#half moon reincarnated au

[canon-notcanon-warriorcats]

Imagine a life of having to lead your group from their home; living a long life of trying to keep them alive only for near the end of your life watching them struggle to survive and there's nothing you can do but tell some of them to leave, to find another place to live so everyone can survive.

Then from the afterlife seeing the ones you cared so much about fight each other, kill each other, you can do nothing but demand they follow a set of rules just so maybe they'll survive and can live together without constantly killing each other.

Generation after generation you watch as they continue to fail to follow those rules and tragedy after tragedy follows.

The young and hopeful cat you used to be begins to fade. Everything about you seems to feel darker, you can't even recognize your reflection when you look into the pools of StarClan.

At some point you forget all of those past troubles, you're young and hopeful again, you look at your reflection in the lake and you know that is you. You're passionate, you're loyal, you want nothing to do but to follow the sacred rules your clan and kin have followed for more generations than anyone could remember, to keep the peace, to keep everyone safe.

Only to find out you were not who you thought you were, you are not who you were TOLD you were.

Your existence broke the sacred code you dedicated yourself to following, in more ways than one, and in doing so has now brought danger and pain to you and your loved ones.

It's happened again.

They've failed again.

And now YOU'VE failed as well.

There's a strange whispering in your head, in your heart, in every bone, every breath you take you hear something you don't understand.

"You are no longer Half Moon. You are Half Clan."

[charkyzombicorn]

So I had an idea fore the selkie goddess

What if she was originally a slave girl named Caethes who escaped by jumping into the sea. She meet the mermaid king and fell in love. Later she briefly joined joy boy (Nika) although they both had feelings for each other, Caethes refused to act on them since she was already married. (And unknown to her pregnant when she left)

Caethes is such a good name!!!!!!! I love it!!!!!

But she didnt have feelings for Nika because Nika was annoying and apathetic and didn't really change until after she'd died when the other races started capturing torturing and enslaving her people. Nika only became the drums of revolution to protect her legacy, but she never got a chance to see that

[ladybyakuya]

| SILVER SOUL + RAFAYEL. 

+cw. —f!reader, reincarnation au + modern au + soulmate au, angst, yearning, one-sided pining, mature content. hints if love triangle if you squint | +wc. — 1k | +syn.— with that money,power and status your client had you thought this would be your breakthrough after working as bodyguard for a while now but it tore your heart apart instead.

+notes. — i’ll say this again. bodyguard job is no joke. insert that meme of [ “do a bodyguard mission.”they said, “it would be fun.” they said.] | redirect to blog navigation. | thanks to @purpleqilinwrites & @hayatoseyepatch for beta reading this piece.

"I love you," Rafayel blurted out as he stared at the painting, part of him wanted to take it back, but the other half knew it did not matter since you must be sleeping somewhere here in this giant Mo Art Studio, in his home while he is drinking wine from the bottle he excavated from the wine cellar. Even though you should be awake and be by his side, you are not. He is all alone in his studio in the dead of night. His face contorts as he takes a few gulps from the bottle and keeps it on the nearby table. He hates it. He likes the taste. He would probably feel chipper and trippy by now but something happened this morning, something he did not expect, and all of this, this unfathomable sealike sadness stemmed from you. He is the God of the Sea, you can’t hurt him yet you did. Even the moon which was full has now turned into a slice, hiding behind the clouds. Even the moon is afraid of him. He scoffs at such sentiment. 

“Ser Rafayel. . . what’re you—

“Shhhhh!” He shushes you with his index finger over his lips. The sound almost comes as sharp as a whistle. His eyes linger on you, fluorescent it seems under the pale moonlight coming through the windows. He is standing in front of a painting almost five feet apart from you as you stand at the entrance of the studio. There are so many questions you want to ask him. What happened when you fainted? What happened to the gigantic sea creature? Why can’t you remember anything? — but all you could ask was, “Are you still mad at me?” voice as feeble as broken shells on the shore. It took you almost an hour to find him since you could not go back to sleep after what happened this morning. So, you’re not going back until you say your thing. Fuck work. Fuck professionalism. You want answers.

Rafayel turns his head in a flash. Mad at you? How could he ever? He is just . . . hurt. Why you ask? He turns his head back to the painting. He blames himself for the way you act now but he can not admit that to himself. Yeah! He is a coward. 

He did not expect you to be so cold after he saved your life. He hired you as your bodyguard for a reason, diluted the boundary of professionalism for a reason yet you have the audacity to tell him off? You might not remember your past life with him but he does and it is so vivid that it hurts to look at the same face that has totally such hostile feelings towards him. You do not know how many human lives it took to meet you again. Ah! This wretched curse. Humans are such vile creatures and it feels like a silver dagger in soul to have you as human in this life while he is a lemurian. If only he knew the way to make you remember . . . why can’t he just add some memories just like he wiped yours when he saved you from the Deluge Wyrmlord?

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be asleep?” you swallow as he questions back realizing how dry your throat has become. It seems that he is still mad.

“As should you be too.” He looks at you, eyes red like running lava ready to swallow lives on earth  with a visible crease amongst his eyebrows. “Ser Rafayel.” you add.

Rafayel walks towards the sitting stool that he generally uses while painting but he tumbles in his way and you instantly run at light speed to hold him. “I’m fine. am fine.” He assures raising his hand in the air blocking your way to come to him for any aid he requires now. 

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything Ser.”

“Am I that appalling to you? He asked his heart aching since it still beats. The question hits you like a stone on a metal door. You do not. You clearly do not. It is just that . . . at that moment you weren’t thinking straight. You thought he did something to you. why do you think so little of me that you thought I did something to you while you were unconscious?"  

Your lips part for a second trying to form an answer that could ease his soul, soothe his mind. The answer is nothing but silence frustrates him to the point that he leaves his seat and stands up. You scoot a little closer fearing he would tumble again. Even though you emptied the wine cellar he managed to find one bottle. He must have a secret place or something. The state he is in, you think, Rafayel is going to forget all these what is happening right now. So, gathering all the courage you had left in your body standing as close as possible to him so that you can catch him if he falls. "You don't have any idea what you're doing to me." The amount of slur in his voice and the way his feet are wobbly he is gonna fall any second. . .and as you expected he falls like a withering petal in your arms. With utmost ease, you jock down on the floor. There is still a little bit of consciousness in his body but not enough to reject your help as he did just a while ago. 

He lulls into slumber with his head lying on your lap as he mumbles being under the influence of alcohol. "I'm in love with you," He snuggles more into your lap like a cat; so much for being afraid of them. "I'm in love with you and it sucks because I know you'll never love me back. Not in this life." As you hear his even breathing followed by slow purrs. You poke his cheek a little. He is asleep. Ah! Perfect timing.

[coralinnii]

❋ The villain in my heart; villain/ess au side story❋

↳Reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy part 1.5

feat: Floyd

genre: family fluff, humor, slow burn romance but is not the focus

note: a side story to reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy Floyd ver., set after part 1 but before part 2, reader is referred as “flying fish/fishie” by Floyd, no pronouns used with the reader, inspired by someone special to me.

I received news that my grandmother has passed away. Because of my situation, I can’t go back for her wake and I don’t know when I’ll ever get the chance to visit her. I’ve been feeling lost with no one to talk to since I’m too far from my family. Reader’s mother and grandmother are inspired by my own mother and grandmother. I’m breaking my own rule in delving too deep into details for this series but my grandmother was a good woman and I wanted to show off my grandmother in some way and my mother’s relationship in a way. This is purely for my self-indulgence, being able to remember my grandmother every time I read this and how much my mother loves her.

If this breaks your engagement with the series because of the lack of ambiguity, don’t worry. Not reading this won’t impact the main storyline so you can skip this side story.

Villain/ess au series masterlist

Yo Flying Fishie,

I’m coming over to hang out, see you soon!

Floyd

The letter was crumpling slightly under your clenched fingers as a range of emotion ran wild within you. The Leech messenger was not fazed by your distress as you assumed he is quite used to the spontaneity of his young master.

“Um…this letter…”

“Yes, it is an official letter sent by young master Floyd”

“And when exactly is soon-“

“I was not informed of the details of the visit, only that master Floyd told me to deliver this to you post-haste.” the messenger quickly bowed his head to you before leaving as quickly as he came, ignoring the utter anguish in your face.

You let out a sigh as you glanced back at the letter, if you could call it that. It was barely three lines with no sense of formality or urgency, leaving you to assume that this “hangout” could occur anytime between today or the next blue moon. However…

“At least he wrote this time”

Since that fateful encounter, Floyd started to act as though he was part of your family with how easily he lets himself in. Sometimes, he would invite himself to the knight’s training led by your father or munch down some refreshments with your mother. Most times, he’s chasing you down as you try to hide from the notorious merman. Each and every time, he just came out of the blue and barges in, scaring the workers in your manor. While a noble yourself, your standing as a baron family is lower than the Leech family so the workers were unsure how to approach the unpredictable nobleman.

He only started sending letters of notice when he waited in your manor all alone for hours while your family went out for a family picnic. You let out the loudest shriek when you saw gangly limbs hanging from the sofa Floyd splayed himself on, sulking on the sofa from boredom.

“I was sooo bored, Fishie.”

“Then go home!”

Your mother, ever the sociable type, would welcome the intruder with a smile every time. She was just happy to see her oldest child with a friend and would simply laugh at how comfortable the tall man was in their home. She even told you that the merman reminded her of a stray cat.

“Cats don’t usually bring about the destruction of a family, mom” you kept your snarkier quip to yourself.

Usually when she heard of Floyd’s visits, she would be happy to host him. But today was different. Her mother was visiting your home that day as well.

Your maternal grandmother was a quiet but strong woman. Born into a poor family and married an equally poor man for love, she worked tirelessly well into her late adulthood to provide for her seven children, retiring only when her last child was married. Your grandfather was her cheerier half while she preferred her private life with her family and close friends rather than mingling in large crowds with new people. Because of this, it was her husband and her children that did the socializing while she kept to herself at parties. She was a sarcastic woman, stubborn to a fault, and a loving family woman.

“If Floyd were to come today, it might make your grandmother uncomfortable” your mother was frowning and you tried to share her worries but you were trying so hard to fight out a smile.

“It’s so unfortunate, but if Floyd does visit then we have to ask him to leave, for grandmother’s sake~”

“Heeeh? Why do I have to leave?”

Your voice let out a strange noise of fright as Floyd’s voice caught you and your mother off guard. Despite his 6ft tall frame, he managed to creep his way to you and mother without any of you realizing.

“Way too dangerous!”

“Oh Floyd, you’re here so quick!” Your mother was quicker to snap from her surprise before feeling guilty, having to ask the young man to leave as soon as he came. “You see, my mother is visiting and she has a hard time warming up to strangers-“

“Who is this?”

Another voice came out of the blue, this time startling the three of you. All of you turned to see your grandmother, the very woman of the conversation herself. It was obvious where your mother got her looks and despite her smaller frame, her stubborn nature was shown through her pose and gaze.

Your mother, used to her mother’s curt words “Mother, this is Floyd Leech. He’s a friend of the kids” you wanted to argue that but instincts warned you otherwise, lest you want your mother scolding you for your rudeness.

Floyd casually waved to your grandmother with a toothy grin, unperturbed over her seemingly unfriendly demeanor. “Nice to meet’cha, Fishie’s grandma~”

There was somewhat awkward tension in the air. Your mother chose to stay quiet to gauge her mother’s comfort. She never wanted to make her mother too uncomfortable but she also wanted to see her mother willing to socialize. You, on the other hand, were steeling your emotions as you feared a brawl would happen between the two guests. Your grandmother was frail but she kept her hard-headed snark with her and you weren’t sure if Floyd was the type to hold back against an elderly woman.

Then your grandmother broke the silence. “Did you eat yet?”

“Hmm, I ate some lunch with my brother” Floyd raised a curious brow as the short woman eyed him with a discerning gaze. Then, your grandmother grabbed his wrist, feeling the bony structure and shocking the eel merman.

“So tall but still so skinny. You don’t eat enough” your grandmother let out a dissatisfying sigh as she released her grip on the stunned Floyd. She started walking towards the dining room, not bothering to look back at as she spoke out again. “Come, we’ll make something good for you. My oldest daughter also sent some bread from her town, we’ll eat that too.”

Delighted, your mother started walking as well to chat with Floyd, happily telling him about the delicious bread the grandmother mentioned her older sister brought over. You quickly paced yourself to your grandmother’s side, anxiously whispering to her.

“Grandmother, you don’t have to force yourself, you know? He comes over all the time so him going home today is no big deal” you told the elder woman, partly because you still wish to send the spontaneous nobleman away but also because you truly didn’t want to burden your grandmother with such personal discomfort.

The woman said nothing at first, simply walking without looking towards anyone. However, sensing your worry she eventually let out a sigh and patted your arm, affectionately rubbing as if to ease you.

“He’s your friend, and your mother seems fond of him too” your grandmother had a small smile on her face. “It’s fine. Stop worrying for nothing”

This may be nothing as letting someone visit you is trivial to most people. But you know your grandmother is pushing herself out of her comfort zone to personally talk and even invite a stranger to eat with her and her family. This is stressful for someone like her, but she’s trying her best all because of her family.

“…I’ll go find father and brother for a lunch break” If you and your grandmother have to suffer through this social nightmare, you’re dragging everyone to suffer then.

[oh-no-its-bird]

Spinning around in a chair consumed with thoughts about the magical girl Izuna AU, specifically about what cool patron gods the others could use as sponsors if they got hit with the magical girl beam. + What would happen after the 'season 1' phase of the story

So, Susanoo, little brother of Amaterasu, hears that Kaguya has gotten free.

He decides that yk what? Time to fuck with the big sister. Kaguya got sealed away for reasons anyways, so why shouldn't he at least make jokes about putting her back where she came from?

Meanwhile Amaterasu is busy yelling at Kaguya for hours then making out with her for even longer as Izuna stares in horror. (Tobirama does not give a shit, he got both of his brothers back at this point and could not be happier. As far as he considers, he's retired. His contract with Kaguya is half broken right now anyways)

So now lets fully shift gears away from Tobirama and Izuna's seeming end of the adventure, and turn to Madara's POV

So Susanoo finds Madara, whos a) compatible with his power via being one of Amaterasu's children. And b) The reincarnation of one of the original guys who sealed Kaguya away.

Perfect match!!

idk how he convinces him to help exactly, maybe Susanoo spins a bit of a story, maybe he pokes at and reawakens the parts of his soul with a grudge against Kaguya, maybe he, like Kaguya, offers him a wish-- Im undecided.

Long story short though, magical girl Madara with Susanoo as his sponsor

Somehow Hashirama finds out, and not one to leave his best friend to his task alone, now gets to join him in the adventure as the powerless backup!! Im such a sucker for that trope.

