mind if I field this one?” Ortho asks. “I've got an explainer video here that will help...”

“I see... What a fascinating tale.” Jade says. “So the false Azul, Floyd and (Y/N) were there to keep me anchored in the dream. Neither Azul or Floyd have ever shown any interest in my hobbies, and yet they joined me to trek through a multitude of mountains... And (Y/N)...” He looks at you and then back at the rest of the group. “Excuse me, could you give us a moment alone, please?”

The others look at you to see if you also want to have that moment alone with Jade and when they see your confirmation they let Jade take you by the hand a little further away.

“If my brother felt the way he did when he saw the Floyd from my dream,” Jade smiles kind of awkwardly. “I can only imagine how you must have felt when you saw your version.”

“So... is it true that that means you like me?” You ask.

“Well, thinking how pleasurable my dream with you was... It seems like I cannot deny my fondness for you anymore.”

“Anymore?”

“Oh, don't mind that part.” He smiles with his hands clasped in front of him. “I can only hope you weren't too uncomfortable with what you witnessed. My deepest apologies.”

You remember the dependent, loving fool you saw.

“Do you really like me, or that version of me?”

“You saw the Azul and Floyd versions. Do you really think I preferred those two poor unfortunate souls to the real ambitious and unpredictable ones? Oh my, you don't believe that my tastes are that... rudimentary, do you?”

In fact, you had already seen several dreams, and Malleus’ spell does not always fit with what the dreamer true wishes. Floyd's own dream, for example.

Well, you finding out, against his will, that he likes you, maybe it would be a good opportunity for you to admit that you like him too.

“Oh...” Jade's smile turns from his polite one to a smirk. “Truly...?” He still had his counter-illumination active, so him getting closer to you with that bright eye in the middle of the darkness gave you a nice, different type of chill. “You know,” He swims around you, “I agree with my brother that happy endings are often quite dull.” to stop in front of you again, but now with his tail blocking any escape you could make. “But in this case.” He tilts your head with his fingers on your chin. “Something tells me this relationship would be more... interesting... after these confessions.” He brings his face closer to yours and consequently his lips closer to yours as well. “I wonder what it would be like if we both stopped holding back.” He whispers with your noses touching slightly. “What do you say?”

He's not going to kiss you, he's teasing you to do it. And if you do kiss his lips, you'll feel his tail wrap around your legs, his arms go around your back, and you will feel him deepening the kiss before suddenly breaking it.

“Don't get me wrong, my dear.” He whispers to you. “But unfortunately, we have people waiting for us and I wouldn't like to be interrupted by third parties. Which is a shame,” He brings his lips close to your ear. “You are a delightful taste.”

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

[justanotherbirdbrain-blog]

Geology of Natural Disasters and How to write them into your fictional universe.

So, you want to write about a natural disaster to advance your plot and torture your players/characters even more? Let me tell you how, accurately.

I feel like unless it is a volcano, natural disasters are a pretty slept on plot drivers, and some of them are really cool and unique! Today, I will talk to you about land slides, earthquakes (And earthquake related disasters), and volcanoes.

Landslides: Probably one I see the least in stories, but one that would be incredibly interesting to write into a plot where they believe in curses. Landslides can happen along ocean bluffs, slightly hilly areas, and highly mountainous areas, this means it is something that can happen in most landscapes. But what can trigger a landslide? Mostly all you need to trigger a landslide could be just abnormally large amounts of rain, excessive deforestation (with a little bit of rain), or an earthquake. If you don't want to use deforestation or an earthquake as a catalyst, a really cool indicator that the land is slipping and may be prone to a collapse is J hooked trees.

This indicates that there is soil creeping slowly over time, and it may lead to a major landslide.

2. Earthquakes: Probably one of the easiest things to write, earthquakes can happen anywhere, but they are most common in places that are tectonically active areas. There are about three types of environments you can expect earthquakes to be common. The first is just rugged mountains, if your landscape looks like this, you should write in earthquakes. Associated hazards could be landslides, avalanches, and large falling rocks.

The next landscape could be a thin mountain range, next to the ocean, very scenic, but very dangerous. Essentially, I am describing a subduction zone environment.

Earthquakes in these areas could equal a couple different associated disasters. Scenario one: A very large earthquake happens, and the ocean begins to recede. This is a tsunami, enough said. If you are writing a tsunami though, please, please, do not write it as a large wave, thank you. Also, a common way people are hurt by tsunami's are from them going into the ocean because they don't understand a tsunami is going to happen.

Scenario two: A large earthquake happens, your characters are in a valley and suddenly the ground begins to liquify as the ground shakes, once the shaking stops, the ground becomes solid like nothing ever happened, except everything has suddenly sunk into the now hard ground. This is called liquefaction and it typically happens in areas that have loose dirt or lots of saturated soil.

Scenario three: There are a lot of small earthquakes, they do not cause a lot of damage, but you begin to notice that one of the isolated mountains has a plume rising. Earthquakes can indicate lava moving underground and the filling of magma chambers.

The next environment that can host lots of earthquakes would be regions that have a lot of really deep valleys and small mountain ranges (not cone volcanoes), but overall seems pretty flat.

This indicates a transform fault like the San Andreas. If you want to hint at there being earthquakes in the area, you can show fence posts that are suddenly several feet out of line at a dilapidated farm or something similar.

(These earthquakes are different because they are cased from sideways movement, not an up-and-down movement this hint can only be used for this environment). Volcanoes would not be found here, but liquefaction and landslides could still occur here.

4. Volcanoes: If you thought earthquakes had a lot of information, volcanoes do too. First you have to ask yourself, what kind of volcano you want to have, what kind of eruption style? So lets break down the kind of eruptions you can have and what their landscapes look like. Hawaiian Shield volcano: This will produce a smooth fast lava, the landscape typically is pretty flat, but there will be small cones and the rocks can have a ropey or jagged texture and the rocks will be almost exclusively black to dark red.

Stratovolcanoes: These will be solitary mountains, typically, that look like perfect cones (Picture shown in earthquake section). These will have large ash cloud eruptions and pyroclastic flows, they may have some lava, but typically most damage is done from the pyroclastic flows (think Pompeii). Some hints of these, other than describing the cone features (which can be hidden by other mountains), would be to talk about petrified wood! Trees can get fossilized in the ash and I imagine it would be very strange to find this rock that clearly looks to be a piece of wood, but its a rock. Subcategory- Calderas: Used to be a large stratovolcano, but they erupt so explosively that the entire cone collapses and creates a basin.

There are a lot of kinds of volcanoes out there, so forgive me for just putting an infographic and then talking to you about these really rare types of eruptions that I feel like people should know about.

Okay lets talk about blue lava (kind of) and black lava

You will notice the lava is still red in the middle of this image, during the day these would look like a normal eruption, but at night the burning sulfur would make it appear blue. Some cool features other than this, would be that any water in the area would become very acidic and burn the skin due to sulfuric acid. This would again be really cool if you are trying to describe a 'cursed' land.

Black lava: This happens only in the east African rift I believe, but it is a carbonatite lava, but if you are writing in a rift valley (where the continent is tearing apart to form a new ocean) this might be a cool feature. The lava will cool white and will quickly erode, it makes for a very alien landscape!

Anyway as always, this is supposed to be an introductive guide for the basics of writing geology to create cool landscapes/features into dnd or fictional universes, if you are a geologist please understand my oversimplification of tectonics, I didn't want people to run away.

[primal--scream]

Eddie will never know exactly what makes it finally click for him, but the second it does, there's no going back.

Maybe it's divine intervention. Maybe it's Bobby's ghost; maybe it's Shannon's. Maybe it's the way that Buck had smiled at him that morning over a bowl a cereal.

Could have been the way Buck had spent all of last night helping Chris research his paper on the Cold War, excitement pouring out of him while Chris smiled at him like he was better than ice cream. Or maybe it was the fondness on Buck's face when Chris had told them he wanted Bobby's lasagna and Buck's bread pudding for his birthday meal.

Maybe it's the way the sun is currently streaming through the kitchen window, turning Buck's two day stubble into burnished copper and gold.

He knows it could be any one of a million normal things that go on between them in any given day that just all of a sudden landed differently. But as far as Eddie is concerned, it doesn't actually matter why or how or when. It only matters that it is.

With a clarity he's never felt before, he realizes he's not looking for a way out or an excuse to push it away. He's done running from the good things in his life. He's done being afraid to take what he wants. He's done being a spectator in his own life.

What he does know is that he can't seem to look away from how beautiful Buck is at this very moment. It's not a thought he's had before and not one he'd ever thought he'd have in the first place, but it's a rock solid truth that goes bone deep. Buck is beautiful, and Eddie wants him, and that's all there is to it.

He can't look away from the unruly way Buck's hair curls across his forehead or the way his hands work the dough across the island. He's mesmerized by the way Buck's face is flushed with exertion and how there's a small smudge of flour high on his cheekbone from where he used the back of his hand to scratch an itch. Eddie has the sudden urge to wipe it away, to rub his thumb over the same spot, maybe press a gentle kiss there just to watch Buck blush.

There's a burning inside him, and he wonders if this is what a volcano feels like just before it erupts. All bubbling fire and cresting heat as its lava slowly works its way up, up, up to the mouth of the mountain before spilling over in an explosive inferno.

He has a driving need to move, to touch, to taste, to have. There's an urgency under his skin, it almost makes him itch. He realizes he can't stand here, in this spot that seems so far away from what he wants, for even one more second.

Buck startles when Eddie reaches him, his head comes up, a question in his eyes, but Eddie just takes the dough from his hands and sets it further up on the cutting board. He does touch the flour on Buck's cheek briefly before he slides his hand behind Buck’s neck, fingers splaying wide against the back of his head. He sees the confusion on Buck's face turn to surprise, and then something else, something almost like anticipation and then hope as Eddie slowly pulls him forward.

When there's only air between them, and Eddie's mouth is a mere inch from Buck's, he runs his nose along Buck's cheekbone smearing the flour onto his own face. Eddie hears Buck's sharp inhale. It makes him smile, lets his bottom lip just barely graze Buck's cherry pink upper lip.

Not wasting another second Eddie slants his mouth over Buck's in a kiss that leaves no room for doubt about who Buck is to him and what he wants.

Kissing Buck is everything he's always thought first kisses should be. Awkward for just a split second until they're both there, and then everything falls into place and they ebb and flow like a tide, trading soft and short and long and deep kisses back and forth until they're both breathless with it.

When Buck pulls back and his eyes flutter open a smile splits his face when he asks, "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Eddie says before diving back in for another kiss. They don't break apart until much later when they hear crutches coming down the hallway.

[written-in-flowers]

The Places Between Us: The Dragon Prince (OT8 x Fem!Reader)

Pairing: Jeong Yunho x Fem!Reader | Side pairings: Hongjoong x Fem!Reader, Ateez x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 12k

Genre: Smut, Angst, Slight fluff | AU: fantasy!au

Summary: Being snatched up by Prince Yunho, YN is whisked away to the Burning Valley. There, she learns the exact purpose of his harem of wives and what he's expecting from her.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!

Overall Tags: dub-con, mind control, enslavement, kidnapping, forced breeding, monster fucking, sex work, mentions/implications of abuse, mentions/implications of SA, stockholm syndrome, public sex, exhibitionism, humiliation, degradation, breeding kink, bigdick!Seonghwa, bigdick!Yunho, DoubleDick!Yunh, face fucking, throat fucking, undead sex, sex w/ undead, belly bulge, anal sex, anal fingering, vaginal sex, multiple positions, multiple orgasms, squirting/vaginal ejaculation, slight size kink (height wise), overstimulation, facials, cum swallowing, choking, dom!ateez, sub!reader, tit fucking, sex toys, bondage, multiple partners, threesome, orc!jongho, naga!seonghwa, demon!hongjoong, dragon!yunho, undead!mingi, goblin!yeosang, lycan!san, lycan!wooyoung.

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Part 1: The Naga King < | > Part 3: The Undead Soldier

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The morning sun broke through the clouds and heated your frozen body as you flew past it. You saw the mainland getting closer, a mountain range shrouded by smoky clouds. The scent of sulfur sharply pinched your nose and made you cough when you flew past the barrier between rocky cliffs and volcanic mountains. The smoke and smog from the volcanoes blotted out the bright sun, creating its own suffocating heat that filled your throat in every breath. It was hot. Far too hot. The dragonite soldier carried you a safe distance from the ground, but gushes of heat beat on your naked body. 

Soon, you saw black stone buildings nestled in the center of the volcanic valley. They led up to a castle that was built into the mountains surrounding it. Statues of dragons shot out from underneath windows, perched on gates, sliding along staircase railings, and outstretching their wings on the tall towers going into the sky. The soldier finally landed down on an open balcony on the side of the mountain where more soldiers stood at attention. Where you expected to see Yunho, you instead saw a tall female Dragonite in the same black armor as the rest with wings resting high behind her. She had dark brown scales going up her body, with only her underbelly and face being untouched. Amber eyes stared at you indifferently, scanning over you. 

“Asher,” the woman said in a cool voice, “Why is she still naked?”

“I had to get her quickly, Commander,” the soldier replied anxiously. “The distraction only took King Seonghwa a little bit outside his room, and my window was closing.”

“Hm,” the Commander said, “Understandable, I suppose. I’ll take her from here, soldier. Back to your post.”

“Yes, Commander.” 

The Dragonite stared you up and down, then began circling as she inspected you. “I will say this is most irregular. Lord Kim mentioned a priest, not a priestess. If we had known the gift was a woman, we would have made different accommodations.” 

“I'm not a priestess,” you told her, “I'm YN.”

It seemed if you kept pretending to be Lord Kim's “gift” his allies didn't immediately think of murdering you. Your curse already made it nearly impossible to resist their advances. What was it Seonghwa had said? Something about fighting it making it worse? You didn't see how that helped since it will take over anyway. As much as you hated it, you then added:

“Lord Kim hopes Prince Yunho is satisfied with me.”

“He must be if he had you whisked away in the dead of night. He's likely worried King Seonghwa would keep you for himself. Don't worry, my lady, Yunho will treat you well. You must be tired,” she said, guiding you away from the balcony railing and back inside. “I imagine King Seonghwa’s appetite could not be satisfied with only one round. Prince Yunho mentioned you may be injured?”

“I was. Seonghwa gave me some kind of healing balm that took care of it a little.”

“Good, at least the serpent had some sense of tenderness.” She led you down a rocky corridor lit by torches. “I’m Atala,” she said, “Commander of Prince Yunho’s personal guard and Keeper of his breeders. I’ll be looking after you when His Grace isn’t around to tend to you himself.”

“Are we going to Yunho?” you asked. 

“No, I’m taking you to the harem,” she said, “Where you’ll be staying with the other breeders.”

“Wait, ‘breeders’? What do you mean by that?”

“Prince Yunho's wives."

The word twisted your stomach. She guided you into a room at the end of the hall. Wide with a high ceiling, the large window gave a view of the valley below. The red-orange sky looked more appealing down below than from the clouds. Stone buildings went along the top of the hills and spilled down into the valley. A multitude of different Dragonites moved about in various colors, their wings lifting them off the ground. Hongjoong used to tell you about the Dragonites in the southern valleys. He said the best blacksmiths came from here. Masters of metal and jewels, they were miners, jewelers, inventors and expert warriors. He'd once brought you a metal, musical jewelry box. You grinned softly remembering the little gold dragon that circled the inside. The lullaby reminded you of Hongjoong. 

 "Little star, little star, oh how far you are."

 His clear, high voice brought comfort in this unfamiliar place. You took a look around the room. Tall planters of fresh fruit and vegetables went up the sides of the window, getting their light from the skylight above.  

Their water came from a waterfall that led into a wide, shallow pool in the middle. Bedrooms lined the circular room, giving the impression of a beehive rather than a room. No staircases. Why? Yunho could fly.  Yunho provided the harem girls with various instruments, a book nook, and a painting corner. It reminded you of the main room back in The Rooster’s Nest, where the girls entertained the incoming clients. 

“Girls,” Atala called out, her voice echoing in the room, “Come on out. We have a new wife."

New wife?

Out of a nearby room came four women. The tallest stood out first: an elven maiden with long lavender hair tied in a long plait stood at the forefront, arms crossed. The smallest had glittery pink wings that fluttered rapidly behind her as she landed beside the elf. A werecat of orange and white stood proudly upright, her golden eyes staying right on you. Next to her came a dragonite, her scales a rich azure streaked by molten gold and long claws a black as onyxes. All of them wore variations of the same muslin fabric, covering their feminine parts but still tantalizing. No doubt Prince Yunho wanted there to be some cohesion amongst his concubines. You wondered if you'd be given clothes to regain some dignity. 

“Oh my!” the fairy gasped, her voice high-pitched, “She’s naked!”

“King Seonghwa doesn’t dress his slaves,” said the dragonite. She picked up a quilt from a nearby armchair and placed it around you. “There, that’s better. At least until you get clothes,” Golden eyes blinked at you warmly, “I’m Celeste.”

“I’m YN.”

“I’m Delly,” the fairy smiled, batting her wings. When you looked down, you noticed the small pregnant belly poking through the dress. 

“I’m Fauna,” the werecat bowed her head. Her cropped top didn't hide her swelling stomach, which she touched absentmindedly as she spoke.

“And I’m Luna,” the elf introduced herself. Not as prominent as Delly or Fauna, you did notice the heaviness of her breasts and a slight curved belly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, YN. His Grace told us we’d be having a new sister soon, but…I didn’t think you'd be human.”

 "Or female," added Celeste.

“It’s certainly a surprise,” agreed Fauna. “I thought he’d been crazy enough to kidnap a Naga maiden. You know, just to rub it in Seonghwa’s face.”

“No, Yunho isn’t that reckless,” said Celeste. Like her ‘sisters’, Celeste also seemed to be carrying a child. Her belly was further along, and she waddled when she walked. “We may not be on good terms with the Naga, but he wouldn’t try to start a war with them. Not during times like this, anyways.”

"He still stole a gift meant for Seonghwa," Fauna said. "If that doesn't piss off Kim or Seonghwa, I’ll be surprised.”

“Come, YN,” Delly took your hand, guiding you to a table nearby. “You must be really hungry. I know I was when they brought me here. Fauna told me I was a stick with wings when I came,” she giggled, pouring fresh milk from a pitcher and handing it to you. “But don’t worry, Yunho only gives us the best and freshest food. You’ll be plump in no time! Especially if you get pregnant.”

You nearly spat out the milk. “I’m sorry?” You coughed, harshness deep in your throat. 

“That’s the whole reason he took you, honey,” Fauna said. “We’re his breeders, if you couldn't tell,” she patted her stomach. 

What would a gift say to that? "I'm not his to get pregnant. Lord Kim wouldn't like that."

 "Sweet child, " Luna sighed, "You're not going back to Kim. You are Yunho's gift; you wouldn’t take back a gift.” 

“I wasn’t his ‘gift’. I was Seonghwa’s. He had someone kidnap me,” you replied a bit defensively. You had been hours away from losing your curse, and then Yunho’s lapdog sweeps you away. “I don’t think Lord Kim is going to like that.”

‘No. No, I don’t.’ 

“There won’t be much he could do about it once you’re pregnant,” she shrugged. “Once you have a Dragonite inside you, you have to stay here.”

“Why? So he can take my baby?”

“Because then you’ll die.” When you sat frozen, she explained, “It’d be impossible for you to live in conditions outside the valley. Trust me, you don’t want to know what happens when a pregnant woman tries escaping on her own.”

“That's…” As if the threat of losing your sanity was not enough, the possibility of being pregnant in that state worried you more. “No way. I’m not getting pregnant.”

“I’m afraid you have no say in the matter,” she responded sadly. 

Delly passed you a tray of fresh fruits, but you couldn’t find the appetite. “The Prince’s wife can’t produce heirs for him,” Celeste told you, taking a seat at the table. “Every hatchling she’s managed to carry has come out sickly, deformed or dead. Most of the time, the seed doesn’t even take root inside her.”

“It’s all the inbreeding they do around here,” Fauna said with distaste. “It’s disgusting.”

“He has tried breeding with other dragonite women, but hadn’t been very successful,” Celeste continued. “So, he resorted to finding women of other species to lay with. I was the first.” Her voice drew quieter as she said, “My parents told him I was fertile and would give him many children.”

“Have you?”

“I have,” she nodded, a small smile on her face. “Three so far: Ophelia, Hermes, and Astor. They aren’t here though. Yunho takes the offspring to the main palace where he raises them himself. I’m allowed to see them from time to time, but Yunho believes they’ll grow stronger being raised away from me.” She nervously looked at her swollen belly. “He'll take this one too. I'm sure of it.”

“That’s awful,” you frowned. “You should be allowed to see your own kid whenever you want. You pushed her out, not him.” 

She grinned, “Try telling him that.”

“His men raided my village,” Fauna said. “I was married so they assumed I must be fertile. It's the same with Delly and Luna. Were trophies for him to tote around; it's only a plus that we can have kids. I've given him a litter. Oh yeah, six kittens,” she said to your wide eyes, “Four boys and two girls. They're all grown now, so they come to visit whenever they want.”

“I've given him two,” Luna smiled. “Ivory is six and Onyx is four. They're true daughters of the Moon Goddess. You'll love them when you meet them.”

“This is my first one!” Delly beamed, “And the physician says it'll be a strong, healthy dragon-fairy baby. I can't wait,” she said. “I always wanted to be a mother. It's a real blessing.”

“That's lovely but also…” you didn't want to say it out loud. 

“Weird?” Fauna finished for you. “Wrong? Cruel to force pregnancy on us?”

“Yeah…”

“It was either this or a slave pit,” she shrugged. “I don't know if you've seen the pits around here, but trust me, this is preferrable.”

“But it sounds like he has more than enough kids from you. Shouldn't he give you guys a break?” 

Fauna and Delly snorted with laughter, and Luna looked amused. Celeste smirked, “I wouldn’t recommend asking him that when you see him tonight. "

“He’s very gentle,” Delly assured you. “I’m way smaller than him, so he’s always extra careful when he’s with me. I really do enjoy it when he breeds me, even if I'm already pregnant.”

“He’s actually a good lover,” Luna said, “So it isn’t all bad.” 

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Alright, so you’re breeding stock for a dragon prince and you’re locked here for the time being, but at least he’s a good looking prince who knows how to use his cock.”

“That’s still not a reason to be okay with all of this,” you pointed out. “You’re slaves. That doesn’t bother you?”

“It used to, but not anymore. There are worse fates than being a prince’s slave.”

This was how they comforted themselves. Seeing these small benefits was how they lived with themselves. Your head couldn’t wrap around the concept. Having lived your own way your entire life, you can’t imagine it being any other way. Lord Kim, whoever he is, would be no different than Seonghwa or Yunho. Munching on a strawberry, you could feel the rock at your back and the hard place pressing your front. Lord Kim was your only way of lifting the curse, yet to be in his grasp meant you’d be his slave. You doubted without the runestone he’d let you go. The freedom you once cherished would be stripped away until you become complicit like the women before you.

Escape ideas came to you, but each one sounded foolish. You considered claiming infertility, but that’d likely lead to your death. Once again, you’d do what you hated. 

“Yeah, I don’t think this pregnancy thing is going to work though,” you said cautiously. 

"Why not?"

 Standing from your chair, you turned around to show them the hand-and-heart mark. Their soft gasps told you how bad it looked. 

“Wow, then he must really plan on keeping you,” Luna said. You jumped at the cold fingers touching the heated brand. “He only used this in the old days, I heard, during the war.”

“I heard he used to use it on people who deserved it though,” Fauna said. “What did you do?”

“A witch put it on me.”

“And he hasn't removed it?”

“I haven’t seen him yet.”

You told them about Haeyoung, Jin’s boat and getting shipwrecked. Before Yunho’s soldier kidnapped you, you were meant to go somewhere else with Lord Kim. Though, you doubted he would remove the curse. Not without something to trade in return. 

“Kim isn't an evil man like the humans make him out to be,” Fauna told you when you finished. “The southerners only speak badly about him because we won the war. I personally don't see why they're so upset about it still. It was so long ago. Most of us weren't even thought of when it happened.”

“Old wounds are hard to close,” Luna told her. “Kim takes good care of things that are his. I'm sure once he arrives, he'll remove the brand from you. Although, I doubt he would let you go. You're far too pretty.”

“He's not a bad guy,” Delly told you sincerely. “He will treat you well.”

They made you sound like a pet. They have all mentioned him coming for you. You belonged to him, and nobody else. The idea of being a demon lord's plaything sent shivers down your spine. Celeste lifted you up into a bedroom above where she'd laid out clothes.

“This will look lovely on you,” Celeste said as she pulled out a long muslin skirt and short top from a closet. “Just because he'll be lying with you later doesn’t mean you have to be naked the whole time.”

“The best laid plans, huh?”

The voice sounded when Celeste left you to dress. Holding the top, you said, “Psh, tell me about it.”

“I really didn't intend for this to happen, YN. You were supposed to spend the night with Seonghwa, and then we'd go home. Yunho kidnapping you was not in my plans.”

“And getting cursed wasn't in mine. I'm supposed to be on Jin’s boat on my way to that little town near the mountains.”

“It’s not ideal, but at least you won’t get pregnant.”

“I don’t think Yunho cares about that.”

“You have no idea how much of a deal it is to him. The guy has like eleven kids and is still making more. That brand of yours will keep you from getting pregnant. It’s hard to have a pregnant sex slave.”

“Which is what you plan to have me be, I bet.”

“I’d never enslave you. If anything, I’m the enslaved one,” the voice chuckled. “Just sit tight, okay? I’ll be there soon.”

“You say that like I have some kind of choice.”

“It’s just best if you wait for me there, okay? I don’t need you running off into that valley and getting lost.” 

“And what? Wait for you to turn me into a sex toy?”

“But I thought you were already my pretty toy?” 

You were about to respond when someone knocked on the door. 

“YN? Are you almost done? Do you need help wrapping it up?” Delly asked from behind the door. 

You knew the voice disappeared. It left an empty feeling in your head. You supposed your old plan was out, and this new plan was in. Yet, you couldn't stop the nagging feeling things would go wrong again. The possibilities were endless: Yunho does get you pregnant and you're trapped with him; Lord Kim somehow dies and you have no way of lifting the curse. You needed a Plan B. 

As you spent the day around the wives, you couldn’t stop the incoming images filling your head. Once this curse was complete, you’d lose everything. Your friends, your home and your freedom. You’d lose Hongjoong, who’d likely never learn what happened to you. Would he move on to someone else? Would he find another woman to comfort him during his travels around the world? You pictured him in the arms of some nameless, faceless woman and bit back tears. The gem around your neck suddenly felt heavier on your chest. Sitting by the window, looking out at the valley, you thought about your only love. The only man you’re certain you love, who took your heart and didn’t give it back. He became your home. In his presence, you found safety and comfort. Nobody treated you how Hongjoong did. It wasn’t about the presents or the sex. It was about how he made you feel. 

You’ll never feel it again. 

“His Grace is on his way,” Atala announced after supper, a light spread of fruits, vegetables and meat, “It’s time to get YN ready for her first bedding.”

“You make it sound like it’s a special event,” you said, downing the last bites of chicken with milk. “He’s just fucking me.” Hongjoong never made such a spectacle of sex. He simply did it. You’d grown to hate these men and their ego-boosting. “It’s not a big deal.” 

“Yeah, but it’s your first time,” Fauna finished off her steak, licking the juices from her lips. “It’s special.”

“And if you get pregnant on the first try, you’re extra special,” Delly said. 

“I don’t want to be pregnant,” you remarked. “I want to get out of here. I want to get rid of this mark and get my freedom back. I want to get out of this sweltering, humid place and go back home.” 

You wanted Hongjoong. You ached for him. 

“Those are things only Lord Kim could provide,” Luna said. “I understand your disappointment, YN. I truly do, but perhaps it’s better t-”

“-To accept my fate and be some dragon asshole’s mare?” You shot back. “To accept that this is all I’ll ever be to someone? Sorry, but that’s not me.”

“It will have to be,” Atala interrupted. “That is how things are on this side of the kingdom.”

“Well then maybe a war should happen,” you said. “Everyone talks about how Lord Kim was this big savior. What kind of savior allows slavery to continue?”

“It’s a part of the culture in the north,” she replied stiffly. “It’s so ingrained in our societies that it’d break down a lot of things if they ended. The South has their own forms of slavery; they just call it something else.” She stepped forward, standing at her full height with golden eyes peering down at you sternly. “You better start to learn your place around here before it’s beaten into you.”

“Because that’s how things work around here.”

“Yes, because that’s how things work around here,” she repeated with a curt nod. 

A scream stayed lodged in the base of your throat. 

‘There’s my fiery blossom.” 

“Anyway,” Atala turned from you to the other wives, “There is one other thing you ladies should know. While YN is entertaining The Prince, you girls will be entertaining General Song.”

The women giggled, hiding their blushing cheeks. “I didn't know he was coming,” said Luna. “I would've fixed myself up better.”

“Me too,” Delly agreed, running her fingers through her long golden tresses. “He's so handsome, even for an Undead. Not to mention his hands are little delightful devils.”

“I love a man that's good with his hands!” Celeste joked, earning laughs from the other women. 

“Who’s Mingi?” You asked, confused by the conversation. “Another slave owner?” 

“He’s the general of Lord Kim’s undead army,” Fauna answered a bit curtly. “Centuries ago, Kim created his own army by raising people he’d defeated in battle back from the dead. Mingi is his top general. He’s very close with Yunho, and he visits a lot.” She paused, “I wonder why he’s here. Do you think it has anything to do with Kim?”

“Maybe. Things are getting pretty heated between us and that new king. Yunho is upset about it and Mingi has been coming around a lot more lately. Yunho just had that negotiation with the Naga…Maybe it is connected somehow.”

“Uh-oh, here goes Celeste brooding again,” Fauna giggled. 

“Whatever the reason is for his visit,” Atala said, “It is your job to keep him busy while His Grace beds YN,” She turned to you, “Fix yourself up before he arrives. He’s taking you to his private bedding chamber.”

“He sleeps here then?” 

“No. It’s only a bedding chamber. He impregnates you there, then leaves to his own room.”

‘Of course he’d have some kind of chamber,” you rolled your eyes. 

‘I love the other lords like brothers, but I’ll admit they can be pretentious.”

“So pretentious,” you agreed under your breath. 

“Let’s get moving on,” Atala declared. “His Grace doesn’t like to be kept wait-”

The chamber door opened before she finished, and in walked Yunho. He wore a thin black robe, absent his armor, sword and crown this time. He appeared more relaxed in the presence of his precious breeders. His eyes glinted happily at the sight of them lounging near the window. You hated how he swaggered into the room, sweeping over his wives like precious pets. That wasn’t love. You knew love, and this was not it. 

“Ah, my lovelies,” he grinned, walking over to them. “How’re you all doing?” He kissed Celeste’s forehead first, “How was your day?”

“Better now that you’re here, Husband,” Delly smiled when he kissed her next. 

“So sweet,” he replied, kissing her again because he could. 

“We missed you,” Luna said in a low, seductive voice, pulling him down by the collar of his robe. She lightly pecked his lips, “Must you go with YN? Why don’t you stay with us?”

“Please, Husband,” Fauna joined in, purring as she gently butted his cheek. “You could have all of us tonight. I want you in me so bad, I’m aching for it.”

“Me too,” Luna pushed her tits together with her arms, accentuating them, “I miss you touching these.”

No doubt they played this up to please him. Any man, regardless of race, loved being fought over and desired. It disgusted you. 

“You know I would any other time,” he pouted, kissing her softly, “But it’s YN’s special night. I don’t want to ruin it for her. ”

You knew the moment Yunho sparked any sort of stimulation, you’d dive deep into the curse’s effects. It’s glorious in the moment, but it wasn’t you doing it. It was the curse. You wished to be rid of it right then. If you could find a way out, you could get to Lord Kim, and he can help you remove it. You might not have the runestone, but you did have another part he’d want. You’d gladly give it up in exchange for your free will. 

“Is that so?” 

“Ooh!” Delly’s delighted squeal pulled you from your thoughts. You saw her suddenly giggling and kicking around as a bundle moved around underneath her dress. “Hey, hey! You just got here!” 

Your jaw dropped when she pulled out a hand from between her legs. Sickly pale with chipped black fingernails, the disembodied hand wriggled around like a bug in her grasp. “You know better than to start without the rest of you,” she scolded it playfully. When it waved its fingers, she shook her head, “No, not until Mingi gets here. Don’t you have more fun when your other hand is with us?” She gave one finger a soft kiss, which made the hand tremble, “I like having both of you.” 

“Then it’s a good thing I’m right here, huh?” 

He stood as tall as Yunho, but his stooped shoulders made him look shorter. Wearing tattered leather armor, you could see stretches of stiff, waxy skin underneath. You’d heard stories about the undead soldiers who served in the Crescent Mountains, but never saw one. This must be Mingi, and he was the exact image you had when you heard ‘undead zombie’. His eyes were milky white, barely any hue to them at all, and his lips looked cracked and dry. A large gash in his throat did nothing to hide the pink muscle that seemed to keep his head on his shoulders. When it moved, you realized it was a tentacle. 

“Hi,” Delly grinned, cheeks and ears getting pinker, “Looks like someone removed his stitches again.”

“Eh,” he shrugged, coming down to her level, “I may have loosened them a bit.” He nuzzled her nose, laughing with her, “I know how much you like it when they’re not attached.” 

At that, he lifted his wrist to his mouth, tearing at a black thread until the appendage came loose. Delly squealed again when both hands started crawling up her body. Mingi hardly noticed the others in the room as he laid down beside her, kissing her softly as the hands lifted her dress. 

“-I don't why would she want that when she has her husband right here?” Fauna asked him, kissing his neck. “You're all I think about once I get going.”

Her, Luna and Celeste managed to get him onto the couch bed with them, naked and surrounding him. She and Luna had taken up each side of Yunho, pecking and licking his neck and chest; Celeste, heavy with child, straddled his waist and rocked her hips back and forth. Watching them kiss and caress their master made your mark tingle again. You saw Yunho’s long body, a mixture of flesh and black scales, roll up into Celeste’s blue and gold one, clawed hands on her waist. Fauna’s rough tongue swatted at his hard nipples, giving them soft suckles that furthered his arousal; Luna left small hickies on his long neck, smirking when he shuddered. Delly’s soft moans soon joined, and you saw one of Mingi’s hands rubbing a finger over her clit as the other pushed two inside her. You took deep breaths, closing your eyes to fight back the curse, but the low moans coming through the room kept penetrating. 