Susanoo does spend an especially long time squinting at Hashirama before saying something about he has surprisingly strong ties to the earth. Strong enough that he might be able to actually handle a contract with some sort of nature kami -- but only if he can find one willing to offer him their power.

Shrine maiden Mito makes a come back to help back them both up with some cool priest magic. Her ancestor helped to seal Kaguya away with Hashirama and Madara's past incarnation, and theres little clues that can help piece together their past lives and powers littered around her family shrine.

The story dives a bit into Madara and Hashirama learning about their past life. Before, they were able to avoid the karma (good and bad) theyd earned in that life via being ignorant to it. But now that they not only know about their past lives but have now interacted with the gods again (thanks Susanoo, really) they're getting regularly harassed by spirits and minor gods for an array of reasons. Past crimes, bets they lost and deals they forgot or werent able to fuffil,

Thanks Susanoo, really. Really.

So anyways, Susanoo kind of forgot the original reason he contracted Madara (he just got distracted having too much fun watch him be harassed by spirits)

But one day Tobirama shows up in costume while Madara is struggling, figuring hed help.

(Its important to note that just like before, unless you see the magical girl transformation in real time with your own two eyes, they're all prevented from recognizing/remembering each others faces when in costume. )

Susanoo is like "OH FUCK RIGHT!!" and starts yelling at Madara to like fuffill his destiny and punch out this guys lights

Madara is like ???? he helped me tho ???? but Susanoo points at the big glowing "I only gave you this contract so you could fight Kaguya and if you pull out now Ill leave you alone without the powers to fight off all these spirits who keep trying to eat you" sign

And Madara is like fuck and just goes for it

Tobirama does not appreciate his help being returned like this.

Quick interlude about Tobirama's situation:

So, last time we saw him, Tobirama was risking a full transformation into a moon monster. So why is he seemingly ok using Kaguya's powers now?

The answer is that its because hes stopped giving out contracts on Kaguya's behalf. He can handle Kaguya's power, just in small amounts. Though it still does sometimes cause some discomfort. At his lowest point he was basically acting like a battery for all the power Kaguya couldnt hold bc of how she was sealed. There was way too much power there for any mortal to hold, its honestly a miracle he survied. But now Kaguya is fully free and Tobirama barley even uses her power. (Why would he? He got what he wanted from it, his brothers)

He still has the contract with her because keeping it in place is what keeps his brothers alive. He cant break that without killing his brothers too, but he doesnt mind. Kaguya isnt that bad-- Even tho having Kaguya around means Amaterasu (and thus Izuna) is around too.

Anyways, Tobirama at his strongest is stronger than Izuna (he did kind of win that final battle in releasing Kaguya), but also risks going insane and or exploding from the weight of Kaguya's power. Even if he recovers after, the more times he uses that kind of power, even once, the more he risks long term damage. He now purposefully only uses power in small amounts to avoid that risk. Take that as you will

Alright back to the story;

So. Tobirama and Madara are fighting now. Madara does not want to fight but Susanoo is pretty much blackmailing him at this point and also cheering on loudly from the inside of Madara's head.

Tobirama meanwhile is very down to kick the ass of the apparent jackass who decided to take a swing at him after he went well out of his way to help him out. Also at this point hes a lot more experienced than Madara when it comes to fighting other magical girls, so.

Yeah. Madara gets his ass beat. Not too bad, but like, enough.

He kind of thinks he deserved it too, hes really embarrassed about it. He has MANNERS. Hed never DO this to someone who just fucking SAVED him. And they're the first other actual fr magical girl hes ever met !!!

Madara has his head in his hands in fucking agony rn, Susanoo why would you DO THIS TO HIM???

Tobirama stomps off to go tell Izuna about a seemingly weirdly prone to violence magical girl in town (Izuna, when told that Madara punched Tobirama in the face out of nowhere, quietly mumbles *damn I wish that were me.* Then gets his ponytail yanked on angrily)

(Amaterasu and Kaguya are actually mildly concerned, if only bc another magical girl = another kami physically present in town)

Madara slinks home to tell Hashirama the bad news about possibly having just made an enemy out of whatever community of magical girls apparently exists in town (and its to note that neither of them actually realized they were AROUND)

And then Susanoo drops the "oh yeah that guy was contracted by Kaguya btw so like youre going to either have to kill him or go through him and seal his deity if u wanna fulfill our deal ;)"

Madara: *agonized noises*

Well! At least the moon rabbit contractor isnt someone Madara and Hashirama actually know! Haha thatd suck. That would really, really suck.

So, with Madara's karma pulling in all sorts of spirits, minor gods and monsters to town, we return back to that 'villain/monster of the week' schedule

Meanwhile Izuna and Tobirama are getting pissed at whatever the fuck is attracting all these spookies into town. They thought they were going to get to be retired!!! What the fuck is this!!!!!! Somehow they're able to figure out all these monsters are being attracted by the pull of the new magical girl in town, who keep trying to start shit with Tobirama for seemingly no reason.

In one of those fun 'oh no my friend is in trouble and its all on me to save him!!!' moments, Hashirama manages to find and convince some earth kami to contract with him and join Madara in his fight. He cant just let Madara fight alone! And it may mean inviting the bad karma of his past life to haunt him, but so what? Hed do anything to help out his friend!

(and now there are TWO magnets for spirits gods and monsters to attract them into town, oops)

SO THEN !! With another fun funky turn in the story we enter an arc thats basically the most painful series of miscommunications and secret identities ever. Where Madara, Hashirama and Mito team up to fight against Tobirama and Izuna.

Only none of them realize who the fuck the other is.

Oh ?? Whats that ???? You thought I forgot about Touka and Hikaku?????? WRONG

While Madara and Hashirama fight with Izuna and Tobirama, shrine maiden Mito finds herself faced with two seemingly normal people, just like her. Only not exactly.

Hikaku is still armed with that kendo sword blessed by Amaterasu from the last final battle between Izuna and Tobirama, and now hes had plenty of time to learn how to use it. Sun sword time !!!

Meanwhile Touka has been practicing balancing more of Kaguya's power via a contract through Tobirama. With time, effort, and Tobirama's help, shes able to do some like cool partial transformation into a moon-monster or smthn. Maybe she gets a cool glowy arm?? I really dont know but something like that

I'm actually really into how they continue to contrast eachother. Like, Hikaku's sword contains the purifying light of Amaterasu's sun, which is what's used to chase out Kaguya's power. And Touka is filled with that same barley managed corruptive power of Kaguya's. It's neat! It'd also make sense from a tactical standpoint to pair them up together to fight. If the power gets to be too much for Touka and she starts to loose herself, Hikaku can give her a whack and hopefully help bring her back to reality.

Anyways, while the magical girls cant recognize eachother or be recognized, and Mito might have some fun seal to use to hide her own identity in a similar way, Hikaku and Touka dont!

Maybe they go into the fight without disguising themselves as like an accidental oversight on their part (too used to the protections Tobirama and Izuna have to consider themselves) or maybe they use basic masks, I dunno

Either way, trying to disguise themselves or no, I dont think Madara and Hashirama will fail to recognize their cousins.

Queue another "oh god I know their secret identity but they dont know mine and its !! someone !!! I know !!!!!!!" (can you tell I like this kind of agony because I do)

Well. At least the magical girls arent people they know !!! hahahahahahha. Yeah.

Back to Tobirama and Izuna's POV;

So, you might have realized it by now. But Tobirama's contract with Kaguya is what keeps his brothers alive. In other words, if Kaguya is sealed again, they will instantly die!

Yeah !!! So theres that !!!!

Even if Tobirama and Izuna werent friends, which they kind of are now (and maybe they should also kiss that would be neat) Even if Amaterasu wasnt really pissed and constantly yelling about the gall of some upstart nobodies coming into HER town and putting HER girlfriend back into the moon. Even if Izuna hadn't been interacting a bit more with the revived senju brothers--

Well, Izuna would still be helping Tobirama here. Hes not going to just let Itama and Kwarama die.

So yeah, safe to say that these guys are motivated and out for blood.

Good news Susanoo, you no longer have to worry about goading Madara into attacking first!! Izuna and Tobirama are out for his fucking head!!!

Anyways; No matter how it ends I dont think Susanoo especially actually cares about sealing Kaguya away fr. He really just came to fuck with Amaterasu, and then stayed to watch Madara flail as hes harassed by his past lifes karma.

because I dont want to see Kawarama and Itama fucking dead, Im gonna say Izuna and Tobirama will probably win this one around. Susanoo grumbles about loosing but then Amaterasu spots him and starts screaming directly into his ear

There is however a very fun ending out there where Madara and Hashirama win; In the process managing to make Tobirama go fully insane in his attempt to fight them with too much of Kaguya's power; killing both Itama and Kawarama; Putting Izuna in a coma; Leaving Touka now struggling with the moons power stuck in her without Tobirama to help regulate it; And leaving Hikaku with an arm now unable to ever hold his sword properly again.

Fun times!!

Season 3 after the bad ending is actually Touka and Hikaku picking up the pieces and trying to find a way to fix it all as Madara and Hashirama struggle to comprehend what they've unknowingly done to their own families.

Idk, I'll think about it later

[mixelation]

more on reborn au au (au squared) obito. technically includes plasticity spoilers?

okay so my goal in plasticity is NOT to "redeem" anyone or have anyone change their personal goals. so obito reincarnates and he still wants his moon's eye plan but also he is a little baby. i think i'll let both him and itachi keep their magic eyeballs but they don't have enough chakra to actually DO much with them until they're older (i guess like 12-13 bc that's when itachi was an ANBU captain, but it seems like neither of them should be able to be casually spamming mangekyou until they're adults)

however i think obito is uuuuuh easily distracted. like he can make a convoluted plan and carry it out-- he IS an uchiha thank you very much-- but also he's going to get sidetracked by just doing random shit for the lulz. this is why in canon he spends months harassing deidara for no reason. so he determines he must put his evil plans on hold for an indeterminate amount of time and WAIT A SECOND he hang out with rin now!!!!

i think he'd actually be very frustrated with trying to maintain a friendship with rin? like he put her on the HIGHEST pedestal but at the end of the day, she's a normal young girl. she's sweet to him but she's not as interesting as he remembers and she's a kid so she makes mistakes and also, obito is kind of insane and all of his peers Sense This about him. so he likes checking on her and doing short social activities with her, but he's not having hours long heart-to-hearts with her anymore. they're not as close. also if anything happens to rin obito will kill everyone in konoha and then himself

obito is kind of like "whatever, i'll be a genius this time around, that looked fucking fantastic for kakashi" so he attempts to be A Genius but it turns out if you're better than everyone else your age, adults expect you to..... do things?? obito is his own boss he doesn't just DO things smh. so he sets up this weird dynamic where he get lauded by his family but his family is also like uuuuh why aren't you graduating early??? BUT BECAUSE RIN IS THERE AND HE NEEDS TO LOOK AT HER

also, incredibly annoyingly, kakashi can still beat him sometimes because kakashi is a weird genetic freak. instead of just continually kicking his ass obito has just put more pressure on him to get stronger. horrible

konoha gives obito to minato and is like: there is something deeply unhinged about this kid but he had a sharingan at 8 so. do something with that. and unfortunately minato trying very earnestly to mentor obito is sort of endearing, and obito didn't realize the first time around how many strings minato pulled to get rin into medic-nin training and keep them off the frontlines as much as possible and obito..... will let him live this time, maybe.

at some point obito catches wind that danzo is sniffing around kakashi and so he breaks into danzo's home and is like "aaaaw how cute, but kakashi is mine. keep it up and i will kill you <3" and scares the living shit out of danzo. (minato is SUSPICIOUS obito Did Something but this does mean MINATO no longer has to do anything, so he doesn't ask questions)

the minute obito thinks he can use kamui more than once without giving himself chakra exhaustion, he starts poking around internationally. there's no real goal except MAYBE find and kill zetsu and madara, he's just Doing Shit. and in Doing Shit he runs into the Ame Trio and realizes there's more than one reincarnate?

obito: oh.... oh my god

obito: (kamuis directly into three year old itachi's bedroom) HELLO????

itachi: (OH FUCK????)

so i think the obito-itachi relationship is obito realizes he has a sounding board for all the various random shit he's been doing and whining about how his friendship with rin is weird, and also what if he claims kakashi by nonconsensually implanting one of his eyes??? no no, you're right, it's better if obito has two eyes to make up for not being half hashirama cells.

also his presence makes itachi 10x more feral

itachi: if you decide to kill everyone again, you have to give sasuke to me, unharmed. if you don't i will ruin your entire. i will kill you as painfully as i can. this is non-negotiable

obito: whoa whoa whoa little coz!!!

obito: i'd only kill the old people :)

itachi: aaaaah

obito isn't really interested in uchiha massacre 2.0 though. he doesn't care if itachi murders danzo, and he'll eat popcorn while watching but he doesn't offer help. he convinces itachi to swap eyeballs with him for the EMS, but itachi really wants SASUKE to inherit his eyeballs once he's old enough so Obito might have to swap? again? with sasuke?? fine, whatever. this new version of team 7 all think he's bonkers and sometimes walk on extreme eggshells around him, but they're NICE to him and he's not going to fuck that up. minato will ask kakashi and rin to babysit once he has his brat kid, never obito, but obito doesn't really care because it means he has more time to go harass other akatsuki members

and then kakashi is taken hostage (UNFORGIVABLE) and it turns out. there was someone ELSE he could have been bothering this whole time!!!

obito: tori PLEASE join konoha it will be SO FUNNY

obito: anyway excuse me i'm burning down kusa <3 here hold kakashi for me. omg, DEIDARA'S here too??? *_*

someone commenting on obito watching itachi and tori gay chicken (straight chicken?) each other so hard they end up married so i've been debating how his presence affects this dynamic. i think he obviously makes it worse. because he cottons onto itachi's Girl Problems the second they start and he keeps trapping him in social situations and giving him "dating advice." so itachi is even MORE desperate to get a stable girlfriend to get his entire stupid family yo leave him alone

itachi: i'm dating tori. i haven't told her yet

obito: this is

obito, tearing up: the greatest gift you could have given me

also obito supports book club SO HARD and comes to every meeting

[ty-bayonet-betteridge]

Hello can you please info dump on Xisuma and or Pearl in your heavenly Hermits au pretty please.

ok ❤️ yay

the thing you need to understand about Xisuma is that he never meant to start anything of any scale. he made a server for some friends like a decade ago. he didn't know that half of those friends were already gods and the other half would ascend to godhood before long. he has no interest in godhood himself, but like, he kept playing with them, because they're still his friends, y'know?

there's isn't some sort of godhood requirement he enforces. in fact, he intentionally tries to get mostly mortal members, and yet they always end up turning into gods. Jevin, Mumbo, Tango, and Cleo joined in season 2 as mortals, and somehow have STILL all ended up as gods by season 8. Doc and Etho were immortal when they joined in S3, but Impulse was SUPPOSED to be a normal guy! Scar and Cub joined together in S4 and got jealous of the other gods and were somehow immortal by the end of S5. Zed joined as a mortal in S5 but became the new grim reaper in S6. Gem and Pearl were both supposedly normal when they joined in S8 but became gods in S9. there's some people outside the server but close to existing hermits (Jimmy and Martyn, for instance) who literally use "being invited to hermitcraft" as a euphemism for ascending to godhood because any mortals who join dont stay that way for long.

admining a server for 26 gods (give-or-take) is exhausting work, but luckily Tango, Impulse, Doc, and Joe are all able to chip in and keep the server's code from collapsing under the weight of that much conflicting divine power. Xisuma used to be very religious but has renounced worship because "after meeting some gods, it's REALLY gotten quite hard to respect them"

Pearl, as i mentioned, joined as a mortal human woman in season 8. she occasionally joked about fitting in as a god bc she was related to the moon, but it was just that: a joke. at least, until Grian tore open a multiversal portal in S9 and they went through to the Empires universe first, where Pearl learned and, eventually, remembered, that she's a reincarnated goddess!

unfortunately she's also a wounded goddess, having burnt most of her divinity up at the end of ESMP1, and had two different demonic entities (first Xornoth, then Something Wicked) attach themselves to her in order to leech off the divine vitality that a wounded harvest and fertility goddess bled. she hasn't entirely purged herself of their influence, and Xornoth's scarlet Corruption mixes with Something Wicked's dark-blue Sculk inside of her divine gardens alongside the more innocuous fields of wheat and sunflowers. honestly? she's not too fussed about it! she think they're just as pretty as the other plants and fungi, and honestly, it's fun getting to add things like vengeance and blood to her domains. sure, she also needs blood sacrifices now and gets the urge to kill people, but eh, fun's fun!

[rose-and-thorn-fanfics]

Okay so hear me out, eric draven x reader with like either a cute hades x Persephone au with protective eric and lots of fluff OR one where the reader is Shelly reincarnated but like only in soul and some memories not in looks. I imagine eric has some sort of soul bond so he can recognize her. Femme aligned preferred lol of course if you don’t mind, lovely. I figured both were interesting so you might like a crack at it lol thanks darling

Ok! Sorry it took me so long to get around to this :) I’m going with the second option you gave me! Hope you like it!

“The Eyes Are A Window To The Soul” (an Eric Draven x Reader Fanfic) tw: suicidal ideation

It had been a week and a half since you had last had one of those dreams, and you’d almost convinced yourself that’s all they were: dreams. They couldn’t be memories, even if that’s what they felt like. You’d never been in a relationship before. You’d never even been kissed (one of the many things that your high-school classmates constantly had teased you about until you dropped out). Now you were college aged, and still had no plans for the future. But those dreams… they felt so real. You hated to admit it but they were all you had. ‘And they aren’t even based on anything.’ You stood in front of the road, letting the rain soak you in your misery. You felt so alone on the wet and glistening streets. Nobody cared if you disappeared forever.

A crow cawed, perched on a parked car nearby. It flapped its wings, shaking drops from its feathers. You waited patiently. You just needed a car to speed down that street. Fast enough for you to step out in front of it without it being able to swerve away in time. The crow cawed again, and several cars passed. Police sirens wailed. ‘Not fast enough… but maybe—‘ you heard a screeching noise and the revving of an engine. A silver camry sped recklessly around the corner. At the last second, you jumped out in front of it, only to feel someone catch you by the collar of your coat and pull you back onto the sidewalk. You yelped, cursing loudly as you turned around to see who had prevented your death. Your voice fell short when you saw who had saved you. Even with that makeup, it was unmistakably the man from your dreams.

He blinked at you, face white as the moon and black painted lips forming a frown. “You should be more careful.” He said wearily. “You could’ve easily gotten hit head on. You would be dead if I hadn’t grabbed you in time.”

Indignant ignited inside you, remembering how badly you had wanted to end it all. “I know. I wanted to get hit.” You sighed with a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

The man’s expression darkened, and he brushed a strand of your wet hair from your eyes. His pale fingers brushed your face just slightly, and upon contact with your skin, you saw his eyes widen. He stumbled backwards, completely shocked, like he had seen a ghost. “….Shelly?” He said, breathing heavily.

Hearing that name, you couldn’t explain the sudden emotions that washed over you. The name felt so true, so right, when he addressed you with it. And yet those two syllables stirred up an ache in you you’d almost completely forgotten. You stepped closer to the man.

“You promised me you’d join me in this life again…” He said, leaning against the wall of the brick building behind him for support. “Do you… remember me?” His tone was both loving and desperate. “You look so different. But I swear…” the man’s voice trailed off.

Leaning against the wall next to him, you summoned some courage before opening up. “My name is Y/n, but I have these dreams that feel so real. I was having them every night up until a week ago. You…. were in them. I’m sorry, you must think I’m crazy…” you turned away your head in embarrassment. “But when you called me Shelly… I felt something I haven’t felt in so long.”

The man put his arm over your shoulder and you felt a sense of belonging, a sense of love, almost like a promise. “Eric?” You said. You couldn’t explain why you said that name.

He turned, holding you close and looking you directly in the eyes. “You remember, don’t you?” He smiled with relief. “That’s my name. Those weren’t dreams, Y/n. Those were memories of a past life. Our life. Together.”

“Can you call me Shelly again? I want to remember everything.” You whispered.

“Shelly, I love you.” He whispered in your ear.

A shiver ran down your spine. You felt a new sense of meaning, just from the way Eric held you. Just from that name he called you. “I love you too, Eric.”

Eric kisses your cheek, and you ran your fingers through his dark hair. More memories and flashbacks came back to you as he kissed you again and again, getting closer and closer to your lips until your lips met. Tears streamed down your cheeks, as you remembered all the plans you had made with him for the future. All the moments you’d spent together, and the painful ending to it all. A sense of peace washed over you as your tongue entwined with his. Someone cared. And it made you want to live. It made you dare not to end it all.

[skyscrapergods]

I love your AU and your art! ❤

I was wondering: have you read the comics? They are dubiously canon (some stuff is contradicted by the show, other times the show seems to subtly reference them so... lower tier cannon I guess? Where they can provide some valuable background info, but show canon wins out over comic canon) but they have some interesting stuff. Apple Jack's parents, how Nightmare Moon was created, and what I wanted to mention: The backstory for Cadence, Sombra, and the Crystal Empire.

I can ramble more if you want later (please I love to ramble), but the gist is that it's HEAVILY implied that Cadence is a sort of reincarnation of the Crystal Empire's first ruler/founder. If true, it makes Celestia's decision to make her the ruler of the Crystal Empire make more sense. Heck, near the end of the episode where the Crystal Empire is introduced, a crystal pony calls Cadence THE crystal princess.

Cadence, Sombra, and the Crystal Empire are honestly more intertwined than they seem, in the comics at least.

I just thought you might find this interesting bc it is so fascinating to me :)

I have not read the comics! I probably should, as half the fun of my worldbuilding is making homages to canon.

I'm a bit too deep in the sombra/cadance/nightmare moon lore to change it now. I've got things mostly planned out in my server with my patrons. I could Try though!

Skyscraper Gods Cadance is installed by Celestia to serve Equestria's interests. She is a colonizer upon the crystal empire, stepping into the power vacuum created by sombra's defeat.

If you want the details of everything I've been planning, please join my patreon or ko-fi (new!!!) on anay tier to see and help me worldbuild in real time

There's also some details given during my streams, though this is somewhat outdated. The Rise of Sombra:

The Fall of Sombra:

[wc-confessions]

I have a AU where Half Moon gets reincarnated instead of Jay’s Wing[I sorta think she deserves it more to be honest]

Haven’t worked out all the details but I think I might have the reincarnated cat be called CrescentMoon just so the name isn’t exactly the same. Her power might also be different, though im thinking I might just take Dream Walking since it fits the moon vibe. In this AU I’d probably want to focus on the reincarnation thing more so maybe the three still have some of their memories- and that could be how we learn the reincarnation plot thing instead of time travel

.

[sweetestofchaos]

Blackthorn Ch 15 | M.YG

Pairing: Crown Prince Dragon!Yoongi x Crown Princess Impundulu!Keena  Genre: Soulmate AU | Arranged Marriage AU | Fantasy AU | Fluff | Angst  Word Count: 9.9K  Warnings: Magic | Physical Violence | Shifting | Blood | Flashbacks Of The Past | Murder | Talks of Reincarnation | Crying | Depictions of Betrayal | Kissing Rating: NC-18

Forgive Me - In another lifetime, Agust knew what happiness was.

a/n: As always thanks to @sailoryooons for making the banner and being my beta. Shout out to @theharrowing for being another set of eyes!

a/n 2: like before there will be ⚠⚠⚠ to show where murder starts and stops, if you want to skip that part

Character asks and the taglist for Blackthorn are always open! Minors do NOT interact with my work, please and thank you. Also, this is cross posted on ao3, under the same username sweetestofchaos.

Taglist: @thickemadame @loisje123

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

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Silver and gold, two colors that had not existed in the same space in eons, met silently. Agust’s body was frozen as glistening tears spilled from those all too familiar silver pools. A single drop of blood plopped down from the ceiling and splashed on Ceyeh’s cheek. A small river of tinted red streamed down her face, yet she made no move to wipe it away. Agust stepped forward with a hand raised and Ceyeh’s arm shot out with a startled gasp as she took a quick step backwards. The distance wasn’t much, a handful of footsteps, yet Agust felt that there were whole continents between them.

“My moon?”

Ceyeh’s silver eyes narrowed into thin slits as she glared at the animal spirit that spoke to her. Her lips curled over her teeth and the feathers on her shoulders bristled. Agust felt his forked tongue turn to lead. He couldn’t form any words, the hatred in Ceyeh’s eyes was a harsh reminder of their past. 

A water drop from his hairline, tinted grey, slid down his face and seeped into the open wound by his eye. Agust hissed, his right eye slammed shut as the pain blurred his vision. Ceyeh took the moment to flee and ran out into the rain. Agust growled, his chest rumbling violently as he spun on his heels and took chase.

Black leathery wings sprouted from Agust’s back and carried him through the rainstorm. The chilled winds and icy rain threatened to freeze the strong appendages, but Agust refused to lose Ceyeh. He would chase her to the end of the Earth, and further still, if he had to. 

The town flew by in darkened colors and distorted shapes as he followed the scent of rotten tangerines. The scent was a searing reminder of his past mistakes. Agust growled as he caught sight of brown and grey as Ceyeh darted around a corner. He flapped his wings harshly, just once to propel himself upwards over the houses. Below him, Ceyeh hid against a wall, the roofing created a small awning that shielded her from the rain but not from his sight.

Agust wasted no time, he had chased Ceyeh long enough. Pushing his soaked hair out of his eyes once more, Agust dived in the air and dropped right in front of Ceyeh. The bird spirit's feathers ruffled and she swiped at Agust with her talons. Agust easily caught Ceyeh’s wrist with one hand - the attack was half hearted. Afterall, he was in the body of the very man that Ceyeh’s host loved. He pressed himself into Ceyeh’s space and loomed over her smaller frame as he took shelter from the endless rainfall.

The two of them were soaked, a couple of drowned rats if anyone saw them. Ceyeh’s heart beat harshly as it drummed against Agust’s chest. She moved to push him away, she hated that he was so close. Her eyes were nearly glowing, bright and wide like the moon trapped in the sky. Agust narrowed his eyes and snarled in warning. He wouldn’t hurt Ceyeh but he would not accept her running from him again. 

From this distance, what little there was, Agust was reminded of the past once more. The rancid scent that filled his lungs, the blood on his hands, the uncertainty in Ceyeh’s eyes, it all reminded him of the times long gone. The memories raced to the forefront of Agust’s mind and drowned out any coherent thought as he was confronted with his past.

The air was chilled as the night clung to the dark. Its bleakness was all-consuming, a muted reminder of the light that was bound to come. In the far distance, a single tree sat atop of a hill, its silhouette nearly invisible as shadows wrapped around it. The shiny stars above twinkled and gleamed, and the moon casted a silver halo on the land. Nighttime in the spring was peaceful and filled with the songs of tear crickets.

A low rumble broke the silence and the sound of large wings cutting through the air echoed faintly. An enormous shadow covered the land, darker than the night as it soared past the fading moon. A melodic chirp called after the large winged being, and soon a smaller winged creature was by its side. Together the beings glided through the air. Feathers and scales were kissed with moonlight, iridescent and soft.

Day slowly pushed through the darkness of night. Black and deep blue gave way to ruddy red and warm orange. The clouds sprinkled a harsh shadow against the new backdrop as the sun started to rise. Stars glittered to a faded memory as the moon dissolved into the mellow yellow and lighter blue of the day. As the sun crested over the horizon, the two shadows in the sky were bathed in a pleasant bloom of light. Onyx scales shimmered and tiny rainbows were thrown onto misty white clouds as strong wings carried the body of the dragon higher and higher. Brown and silver wings fluttered in the air, gleaming as the sun warmed the body of the lightning bird.

Side by side they flew until they reached the hill with the single tree. The dragon swooped down first. His large body took up most of the space, and he curled his long spiked tail in front of his feet as he sat upright. He lifted his face towards the sky and grumbled a warning as the bird above hovered in the air. The dragon snapped at the air and thumped his tail once; the large limp shook the very ground he sat on. A teasing chirp filled the air and the bird flouted down closer and closer to the dragon. Silver eyes shined as they looked into swirling gold and the dragon started to shrink.

In the air the bird started to shift, and feathers rained down upon the dragon. A woman’s giggles followed the breeze as she danced in the air, wings sprouted from her back. Below, the dragon was not large like before but the size of a man who stood well above six feet. Both were nude but there was no discomfort as the woman allowed herself to sink into the awaiting arms of her lover. Her own ebony arms wrapped loosely around the man’s tanned neck as her wings folded against her back and were absorbed into her body.

“Looks like I beat you, my moon.”

The woman scoffed and tangled her fingers into the man’s long raven black hair.

“I let you win, mpenzi.”

The man huffed a laugh and blew out a plume of smoke through his nose as he lowered himself to the ground. He leaned his back against the tree and cradled the woman in his arms as she sat on his lap.

“Shall we test your theory?”

“I will be the victor everytime.”