“Don't fight it, angel. Let it happen naturally. Resistance only makes it worse.”

“Girls, why don’t you go entertain Mingi, hm?” Yunho suggested, though he didn’t stop them at all. “Let YN have me to herself.” 

None of them argued as they crawled over to Mingi. Each woman gave him a kiss before they started stripping off his armor and clothes. His undead form did not seem to bother any of them. In fact, you watched Celeste and Fauna feel up and down the cold, pale skin as they took turns kissing him. Luna went to Delly, who yelped when her sister-wife latched her lips onto a hard nipple. 

“Don’t hog the hands,” Luna said, taking the one from Delly’s clit to place on her own, “He has two for a reason.”

“I love his cock more,” said Fauna, who began pumping the long appendage below. “I could ride him all night and never get bored of it.” 

“And I love his tongue,” Celeste sighed, moaning when Mingi brought her tit into his mouth. “Can you do to me what you did that time? With your tentacle?” 

“Of course,” Mingi groaned, fondling the two women on top of him. “Anything for Yunho’s beautiful brides.” 

The four women moaned, getting lost in their lust as Yunho came over to you. “Come with me,” he said, arms going around your waist, “Let’s go somewhere private.” 

“You don’t want to do it here?” you gulped, half-expecting him to change his mind. 

“I like to keep it behind closed doors,” he said, “Unless you’d like to do it here? I was under the impression you’d hated being fucked in front of other people.”

“No, no, upstairs is good.” 

“Good.” 

He lifted you up from the floor, keeping you locked securely against him, and he flew up towards the ceiling. He brought you into the bedding chamber, which was a room of rich crimson and deep gold. Your mark continued tingling as various thoughts started racing through your mind. Yunho settled you down onto the floor, and brought your lips to his. The moment his lips touched yours you were a goner. Hot tongue sliding over into your mouth creates a deeper warmth inside. You ached to touch every part of him you could reach. His body, much larger than yours, was hard and smooth in your arms. 

“That's it. Relax and enjoy it. How many times does a girl get to fuck a Dragonite, hm?”

Not many. 

“You're so soft,” he moaned against your lips, feeling down your back to your ass. “I didn't know humans could be so plump and supple…I can't wait to see you swelling with my hatchling.”

You remembered the four wives’ various stages of pregnancy. “I’d be brainless by the time I ever have it,” you said, trying to talk him out of the idea. “I wouldn't be staying to help with it.”

“Who said you’d even be with them?” he said, humored by your concern. “They’d live with me and their wet nurse most of the time.” 

“Why?”

“A harem is no place for a child, and I can teach them things their mothers can’t.”

It sounded like a weak excuse to you. Yunho wanted the children to be raised away from their mother’s influence. If they’re away from them, then the children will be raised with Yunho’s ideology and not anyone else’s. He might think a mother’s presence weakens a person. You personally wouldn’t know. You’d never met your mother; you didn’t have a photo or scrap of evidence to prove she ever existed. Clients liked to joke that perhaps you simply came into being; a deity that turned human to enchant and seduce the men who worship her. In the Gold Rush orphanage, you were constantly reminded of their abandonment. While others lost their parents to war, sickness or poverty, you’d been dumped by yours like trash. To them, you were unwanted baggage. As Yunho continued kissing and caressing parts of you, you wondered if they thought of you. You tried not thinking of them. If they’d wanted you, they would’ve come back for you. 

“They should still at least see them,” you said. “It's not fair to the child to be-”

“-It's better they don't,” he nearly snapped. 

“Why? Because then they're raised to think like you? A person who only finds value in women if they can carry a child? A person who takes things that don't belong to him?”

“A strong person,” he answered, keeping you close though his grip tightened slightly. 

“Living without parents doesn't make someone strong. It makes them…” 

Lonely. Scared. You wanted to imagine how they might have reacted to your situation: a father stoutly defending his daughter and a mother determined to find a solution. Nobody offered to even accompany you on this journey or protect you from these monsters who wanted to enslave you. The one person who could do anything about it wasn't in a hurry to reach you, and the other was missing. Hongjoong wouldn't have let this happen. This sadness broke you from your desires, and you gently pushed him away. 

“Don't be sad, sweetling,” he said, immediately bringing you into his arms. “You'll get to see them sometimes, and more when they come of age. Fauna and Celeste’s children see them all the time now that they're grown up.” He kissed you again, then whispered, “Let's forget about that and focus on this instead.”

“It's not happening anyway. No way you're having someone else's baby. Give in and enjoy what he’s about to do to you. I know I would if I were you.” 

You timidly touched his shoulders, and his robe slide down to his elbows. An expanse of scales appeared darker in the dim candlelight, causing his human flesh to glow in contrast. He was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. You understood what Luna meant by having worse options than a good looking prince. But, as you ran light fingers over his budding nipples, knowing it aroused him, you couldn’t stop picturing the obvious. This man didn’t love you. Like with his rival, you’d be a slave meant only to give him children. He’d wait until you have it, then pass you off to somebody else. Lord Kim will keep you under the spell, and you'd lose everything. The thought twisted your gut painfully, making you nearly sick. You might not have been rich back home, but you had freedom of choice. This curse would remove that entirely. Haeyoung knew this, and took it from you. You wished you’d watched her swing from The Hanging Tree. 

But, you are not completely alone. The Dark Lord is likely looking for you, his Cursed. Perhaps Hongjoong will drop into town, see you're gone and start searching for you. You tried finding some comfort in that as Yunho kissed your neck. You untied the knot keeping his robe closed, and then slid off the only article separating you. You drank in his larger form, feeling down the less-defined muscles of his long body to his waist. 

“You can touch them,” he said in between kisses. “I want you to touch them”

“Them?”

You stared down to notice the biggest difference of all. Where most beings had only one penis, Yunho had two. One hanging in front of the other, both were considerably large but not like Seonghwa. You might need a bit more preparation, but it wouldn’t hurt too much. You also couldn’t help noticing the round lumps sticking out along the shaft. When you reached down to grab one, you realized they didn’t pinch or scratch you. Your pussy throbbed at the thoughts running through your mind. You circled one of the small buds, though did not apply any pressure. It was hard and didn’t budge at your touch. The veins glowed a hot orange like magma under a volcano floor, though it didn’t burn you. They pushed more blood through the long muscle, causing it to pulsate in your hand. You rocked back and forth on your feet from the tightness forming in your stomach. It rolled down to your center as you cupped the thick head for a delicate rub. 

“I take it you’ve never seen Dragonite dick before?” Yunho asked, laughing at your reaction. 

“No.”

“Have you ever had two before?”

“A few times.”

“Would you like me to use both?” he guided your hand over the bottom one, breathing in deep when your thumb grazed a bump close to the top. “We can try it tonight, and if you don’t like it, we can use one. I don’t need both to breed you.” 

You gulped thinking about it. You stared down at the dicks in your hand, which occasionally bumped the balls hanging underneath. How the hell did he walk so confidently with this bouncing in his pants? You might be a bit cocky too if you had a package like his. Your clit pulsed with anticipation. Something inside you screamed for both of them. It wanted every inch of them both deep in your holes. 

“It’s going to stretch you so nicely.” 

“No wonder the girls like fucking you so much,” you mused, seeing the top slowly raise up to his stomach. “I would too if I had a guy with two dicks in my bed every night.”

“It’s a perk, I’ll admit,” he said, idly teasing one of your nipples. “It’s hard to say ‘no’ to a man with two of them, hm?” 

“It is.” 

Stepping closer, you put the bottom tip to your clit; your other hand focused on stroking the top half. The head, dark and thick, easily spreads your lips to the clit hiding under the hood. The curse clearly worked its magic on you, making you wet enough for him to slide easily over you. Yunho watched you play with him breathlessly; not speaking or moving to stop you as you pulled him out to spread your wetness over both top and bottom. He groaned when you began doing it in turns for both sides. He knew the lumps must be gently pressing to your aching clit, dragging along it slowly whenever you pushed it further between your thighs. 

“Oh, I’m sorry!” you said as you accidentally squeezed too hard and pressed on the barbs. 

“No, no, that feels good,” he assured you, fondling your breasts and kissing you, “It feels so good. Keep going.” 

Since he insisted, you started concentrating on the sensitive bumps of his dick. You whined when he thrusted forward to your thighs and hands. He did this a few more times before you let it slide the bottom half between your thighs. The uniform rows of barbs grazed your swelling sex, though it was your soft thighs that aroused him. The fatty flesh squeezed around the thick muscle, and you clenched them each time his dick gave a particularly powerful touch. The most sensitive sides massaged the inner parts of them, with your pussy slickening his length. The one in your hand pulsed in time with the bottom, causing Yunho to move a bit faster. You drooled a bit over the tip, then used the saliva to wet him. This made the prince throw back his head, unable to stop himself from holding onto your ass to push faster. You felt his tip reach right through to the bottom curves, poking out each time he moved forward. Your faint whimpers joined his throaty moans, and everything became sensitive and aching. 

“I think I’m going to get very addicted to this,” he gave a deep chuckle, burying his face in your neck as he fucked your thighs. “The others aren’t as soft or smooth as you. Delly is too small. Fauna is furry. Luna is as tall as I am, and Celeste’s fangs and claws get in the way. They’re beautiful but, fuck, not like you.” He pressed his forehead to yours, hands gripping your back as he breathed heavily. “Nothing like you…”

“Then come enjoy how soft I am, Your Grace.” 

“That’s my girl. It’s no different than what you do at home. Well, I don’t have two dicks, but it’s still similar.” 

Yunho said nothing as he guided you over to the bed. You whined in frustration when his body split from yours, leaving your pussy throbbing for his touch. The mark seeped its heat back through your skin once again. Its magic started taking hold of you, and all you wanted was Yunho’s two dicks. Removing your clothes, Yunho gazed down at your nude form as he knelt beside you. The moment his fingers grazed near the top of your mound, you slowly started losing your grip. He felt around the top and sides of your sex, fingers lightly crossing over it in each move, but he never touched the middle. You hoped stroking his cocks might entice him to touch you further, yet he did not. He felt up your front to your chest, where he tenderly squeezed and rubbed them. Soft whimpers remained behind your lips as he felt their suppleness in his rough hand. 

“I bet these get fucked a lot, don’t they?” 

“They do.”

“And how about this pretty mouth?” He made you look up at him by the chin, thumb pressing on your lower lip. 

“It does,” you nodded. “Get on top and give it a try. I promise I can take it all.”

“If you took The Naga King’s dick, then you can take anything.” 

Mounting your lower chest, Yunho’s excitement grew as you slid the bottom cock in between your squashed breasts. His mouth fell open at the sight of his cock buried between them, his shaft pushing through and his tips reaching your lips. He reached down to roll and pinch your nipples for extra pleasure, loving how the hard peaks felt in his hands. The top half pushed directly to your mouth, the tip resting on your chin and pressing to your lower lip before you opened your mouth. The act alone had you grinding into the air. Unlike Seonghwa, Yunho’s precome tasted savory somehow, which only made it more delectable. You stuck out your tongue for him to slide over in his thrusting, occasionally wriggling it side to side to tease the throbbing head. His fingers on your nipples brought out small whines from the sparks igniting inside you. Your pussy’s clenching and unclenching almost gave a phantom sensation of a real dick inside you. You imagined it filling you to the hilt, a finger rolling around the pearl above while another teased your nipple. That combined with the constant teasing and his cocks in your mouth and tits left you quivering below. It was when Yunho pushed forward, sliding his cock further into your mouth that you felt tempted to touch yourself. The rows of bumps pushed your lips far apart, and his tip nearly touched your throat even just halfway inside. Simply laying there, letting this man use you had you writhing on the bed. 

“Stay still for me,” Yunho moaned, picking up the pace. 

He removed his top cock to fill your mouth with the bottom. His crotch completely in your face, he lifted your hands to keep you pinned to the headboard. The weight of his body, the thickness of his cocks suffocating you, you tried desperately to breathe through your nose. The heads continued pressing your throat whenever he changed them up, sometimes withdrawing to stick them between your breasts again before going back inside. Saliva and precum streamed from your lips after a while, the white substance leaking whenever he withdrew from you. But, this didn’t bother either of you. In fact, it became a lubricant that he spread over your tits and nipples to further tease you. The light tapping of both cocks on your face and chest brought back that pumping sensation. 

Yunho moved further down your body, and pushed your legs far apart. You took deep breaths, feeling his breath blow over your dripping sex and anticipating the first lick. Your hands went down into his hair, and your legs wrapped around his shoulders as you pushed his face right to your cunt. He had no objection, grabbing onto your thighs and growling at the juices smearing over his lips and chin. He started with slow, torturous licks around the hard bud, though gradually sped up when you started grinding into his face. Fingers curling into his dark hair, you found it hard to keep a grip on your sanity. The tip of his tongue massaged both sides of your clit in every flick, the muscle dipping underneath and licking rapidly until you trembled. You didn’t know much longer you’d last with his tongue threatening to slide past your entrance. 

“You’re trembling, darling,” he leered, proud to have such an early effect on you. “Don’t tell me you’re going to come already?”

“Ye-yes,” you whined, twisting away from him as he played on your growing sensitivity.

“You won’t at least wait for me to be inside?” He forced your hips to the bed, and wagged his tongue over you in light brushes. “Hm?”

“It feels too good!” You struggled against him, simultaneously pushing to his mouth and also withdrawing. 

“Better than Seonghwa?”

“Yes!”

“Better than anyone else?”

A sudden hesitation hit you. The faint memory of gentle hands roaming your body as petal lips caressed your skin came back even in that moment. A long forgotten dream that came back in whispers filled your mind. Seonghwa might have been good. Yunho might be better. Yet, neither matches up to Hongjoong, the man who'd wrapped himself around your heart. 

“Yes,” you still said, covering up the lie with a whimper. 

It didn’t take long for two fingers to push past your entrance and right to your g-spot. They curled deep inside, staying knuckle-deep as they wriggled against the spongy space at the end. You nearly caved to your pleasure, your body contorting to whichever way it guided you. You wanted to escape it, but also take in more. After a few pumps of two, Yunho added a third that nearly pushed you over. Nails digging into the silky sheets under you, your entire body shook as he kept pushing into your g-spot. He’d found it, and now he wouldn’t let it go. His tongue still working your clit, your moans became louder. You’re sure the people below might hear you now. 

“No, no, pet,” Yunho withdrew his fingers right as you reached the cusp of an orgasm. He gently rubbed your quivering thighs, kissing your stomach in soft pecks. “I promise cumming on my cocks is much better than my fingers. Lift your legs for me, so I can show you.”

The tight ball in your cunt controlled you and you raised your knees to your stomach. Yunho admired your exposed sex for a moment. He trailed his fingers down the slick lips to the anus below, then back upwards. In the position, he could see both holes asking-no, begging-him to be inside them. The Dragon Prince grabbed his dicks in one hand, languidly stroking them as he used two fingers to spread your lips. So wet. So pretty. Seeing the clenching sex made Yunho want you more and more. The foreign feeling of a female human in his bed aroused him to no end. He planned to enjoy you as much as possible before the night was over. When he tapped both of them onto your clit, your pussy flexed. He could tell your body wanted him, even if the curse clouded your mind and shattered your resistance. He groaned when he accidentally pushed the first tip inside, your tightness foreign and delightful to him. 

Both cocks wet with your juices, he first placed the bottom one into you. You tightly held onto the pillows, keeping yourself grounded as pleasure mounted higher. A pleasurable burn came from his girth stretching your sex; the barbs of his cock massaged your walls in each careful thrust, pushing you further apart. His top half continued grinding against your clit, which only stoked the fires more. You barely moved as he thrusted; you almost could not with his hands holding you so tightly. Head tilting back into the pillow, you absorbed every nerve rattled by his touches. The hesitancy you had before washed away into compliance and need. The climax he’d chased away came slowly crawling back, but something inside wanted you to hold it off. The idea of finishing around both lengths sounded too good to pass up. Your arms wrapped around your knees, you kept a tight grip on them as he changed his angle and speed. This pushed your orgasm further.

“You’re going to look so pretty full of my cum,” he growled, wings outstretched and twitching from pleasure. “I can’t wait to see it dripping from your hole. I can’t wait until…” he pushed faster, “Until it takes root and you’re mine.” He took your arms away, spreading your legs and laying on top of you. His lips captured yours easily, both of you moaning in a deep kiss. “Everyone will know it once you’re swollen and round with my hatchling. You’ll be so beautiful. Women everywhere will envy you…”

“Ugh, he never shuts up about that, does he?” 

“I need you to relax,” he said in your ear, petting your cheek, “It’ll hurt if you move around too much.”

You only nodded, unable to string a proper sentence together. Yunho grabbed the top cock making sure to keep the second tip in you, and pressed it to your entrance. You squeezed your eyes shut in anticipation. Gradually, Yunho’s tips went in and out inch-by-inch, slowly working you open to accept them together. By the time he reached a final thrust, burying them to the base, your mind became completely blank. He still gently rocked his hips into you, occasionally staying still to let you adjust. You thought this might hurt like it’d done with Seonghwa, but in that moment, it felt nothing but pleasurable. Far too pleasurable.

It was when Yunho pulled you on top that you truly lost control. Hands on his shoulders, you raised and lowered your hips on him. The angle they took hit right to your core, bulging your belly like before. You swore the man broke into your womb like this, and you only wanted more. Not even the slight sting of his claws breaking the skin of your breasts distracted you. Your nails dragged on tough scales that felt nothing, though you're sure his low growls came from pleasure rather than pain. The euphoric high you’d been chasing became your sole focus. 