The man shifted with a growl and trapped the woman underneath him, pinned to the ground by her arms and hips. The man had a smug smirk on his handsome face and the woman sucked her teeth. Willing the wings on her back to shoot out, she propled herself upward and sent the man sprawling onto his butt. She hovered above him, her foot pressed lightly against his chest as she smiled down at him.

“It is as I said, mpenzi.”

Agust blinked as his vision started to blur. The pain in his right eye had started to throb consistently, no longer a dull irritation as dye tinted water ran down his face. 

“My moon, you must stay by my side.”

“I am fine, mpenzi.”

“Ceyeh-”

“Agust.”

Agust huffed as Ceyeh walked ahead of him in a crowd. Snow crunched underneath their feet and Agust cringed. He was not accustomed to wearing shoes, nor was the amount of clothing acceptable, but he refused to let Ceyeh suffer alone. They were in an unfamiliar part of the world, up north to meet with humans that had requested their aid. 

It was colder than the land in the southwest but it wasn’t anything that really bothered Agust. He was a dragon and his blood naturally ran hotter than most creatures. Ceyeh, however, had a hard time. She lived for the warmth of the sun and the cool moon on her bareskin. Having to wear such thick clothing was unusual and made her itch. 

There were many layers to her garb while in the north. A tan linen dress with a rounded neckline was the base and worn over top was another dress made from wool, dyed a deep brown with white crisscross squares embroidered down the whole length of the front. Ceyeh’s shoulders and head were kept warm by a brownish-black woven cloak with a geometric design stitched throughout. The hood was adored with cowrie shells around the hem and white fox fur was on the inside to keep the wearer warm. Brown leather booties covered Ceyeh’s feet and cuts of fox fur were wrapped around her ankles with thin leather straps.

Agust thought Ceyeh looked lovely. The colors complemented her darker skin tone along with the tan and silver feathers that never left the creases of her eyes or cuffs of her ears. As a warrior, Ceyeh always stayed half shifted in case she ever needed to protect herself. Agust followed her lead, allowing his golden eyes to be framed in tiny black horns and his black scales lined his jawline and collar bones before they appeared in five inch patches along the rest of his body. Except at the small of his back and hips where the scales covered the skin fully and grew sparse as they went lower towards his inner thighs. When Ceyeh felt playful, she would teasingly compare Agust’s scales to that of a naga since their hip placement was similar.

Agust wore dark brown wool breeches with a tan linen round neck tunic. Over top he layered a brown cross collared wool coat with a brown-black woven cloak that had a tan and white swirl design stitched along the hood and hemming. His feet were covered with brown leather turnshoes and tan handwoven leg wraps. The darker tones made his honey tanned skin stand out, and his scales glistened.

“Ceyeh!” Agust called after his lover as she got lost in the crowd. He hurried his steps, ducking and dodging in between people as he followed the scent of warmed tangerines and sweet honey. He found himself in the town square in front of a large stone statue of who he assumed to be the land's first ruler. A flash of tan and brown flickered in the peripheral of his left eye and he pivoted on his heels. 

“Cey-”

Whoosh!

“Ack!”

Agust stood as still as stone as children’s laughter filled the air. His eyes were closed and his mouth was filled with an icy substance that melted on his tongue. He spit something out on the ground and wiped his face with his hand. As he looked at the ground, he saw the remains of a ball of snow.

"Ni nini maana ya hii?" Agust asked as he glared at the children, his anger pulled his native tongue from his lips, and Ceyeh appeared with a small child no more than three in her arms.

Ceyeh laughed, her face bright as she hiked the child up higher on her hip, “They call it a snowball fight!” 

Agust was at a loss for words. A snowball fight? He looked at the broken ball of snow and licked his lips. 

“Is it a declaration of war?” 

“Wema!” Ceyeh laughed as she shook her head. “A game, mpenzi.”

The discomfort was clearly displayed on Agust’s face. His lips pursed into a frown, a pout half formed as he brows pulled together. One single word bounced in Ceyeh’s mind as she looked at her ex-lover: Pallas. Ceyeh’s hand shook as she reached up to push away the strands of hair that dug into the open wound. Agust’s whole body tensed and Ceyeh stared unblinking as she tucked the uneven hair behind his ear. Some of the dye had started to melt away, patches of blond shined here and there.

The cut was deep but thankfully not jagged, it would heal in due time. Ceyeh was sure that it would scar and she felt something buried inside tremble in worry. She swallowed and grabbed Agust’s hand. Most of the blood had washed away from the rain, now his black clawed fingers were cold to the touch, his palm the only warmth. They stared at each other, chests rose and fell without a sound. The rain pelted the ground and mud splashed onto the bottom of their clothing.

Ceyeh tugged at Agust’s hand as he squeezed her fingers and she pushed against his chest. Agust didn’t move an inch and Ceyeh narrowed her eyes as a frown formed on her lips.

Ceyeh’s hand was laced with Agust’s as they walked through the town. Humans and creatures alike all placed their fist over their hearts and bowed their heads. Agust returned the gesture while Ceyeh smiled wide. Her hair was plaited into micro braids with small gold hoop rings looped into a few that framed her face.

Ceyeh wore a teal asymmetrical skirt with a white and gold brocaded chest band. A thin rope with red, white, and yellow beads rested against her waist with a single pixie crow’s feather attached at the center. She wore no shoes and walked with black feather anklets that brushed against each other if her steps were too small.

Agust was shirtless and wore a simple pair of white trousers that bunched at his knees and hung loose on his thighs. He too was barefoot and wore a single gold anklet on his right leg. Large golden earrings hung from his ears and his long dark hair flowed freely, his bangs pulled back and braided before they were wrapped together with golden twine. 

The market today was said to have beautiful goods and Agust was on the hunt for the perfect gift. Ceyeh had lost the last torment in her village and her spirits were a little low. She smiled and laughed, but it never reached her eyes. Agust couldn’t stand to see his lover down, and as he came upon a foreign vendor, he saw just what he had been looking for. 

Agust tugged on Ceyeh’s hand and pulled her towards the vender with a toothy grin. The sun reflected off the scales on his collarbones and casted a multitude of mini rainbows against Ceyeh’s chest as he turned towards her. The smile on her face was soft and true, endeared as she leaned into Agust’s chest and wrapped her arms around his waist as best she could. The dragon was large, even in human form. He kissed the top of Ceyeh’s head before he rested his cheek against her for a short while. They were in a world all their own as they basked in each other’s love, and when Agust pulled away, Ceyeh’s eyes were a pale silver and shined like freshly plucked pearls.

“I love you,” Agust breathed as he cupped Ceyeh’s face in his hands. Her fingers wound around his wrists and she smiled, melting into his touch. “Come now, pick your gift.”

Agust placed a warm, tender kiss upon Ceyeh’s lips and a high-pitched whistle slipped into his mouth. A mating call that never failed to make a sensual flame churn in his gut and threaten to consume him whole. Agust broke the kiss with only a few centimeters in between their lips. He smiled as Ceyeh chased after him and shook his head softly, teasingly.

“Pick what you will wear while I ravage your body again and again, my moon.”

Ceyeh pushed at Agust’s chest again and stepped forward, shoving them out into the rain. The water was startling and forced the clotted blood on Agust’s face to loosen and run red. Agust hissed as the rain stung the wound and he bared his teeth, unimpressed with Ceyeh’s actions.

Ceyeh pointed in the direction of the palace and Agust understood what she had wanted. He allowed for Ceyeh to lead the way. She walked with a purpose and Agust stared at the expense of her bare back where her jeogori had been ripped, showing off dark scarring that resembled ice crystals in the shape of wings. The mark of the lightning bird made Agust’s steps falter as he realized that the wings were just scars. There were no fully formed wings with sleek tan and silver feathers.

Agust closed his fingers into a fist and pulled his arm down at his side. He caught himself in time, he hadn't even noticed that he had raised his arm to touch Ceyeh’s back. Now, halfway to the palace, the rain had lightened and the bleeding cut on Agust’s face continued to sting as raindrops continued to bombard the deep wound. Wanting to get out of the rain as fast as possible, Agust pulled Ceyeh’s hand back harshly which made her stumble backwards into his chest. He was quick to scoop her into his arms and in the blink of an eye, his wings had sprouted from his back once more.

Ceyeh scowled at Agust’s wings, the large black appendages made her want to give him a matching gash over his left eye. Agust tightened his hold on Ceyeh and took off into the air with a single flap of his wings. Agust flew above the houses, only a foot above the roofs to avoid detection from guards and the village folk. Ceyeh watched as the world passed underneath her unknowing. A deep longing radiated in her eyes and as she looked away from the ground, Agust caught sight of the tears in her eyes.

Agust rumbled in his chest, a purr of sorts meant to comfort the woman in his arms as he flew closer and closer to the palace. Ceyeh closed her eyes, she didn’t want to see the view from above anymore. It was a mocking and painful reminder of what she had once had…before it had been stolen away.

Mid-spring in the northwest was humid at best. Full, fluffy clouds of white and blinding rays of sun glared down at the land from above and begged anyone to find shade. The lightning birds worked hard during the humid months and Ceyeh was no exception to the rule. In the middle of the day she would fly to the tree on top of the hill and wait until the sun was the highest in the sky. As she sat parched on top of the branches, she whistled a song that forced cool winds and heavy clouds.

A mild clash of nature created a low rumble as clouds rolled in from the north and filled the sky. The rumbling grew louder and at the first roaring crash of thunder, rain poured down from the Heavens. Thin, steamy vapors raised from the ground as it greedily drank in the refreshing liquid. Sometimes Mother Earth wasn’t fast enough in her gluttony and she choked on the water, sputtering so much that emptied river beds overflowed and villages flooded. It was as much a curse as it was a blessing.

The lightning never came, and Ceyeh sighed as she flapped her wings. Today would be a taxing one and she stopped her singing. The feathers that covered her body started to glow with a dim halo of blue silver, watery like the moon’s reflection on the rivers. Ceyeh’s eyes were a liquid pool of rolling clouds and endless skies. She flew high above and gave a mighty cry as she circled the sun seven times. Lightning cracked, a white-grey tree root in the sky before the electric light followed the rumble of the thunder. Ceyeh hovered in the air, her eyes focused on the flickering light that grew farther and farther away.

Satisfied with her work, Ceyeh turned back to her tree and chirped at the sight of Agust’s human form standing under the cover of the leaves. She flew to him and shrunk in size as she got closer. Agust smiled as Ceyeh landed on his shoulder and nuzzled into his temple.

“You did very well, little bird.”

Ceyeh’s wings ruffled at the teasing lilt to Agust’s voice and he laughed, golden eyes bright and gleaming. Ceyeh headbutted him and nipped at his hair, flapping her wing as she made sure to soak him.

“You will pay for that, my moon.” Agust laughed once more, his gravel-like voice softened at the edges with love. He pecked Ceyeh’s head and stroked the smooth feathers along her back.

“Shall we head home?” 

The palace wall came into view and Agust flew towards where the trees were the thickest. He blended in well enough with the cover of the clouds but he wanted to make sure no one saw Ceyeh in such a state. There was only one place that Agust knew they would be safest, and he flew into the seventh garden. He passed the lunch clearing, ignored the Blackthorns and flew right to the man-made water pool. As his feet touched the ground, his chest filled with strong flames and he blew them out onto the top of the water. The flames touched the stone waterfall and the runes turned a yellow orange before the water started to steam.

Ceyeh kicked her feet and Agust set her on the ground, a hand kept close to her lower back if she needed help. She stepped away from Agust and he resisted following her every step. Here in the cover of the trees, no rain fell down around them. 

Agust’s wound still bled. It throbbed and the pain spiderwebbed down the length of his face, just below his jaw. Ceyeh refused to look at him, her back turned as she crossed her arms over her chest. Agust’s clenched his teeth, now that they were alone and hidden from the rest of the world completely, he couldn’t seem to untangle the memories and feelings within his heart.

Bodies littered the ground, blood watered the grass, a mass grave had been built and it kept growing in size. Fire and smoke spread to destroy the land. It burned everything down until nothing but ash was left. 

In the carnage of it all, Ceyeh and Agust stood face to face. Agust’s eyes were ignited with hatred as he glared at the woman he once loved and trusted with his life. Ceyeh’s eyes glowed as sparkling tears littered her face like glitter. 

How had this come to be? What had turned her lover against her and her people? What had gone so wrong?

Agust lunged with a growl and tackled Ceyeh, who in turn used Agust’s momentum to flip them over. She pinned him to the ground, her forearm dug into his neck while her wings pressed into his shoulders.

“Yield!” Ceyeh demanded with tears in her eyes. “Agust, please? Stop this madness!”

Agust snarled, snapping his jaws while spit started to foam in the corners of his mouth as he tried to shake himself free. She had betrayed him and his people, the humans were here for their hoards and their scales. They knew too many secrets about dragons and the leader of the humans had given Agust one name.

“I will kill you!” Agust seethed, his eyes were large and bulbous like a wild boar as he honed in on Ceyeh.

“Agust!” Ceyeh begged as she tried to talk sense into him. She didn’t understand what had happened, and in truth, seeing Agust like this before her was soul-crushing.

She tried to smooth his hair from his face, tried to touch him gently but that only seemed to anger Agust more. He lashed out, stronger than Ceyeh had been prepared for and sent her flying onto her back. He pounced, caged her underneath his legs as he sat on her hips.

His smile was misplaced, something Ceyeh has never seen directed at herself before. It was wicked and cruel, taunting as Agust cupped her face gently. His claws pressed into the meat of her cheeks and drew blood. He hummed deep in his chest and turned her head away from him as he leaned forward.

“You did thisss to ussss, my moon,” Agust’s voice was warped, a hissing growl as he lost more and more of his control.

“Did what?” Ceyeh demanded, her voice full of tears as Agust licked the sweat and dirt from her neck.

Agust growled as he nuzzled into the softness of her throat, the vein pulsed quickly as she tried not to panic.

“The sssweetessst ssscents hide the worst sssecretsss. I wisssh not to hear anymore of your liesss!”

⚠⚠⚠

Ceyeh opened her mouth to speak and screamed. Blood filled her throat and lungs as Agust sunk his teeth into her neck and ripped out her vocal cords. Blood covered his mouth, it was bitter and as Ceyeh gurgled underneath him, Agust finally let his tears fall. Ceyeh’s hand shot to her neck as she tried to stop the bleeding but she knew it was pointless. She managed to pull herself out from under Agust and rolled onto her stomach. Blood spilled from the gaping hole in her neck and she wheezed, a sound choked by bloody bubbles. 

Wings sprouted from Ceyeh’s back, shining silver and warm tan, a sight that always made Agust purr. Now he scrambled to his feet as Ceyeh tried to fly away and his chest burned as he heaved a great billowing flame right at her back. 

Ceyeh dropped six feet from the air, her body hit the ground with a heavy thud and laid a yard away, unmoving. Agust was panting, his chest ached but he chose to ignore the reason why. He took careful steps in Ceyeh’s direction, his eyes watched for a hint of movement but he saw none.

As he stood a foot away, he saw that Ceyeh had fallen onto her face. The beautiful wings that he had admired so much were gone. Now, singed into her back were fresh burn marks that resembled ice crystals. Agust drew closer and kneeled at Ceyeh’s side, her wings had melted into her skin as they protected her. From the lack of blood and movement, Agust knew that Ceyeh had died before she hit the ground. His eyes stung as they blurred with more tears and he carefully rolled Ceyeh onto her back.

He had seen countless dead bodies, he knew the horrors of war, and yet the sight of his lover, the one he killed with his own two hands… Agust dry heaved. Fat tears poured down his face and he cradled Ceyeh’s lifeless body to his chest. Her blood stained his hands, his chest, his pants. He bent forwards and pressed his lips to Ceyeh’s forehead before he closed her eyes and scooped her into his arms. Agust rose slowly to his feet and carried Ceyeh through the flames that grew around them. 

⚠⚠⚠

Humans, dragons, lightning birds, and firebirds alike all froze when they saw the sight of the mighty Agust carrying a body in his arms. The birdfolk knew who it was and they all dropped to their knees in tears. The dragons roared in mass agony at the loss of what they called a soulmate. The one soul in the whole world that reflects yours, a balance of light and dark. One could not be without the other. Agust carried Ceyeh all the way to their shared nest and laid her in the center. He crossed her arms over her chest and placed one final kiss to her cold lips. 

Pire, the leader of the firebirds, appeared outside of Agust’s nest. The elder was a tall and narrow slip of a man. Withered with age yet strong from decades of battles and knowledge. He climbed into the nest and sat beside Agust silently as he studied the lifeless form of Ceyeh. Her throat had been ripped out and he could smell the stench of burned feathers and skin. He sighed heavily as his eyes flushed with tears.

“You are not welcome in this land. I banish you and your kind from henceforth.”

Agust didn’t fight against his punishment, he had let his anger get the better of himself, he had lost control. He had felt so betrayed and the anger in his heart had turned it black. He should have listened to what Ceyeh had tried to say.

“I cannot bring her back, you have killed her.”

Pire placed a hand on Ceyeh’s face and smoothed her braids from her dull eyes with a frown.

“I will grant her final wish…” 

Pire slid his hand to Ceyeh’s forehead and closed his eyes. The tears in his eyes slid down his face and dripped onto his robes. His hand had started to glow a pale yellow-red. The color of a starting flame. The light grew brighter and brighter and slowly spread from Pire’s whole body as it covered Ceyeh’s. Agust fought to keep his eyes open but the light was too bright. He closed his eyes and a moment later a tiny chirp was heard.

Agust opened his eyes and Pire was no longer in his human form nor was he a full grown firebird. In his place a tiny yellow chick with red ombre wings rested on Ceyeh’s chest and flapped its wings. Another firebird appeared, Dagan, younger than Pire before he turned younger. Agust stared at the chick confused.

“What was her final wish?”

Dagan picked Pire up and cradled the tiny chick to its chest. “To meet you again in another life.”

Agust’s eyes felt like they were made of fire from the tears he cried once again. Agust wiped at his face and nodded his head. Dragons were not immortale. They lived and died, unlike the firebirds, a phoenix, the humans later came to call them. Agust looked to Dagan beside him, he wanted to ask a favor but he knew he would receive no help from those he hurt.

The chick chirped away in the Dagan’s hand and the young firebird spoke up once more.

“Pire says our fates are intertwined by a red string. As the world falls into place around us, your story will continue to be told. This is not the end…that is his promise to you.”

Agust rose to his feet, placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head. He cast one last look at Ceyeh’s body and roared, a call to all the dragons to leave the land that would later be known as Escistan.

“Nitakupata tena, mwezi wangu."

Agust watched as Ceyeh stepped towards the water’s edge and peeled the ruined clothing from her body. She stood before him, nude in a body that wasn’t her own and Agust felt the Prince as he stirred in his mind. He was silent as Ceyeh stepped down into the heated water, submerging everything except her shoulders and head.

The pale silver of Ceyeh’s eyes reflected off the water’s surface, and Agust blinked slowly. Was it truly Ceyeh’s reflection or the moon’s? She stared at him in silence. She raised a hand and water droplets fell back into the pool before she tilted her head in a silent question. Agust carefully removed his clothing and joined Ceyeh in the heated water. His body relaxed from the warm temperature as the chill of the rain slowly faded little by little. 

“Ceyeh,” Agust’s voice was shattered glass, rough and sharp but he swallowed and tried again. “My moon…”

Ceyeh watched as Agust got closer to her, the sight of the cut on his face made her wince. The young prince had such a handsome face. She thought that it was lucky that the scar wouldn’t take away from his beauty, but added to it. It would harden his soft features and strike fear into those who looked upon him. She reached out and cupped Agust’s face with wet hands, her thumbs brushed away the blood and dye, and soothed the tender skin. 

Healing waters, that is what the runes turned the pool into, and yet Agust wondered if the Princeling even knew. He was sure that the gardener knew, but he pushed that thought from his mind. Agust focused on the way Ceyeh’s hands touched him, gently, slowly…lovingly. He leaned into the caress, one he had missed the moment he lost it, and purred loudly. 

He guided Ceyeh to the water’s edge and sat on the steps with her in between his legs. His arms wound themselves around her hips and he pulled her closer. His face smushed into her bare chest and Ceyeh flinched. Her body tensed and Agust purred louder as his fingers slid up and down the skin of Ceyeh’s hips.

“I have wronged you and yet you still care for me?”

Agust inhaled deeply as smooth honey coated his mind and ripening tangerine trickled down his throat. His mind slowly grew quiet, crickets played their song and night birds sung along. His body felt heavy as he started to float in the water, held in place by Ceyeh’s caring hands. 

In the palace courtyard, Hoseok and Aga stared at the sky as the rain slowed to a gentle drizzle. The clouds lost their darkened grey hue and glided through the sky in wispy white stokes. The lightest of colors against the darkened night. There high above all, the moon held its place among the stars. A glowing reminder that the young royals were still unaccounted for. 

Hoseok’s eyes lost the spark that swirled in his iris like twisted flames and Aga leaned against one of the support beams of an arch way with his arms crossed over his chest. He knew that the young royals were safe by the way the rain came and went. He worried that they could be hurt but he trusted Ceyeh to keep Keena safe, and he knew that if it came to life or death, Agust would protect the Prince at all costs. 

“We have to tell them,” Hoseok sighed as he kicked at a pebble in front of him. 

Aga agreed with Hoseok, but he knew that the young ones needed time to figure something out. The air was charged with a power that he had not felt in quite some time. The tides were changing and Aga couldn’t tell if that was for the best or not. Hoseok groaned as he rolled his shoulders and looked back at the moon.

“There is only one place we have not looked.”

Hoseok whistled and Ussik, the black eagle, flew down from above shortly after. Aga stared at the bird as it cocked its head to the side and nodded impressed.

“The Min Empire continues to show its strength it seems.”

Hoseok raised an eyebrow confused by Aga’s words.

“Black eagles are extremely hard to tame. They have a warrior’s heart and usually don’t do well working with anyone who doesn’t possess a bird spirit.” Aga explained slowly with a blank expression on his face. Hoseok nodded his head to show that he understood and turned his attention to the Ussik.

“Find Yoongi and Keena. Report back to me straight away.” He spared a glance at Aga and quickly added. “Make sure no one sees you.”

Ussik took off and soared through the air silently. Beady onyx eyes scanned the landscape of the palace grounds and listened for the familiar vibrations of the Prince and Princess. The sound of muffled tones caught Ussik’s attention and the bird flew over the seventh garden. The treetops were dense, sprinkled with shimmering drops of rain that glittered in the moonlight. Ussik slipped through the leaves and landed on a branch three yards away from the Prince and Princess. 

The black eagle easily blended into the shadows, its eyes seemed nothing more than two bugs stuck on the bark. Below, the young royals stood face to face, the Prince had the Princess caged between himself and the stone wall, their forms distorted by the waterfall.

Ceyeh had tried to get away from Agust, his grip had become too tight, his face too close to her throat. He had scared her and as she ran, he trapped her beneath the waterwall. The water was deeper here but a single stone bench allowed for both of them to stand on their feet. 

Agust had a hand wrapped around Ceyeh’s throat, the grip wasn’t threatening, lighter than he would hold anyone else’s; this thumb resting on her chin. Ceyeh scowled at him, her eyes misty pools of thickening fog. Their noses touched as Agust leaned in closer. His eyes flickered down to Ceyeh’s lips and she flashed her blunt teeth. A silent warning that made Agust’s lips quirk up into a half smirk as he huffed out an amused snort.

The cut on his eye wasn’t fully healed, pink and raw, but it no longer bled, and the pain had faded to a dull heartbeat. Easily ignored with the woman he loved in front of him. Agust loosened his hold even more, his hand slipped and he held both hands up in the air in surrender. The way Agust’s obsidian eyes softened slightly was enough for Ceyeh���s body to untense. The feathers that lined her ears bristled and Agust licked his lips, his fangs gleamed ever so slightly.

“You hate me that much?” Agust mused as he stared at Ceyeh. “Would ripping my throat out make you happy, my moon?” Agust bared his neck in all its smooth and unblemished glory. “My life is yours to do what you would please.”

Ussik observed silently for a moment longer before it flew off to find Hoseok. Ceyeh stared at the unprotected area. How easily Agust had offered his life, it made sparks sizzle in Ceyeh’s eyes. Lightning struck down one of the trees with the seventh garden. Smoke rose into the sky quickly and Agust lowered his head. They stared at each other in silence. Neither one made a move until Agust’s eyes fell to Ceyeh’s lips once more.

He moved slowly as he reached for her face with both hands. She didn’t flinch, only blinked owlishly. Agust’s forehead rested against hers, his words were his final warning.

“Kill me.”

Ceyeh’s own hands grabbed at Agust’s shoulders and he braced himself for death but it never came. Cool lips pressed into his, smooth, and soft. An April shower filled his heart and washed away any doubt in his mind. Ceyeh had still loved him even when he didn’t deserve an ounce of it. Agust dropped an arm to Ceyeh’s waist and pressed her farther into the stone wall. The kiss grew hotter. A desert with a single oasis hidden within many mirages. All optical illusions that Agust’s mind had made up. 

Agust nipped at Ceyeh’s bottom lip as he requested permission to taste her. As her lips parted, Agust growled deep in his chest, the vibrations made goosebumps appear on Ceyeh’s arms. Agust was drowning. He drowned in the first rain of the spring, the first snow of winter; that first scoop of sweet and gooey honey. Agust’s body burned with the simmering fire that laid dormant for how long? The two horns at the center of his forehead started to grow outward and he groaned as he pressed into Ceyeh’s soft body more. 

The plushness of her thighs called him home, he lifted her wordlessly and she gasped as her ankles locked behind his back; a habit from their past. The heat between her legs was maddening, Agust wanted to take and take and take as much as he wanted to give. He pulled away from Ceyeh’s lips and moved towards her neck, he needed to smell her as the scent of her arousal was washed away by the water around them. 

Ceyeh tried to speak. Her lips parted but no sound came as Agust’s teeth nipped at the sensitive skin of her throat. She shoved at his chest, as tears blurred her vision, the past was too close in the forefront of her mind. Her throat throbbed, searing pain made her whine and Agust pulled away at the sound of distress. His chest heaved, his eyes liquid gold as he nosed at her chin. Bitter tangerines, long forgotten in the sun burned his nose and Agust growled. Ceyeh was scared of him. Ceyeh pushed him away sharply and shook her head as he released her.

“N-No! N-Noooo!”

The words were choked, whispered out harshly as Ceyeh forced herself to use vocal cords for the first time in all of her three reincarnations. Agust froze, the voice was the Princess’ but it was sharper, a hard shelled candy with a nutty filling. A voice that was both the Princess’ and Ceyeh’s mixed together. A sound that Agust felt himself submit to easily. He backed away from Ceyeh and kept his hands where she could see them. His clawed fingers twitched as Ceyeh wrapped her arms around herself, seemingly holding everything together all alone.

Agust wanted to hold her tightly, assure her that everything would be okay, but as the smoke from the struck tree grew thicker, Agust knew their time together was short.

“Come,” Agust held out his hand and looked towards the water’s edge. “The guards will be here soon and I’d rather not slaughter those that the little royals are so fond of.”

The critical look that Ceyeh gave Agust made his shoulders ease and a smile pulled at his lips. Ceyeh placed her hand in his and he wrapped his fingers around hers tightly.

“I have had quite some time to think about my misdeeds,” Agust spoke as he led Ceyeh to the edge of the water. “I would like a moment of yours if you would grant it so?”

From behind, Ceyeh took in the expanse of Agust’s back. His shoulders were wide and thick, the muscles that twitched under the skin made Ceyeh bite the inside of her bottom lip. Agust had always been strong, but here in Prince Yoongi’s body, his strength wasn’t clearly seen nor was it shown off. The large black dragon tattoo that covered his back was intimidating, and from how the Prince acted, Ceyeh wondered if it was Agust who craved the bold design. Agust lifted himself out of the water just in time to see Hoseok and Aga break through the bushes. 

“That is far enough!” Agust hissed, golden eyes reflecting the flames of the fire on the tree.

 “Give me your shirt, bird of fire.”

Hoseok’s brows were furrowed in concern the moment he saw the Prince’s face. His right eye looked damaged and Hoseok feared that it was worse than it looked. He took note of the way the Prince’s hair was dyed and cut short with some blond peeking through…he would have a few choice words with Prince Yoongi once he regained his control. 

It was clear to see that Agust had shifted, patches of black scales covered his body, his horns were fully formed, and he spoke with that unsettling snake-like lisp. From the silence that came from behind him, it was safe to assume that the Ceyeh was present as well.

Aga dropped to one knee with his hand over his heart and bowed his head, “Mighty Impundulu have you been-”

Agust bristled at the show of respect and narrowed his eyes. 

“Your shirt,” he repeated as he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked Aga up and down before he licked his lips in thought.

“What right do you assume you have to gaze at my moon? Off with your shirt as well.”

Aga removed his shirt without a second thought and threw it to Agust while Hoseok frowned. It was still lightly raining and he really did not want to let the cool water touch the rest of the body. He had just put on a dry cape. As Aga rose to his feet, he raised an eyebrow in Hoseok's direction and Hoseok sucked his teeth. Wordlessly, he removed his cape but kept his shirt on before he tossed it to Agust. 