“You really can’t get enough, can you?” Yunho chuckled when you shook your head. “Good,” he planted himself firmly under you and started charging upwards, “Because neither can I. Go on and cum for me, sweetheart. I want to feel you-ah yes, that’s my girl…atta girl, keep going…you’re doing so well.”

Your orgasm stilled you, keeping his dicks fully inside as you shook in place. You needed to feel everything all at once, and it was overwhelming. Yunho kept pushing, enjoying the reaction that he caused. He knew this one orgasm would not satisfy either of you. The mark branded into your back could keep you going for ages if he so wished. None of his other wives could last as long, and he’d take full advantage of that with you. 

Sitting up, he kept you cradled in his lap while you held onto his shoulders. Yunho had no problem simply lifting you up and down on him like a toy. Your sex squeezed him so tightly, accepting him fully and throbbing for more. When you laid down, legs on either side of him, he easily pulled you backward and forward. This new angle created stars and explosions behind your eyelids. You let him see your breasts bounce from the force of his hips while you gripped his bony, scaled legs. The fingers teasing your clit in unison nearly created another climax.

“Your pussy is taking me so well,” he groaned, seeing your hole stretch around him. “I’m going to enjoy fucking these holes every day.”

“God, yes!” you cried, fighting off the sensitive nerves his teasing pinched. “Yes, please fuck me every day! I want it all the time!”

“Good…very, very good…”

He rolled you onto the side, putting one ankle on his shoulder as he started working on his own ending. The sheets beside you bundled in your hands, being held close to your chest as you became overpowered by pleasure. Yunho watched you nearly scream your second climax into them in time with his own. His cocks both twitched and pulsed deep within you, not wanting to waste a single drop. Both of you could feel him filling you, and even then it wasn’t enough. Taking deep breaths, you saw him look down to where his cum oozed from your sex. It came in small globs, which he pushed back in with both his heads to keep them from leaving you. The curse, as expected, did not subside as any normal orgasm might.

“Fuck me again,” you whined, rolling onto your front and reaching for one of his cocks. “Please, I need more of it. I want more.”

“If you insist,” he said, happy to have a wife so eager for him.

Time became meaningless to you. Rationality and logic went out the window as the night progressed. You took Yunho in every area of the room, unable to stop this time. You rode him on an armchair in the corner; you let him bend you over a side table, smacking it into the wall with each push forward; he folded you like a pretzel against the door, so the downward position let you see where you both connected each time. He came inside every round. No doubt you’d be pregnant soon with how much cum he pumped out; it felt almost never ending, and you loved it.

“One more round, please?” you asked breathlessly, sliding him between your ass cheeks. “You can do it in here this time.”

Yunho, flushed red, sweaty and exhausted, let out a low chuckle. “Not now, darling wife,” he said, bringing you down to kiss him. “You should sleep. Your body is tired, I can tell.”

He was right. All the movement left your muscles aching; your throat felt dry from constantly breathing heavily and you were nearly lightheaded. But, your desire outweighed your physical being.

“But I want it,” you whined, shifting to put one tip to your hole. “May I at least sit on them? You don’t have to push. I can do all the work while you sleep.”

“I can go longer. Pros of being a demon.” 

“You may have it in the morning,” he said, pulling you off him and onto the bed. “Try relaxing,” he said, bringing you under the sheets and snuggling you to him, “Think of something else.”

“I can’t,” you murmured into his chest. Your fingers found his nipples and pinched them lightly, hoping to rouse at least one dick again. “Don’t you want to make sure I’m pregnant?” you asked.

“I know you will be,” he said assuredly. “I’d be surprised if not after how much is inside you right now.”

“Well, do it one more time,” you shifted around against him, trying to put him back inside, “Just to make sure, right?”

“YN, no,” he said more firmly, holding you in place. Seeing that his presence only encouraged your behavior, he slipped away from the bed to grab his robe. The exertion of so many sessions took their toll on the both of you, but Yunho kept his composure as a prince should. “I’ll have Atala tend to you. Go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

You grunted disappointedly as he left the room. Everything suddenly felt too cold. He was right. You needed sleep. Closing your eyes, you took deep, steady breaths to try forcing away the arousal rolling around. How could you still be horny? That never happened before. It scared you, somewhat. Wanting to be rid of the stickiness and sweat, you stood up and went over to a wash basin. In the mirror behind it, you watched yourself clean up the mess dripping down your thighs. He’d come a lot. You normally didn’t let clients finish inside, since a pregnancy would drive potential customers away. The fear of a child in your current condition frightened you. You couldn’t possibly get pregnant, not like this. It was absurd when you pondered on it.

“Yeah, that’s not happening. You’re my girl, not his.” 

The bedding chamber had no windows, and only one door to escape through. You’re sure guards would be placed there to make sure you don’t leave. The first step of escape is to find a reason to leave the harem. Maybe you can cause an accident or pretend to be ill? You could seduce a guard into letting you out. There must be a way.

****

You jolted out of sleep, eyes wide and body quaking. Sweat caused chills over your body, and you shuddered as you registered them. You stared around in confusion for a moment. The room around you did not seem familiar until you blinked your bleary eyes into focus. Yunho’s bedding chamber had gone dark while you slept, all the candles having melted to the end of the wick in their holders. You half expected to find yourself in another room, where two people spoke yet you didn’t recall what was said or who said it. The dream came in blurs, not vivid pictures.

It had only been a dream, that’s all. It meant nothing, like so many before. Sitting up, you pushed back hair from your face and took deep breaths. Your heart beat mimicked a hummingbird’s, and only focusing on the sheets in your hands kept you in reality again. You walking through the Rooster’s Nest could not have only been three days ago. What happened then felt more like a nightmare, as well as everything that followed. It was something you wished to forget, but you knew you never would.

Your body felt too heavy, too sore to really move. You laid in the soft sheets, your mind filling with thoughts of the fate laid out before you. The escape plans you formulated in your head all sounded childish, but you needed to try. Even if he did have two dicks and a great tongue, you refused to be Yunho’s “wife”. You wouldn’t sit in a tower room all day, painting pictures or reading books while the rest of the world moved past you. You wouldn’t wait for the curse to strip your dignity and freedom away. You’d get out of this castle one way or another.

“YN?”

The door opened, and light poured directly onto you. Celeste’s cool voice came to you from the doorway, her shadow casting on the rocky wall beside the bed.

“Atala says you need to wake up now,” she said with hesitancy in her voice. “It’s…important, she says.”

“Can’t it wait?” you groaned, rolling over to relieve pressure on one side. “I just woke up.”

“I’m afraid it can’t,” she replied. “I brought you fresh clothes to change into. She said you won’t be needing what you’d worn last night.”

You propped yourself up to look at her, the light burning your eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I’m…You should get dressed and come downstairs.”

She left a bundle on your bed, and then quickly left. Your dream came back to you, and you couldn’t shake off the fear. The clothes she gave you only worried you more. A flimsy linen tunic and a leather belt was all she’d given you. It didn’t match what the concubines wore at all, and your body fell into a cold sweat. Still, you pulled on the tunic and belted it at your waist. Coming downstairs, you saw the four wives’ discomfort as they watched you approach. Delly didn’t meet your eyes, and Luna concentrated hard on the book in her lap. Fauna kept herself closed off with her arms, picking at her skirt nervously and staring out the window. Celeste sat in a corner, knitting a small scarf and not looking at you. Apprehensive, you stopped a few feet from them when you saw the two standing behind Atala. Their skin tinged purple and green, their decaying bodies stood hunched over in their tattered, battered armor. You did not like how they stared at you, so menacingly.

It was Atala who spoke.

“YN, you’re to come with me,” she said, hands behind her back and feet apart.

“Why?”

“His Grace has decided you are not fit to be a wife.”

You recalled what Celeste told you about what happened to girls who displeased Yunho. “But…last night…I did everything he wanted. I let him put it inside me. I’ll definitely get pregnant with how many loads he dumped in me.”

“Prince Yunho has recently learned that due to your condition-”

“-My condition?!"-”

“-You are not able to bear him children, and therefore are completely useless to him-”

“-Not being able to have a kid doesn’t make me useless-” you spat back at her.

“-And he’s decreed that you’ll be leaving with General Song.”

“With Mingi? Why?”

“He is an old friend of Prince Yunho’s, and he wants to give him a special gift,” she said. “If he’s not going to put you to use, then perhaps General Song can.” She saw your fiery gaze and continued, “There are worse fates than ending up with The General, YN. He isn’t cruel or unkind. He’ll treat you well, and perhaps he can help with your mark. He is a powerful warlock, who can perform all kinds of magic. He might be able to ease its effects before they grow worse.”

“I’d still be his slave,” you argued. “You do realize slavery is slavery regardless of who the ‘master’ is, right? I don’t care about any of that. I want to get this damn mark taken off. I don’t want to be somebody’s pet or toy. You all might be okay with being collared and stuck in one place, but not me.” You walked over to her, “Atala, you can’t possibly think this is okay?”

“I’m sorry, but this is how things are on this side of the realm,” she said sincerely. “These men are here to take you to him.”

The undead soldiers walked around here, and immediately grabbed each arm. Their boney hands gripped your biceps tightly when they lifted you off the ground. You kicked around a few inches from the floor, twisting in their grasp and grunting through your teeth.

“Let go of me, you freaks!” You hissed, trying to kick one of them as you left the room. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“The General says otherwise,” the one missing an eye said in a throaty voice. You looked to see the hole in his neck showing his vocal chords. “You’re going to be his pretty plaything and like it or else.”

“I’d rather die!”

His cohort laughed, “You say that as if that’d stop him.”

“Ah, I see the game he’s playing here. Mingi was always a sneaky one. Too bad it’s not going to work out.” 

You struggled the entire way down to the front courtyard. You expected to see Yunho standing somewhere nearby, but you only saw Mingi by a wagon. The steel cage sitting in the back was meant to hold prisoners, and you were his prisoner. He’d been giving orders to a soldier who held his head under his arm when the two men brought you forward. His pale eyes looked at you in delight, eager by the sight of you.

“Exactly how I pictured you,” he grinned. Cold, stiff fingers brushed your cheek, and you flinched away. “Ah, come on, don’t be like that. You should be thanking me. Yunho wanted to throw you into the slave pits to die, and I told him he should give you to me.” He stared down at your body, cracked lips curling into a smirk, “I promise I won’t toss you away like garbage. I’ll take very good care of you.”

“Let. Me. Go,” you said through gritted teeth.

“Why? It’s not like you could make it on your own out here,” he said. He clicked his teeth, and beckoned the soldiers closer. “If he’d just let you go, you’d get picked up by somebody eventually, then you’d be in real trouble.” He withdrew a black rope from his pocket, “Trust me, sweetheart, this is better.”

“Lord Kim is supposed to be coming for me.” 

“And I’m going to take you somewhere safe until he does.” 

The soldiers forced your arms forward, and Mingi tied the rope around them in intricate knots.

“I’ll get away,” you threatened. “You wait and see. He will come for me and turn you into ash,” or so you hoped. 

“As if he'd care what happens to a Cursed. Unless you can do magic that’s not going to be possible,” he tightened the final knot, “Put her in the cage.” 

“No, no, no! Let go! Let go!”

You strained against the soldiers holding you, twisting in their grasp as they forced you into the cage. The covered roof blocked out the sky, and the sides remained open for everyone to see you. You glared at Mingi, and reached for the door bars. When you wrapped your hands around the criss-crossing squares, a jolt of electricity zapped right through you. Immediately, you let go of the bars to the amusement of the soldiers around you. Massaging your hands, you tried rubbing the numbing feeling pinching underneath the skin. Mingi’s pale eyes looked at you boastfully, turning to the people around him with approval. 

“Like I said,” he walked up to the cage, looking up at you from below, “Unless you can do magic, you’re not going anywhere. Enjoy the ride, sweetheart. I promise it'll be just as fun for you as it’ll be for me.” 

Your eyes stayed on him as he mounted a skeletal horse, and began strolling beside the wagon. Like an unwanted possession, you’d been taken from one “master” to only be discarded and given to another. You did not have the time for this. Three days have passed since you’d been marked, and you felt time blowing right by you. You didn’t know how long it’d take you to get to your destination, but seeing the slow moving procession, you’d be gone before you arrived. 

“Don’t take it too hard. Mingi has an image to keep up like I do. He’s okay once you get to know him, and he is my most loyal soldier. He won’t harm you unless he wants to get broken into tiny pieces.” 

Leaning back against the cage wall, you huddled onto the bed of hay and tried not thinking of how much you wanted to knock off The General’s head. 

****

The guard fell to the ground like a brick. His body completely frozen, a light frost covered him from the tips of his wings to the claws of his feet. Hongjoong could easily crush him into pieces, but he refrained. He wanted Yunho to know who’d done this. Stepping over the body, he crept into the antechamber. The heat running through the rocky walls penetrated even his icy skin, but he managed it. 

“My lord?” a female voice spoke from behind him. 

The soldier did not have time to react. In an instant, Hongjoong threw a bright blue flame in her direction. Like with her fellow, the green Dragonite became a frozen statue and tipped over. Moving through the darkened chamber, he easily broke through the tall doors on the other side. Inside, he found what he’d been looking for. Underneath the valley’s tallest volcano was the hatching chamber. A large circular room raised above a flowing lava river, the hot steam and molten rocks kept royal eggs warm in small incubators. Hongjoong glared at them. These eggs, while cherished as any life, had been the product of rape. Yes, that is what Yunho had done to his wives and others, even if they claimed otherwise. It angered him. He’d crush every single one if he could, just to punish the entitled prince for defying him. 

Opening the bag across his chest, Hongjoong pulled on a pair of thick gloves and walked over to a trio of eggs. One was a bright silver, the other a dark bronze and the third an emerald green. He picked up the green egg, examining the football sized egg and its glittering shell. Life wriggled around inside the egg. A hatchling almost ready to break its shell. Yes, he’ll take this one. He did the same to the silver and bronze, deeming them worthy, and stored them carefully in his bag. Aerion couldn’t bear her own eggs anymore, so she’ll be delighted to have these. 

Besides, they should be raised by a true dragon, not whatever Yunho had become. 

On the rocky bed, Hongjoong laid a single note. ‘You took what was mine. I take what is yours,’ was written in his handwriting. Leaving the way he’d come, he didn’t bother confronting Yunho. He had a trail to follow. Yunho will know soon enough. One of the chamber attendants will see three missing eggs, and it’ll throw the prince into ultimate despair. It is his punishment. His atonement for what he’d done. Yes, Hongjoong encouraged you to embrace your curse and enjoyed watching, but the idea that Yunho intended to keep you enraged him. The necklace should have told him how important you were. 

“My lord?” 

Celeste. Beautiful, intelligent Celeste who’d been sold by her parents to her master. Like the other wives, she learned to accept her fate a long time ago. He stared down at her belly, and realized she was no longer pregnant. It had been three days since you’d left Yunho. She likely had the child in the days since. Hongjoong guessed she was visiting her children, if she was out of the tower so late. Gold eyes stared at him, then at his bag, and then back at him. 

“Which ones?” She asked him, a hint of worry in her voice. 

“Silver, bronze and emerald,” he answered. “They’re almost fully formed. I didn’t touch the fresh eggs. Do they belong to any of you?”

She shook her head. “They must be the pit eggs.”

“Pit eggs?”

“Yunho sometimes breeds women from the slave pits. If they have a child, they’re brought to the harem but then taken back down again.”

He scoffed, “He has no shame.”

“Is this because of YN?”

“Yes.”

She looked over at him once, then said, “You love her.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then why give her as a gift to another man? It doesn’t sound like anything a man would do to the woman he loves.”

“Misunderstandings, misfortune, manipulation and lies,” he answered, each word digging another dagger into his chest. “Seonghwa found her before I could, and assumed I’d sent her to him. Yunho believed he was stealing Seonghwa’s new pet. Mingi is likely taking her to the Grey Lands right now where I hope she’ll be safe until I arrive.” 

“Not one of the greater moments, is it?” 

“Not at all. I have to fix this before it gets worse.”

And he would. He bid the Dragonite good night, then slipped out through an open window. Planting on the ground, he went to a horse hidden in the volcano’s shadow. He stared up into the sky, the sky growing darker as night approached, and saw the bird in the sky. A sharp whistle called Garnet down to him once. 

“I have to go find Aerion,” he told the black crow, “I want you to find Mingi’s company and follow them. They’re likely somewhere in the foothills by now. Okay?”

The crow hopped around on the horse’s back, and Hongjoong withdrew a small pumpkin seed. “There, now go.” 

Thankfully, Aerion mostly lingered around the northern part of the range. She will be happy to receive the eggs. As he rode away on his horse, a man’s howling rage echoed behind him. 

Serves him right.

****

A/N: Nothing ever really goes how we expect, huh? Mingi's got his own agenda, and YN is part of it. Tune in next chapter to see what happens to our lovers next.

[clairewritesfanfics]

Omni-Mark Grayson Origin

Pairing: Omni-Mark Grayson x Fem!Reader

Trigger Warnings: child abuse, murder (naturally)

The clanging of wedding bells tore Mark’s head at the seams.

He wanted to punch something, better yet, someone, but he forced himself to stay still in the air. His wine-dark tie flapped in the wind like an ominous flag.