Agust turned his back on the men in the clearing and focused on Ceyeh. He lifted her out of the water and used the cape to dry her off before he carefully dressed her in Aga’s shirt. It was big enough to fall past her thighs and Agust nodded his head in approval. He wrapped the black cape around his waist wordlessly. It was damp from the rain and drying Ceyeh, but better than his wet and bloody clothes. 

Aga watched as Ceyeh hugged Agust around the waist and nuzzled into his chest. Agust stroked a hand over her hair and lifted her face upward by her chin. He spoke softly enough for Aga and Hoseok not to hear his words before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. 

Hoseok gasped and Aga’s jaw clenched. Aga knew there was history between them and that at some point in time the two had been happy with each other. To see Ceyeh willingly kiss Agust was disturbing, but with how the Prince’s face looked, Aga was sure that the flame they once had reignited over shared trauma.

Ceyeh left Agust’s side and walked right over to Hoseok, she motioned to her eye and Hoseok nodded his head. He knew that the Prince would need medical attention right away. Turning her attention to Aga, Ceyeh walked over the guard and he wordlessly lifted her into his arms bridal style. Agust hissed, fangs flashing and ready to strike, but Ceyeh threw him a look that screamed behave, and he settled. Aga left the seventh garden with the Princess and went right into the palace.

Hoseok stood with Agust and rubbed a hand over his face, “Are you going to behave?” 

“Have I not killed you yet, fire bird?” 

Hoseok rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, “What happened tonight?”

“It seems that the rat you spoke of has a pack.”

Hoseok’s eyes hardened and his jaw ticked, “We will discuss this later inside…for now, I need the Prince immediately.” 

“Something happened while we were away.”

It was a statement, one that Hoseok very much wished he could deny. For the first time in a long while Agust felt…well it did not matter what he felt. Whatever had happened while the foolish Princeling had snuck out had nothing to do with him. 

“The Little Prince cannot handle this pain. Fetch the doctor and meet me at the Princeling’s chambers. I will protect him for now.”

Hoseok was weary of Agust’s mocking words, but he didn’t have much choice. He needed Yoongi to come back to his senses and fast. Hoseok nodded his head and whistled loudly for Ussik. Once the eagle was on his shoulder, he relayed the message for Hyungwon and sent the bird off into the night. 

Before they left the seventh garden, Hoseok placed his hand on the flaming tree and absorbed the flames. His eyes twirled alight with the new flames and he frowned at the sight of the charred tree. He wondered how long it would take for Namjoon to notice.

As they left the seventh garden, Hoseok crushed a starstone in his hand and blew it onto Agust before he led the way to the Prince’s chambers unseen. He politely declined any conversation with others as he made his way into the palace and Agust thought it strange. What had happened while the Princeling was frolicking about in the night? Once inside the Prince’s chambers, Agust headed right to the washroom and Hoseok followed behind him. Agust stripped himself of the cape and stepped into the hot water with a sigh. 

He sat on one of the stone benches and rested his arms on the edge of the bath. His head fell back and he closed his eyes as the scent of lavender and teakwood filled his lungs. His body appeared as the starstone washed away. The horns in the center of his head start to shrink and his scales fade little by little. The points of his claws shortened into rounded blunt nails, the black gone from his fingertips.

Agust was tired. It had been quite a while since he last fought to the death, and he would not admit it to anyone, but his skills were lacking. The world had evolved around him, those who were weak were now able to stand toe to toe with the stronger warriors. Magical weapons gave power to those who didn’t deserve it nor need it. Agust thought back to how the Princess was able to be captured and he growled, his head shooting up as his irises twisted with something wicked.

“I think it’s time for an execution.”

“That is not your call to make, Agust.”

Hoseok sat at the edge of the large tub and dunked a dried washcloth into the water. He had a plan to get the Prince’s body clean and back to the way it should look. First was to wash out the remaining dye used to color his hair black. Once that was taken care of, Hoseok would scrub the Prince’s body nearly raw before he had Hyungwon come to take a look at the cut on his eye. 

“Keep your eyes closed.” Hoseok ordered before he folded the wet washcloth and placed it at Agust’s hairline. He grabbed a small bowl and filled it with water before he poured it over Agust’s hair. Two times he did that before he started to scrub at the scalp and strands to remove the dark coloring. As more and more of the blond started to show, Hoseok saw that the Prince’s hair had been poorly cut.

“Who did this to Yoongi’s hair?”

“Bandits,” Agust hissed, his eyes still closed as he allowed Hoseok to wash his hair. “Chopped it clean off with a dagger while the boy was fading. He wouldn’t relinquish control and fought me.”

Hoseok made a noise in the back of his throat in response. Bandits did all of this? His mind went over a list of who he thought was the rat inside the palace and he shook his head. He would make no judgment until all the facts were laid out. Once all the black color was out of Agust’s hair, Hoseok started to wash his body.

“It’s a pity the Min’s are born with blond hair. I quite liked having my natural color back.”

“You had black hair?”

Agust hummed with a slight nod of his head, “Long black hair. Ceyeh made it her duty to style it anyway she pleased when we were younger.”

Hoseok took a moment to think over his next words before he spoke, watching as the small horns that lined Agust’s eyes retracted back into the skin. Most of the scales were now gone and Hsoeok wondered why Agust was giving up control so easily. 

“You never share information about your past.”

“What is there to share? I lived and I died, five times now. I have found my soulmate in this life and those before me have granted me a chance to atone for my misdoing.” Agust sighed and peaked open his left eye. “Everything else is meaningless.”

Hoseok opened his mouth to counter Agust’s words, but Hyungwon bursted into the bathing room with his medical supplies floating behind him. His face was flushed and he was panting. He clearly ran all the way here and Agust raised an eyebrow at the good doctor.

“I-I-” Hyungwon folded over in half and inhaled deeply before he straightened up and exhaled. “I have come as requested.” 

Now that Hyungwon had gathered himself, his eyes widened at the sight of the Prince’s face.

“Your Highness!!”

“Easy, Hyungwon,” Hoseok warned as the doctor hurried over to the bath. “The floor is wet and His Highness isn’t fully with us…”

Hyungwon froze at those words and he looked at the Prince. He saw it now, the difference in those golden eyes. Even when the Prince got angry and his eyes shifted colors, they never held such ire and turmoil. Agust was in control, and with how the Prince’s eye looked, Hyungwon was thankful.

“Forgive me, Agust. I didn’t realize it was you.” Hyungwon bowed his head deeply and lowered himself to the floor. “May I treat the wound?” 

Agust grunted and waved for Hyunwon to move closer. The doctor took his time as he examined the damaged area. The cut was deep enough to scar, that much was clear, and when Agust closed his eyes, the lid was thankfully missed. However, upon further inspection, Hyungwon gulped.

“I-It seems that some first aid has already been applied and in this case, I am thankful. The cut looks to be an inch in depth, though since the area is partly healed, it is hard to tell. The lid is still intact and with a regrowth serum the eyebrow’s hair can go back to normal.” 

Hyungwon licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck before he spoke again.“My greatest concern at this moment is the eyeball itself. There are signs of trauma and I fear that His Highness’ sight may be affected.”

“His sight?” Hoseok repeated, his face horror stricken.

“Agust will you allow His Highness to join us? I need to see the full extent of the injury.” 

“I will be near if you so need me,” Agust informed Hoseok before the Prince’s body went limp.

Hoseok and Hyungwon were quick to grab the Prince by his armpits and pulled him out of the water. Laid out on the floor, Hyungwon reached into his bag and pulled out a small bottle of smelling salt. They didn’t have time to wait for the Prince to wake up, and Hoseok understood that. He held Prince Yoongi down by his shoulders and nodded his head for Hyungwon to wake him up. Hyungwon swiped the bottle underneath the Prince’s nose and by the third swipe, Prince Yoongi woke with a choked gasp.

“Easy! Easy, Your Highness!” Hyungwon ordered softly and Hoseok applied light presses to his shoulders to keep him down.

“You are safe, Yoongi.” Hoseok spoke with a tight smile.

Prince Yoongi groaned with a wince. His whole body hurt, it felt like a whole herd of horses had trampled him. His vision faded and blurred like he had just come up face first from the sea. He blinked a few times, and as his vision cleared in his left eye, Prince Yoongi’s pulse started to race when no images cleared in his right eye.

“...Yoongi?” Hoseok’s voice was on edge, his grip on his shoulders tightened and Yoongi started to sweat.

His stomach swooped and tumbled as he tried his hardest to focus but nothing changed. Something was wrong, and Prince Yoongi was hit with a wave of nausea as he recalled the events of the night. They were attacked, ambushed! And—

“The Princess!” Yoongi pushed Hoseok away from him and sat up, nearly crashing his head into Hyungwon’s chin, who was dabbing at his face with a damp cotton ball.

“She is safe. Yoongi, Princess Keena is safe.” Hoseok reassured his friend as he forced him to lay down once again. “Aga and the other guards are with her. She is safe, I promise.”

Yoongi groaned as Hyungwon pressed a cold cream against his right cheek. It stung as much as it soothed the burning skin. Yoongi tried to focus on the doctor but he couldn’t see him clearly. Hyungwon’s image was distorted, an opaque film thrown over him and scribbled over with a gray and black hue. A faded shadow with diffused edges and unclear shapes. Even the coloring was off, muted at best if Prince Yoongi had to describe it. It reminded him of the time he got muze dust in his eyes and everything was fuzzy for two days.

“Your Highness?” Hyungwon pulled him from his thoughts and nodded to Hoseok. “Let’s get you up now, slowly.”

Hoseok and Hyungwon carefully supported the Prince’s back and helped him sit upright before Hyungwon pulled back a little.

“Your Highness…how many fingers am I holding up?”

The Prince starred in Hyungwon’s direction and licked his lips, “Four.”

“Very good, Your Highness. Now please cover your left eye.”

The Prince covered his left eye, Hyungwon’s figure was clear as day and he stared at the two fingers in front of him, “Two.”

“Good. Now your right eye, carefully.”

The Prince switched to the right eye and flinched as the skin of his palm brushed against his cheek. He frowned. Hyungwon’s figure was-

“Your Highness?” 

Prince Yoongi blinked hard, four times as he tried to clear his vision. His pulse rushed in his ears and he struggled to answer the simple question.

“Yoongi?” Hoseok’s voice was strained as he watched tears collect at the corners of his friend’s eyes.

“I-I can’t…I can’t—”

The hand that covered the Prince’s right eye fell into his lap and he shook his head. He refused to meet Hoseok or Hyungwon’s gaze. The two shared a look with each other and Hoseok nodded his head, his face blank as he patted the Prince’s shoulders.

“Okay. We can take care of it, Yoongi.”

“Yes, I will not give up, Your Highness. I will find a way to gain your sight back.” Hyungwon promised, and the Prince nodded his head. 

He started to rise, and Hoseok was quick to help Prince Yoongi to his feet. Hyungwon handed the Prince a towel and the three of them headed into his sleeping chambers. Hoseok left the Prince’s side and grabbed a black cross wrap v-neck shirt, the material was light and breathable with a pair of matching sleep pants that fit loosely around the legs for him to settle into. 

Once the Prince was dressed with a blended black silk robe with butterfly sleeves and golden waves pattern over top to keep warm, he sat with a cup of tea in his hands, now in the sitting room. Hoseok sat across from him on the smaller couch and ran a hand through his hair.

“Yoongi?” 

“Say whatever has been on your tongue, Hoseok.” 

The Prince’s face was paler, his right eye wrapped in clean white bandages and his hair hung around his ears messily. Hyungwon had started to comb the Prince’s hair, the strands pushed back and out of his face before he bowed and left.

Hoseok sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face before he looked at his dear childhood friend.

“Your mother has requested an audience with you and the Princess.”

“Can it not wait until tomorrow?” 

“If you had been within the palace, you would have heard the news by now.”

“Hoseok, please. I do not have the patience for your word games. What has happened in my absence? Why has mother requested an audience at such an hour?” 

Hoseok raised to his feet and stared at his friend, his face pinched as the words left his lips in a rattled croak.

“T-The Emperor…he is ill.”

[canon-notcanon-warriorcats]

what if

we pushed the ancients moving to the mountains by like a year

fallen leaves still died in the tunnels, but everyone saw that as a fluke/bad luck/"it's sad, but it happens" (and also he should've waited until after the rain but he was too impatient, it could've happened to anyone that wasn't paying attention to the weather or was too impatient to wait)

Jay's Wing has been getting bad feelings about the tunnels, and the territory in general ever since just before Fallen Leaves died because twolegs had been building a couple of nests in the territory. He keeps getting these strange feelings that the cats need to move and so has been trying to get the ancients to form an actual comprehensive group for moons and leave the territory, but no one really listens and brushes him off, except for his friend Half Moon who tries to help if she can, but also tries to chill Jay's Wing out so he doesn't seem entirely crazy to every other cat.

Lion's Roar, who even though he was barely an adult was considered one of the strongest cats of the group, barely survives his sharpclaw assessment in the tunnels because even though the weather was clear and it hadn't rained at all in a couple of days, the tunnels suddenly flooded.

Jay's Wing and Half Moon do some snooping and they find out twolegs have been taking water from the lake, using it for something that neither of the cats could comprehend, but it had something to do with giant monsters that had shown up in the forest, and then later twolegs dumped water, which leaked into the tunnels and caused the sudden flooding.

There had been more monsters than ever before on the thunderpath and now they weren't just on the thunderpath, they were in the forest! And a bunch of twolegs with them, even setting up camps and marking a chunk of territory out with weird sticks, rocks, and vines.

On the far side of the territory, where the forest thinned into moorland, there were even more twolegs and monsters and more thunderpaths were being made. The twolegs had also been cutting down the trees that dotted the area, marking an even larger chunk of territory with their borders, and building a few more nests.

When Jay's Wing and Half Moon told the cats this, Furled Bracken brushes them off saying that there's plenty of territory and they can simply stay closer to the lake and avoid those areas. This infuriates Lion's Roar, saying that the twolegs dumping their water nearly got him killed. Not to mention his brother and sister had been killed before they could even become sharpclaws because of the monsters in the forest, and his other brother had been captured by the twolegs. Dove's Wing brings up how her and Jay's Wing's mother had been killed by a monster moons before, when monsters were just starting to become more common, and now things had become even worse.

Lion's Roar allies himself with Jay's Wing and Half Moon and he quickly becomes closer with them. A few days later the three cats go to where there were giant monsters in the forest, bringing Furled Bracken and Stone Song to show them the severity of what was happening. They find that the situation had become even worse, and that the twolegs and monsters had torn up the terrain and were now using monsters with massive jaws and teeth to dig into the rock and earth itself.

The cats are appalled by the destruction, but Furled Bracken insists that even though the noise and disruption had driven all of the possible prey, they simply must avoid the area. Stone Song asks what would happen if the twolegs and monsters never stopped and just continued doing this to every part of the territory. Furled Bracken replies that there was no proof that that would happen.

Lion's Roar is infuriated at the leader's passiveness and decides to take matters into his own paws. If the twolegs were taking over and the monsters were going to eat at their territory, but the group wouldn't leave to find a new home, then that meant that they would need to fight for their territory! Lion's Roar was the biggest cat in the group and one of the best fighters, he would protect his kin, his friends, and his home!

The other cats try to stop Lion's Roar, but the young sharpclaw pushes past them, letting out a fierce yowl as he charges into the clearing. Twolegs turn their heads toward the cat as he faces one of the monsters with giant teeth, its neck stretching up to take a bite out of the rocks above it. The twolegs start shouting as Lion's Roar pounces at the monster's paw and bites it, but reeling back at the acrid taste, as well as from the pain of trying to bite and grip onto the strange, hard material.

The twolegs start running towards the cat, but Lion's Roar has no time to figure out his next move, because as soon as he leaps off of the monster's paw, a shower of dirt and rocks comes crumbling down on him. The cats, and the twolegs, can do nothing but watch in horror.

When the cats return to the rest of the group, shaken and grieving, they tell the rest of the cats what happened, how Lion's Roar tried to fight to reclaim their territory from the monsters and twolegs. That night is when the group of grieving cats cast their stones, voting to leave the lake.

[bi-widower-dads]

bi-widower-dads' February Fic Rec: AUs

Thank you to everyone who submitted recs for us! We've done some sorting and collating, and we've got two posts for you: AUs and Canon-'verse - and a whole load of excellent fic for you to get stuck into while we wait for Barduil Month in April! So without further ado, here are the AUs for you, with a little bit about why our recommenders love them...

Header image by mod @piyo-13!

(a note about tags and trigger warnings: tags are selected from those on AO3 as being those that best describe the story for the purposes of this event; trigger warnings are supplied by the recommenders and may not be comprehensive - your mileage may vary. We've tried our best to include Tumblr handles wherever we can, but if we've missed yours out and you want it included, just let us know!)

One-shots

In the Wake of the Second Horseman by EldritchMage / @eldritchmage | M | 2272 words | tags: angst with a happy ending, implied/referenced drug use, post-traumatic stress disorder - PTSD, implied warfare/violence | trigger warnings: mention of drug use, mention of violence in a war zone, PTSD, nightmares

Summary: When addiction threatens to consume Thran, his lover Bard is desperate to help - but Thran isn't. Yet in ending his relationship with Bard, Thran savages both of them, not just himself. Four years later, Thran's about to discover what remains from his cruelty. What he finds is a surprise - and humbling. What do you love about this fic? Even when things fall apart, redemption is possible if you give it half a chance. Out of tragedy comes hope and a chance for a better life.

love remains by likethenight / @nocompromise-noregrets | G | 11,093 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, grief/mourning, Thranduil never sailed west, mythical beings & creatures, folklore, alternate universe - reincarnation | trigger warnings: none

Summary: There is a legend in Dale, that somewhere deep in the forest that borders the city lives the forest king, an ancient being with a special care for archers, and for all things that grow. Bard, camping in the woods after his finals, finds a place that isn't on any maps and begins to dream of something - someone - familiar; and years later, after the heaviest loss he has ever had to bear, he goes back out there again, hoping to find something that might help him recover. What do you love about this fic? Absolutely beautiful fic, such a touching story and excellent writing!

Petrichor by b_ofdale_archive / @beesinspades | G | 14,598 words | tags: alternate universe - reincarnation, alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - bookstore, books and cats | trigger warnings: slight mention of past life character death

Summary: It's been six thousand years since Thranduil last laid eyes on his husband - Bard. The world has changed and the great Elvenking with it, lingering in the shadows of Men; as hope for a miracle festers within his heart that grows weaker with every passing day, the only thing keeping him going is a promise he made, many moons ago. What do you love about this fic? I love its overall theme, and the thought that Thranduil will meet Bard again. A lovely and poetically written reincarnation AU, well worth the read!

Multi-chapters: in progress

Love in a time of change by myeaglesong / @myeaglesong | M | 22,840 words | tags: eventual relationships, eventual romance, elf/human relationships, fluff, romance, slow burn, alternate universe - regency, oblivious Bard | trigger warnings: none

Summary: For the longest time, Thranduil has wanted to find a good match for his son, Legolas, to marry. His search leads him to consider Arwen for Legolas to marry, but what if Legolas has already got his eye set on another match that Thranduil may not approve of? What will will happen when Legolas finds out about his father's intentions to marry him off? What would happen when the question of if Thranduil were to marry again was to come up, who could he marry? What do you love about this fic? I am not usually one for Regency AUs but this one is so adorable, and between the kids and the dads there is plenty of potential for shenanigans and some tentative romance! I'm really looking forward to seeing how events unfold…

The Moth Effect by BiSquared / @scary-grace and Dogblessya / @dogblessyoutascha | M | 35,658 words | tags: mothman is real, mothman Thranduil, mothbaby Legolas, park ranger Bard, non-graphic violence, but there is still gore so you've been warned, twilight references | trigger warnings: mothman lore, gore

Summary: (in chaos theory) the phenomenon whereby a mothman moving into your place of employment can have a large effect on the rest of your life. What do you love about this fic? I love the Supernatural/Horror element to it and Park Ranger Bard trying to make sense of all the really weird s**t that's happening around him. Lovely bits have to be the introduction of Mothman Thranduil and adorable Mothbaby Legolas. But best of all is that Mothman Thranduil isn't the weirdest thing happening in Olympic National Park 👀….

Vena Amoris by Patch / @patchoffeathers and Piyo13 / @piyo-13 | M | 72,843 words | tags: crossover with Dracula Untold, alternate universe - vampires, Bard is Dracula, canon-typical violence, slow build, alternate universe - some people live/not everybody dies | trigger warnings: none

Summary: Bard has a secret, one that stems from far to the east, in lands far forgotten and times long past. It's one that no one must know—but times are changing for the people living on the lake. Even for those who, technically, aren't alive. What do you love about this fic? The author does such a great job at merging Luke Evans' two characters here (Bard and Dracula) while still keeping Bard distinctly canon-shaped. Because Dracula!Bard is an immortal, there's a unique comparison of mythological immortalities and the relative costs of them that reflects back onto the plot.

show a little faith, there's magic in the night by BiSquared / @scary-grace | M | 342,922 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, slow burn, music industry AU, indie musician Bard, opera singer turned pop star Thranduil | trigger warnings: none

Summary: Bard Bowman's not the type to give up on his dreams easily, but when DJ Smaug's dirty tricks leave his family band stranded in Denver with a forfeit fee the size of Mt. Everest crashing down on their heads, there's really nothing to do but drink about it. The last thing Bard expects is to meet a beautiful stranger in a similar predicament -- and the last thing either of them expects is a rescue. Luckily for them, Thorin Oakenshield's feeling heroic this evening. What do you love about this fic? I am such a sucker for the rock scene (I've spent my entire adult life kicking about there) and it's not often I see it portrayed so realistically in fic (or indeed in original fiction). The characters are all beautifully drawn, the humour frequently makes me chuckle, and Bard going head over heels while trying to tell himself he isn't, it's not happening, not really, because he can't believe his luck, makes my heart go all funny.

Multi-chapters: complete

Followthrough by ofplanet_earth / @ofplanet-earth | M | 26,737 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - military, alternate universe - spies & secret agents, snipers, sniper Bard, military captain Thorin, mob boss Smaug, revenge, character death | trigger warnings: violence

Summary: Bard and his children have been living in a little cabin on the edge of Laketown for five years, hiding from Bard's dangerous past. But when that past comes back to haunt them, Bard will have to team up with Thorin and his company to face down his demons, confront the man who killed his wife, and fight to save the people he loves. What do you love about this fic? Great spies/military AU with Bard and the gang!

The grey sea and the long black land by Black_knight100 and Blueberryrock / @blueberryrock | T | 29,702 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - cruise ship, first kiss, angst, fluff, angst with a happy ending, eventual romance | trigger warnings: quite angst filled but has an eventual happy ending

Summary: Bard Bowman is thirty-seven years old, widowed and heckled, and he's had enough. If his children want a cruise trip with their lottery money, then so they will have. Bard will only have to work twice as hard to take them out of their little corner of the world. It has been three years. Three years of him raging, and sobbing, and grieving. Three years in which he has turned away from his children. Three years to reach this ship, to put together whatever snapped that day. And the first morning, Thranduil wakes up late. It is going fabulously. Or, in which the two meet on a ship, and there are ups and downs. What do you love about this fic? Thranduil and Bard getting together in the end

Modern Love by Shampain / @abner-krill | M | 65,267 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - coffee shops and cafés, alternate universe - human | trigger warnings: none

Summary: Bard is a down on his luck single father working a thankless job as a courier, eternally worrying over when his daughter is going to start sneaking out of the house with boys. As if that wasn't bad enough, his assignments delivering files to Greenleaf Acquisitions puts him in contact with Thranduil, a stern businessman whose only champion is his assistant, Tauriel. And finally, to make matters worse, his friendship with Bilbo Baggins sends everything else into a tailspin. The summer is just beginning, and it's going to be a weird one. What do you love about this fic? Lovely, lighthearted modern AU that is a delight to read!

hands; eyes; voice by bishkebab / @bishkebab | T | 70,163 words | tags: slow burn, alternate universe, accidental cottagecore, governess/single dad romance but make it gay, autistic Thranduil, Thranduil and Bard both have physical disabilities | trigger warnings: mention of autism, fire accident, PTSD

Summary: An isolated life in a too-small cottage was never what Bard dreamed of for his children – especially sharp, scholarly Tauriel and sensitive, insightful Tilda. But school is a distant dream for a large family living off the land – at least until a storm and the subsequent house fire bring a former scholar to their doorstep. Wealthy recluse Thranduil could never have anticipated leaving his family's manor for a shack in the woods and a single father with five – FIVE – children who can barely write ten words between them. But when disaster strikes, he is left with little choice – and maybe close quarters with a handsome widower won't be so bad after all... What do you love about this fic? This is a rare work of art in which Bard is the loveliest dad ever, stubborn, strong and gentle and Thranduil is an introverted autistic lonely lad. The author writes their story in a very poetical way and family is the main protagonist of the story, as is their small cosy cottage. I do love the gentle feeling this story conveys from the start. It feels like a warm cup of tea after a very rainy day and each word is carefully written. This story deserves to be read and reread and rereread. Slowly. (With a nice cup of tea. &lt;;3)

Those Colours We Share by b_ofdale / @beesinspades | M | 84,709 words | tags: alternate universe - soulmates, alternate universe - post-war, set in 1956, Bard owns an animal shelter, slow burn, fluff and angst, disabled character, asexual characters, period-typical homophobia | trigger warnings: none

Summary: Had anyone told them, Thranduil Oropherion and Bard Bowman would never have believed they would see the world painted in colours again. Until that fateful day of December 1956, when one little boy entered a former soldier's animal shelter. What do you love about this fic? I'm a sucker for two lonely people who find each other and forge a new life together.

Beast by Nuredhel / @nuredhel | M | 132,354 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, all humans, Bard is a cop, Thranduil is a profiler, mentions of suicide, slow burn, crime and investigation, bonding while working, romance, past problems | trigger warnings: gore, violence, abuse, human trafficing, child abuse, murder, suicide

Summary: Bard Bowman is the leader of a team of investigators trying to solve a very complicated case, when the serial killer they are chasing proves to have a far longer history than they expected the feds call in a profiler. Bard has never believed he could feel attraction again but now he does, how can he express what he feels when they are chasing a beast which seems to defy the very laws of nature? Can Thran feel the same way? The road to love can be bumpy, in special when it is surrounded by murders. What do you love about this fic? It is very exciting, very romantic and intense.

seeking a friend for the end of the world by BiSquared / @scary-grace | M | 238,799 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, apocalypse, road trips, family issues and family bonding, opera singer Thranduil, Bard and Thranduil are good parents who are having a bad year, or years | trigger warnings: disease-apocalyptic setting, zombies, major character death, medical injections

Summary: Between dealing with his boss, getting over his ex-wife, and keeping his kids fed and clothed, Bard has more than enough on his plate. He doesn't have time to worry about the frightening rumors coming out of New York City or the lunatic in his service bay who tells him to take his kids and run. But when he stops to help a mysterious stranger on the side of the road, he gets a lot more than he bargained for -- a sexuality crisis, a partner in crime, and maybe, just maybe, a chance for all of them to make it out of this mess alive. What do you love about this fic? Incredible worldbuilding and an edge-of-your-seat plotline! The bonds between all the characters are just beautiful, and it has great worldbuilding. The action is also really well written, and it does tension/dramatics right.

In The Woods Somewhere by Ias / @hubristicfool | M | 249,074 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, vampires, vampire Thranduil, mechanic Bard, blood drinking, slow burn, dark, angst, violence, horror, psychological horror, unhealthy relationships | trigger warnings: vampires, blood, angst, sexual content, violence

Summary: These country roads were rarely traveled by any that didn't need to. When Thranduil pulled up beside the man's stopped vehicle and offered him a smile and a ride, there was no one to see the man's grateful expression as he slipped into Thranduil's car. No one to stand by and call out a warning as the taillights were swallowed by the dark branches of the trees. What do you love about this fic? The writing is excellent

Angels and crooks by Nuredhel / @nuredhel | M | 259,072 words | tags: sequel to Beast, alternate universe - modern setting, all humans, Bard is a cop, Thranduil is a profiler, solving crime, family, violence, drug abuse, everyday life at a police station | trigger warnings: violence, abuse, dark stuff, murder, blood, evil, deviousness

Summary: Bard and Thran are getting used to their new life as a married couple, and their new responsibilities as a family. But they still have their jobs and my oh my does that bring some interesting situations and challenges into their existence. Having both experience and special gifts does help, but at times reality can be more bizarre than anyone can expect. What do you love about this fic? It is a good story with very interesting twists and many great characters

When The Pale Swan Flies by EldritchMage / @eldritchmage | E | 290,646 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, circus performer Thranduil, cabinet maker Bard, Thranduil's name is Luka, Bard's name is Taliesin (which is Welsh for Bard), slow burn, Thranduil needs rescuing and Bard is happy to do it | trigger warnings: sexual abuse mentioned, underage sex mentioned, prostitution/pimping mentioned

Summary: A year ago, when a carpenter met a caged bird, his good intentions left despair in their wake. Is he a fool to hope he can atone for his missteps? What do you love about this fic? It's got circus acts! It's got two sad men learning to trust and love again! It's got an epic visit to a grocery store! It's got bad guys getting their just desserts, and everyone else getting delicious Spanish teacake! It's got a cute little boy who finds his voice while making puppets! There's a sad short-story prequel to set the stage, as well! And who doesn't like a parade?