He was supposed to be in the chapel a few hundred feet below him, sitting on those uncomfortable pews to witness the sacred union of two souls. He didn’t have his invitation, he had ripped it apart and threw the pieces in a volcano; not that still having it would’ve resulted in his attendance. 

Mark did not like weddings. They are loud, excessive, performative, obnoxious and unnecessary. People should just go to the courthouse and get it over with.

He can still remember the first wedding his parents dragged him to. It was for a family friend, one of his father’s coworkers. Mark’s powers hadn't manifested then, and he was a lanky child with giant ears and noodle arms, making him the perfect target for bullying by the larger kids. They pushed down a waiter carrying champagne glasses, which all toppled over the bride. Everyone pointed at Mark and the first thing Nolan did when they got home was smack him across the face. It wasn’t for ruining the bride’s dress, but for letting “mere insects” push him around. Nolan made sure Mark would remember his own weakness that night, he made him remember with exactly one hundred and fifty strikes, one hit for each minute that Mark let those kids push him around. And Debbie let him. 

Debbie always let him. 

Sure, she would sob in the corner, but she never actually tried to stop her husband. She would silently give him a first aid kit, prepare a bath and serve dinner, but that was all she did. She couldn’t even bring herself to look her own son in the eye.

If that was what marriage looked like, if that was how he was supposed to treat his own children, then Mark would rather spend eternity alone. Things would be easier alone and away from everyone, he told himself. Maybe he could finally find the silence he has always yearned for. 

But then you came. You weren’t silent, but you were peace, you were his peace. You were warm and gentle and persistent, a patient stream carving through a mountain.

He didn’t know how you did it. He just woke up one day and realized that he didn’t want the silence if you weren’t there with him. He started enjoying those pointless social events and he could actually taste food when you were there.

He would take all the noise in the world if it meant he could stay with you. 

“I’m sorry, I have to do this. For me.”

He shut his eyes, recalling the day you said goodbye. 

“What about us?” He demanded, gripping your hands like they were his lifeline. “What about everything we’ve been through, is that not enough reason to stay?”

He shouldn’t have forced you to choose. 

“I promise I’ll keep in touch, this doesn’t have to be the end!”

“If you walk out that door, we are through, hear me? Don’t bother coming back.”

He should’ve just let go, maybe you would still be with him. Instead, he tried to chain you to his side, held you too tightly, and now he can never have you again. 

“Bye, Mark.” 

He exhaled, a small cloud formed in front of him and vanished with the wind. 

The chapel doors burst open. Two women clad in white led the way out. Eve Wilkins wore her long scarlet hair in a loose braided bun, secured with a golden pin. She held a bouquet of pink and white roses in one hand and Amber Bennett’s arm in the other. They looked happy.

A release dove flew past him. A single white feather fell on his shoulder. The bright white a stark contrast to his black jacket.

Mark could’ve been one of the guests down there, throwing rice and clapping, not because he cared about the two, but because you would have been by his side, cheering the loudest for your best friends.

But you weren’t here. And Mark hated weddings, though not as much as he hated the women you once considered your sisters.

He brushed the feather off his suit and slowly descended in front of the newly married couple. The cheery applause fell into a quiet hush as his polished leather shoes hit the grass.

Eve’s body tensed and she instinctively took one step forward, putting herself in front of Amber. “Mark… we weren’t expecting you to come.”

“Why not? You sent me an invitation.”

“Yeah, but that was…” before the accident were the words that she could not mutter.

“Do you know how long it’s been?” He asked, grinning and voice dripping with false politeness. It was the most emotion he has ever expressed to them that wasn’t thinly veiled annoyance. “Since you killed the love of my life.”

Eve not so discretely handed her bouquet to her wife. “No one killed her, it was an accident–”

“She would have never gotten on that plane if it weren’t for you,” he said, eyes flitting over Amber, “if not for both of you.”

“With that kind of thinking, you can blame anyone,” Eve countered, further blocking Amber from Mark’s view. “Weren’t you the one who told her to get out and never come back?”

“You don’t know anything.”

But she continued, “If you supported her, maybe she could’ve taken a different plane, or maybe you could’ve been there before they hit the ocean.”

Mark clenched his fists.

He pulled his head back, breathing deeply. In the endless sky above him, the beautiful doves were nowhere to be seen. Gone. 

Amber finally spoke up, gently sidestepping Eve, “We all miss her, Mark. You don’t have to be alone in this.”

He exhaled, his breath condensing into a tiny cloud and then fading away. “But I am alone.”

Eve blinked, eyes shut for barely a fraction of a second, and when she opened her eyes, pure red showered her. 

She heard a thud. Her wife fell to her knees on the ground, her torso was missing.

“Don’t worry,” Mark reassured her, fingers clasping down on her scalp, “you’ll see her soon enough.”

***

Mark brushed his bangs back. He didn’t usually wear his hair down, but you told him once that he needed to let it breathe every now and then. He thought it looked sloppy, but you said it added to his sex appeal. You were always honest like that.

He wondered what you’d say if you saw him now, the dress shirt you bought him all rumpled and crusty from blood as he sat in an empty reception hall, sipping on champagne and eating the wedding cake with his bare hand. 

You would probably say something silly like–

“My, what a sight.”

Mark shot in the air, muscles tense as a pulled bowstring. No one should have survived.

“How the mighty have fallen.” A man appeared from the shadows. He looked like he had a caterpillar fused to his skull. 

“Who are you? What do you want?” 

The stranger chuckled. “Straight to the point. I like that.” The man bowed mockingly. “The name’s Levy, Angstrom Levy. I came here with a proposal.”

“I don’t want anything.”

A jade field shimmered next to the man, widening into a small portal big enough for a dove to pass through. It circled the hall before deciding to land on Mark’s shoulder. The little thing dug its head into his hair, pressing its beak to his neck.

Angstrom offered his hand. “I’m gathering a small army and if you agree to join, I will get you your precious bird back.”

Mark turned his chin and the dove cried.

He gently rubbed its head and asked, “What are your terms?”

author's note: kept this one short, feels fitting for a man of few words.

anyway, this was supposed to be a time-travel "bonus scene" with sinister and his dead reader, but then i realized it was perfect for omni.

edit: i forgot that i usually add angstrom at the end... i'll add it later. re:edit: DONE.

Other Origins:

No Goggles Sinister Mohawk Prisoner

Disclaimer: The image above is not mine but is a screenshot of an episode from the Invincible TV series.

ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊

MAIN MASTERLIST

Any questions for the author? Ask here.

[allpiesforourown]

I love the idea of the Washer Woman being the sensible adult in Binghe's life in the Demon Prince Binghe Au. I can see Tianlang reading him romance novels as a kid while Su Xiyan chooses books on cultivation and how to crush ones enemies. Washer woman has lectured them both on child appropriate practices more than once, Tianglang more than Su Xiyan.

Imagine young Binghe getting cursed as a puppy one day and wandering off, tired, hungry, and injured only to be rescued Qing Jing Peak Disciple Shen Yuan who nurses him back to health . Washer woman ends up being the one to retrieve the prince since she's human and not considered to be a traitor like Su Xiyan.

Afterwards, Binghe can't stop gushing about his fateful meeting with the beautiful shimei he met (Shen Yuan was so pretty he thought he was girl).

Tianlang: That's my son, not even ten and he's already found his future wife! Not only that, but a cultivator to boot! But wait, the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect despise demons and would never permit one of their own to court a demon which their love would be forbidden! Ahh this just like the plot of Love Amongst Thorns where the heroine ends riding into battle on a dragon and then diving into a volcano to save her lover, the enemy general!

Xiyan: If she is a cultivator like you say, you'll have to become strong enough to defeat the peak lords Cang Qiong Mountain sect, for they will not let her go without a fight. Of course, it's a war they want, it's a war they'll get.

Unamed Washer Woman:....

Unamed Washer Woman: Or you can just thank her for taking care of your "dog" and get to know her as friends.

BONUS: I just picture Shen Yuan being the equivalent of a Disney Princess in this AU but being completely oblivious to it. Except instead of cute woodland creatures, various monsters and other creatures are drawn to him. He is also confused as to why so many people are surprised he's a guy

NDJDHB YEAH. she's the only sense of reason

Binghe: how do I tell someone I like him..

Tlj: beg him for money and become his sugar baby. That's how I got your mother

Su xiyan: show him your strength and he won't be able to resist you

Washerwoman: how about we try something like flowers first :)

Personally I was imagining shen yuan as some wandering cultivator. Binghe's hanging out in a forest when some demon planning to kidnap the prince shows up and is immediately beaten up by the handsome man who was passing through.

Binghe: PLEASE COME HOME AND MEET MY PARENTS

Shen yuan: aww if you insist..

Shen yuan is a bit nervous but overall glad the demon prince protagonist doesn't seem to hate him. Binghe is ecstatic the nice man agreed to have a meeting with his parents to discuss marriage ..

Shen yuan actually gets hired to be binghes tutor. Binghe needs to work on his human cultivation as well as his demonic cultivation, and while su xiyan would be happy to be her sons shizun, she's getting so damn annoyed with binghe bringing shen yuan up every two seconds

[loonarmuunar]

Hey I did some speculation on the forgotten island’s geography..!!!! If you want you can use this for writing purposes perhaps. I dunno

Things that have been confirmed in game or otherwise:

island is north of Vaugarde. We can see in the map that most mentioned countries are very close to the equator, but the island is the closest.

It has TALL MOUNTAINS and BLACK SAND. This is IMPORTANT!!!

ANDDDD the country is really hot during the day and cold at night.

(Also the island is inspired by guadeloupe but I won’t be pulling anything from there)

Equator: the island is going to be hot, of course. It’s… honestly a toss up as to how humid the island would be. winds would also have an impact on this. It just depends. Lush, humid island, or dusty, dry island. You can pick your favorite! I like a very pretty green island…

All noted countries in the game (aside from ka bue) are close enough to the equator to be impacted by the tropical rain belt! (Which… isat planet *should* have? It would be strange if it didn’t.) Since the country is south of the equator, from October to March they would have a wet season, and a dry season for the rest of the year.

Mountains: depending on how big and tall the mountains are, there may or may not be a rain shadow? I think winds also have an impact on this… I like to imagine the islands mountains as very very tall! “Closer” to the stars, if you will. Anyways, there could be a desert or shrub-land or something like that on part of the island. Do what you want with this.

Flora and fauna: because of island syndrome (island species are smaller) we can guess that if the island has any species native to the island, they’re somewhat smaller to their mainland counterparts. I also don’t think the island would have large native predators. Islands can cook up some strange things! Might have some interesting kinds of plants and animals…

Black sands: two possibilities… actually three?

1. Placer deposit. Placer deposits are collections of (valuable) minerals from a specific source rock. You know those streaks of black sand you might find at the beach? Those are placers. You CAN have a beach that is entirely placers!

2. Volcanoes! Basalt, self explanatory. This is popular, especially since it can tie into the mountains, but… I’m not a fan. I’m REALLY not a fan! See, these kinds of black sand beaches are usually short lived. Hawai’i keeps their black sand beaches by making it illegal to remove the sand. If you want your island to have black sands from lava, you could say they have frequent eruptions, or nobody can take the sand, orr the currents replenish the black sands back.

3. Wish did it.

I lean towards placers because that’s the easiest answer to me.

Culture and economy: oh man there could be a lot of money in selling off the theoretical island native plants and animals. Not saying that’s good or bad… but there’d be money in it!

In tropical mountainous regions it’s more common for people to live in higher regions, BUT I think being so close to so many other countries would make it more profitable for some to live on the lower coast, where ships are going to be coming in and out.

There’s going to be more money rolling around on the coast, would probably be more urban to suit all the people coming in and out. All the people coming by also means that they’re going to be bringing over different beliefs, practices, etc etc. They’d be more accepting, and open to new things. If Siffrin was living on the coast, they would be a city kid!

Meanwhile those who stick to the higher ground would have more rural communities. Could possibly even be more faithful to the Universe belief? Closer to the stars, and farther away from all the foreigners on the coast, they’re going to have less exposure to different cultures and beliefs. They may be more stiff in their beliefs, and possibly more faithful. At least, in their eyes maybe?

The darkness of the sands, the sea, the sky….. seeing the moon and stars reflected in the water….. you get it you understand. I think living in this specific area didn’t necessarily CAUSE the universe belief, but I do think it made them more pre-disposed to possibly having a connection to the stars and sky.

[downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le]

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) - Chapter 3

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader)Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 2627 Warnings: death, violence, fighting, bloody wounds, angst, infuriatingly oblivious love interest, slowburn Spoilers: Young Justice Seasons 1-3 plot partially, but it ended in 2022 so catch up.

Y/N Prince - miracle daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor - and Dick Grayson - first adoptive son of the Batman himself - have been best friends since day one. They went to school together, trained together, kept each other's alter ego secret from everyone else, and they founded the Young Justice alongside their friends together. 

But as time progressed, Y/N and Dick grew up and Y/N found herself wanting more than friendship with Dick. But he never seemed to indicate that he reciprocated her feelings. And when Wally died and Dick abandoned the team, Y/N realised he never would. So she heads to the one place she knows will help her become a stronger warrior so that one day she can take her mother's place: Themyscira.

Two years after his leave, Dick reaches out to his old friends to help him with a mission. But when he finds out Y/N left too, he chases after her in the hopes to bring her back.

However, when the two finally reunite, it isn't as warm as he hopes. Not to mention Themyscira becomes under siege as they go to war against Echidna, the Mother of Monsters in Greek Mythology, and her army of monstrous children.