Season of Light and Shadow by EldritchMage / @eldritchmage | E | 914,703 words | tags: alternate universe - modern setting, Thranduil is a ballet dancer, Bard is a building super and welder (and artist), slow burn, NSFW, blended family | trigger warnings: momentary violence, momentary mention of drug use, adult bedroom games

Summary: It's the week before Thanksgiving. In an apartment building somewhere in the middle of New York City, the mood is far from festive. Upstairs in Apartment 5B, an injured ballet dancer is having a rotten day. He's lost his job, he's had to walk home in the snow and rain, getting thoroughly soaked and frozen in the process, and the radiators in his rooms are as cold as the New York City streets. He limps downstairs to vent his fury on the night super who didn't fix the heat. Downstairs in Apartment 2A, the night super is also having a rotten day. No money, three overtired and cranky children, a slapdash boss, and not nearly enough sleep. And now someone is pounding on the door like a SWAT team. When an angel knocks on the door of a saint, neither finds what he expects. But with a little luck, the upcoming holiday season might give them both something to treasure. What do you love about this fic? It's two lonely men forging a blended family! It's got ballet! It's got home renovation! It's got four cutie children! It's got cooking! It's got an artist regaining the wherewithal to make his art! It's got lots of cool side characters (ten points to everyone who spots all the Dwarves :-). It's got lots of steamy love! It's even got 3 short follow-up stories! What's not to like?????? This was my introduction to the world of modern AUs with these two, and oh, it's SO GOOD. The kids are brilliant and so realistically drawn, and the dads are - well, they're incredibly hot. XD And the development of the relationship between them is beautifully done, as they go head-over-heels for each other while trying to take things slowly for the sake of the kids…oh, it's great. :D

[swordsmans]

• gyro [they/them] // late 20s •

ao3 // fic tag // bookbinding // ko-fi store

ficbinding commission info + form

#q -> queued posts

recent fics [all completed]:

poly philtatos (the most loved by far)

pairing: luffy/zoro

word count: 24,853

ao3 tags: temporary time-travel; spoilers through wano; it's all fine in the end i promise; it's about the Yearning and the Devotion

summary: zoro protects the crew (and his captain) and does not realize they'll go to the ends of the earth to protect him, too

ocean theology

pairing: luffy/zoro; asura/nika

word count: 40,493

ao3 tags: canon-compliant reincarnation; mild body horror (horns teeth claws); archive warnings for violence inflicted by the crew not on the crew; it's about the Yearning and the Devotion; hurt/comfort/comedy at a 30/60/10 ratio

summary: “Did you know?” he repeats, desperate, and Luffy just looks at him. And he wonders, then, how much of this has been preordained—how much of this is real, how much of this is him. How much of what he’s felt since they were wedged side-to-side in a shitty wooden boat on the East Blue has actually mattered, and how much has been the universe pressing him down into the mold of someone else's heart.

feed your plants a little sunlight [3*]

pairing: luffy/zoro; crew & zoro

word count: 4,224

ao3 tags: slice of life; whole-crew nakamaship

summary: Instead of napping, Zoro helps. It is his job, after all.

alleluia

pairing: crew & luffy

word count: 2,650

ao3 tags: religious imagery and symbolism; spoilers through wano; crew POV

summary: With the revelation that their Captain is a god, the crew worships.

how to talk without speaking [1*]

pairing: luffy & zoro & nami

word count: 6,898

ao3 tags: mild spoilers for wano; nakamaship; literacy and language headcanons

summary: In the beginning, Luffy does not know how to read. In the grand scheme of things, this does not matter.

the sea makes bones of bodies

pairing: luffy/zoro; nami/wanda (background); koala/sabo (background); deuce/ace (background)

word count: 87,732

ao3 tags: it's about the Yearning; Slow Burn; hurt/comfort/comedy at a 30/60/10 ratio; only one is a monster but they're both a little monstrous; alternate universe - mafia; alternate universe - merpeople; alternate universe - soulmates

summary: the self-indulgent "hitman/fight club champion/reincarnated moon god X merman/legendary sea monster/reincarnated sun god" AU that no one ask for.

bone-breaker ospreys mate for life [4*]

pairing: luffy/zoro

word count: 9,517

ao3 tags: explicit; porn with feelings; mild spoilers for wano; pre- AND post- timeskip; it's about the Yearning and the Devotion; as always

summary: The first time it happens, it’s mostly stupid—just like more than half of what they do, anyway.

wood is a living creature [2*]

pairing: luffy/zoro (implied); luffy & his ships

word count: 3,363

ao3 tags: going merry; the dinghy gets her own kind of klabautermann

summary: They keep her—history’s forgotten hero, the first great ship of the second Pirate King.

step 1: die [1*]

pairing: luffy/zoro (implied); zoro & sanji

word count: 11,344

ao3 tags: incorrect descriptions of poisoning and other medical inaccuracies; spoilers through wano act II; roronoa “self-sacrifice” zoro; big sanji emotions; angst and hurt/comfort

summary: After two years with Ivankov, Sanji knows something about Luffy that Zoro does not.

step 2: survive anyway [2*]

pairing: luffy/zoro

word count: 19,023

ao3 tags: incorrect descriptions of poisoning and other medical inaccuracies; spoilers through wano act I; roronoa “self-sacrifice” zoro; law's weird jar of blood; no one being normal about luffy; angst and hurt/comfort

summary: Even though he knows he’s a hypocrite for it, Zoro is so fucking tired of learning everything from everyone but Luffy.

the heart is just an organ

pairing: crew & chopper; crew & luffy

word count: 11,106

ao3 tags: nakamaship; emotional hurt/comfort; protective monkey d. luffy

summary: The crew comes into contact with a Devil Fruit ability that suppresses Zoan powers, and the world goes quiet.

current projects:

bury your albatross ch. 3

fanbinding

current events:

gear 5 zine (guest writer)

romance dawn trio zine (guest writer)

[crepesuzette2023]

Your account is honestly such a blessing. I’ve found so many good Mclennon fics because of you it’s actually insane. Now for my ask, what are some good AU Mclennon fics ?

Thank you for asking! I already listed a few AU stories in my overall faves post, e.g., under J/P without the Beatles—but I didn't really focus on fully realized, different-time-different-place-different-everything-AU stories. Here are a few I loved:

in our house we never get bored (@backbenttulips): The Beatles live in a polyamorous marriage à la sedoretu (Ursula LeGuin). Enchanting and enchanted. Soothing.

a great threat (@pauls1967moustache). Yoko is a woman and an artist, and so is Paul. Theirs is the superior battle for John Lennon's apple. A battle for each other, really. I can't overstate how much this works for me. They compete for fame and artistic collaboration, not for anyone's half-hard dick. This feels like the real Paul/Yoko dynamic in many ways.

@saint-mona: You Gave Me the Word. 1958. John is troubled after his mother's death, and befriends Paul, a bookstore owner who shares a past with Julia. Paul and John become friends—and more? Sensual and tender. Younger John & older Paul are good for each other.

snugglesweaters: You Might As Well Arsk: Hilarious, uplifting, and profound epistolary/email modern AU, with excellent (written) supporting turns by Ivan and George. It does take a fucking village.

@dailyhowl: Sleeping Sand, Morning Moon : On the other end of the tonal spectrum, this is a long, dreamy and wintery novella about grieving London playwright Paul and Scottish village eccentric John, and their long, slow way to each other. Set in 1966. Contains a surprising core of Paul & Brian, and very interesting memories of Paul/Ian.

Only a Northern Song (@stonedlennon): 1963, Liverpool: Paul works in a record store (yes, for Mr. Brian), and John is a dock worker and poet. They find each other. A long, long time after reading this, I can still 'hear' the two of them talking to each other.

Thank you @javelinbk for pointing me to and why the sea is boiling hot (madamboogie)—a reincarnation fic set starting in the late 90's. I'm only a few chapters in, but it's interesting and different!

Speaking of: @javelinbk also wrote many great AU's: John and Paul as the two nice men at the flowershop (Double Fantasy), Paul as wealthy business man, and reluctant #1 son, with John as his hot mess driver (The Life of Riley), John and Paul as stepbrothers after Jim gets married to Mimi (Brother Dearest with the follow-up I love even more, because it's melancholy and romantic and complicated, and it has Mike McCartney: Father and Son)—but a recent favorite is Our Version of Events, in which John Lennon is introduced to Beatles fan fiction by May Pang, and has questions for Paul. Set in '71. I love how this one is both an ode to fan fiction and a damn good story (with a non-tropey ending).

I also enjoyed many AU stories by @unchaineddaisychain. For instance: You've Got to Pick Up Every Stitch (Halloween! Modern AU, Paul is John's boyfriend for the night to stick it to John's ex, very sweet morning after), We are Stardust (Brit Paul and NYer John meet at Woodstock in '69, and it's so fucking romantic), and These Nights (modern AU, slightly jaded rock journalist John unexpectedly spends a night with rising pop star Paul. Cold shower, please!)

[strangeduckpaper]

TwiYor Prompts, part 1

@dailytwiyorprompts

Also posted on AO3: Not Months, But Moments

SHARING THE DAY

—

“How was your day, darling?”

Twilight’s side missions are piling up, Loid had the most obnoxious patient, paperwork, and Nightfall, Franky, and Yuri are getting on my nerves.

“Tiring. And yours, sweetheart?”

Paperwork, office drama, paperwork, an emergency midday assassination, Barnes scolding me for slacking off, more paperwork.

“Long. I’m just glad to be home,”

“So am I

—

ROYALTY AU

—

Yor can’t take her eyes off the court mage, with his striking blue eyes and the dark vert robes laced with golden moon patterns that match his shock of blonde hair.

But then his eyes find hers and she has to.

She shakes her head, trying to focus.

She’s Queen Melinda’s sworn sword, appointed by Desmond's spymaster himself; she can’t afford the distraction.

But throughout the night, she feels the prickle of eyes on her back. Whenever she tries to identify it, she’s only met by the mage, his back turned to her.

Thus begins another round of their game.

--

TREASURES

—

He can’t stop smiling. As much as he tries he can’t and now his cheeks are beginning to hurt.

He’d never imagined ever smiling so much so widely. A depressing thought to be sure, but one he’s glad is wrong.

Quietly, retrieves the little camera that Yor got him for ‘Loid’s’ birthday, and snaps a picture.

The click is loud in the silence of their room, but no one stirs. Not Anya, or Bond, or Yor, or the two babies bundled in her arms.

He’ll have to ask Franky if he can use his dark room, and develop a picture of his greatest treasures himself.

—

DOMESTICITY

—

The teapot begins to whistle and Yor snatches it within a second. Right on time.

It’s odd, just how familiar the motion has become to her, another facet of a well worn routine. So routine that she once successfully identified a problem with the oven when the pot didn’t go off when she expected it to.

She pours the water into three cups. Green for Loid, pink for Anya, red for her. The teabags in her and Loid’s cups begin to stain the steaming water, and she takes a spoon to Anya’s mixing in the pre-poured cocoa powder.

 She takes the tray into the living room, where Loid is half reading a newspaper, half supervising a swaying Anya as she watches Bondman, from the couch as Loid has recently been insisting. She hands her daughter the cocoa, delaying her own drink to make sure Anya doesn’t make a mess.

Loid waits for her, taking her cup and cooling it to her preferred temperature. He hands it to her when she’s finished with Anya, and takes his own. Anya slumps against her side, dead asleep.

She smiles at the cute display, blushing when she catches Loid’s lips stretch into a smile above the rim of his teacup.

It’s nothing special, really. It’s a sequence of events so mundane, so familiar, she could repeat it without thinking.

And she wishes for a lifetime of nights just like it.

—

REINCARNATION

—

“Verzeihen Sie?” those words and a tap on the shoulder pull his attention from the rows of streamers he’s found himself surveying, and he turns to find the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen looking up at him.

“Kennen wir uns?” she asks, and it takes him a few moments to respond. One to get his jaw working and another to get his brain working and remember his childhood Ostanian.

“I don’t think so,” he answers, deciding that I think I would remember someone like you was too forward.

Given how she blushes at his sedate answer, he feels as if this was the best choice.

“I’m sorry for bothering you!” she apologizes, “I just thought I knew you from somewhere,”

“I…get that,” he responds, as he finds himself sympathizing. There’s something about her that feels so familiar, something about the luster of her hair, her ruby eyes, the way she holds herself, that he just can’t put his finger on.

A forgotten childhood friend?

“Are you from around here?” he asks, and she shakes her head.

“East Neilsberg, but my family never traveled to Westalis. This is my first time here, actually, a business trip. You?”

“I’m a local, actually, I just came to visit family for the holidays,” taking a leap of faith, he holds out his arm, “Would you like me to show you around? My information might not be up to date, but I can give you a highlight reel,”

“I-I would love that,” she says, taking his hand, her blush the dawn and her smile the sun, “My name is Yor, by the way, Yor Briar,”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yor,” he responds, feeling his ears heat up at the feel of her hand, “I’m Loid Forger,”

For a brief moment, his mind is full of green and pink and the sound of a child’s laughter.

—

OWN HOUSE (IN THE COUNTRYSIDE)

—

The little house nestled in the little East Neilsburg hamlet is at once familiar and foreign. Edifices inside and out have been replaced with age and the tastes of interim owners, but she can still see the underlying structure, and her memories overlay it with the ghostly images of her childhood.

“Well?” her husband asks, hugging her from behind, resting his chin upon her shoulder.

“Oh Loid,” she sighs, her voice quivering with the effort not to cry, “It’s beautiful but-how?”

“I’ve kept an eye on it ever since we first visited Neilsburg,” he answers, “Recently found out that the couple who lived here were actually moving, something about getting closer to grandchildren,”

Yor sniffles, wiping away the tears escaping despite her best efforts to contain them, “So you bought it?” 

She feels Loid shrug, “We needed somewhere away from Berlint, this place opened up, it seemed like kismet,”

Yor released a teary chuckle, “I thought you didn't believe in fate?”

“I believe in advantageous coincidences, depending on the circumstance,”

She chuckles again, her laughter bleeding into that of Anya’s, their daughter currently chasing Bond throughout the yard. Their yard. In their house.

It’s a house she never thought she’d step into again, a home cast away in favour of Yuri, of Loid, of Anya.

“I love it,” she says, turning to face him, cupping his face and his burgeoning smile lines.

“I’m glad I got you your house back,”“Our house,” she corrects him, “And now our home,”