Will Dick and Y/N be able to put their past behind them and save the Amazons' homeland? Or will they fall, unable to tell one another their true feelings?

~~~

'You are five miles from the estimated target, Master Dick,' Alfred said over the intercom of the Bat Wing.

Immediately upon entering Wayne Manor, Dick had rushed to his childhood room - the one he still used on the occasion he worked with Bruce as the Dynamic Duo, or he needed some space from his duties as Bludhaven's hero - and packed a small duffle of clothes and weapons and ran straight for the Bat Cave. As promised, Alfred had the Bat Wing waiting, ready for take off, and Dick barely greeted the old man before leaving Gotham far behind.

Dick had been flying for almost twelve hours and hadn't slept a wink. Sitting at the control panel with only a wide window of open sea to look at, Dick rubbed his tired eyes as the shadows of sleep flickered in the corners of his vision. He had to stay awake, just a little bit longer at least.

And then... Well, he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

'Is there anything else you need from me, Master Dick?' Alfred asked.

Dick shook his head initially, then remembered Alfred couldn't see him. 'No, thank you, Alfred,' Dick replied, sitting up straighter in his seat. 'I should be fine from here on out.'

It was quiet for a moment, and Dick thought Alfred had signed off accidentally. But then he spoke. 'Are you sure there is something out here? I know you and your friends' findings seem well-supported, but there is only open ocean. There isn't even an under water volcano or ancient mountain range recorded there.'

'Which makes it an even more suspicious place,' Dick countered. 'Trust me Alfred, there is something out here.'

'Let's just hope Miss Y/N is too, or you'll have wasted Master Bruce's fuel. And I will tell you now, he will not be pleased about that.'

The mention of her name caused Dick's heart rate to increase with anxiety. But he quickly recovered as he scoffed. 'I don't know why he's complaining,' Dick said nonchalantly. 'He's the billionaire of the family, after all.'

'Have you seen the price of fuel these days?'

That caused Dick to chuckle slightly, just imagining the singular raised eyebrow Alfred used to ask the silent question of Are you serious? In that moment, he was once again grateful for Alfred. He barely asked any questions as to why Dick needed the Bat Wing, he just trusted Dick that it was for a good reason. Unlike Bruce, where trust needed to be hard earned, Alfred had always given his trust and love unconditionally.

The Bat Wing suddenly jerked as it seemed to hit something. Or, maybe, something hit it.

'Master Dick, what was that?" Alfred asked, worry lacing his words.

Suddenly alert, Dick brought up the different cameras hidden in the ship to try and find what had cause the sudden shift, but sound nothing.

'I'm not sure, Alfred,' Dick answered, running diagnostics over the ship in case of damage. 'There seems to be no damage to the Bat Wing, and there is nothing on the radar indicating another ship or flying creature of sorts.'

The ship rocked again, and Dick gripped tighter to the control handles as he took the ship off autopilot. 'What in the world!'

'Master Di-,' Alfred said, but his words were glitchy and some parts were coming through slowly. 'A-re yo- all rig-' Alfred was cut off before he could finish.

'Alfred? Alfred,' Dick called, but he got no reply. He slammed the control handles in frustration. 'Damnit.' He was on his own now.

However, his annoyance dissipated at the site he'd only ever seen in books he'd borrowed from Y/N when they were children.

To say Themyscira stood atop a mountain would be an inaccurate description. It was more like Themyscira was the mountain, with a long staircase weaving and winding up the entire mountain from the ivory beach and cerulean waters at the base of it. There were small stone huts with woven roofs closer to the beach, but quickly evolved into larger houses and buildings of impressive white columns and marble. As Dick flew closer to the island, he spotted a large coliseum used for sports and physical trials like the ruins in Greece, and a small amphitheatre next door that no doubt was used for the arts.

Atop Themyscira's mountain could only be the royal palace, held up by intricately carved statues of women and marble columns, decorated in plates of gold and held together by green grape vines that covered the palace walls, the statues, the columns.

The bed time stories he'd heard from Wonder Woman when he and Y/N would have sleepovers was more than his imagination could ever conceptualise, and the few descriptions and drawings of the island in the books he'd read were amateur attempts that held no candle to the real deal.

It was, in a word, paradise.

I must've hit the invisible barrier before, Dick deduced as he took in the sight of it all. That's why communications were knocked. That's why he'd felt so anxious and tired the closer he got. Now that he'd passed through, he felt ten times better.

A beeping pulled Dick out his trance, drawing his attention to the radar. Something was coming at him. Fast.

Dick looked up in time to see a large fire ball flying at him and barely dodged it. It was so hot Dick felt its heat through the window as it scraped by.

'Woah!' Dick cried, angling the Bat Wing so Dick could see where the fireball had come from. And, more importantly, who had thrown it. Down on the ivory beach was a line of catapults set up Dick hadn't spotted before, and he could just make out an army milling about around each catapult as they reloaded the catapults.

Before he knew it, he was swerving as another fireball flew at him, this time catching part of the left wing and melting it. Sirens blared, indicating the damage, but Dick didn't have time to worry about that. The Amazons thought he was a threat. He needed to change that, or he'd be a goner.

Crazy an idea as it was, Dick manoeuvred through the line of fireballs the Amazons catapulted at him towards the beach. Once he was close enough, he turned on the speaker so the outside world could hear him. 'Please, Amazons of Themyscira, I mean you no harm,' Dick announced to them, hoping he sounded genuine. 'I am going to land my aircraft on your shore. I just want to ta-'

He didn't have time as a small boulder connected with the left wing, sending the Bat Wing into a spin that Dick couldn't control. Sirens blared in the cockpit, reds light flashed and his front window lit up with the message SYSTEM FAILURE in bright red letters. The steering was shot, his vision was impaired, so Dick just closed his eyes and braced for impact.

The Bat Wing hit the beach hard, knocking the wind out of Dick for a moment. Once he'd regained his breath and the world had stopped spinning, Dick checked his immediate surroundings. He was in one piece still, and the Bat Wing hadn't exploded. Good start.

Before he could unplug himself, a spearhead stabbed through the glass of the front window, shattering it completely as the Amazon wielding it pulled it out. Dick was temporarily blinded by the sudden invasion of sunlight to his senses, but he still put his hands up in surrender in case they still thought him a threat.

'Please,' he begged through laboured breaths. 'Please, I don't mean you any harm. I just need to talk with someone you might know. Please.'

'Síko órthios, pareísaktes,' a strong voice hissed above him, her words whipping out like a delicate snake. She yanked him from his seat, breaking the seatbelt as she did, and threw him onto white, hot sand.

Vision coming back ever so slowly, Dick saw more figures approaching where he laid on the beach, spears and swords and shields in hand. All women, and all wearing brown leather skirts, sandals, and breast plates and bronze helmets of the ancient greeks. A small crowd formed around him, leaving no room for escape.

Realising this, Dick hauled himself to his feet and spun around to survey the group with his hands raised. The women ranged from youthful to mature, but all of them looked capable of killing him should he dare run. Capable, and willing.

'Poios eísai esý?' a woman with long brunette hair asked. She looked slightly older than him, perhaps mid to late 20s. But knowing how old Wonder Woman had lived for already, Dick was almost sure all of the women surrounding him were much older than they appeared.

I really regret not taking those Greek classes with Y/N now, he thought to himself, not having a clue what the woman had asked him. When he didn't reply though, she repeated her question but with more annoyance and aggression, pointing her spear towards his chest.

'I am Dick Grayson,' he said, not sure if they could understand him or not. 'I mean you no harm. Please, I must talk with someone you know... Do you understand me?'

The blank faces he received in return were answer enough. The brunette turned to two other women beside her, whispering to one another. It only lasted a moment, for then the brunette raised her spear higher towards Dick's throat. The rest of the women also raised their weapons, all pointed at him.

'Ánthropos apó to exoterikó,' she announced for all to hear, her delivery final and true, 'edó tha petháneis!'

Just as she raised her spear, Dick threw his hands up again and cried, 'Y/N!'

He waited for pain, for the sensation of falling and then nothing, but it never came. The brunette paused, spear still raised above her, and looked at him curiously.

'Pós gnorízeis tin prinkípissá mas?' she asked, and to Dick's surprise, he recognised one word. Prinkipissá. Princess.

'Yes,' he said, seizing potentially his only chance at surviving. 'She would be your princess. Sorry, your prinkipissá. Daughter of your champion, Diana.'

At the mention of the mighty Wonder Women, the brunette lowered her weapon entirely and turned to the other women as quiet murmurs broke out amongst the group. Dick wasn't sure what he'd started, but he knew they knew of who he spoke of, and what power her name held. Not just anybody could wield her name.

'I came here to speak with Prinkipissá Y/N,' Dick continued, and then he put his hands together as if he were about to pray. 'Please, can you lead me to her? Is she even here?'

The brunette and her two friends looked him up and down for a moment before consulting one another one last time. After what felt like an eternity, the brunette stepped forward and looked him dead in the eyes.

'Piáste ton!' she cried, and two women grabbed both his arms, ensuring he couldn't escape. 'Tha ton páme stin prinkípissá mas.'

She then turned away, and Dick was lead by the arms after her and the rest of the crowd. He managed look over his shoulder to see the wreckage of the Bat Wing. The left wing was one metal sheet away from tearing off completely, and the shattered glass and the many dents in the side of the ship just added to Dick's dismay. Oh yeah, Bruce is going to be pissed.

If the Amazons let him live and he ever got off the island, Bruce would definitely make sure Dick suffered long and hard.

Dick was lead up hundreds and hundreds of steps, walking through the bustling city of women and young girls all going about their daily lives. For some reason, it was off putting to Dick to see women and children doing the washing or playing games in the open street. He wasn't sure why, but he envisioned the whole island as warrior women who all fought and died for each other and their home.

They could probably still whoop my ass, he thought as he was marched by some children who were previously playing a game with some dice and a ceramic cup before he came along and stole their attention. It came to Dick's mind that these young girls probably had never seen a male before, and so he smiled at them as kindly as he could. Some of the children smiled back, others had their mothers nearby collect them and take them inside. Dick couldn't blame them for it. Wouldn't he do the same for his child if the roles were reversed.

Why the hell am I thinking about children right now? he asked himself, but he didn't have time to ponder the question as they quickly walked up a final set of stairs into an open field of green covered in warrior women training. When the whole group stopped, Dick was brought to such a startling halt that he thought his arms were going to pop out of their sockets. Thank God for that, he thought, feeling his legs ache with all the climbing. Or is it Zeus I should thank? Maybe Hera? Athena?

The brunette raised her spear, and those not holding Dick prisoner did the same. 'Prinkipissá,' she called out above the din of all the sparring and training. 'Échoume kápoion gia esás.'

Dick wasn't sure who the brunette was talking to at first, but then his gaze settled on a group of women just ahead of them. It seemed it was a six-versus-one situation, as six women surrounded one young woman with familiar H/C hair. The six women ran at the young woman in the middle, all taking swings with their fists and swords, aiming for her head and legs and mid section. While the young woman took a few punches, she didn't flinch with pain. She would just grab her attacker's wrist and flip her over and slam her into the ground.

The fight only lasted a minute, and ended with the H/C haired pointing a sword at her final opponent's throat as she pressed her to the ground with her foot.

When she flipped her hair as she turned to face their group, only then did Dick fully realise who it was.

'Y/N!' he cried out, the brightest smile spreading across his face. Two years since he'd last seen her, his best friend. After the not-so-very-warm welcome, he was beyond relieved to see a familiar face.

But instead of reciprocating his smile with the one he'd always admired since they were children, Y/N paled as if she had seen a ghost. Her whole body seemed to freeze up as her eyes connected with Dick's, and for a moment Dick feared he had mistaken some poor girl for his best friend.

But her shock melted away, and Dick was met with angry eyes and a stony face. Oh, yeah. That's Y/N. He couldn't recall the amount of times he'd seen that expression before, but there was no mistaking it.

His fear turned towards himself as she suddenly, with sword still in hand, stormed towards him, ignoring the other women around her still training.

'Y/N, it's me Dick,' he said, just in case she hadn't recognised him, but still she came at him, raising the sword to her side. 'Wait, what are you doing?

As she stood a step from him, she changed her grip on the sword's hilt and swung the butt of it at his head.

'Hey! Don't-'

The last thing he saw were Y/N's angry eyes of E/C before pain exploded from his right temple and darkness overcame him.

~~~

Síko órthios, pareísaktes = On your feet, outsider

Poios eísai esý? = Who are you?

Ánthropos apó to exoterikó, edó tha petháneis! = Man from the outside, you will die here!

Pós gnorízeis tin prinkípissá mas? = How do you know our princess?

Piáste ton! = Grab him!

Tha ton páme stin prinkípissá mas = We shall take him to our princess

Échoume kápoion gia esás = We have someone for you

---------------

Tag List:

@valiantbouquetcloud | @epicy0n | @tyrannosaurexrex1300 | @lunaizhere | @nameunknownsthings | @tqrgvryen | @pariahsparadise | @edgycatx | @b4tm4nn

[stellaspectral]

I randomly thought of the trope “fights physically x fights verbally” and I thought that would perfect for Raph.

I imagine this trope working best with 2003 or Bayverse Raph. But whichever you choose is fine.

A/N: I won’t lie, anon; I struggled a bit with this request. I was having trouble imagining a suitable scenario, so I hope you forgive me if this isn’t quite what you were wanting 😥 Anyway, I went with Bayverse Raph for this.

I hope you enjoy it, regardless 💖

Fault Lines (mild angst)

❤️ Bayverse Raphael/Gender Neutral Reader ❤️

CWs: Slightly toxic(?) relationship, worry/anxiety, verbal confrontation, and overprotectiveness. All characters are aged-up.

You enter the unusually quiet lair.

Immediately, a familiar tension coils in your chest. Because this kind of silence usually only means one thing: Raph is stewing about something. And sure enough, as you round the corner into the common area, there he is.

He’s a mountain of muscle and barely contained frustration, pacing a tight circle near the beat-up couch. His jaw is a rigid line, his brow a thundercloud. His sais are sheathed, thank goodness, but his fists are clenched, knuckles white.

He’s less a turtle, more a green, scaly volcano on the verge of eruption.

“Hey,” you offer, your voice carefully neutral as you drop your bag on the floor.

He freezes mid-pace, his head snapping towards you, pinning you with a glare that could melt steel. “Where were you?” His voice is a low rumble, like thunder gathering force.

Here we go, you think, a familiar script playing out as you meet his fiery gaze. “I was out, like I explicitly informed you I would be. I was hanging with Casey. At the arcade, a distinctly non-threatening environment.”

“Out,” he parrots, the word dripping with a heavy, disdainful sarcasm that could curdle milk. He takes a step closer, his sheer size filling your vision. “You were s’posed to be back an hour ago.” This is classic Raph: establish dominance through sheer physical intimidation.

You stand your ground, refusing to flinch. “No, Raph,” you correct. “I said I’d be back around nine. It’s nine-fifteen. ‘Around’ implies a degree of flexibility, which I would have thought even your impressively dense skull could comprehend.” A verbal jab, precise and sharp.

His nostrils flare. “I was worried, alright?!” he bellows, his chest heaving.

“Worried?” you counter, raising an eyebrow. “Or were you picturing every Foot Clan ninja between here and Times Square ambushing me? Because, for your information, the most dangerous thing I encountered was a faulty joystick on the Pac-Man machine and Casey’s questionable choice of pizza toppings.” Your tone is light, almost teasing, but there’s an underlying challenge.

“It’s not funny!” he snaps, his voice rising in volume. “This city ain’t a damn playground! You know that! Why d’you gotta be so damn reckless, huh? So careless?”

“Reckless?” You cross your arms. “Let’s review the facts, shall we? I was in a brightly lit, densely populated public establishment. A friend who is adept with a hockey stick accompanied me. I was in said establishment during daylight hours that transitioned into early evening, not the dead of night.” You sigh. “The only ‘reckless’ thing here is your tendency to jump to the worst possible conclusion and take it out on the nearest target.”

A low, guttural growl rumbles deep in his chest. He turns away, running a hand over his head. The movement is agitated, restless—because he can’t punch your words, can’t wrestle your logic into submission. It’s as if he’s flailing against an invisible opponent, his primary weapons rendered useless.

“I just … I worry,” he mutters, his broad back still to you. The raw, aggressive energy seeps out of him, replaced by that familiar, vulnerable gruffness that always lies just beneath the surface of his rage. His massive shoulders, squared and confrontational moments before, slump perceptibly.

Now, you soften. Your verbal sparring isn’t about winning, not really. It’s about navigating the minefield of his temper, about carefully disarming the explosive exterior to reach the anxious, fiercely protective turtle buried deep within. You approach him, stopping a respectful foot away, giving him space.

“I know you do,” you say, your voice gentle now, shedding its competitive edge. “And believe it or not, I appreciate it. More than you probably realize. Really.” You pause, letting your words hang in the air for a few beats before you continue. “But you also need to trust me. I’m not made of glass, liable to shatter at the first sign of trouble. And I refuse to live my life cocooned in bubble wrap inside this lair, simply because you’re perpetually afraid of what might happen out there.”

He turns slowly, his face still etched with worry, but the inferno in his eyes has banked, leaving only troubled embers. “It’s just … when you’re not here, and I don’t know where you are …” He trails off, shrugging his shoulders.

He can fight armies, but this fear—this gnawing uncertainty—is an enemy he can’t physically defeat.

“Then next time,” you suggest, reaching out to tentatively place your hand on his forearm, “instead of pacing a trench into the floor and mentally preparing for a one-turtle war, maybe just … call me? Or, and I know this is a radical concept, try to operate on the assumption that I’m capable of navigating the perils of an arcade without incident.” A small smile plays on your lips.

He looks down at your hand resting on his arm, his gaze lingering there for a moment before lifting back to your face. You watch as the remaining tension around his eyes eases, a slow, almost reluctant grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, yeah, smart-ass,” he grumbles, but there’s no heat in it.

He draws you into an embrace. His physical presence, which only moments ago felt intimidating, now wraps around you like a warm, impenetrable shield. You press your cheek against his plastron, feeling the steady, reassuring thrum of his heartbeat. His arms are a solid, comforting weight around you, a promise of safety that no amount of sparring—physical or verbal—can diminish.

He lets out a low breath. “You’re a damn menace,” he mutters.

You pull back just enough to look up at him, your hands resting on his arms. The worry lines etched around his eyes haven’t completely vanished. But they’re softer now, his expression almost tender in the ambient light.

“So,” you tease, a grin playing on your lips, “what’s the new protocol? Am I grounded? Confined to my quarters with a tracking anklet and hourly check-ins?”

He snorts. “Temptin’. Real temptin’.” He taps your forehead lightly with a thick, green finger. “But then who’d keep me on my toes with all that fancy talk?”

“Ah, so my advanced vocabulary and willingness to brave questionable culinary experiences are my saving graces?”

He laughs. “Among other things,” he concedes, his gaze warm as it meets yours.

You tilt your head, a playful challenge in your eyes. “And these ‘other things’,” you drawl, poking his plastron, “are they classified information? Top secret turtle business?”

He chuckles, pulling you closer. “Nah,” he says, his voice dropping to a husky murmur that sends a shiver down your spine. “Just … y’know. You.”

The simplicity of his words, so starkly Raph, lands with more impact than any eloquent speech could. You feel your own smile soften, the teasing edge dissolving into genuine affection. “Just me, huh?” you echo softly, resting your cheek against him again.

He makes a noncommittal sound, a sort of hum deep in his throat, and one of his hands leaves your arm to settle on your back, pulling you flush against him. “Still think you talk too much sometimes,” he mutters, the words devoid of any real annoyance.

“And you still think punching things is a viable form of communication,” you retort, your voice equally soft.

He squeezes you a little tighter. “Works for me though,” he grunts, but you know he’s smiling.

You lean back slightly, just enough to look up at him again. “It does, doesn’t it? But sometimes,” you say, gently tracing the edge of his mask with your thumb, “a few well-chosen words work better.”

“Yeah, well,” he says, his voice a low rasp. “Guess it’s a good thing I got you to handle the wordy stuff, then.”

“Guess so,” you agree. “Someone has to translate your grunts into coherent statements, after all.”

He rolls his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. “Har har. You’re a real comedian.”

“Only for you, Big Guy,” you reply, pressing a light kiss to his jawline.

He stills for a second, then a soft sigh escapes him, and his arm tightens around your waist, holding you securely. “Good,” he says, the single word resonating with a depth of feeling that makes your heart flutter. “Stay that way.”

There’s a few beats of silence as he nuzzles his face briefly against your hair.

“So,” he rumbles, his voice regaining some of its usual gruffness, “arcade again next week? Or you gonna try your luck with that new sushi place Casey’s been ravin’ about? Heard they got stuff that’ll make even Mikey think twice.”

“Maybe. But only if you promise not to dispatch a SWAT team if I’m five minutes late.”

“No promises,” he says, clearly joking.

You just smile, knowing that for all his bluster and worry, you wouldn’t trade your hot-headed, soft-hearted turtle for anything.

[doubleedgemode]

Almost 2 months later, I remembered this and went to properly check it. As per (my clunky) wikipedia paraphrasing:

Shelley was born on August 30th 1797. The famed summer when she, her later husband Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and John Polidori had their ghost story writing contest happened in 1816. Now as far as I am aware we don't have a specific date. She could've even perhaps been 19 if we assume this all happened in late summer (after all, the uncharacteristic bad weather that kind of kickstarted the contest could be argued to be more proper for early autumn, hah Nevermind, just read that apparently 1816 was known as the Year without Summer, as the world was experiencing a volcanic winter courtesy of the eruption of Mount Tambora! Wow, til!), however, according to both the National Institute of Medicine and Anthony Badalamenti, she was 18 when she won the context. Hence, Shelley was 18 when Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus won the writing contest.

Now, it wasn't til January 1st 1818 that the book's first edition would release (anonymously), so Shelley was 20 when the first edition of Frankenstein hit the shelves. (In just 500 copies at that!)

It wasn't til the second edition, released on August 11th 1821, that it was properly atributed to Mary Shelley, who was still 20.

[Edit: Alright I missed a part while typing and I'm too tired to not to fully copy it so, here's the full wiki paragraph on its own:]

"A French translation (Frankenstein: ou le Prométhée Moderne, translated by Jules Saladin) appeared as early as 1821. The second English edition of Frankenstein was published on 11 August 1823 in two volumes (by G. and W. B. Whittaker) following the success of the stage play Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein by Richard Brinsley Peake. This edition credited Mary Shelley as the book's author on its title page."

Nonetheless! It wasn't til October 31st 1831 that we met the first "popular" edition, a less radical revision by Shelley herself, published by Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley. (Fun facts: Colburn was an exalted purveyor of "silver fork" novels, and you might be familiar with certain of Bentley's periodical's editors (before he left): Charles Dickens)

Here, Shelley was 34 years old.

Curiously, most modern reprints/editions(?) of the book are based off this revision, though there are select publications that still use Shelley's previous writing, and with some scholars prefering it due to considering it closer to the author's original vision.

So in conclusion, while Shelley was indeed 18 when she first wrote the book, it wasn't published and then revised til years later. Regardless of if you want to consider them part of the timeline til we got the most widespread version of the book, I still hold the opinion that even already having the very first pass of such a revolutionary novel at just 18 is incredible.

I also find inspiring that there were retouches of the novel years later. Sure, they were mostly adding author credit or making it less radical (the latter which may be a detriment to the novel by some analists), but they show us that even years later you can pick up your passion project once again for whatever reason... and that you're in your right to do so, no matter if you're not as young as you first were. Don't let anyone hold you back!

I'm pretty sure I read this before but I forgot til now, that Mary Shelley was just 18* when she first wrote Frankenstein... And it dawned on me... So young! I'm in awe at the talent and the skill she showed so young, hats off!

*some sources say she was 19? I'm not sure, though it seems that 18 is the bigger consensus

[nialuvscoffee]

ᢉ𐭩 WHEN THE SUN AND MOON MEET

katsuki bakugo x female!reader

warnings ; usage of y/n

── .✦ whenever you look unto the horizon, you can always see the sun. it may be peaking above the trees and mountains, ready to watch upon the humanity amongst the earth. or it may be saying goodbye, painting the sky with such beautiful colors to bid its farewell. but, where does the sun go?

y/n is a student at U.A. she brings light into any room she walks in as flowers grow on the ground she struts upon. she has a beaming smile, emitting rays each time she flashes it. her laugh is like a sweet melody to anyone that listened. she was the type of person that cared about everything, anything. when she left, she created heartfelt memories inside of the souls of her peers. she was unforgettable. she was the sun. just like the huge star in the sky, she also rises and sets. but it’s different.

when the sun falls, the moon climbs into its place, taking over its job. the moon is nothing like the sun. it’s full of craters, rocks, volcanoes, lava, and dust. it’s constantly getting hit, creating battle scars on it’s beautiful surface. not only that, but the average temperature when it sits in the dark is -280 degrees. the moon is a dark place, only being visible when the morning sky turns into night. it illuminates the earth, hiding the mysteries of the solar system. when the sun awakens, the moon sits behind it, not visible. so does the sun see the moon?

bakugo was the opposite of the sun. yes, he may go to bed at 8 o’clock each night, but he represented the moon. he had plenty of scars, more internally than externally. there were scars that people could see, his craters, and the scars people couldn’t see, -280 degrees. he was seen as a cold, dismissive person who only cared about his own success. he pushed the things that were weighing him down far out of his way, only pouring light into his own world. he was only visible during his darkest moments. when he was chained at the festival, kidnapped, or shouting at one of his friends. people didn’t enjoy bakugou’s presence, and he was okay with that. just like the moon, he sits behind the sun. 3rd row, 5 chairs back in aizawa’s classroom. but it’s different.

the moon doesn’t hold any light like the sun. it reflects the sun’s rays, preventing the earth from being numbing and dark. though it may need the sun to shine bright, it doesn’t make the moon useless. it controls part of earth’s gravity, creating tidal waves. the sun enjoys watching the waves move up and down amongst the shore. the sun enjoys watching the blue sea crash against itself, creating soothing sounds. the sun likes how it compliments the color of the sand, giving it a hug each time they meet.

── .✦ “come to the beach with me.” bakugo mumbled. his gaze was glued to the floor as he rocked back and forth on his heels. his hands were stuffed into his pockets and his ears were tinted red.

y/n looked up at him, watching him stand outside her dorm at 5 o’clock on a saturday. “right now?”

“don’t make me ask again, y/n.” bakugo scoffed, finally meeting her curious gaze.

she chuckled, telling him to wait a moment, disappearing into her room for a few moments. she came back out wearing a bikini top and shorts, a towel perched upon her shoulder. she smiled at bakugo, closing her door behind her. this made bakugo grunt, not enjoying the unfamiliar feeling of butterflies floating inside his stomach.

the two drove through the city. y/n watched the street lights stand in the streets with the wind flowing through her hair. bakugo glances at the sight with awe, not being able to focus on the road.

“i’ve never been to the beach before, katsuki,” y/n confessed. her elbow was rested upon the door, her head propped against it.

bakugo let out a soft chuckle, something only y/n could get out go him. “guess i’m about to change your life.” she chuckled at his determined expression, her smile lingering.

bakugo parked his car onto sand. it had grew dark, the moon was out with the sun right behind it. bakugo got out of his car to feel the grainy material in between his toes, y/n right behind him. she took her sandals off and threw them in his car as she rushed next to him to take in the view.

the colors that made up the sky mushed together to create a beautiful purple color, the clouds coming and going. the trees that lined the beach danced to the melody of the wind that passed by, its leaves creating a rhythm with each other. the water kissed the sand over and over again, shouting it’s love to the world.

y/n stood in the middle of it all with a struck expression etched across her face. her shoulders relaxed and she finally felt at ease. bakugo watched her for a while, she was more beautiful than any beach. she was more eye catching than any color the sky created. she opened her palms slightly, letting the breeze hold her hands with care.

bakugo made his way next to her, looking out unto the shore. his cheeks were painted pink. y/n peeled her gaze away from the ocean and onto the boy next to her. she gazed at him like he created this masterpiece in front of her. like he molded each grain of sand and whispered to the waves to connect with the small rocks.

“thank you, katsuki.” y/n said to him. her words sounded sincere, they were filled with gratitude. she was thanking him for going out of his way to drive her all the way out here, but to bakugo, she was thanking him for changing her life. their eyes met. the sun and moon finally looked at each other. a spark happened, similar to the solar eclipse.

bakugo then leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her equally soft lips. y/n brought her hands to wrap around his neck, standing onto the tip of her toes to deepen the kiss. it felt right. the moon needed the sun to thrive just like bakugo needed y/n to thrive. y/n saw bakugo like the sun saw the moon.

a/n : i like this idk

[yuamusuzuran]

The Dragon & the Foreseer who loved him - pt.4

Pairing: Sylus x Zayne/SnowCrow

Chp word count: 2524

Minors DNI/ Mature and Explicit content ahead!

Chapter TAGS: nicknames, banter, SEXUAL TENSION, Sylus being cute, foreboding angst, Zayne POV

Previous chapters: CHP1, CHP2, CHP3

If you wish to become a part of the tag list, refer here!

ENJOY!

CHAPTER 4 - You're not a mere human, sweetheart

After about one more week of travel, the dragon and the foreseer have finally reached their final destination.

Zayne had heard many stories about dragon domain, way over at the west, where the mountains spewed fire and the earth shook anyone who dared to walk on land; where the sky is dark and covered in thick red fog while the sun struggled to pass through and illuminate anything in that wretched place.

Once they have arrived, everything was pretty much as described, heavy air clinging onto Zayne’s throat and lungs and causing him to cough constantly.

The dragon seemed to have noticed his sudden discomfort and thus opted for, as he called it, ‘a longer route’.

This route led them over the vast field of flowers, their petals making it seem as if they were crossing the sea of swaying, pink waves.

And at the end of that flowery vastness, stood an old, tall structure, it’s dark and sharp edges and towers covered in layers of ivy reminding the Foreseer of certain buildings he had read about in the books.

“People used to live here?” he asked once the dragon put him on the solid ground.

The beast, now going by the name of Sylus, chuckled, his massive wings dragging behind him “Many years ago, it’s been more than two millennia, apparently”

“Strange…” Zayne mumbled, putting his gloved hand on the wall and going over the unknown carvings in the dark stone “How come this became dragon domain?”

“That I do not know” Sylus shrugged, that perpetual cheeky smile still present on his lips “There was apparently time when humans and dragons could live in harmony. Why that’s not the case now, I do not know… and don’t care to know”

With that sentence, the dragon extended his step and walked past Zayne, putting his large hands against the pair of massive doors. They creaked loudly, producing strong vibrations in the ground, a single glance from Sylus’ red eyes telling the Foreseer to follow him.

The inside was mostly covered in rubble, the holes in the tall ceiling being overgrown by ivy and same type of pink flowers they have seen on their way over. There seemed to be an old altar at the very other end of the building, the stone slab large enough to fit a whole person on top of it.

“In case you need to wash yourself, there is a waterfall behind that wall” the dragon pointed at the very back, Zayne only then noticing the sound of flowing water “The water is warm, mostly because we’re very close to the volcano… so, if you’re not too bothered by that, make yourself at home, Snowflake”

Zayne had to chuckle at the nickname before regaining his composure, his own gaze locking with his captor’s as he curtsied and said: “Thank you for your hospitality, Sylus”

As expected, the dragon scrunched his nose and turned away in a hurry, his large wings expending before he took flight.

Zayne had to chuckle again.

The dragon really hated that name.

Ever since Zayne was able to decipher dragonic language in which his original name was written, the dragon seemed unusually huffy about it. The Foreseer couldn’t really guess the reason for such behavior, but it made teasing him so much more amusing.

At least now, Zayne had something to counter his persistent name-calling…

Once alone, the Foreseer sighed and walked around for a while, trying to take in every detail of a place he’ll probably spend a lot of time at from that day onward.

The ruins of the cathedral were most definitely ancient, simple yet intriguing symbols Zayne didn’t recognize present on almost every wall. High up, on still-standing wooden beams, flock of ravens stared down at him, their cawing constant yet somehow soothing. He could hear the sound of the water become stronger as he approached the farthest wall, a veil of white smoke soon appearing behind a barely standing stone slab.

This place looked like an appropriate hiding place for any creature, especially a dragon. And if what he had read about their habits was true, his captor will most likely start collecting a lot of shiny and golden items from the nearby villages.

Zayne chuckled at the thought, but very soon realized one small yet surprising detail.

When he had first met Sylus, he’d never thought of him as being ‘silly’ or having ‘true dragon habit’. Rather, he’d still try to mask his own fear in front of the massive beast that took him so suddenly from the life he had known for centuries.

And yet… there it was; a shift in his own opinion…

The Foreseer shook his head in the next instant, not wanting to dwell on this particular matter any longer. He was maybe away from his post and was unable to foresee the future like before, but he was absolutely sure that Almighty Astra still had his eyes on him…

He couldn’t, under any circumstances, allow this shift in his behavior to grow.

To distract himself, Zayne took dragon’s advice and headed straight towards the broken wall at the back of the cathedral, the sound of running water soon becoming the only thing he was able to hear.

Once behind the massive structure, Zayne noticed a flight of shallow stairs leading underground, man having to step over three or four steps in order not to fall or trip on his robes.

A few moments later, the Foreseer found himself in the narrow but tall underground chamber, dark stones only illuminated by bright red crystals that seemed to grow from the walls and ceiling. The majority of the chamber consisted of a deep pool of water, a flowing waterfall of crystal clear yet steaming water falling from a rather large crevice in the ceiling.

Zayne frowned, lowering his stance and removing one of his white gloves. As he dipped his finger in the water, he expected it to be scorching hot, suitable for scaly body of a dragon, but no. The water was pleasant, lukewarm temperature.

Taking a deep breath and trying to contain a smile that had suddenly sprung on his face, Zayne rose back to his feet, deciding to finally take the dragon on his offer and relax.

Removing his robes was a tedious and slow process, but as each piece of it came undone and was neatly folded on one of the steps, the more relaxed the man had felt.

Once he was completely nude and with his long hair undone, Zayne slowly entered the warm, bubbling water, the temperature maybe a bit too hot for his liking. That fact, however, didn’t prevent him from lowering his entire body and head under the surface, allowing the silence and murmuring of the water to completely purge any unwelcoming thoughts.

For the longest time, the Foreseer had swam and dove under, sometimes completely relaxing and allowing the water to carry him around the makeshift pool. In one instance, he had dared to approach the waterfall, but its strength almost pulled him under.

In the end, Zayne had decided to just sit on one of the stones closer to the water’s edge, his fingers untangling his long black hair as he tried to think of nothing in particular.

Despite it being dragon’s lair, this cathedral and the valley as a whole seemed rather peaceful, a place where no one could really be bothered by requests, expectations or search for answers that plagued them. In this place, one could simply exist, without a care in the world…

I could get used to this, Zayne thought, taking a deep breath.

“Someone seems to be enjoying himself”

A familiar and sultry voice made the Foreseer snap back into reality, his head jolting backwards only to see Sylus looking at him from the middle of the stairway.

That familiar smirk was present on his lips once again, his crimson eyes focused and unwavering.

Zayne huffed “You offered, I’m just taking you up on your word”

Dragon had let out an amused chuckle as he slowly came down the stairs to join him, his wings, although pulled back, barely fitting inside the chamber.

Zayne could still feel the dragon’s gaze on him, but chose to ignore it, trying not to flinch once Sylus lowered his hand to also check the temperature of the water.

“Too cold” he mumbled with a click of his tongue, but still lowered himself to dip his feet into the pool “I hope it is still to your liking. Waters here are rather… capricious”

“Just like the dragon that lives here” Zayne commented, once again busying himself with his hair.

The moments continued to pass by, only the murmuring of water filling the intense void that had suddenly risen between them. And during all that time, Sylus hasn’t moved his gaze away from Zayne even once.

“I’ll start to think I’m growing a second head” the Foreseer finally broke the silence, mustering up the courage to meet dragon’s gaze “What is it?”

“Nothing” Sylus mumbled, still persistently staring “I’m still not used to the fact that you’re so calm around the creature that had abducted you, even after all this time”

Zayne’s eyebrows twitched, but he still decided to fully turn towards the dragon “Should I be worried? Did you plan on eating me when we reach your home or what?”

Sylus chuckled, licking his lips “Maybe…”

A shiver ran down Zayne’s spine while his heart skipped, the confusing sensation causing his blood to momentarily freeze inside his veins before the heart started pumping it more rapidly.

Eventually, the Foreseer lowered his gaze “Then better do it quickly… or while I’m not looking”

Sylus’ eyes widened for a moment only for that amused laughter to leave his throat, his sharp canines showing as he giggled from the bottom of his chest.

“All these weeks beside me and you haven’t realized I detest human flesh”

Zayne shook his head, only slightly amused by the dragon’s teasing… but there was no way he’d admit it out loud.

“And you could’ve learned that I do not appreciate these types of jokes, especially when my life is on the line…”

Sylus’ chuckles slowly subsided, prompting the Foreseer to once again look up at him. Even though he stopped laughing, a much wider, somewhat endearing smile adorned his perfect lips, making Zayne unable to stop looking at him.

“What…” Zayne tried to say, his throat suddenly becoming bone-dry “What do you intend to do with me? Why did you even take me?”

The question seemed to have caught the dragon off guard, but once his gaze moved to the side, Sylus remained silent for a moment or two.

“If I’m being candid…” he mumbled, those red orbs once again focused on the Foreseer “I haven’t thought about it just yet. But you can rest assured about one thing: You won’t die by my hand. You are too interesting and too amusing to kill”

It was Zayne’s turn to chuckle “That’s flattering… Should I entertain you with something else to solidify my safety?”

“Oh?” Sylus’ tone became curious, playful “And how would you do that, little Snowflake?”

Biting down his tongue, Zayne exhaled sharply before raising from the water, not even caring that he was completely nude in front of the terrifying beast.

With a single wave of his hand, the Foreseer splashed the water in the air only for his own breath to gain misty consistency as he blew towards the drops in the air, turning every single droplet into a small, perfect snowflake.

As he turned his gaze towards the dragon, the beast’s eyes were wide and full of surprise and wonder, his large and scaly hand instinctively rising to capture the snowflakes in his palm.

Without hesitation, Zayne had repeated the process, splashing more and more water with every new wave of his hand. He repeated this once, twice, thrice, as many times as needed… until the underground chamber became completely enveloped in tiny, fragile snowflakes.

At the end of it all, the Foreseer was exhausted, slumping onto the stony edge of the pool whilst panting heavily, momentary snow he had created already melted away.

“Are you alright?” Sylus’ voice sounded rather concerned, Zayne feeling him inching closer “This was lovely, but don’t overexert yourself for my sake-”

“No…” Zayne mumbled, his breathing slowly coming under control “I’ll be alright… it’s just been a while since I’ve used my power to this extent…”

Sylus chuckled before reaching for something behind them. Soon, Zayne’s longest robe was draped over his shoulders, slowly soaking up the water that still dripped down his body.

“I appreciate this entertainment” Sylus murmured, Zayne only then realizing they were incredibly close to one another “But I need you with me for a little while longer, so look after yourself…”

Zayne had to chuckle, trying to ignore the persistent pounding of his heart inside his ears “You almost sound concerned. For a mere human, no less”

Sylus’ smile spread out, only tips of his canines peering from under his lips “I think we’ve already established you’re not a mere human, sweetheart”

The Foreseer blinked in pure astonishment, the nickname coming like a lightning from the clear sky “Where… did you learn that nickname?”

The dragon gave him one final playful smirk before rising back on his feet “That’s a secret…”

With those words, Sylus ascended the flight of shallow stairs, leaving Zayne completely stunned at the turn of events.

He had no idea what had just happened or why he ended up using his power for something so trivial… but for the first time in his life, Zayne didn’t feel bad about it.

He did it because he wanted to… and because, for the first time since they have met, this dangerous dragon seemed almost… sweet? His curiosity was pure, like that of a small child seeing the snow for the first time, despite his size and immense power he wielded. And seeing him wide-eyed and in complete awe was worth Zayne’s current exhaustion-

The Foreseer bit his tongue, hard.

What are you thinking!?, he scolded himself.

Dragon? Sweet?

Pull yourself together, Zayne.... he is your captor… a creature that hates humans with all his being, a beast that can kill you at the blink of an eye…

Grasping his robes and pulling them closer, Zayne took a deep breath, suppressing any thoughts or feelings he had in regards to what happened a few moments ago. Nothing good could come out of this ordeal…

Zayne sat with his legs dipped in the water for a little while more before deciding to dry himself off and leave that damn chamber, but as he reached for the rest of his robes, a familiar and cold sensation enveloped both of his hands.

Frowning, the Foreseer looked down at his palms, only for his blood to run completely cold.

Ice, he thought.

Ice was enveloping every inch of skin on his palms and hands, white crystalized substance quickly spreading out towards the rest of his body.

No…. Lord Astra, please no!!!

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

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[dredgesnails]

I love to imagine the magic mountain bases all actually existing completely separately from each other in completely different time periods (almost), despite being physically in the same location.

In the ancient world, pyramids are constructed at the base of a huge volcano to honor the dead and worship old gods. A wide path leads to an entrance into the volcano, far enough in that the heat gets dangerous. Inside, sacrifices are made to the gods, to their king, offerings given up for the benefit of them all. The king is kind and forgiving, loyal to his people, asking for little and giving as much as he can. The gods however, are cruel, and all civilisations must fall eventually. For this one it's after a great eruption, one that shakes the earth with all the fury of the gods, that the pyramids become abandoned, left alone for centuries to erode. Over time new life grows, and thick jungles begin to hide the pyramids from view, until eventually, they’ve become a part of the natural landscape. Venture far enough in, however, and you might find remnants of the ancient civilisation: old writing in a language no one knows anymore, praises given to their old king; the remnants of ancient weapons and armour; the shapes of people who once lived forever preserved in ash and pumice.

~

It's the start of the industrial revolution, and rumours start spreading of an eclectic man and his steamrail full of exotic animals from across the globe. He’s a travelling zoo, of sorts, appearing in the strangest of places (as long as there's a railway line, he'll be there), areas it logically shouldn't be able to reach. He’s got all sorts of animals, from dolphins and turtles to strange, mysterious beasts. Where does he keep them all when they're not on the train? Some say he doesn't exist. others insist he does, that he lives underneath a mountain no one dares to visit. It's an active volcano, they say, dangerous to go near. If anyone dared to explore they might stumble upon the largest, most diverse collection of animals they've ever seen, and, most bizarrely, a large steam locomotive that runs on its own railway track, seemingly on a loop through the volcano itself. The tunnel is so dark the train disappears into it entirely. a young exploration group decide to find out for themselves, years later, and at first they think there's nothing there, until one of them stumbles upon the obvious remnants of a railway line, no longer in use but not so old that it's started to break down. Maybe he did exist after all...

~

In the late 1800s, a small fishing community establishes itself by the mountain. Electricity is new, and with the new machines and motors available to them the community quickly grows into a small village. Something is wrong, though. The rocks embedded in the mountain appear to resemble a skull more and more by the day, water streaming from one eye socket as though it’s crying. Underground passages and tunnels are found by the new residents, all leading to strange chambers. There's something in the water. A young man, one of the first in the village, disappears for a month, and when he returns, he's changed. He insists the ocean speaks to him, to everyone through him. He fishes for hours, days, weeks on end. When his madness begins infecting others, most gain the sense to stay away from him, but not everyone does. There's something in the water.

By the mid 1920s, the small fishing village is still standing, although most of the residents from four decades ago have since left. A young woman, traveling alone in her tiny fishing boat, docks at the village in need of repairs. What was meant to be a one night stay turns into days, then weeks, then months, as she begins to notice strange happenings in the village. A local artist has locked himself in his house, gone mad from something he found in the ocean. A scientist is experimenting with strange materials, and sometimes at night strange noises come from her house. There's something in the water. An older man speaks in tongues, driven mad by the sea. There's something in the water. The young fisher sees him occasionally, staring through her, unseeing. She's begun dreaming of ancient monsters in the depths of the water below her, reaching their long arms out and crushing her and everyone else. When she looks into the sea she can't see anything. It’s just inky blackness.

(No one knows how the village gets destroyed. One day it's here, and the next it's turned to rubble, razed to the ground by forces beyond human perception. It appears no one survived, but strangely, there's no trace of the small fishing boat the young woman had arrived in, nor of her body, and if anyone stopped for long enough in the wrecked city they might hear mumbling at night from underground, the mad ramblings of a man who has seen too much.)

~

Magic mountain row thrives in the early 2000s. They’ve beaten the Y2K bug (it really wasn't that much of a problem, anyway), business is booming at all the independent stores, and the local economy is better than ever. It doesn’t matter that not many people want to live here because new tech keeps Big Ron busy, and Willie Jr is old enough to start working at his father's shop, preparing himself to take over the business. The safe storage containers are always a little open, but nothing ever really goes missing, because no new people means everyone knows everyone. A young boy visits his neighbours for the last time before he leaves with his family; his dad's got a better job somewhere far away and they have to leave now, and besides it’s safer not to live by a barely-dormant volcano (it’s not as cool, though). His new neighbourhood has a lot more kids his age, but he can't help but miss the eccentric nature of his old neighbours. He returns to his childhood home twenty years later to find it empty. Most of magic mountain row is empty now, actually. There are a few places still open: Big Ron refuses to close up shop because Willie Jr, who has taken over the business now that his father's passed, still needs his help from time to time. Anyone still living here is merely clinging to a past they remember so fondly they can't adapt for the future. They're happy, though. They’re happy to remain here until it's their time to go.

~

In the not-so-distant future, a dense city is formed on the mountain. It started out as a smaller town, with traditional architecture and shrines dotted around the place, but as technology advanced and society progressed it grew and evolved into towering skyscrapers, holographic billboards, a rail system that winds through buildings and above streets. Elements of the past still remain - lush gardens lined with cherry blossom trees, the old shrines and temples still standing, a mark of the city's history and longevity. The city stands the longest, weathers the strongest storms, grows and evolves and changes, but all must come to an end, eventually. A rumbling in the earth, a once-dormant volcano waking from its slumber. They have the tech to know it's coming, now, so they all flee before it can hit. Only one man stays behind. This is his city. This is his home. He built this entire place from the ground up, and he’s not going to leave it behind. He makes his way to one of the shrines. Praying to his goddess, he leaves her one final offering, and when the ash settles all trace of him is gone.

~

The apocalypse happens in a future beyond our reckoning. A city lies, abandoned by most, on top of the ruins of civilisations that came before. Once a lively hub of activity and tech and innovation, the city has become a ghost town, occupied only by the artificial intelligences that had driven humanity out. They wander aimlessly, mimicking the behaviours of the humans they used to watch and help, protecting the inner core of their city that keeps everything, including themselves, alive. The humans reside elsewhere, in a bunker resembling the old world, with more vegetation and life than the city had despite being hidden underground. The city’s architects reassure everyone that they’ll be able to return someday soon. The one who designed the robots, a man more cyber than human by this point, just needs to fix a few issues with their programming. He doesn’t want to destroy them but he might have to. His partner, who designed most of the city, will need to commence repairs before anyone can live in the city again. So they leave, vowing to fix the city so that everyone can return to society. No one knows they will never return.

[miksterrr]

headcannon that lloyd was able to feel when the ninja reached their true potentials.

Okay just hear me out here-

Lloyd was able to harness their elements at first, right?

And like I know there's a headcannon out there where Lloyd's like an empath and whatever bc of his element- but who's to say it couldn't reach more?

Like just imagine- he's just sitting in that cage the serpentine put him in when suddenly he's absolutely freezing, like dead of winter, negative degrees, kind of feel but he also feels powerful and even though he's only known the ninja for like a month at this point he can just tell it's zane-

can feel the pure relief at knowing at something that finally comes to light- and something in his mind is reaching and reaching and trying to connect with him with the absolute freezing power in his veins and trying to reach out to zane for someone to rescue him-

but that feeling's gone as soon as it arrived.

and then like a week later than feeling comes again but it's different but just as powerful as the first time- this time it's electricity rushing up his bones, making his hairs stand on edge, and he feels so energized yet completely drained at the same time- it almost feels warm (like a summer storm) but it's only flashes of warmth compared to the complete freezing of zane's-

but just like zane he knew it was jay, he knew by the absolute excitement he felt and the utter relief and shock speeding right alongside the electricity- he knew that whatever was going on was jay's power- his element reaching out to him for some fucking reason-

once again, that feeling is gone as soon as it arrived.

at this point he's waiting, anticipating feeling that same connection with cole or kai

and what do you know, a week in a half goes by and suddenly it's like he can move mountains. it feels almost more powerful that before, that the he can crush the cage with just his hands but he can't- there's warmth traveling up his veins this time, it's slow-moving but it's a constant warmth opposed to the electricity and it's a nice kind of warmth too, one that doesn't set him on fire or make him panic, it's one that he knows-

it feels like cole's hugs. he's maybe gotten two hugs from the older teen, but this warmth and strength and powerful he's feeling feels just like cole's hugs and he doesn't know what to do with this knowledge- the memory of cole's hug or the same feeling of relief that jay and zane had, along with lingering feelings of contentedness and connection- once again lloyd feels himself reaching for this power for this feeling of relief-

and it falls away just as quickly.

even though lloyd still doesn't under what exactly these connections are- he knows he's waiting for kai, he's waiting and waiting and waiting and yet almost two weeks go by and there's still no sign of power and relief from kai-

it's not until he's lying in bed still reeling from the fact that he's the green ninja when he remembers the feeling. it was overshadowed by his own fear and acceptance and relief but now he knows kai was also feeling the same-

lloyd remembers feeling heat and fire shoot up his body like it didn't know where else to go- he remembers feeling hot, and now he knows it wasn't just because he was in an active volcano- it was definitely part of it but it was also a different kind of heat- it was more similar to cole's but it was also angry and rushing and safe-

and that's how lloyd knew it wasn't only the volcano, because he's only felt that safe with kai before and he remembers that feeling only blooming when kai picked him up he remembers the shared feeling of acceptance and fear and how it was intertwined with the heat- lloyd remembers how that connection unfurled until he could almost see it- where it connected between him and kai and that was the moment lloyd knew kai was his protector- that all of them were meant to protect and mentor him-

the feeling fell away as soon as they landed on the bounty.

but- it was still there- a single minute thread that connected them together- that connected all of them together. lloyd knew if he just tugged on the thread that connected to zane or jay or cole, he'd feel that same kind of power that connected them all those weeks ago.

He doesn't realize what this meant until he started harnessing their elements as well- he doesn't realize until he hears the prophecy of the green ninja again and knows it was meant for him.

unbeknownst to lloyd but the connection works both ways.

the ninja didn't feel each other's true potential or felt what lloyd was feeling in their moment- but they felt lloyd's.

Kai is the only one that was aware of it when it happened, as the other were under the possession of dark matter, but he knew- he felt laces of gold and green threading under his skin and there was energy that he didn't know what to do with- he remembers acceptance and sorrow and relief and conviction- he remembers reaching out to this energy- trying to connect with trying to make it last enough to hear his apologizes-

it's gone as soon as it came.

It takes them all years to realize what it was- it's not until Lloyd was talking about true potentials with Arin and Sora and Wyldfire and the rest of them swapping their stories of them reaching their true potentials do they realize that lloyd was able to feel when they reached theirs and vice versa.

[horizon-verizon]

On this here day, GRRM wrote an entry clarifying several things about the dragon lore in his novels, and it vindicates so many Dany stans/Daenerys as the Azor Ahai:

Saying dragon "mysteries", in-world, will be revealed in the last two books AND Septon Barth got a lot right. I'm taking that to mean that dragons change sex (Viserion, here you come, baby!), like two particular Twitter mutes I have (danylanzhou and Branwynwitch). It also seems like he's confirming that dragons and the first 40 Valyrian families (which include the Targs, then and now) mixed dragon blood with their own in some long past ancient event AND that only these families, therefore, can bond with dragons to rides them safely or befriend them.

Which means Nettles is definitely of Valyrian/Targ-descent, which really should have been obvious. One of my mutuals also asserted that this makes the idea of Nettles-Sheepstealer/Rhaena-Morning being interchangeable for their supposed HotD merging GRRM-disapproved bc he makes a point to say that dragons don't tend to move far from their lairs that are usually very high up in mountains and volcanos. Sheepstealer can't be going to the Vale while having a lair in Dragonstone:

As for the thought of Sunfyre flying miles to get to Dragonstone...this is where he/they were born and where the real magic that sustains dragons is coalesced from hundred of years. It makes sense for him/them to fly to this castle even if Aegon weren't there after he had been bodied by Meleys/Meleys & Vhagar, looking for recovery. This is where the Targs get most of their eggs/dragons and it is near where most dragons in Westeros make their lairs.

Note that he says, in the very last paragraph, how:

Fantasy needs to be grounded.  It is not simply a license to do anything you like. Smaug and Toothless may both be dragons, but they should never be confused. Ignore canon, and the world you’ve created comes apart like tissue paper.

It appears he is VERY not happy about something to do with dragons in the show's second season, how they bond in the show, how a certain dragon is "explained" to have traveled a too-long distance for a certain pale-locked young girl who has been trying to hatch her own dragon for years...I see you GRRM, fighting for Nettles AND Rhaena I see.

Oh, and just bc he said he liked epi 2, doesn't mean that he cannot critique anything about HotD ever again...he is the writer and creator of this universe that they are capitalizing on. As long as a writer of any genre stays logically consistent and relatively undiscriminatory in their original writing, they definitely can tell any of us readers what is real and not real or possible in their own creations! That this is even up for debate is a travesty to logic.

Mind you, this is the same man who said the show and the book are two separate canons AND that adaptations "nowadays" tend to fail bc the adapters think they can make the story "better" and ignore critical lore details. And in his latest commentary on HotD's S2 first two episodes, he says, and I quote:

“Rhaenyra the Cruel” has been getting great reviews, for the most part.   A lot of the fans are proclaiming it the best episode of HotD, and some are even ranking it higher than the best episodes of GAME OF THRONES.   I can hardly be objective about these things, but I would certainly say it deserves to be in contention.   The only part of the show that is drawing criticism is the conclusion of the Blood and Cheese storyline.   Which ending was powerful, I thought… a gut punch, especially for viewers who had never read FIRE & BLOOD.   For those who had read the book, however… Well, there’s  a lot of be said about that, but this is not the place for me to say it.   The issues are too complicated.   Somewhere down the line, I will do a separate post about all the issues raised by Blood and Cheese… and Maelor the Missing.  There’s a lot to say.

Note that the latest post was about epi4 and this one I just linked is only abt epi 1 &2....so where are his thoughts for the hated/comedic epi3?! (we see each other, George). (BTW, I gave my thoughts on his thoughts about 1 & 2, HERE.)

I'll say it once again: though GRRM praised the portrayal of grief, defended Cheese being lost, and loved the dog (the last I don't fault anyone for, I also loved them) in the Blood & Cheese episode, he also expressly talks AROUND how Blood & Cheese and Helaena actually interacted and comments on the Maelor-lessness (therefore the lack of Sophie's Choice) that many people--inclu myself--have been saying was a huge problem.

Now we have two different sources that seem to support the ideas of:

GRRM both not being as "involved" with the actual writing of this show for a bit AND not approving of a lot of critical changes

HotD's writers cannot create anything truly "canon" or "real/true" for this universe, it only can make any sort of "sense" if it also retrieves information from the original tale, which is not really just F&B but THE ENTIRE SET OF AVAILABLE BOOKS!